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PRESS RELEASE : Britain’s food and farming trade attachés unlock £80m in new export opportunities [June 2026]

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 26 June 2026.

Farming Minister Stephen Morgan welcomes Defra’s global network of agri-food attachés’ for their annual Industry Engagement Week.

British food and farming businesses will benefit from £80 million in new export opportunities this year, as the government’s agri-food attachés unlocked global trade barriers, including genetics exports to USA, cheese exports to Brazil and trout access in China.

So far this year, 20 barriers have already been resolved by the attaché network, including a new streamlined Chinese export registration process that will save businesses £50 million annually.

Additional breakthroughs include delivering new market access for British poultry and eggs in the UAE, a significant win for exporting processed animal protein in Indonesia worth £10 million annually, and new approvals for cookie dough exports to India and UK seafood access in Kuwait.

Farming Minister Stephen Morgan welcomed the agri-food attachés back to the UK for a week of intensive engagement with British food and farming businesses. The attachés met producers, farmers and small businesses to discuss how the government can help them capitalise on the UK’s new trade deals and the forthcoming EU-UK SPS Agreement, which will remove barriers with the UK’s biggest agri-food trade market.

The week saw the attachés travel to Essex, visiting the world-famous Wilkin & Sons jam factory and fruit farm in Tiptree and the award-winning Danbury Ridge vineyard to mark English Wine Week, meeting passionate producers to help boost exports of these world-renowned products from the UK.

Alongside these visits, the attachés met around 100 food and drink businesses and industry associations spanning the breadth of the sector – from meat and dairy producers to drinks makers, small businesses and speciality food exporters – discussing how government can best support them in seizing the opportunities ahead.

Farming Minister Stephen Morgan said:

Our agri-attachés are Britain’s boots on the ground for food and farming trade. Embedded in key markets from the USA to East Asia, they use their local knowledge and diplomatic connections to cut through barriers that would otherwise take years to resolve.

The results speak for themselves, with £80 million in opportunities unlocked this year alone, delivering real growth for British businesses.

As global appetite for UK food and drink continues to grow, the attaché network will keep playing a critical role to help British businesses build a lasting presence in the world’s most important markets.

Food and Drink Federation Director of Sustainability & Growth Balwinder Dhoot Said:

The agri-food attaché network provides valuable in-market support to businesses and is a key part of our goal to reach £35bn in UK food and drink exports by 2035.

We are looking forward to working more closely with the attaches going forward to deliver strong benefits for the UK’s 12,000 food and drink manufacturers.

The engagement week comes on the back of a strong year for the network amid a challenging trading environment and geopolitical uncertainty. In 2025, the attachés resolved 55 export barriers estimated to be worth £127 million annually, from securing pork access to Mexico to removing costly obstacles for dairy exports to Egypt.

Last year, two UK dairy establishments were approved to export to Brazil, an important step in boosting exports to this growing market and seeing more British dairy on Brazilian shelves.

Under the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal, the government has secured a 13k Mt quota for British beef into the high-value US market, worth up to £70m. We have also seen new access for ovine genetics grow UK exports to more than £2.5m according to industry estimates, showcasing our world leading sheep breeds.

26/06/2026
PRESS RELEASE : Thousands of homes will be eligible for £9,000 off a heat pump [June 2026]
The press release issued by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on 26 June 2026.

Households on heating oil across England and Wales will be eligible for £9,000 off a heat pump, helping them cut bills.
- Thousands of households on heating oil across England and Wales will be eligible for a £9,000 heat pump grant
- Funding will help rural households make the move from heating oil to a heat pump, protecting them from fossil fuel price spikes
- Information on how to apply will be landing on doormats of thousands of eligible households this week
Thousands of households on heating oil across England and Wales will be eligible to receive £9,000 to switch to a heat pump this summer, saving them money on their energy bills.

From 21 July the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant is being increased by 20%, from £7,500 to £9,000, to help rural households make the move from heating oil to a heat pump.

This will electrify families’ heating, protecting them from fossil fuel price spikes and providing greater certainty over energy bills.

Leaflets will be dropping onto the doormats of 200,000 eligible homes in England and Wales this week with more information on how to claim the extra funding.

Minister for Energy Consumers Martin McCluskey said

This government is determined to bring down energy bills, but I know the war in the Middle East has hit households on heating oil especially hard.

We have already taken action to support these households through confirming over £50 million in support for vulnerable customers on heating oil.

Now, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme will help thousands of families across England and Wales switch to clean heat to protect them from volatile fossil fuels.

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme uplift runs alongside measures that the Energy Secretary set out earlier in the year to help cut bills for families and deliver more clean, homegrown power.

The Social Housing Fund will receive a £100 million boost to support the delivery of up to 57,000 solar installations for households in England this financial year. The measures will cut bills by hundreds of pounds and support up to one million homes reach EPC C.

Additionally, to build on the success of Great British Energy’s solar scheme, the government is backing the company to extend support for more rooftop solar installations on a further 100 schools and colleges this year alone.

The Warm Homes Plan, available to all households, will help roll out clean technology to millions, cutting bills and securing thousands of good jobs.

Charlotte Lee, CEO, Heat Pump Association UK, said:

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme continues to play a vital role in supporting households to adopt heat pumps, and this £1,500 uplift will make the transition significantly more affordable for the thousands of oil-heated homes.

Many of these households have faced considerable price uncertainty in recent months, without the protection of the energy price cap, and this £9,000 grant will help shield families from volatile fossil fuel costs, by using home grown electricity, in the years ahead.

Ian Rippin, CEO at MCS, said:

This uplift is an important step in making heat pumps more accessible to rural households, allowing them to see the benefits the technology can offer.

As the UK’s quality mark for small-scale renewables like heat pumps, our mission is to give everyone confidence in home-grown energy.

We do this by setting the standards you should always expect from an MCS certified installer and the products they use, while providing robust protections to give you peace of mind in your investment.

Households considering making the switch to a heat pump with the help of the BUS can search for an MCS certified installer near them using our Find an Installer tool.

Matt Copeland, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at National Energy Action says:

This is a positive step for households relying on heating oil, who have recently faced the highest and most volatile energy costs.

Many families will be expecting to ration their heating in the coming winter, living in homes they cannot afford to keep warm, not through choice but constraint.

Supporting the shift to cleaner heating in these homes can help deliver greater stability and lower bills.

The real test will be whether this support reaches those most at risk and makes homes genuinely affordable to heat.
26/06/2026
PRESS RELEASE : Smarter use of government land to support nature and climate [June 2026]

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 26 June 2026.

Half a million hectares to help deliver for nature recovery and climate adaptation, strengthening climate resilience.

A new, smarter way of using Government-owned land will support nature recovery, climate adaptation and the resilience of public services under new plans set out today (Friday 26 June).

Bringing together action across more than 577,000 hectares – roughly 4% of England’s land – the Government Estate Nature Plan moves from fragmented, site‑by‑site efforts to a more coordinated, whole estate approach, strengthening resilience and helping protect critical public services from climate impacts.

By minimising disruption caused by water shortages and wildfires, healthy ecosystems can play a vital role in mitigating and adapting to the impacts of climate change. The focus will be to both support nature and build infrastructure resilience.

As the largest landowner in England, the Government is uniquely placed to help drive nature recovery across the country through actions like woodland creation and peatland restoration, setting an example for other large landowners. For the first time, government is applying the Land Use Framework to its own estate; managing land more strategically to deliver for nature alongside core public services.

The plan, being published during London Climate Action Week, will see a series of ‘lighthouse’ projects – funded pilot projects on operational land including defence training areas, transport corridors and prison grounds, demonstrating how nature recovery can support essential public services. The evidence from these projects will be used to inform future, larger-scale projects.

Recent independent research indicates the government estate has capacity to generate ecosystem services valued at £67 billion from natural capital maintained in good condition.

Nature Minister Mary Creagh said:

“As the largest landowner in the country, government has a unique opportunity to work with others to show how nature can be restored at scale while delivering essential public services.

“This new plan is the first of its kind globally and will ensure progress towards our goal to protect 30% of our land and seas by 2030.”

Carl von Reibnitz, Chief Sustainability Officer at Ministry of Justice said:

“The Government Estate Nature Plan reflects what the Ministry of Justice has already learned: managing natural assets well is an operational necessity, not an environmental add-on.

“From our prison tree nurseries supplying government planting schemes to Community Payback teams delivering habitat restoration, justice already contributes to nature recovery at scale. We welcome this plan and look forward to building on that contribution through the GENP.”

Rosie Hails, Nature, Land & Evidence Director at the National Trust said:

“The government’s plan to drive change for nature through its own estate is a welcome and necessary step. We can only meaningfully tackle the nature crisis if everyone involved in how land is used plays a part – owners, managers, farmers, businesses and communities.

“Publicly owned land offers a real opportunity to show what’s possible. As a member of the National Estate for Nature group, we’re pleased to be working in partnership with government and other landowners to share expertise and restore nature at scale together.”

Natural England Chair Tony Juniper said:

“Natural England has worked alongside Defra to establish this influential group of landowners, who have collectively demonstrated great ambition towards national targets for Nature’s recovery.

“Individually they make big contributions, and their combined impact can be huge. Today’s publication of the Government Estate for Nature plan shows the government shares in their ambition.

“Our National Nature Reserves are exemplars of nature recovery and Natural England will continue with its high pace programme of declaring new ones. This will not only benefit Nature but also to support communities and improve our collective resilience to climate change.”

Forestry England Chief Executive Mike Seddon said:

“Forestry England is the country’s biggest land manager and the 254,000 hectares that make up the nation’s forests hold a variety of habitats and an abundance of wildlife.

“Our long-term stewardship of this critical natural asset delivers many public benefits from high-quality timber and nature recovery to improving citizens’ health and wellbeing, and our work contributes to the wider economy.

“We have a strong track record on successful nature recovery projects, working in partnership, such as reintroducing pine martens to the Forest of Dean and white-tailed eagles to the south coast.

“Our wild areas, such as Wild Ennerdale, are places for innovation and we have ambitions to expand them to 38,000 hectares by 2031. We care for almost 70,000 hectares of SSSIs and we want pine marten ranges covering 100,000 hectares of the nation’s forests.”

The Government Estate Nature Plan is part of a collective of plans published by members of the National Estate for Nature, a coalition of major landowners who together manage a tenth of England’s land, including the National Trust, The Crown Estate, the Church Commissioners, the Duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall and the RSPB.

In publishing these plans, members are demonstrating how they meet the NEN’s collective ambition and minimum standard, through setting out where and what type of land they hold and how they will work to increase or improve important habitats, such as Clinton Devon Estates who are restoring wetlands and creating new woodland.

Examples of targets to boost nature recovery by 2030 include the Church Commissioners aiming to see 80% of farms adopt nature-friendly farming practices and United Utilities planting 1 million trees. The Crown Estate’s new long-term environmental Farm Business Tenancies will support farmers in their aim to transition 15% of farmland to nature recovery, including planting 1,000km of new hedgerows by 2035. Members will continue to work closely together, applying the government’s Land Use Framework principles and participating in Local Nature Recovery Strategies.

By managing land more strategically, the government and NEN partners will help deliver Environment Act targets on biodiversity, water quality and woodland cover, while supporting the UK’s international commitment to protect 30% of land for nature by 2030.

26/06/2026

PRESS RELEASE : Thousands more out-of-work benefit claimants to get personalised support [June 2026]

The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 26 June 2026.

Up to 40,000 disabled people and people with health conditions will benefit from expanded access to personalised support, as the government rolls out Support Conversations across a further 27 Jobcentres taking the total number of sites to 33.

Support Conversations expanding to a further 27 Jobcentres across Great Britain, bringing the total to 33 sites.
Disabled people and those with health conditions on out of work benefits are being offered a one-to-one, voluntary, hour-long conversation to discuss their support needs and identify extra help. This support is personalised and could link people to help with their health, debt, skills, employment and housing.
Part of the government’s wider £3.5 billion investment to help disabled people and those with health conditions into work over the Parliament.

Support Conversations are voluntary, hour-long sessions designed to help people identify and overcome the barriers stopping them from moving into work or into meaningful activity (such as volunteering) and is part of the commitment the Government made in last year’s Pathways to Work Green Paper

Unlike standard Jobcentre appointments, Support Conversations take a holistic approach, covering not just employment, but housing, debt, skills, and drug and alcohol rehabilitation services. Support Conversations are delivered by Healthcare Professionals, Pathways to Work Advisers, and Disability Employment Advisers, and are available face to face, by video, or by telephone.

They are open to those who are awaiting a Work Capability Assessment and people furthest away from the labour market – assessed as having Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity (LCWRA).

These are people who for too long were written off and denied support. But the government’s expansion of Support Conversations is giving people they help they need and builds on the landmark deployment of 1,000 Pathways to Work Advisers, who have already helped more than 65,000 sick and disabled people get one step closer to work.

Minister for Employment Dame Diana Johnson said:

Too many disabled people and people with health conditions face barriers that stop them from accessing the support and opportunities they deserve.

That is why we are expanding the number of sites delivering Support Conversations from 6 to 33 Jobcentres across Great Britain, giving up to 40,000 people personalised help tailored to their circumstances.

Getting more people into good work is central to our Plan for Change and Support Conversations will help us do exactly this.

This expansion builds on testing already live in six sites where support conversations are being delivered by healthcare professionals and disability employment advisers. Early testing indicates customers feeling “listened to” and “supported.”

Neil, a Disability Employment Adviser in Bournemouth said:

Support Conversations are a great opportunity to spend an hour focused on the claimant and their needs.

We all know that many people face a whole range of challenges which need to be overcome as part of their individual journey back to work and talking through those challenges with a DEA is an important first step.

Support Conversations confirm that the most valuable resource we have is the time that we spend with our claimants.

Saimha, a Healthcare Professional in Preston said:

Support Conversation is about providing compassionate, informed, holistic, person-centred support to disabled people and those with health conditions. Every interaction is an opportunity to make someone feel heard, safe, and supported.

Every person’s health journey is unique and support conversation is an opportunity to identify the range of barriers people are facing in their day to day life and signposting them to the relevant services that can help, encouraging people to take positive steps towards improving their lives.

This expansion forms part of the government’s Pathways to Work offer and its broader £3.5 billion employment support package, which includes:

Connect to Work, which delivers tailored, personalised, local support that will help 300,000 people into work by the end of this parliament.
The national expansion of WorkWell, backed by £259mn, helping up to 250,000 people with health conditions to stay in or return to work.
Allowing sick or disabled people to try work without the immediate fear of reassessment through the Right to Try.
The deployment of 1,000 Pathways to Work advisers who’ve already helped tens of thousands of people the previous Government wrote off.

The government will continue to test the success of Support Conversations through healthcare professionals and disability employment advisors as part of this expansion, with Pathways to Work Advisers also carrying out these Support Conversations for the first time. 27 sites have been confirmed so far, with a further six sites to be confirmed shortly.

The expansion directly supports the government’s Plan for Change and its mission to raise living standards across the UK by helping more people into work and ensuring everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

Additional Information:

Support Conversations are currently offered to people awaiting a Work Capability Assessment (WCA) who have registered a health condition or disability that impacts their ability to work and those assessed as having Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity (LCWRA).
The conversations are entirely voluntary.
List of confirmed sites (note 6 further sites to be confirmed shortly):

Site	Model
Aberdare	PtWA
Berwick Upon Tweed	PtWA
Blaydon	DEA
Bournemouth	DEA
Didsbury	PtWA
Glenrothes	DEA
Grimsby	PtWA
Hoxton	PtWA
Lancaster	HCP
Leeds Park Place	PtWA
Leicester Charles Street	DEA
Leicester Wellington Street	DEA
North Shields	DEA
Northwich	PtWA
Preston	HCP
Rusholme	PtWA
Saltcoats	PtWA
Shettleston	DEA
South Shields	DEA
Southend	DEA
Sparkhill	DEA
Springburn	DEA
Sunderland	DEA
Thornaby	HCP
WesterHailes	PtWA
Whitehaven	DEA
Workington	PtWA

26/06/2026

PRESS RELEASE : Keir Starmer meeting with Prime Minister Mottley of Barbados [June 2026]

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 25 June 2026.

The Prime Minister welcomed the Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley for a meeting in Downing Street today, during London Climate Action Week.

The Prime Minister thanked Prime Minister Mottley for her international leadership on climate action, welcoming efforts by the UK and Barbados to tackle super pollutants.

The leaders also discussed initiatives for combatting organised crime and enhancing regional security in the Caribbean.

They looked forward to the UK and Barbados continuing to deepen work together through the Commonwealth, including on trade and business opportunities.

26/06/2026
Martin McCluskey – 2026 Speech at the Housing 2026 Conference

The speech made by Martin McCluskey, the Minister for Energy Consumers, in Manchester on 25 June 2026.

Good afternoon everyone, and given the week that we’ve just had, I’m sure this is going to be maybe the second most exciting thing to come out of Manchester in the past 7 days.

Can I just say how good it is to be here, not just because it’s a couple of degrees cooler here than it is in London, but also because I truly believe in the power of this sector to deliver, and the value that you add to people’s lives.

I grew up in a 4 in a block council flat in the area that I represent in parliament, and that shaped not only my life but also the life of my parents and grandparents who moved this block in the 1940s.

That’s 3 generations, nearly 70 years under the same roof in Greenock, which is near Glasgow.

So I know what it means to grow up in a home that gives you the best start in life.

Before I became an MP I was a local councillor dealing with some of the issues that I know so many of you in this room today are grappling with poverty, deprivation, and many other issues that you see every single day.

I’ve seen how hard it is for people at the moment especially to haul themselves up when their life is built on weak foundations, when they grow up in fuel poverty and they don’t have a secure, comfortable home to be the anchor in their life.

So now as minister in this job, dealing not just with the home retrofit, social housing, energy efficiency, but also energy prices, my mission is to get more of what I had to people across the country, to finally address one of the greatest structural challenges we face in this country, the state of our housing stock.

And you all know the statistics, we have some of the oldest homes in Europe, 40% of them were built before World War 2.

That’s millions of people, many of whom live in social housing, who are growing up in old, cold, damp, leaking homes, which, because they’re overwhelmingly heated by gas, leave them especially vulnerable to the energy price shock we’ve seen in recent years.

The cost of energy bills combined with the state of our housing stock traps too many people in a miserable cycle of energy debt and fuel poverty, wasting their money on inefficiently heated homes, unable to invest in the upgrades that will bring them some sense of relief.

That’s why it’s our duty as a government to address this.

I know the world’s eyes have been drawn to Westminster in recent days, but that doesn’t change the fact that across the country there are thousands and thousands of people living in fuel poverty, children growing up sick, living in constant fear of rising films, incubating disease caused by constant exposure to damp and mould.

It shouldn’t have taken the death of Awaab Ishak, who died aged 2 in 2020 due to the effects of terrible mould exposure, to show just how urgent this crisis is.

And like I promised you, whatever happens in government in the weeks ahead, addressing this will continue to be our work.

We want to give people the best possible start in life.

We want to give people pride, comfort and dignity in their homes.

We want children to stop coming into school telling their teachers about being cold at home, and we want to protect people from the effects of wars that weren’t our choice, that are happening half a world away.

And this government has acted over the past 2 years, a new Decent Homes Standard to deliver warmer, healthier homes with lower bills.

Awaab’s Law, which has introduced strict time-bound requirements for social landlords to address emergency hazards and of course the Renters Rights Act, which carries these reforms into the private rented sector.

And I’m proud that in the department I’m part of in Energy Security and Net Zero, we’ve introduced other measures to help some of the most vulnerable people in our country.

We’ve expanded the £150 warm home discount to over 6 million families every winter into the next decade.

We’ve stepped in to help heating oil customers at the start of the war in Iran and we’re preparing for all contingencies this autumn and winter to deal with the increasing cost of energy bills.

But tackling these issues isn’t just about providing immediate cash support, though that is incredibly important, it’s also about the structural change that we need to see in our energy system and our housing system.

And after decades of inertia in this country that requires massive investment, it requires big government, it requires interventionist government to do what needs to be done.

And that’s where the Warm Homes Plan that we launched earlier in the year comes in.

It’s the biggest upgrade to our nation’s housing stock in history.

It’s £15 billion for insulation, solar panels, batteries, heat pumps, a whole range of technologies that can save families hundreds of pounds off their bills and give them more control over their energy.

A central part of our mission is to ensure that we decide the price of our energy here at home, that our energy system is based on clean home-grown power that we control, and it will bring clean power into people’s homes so that they are the first to see the benefits.

I just want to take some time today to make 3 points about the Warm Homes Plan.

Firstly, this is unapologetically a social justice project.

It’s a project to tackle poverty at its root cause, with £5 billion of that support going directly to those on low incomes in fuel poverty.

People who won’t have to pay a penny for the home upgrades that will change their lives and break the vicious cycle that they’re trapped in.

Second, if we are to meet the target of upgrading 5 million homes by 2030, we have to ensure that absolutely everyone can benefit from upgrades and are motivated to do so.

To help households tackle the upfront costs of upgrades, the new Warm Homes Fund will see £1.7 billion allocated to low-and zero-interest loans.

We’ve also doubled funding for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and in response to the crisis in the Middle East, increased the grant to £9,000 for those currently using heating oil.

But success will hinge on the confidence and trust of consumers, which is why the new Warm Homes Agency that we’re proposing will simplify the scheme administration and help households access trusted high-quality advice and routes to funding.

We’re also overhauling the consumer protection landscape to rebuild the trust in the sector following the failures of ECO4 and GBIS.

Third thing, we need to make sure that higher standards and high standards are maintained, that future generations will not have to go through and do this again.

So we’re bringing in higher minimum energy efficiency standards with EPC C for rented homes by 2030 and EPC B for non-domestic buildings by 2031.

And as well as upgrading existing homes, ensuring that every new home we build sets the example for where we want to be with our future home standards so that solar panels, clean heating and proper insulation are the new normal in homes that we build over the coming years.

I know from working in devolved governments and from my role before being an MP as local councillor that this can’t be a Whitehall knows best agenda, this cannot be a top-down programme, and that’s why everything that we’re doing as part of the warm homes plan will be delivered alongside local government.

Nearly £1.3 billion of grant funding has been allocated already to the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund Wave 3 and up to 295 billion pounds of additional funding will be available through the fund in 2026/2027 for existing Wave 3 grant recipients and some of the mayoral strategic authorities.

Now from 2028 we plan to consolidate and integrate these schemes into a single scheme for low-income households still focused on an area-based delivery.

And we know we can only achieve our mission if we take homeowners, landlords and businesses with us and that they trust that upgrading their buildings is an attractive and viable option and the local problems need local solutions.

It’s been my pleasure in this job to meet people who have benefited from so many of these solutions, and at the start of doing this job I met someone called Jason in Bristol who had upgraded his home, who took me into his kitchen and insisted on showing me the spreadsheet of how much he was benefiting from having a heat pump and solar panels in his home all funded through local grant provided through WECA.

And my mind often goes back to Jason when I am thinking about the work that we are doing, because his feeling of pride in his home is what I want to replicate up and down the country and the work that we are doing.

The action we are taking will lift up to a million households out of fuel poverty by 2030 and I think that’s the future that all of us in this room want to see.

A future where housing is no longer a luxury to live in and to have some disposable income after paying your energy bills each month to give people pride and dignity in their homes again, and in their communities and to stop tragedies like some of the tragedies we’ve seen over recent years from happening again.

And I don’t think this is too much to ask if we work together on what we are trying to achieve, and in the wake of what we’ve seen in the Middle East during the Iran crisis I think you can see the demand that exists for these kind of changes.

Record levels of inquiries about heat pumps, solar panels and EVs has shown the appetite that there is out there for clean technology, but we need to be able to meet it, and we need to be able to do that work together.

So we absolutely need all of you in this room and so it’s my pleasure once again to be here today and to be able to take your questions.

This is a partnership that can really deliver generational change in housing across the country so as I always say at these events, we can only do that with people in this room, challenging us, ensuring that we are going as far as we possibly can.

And keep telling us what we need in the sector, what we need to be able to do more and what we need from our officials in the department to be able to do more, and I’m sure that together we can ensure as many people as possible get the pride and dignity from our home that’s fit for the future.

Thank you.

26/06/2026
PRESS RELEASE : International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict 2026 – joint statement to the OSCE [June 2026]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 25 June 2026.

Norwegian Ambassador Ellen Svendsen delivers a joint statement on behalf of six countries marking the 2026 International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict.

Thank you, Mr Chair.

I am delivering this statement on behalf of Canada, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and my own country Norway.

On 19 June we marked the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict. We pay tribute to survivors and to those around the world working tirelessly to prevent and respond to conflict-related sexual violence.

Mr Chair, the global picture remains deeply concerning. Recent UN reporting has shown a sharp rise in verified cases of conflict-related sexual violence, marked by increasing brutality which disproportionately affects women and girls, while continuing to impact men and boys.

Such violence is not incidental to conflict. It is used deliberately as a tactic of war, terror, and repression, with devastating consequences for individuals, communities, and long-term stability.

These trends are compounded by shrinking humanitarian access, reduced funding for survivor services, and persistent stigma that prevents reporting and denies justice. Escalating and protracted conflicts continue to create conditions in which the risks of sexual violence grow.

Mr Chair, in Ukraine, UN reporting, successive Moscow Mechanism reports, ODIHR Interim Reports and other independent monitoring continues to document conflict-related sexual violence linked to Russia’s ongoing aggression, including in detention settings where it has been used as a form of torture and ill-treatment. Survivors include women, men, and detainees subjected to serious abuses. These cases underscore the use of sexual violence to intimidate, punish, and extract information, and highlight the urgent need for accountability and survivor support.

Sexual violence in conflict is a violation of international humanitarian and human rights law, and a threat to international peace and security. It must stop. Perpetrators must be brought to justice. Survivors must be supported.

We emphasise the importance of a survivor-centred approach in all prevention and response efforts. This means placing the safety, dignity, rights and needs of survivors at the heart of action, ensuring access to justice, protection, and essential services, including psychosocial support.

Efforts to prevent and respond to conflict-related sexual violence should also fully address the needs of children affected, including child survivors, children born of such violence and those affected indirectly. Children experience conflict-related sexual violence in distinct ways, and responses must be child-sensitive, survivor-centred and integrated into existing systems. Addressing their needs is essential to breaking cycles of violence, stigma and exclusion.

Accountability is central. Without justice, there is no deterrence. Without accountability, cycles of violence continue. We must strengthen national and international mechanisms to investigate and prosecute these crimes, and ensure that survivors have access to redress and reparations.

The OSCE has a vital role to play. Its comprehensive approach to security, its field operations, and its autonomous institutions contribute to prevention, monitoring, and accountability efforts. The OSCE’s work on gender equality and on combating sexual and gender-based violence in armed conflict remains essential, and should continue to be prioritised by participating States.

Mr Chair, addressing conflict-related sexual violence must form part of broader international efforts: to uphold the Women, Peace and Security agenda; to tackle gender inequality and discrimination; and to ensure the meaningful participation of women in peace processes and decision-making at all levels.

As we mark this International Day, we reaffirm our collective responsibility. We must act together through multilateral cooperation to prevent these crimes, to support survivors, and to end impunity.

Thank you, Mr Chair.

26/06/2026
PRESS RELEASE : Report by the Head of OSCE Mission to Montenegro – UK statement [June 2026]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 25 June 2026.

Deputy Ambassador James Ford underlines support for Montenegro’s Euro Atlantic path and progress in strengthening democratic institutions, and welcomes and the Mission’s work supporting the government’s national strategic objectives ahead of the transition to national ownership of functions by the end of 2027.

Thank you, Ambassador Haukaas, for your report, and for the work of your team over the last year.

The United Kingdom continues to strongly support Montenegro’s Euro Atlantic path. Montenegro is a valued partner and Ally of the UK. Its sustained commitment to regional stability, constructive diplomacy, and multilateral cooperation continues to make a positive contribution to security across the Western Balkans. We also welcome Montenegro’s principled stance in response to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

The United Kingdom also welcomes the progress Montenegro has made in strengthening its democratic institutions and advancing reforms – particularly in strengthening the rule of law, enhancing judicial independence, and tackling corruption. We also value Montenegro’s openness to partnership and dialogue – including with civil society – critical to ensuring reforms are inclusive and enduring. The UK will continue to work with the government of Montenegro in support of these efforts.

In this context, we welcome the Mission’s work supporting the government’s national strategic objectives, in line with the Mission’s mandate and OSCE commitments and principles. The Mission’s priorities fit well with the UK’s own engagement supporting Montenegro’s reform agenda and broader regional stability.

We particularly support the Mission’s focus on: strengthening the functioning and transparency of Montenegro’s parliament; supporting the authorities in tackling serious and organised crime and corruption; and supporting media freedom and the safety of journalists. All these activities contribute to strengthening Montenegro’s democratic resilience, underlining the tangible value of the Mission’s work and its alignment with Montenegro’s reform priorities.

We see Montenegro’s request to transition to national ownership of OSCE functions by the end of 2027 as a positive reflection of the progress Montenegro has made in recent years, and a sign of the government’s commitment to driving forward and sustaining momentum on reforms. It is also an indication of the success of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, and the exemplary support it has provided, over the last 20 years. We look forward to engaging with the government, OSCE Mission, Secretariat and autonomous institutions to ensure a smooth and well-prepared transition to new forms of OSCE engagement with and support for Montenegro.

In closing, the United Kingdom reiterates its strong support for Montenegro’s reform trajectory. We wish the Mission every success in its work over the next 12 months.

Thank you, Mr Chair.

26/06/2026
NEWS STORY : Sentence Increased for Adel Kerari Who Carried Out Robberies and Attacks on London Underground

STORY

A man who carried out a series of robberies and attacks across the London Underground has had his sentence increased after the Solicitor General referred the case to the Court of Appeal.

Adel Kerari, of Hammersmith and Fulham, London, was originally sentenced at Inner London Crown Court on 9 January 2025 to two years and eight months’ imprisonment for six counts of robbery and one count of fraud. His sentence was increased on Thursday 25 June 2026 to three years and nine months following a referral under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

The court heard that Kerari and other gang members targeted commuters across the London Underground during a two week period in June 2023. Victims were robbed, assaulted and stabbed at stations including Holborn, Russell Square, Leicester Square, Goldhawk Road and Leyton.

On one day, Kerari and his gang attacked and robbed one woman and two men in three separate incidents at Underground stations. The victims had phones stolen, along with wallets and bank cards, and two of them were stabbed. In total, seven people were targeted in six separate incidents.

Solicitor General Ellie Reeves said Kerari had targeted lone passengers in a spree of violence and welcomed the Court of Appeal’s decision to increase the sentence. She said violent criminals and gangs threatened the safety of towns and cities, and that she would pursue action to ensure sentences reflected the seriousness of violent crimes.

British Transport Police Detective Sergeant Tony Gittins said Kerari was a dangerous and violent criminal who had launched a series of robberies across the London Underground. Transport for London said the offences were serious and violent, adding that it continued to work with police to tackle robbery and violent crime across the network.

26/06/2026
PRESS RELEASE : Man’s sentence increased after multiple robberies and attacks on London Underground [June 2026]

The press release issued by the Attorney General’s Office on 25 June 2026.

Solicitor General, Ellie Reeves KC MP, secures increased sentence for man responsible for a series of robberies and stabbings across the London Underground.

Solicitor General, Ellie Reeves KC MP, secures increased sentence for man responsible for a series of robberies and stabbings across the London Underground.

Adel Kerari of Hammersmith and Fulham, London, had his sentence increased by one year and one month after the Solicitor General Ellie Reeves KC MP referred his case to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

The court heard how over two weeks in June 2023, Kerari and other gang members carried out a violent crime spree targeting commuters across the London Underground. Victims were robbed, assaulted and stabbed at stations including Holborn, Russell Square, Leicester Square, Goldhawk Road and Leyton.

During one particular day, Kerari and his gang brutally attacked and robbed one woman and two men in three separate incidents at underground stations. All the victims’ phones were stolen, as well as some wallets and bank cards. Two of the victims were stabbed during the attacks.

A total of seven people were targeted across six separate incidents.

The Solicitor General Ellie Reeves MP said:

Adel Kerari purposely targeted lone passengers across the London Underground in a spree of appalling violence. The attacks and stabbings were shocking and vicious.

I welcome the court’s decision to increase the sentence following my referral. Violent criminals and gangs threaten the safety of our towns and cities. I will always pursue action on behalf of victims to ensure sentences reflect the true severity of such violent crimes.

British Transport Police Detective Sergeant Tony Gittins said:

Kerari is an extremely dangerous and violent criminal who launched a rampage of brazen robberies across the London Underground and as such fully deserves to spend the foreseeable future behind bars.

We warmly welcome his sentence being extended today and crucially hope it offers some small comfort to the victims, who have shown considerable strength throughout the judicial process.

A Transport for London (TfL) spokesperson said:

These were extremely serious and violent offences that have no place on London’s transport network, and we are pleased that the offender has been brought to justice.

The safety of our customers and staff is our top priority, and we continue to work closely with the police to tackle robbery and violent crime across the network – including with the Metropolitan Police and the British Transport Police to carry out targeted operations and patrols in hotspot locations and using our data and extensive network of CCTV to pursue offenders.

We remain committed to ensuring that anyone who commits offences on our network is brought to justice, and that our transport network remains a safe and secure environment to work and travel.

On 9 January 2025 at Inner London Crown Court, Adel Kerari was sentenced to 2 years and 8 months’ imprisonment for six counts of robbery, and one count of fraud.

On Thursday 25 June 2026 at the Court of Appeal, Adel Kerari’s sentence was increased to 3 years and 9 months.

26/06/2026