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  • NEWS STORY : UK sanctions target Iranian officials for human rights violations

    NEWS STORY : UK sanctions target Iranian officials for human rights violations

    STORY

    The UK Government has announced a new wave of sanctions against several high-ranking Iranian officials and entities accused of involvement in serious human rights violations. This move, part of a coordinated international effort to hold the Iranian regime accountable, targets individuals within the country’s judiciary, security forces and transport infrastructure who have been instrumental in enforcing repressive laws and stifling dissent.

    Among those designated are five key figures linked to the imposition and enforcement of mandatory hijab laws, which the UK government identifies as a tool of systemic discrimination against women. The sanctioned individuals include Hassan Shahrestani and Ali Salehi, alongside security and metro officials Alireza Adyani, Ali Akbar Javidan and Masoud Dorosti. The Government claims that these individuals have played a direct role in the suppression of fundamental freedoms and the mistreatment of citizens exercising their right to protest.

  • PRESS RELEASE : UK announces sanctions against perpetrators of human rights violations in Iran [February 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : UK announces sanctions against perpetrators of human rights violations in Iran [February 2026]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 2 February 2026.

    UK sanctions 10 individuals and one organisation for their role in recent brutality against Iranian protestors.

    • Foreign Secretary announces sanctions in response to those who have committed human rights violations in Iran
    • ten individuals and one organisation designated, including Minister of the Interior, Police Chiefs and prolific IRGC members for their role in recent brutality against protestors
    • announcement follows commitments set out by ministers earlier this month to hold the Iranian authorities to account

    The UK has today announced a sweeping package of sanctions, as part of work to hold the Iranian authorities accountable for a number of serious human rights violations.

    Ten individuals and one organisation are today (2 February) sanctioned for their role in enabling and facilitating brutality and violence against the Iranian people, both in recent peaceful protests and previous events.

    The announcement follows commitments set out by both the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary earlier this month, where they committed to bring forward sanctions to hold the Iranian authorities to account for its violent response to recent peaceful protests.

    Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said:

    The Iranian people have shown extreme courage in the face of brutality and repression over recent weeks simply for exercising their right to peaceful protest. The reports and shocking scenes of violence that have been seen around the world are horrific.  

    We committed to bringing forward sanctions and warned the Iranian regime of further measures.

    We were clear that we would hold the Iranian authorities to account – and today’s package does just that.

    Today’s package comes as the Foreign Secretary called on the international community to hold the Iranian authorities to account for recent violence and follows human rights sanctions imposed by the EU and the US over recent days.

    It also follows the commitment set out by the G7 Foreign Ministers and the EU High Representative which condemned Iran’s deliberate use of violence against protestors and outlined that members would be prepared to impose additional restrictive action if it continued. 

    The following organisation is today sanctioned for its prominent role in policing protests in Iran and is subject to a director disqualification and asset freeze immediately: 

    • The Law Enforcement Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FARAJA)  

    Alongside this, the following individuals are subject to an asset freeze, travel ban, and director disqualification immediately: 

    • Eskandar Momeni: Iranian Minister of the Interior who is responsible for Iran’s police force, therefore he bears responsibility for police violence against protestors  
    • Mohammad Reza Hashemifar: the Police Chief in Lorestan Province, a province where multiple protestors have been killed by the Police
    • Seyed Majid Feiz Jafari: the police chief of Iran’s Public Security Police who has directed violent crackdowns against peaceful protesters
    • Yadollah Bouali: an Islamic Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) commander of Fars Province who is responsible for the lethal violence used by the Fajr Corp against protesters
    • Babak Zanjani: an Iranian businessman who runs a network of companies which generates funds and enables the criminal activities of the IRGC, including its suppression of protesters
    • Colonel Ahmed Amini: a Police Chief who has presided over human rights abuses in Noor province in 2024   
    • Mohammad Ghanbari: Commander of Iran’s Criminal Investigation Police who has presided over human rights abuses in Iran, including the arbitrary detention and torture of protestors in 2022 and 2023
    • Ahmad Darvish Goftar: a Judge in the Revolutionary Court of Rasht who is responsible for human rights violations in Iran, including sentencing a labour rights activist to death in 2024
    • Mehdi Rasakhi: a Judge in the Revolutionary Court of Rasht who is responsible for human rights violations in Iran, including imposing excessive sentences on women’s rights and labour activists
    • Mohammad Zamani: an Islamic Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) officer, responsible for a number of human rights violations in Iran

    The UK has long criticised Iran’s unacceptable human rights record and continues to call for the Iranian authorities to be held accountable for their role in the recent violence and brutality against protestors.

    Alongside partners, the UK recently led the international response to the brutal crackdown of the protests by pushing forward a Special Session of the UN Human Rights Council on 23 January, and also summoned the Iranian Ambassador on the 13 January in response to recent events. 

    We continue to take strong action and hold the Iranian regime to account. The UK already has imposed more than 550 sanctions on Iranian individuals and organisations who enable such behaviour. This includes the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps in its entirety and over 90 sanctions in place for Human Rights violations. 

    Background

    Definitions

    1. Asset freeze: an asset freeze prevents any UK citizen, or any business in the UK, from dealing with any funds or economic resources which are owned, held or controlled by the designated person. It also prevents funds or economic resources being provided to or for the benefit of the designated person. UK financial sanctions apply to all persons within the territory and territorial sea of the UK and to all UK persons, wherever they are in the world.   
    2. Director disqualification: Where director disqualification sanctions apply, it is an offence for a person designated for the purpose of those sanctions to act as a director of a UK company, or a foreign company that is sufficiently-connected to the UK, or to take part in the management, formation or promotion of a company.  
    3. Travel ban: a travel ban means that the designated person must be refused leave to enter or to remain in the United Kingdom, as the individual is an excluded person under section 8B of the Immigration Act 1971.
  • PRESS RELEASE : Joint statement on the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee and Trade and Cooperation Agreement Partnership Council meetings [February 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Joint statement on the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee and Trade and Cooperation Agreement Partnership Council meetings [February 2026]

    The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 2 February 2026.

    Joint statement by the UK Minister for the Cabinet Office Nick Thomas-Symonds and the European Commissioner, Maroš Šefčovič.

    The United Kingdom (UK) and the European Union (EU) today held meetings of the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee and the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) Partnership Council in London. The meetings were co-chaired by the Minister for the Cabinet Office, the Rt Hon Nick Thomas-Symonds MP, and European Commissioner, Maroš Šefčovič.

    These were the first meetings of the two joint bodies to take place since the UK-EU Summit on 19 May 2025 in London, when the EU and UK leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the full, timely and faithful implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement, including the Windsor Framework and of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, as well as agreeing on areas to strengthen the relationship through a new Strategic Partnership.

    Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee
    The Joint Committee took stock of the state of play of the implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement, focussing on citizens’ rights, the Windsor Framework and the Protocol relating to the Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus.

    On citizens’ rights, the co-chairs reiterated their joint priority in protecting the rights of UK nationals in the EU and EU citizens in the UK, now and in the future. They welcomed the solution on the true and extra cohort enshrined in UK law and agreed to accelerate the transition from temporary to permanent residence of these citizens. They committed to further strengthen their cooperation on all pending citizens’ rights issues.

    On the Windsor Framework, the co-chairs welcomed the positive trajectory in its implementation. They highlighted the new milestones reached for the benefit of people and businesses in Northern Ireland, including new simplified customs arrangements since May 2025 and reduced sanitary and phytosanitary checks since December 2025. They noted the transition to veterinary medicines arrangements in January 2026. They also noted positive developments in the delivery of safeguards for the protection of the EU Single Market, including customs IT access to all relevant UK systems and progress on sanitary and phytosanitary aspects. They agreed to continue work swiftly on delivery of all remaining safeguards.

    The co-chairs welcomed a newly adopted Joint Committee decision on the implementation of the Windsor Framework. They also took stock of the ongoing exchange of views on the implications of the Artificial Intelligence and Cyber

    Resilience Acts for the proper functioning of the Windsor Framework and agreed to work towards a conclusion at pace.

    The co-chairs also discussed the Protocol relating to the Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus and agreed to accelerate work to reach effective implementation of the Protocol in all areas.

    TCA Partnership Council
    The Partnership Council welcomed the Common Understanding agreed at the UK-EU Summit in May 2025 and the positive progress made in the implementation of the Trade & Cooperation Agreement (TCA). The co-chairs highlighted key deliverables achieved since the last meeting of the Partnership Council in May 2024, including the conclusion of the Competition Cooperation Agreement negotiations and decisions stemming from the UK-EU Summit. In particular, the UK and EU agreed to put reciprocal arrangements on fishing access on a long-term footing, to secure stability and continued access for both parties and to extend the TCA’s energy chapter on a continuous basis. The Partnership Council also noted the conclusion of negotiations between the Commission and the UK for the UK’s association to Erasmus+ in 2027 and the conclusion of exploratory talks on the UK’s participation in the EU’s internal electricity market. The EU and the UK will proceed swiftly on these issues in line with their respective procedures, legal frameworks and in respect of their decision-making autonomy.

    The UK and the EU recalled that the Common Understanding led to a number of negotiations for new agreements. They aim to conclude by the time of the next EU-UK Summit the negotiations on the Youth Experience Scheme, on establishing a common Sanitary and Phytosanitary Area and on linking their Emissions Trading Systems.

    In this light, the co-chairs also discussed the commitment under Article 776 of the TCA to jointly review the implementation of the agreement. They acknowledged the evaluation of implementation already undertaken by both sides, the on-going role of the Specialised Committees in considering and addressing new or outstanding points of implementation, and the agreement to hold annual summits. They also noted the importance of input from stakeholders, including the Parliamentary Partnership Assembly and the Domestic Advisory Groups.

    The Partnership Council welcomed the third UK-EU dialogue on Cyber issues in December 2025, and discussed the next steps towards progressing cooperation on cyber security in line with Articles 704–707 of the TCA. The co-chairs looked forward to deepening the UK-EU partnership across these areas to address shared threats based on reciprocity and mutual interest.

    In the area of trade and the economy, the co-chairs exchanged views on global challenges, including measures relating to global steel overcapacity, economic and

    supply chain security, and parties’ respective industrial policy measures. They also discussed the development and implementation of their respective Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanisms.

    The co-chairs also welcomed continued cooperation on security of supply and exchanges on clean energy technologies.

    Finally, the Partnership Council took stock of the relationship on fisheries, acknowledging successful bilateral consultations, and discussing UK-EU cooperation in coastal state forums as well as upcoming fisheries management measures.

    The co-chairs agreed that the joint bodies should continue to work at pace to take forward these priorities and reaffirmed their commitment to fully exploiting the potential of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Appointment of Victoria Buhler as the Prime Minister’s Deputy Adviser on Business, Investment, and Trade and Hannah Bronwin as the Prime Minister’s Expert Adviser on Energy and NetZero [February 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Appointment of Victoria Buhler as the Prime Minister’s Deputy Adviser on Business, Investment, and Trade and Hannah Bronwin as the Prime Minister’s Expert Adviser on Energy and NetZero [February 2026]

    The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 2 February 2026.

    The Prime Minister has appointed Victoria Buhler as The Prime Minister’s Deputy Adviser on Business, Investment and Trade and Hannah Bronwin as The Prime Minister’s Expert Adviser on Energy and NetZero.

    Victoria Buhler

    Victoria brings extensive experience as a finance and strategy professional, with a background spanning investment banking, management consulting and a range of sectors.

    Victoria will advise Ministers while working across No10 and Government advising economic, business and trade teams.

    Since 2015, she has worked at Robey Warshaw (Evercore), advising corporate boards on complex M&A transactions, UK public takeovers, and shareholder activism, contributing to deals worth approximately £85bn across diverse industries. Previously, she was a consultant at Boston Consulting Group in London and New York.

    Victoria holds an MPhil in International Relations and Politics from the University of Cambridge and a BA in Economics and Global Affairs from Yale University. She has also worked as a research assistant to Nobel laureates Robert Shiller and George Akerlof.

    Hannah Bronwin

    Hannah brings with her extensive experience as a senior policy professional, a strong background in energy policy, and a range of roles within and external of Government.

    Hannah will advise Ministers while working across the No10 and Government energy teams, having already supported our ambitions as an expert adviser to the Clean Power Commission.

    Before this she was the Director of Business Development for SSE Thermal responsible for strategy, origination of new projects and partnerships and M&A.

    In addition, she has worked as Commercial Director at the innovation agency Energy Systems Catapult; Deputy Director for new nuclear financing at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy; and spent ten years as a project finance lawyer at global law firm Linklaters LLP.

  • NEWS STORY : Keir Starmer Orders US Ambassador Files to be Made Public as Mandelson Scandal Grows

    NEWS STORY : Keir Starmer Orders US Ambassador Files to be Made Public as Mandelson Scandal Grows

    STORY

    Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, has said that he is asking for all files relating to the decision to make Peter Mandelson the US Ambassador to be released. It is expected that the files will be made public by the end of the week, with work needed to redact any sensitive information relating to national security.

    The release of the Epstein files revealed potential serious allegations of corruption, leaking of confidential material, encouraging individuals to threaten Government Ministers and sharing financially sensitive information.

  • NEWS STORY : UK Summons Russian Ambassador and Revokes Diplomat’s Accreditation

    NEWS STORY : UK Summons Russian Ambassador and Revokes Diplomat’s Accreditation

    STORY

    The Foreign Office has summoned the Russian ambassador to London and revoked the accreditation of a Russian diplomat, in a reciprocal move after Russia expelled a British diplomat last month, the government said on Monday 2 February 2026.

    In a statement, a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said the UK “condemns in the strongest possible terms” what it called Russia’s “unprovoked and unjustified” decision and “baseless accusations” against British embassy staff, adding that a senior official told the ambassador the UK would not tolerate intimidation of its diplomats. The action comes amid continuing strains in UK-Russia relations, with London warning that further steps by Moscow would be treated as an escalation and met with a response

  • PRESS RELEASE : Foreign Office summons Russian Ambassador [February 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Foreign Office summons Russian Ambassador [February 2026]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 2 February 2026.

    The Russian Ambassador was summoned for a meeting to revoke the accreditation of a Russian diplomat.

    An FCDO spokesperson said:

    “We condemn in the strongest possible terms Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified decision to expel a British diplomat last month and its baseless accusations against our staff.

    “Summoning the Russian Ambassador, a senior FCDO official made it clear that the UK will not stand for intimidation of British Embassy staff and so we are taking reciprocal action today, revoking the accreditation of a Russian diplomat.

    “It is deeply disappointing that Russia continually seeks to disrupt the work of the UK’s diplomatic missions and deter our support for Ukraine. Any further action taken by Russia will be considered an escalation and responded to accordingly.”

  • NEWS STORY : Met Police Confirm Criminal Investigation Following Allegations of Misconduct in Public Life by Peter Mandelson

    NEWS STORY : Met Police Confirm Criminal Investigation Following Allegations of Misconduct in Public Life by Peter Mandelson

    STORY

    The Met Police have confirmed that they have started an investigation into allegations of misconduct in public life by Peter Mandelson. The disgraced former Cabinet Minister faces allegations of corruption, with emails from the Epstein Files suggesting one of the largest scandals in British political history.

    Mandelson, who has left the House of Lords, has been condemned by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister. Gordon Brown, the former Prime Minister, has demanded an investigation into the serious allegations of misconduct that have been made against Mandelson.

    The Met Police Commander, Ella Marriott, said in a statement:

    “Following the further release of millions of court documents in relation to Jeffrey Epstein by the United States Department of Justice, the Met received a number of reports into alleged misconduct in public office including a referral from the UK government.

    I can confirm that the Metropolitan Police has now launched an investigation into a 72-year-old man, a former government minister, for misconduct in public office offences.

    The Met will continue to assess all relevant information brought to our attention as part of this investigation and won’t be commenting any further at this time.”

  • Ed Davey – 2026 Speech on the Prime Minister’s Visit to China and Japan

    Ed Davey – 2026 Speech on the Prime Minister’s Visit to China and Japan

    The speech made by Ed Davey, the Leader of the Liberal Democrats, in the House of Commons on 2 February 2026.

    With your indulgence, Mr Speaker, I start by paying tribute to my friend Jim Wallace, one of the great Scottish Liberals. I offer our thoughts and prayers to his family and many friends. Jim devoted his life to public service, his Christian faith and the cause of liberalism. But his judgment was not always impeccable, for it was Jim who gave me my first job in politics. We will miss him.

    I thank the Prime Minister for advance sight of the statement. I listened to the Conservative leader, whose position now seems to be to oppose trade with the world’s biggest economies—so much for global Britain. With President Trump threatening tariffs again, just because of the Prime Minister’s trip, and with Vladimir Putin still murdering civilians in Ukraine, now more than ever the United Kingdom must forge much closer alliances with nations that share our values, our belief in free trade and our commitment to mutual defence. China shares none of those.

    The Prime Minister’s main focus should be on the closest possible ties with our European neighbours, our Commonwealth allies and our friends such as Japan and Korea. Once again, he has made the wrong choice. However, unlike the Conservative party, we think he was right to go and engage. But just like with President Trump, he approached President Xi from a position of weakness instead of a position of strength, promising him a super-embassy here in London in return for relatively meagre offers from China.

    The Prime Minister rightly raised the case of Jimmy Lai, whose children fear for his health after five years held in captivity, so will he tell us what Xi said to give him confidence that Mr Lai is now more likely to be released? Did he also challenge Xi on the bounties on the heads of innocent Hongkongers here in the United Kingdom, or the revelation that China hacked the phones of No. 10 officials for years? In other words, did he stand up for Britain this time?

    Yet again, the Prime Minister had to spend time on a foreign trip responding to revelations about the vile paedophile and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein’s relationship with Lord Mandelson. The Prime Minister has rightly said that Mandelson should resign from the other place, but since he has not, will he back a simple piece of legislation to strip him of his peerage? Surely this House could pass it tomorrow.

  • Kemi Badenoch – 2026 Speech on the Prime Minister’s Visit to China and Japan

    Kemi Badenoch – 2026 Speech on the Prime Minister’s Visit to China and Japan

    The speech made by Kemi Badenoch, the Leader of the Opposition, in the House of Commons on 2 February 2026.

    I thank the Prime Minister for advance sight of his statement, but it is utterly reprehensible that he began it by accusing the previous Government of isolationism—the same Conservative Government who—[Interruption.] The Business and Trade Secretary is laughing, but let me tell him this. That same Conservative Government led the world in our response to the invasion of Ukraine and signed the vital strategic alliance of AUKUS—[Interruption.] The Business Secretary asks how many free trade agreements we did. We signed Britain’s biggest post-Brexit trade deal—the CPTPP—bringing us closer to the 11 Indo-Pacific nations, including Japan. I know about that deal because I signed it myself.

    I welcome the Prime Minister’s efforts to collaborate more with our long-standing ally Japan, but let me turn to China. Of course Britain should engage with China. Even though the Chancellor was not allowed to go, even though it is an authoritarian state that seeks to undermine our interest, even though it spies on us—sometimes within the walls of this building—and even though it funds regimes around the world that are hostile to our country, China is a fact of life, a global power and an economic reality. Let me be clear: it is not the Prime Minister engaging with China that we take issue with. What we are criticising is his supine and short-termist approach.

    I am sure that the Prime Minister means well, but his negotiating tactic has always been to give everything away in the hope that people will be nice to him in return. Before the Prime Minister had even got on the plane, he had already shown that he would do anything to demonstrate his good relationship with China. China, however, uses every interaction to improve its own position. The Prime Minister looked like he enjoyed his trip—in fact, it looked like a dream come true for a man who was virtually a communist most of his life.

    Apart from the Labubu doll in his suitcase—which I hope he has checked for bugs—the Prime Minister has come back with next to nothing. We all want cheaper tariffs for Scotch whisky, but if the Prime Minister had bothered to speak to the whisky industry, as I did two weeks ago, he would know that what it really needs is cheaper energy and lower taxes. The Prime Minister also got us visa-free travel, but China already offers that to other countries. It is not big enough for a prime ministerial visit.

    The worst thing was the Prime Minister claiming a glorious triumph with the lifting of sanctions on four Conservative MPs, as if he had done us a favour. Let me tell him this: those MPs were sanctioned because they stood up to China. They stood up against human rights abuses, and they stood up against a country that is spying on our MPs in a way that the Prime Minister would not dare to do. Those Members do not want to go to China. The Chinese know that. They know that they are giving him something that costs absolutely nothing. Why can the British Prime Minister not see that?

    I say to you, Mr Speaker, and to the whole House that, like with the Chagos islands, the Prime Minister has been played. China is about to build an enormous spy hub in the centre of London—a ransom he had to pay before he could even get on the plane. I would never allow Britain to be held over a barrel like that. Yet again, the Prime Minister has negotiated our country into a weaker position in the world. His entire economic policy is to tax businesses more, regulate them harder and make energy so expensive that we deindustrialise, and then we can import Chinese wind turbines, solar panels and batteries for electric vehicles—all manufactured in a country that builds a coal-fired power station every other week. Did he speak to the Chinese about that?

    What did the Prime Minister’s trip achieve for Jimmy Lai? Nothing. Did China promise to stop fuelling Putin’s war machine in Ukraine? It does not sound like it. What did this trip achieve for the Uyghurs who are being enslaved? Absolutely nothing. Has China agreed to stop its relentless cyber-attacks? We all know the answer to that. The reality is that China showed its strength, and Britain was pushed around, literally. It is no wonder that President Xi praised the Labour party; the Conservatives stood up for Britain—we do not get pushed around.

    Britain is a great trading nation. Of course we should engage with other countries, even hostile ones—[Interruption.]

    Mr Speaker

    Order. Mr Kyle, you said to me when you were going to China how well you would behave and how you owe me a big thank you. You are not showing it today!

    Mrs Badenoch

    Mr Speaker, I am not worried about the Business Secretary; the entire business community thinks he is a joke and does not know what he is talking about.

    As I was saying, of course we should engage with other countries, even hostile ones, but we need to do so with our eyes open and from a position of strength. That requires a Prime Minister and a Government who put our national interest first.