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PRESS RELEASE : BEIS and the Government’s Growth Plan [September 2022]
The press release issued by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 27 September 2022.

The government has published a Growth Plan aimed at delivering higher, sustainable economic growth with an ambitious target of 2.5%, with plans that will boost investment, create skilled jobs, improve living standards and make Britain an even better place to do business. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) will have a key role to play in working towards this target.

The plan lays out the biggest package of tax cuts and reforms in a generation, to encourage investment and make work pay. The planned rise in corporation tax has been cancelled, keeping it at 19%, while changes to income tax and national insurance will see over 30 million people receive a tax cut. Stamp Duty cuts will also help people on all levels of the property market.

Alongside addressing the immediate challenges of high energy costs through support for households and businesses, the government recognises the importance of acting now to grow the economy. Ultimately, growth means more jobs, higher pay and more money to fund public services, like schools and the NHS.

Cutting energy bills for households and businesses

Support for Households: Energy Price Guarantee

On 8 September, the Prime Minister announced the Energy Price Guarantee.

The Energy Price Guarantee will ensure that a typical household in Great Britain pays an average £2,500 a year on their energy bill, for the next 2 years, from 1 October 2022, with an equivalent scheme in Northern Ireland from November.

The consumer saving will be based on usage, but a typical household is expected to save at least £1,000 a year (based on current prices from October). Energy suppliers will be fully compensated for the cost of the Energy Price Guarantee. Based on 2019 median consumption, houses will save around £1,000 a year, and flats will save £700 a year.

£150 of this saving will be delivered by temporarily transferring the cost of environmental and social costs, including green levies, to the Exchequer for 2 years. This will mean customers don’t bear the costs, but benefit from the low-carbon electricity generation.

This support is in addition to the £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme available to all households. This will be paid in 6 instalments from October.

An additional payment of £100 will be provided to compensate for the rising costs of alternative heating fuels for those UK households who are not able to receive support for heating costs through the Energy Price Guarantee.

The most vulnerable UK households will continue to receive £1,200 of support (including £400 from the Energy Bills Support Scheme) provided in instalments over the year.

Support for businesses and non-domestic properties

Through the new Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS), the government will provide support with energy bills for all non-domestic consumers in Great Britain and Northern Ireland (including charities and public sector organisations).

This 6-month scheme will protect them from soaring energy costs by providing a discount on wholesale gas and electricity prices.

It will apply to energy usage for all non-domestic energy users from 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023.

Equivalent support will be provided for non-domestic consumers who use heating oil or alternative fuels instead of gas (further detail on this will be announced shortly).

In Northern Ireland, the scheme will be established on the same criteria and offering comparable support, but recognising the different market fundamentals

We will publish a review into the operation of the EBRS in 3 months to inform decisions on continued support after March 2023.

Reform to tackle root causes in the energy sector

While the interventions for households and businesses will be funded by the government, action is being taken to significantly reduce the cost over time.

A new Energy Supply Taskforce – The new Taskforce will seek to negotiate long-term agreements with major gas producers. BEIS is also working with low carbon electricity generators to reduce the link between gas and electricity prices. Successful action should smooth the price of wholesale gas and electricity over time. Such action should also increase security of supply over time, reducing the likelihood of similar energy price crises in the future.

Energy Markets Financing Scheme – Together with the Bank of England, HM Treasury are providing further details around a £40 billion scheme announced on 8 September to address extraordinary liquidity requirements faced by energy firms, due to variation margin calls. The Energy Markets Financing Scheme will improve resilience in energy markets, and the economy. To deliver the scheme, there will be a 100% guarantee to commercial banks covering additional lending they extend to firms. The scheme will provide short term financial support and will be designed to be used as a last resort, with pricing and conditions reflecting this. The EMFS will only be available to firms who are able to meet eligibility requirements.

Energy Company Obligation (ECO) – This scheme requires medium and large energy suppliers to achieve bill-savings for low-income and vulnerable households, by delivering energy efficiency improvements such as insulation. We will expand this existing obligation by a further £1 billion over 3 years, beginning from April 2023. Support will be targeted at those most vulnerable, but will also be available for the least efficient homes in lower council tax bands. This will help hundreds of thousands of customers take action to reduce their energy bills, delivering an average saving of around £200 a year through measures such as cavity wall insulation and loft insulation.

Moving to a simpler, lower tax economy

The Growth Plan reduces the tax burden by delivering tax cuts worth around £45 billion per year by 2026/27, which is the biggest tax cut in generations.

A pro-growth tax system:
- creates the conditions for business to invest, innovate and create jobs
- allows hard working families to keep more of what they earn
- is simple and fit for the future
Tax cuts for businesses

We are cancelling the planned rise of the Corporation Tax rate from 19% to 25%, which puts £19 billion back into the economy by 2026/27 and will make the UK tax system one of the most competitive in the world.

The increase in the Diverted Profit Tax rate will remain at 25%. The Bank Corporation Tax Surcharge cut will also be cancelled. Super-deduction technical rules will also be amended to ensure it works as intended at the new Corporation Tax rate.

We are introducing an investment package designed to supercharge the ability of small British businesses to raise money, attract talent and ultimately grow and succeed

The level of the Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) at is remaining at £1 million permanently, which is a tax cut for businesses of around £1.3 billion a year.

At £1 million, the AIA covers the investment needs of over 99% of the UK’s businesses.

From April 2023, the amount companies can raise under Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) will increase by £100,000 to £250,000, and the gross asset limit will increase from £200,000 to £350,000.

The company age limit will increase from 2 to 3 years, and the annual investor limit will be doubled to £200,000. This package will help over 2,000 start-up companies raise the capital they need to grow.

The Company Share Option Plan (CSOP) scheme options limit is doubling from £30,000 to £60,000, and the rules which restrict use of the scheme when companies have more than one class of ordinary shares (the ‘worth having’ restriction) is being relaxed from April 2023.

We are introducing a new VAT-free shopping scheme for overseas visitors, which will boost our high streets and help create jobs for those working in the travel and retail sectors.

Growth

Driving greater private capital investment

The growth plan will unlock billions of pounds of long-term investment, helping our pioneering British businesses developing new technologies, accelerate their growth and to scale up.

We are bringing forward draft regulations to reform the pensions regulatory charge cap, giving defined contribution pension schemes the clarity and flexibility to invest in the UK’s most innovative businesses and productive assets creating opportunities to deliver higher returns for savers

Building on this, the government is also introducing the Long-Term Investment for Technology and Science (LIFTS) initiative, providing up to £500 million to mobilise billions of pounds of investment into pioneering UK businesses.

Getting more people into work with the right skills

In addition to making work pay and helping working families keep more of what they earn, the government is introducing further reforms to incentivise and support people into more and better paid work.

Government will set Minimum Service Levels (MSLs) for transport, to ensure some services run during industrial action and unions cannot prevent the public making journeys that are essential for day-to-day life.

Unions will be obliged to put employer pay offers to member vote. This requires defining the calling of a strike as a breakdown in negotiations, allowing employers to engage employees directly.

In addition, the government will set out further measures relating to flexible childcare and ensuring the immigration system supports growth in due course.

Allowing business to get on with business

A simple tax system is critical for growth. Instead of having a separate arms-length body oversee simplification, the government will embed tax simplification into the institutions of government. It will therefore abolish the Office of Tax Simplification and set a mandate to the Treasury and HMRC to focus on simplifying the tax code.

The reforms to off-payroll working, known as IR35, have added complexity and cost for many businesses. To achieve a simpler tax system and reduce burden on businesses which engage contractors, the government must be ready to change course. That is why the government is repealing the reforms introduced in 2017 and 2021.

This will free up time and money for business. Businesses can now focus on the services they receive and invest time and resources in core activities that stimulate growth and productivity.

The government is reforming alcohol duty to reduce the administrative burden on businesses and tax alcohol according to its strength. This will encourage growth in the lower ABV market and incentivise product innovation.

The government will introduce a modern, digital, VAT-free shopping scheme as soon as possible, with the aim of providing a boost to the high street and creating jobs in retail and tourism.

Later this autumn, the government will bring forward a set of measures to reduce the burden of business regulation and remove barriers to growth.

The government will also set out its strategy for maximising the long-term productivity, resilience and competitiveness of the UK’s agricultural sector.

Building High quality infrastructure

The Growth Plan announces that new legislation will be brought forward in the coming months to address barriers that restrict the growth potential of the government’s landmark public investment in high quality infrastructure. This includes;
- reducing the burden of environmental assessments
- reducing bureaucracy in the consultation process
- reforming the existing habitat and species regulations
- increasing flexibility to make changes to the Development Consent Order (DCO) once it has been submitted
- reviewing the spending control framework, including the business case process, to accelerate decision making across government
The Growth Plan also announces further sector specific changes to accelerate delivery of infrastructure, including:
- prioritising the delivery of National Policy Statements for energy, water resources and national networks, and of a cross-government action plan for reform of the Nationally Significant Infrastructure planning system
- supporting deployment of onshore wind, by bringing planning policy in line with other infrastructure to allow it to be deployed more easily in England
Investment zones

The government is announcing Investment Zones, and is in early discussions with 38 Mayoral Combined Authorities and Upper Tier Local Authorities who have already expressed an initial interest in having a clearly designated, specific site within their locality.

Investment Zones will drive growth and unlock housing right across the UK. Areas with Investment Zones will benefit from tax incentives, planning liberalisation, and wider support for the local economy. Investment zones will benefit from:
- Lower taxes – businesses in designated sites will benefit from time-limited tax incentives
- Accelerated development – there will be designated development sites to deliver growth and housing. Where planning applications are already in flight, they will be streamlined and we will work with sites to understand what specific measures are needed to unlock growth, including disapplying legacy EU red tape where appropriate. Development sites may be co-located with, or separate to, tax sites, depending on what makes most sense for the local economy
- Wider support for local growth – for example, through greater control over local growth funding for areas with appropriate governance. Subject to demonstrating readiness, Mayoral Combined Authorities hosting Investment Zones will receive a single local growth settlement in the next Spending Review period
The government will announce further supply side growth measures in October and early November, including changes to the planning system, business regulations, childcare, immigration, agricultural productivity, and digital infrastructure.
September 27, 2022
Vicky Ford – 2022 Statement on the Rohingya Crisis

The statement made by Vicky Ford, the UK Minister for Development, at the United Nations General Assembly on 22 September 2022.

Your Excellency Prime Minister Hasina; distinguished guests.

Thank you for the opportunity to join you today to remember the tragic events of 5 years ago. And for the chance to press for a durable solution, and to mobilise adequate resources to support the Rohingya until they can return to Myanmar.

Prime Minister Hasina, your government and the people of Bangladesh have our upmost respect. You have generously hosted one million Rohingya refugees for 5 years. And I pay tribute to your leadership and humanitarian values.

Friends and colleagues. Nobody should be forced to flee their home or their country of birth. It is a tragedy that so many have been unable to return to their communities, that so many lives have been stalled, and that there has been no accountability for the atrocities endured.

Confronted by so much pain and hardship, the courage, resilience, and spirit that the Rohingya continue to display is all the more admirable.

I wanted to reiterate our deep concerns by the increasing violence in Myanmar. In Rakhine state, Rohingya communities are caught in the cross fire of recent fighting between the Myanmar Armed Forces and Arakan Army.

I am saddened to hear about the horrendous attack on a school in Sagaing. We condemn the killings. There can be no justification for the killing of children and innocent civilians.

Since 2017, the UK has provided £340 million of support to the Rohingya and neighbouring communities in Bangladesh. And £25 million for the Rohingya and other Muslim communities in Rakhine State. This has provided lifesaving food, water, shelter, healthcare and protection.

We continue to be a major contributor to the core funding of humanitarian agencies, providing £108 million this year, which underpins their ability to respond to the crisis. Our total portfolio of support makes us one of the largest global humanitarian donors.

International Financial Institutions have an important role to play in sustaining the Rohingya response, and we welcome their continuing dialogue with your government.

We will continue to support the Rohingya and, importantly, the local communities around the camps.

Preparing the Rohingya to return to Myanmar, when it is safe and sustainable to do so, is vital.

So we are pleased that the Government of Bangladesh has endorsed the rollout of the Myanmar Curriculum and a new Skills Framework. This will have a positive impact, and should be followed by expanded livelihood opportunities in Cox’s Bazar and on Bhasan Char, to better equip refugees for their sustainable return to Myanmar.

Prime Minister, we agree with you that the international community must play its part to create the conditions for safe, voluntary and dignified returns.

We will continue to work alongside the international community to improve conditions for the Rohingya in Myanmar, and mitigate the risk of further atrocities. This includes using targeted sanctions and building a global coalition of countries committed to tackling the flow arms to Myanmar.

This year we marked 5 years since the military led ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya people. We used the importance of this tragic anniversary to hold to account those responsible for atrocities in Rakhine state.

We have not forgotten what they did, and last month the UK announced a further round of sanctions to target businesses with close links to the Myanmar military, who funded the clearance operations in 2017.

Accountability for these atrocities is vital to end the cycle of violence, which is why we intend to intervene in the International Court of Justice case brought by The Gambia, of which we are a longstanding supporter.

To achieve true justice for the Rohingya, their citizenship in Myanmar must be restored. The systematic human rights violations they have suffered for decades must end. And Rohingya people must be meaningfully included in future visions of Myanmar society.

We will use all available opportunities, including at the G7 and with our ASEAN partners, to push for a long-term solution to the crisis and its root causes. We will also use our role as penholder to keep the situation in Myanmar on the UN Security Council’s agenda, and explore all available Council tools.

We will continue to do all we can to ensure the Rohingya can voluntarily, safely and sustainably return home, when conditions allow. And help the people of Myanmar enjoy the peace, justice and prosperity they deserve.

Thank you.

September 27, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Avian influenza prevention zone declared in Norfolk, Suffolk and parts of Essex [September 2022]
The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 27 September 2022.

Following a number of detections of avian influenza in both poultry and wild birds across Norfolk, Suffolk and parts of Essex, the United Kingdom’s Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer has declared an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) across the region to mitigate the risk of further outbreaks of disease occurring.

This means that from midday on Tuesday 27 September it will be a legal requirement for all bird keepers in Norfolk, Suffolk and parts of Essex to follow strict biosecurity measures to help protect their flocks, of whatever type or size. Bird keepers are advised to consult the interactive map to check if they are impacted and should then read the AIPZ declaration which sets out the requirements in a regional AIPZ.

All bird keepers, including hobby and backyard poultry keepers and anyone who keeps chickens, ducks and geese as pets must take steps to limit the risk of the disease spreading to their animals.

Additionally, keepers with more than 500 birds will need to restrict access for non-essential people on their sites, workers will need to change clothing and footwear before entering bird enclosures and site vehicles will need to be cleaned and disinfected regularly to limit the risk of the disease spreading. There is also a mandatory requirement to keep records and to make them available on request.

The UK Health Security Agency continue to advise that the risk to public health from the virus is very low and the Food Standards Agency advice remains unchanged, that avian influenzas pose a very low food safety risk for UK consumers. Properly cooked poultry and poultry products, including eggs, are safe to eat.

The UK has faced its largest ever outbreak of bird flu with over 150 cases confirmed across the country since late October 2021. The introduction of this regional AIPZ comes after the disease was detected in kept birds at 10 premises in the affected regions since the beginning of September, as well as several reports in wild birds.

The United Kingdom’s Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer Richard Irvine said:

Following an increased number of detections of avian influenza we have declared an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone across Suffolk, Norfolk and parts of Essex. This means that all bird keepers in the region must urgently take action now to both prevent disease getting in to flocks and it spreading any further.

Whether you keep just a few birds or thousands, you are now legally required to introduce stricter biosecurity standards on your farm or small holding. It is in your interests to do so in order to protect your birds from this highly infectious and devastating disease.

The introduction of an AIPZ follows the recent increase in cases of bird flu in poultry and other captive birds in the area and increased reports of mass mortality in wild birds.

The regionalised AIPZ now in force does not include a requirement to house birds. However, this is being kept under constant review. Further disease control measures will be based on the latest scientific evidence and veterinary advice.

The Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) means bird keepers in the affected regions must:
- Cleanse and disinfect clothing, footwear, equipment and vehicles before and after contact with poultry and captive birds – if practical, use disposable protective clothing
- reduce the movement of people, vehicles or equipment to and from areas where poultry and captive birds are kept, to minimise contamination from manure, slurry and other products, and use effective vermin control
- keep records of mortality, movement of poultry and poultry products and any changes in production
- thoroughly cleanse and disinfect housing on a continuous basis
- keep fresh disinfectant at the right concentration at all farm and poultry housing entry and exit points
- minimise direct and indirect contact between poultry and captive birds and wild birds, including making sure all feed and water is not accessible to wild birds
- prevent access by poultry to ponds and watercourses and ensure that birds are kept in fenced or enclosed areas
The AIPZ will be in place until further notice, and will be kept under regular review as part of the government’s work to monitor and manage the risks of bird flu.

Bird keepers and members of the public should report dead wild birds to Defra’s national dead wild bird helpline on 03459 33 55 77 and keepers should report suspicion of disease in their birds to APHA on 03000 200 301. Keepers should familiarise themselves with our avian influenza advice.

Defra has also set out practical guidance to support land managers, the public and ornithological and environmental organisations in their response to the growing threat of avian influenza to wild birds. The ‘Mitigation Strategy for Avian Influenza in Wild Birds in England and Wales’ sets out how these groups, together with the government and its delivery partners, can mitigate the impact of avian influenza on wild bird populations whilst protecting public health, the wider environment and the rural economy.
September 27, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : The UK is concerned about democratic backsliding across the OSCE region [September 2022]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 27 September 2022.

Ambassador Neil Bush highlights the importance of inclusive, democratic institutions and accountable governments at OSCE’s Warsaw Human Dimension Conference.

Thank you, Madam Moderator,

The United Kingdom believes that inclusive, democratic institutions and accountable governments are the foundations on which open, stable and prosperous societies thrive. Societies with the full participation of women and marginalised groups and equal rights for all. Resilient, responsive, and representative.

And yet, we have seen authoritarian influence on the rise in states across the OSCE region leading to democratic backsliding, restrictions to civic space and the rollback of rights.

Where human rights abuses go unchecked, we see the seeds of conflict sown, often with devastating consequences for communities and nations. The absence of democratic freedoms and equality, good governance and the rule of law also impedes nations’ prosperity, deters international investment, restricts innovation, and reduces opportunities.

The work of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) is vital to strengthening democracy and fostering long-term security. We fully support ODIHR’s election observation methodology – its impartial and objective approach to elections has helped improve electoral processes across the OSCE region.

It is crucial that ODHIR has a proper budget to continue delivering on its mandate and ensure democratic progress is sustained.

We also recognise that the information people need to participate democratically is increasingly moving online. Collectively, we need to ensure that journalists are able to operate safely and to hold the powerful to account. We must also remain vigilant of disinformation by malign actors.

Madam Moderator – Russia’s invasion of Ukraine shows that it is critical that we work even harder to strengthen democratic resilience. Internal repression in Russia and Belarus is tied to external aggression. We stand totally and firmly with Ukraine.

Madam Chair – in conclusion, societies that govern themselves democratically, where all groups meaningfully participate in political and economic processes, are safer, stronger and more secure. We call on all OSCE participating states to recognise the importance of democracy in underpinning collective security, to work together to combat democratic backsliding in the OSCE region and to fully support the vital work of ODIHR.

Thank you very much.

September 27, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Boost for innovative heat pump projects to drive cleaner heating [September 2022]
The press release issued by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 27 September 2022.
- More than £15 million awarded by government across 24 innovation projects to make low carbon heating like heat pumps cheaper and easier to install
- accelerating heat pump rollout will help households move away from using costly fossil fuels and supports target of installing 600,000 heat pumps a year by 2028
- funding will create more than 300 jobs and comes alongside government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme which provides grants of £5000 towards cost of installing a heat pump
Innovations to make heat pumps cheaper and easier to install have been backed by more than £15 million in government funding, helping accelerate the UK’s move away from fossil fuels.

The funding is part of the government’s £60 million Heat Pump Ready programme, which is developing innovative solutions for reducing barriers to the rollout of low carbon technology in homes and businesses across the UK.

A total of 24 projects in England and Scotland have won funding in the second round of the Heat Pump Ready programme.

This funding comes alongside the government’s £450 million Boiler Upgrade Scheme, that provides £5,000 grants to homeowners towards the cost of a heat pump, and a zero rate of VAT for installing clean heating measures and will make it an even more affordable option for people looking to replace a gas or oil boiler in their property.

Heat pumps are already a proven technology that is much more efficient than traditional fossil fuel boilers and provide a reliable, low carbon heating solution for households.

Business and Energy Minister Lord Callanan said:

In light of rising global gas and oil prices, getting low-carbon heating technology into homes is a priority for this government as it will help households ditch the costly fossil fuels that are driving up bills.

Heat pumps are a proven, reliable technology that uses cheaper renewable energy produced in the UK. We are already bringing costs down through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and slashing VAT to zero, but by finding innovative ways to make them even cheaper and easier to install, we will help more homes see the benefits even quicker.

The key objectives of Heat Pump Ready are to reduce costs and increase the performance of domestic heat pumps, minimise disruption in homes during the process of heat pump installation and develop financial models that support an increase in heat pump deployment.

Innovation support is one part of the government’s strategy to help bring low-carbon heating technology to the mass-market and supports the target of installing 600,000 heat pumps a year by 2028.

Industry estimates that the UK heat pump market grew nearly 50% last year and along with the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, Heat Pump Ready is part of a wider package of policies the government is introducing to scale up deployment and support industry to reduce the costs of heat pumps.

Projects being supported by this stream 2 funding include one in Harrogate in North Yorkshire that is using data from smart meters to help optimise the running of a heat pump in a household energy system, a scheme in Truro in Cornwall that is looking to develop efficient and ecological refrigerants that are used in heat pumps and a project in Thame in Oxfordshire looking at ways to reduce the costs of installing and running a heat pump.

The £15 million stream 2 funding supports 37 small and medium enterprises across the 24 projects in England and Scotland, will support the creation of more than 300 jobs and will leverage £6.5 million of private investment.

Stream 2 of the Heat Pump Ready programme comes alongside streams 1 and 3. Stream 1 is providing over £2 million of funding across 11 projects developing feasibility studies for innovative ways to increase the deployment of domestic heat pumps within their local area. In their applications for Phase 1, project teams have estimated a potential cost reduction of at least 20% could be achieved through coordinated deployment.

Heat Pump Ready is part of the £1 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP) and funding was announced in October 2021 alongside the Heat and Building Strategy.

As a result of the strategy and with help from projects receiving funding through the Heat Pump Ready programme, the government is confident that, as the market for low carbon heating grows, the cost of technology will fall rapidly. Working with industry, the government is aiming for heat pumps to cost the same as fossil fuel boilers to buy and run by 2030 at the latest with big reductions of at least 25-50% by 2025.
September 27, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Liz Truss call with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman [26 September 2022]

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 26 September 2022.

Prime Minister Liz Truss spoke to Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman this afternoon, in their first call since she took on the role.

The Prime Minister thanked the Crown Prince for his personal role in securing the release of five British detainees held by Russia-backed forces in Eastern Ukraine last week, to the great relief of their families.

They discussed the strategic partnership between the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia across a range of issues, including cooperation on defence and energy security. The leaders welcomed progress in ending the conflict in Yemen and agreed on the importance of continuing political dialogue to extend the truce.

The Prime Minister reiterated her focus on agreeing a strong UK-GCC trade deal and growing bilateral trade and investment in areas like aviation and clean technology. She also offered the UK’s continued support and encouragement for progress in Saudi Arabia’s domestic reforms.

The Crown Prince extended his sincere condolences on the death of Her Majesty the Queen, and the leaders looked forward to continuing to grow the strong relationship fostered during her late Majesty’s reign.

September 27, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Supporting action that moves Haiti closer to security and stability [September 2022]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 26 September 2022.

Thank you President and to SRSG La Lime and our briefers.

I’d like to add three brief points to the discussion today:

Firstly, like others, the United Kingdom remains deeply concerned by the continued deterioration of the security and human rights situation in Haiti. Violence and insecurity further entrench the multifaceted challenges faced by Haiti and exacerbate the vulnerabilities of the Haitian population.

As we’ve heard today from our briefers, the humanitarian situation within Haiti also continues to deteriorate. Rooted in long standing economic, security and socio-political crises – the current escalation of these challenges has exacerbated the food

insecurity of the Haitian people. The looting of the World Food Programme office and warehouse is deeply concerning, preventing assistance from reaching thousands of Haiti’s most vulnerable.

The United Kingdom encourages all actors to work constructively to find urgent solutions, and to support recovery and progress for the Haitian people.

Secondly, as others have also said, there must be greater efforts by Haitian stakeholders to resolve the political gridlock. This is critical in enabling Haiti to find its own pathway out of the compounded challenges it is facing.

We renew our call for all actors to resume political dialogue and to work together to ensure the necessary security environment within which free and fair elections can be held as soon as possible.

Thirdly, I would like to underscore the United Kingdom’s support for the work of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti. BINUH is fundamental in supporting Haiti to resolve these multifaceted challenges. By strengthening the Haitian National Police and facilitating dialogue between Haitian political stakeholders, BINUH’s efforts help lay the groundwork for stability in Haiti. We look forward to seeing the outcome of the strategic review of options to support security in Haiti and hope these are part of a renewed holistic and joined-up approach by the UN and other partners.

Finally President, we welcome the intention of the United States and Mexico to propose a draft resolution and look forward todiscussing it with partners. We support action that moves Haiti closer to security and stability with a return to democratic processes as soon as possible.

September 27, 2022
Jim McMahon – 2022 Speech to Labour Party Conference

The speech made by Jim McMahon on 27 September 2022.

Conference, it’s wonderful to meet again.

In my role I’ve been up and down this country. I am proud of Britain, proud of what we can achieve together, and proud of the hard graft of working people.

That pride stands in stark contrast to a government showing utter contempt for our great nation.

Allowing over a million sewage spills over the last six years; one every two-and-a-half minutes: every one sanctioned by Tory MPs who blocked changes for tougher action.

How could any government that loves this country allow this abuse of our open spaces, rivers and sea?

Conference, their new leader claims she is “Trusted to deliver” but they’re the same old Tories. Friends, we know you don’t trust a Tory by their words, but their record!

Just one example; during Truss’s time as Environment Secretary; she signed off £24 million pounds of funding cuts for environmental protection, including monitoring sewage discharges. Every one of those sewage spills goes right to her door and their plan sees it continuing until at least 2035.

If only Liz Truss was as angry about raw human sewage polluting our country as she is about importing French cheese into it!

Conference, Labour will clean up the water industry.

Being a custodian of water and the environment will be a duty again. The institutions intended to hold them accountable are weakened and toothless as water bosses laugh all the way to the bank.

A Labour government will:

• Deliver mandatory monitoring of all sewage outlets
• Give the Environment Agency the power and resources to properly enforce the rules
• Introduce a legally binding target to end 90% of sewage discharges by 2030
• Introduce automatic fines for discharges, and a standing charge penalty for discharge points without monitoring in place
• Ensure any failure to improve is paid for by eroding dividends, not added to customer bills, or hitting vital investment in the system
• Water bosses that routinely and systematically break the rules will be held professionally and personally accountable, by striking off company directors and ensuring illegal activity is punished.

Conference, I said Labour will clean up the water industry, and I meant it.

Our plan for change does not stop there. It’s not enough to halt the surge of pollution, Labour’s ambition will breathe life back into our countryside and coastal communities; areas long abandoned by the Tories.

In 1951, Labour created the first National Park in the Peak District. From 1997, Labour delivered ‘right to roam’. The next Labour Government will bring the protections and opportunities afforded to our national parks, to our coastal areas. Bringing nature and the environment to every community, across our town and cities, embracing unloved spaces, the canal networks and green routes. Conference, much more will come on this.

We will meet our responsibility to hand the country we inherit to the next generation in a better condition than we began with. We will realise the right for everyone to have a rich, fulfilled and healthy life with nature and a decent environment at its heart.

In every aspect of DEFRA; nature, the environment, animal welfare, farming, fishing and everything else, there is work to do.

To deliver on our plan we need your help to get Labour into power. Let’s get to every single constituency, every community and every household, let’s show them the Tories record and then show them Labour’s plan.

Conference we are closer to power than at any time in the last decade, with Keir Starmer as our next Prime Minister, we will deliver the fresh start the country needs.

Let’s go and make it happen.

September 27, 2022
Lucy Powell – 2022 Speech to Labour Party Conference

The speech made by Lucy Powell on 27 September 2022.

Morning conference.

Unusually I’d like to start by thanking DCMS officials, the Palace, our police and armed forces for the tremendous organisation of the last few historic weeks.

Watched around the world, we showed the very best of British – our character, our values, our traditions.

There was nothing more British than The Queue, all live streamed by the BBC.

You just wouldn’t see it in any other country.

I feel incredibly privileged to have been a miniscule part of it.

What we’ve seen over the last few solemn weeks is the best of us – united and together.

It stands in stark contrast to the culture wars the Tories so often seek to sow.

Conference, we won’t let their false divides rip us apart, nor will we be goaded by them.

What this moment has also shown is the value we put on service and public duty. It’s in our DNA.

Look around today and ask who upholds our British values and institutions?

It’s not the Tories.

Offended by their own bad press and – how shall I put it – one of two Nadine Dorries interviews that didn’t go to plan, the Conservatives want to sell off Channel 4 and end the BBC as we know it.

Just as the rest of the world envies our renowned broadcasters.

We understand their true value as cultural cornerstones of our world-leading creative industries.

But their value is more than economic, they bring us all together in good times and bad.

That’s why we will keep Channel 4 in public hands and we will secure the future of the BBC as a universal, publicly owned broadcaster.

What’s more, we will protect it from party political interference.

But I say this to BBC executives, public trust is at its strongest when the BBC is truly independent.

Don’t put that at risk by dancing to the Tories’ tune.

Sport and culture also has a much deeper value.

They give us belonging, shared experiences, joy and are at the heart of our communities.

They aren’t only for the elite.

The rise of the Premier League has made English football top of the world,

But the lion has become unchained.

That’s why the next Labour government will bring in a statutory, independent football regulator to protect clubs for communities and fans.

As a Mancunian in Liverpool, perhaps we can agree on this, sport and culture have been pivotal to our regions’ renaissance after decades of decline under the Tories trickle down which never got North.

Libraries, galleries, nightclubs and leisure are crucial to the revival of our high streets.

And charities are at the heart of a society that works for everyone, yet they are at real risk from the cost of living crisis and the pandemic.

We just have a different view than the Tories about how to build a successful country. Not by leaving some behind, but by enabling happy, thriving people and places that they feel proud of.

The Elizabethan age was an age of huge progress.

Ordinary working people able to own their home, go to university, get free healthcare and communicate around the world with access to any information in their back-pocket.

But we are now entering the Digital Age.

Technology is changing at breakneck speed.

Science fiction has become science fact.

But the big choice today is who this benefits?

While the promise of the digital era was to spread knowledge and connectivity, it has in fact seen power and influence amass in the hands of a few.

Just as Harold Wilson demanded the White Heat of Technology worked for everyone, today’s Labour demands a new settlement for the digital age, working for the many.

Let’s be honest, this isn’t a task Truss’s Tories can take on.

To them, regulation is a dirty word, even if it means regulating to stop our children being harmed online.

Her idea of what is right for the many, is to give even more power and wealth to the few and hope for the best it trickles down.

It won’t.

In the information age, where data and platforms wield the power, shaping what we think, buy, work and how we access services. This is an urgent task.

We will put an end to workers being at the wrong end of automation.

And instead ensure its a tool for their prospects to improve.

We will ensure we have world-leading digital infrastructure, with every home connected, and lead the race on industrial 5G.

And let me be clear Conference, we can’t deliver that without decent pay and conditions for telecoms workers.

We will draw up world leading regulation opening up data and unleashing small businesses to spread wealth.

We will upskill our workforce and citizens, so that we become a tech savvy society.

We will ensure we have cyber resilience and security against rogue states and actors.

The choice is clear – unlock the power of the digital revolution in the interests of the many, or continue to benefit a small few.

Conference, together we’ll ensure a Labour government delivers on that mission.

September 27, 2022
Yvette Cooper – 2022 Speech to Labour Party Conference

The speech made by Yvette Cooper on 27 September 2022.

It is great to be back. Back here in the brilliant city of Liverpool here on this beautiful waterfront.

But we are in a city that has been grieving.

Just five weeks ago, just five miles down the road, a nine-year-old girl was killed.

Olivia Pratt-Korbel was at home, getting ready for bed, when her future was stolen in the most unthinkable way.

Devastating for her family, for a community.

And in the words of Liverpool Echo, for schoolchildren weeping in a classroom with an empty chair.

On Saturday Keir and I met and thanked some of the police officers and family liaison officers working on Olivia’s case.

And last week I met community groups here and saw the huge support the whole city and civic leaders including Steve Rotherham and Emily Spurrell are showing to the family, the community and the police.

We thank them and show our solidarity with them in the fight to get justice for Olivia now.

Serious violence isn’t just affecting big cities like Liverpool.

This summer we’ve seen an 87-year-old pensioner killed in Greenford, another 9- year-old girl in Lincolnshire, a 15-year-old boy just last week in Huddersfield.

Across our towns and cities – gun crime up, knife crime up.

Driven by county lines and a wave of organised crime that thrives by drawing vulnerable teenagers in.

Last year the number of children exploited by gangs hit a record high.

The next Labour Government will bring in a new law to crackdown on criminals who lure young people into violence – we will outlaw the exploitation of children for crime.

Labour is also setting out a new plan – with mental health professionals, safer schools officers and mentors to support young people at risk.

Tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime.

That’s who we are.

We’ll do what it takes to protect our children from violent crime.

Who better to lead our party in doing that than someone who has prosecuted criminals and terrorists to keep our country safe.

Who has seen off one Tory Prime Minister and let us back him now to see off another.

Our next Labour Prime Minister, Keir Starmer.

The Tories 12-year-record is grim:
• 6000 fewer neighbourhood officers
• 8000 fewer PCSOs
• arrests halved
• less crime solved
• more victims let down
• border security failures
• more smuggler gangs
• more dangerous boat crossings
• passport delays
• visa delays
• Windrush compensation delays

So, what’s the Tories’ response?

They say they’ve delivered more police.

They cut 20,000.

Former Tory Prime Minister Boris Johnson proudly announced – “We are the party of law and order”

What he meant was – he’d had a party, broken the law and created disorder.

Then he announced it was Government Crime Week.

The police announced 120 fines for lawbreaking in Government – including the Prime Minister and Chancellor.

It was definitely Government Crime Week.

For once Boris Johnson was telling the truth.

But we’ve got a new Prime Minister now.

And Liz Truss has a big idea to turn it all round. She says she’s going to tell the police they need to investigate more crime.

Genius!

If only all the other Tory Prime Ministers had thought of that.

But I don’t think the Conservatives have any idea how tough things are starting to feel for many people.

Communities that are that bit more fragile as the cost of living bites.

People increasingly fearful that public services won’t be there for them when things go wrong.

Police officers already picking up the pieces as other services break.

Sitting for hours with mental health patients or taking defibrillators to heart attacks because the ambulance can’t come.

And they are too overstretched themselves.

Shop owners report thefts and no one comes.

Parents worried about drug dealers by the school gate but no one comes.

Families are burgled but no one comes.

And it’s a perfect storm.

Because lack of proper action to root out racism, serious misconduct or misogyny means that for some communities trust in the police isn’t there. Even if someone comes, too often nothing happens.

The charge rate has dropped by two-thirds in six years.

In 94% of crimes now no one is charged. Time and again no one pays the price. There are no consequences. There is no justice.

The Conservatives want us to think none of this is their fault.

Yet it was their policy to slash the police, courts and youth services, to show no leadership on standards, and to divide communities.

A laissez-faire approach that isn’t an accident, it’s Tory ideology.

Labour believes in community solidarity – we know strong communities are safe communities.

We believe in public services, valuing public servants, and setting high standards.

That is why, to the firefighters who spent this summer battling wildfires, to the police officers and staff who made it possible for millions to show respect for the Queen, and to all our Emergency Service workers who show great bravery and keep us safe, we say thank you.

Labour knows that you don’t get social justice if you don’t have justice or feel safe.

Inequality and poverty corrode people’s security.

And security is the foundation on which all other opportunities are built.

Labour will always stand up for the security of our nation, our borders, and our communities.

Labour will take action to rebuild neighbourhood policing. I can announce today a fully-funded £360m programme to put 13,000 additional police and PCSOs into community teams – so people can be confident someone will be there to help keep them safe.

Labour will strengthen police standards – overhauling training, vetting and misconduct procedures. And new mandatory rules and safeguards on the strip searching of children so that an awful case like that of Child Q, a black teenage girl in East London can never happen again.

Labour will act on the epidemic of violence against women and girls.

Today across our country more than 300 women will be raped.

Of those, around 190 rapes will be reported.

Of those, only three rapists will see the inside of a court room, never mind a prison cell.

The rest will be free to hurt, abuse and rape again.

We cannot stand for this.

Labour will deliver specialist support for victims –putting domestic abuse experts into 999 control rooms and rape investigation units in every force to get justice for women because everyone has the right to live in freedom from fear.

We will always be ready to roll up our sleeves and do the hard work that is needed.

We’ll make sure the immigration system is fair, firm and properly managed.

And unlike the Tories, we will work with France to prevent dangerous small boats crossing the channel and putting lives at risk, with a new cross-border police unit to crack down on the criminal gangs who make millions from trading in people – paid for by cancelling the deeply damaging, extortionately expensive, unworkable and unethical Rwanda plan.

The first Labour Conference Speech I made was a quarter of a century ago in 1997.

I’ve spoken through the years on amazing Labour Government policies.

And I am sick and tired of watching the Tories run our country down.

And that’s why I’m back standing here.

It’s the same reason why every one of us are here.

Because we love our country.

We know the amazing things Labour can do.

And we are ready to fight for that better, fairer future with a Labour Government again.

September 27, 2022