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NEWS STORY : Pension Surplus Reforms Intended to Unlock Investment

STORY

The Government has launched a consultation on reforms intended to make it easier for defined benefit pension schemes to release surplus funds. Ministers said the changes could unlock billions of pounds while maintaining protections for members.

The Department for Work and Pensions said the proposals build on the Pension Schemes Act 2026, which received royal assent in April. The Government argues that greater flexibility could support employers, strengthen the pensions market and encourage investment in the wider economy.

The proposals will now be tested with industry, trustees and member representatives. The political challenge for ministers will be to show that any greater use of surpluses can be balanced with the long-standing need to protect pension promises.

11/06/2026
NEWS STORY : Government Announces £290 Million Farming Scheme Changes

STORY

The Government has announced £290 million for new farming schemes intended to make agricultural support simpler, fairer and more accessible. Ministers said the package is designed to boost food production, strengthen farm resilience, support nature recovery and improve long-term food security.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said the redesigned schemes would respond to concerns about the previous Sustainable Farming Incentive. Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said farmers were fundamental to food security and that the earlier scheme had directed a quarter of funding to four per cent of farms.

The announcement is likely to be closely scrutinised by farming organisations after months of pressure over the transition from older agricultural payments. Ministers argue that the revised approach will help more farms improve productivity while protecting the natural environment on which food production depends.

11/06/2026
NEWS STORY : EU and South Korea Sign Digital Trade Agreement

STORY

The European Union and South Korea have signed a digital trade agreement as part of the latest EU-Republic of Korea summit in Brussels. The agreement is designed to strengthen the existing trade relationship between the two sides and extend cooperation into digital services and online commerce.

The deal covers areas including cross-border data flows, electronic contracts, digital signatures, consumer protection and online trade. EU leaders said the agreement would complement the existing free trade agreement and support economic resilience at a time of growing geopolitical pressure on global supply chains.

The summit also covered defence, security, Ukraine, the Korean peninsula, artificial intelligence, research and the green transition. The agreement will now require approval through the relevant EU procedures, including scrutiny by the European Parliament.

11/06/2026
NEWS STORY : EU Agrees New Price Controls for Carbon Market

STORY

The Council and the European Parliament have reached a provisional agreement on changes to the market stability reserve for the EU emissions trading system covering buildings, road transport and additional sectors. The agreement is intended to make the new ETS2 carbon market more predictable before it becomes fully operational in 2028.

Under the agreement, the number of allowances that can be released when the carbon price exceeds EUR45 per tonne will be doubled from 20 million to 40 million. The market stability reserve will also continue beyond 2030, with the EU arguing that the changes will reduce volatility and improve confidence for households, businesses and member states.

The proposal still needs formal endorsement by the Council and Parliament before legal-linguistic checks and final adoption. ETS2 is part of the EU’s wider climate framework and applies to fuel suppliers in sectors including road transport and buildings.

11/06/2026
Paul Kohler – 2026 Speech on the Disorder in Northern Ireland

The speech made by Paul Kohler, the Liberal Democrat spokesperson on Criminal Justice on 10 June 2026.

My thoughts and those of the whole House are with Stephen Ogilvie, who suffered truly horrific injuries on Monday night, and with the residents of Belfast who were forced to flee by rioters who do not speak for any legitimate community grievance. The knife attack was repugnant, but so too were the scenes that followed. This is the second consecutive summer of racially motivated disorder in Northern Ireland that the PSNI has faced while understaffed and underfunded. The Minister rightly says that the PSNI should be given time and space, but will he confirm what additional financial support the Government will provide for the PSNI, because it needs it?

Although the alleged attacker had leave to remain, concerns about irregular migration across the Northern Ireland border are being exploited by right-wing extremists to foment hatred and division. Given the importance of accurate information, will the Minister confirm whether the Government will begin collecting data on such crossings, as officials were unable to provide it when I recently raised the issue as a member of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee?

Dan Jarvis

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for the sensible way in which he has brought his points forward. He is right to raise the resourcing of the PSNI. The Government recognise the financial pressures that the PSNI faces. As he will understand, policing is largely a devolved matter in Northern Ireland, but in recognition of the security situation in Northern Ireland, the Government are providing the PSNI with £37.8 million in additional security funding for each financial year until 2028-29. As I have said, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is in Northern Ireland with Chief Constable Jon Boutcher this morning, and I am certain that they will be having conversations about whether we can provide any further support.

The hon. Gentleman made some entirely reasonable points, which I agree with, including around transparency. It is important that there is always transparency in this case and in all cases, but I know that he will understand that I am very limited in what more I can say because of the ongoing live police investigation.

10/06/2026
PRESS RELEASE : NPT Safeguards Agreement with Iran – Quad statement to the IAEA Board of Governors [June 2026]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 10 June 2026.

France, Germany, the UK and the United States (the Quad) delivered a joint statement to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board on Iran’s Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Safeguards Agreement.

Chair,

France, Germany, United Kingdom and the United States thank the Director General for his latest reports and commend the Agency’s continued efforts to ensure the implementation of safeguards by Iran and verify the implementation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions by Iran. We reiterate our full support for the Agency’s professional, independent, and impartial work which remains indispensable to upholding the integrity of the NPT’s global safeguards architecture.

Chair,

This Board comes at a crucial moment in time:

It has been a year since this Board found Iran in non-compliance with its legal obligations under its NPT Safeguards Agreement. This followed a long and well documented pattern, spanning more than two decades, of insufficient cooperation with the Agency on safeguards and extensive reporting by the IAEA Director General regarding concerns around undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran. Since then, rather than remedying the points of concern voiced by the Board, Iran has taken steps that have even deepened its non-compliance.

It has been a year, too, since Iran last allowed the Agency to inspect the most proliferation-sensitive facilities at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. We deeply regret that, since the last meeting of the Board, Iran has continued to prevent the Agency from conducting in-field verification activities, with the exception of the Bushehr power plant. Iran has likewise failed to implement the special measures provided for by the NPT Safeguards Agreement, including by not producing the reports the IAEA has requested on Iran’s affected nuclear facilities and associated nuclear material.

As a consequence, the Agency was unable to discharge its safeguards and verification responsibilities stemming from both Iran’s NPT Safeguards Agreement and relevant UN Security Council resolutions. Therefore, the Agency cannot draw a safeguards conclusion for 2025 in respect of Iran’s previously declared nuclear material, that it has been unable to verify, including 440 kg of high-enriched uranium. It should be of concern to all Members of this Board that the Agency is unable to verify whether Iran has suspended all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, particularly in the context of the newly declared facility in Isfahan. For a year, Iran’s HEU has remained unaccounted for. As the Director General’s report reminds us, Iran remains the only state without nuclear weapons to have produced and accumulated uranium enriched up to 60%. The Director General has reported that access is long overdue and the lack of access is a matter of proliferation concern and of compliance with Iran’s NPT Safeguards Agreement.

In addition, Iran is still failing to implement modified Code 3.1, contrary to its NPT Safeguards Agreement and relevant provisions of UN Security Council and Board resolutions. Iran also continues to ignore Security Council and Board resolutions which call for the immediate implementation of its Additional Protocol.

Finally, the DG’s report reminds us of the long history of Iran’s failure to address unresolved safeguards issues, and that the Agency has outstanding concerns about the possible presence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran.

Chair,

We recognise that Agency verification activities in Iran have been impacted due to safety concerns. However, the Director General’s reports since then clearly show that Iran is fully able to facilitate IAEA inspections on the ground when it determines such visits are in its interests. But rather than allow the IAEA to return to full implementation of its mandate, which would help build confidence in the nature of Iran’s nuclear programme, Iran instead continues to obstruct the Agency’s ability to conduct its crucial safeguards work. We call on Iran to urgently reconsider this approach and allow the IAEA to conduct necessary in-field verification activities at all declared facilities in Iran. The Agency has made repeatedly clear that there is no current technical or nuclear safety reason preventing the inspectors from doing so.

No state under the NPT should be allowed to stonewall the IAEA and disregard its legally binding obligations. Not only do Iran’s actions raise urgent concerns regarding the nature of its nuclear programme, they also threaten the very integrity of the global nuclear safeguards regime. The longer Iran continues to disregard its obligations, the more it undermines the non-proliferation regime that protects us all. It is of utmost importance that this Board takes action to uphold the NPT and protects the indispensable role of the Agency in verifying safeguards implementation. We all must continue to hold Iran accountable.

We urge Iran to immediately return to full compliance with its legally binding obligations arising from its NPT Safeguards Agreement and relevant UN Security Council resolutions. Iran’s obligations are not negotiable, we reiterate the Director General’s statement that the implementation of the NPT Safeguards Agreement cannot be suspended under any circumstances. The draft resolution introduced by the US and the E3 underlines these obligations and specifically details the concrete and immediate steps Iran must take to return to full compliance with its NPT Safeguards Agreement.

Chair,

We fully support the ongoing diplomatic efforts towards a negotiated solution that ensures in a verifiable and sustainable way that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon. We remain committed to diplomacy and to working with all Board members to uphold the authority of the IAEA and the integrity of the global non-proliferation regime. With this, we take note of the reports contained in GOV/2026/33 and GOV/INF/2026/9 and ask that they be made public.

Thank you, Chair.

10/06/2026
Jeremy Corbyn – 2026 Comments on the Disorder in Northern Ireland

The comments made by Jeremy Corbyn, the Independent MP for Islington North, on 10 June 2026.

The far-right violence in Belfast is utterly sickening.

Houses set on fire. Migrants and minority ethnic people chased out of their homes. Shouts of “foreigners out”. Yet again, the far-right are weaponising an appalling attack to whip up hatred against entire communities.

When politicians demonise migrants, hatred spreads. When politicians call for ‘pure, cold rage,’ people listen. Their racist bile will not build a single hospital, help a single homeless person or lift a single child out of poverty.

There is only one way we can defeat the far-right: by standing up to racism, ending the grotesque economic injustices in our society, and fighting for a future where all people of all communities can live in dignity.

10/06/2026
Chris Philp – 2026 Speech on the Disorder in Northern Ireland

The speech made by Chris Philp, the Shadow Home Secretary, in the House of Commons on 10 June 2026.

Monday night’s attack was disgusting and barbaric. The victim suffered serious injuries to his neck and lost an eye. I am sure that the thoughts of the whole House are with him. I thank the police and emergency services for responding and pay tribute to the members of the public who so bravely intervened. I commend the police for confirming the suspect’s identity swiftly, because full transparency is vital in these cases. Will the Minister confirm that the PSNI will have all the resources needed to deal with these issues?

We have all seen the footage of the appalling attack, featuring a Sudanese illegal immigrant, but let me be clear: violence of any kind in protest is never justified. Innocent people should never be targeted and nobody should ever set fire to houses or cars. Speaking as a father, no one should ever feel unsafe in their homes. I hope that the police will bring the perpetrators swiftly to justice.

I do understand, though, why people are angry. The suspect came into the UK illegally—he should never have been here in the first place. Mainstream politicians must now understand how angry the public are about mass illegal immigration. If mainstream politics does not stop this, the public will turn elsewhere.

Since the election, 73,000 people have entered the country illegally via small boat, mostly young men, and many have committed serious crimes. I recently met the mother of Rhiannon Whyte, a young woman brutally murdered by a Sudanese small-boat migrant. There have been multiple rapes and sexual assaults, with victims as young as just 13. Over time, I have come to realise that there is ultimately only one way to end illegal immigration: by leaving the European convention on human rights so that we can deport all illegal migrants upon arrival. Illegal migration will then stop, and these appalling crimes with it.

Dan Jarvis

I am grateful to the shadow Home Secretary for the points that he has raised and, in particular, for the clarity with which he made the point about violence never being justified. He is absolutely right, and I hope that we can speak with a strong sense of unity about that. He specifically asked about ensuring that the PSNI has the resources it needs to do the difficult work being asked of it at this moment. I know that he understands that policing is devolved, but as I have said, the Secretary of State is in Northern Ireland this morning to work out what more we can do to provide support and to ensure that the PSNI has the resources it needs.

The shadow Home Secretary spoke about the anger that people feel, and that is absolutely understood. I am sure that all right hon. and hon. Members will have seen the footage that is circulating online. While clearly I have to be incredibly careful not to get in the way of a live investigation, it is understandable why people will feel extremely angry at what they have seen, but it is important that that anger does not tip over into criminality and the kind of thuggish behaviour that we have seen.

The shadow Home Secretary rightly raised concerns about the importance of making sure that this Government, as with any Government, have the right framework in place to deport those foreign national offenders who come here and engage in criminality. I think he is aware of the figures: there have been 67,000 deportations and removals under this Government, which marks a significant increase. I hope that he and the House recognise the seriousness and the urgency with which we take these matters. They need to be dealt with calmly and effectively, but this Government will do everything in our power—and if further powers are required, we will ensure that we have them—to deport and remove those people who present a threat to the public.

10/06/2026
Dan Jarvis – 2026 Statement on the Disorder in Northern Ireland

The statement made by Dan Jarvis, the Minister for Security, in the House of Commons on 10 June 2026.

I am grateful for the opportunity to respond to this question, which I am answering on behalf of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, who this morning met the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland to receive an update on the situation.

Let me start by saying that my thoughts, as I am sure the thoughts of the whole House, remain with the victim of the horrifying knife attack in north Belfast earlier this week and with his family. The House will be aware that a man has been charged in relation to that incident, and I can confirm that he is a 30-year-old Sudanese national who received refugee status in 2023 and was granted five years’ leave to remain. We must now allow justice to take its course.

The attack on Monday evening has understandably caused anger and profound concern. However, there is a line between concern and disorder, and we must never allow it to be crossed. Let me be absolutely clear: there is no excuse for the disgraceful scenes of violence and disorder that occurred in Northern Ireland last night. Houses and vehicles were set on fire, placing lives at risk, terrifying law-abiding citizens and forcing residents to flee their homes. Reports that ethnic minorities were targeted are sickening.

I wish to pay tribute to the police and the other emergency services for their work last night. Faced with an extraordinarily challenging situation, they responded with great courage and they are owed our thanks.

Our message to those responsible for last night’s disorder is altogether different. To them we say this: you will be caught and you will face the consequences of your actions. As of this morning there had been three arrests, but more will surely follow. To those considering joining further disorder, my message is clear: do not do it—you will be held accountable for your actions, and you will feel the full force of the law.

As hon. Members are aware, policing is a devolved matter, but the Home Office is of course monitoring the situation closely, and we are working with operational partners to understand and act on any implications for public order across the United Kingdom.

Finally, I recognise that tensions are running high. At times like this, there is an even greater onus on us all, as the custodians of our democracy, to respond with unity, to choose our words and actions with care, and to uphold the first duty of the state, which is to maintain order on the streets and to keep the public safe, because the shameful scenes that we saw last night are not who we are, and they never will be.

Claire Hanna

It has been a shocking two days in Northern Ireland. The horrific knife attack in north Belfast has left a man fighting for his life, and an entire community distressed by what they have seen. Justice must of course take its course and deliver for that victim, whose family have asked for calm.

Last night brought further outrage. Children in my constituency, and in others, were lifted out of their beds as their homes burned. Masked men roamed the streets, going from door to door, menacing and setting fire to cars, buses and homes, terrorising people on the basis of the colour of their skin or the sound of their voice—people from Sudan, people from India, people from Ukraine, and people from Belfast. Today, businesses are shuttered, medical appointments are cancelled, and schools are being closed for fear of getting young people home. So many people are frighted to walk the streets and to be in their own homes tonight. And when all the online agitators who stoke this stuff move on to their next target, we will be the ones left to pick up the pieces.

People are of course entitled to their views on immigration, and of course Government policy is not perfect, but this has not been a debate or conversation. There have not been proposals, and there has not been honesty about the trade-offs. There has been mob justice, and some of the same-old, same-old proposals for a hardened border on the island of Ireland. Political leaders have a duty to lead, not to lean into people’s worst fears and anxieties. That video of the awful crime in north Belfast was unusual in its brutality, but the cycle of deflection and disorder has not been unusual. We have seen this movie too many times before.

In Belfast we know all about blaming an entire community for the actions of others, we know all about scapegoating and tit-for-tat violence, and we know all about street justice. Violence creates division. It is affecting our economy, and undermining the vast majority of people in Northern Ireland who want to work together to build a better future. What support will the Government provide to those who have been harmed by this awful violence? Will they ensure swift justice for all the perpetrators of the last few days, and what will they do to bring to heel the online platforms that drive this madness?

Dan Jarvis

The hon. Lady describes with great clarity the impact of the scenes that we have seen in Northern Ireland over the past number of hours. Let me be absolutely clear: the scenes of disorder that we witnessed in parts of Northern Ireland last night are not only damaging communities, but literally putting lives at risk. Like her, I utterly condemn the attacks on property and vehicles, and the other related violence that we have seen. There is no justification at all for that type of thuggery, and no place for it in Northern Ireland or anywhere else.

The hon. Lady will agree that it is now vital that the Police Service of Northern Ireland is given the time, space and full support that it needs to continue with its investigation. The rule of law must, and will, prevail; justice must, and will, be served.

Violence is never a justified response, and this disorder only causes pain and suffering for those living in the area, as the hon. Lady eloquently described. Those involved need to take a step back and consider the consequences of their actions. I strongly urge anyone who has information, no matter how small it might seem, to come forward and contact the PSNI urgently in order to assist it with its inquiries.

The hon. Lady specifically asked what support is being offered. She will understand that the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is in Belfast today, and I know that he will be working with colleagues there to ensure that they have the support and resources they need to deal with this very troubling situation.

10/06/2026
Lindsay Hoyle – 2026 Statement on the Violent Disorder in Northern Ireland

The statement made by Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker of the House of Commons, in the House on 10 June 2026.

Before we come to Prime Minister’s questions, I know that the thoughts of the House will be with those affected by the events in Belfast this week. I should inform the House that charges have been brought against a man following the attack on Monday night. That case is now sub judice. It is possible that other charges will be brought, including in respect of events in Belfast in the aftermath. I am granting a full waiver to allow Members to discuss wider issues raised in the context of this incident. However, I must urge Members in the strongest terms not to discuss the details of any individual case. This includes not discussing any motive, nor the guilt or innocence of any individual. Members should avoid wider speculation that could be prejudicial in any future criminal trials.

10/06/2026