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PRESS RELEASE : Rapists given more jail time after Solicitor General intervenes [August 2025]
The press release issued by the Attorney General’s Office on 28 August 2025.

Rapists and sex offenders saw their sentences increased under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme after the Solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC MP intervened.

Under the ULS scheme, anyone can ask the Law Officers to review a sentence where they believe the sentence imposed by the court is unduly lenient.

The latest quarterly data shows that between April and June 2025, 34 sentences were increased under the ULS scheme following the Solicitor General’s referral, and 13 of these were for rape offences.

The largest sentence increase was for Adrian Revill, who had his three-year sentence tripled to nine years and six months’. Revill was imprisoned for repeatedly sexually abusing an underage teenager.

The Solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC MP said:

“Rape is a horrific offence, which can often leave lifelong trauma for victims.

“As this Government’s Solicitor General, I will continue to support victims to ensure perpetrators are properly published for their crimes.”

Sentence increases for rapists and sexual predators during this period included:
- Haider Ali, from Middlesborough, had his sentence increased by five years from an extended sentence of 12 years compromising of 10 years’ imprisonment with a licence extension of two years, to 17 years comprising of 15 years’ imprisonment with a license extension of two years for attacking and raping two women on the same night.
- Gagandeep Gulati, from Hounslow, West London, had his sentence increased from six years to nine years for raping a woman, filming it, and sharing the footage with others.
- Anthony Williams, from Gloucester, had his sentence increased for approaching women online and pretending to be a professional photographer. He then lured women to his flat, encouraging them to undress, and sexually assaulted them. His sentence was increased from eight years’ imprisonment to 12 years.
- Ibrar Hussain, 47, and brothers Imtiaz and Fayaz Ahmed, aged 62 and 45, from Keighley all had their sentences increased for sexually abusing a vulnerable girl in the 1990s in Keighley.
August 29, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Government clears path for almost 100,000 homes [August 2025]
The press release issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 26 August 2025.

The New Homes Accelerator has helped to remove blockages and speed up the building of almost 100,000 homes across England.
- First year of operation sees expert team removing blockages and speeding up the building of almost 100,000 homes across England
- The North West, London, Somerset and the South East next to benefit as six new priority large sites added to flagship New Homes Accelerator initiative, unlocking and accelerating delivery on another 12,000 homes
- Over the Parliament, the Accelerator is expected to make a significant contribution to meeting the ambitious Plan for Change commitment of building 1.5 million homes and boosting economic growth
Nearly 100,000 new homes on large developments previously stuck in the planning system, or which were simply not progressing as fast as they should be, are now being given support to progress more quickly.

The New Homes Accelerator has addressed challenges that were holding back development on scores of large consented sites across the country by leveraging resource and expertise available to government and its housing and regeneration agency, Homes England.

Working families and young people will benefit as homes to buy and rent are built more quickly thanks to this important government intervention – helping more people get on the housing ladder, tackling the housing crisis while creating local jobs and boosting economic growth.

The New Homes Accelerator – a specialist programme established last year to get spades in the ground more quickly by cutting through barriers to rapid development – has already intervened through targeted support, including providing local areas with additional planning capacity and removing regulatory hurdles, to help speed up the delivery of 36,000 new homes across England that were not building out as fast as they should have.

The team has also driven forward planning proposals for another 63,000 homes through close engagement with arms-length bodies and other government departments, helping to unlock growth and make a real difference for future generations.

The expert team will now tackle specific problems on six new sites including Comeytrowe, also known as Orchard Grove, in Somerset, Wisley Airfield in Guildford, North Leigh Park in Wigan and Hampden Fields in Aylesbury, alongside two further sites confirmed in London, at Billet Road and High Road West. Together, targeted support through the Accelerator will expedite the delivery of over 12,000 homes with at least 25% affordable housing across all sites.

The intervention supports wider government reforms to tackle the country’s housing crisis and deliver our 1.5 million homes Plan for Change mission. The government also overhauled the National Planning Policy Framework, pushed forward with the Planning and Infrastructure Bill and invested £39 billion into the Social and Affordable Homes Programme.

Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary, Angela Rayner said:

“We’ve rolled up our sleeves and are breaking down the barriers which stop us from building the houses to buy and rent that families and young people need, helping to speed up the delivery of tens of thousands of new homes already.

“We are continuing to take decisive action through our New Homes Accelerator to speed up the delivery of homes, meet our stretching 1.5 million homes target through the Plan for Change, and get spades in the ground to turn the tide on the housing crisis.”

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said:

“I’m pleased the government is working with London boroughs to unblock housebuilding as part of its plan to deliver the good growth our country needs. I’m determined to use all the powers at my disposal to build the homes Londoners need and get Britain building again.

“I look forward to working with Ministers on the action and investment needed to accelerate the delivery of new homes as we continue building a better, fairer London for everyone.”

Since it was launched by the Deputy Prime Minister in August 2024, the programme has focused on removing the planning and regulatory bottlenecks, enabling thousands of potential housing developments to progress more quickly.

Breakthrough progress is already happening at sites such as Worcestershire Parkway where 4,500 homes will be delivered, with the New Homes Accelerator working hand-in-hand with councils and housebuilders to fast-track delivery.

At the Wisley Airfield site in Guildford, the Accelerator has already helped Taylor Wimpey start on site by facilitating quick responses from statutory consultees, providing strategic support to the local planning authority, getting spades in the ground and begin work on the necessary infrastructure.

This site will deliver three new neighbourhoods of 1,730 homes, of which 40% will be Affordable Homes, and includes shops, sports and social facilities, as well as a school surrounded by a large public park.

Further information

The New Homes Accelerator is working across government to engage with arms-length bodies and other departments to streamline the delivery of housing and infrastructure, ensuring progress through the planning process, which has already helped to remove blockages in the system.

New sites set to benefit from the latest New Homes Accelerator support include:
- At Wisley Airfield in Guildford.
- At Hampden Fields in Aylesbury.
- At Comeytrowe Garden Community, also known as Orchard Grove, in Somerset.
- At North Leigh Park in Wigan.
- At Billet Road in Redbridge, London.
- At High Road West in Haringey, London.
August 28, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Streamlined regulation to power growth and boost British industry [August 2025]

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 26 August 2025.

Environmental permitting for industry and energy to be modernised, as part of new plans following the landmark Corry Review.

Britain’s industrial and energy sectors are set to benefit from a new, modernised environmental permitting regime – with greater flexibility, faster timelines and less red tape poised to boost innovation and drive economic growth.

As set out in the landmark Corry Review, current environmental regulation can be risk-averse, inefficient, and difficult to navigate, holding back innovation and growth.

An eight-week consultation looks to reform permitting in the industrial and energy sectors and deliver a simplified framework that is fit for the future – helping British industry to embrace tomorrow’s technologies more quickly, increasing competitiveness and creating economic growth.

The plans could see a more common-sense process for approving time-limited trials for cutting-edge new technologies, such as the use of hydrogen as fuel at industrial sites, to help accelerate the process of bringing them to market.

As set out in the consultation, the Environment Agency could also introduce a new registration approach for low-risk installations, such as data centres and back-up generators. This will slash permit waiting times – potentially from months to days – and lower business costs.

Learning from international best practice from other countries, including the United States, new flexible permits could be issued. This would set an overall cap on emissions at individual installations, rather than for separate processes at a facility, stripping away layers of bureaucracy and reducing duplication of red tape, while also cutting emissions.

Air Quality Minister Emma Hardy said:

Britain is the birthplace of the industrial revolution and supporting science and innovation is a central pillar of our mission to drive economic growth.

Through the Plan for Change, our once-in-a-generation reforms will streamline regulation for vital industrial sectors that protects the environment while enabling growth and innovation.

Through the government’s Plan for Change, the reforms will provide regulation that support industry meet the challenges of the next decade and beyond.

Modernising, simplifying and accelerating the permitting framework will deliver clean power, improve air quality, and clean up the country’s polluted rivers, lakes and seas.

Philip Duffy, chief executive at the Environment Agency, said:

Modernised regulation can help deliver growth, innovation and protect the environment and communities.

Today’s consultation marks a positive step forward in efforts to make our regulatory regime fit for the future, with proportionate but robust rules that enable the UK to compete globally whilst supporting nature’s recovery.

The Environment Agency will match this ambition with improvements in how we deliver the regime, with better IT, faster turnaround times and a commitment to support sustainable growth across the economy.

Environmental permitting underpins the industrial and energy sectors through a world-leading approach to pollution control that protects communities and the environment.

Industrial emissions have fallen significantly in the last 30 years, delivering more than £52 billion in benefits to human health, ecosystems and labour productivity.

However, the framework can and should work better in delivering the Government’s Plan for Change, net zero ambitions, and environmental and health improvements.

August 27, 2025
NEWS STORY : Graham Simpson defects to Reform UK giving Farage his first MSP at Holyrood

STORY

Scottish Conservative MSP Graham Simpson has defected to Reform UK, becoming the party’s first representative in the Scottish Parliament after a press conference with Nigel Farage in Broxburn, West Lothian. Simpson, a list MSP for Central Scotland since 2016 and a former Tory frontbencher, said leaving the party he joined at 15 was “an enormous wrench” but argued voters had been let down by the political establishment.

The move, a blow to new Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay, gives Reform a foothold at Holyrood ahead of the 2026 election. Simpson, who had already decided not to seek re-election as a Conservative, said he wanted to “create something fresh” in Scottish politics and suggested Reform’s agenda should extend beyond its trademark lines on net zero and immigration. Farage hailed the defection as a milestone and confirmed the party will appoint a Scottish leader for the Holyrood contest. Reform has been building its Scottish presence through local government, claiming 16 councillors, and sees Simpson’s move as momentum after polling spikes over the summer.

Simpson was elected via the regional list and will retain his seat as there is no requirement for a by-election when an MSP changes party. Critics warned that switching mid-term without seeking a new mandate raises questions of accountability, but the rules allow him to sit as Reform’s sole MSP until 2026.

August 27, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : G7 Chair’s statement on the Independence Day of Ukraine [August 2025]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 25 August 2025.

G7 Chair’s statement on the Independence Day of Ukraine, following a G7 Foreign Ministers’ virtual meeting with Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Sybiha.

“On the Independence Day of Ukraine, G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, and the High Representative of the European Union, met virtually with Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Sybiha.

“Participants welcomed ongoing diplomatic efforts by the United States, under the leadership of President Trump, which create an opportunity for a peaceful and lasting end to the war. Together, they applauded Ukraine’s continued commitment to a full and unconditional ceasefire and to engage in Leader-level discussions.

“They welcomed the willingness of Europe, Canada, and other partners to provide Ukraine with robust and credible security guarantees in coordination with the United States.

“Participants reiterated respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty. Participants also discussed Ukraine’s territorial integrity, political independence, and the return of prisoners of war, illegally detained civilians, and abducted and deported children. The importance of continuing to work through the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, co-chaired by Canada and Ukraine, was further underscored.

“Participants spoke to their intent to continue to apply economic and financial pressure on Moscow, absent an agreement ending this terrible war.

“Participants expressed their support for continued dialogue and meaningful, substantive and good faith negotiations between the Leaders of Russia and Ukraine, noting that peace can only take root when both sides reach a just, fair and sustainable solution.

“Participants congratulated Ukraine on its independence and expressed solidarity with the Ukrainian people.”

August 27, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Ukrainian Independence Day 2025 – UK Statement to the OSCE [August 2025]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 25 August 2025.

The UK pays tribute to the courage and resilience of the Ukrainian people and reaffirms its unwavering support as they mark the 34th anniversary of their independence.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Yesterday, Ukraine celebrated its Independence Day – the day in 1991 when the country declared independence from the former USSR. The Ukrainian people overwhelmingly backed this decision, with 92% voting in favour of independence. That choice was recognised by the international community, including the Russian Federation, and Ukraine took its rightful place as a sovereign nation among equals.

34 years later, the Ukrainian people once again find themselves in a struggle for freedom. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukrainians have fought heroically for their homeland and their right to exist. Russia’s war of aggression is not simply about territory, it’s about Ukraine’s existence as an independent, sovereign nation and people. President Putin’s objective, from the beginning, appears to be the end of Ukraine as a separate, independent entity.

So, while yesterday’s anniversary was a celebration of national sovereignty, identity and culture, it was also a solemn reminder of the price Ukrainians continue to pay to defend them. Their fight is not for some abstract ideals that matter only to Russia and Ukraine. These are the principles that form the foundations of Euro-Atlantic security, including sovereign equality and territorial integrity. They are enshrined in the Helsinki Final Act and matter to us all. Three weeks ago, we all gathered in Helsinki to mark the 50th anniversary of the Act’s adoption, but it is Ukrainians who are defending them every day on the front lines.

This is why Ukraine’s future and the way that Russia’s illegal war comes to an end is important for us all. We must secure a just and lasting peace that ensures the Ukrainian people never have to live in fear of attack again. Future anniversaries should not be interrupted by air raid sirens and drone strikes.

Russia must return the Ukrainian children that it has illegally deported and those it has been forcing into military training to line up on the front line against their families and compatriots. It must cease its systematic efforts to eradicate Ukrainian identity through brainwashing and corrupting the education of children. It must stop the forced passportisation of Ukrainians, obliging them to become Russian nationals or risk being forced out of their homeland. It must also release the 3 SMM staff that it has detained arbitrarily – Vadym Golda, Maxim Petrov and Dmytro Shabanov.

The United Kingdom welcomes President Trump’s efforts to end Russia’s war of aggression and achieve a just and lasting peace. We are clear that Ukraine must have ironclad security guarantees to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Coalition of the Willing is ready to play an active role. This is important progress and will be crucial in deterring President Putin from coming back for more.

As we have said before, we will judge President Putin by his actions, not his words. We have yet to see concrete evidence that he is serious about ending this war.

Until peace is secured, the UK will keep tightening the screws on Russia’s war machine. We will continue our military, humanitarian and diplomatic support. And we will use every platform – including this one – to call out Russia’s violations of its commitments and reaffirm our steadfast support for Ukraine’s independence.

Madam Chair, allow me to conclude by congratulating the people of Ukraine on their Independence Day. Their courage inspires us, and their resilience strengthens us. The United Kingdom stands with them today, tomorrow, and for as long as it takes. Thank you.

August 27, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : British training of Ukrainian troops extended through 2026 as UK marks Ukrainian Independence Day [August 2025]

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 24 August 2025.

Extension supports UK’s objective of supporting Ukraine to defend itself from Russian attack, while developing its Armed Forces to deter Putin in future.

Ukrainian soldiers will receive a further boost from the British military’s expert training, as the Government announces the extension of the UK’s world-leading training programme on Ukrainian Independence Day.

The UK is stepping up and evolving its training support to ensure Ukraine’s Armed Forces are in the strongest possible position as they resist ongoing Russian attacks, and to deter any further Russian aggression under a future peace deal by supporting the regeneration of Ukraine’s forces. Supporting Ukraine’s defence supports the UK’s own national security and helps counter the economic disruption caused by Putin’s illegal invasion.

Training support and military equipment from the UK has helped give Ukraine a crucial boost on the frontline, with Russia continuing to lose far more vehicles and equipment to damage or destruction than Ukraine.

The extension of Operation INTERFLEX to at least the end of 2026 was announced by the Defence Secretary amid Ukrainian celebrations today, marking 34 years since declaring independence from the Soviet Union.

More than 50,000 Ukrainian recruits have been trained on British soil so far, with the UK leading 13 other nations providing support to the INTERFLEX programme as one of the biggest schemes of its kind in the world.

The UK is also adapting INTERFLEX training to best suit Ukraine’s evolving military requirements, with a gradual shift from prioritising shorter courses centred on basic combat skills training, to a greater focus on leadership and instructor training. Two additional courses are now being delivered alongside the basic infantry course. One teaches soldiers how to be in command at a platoon and section leader level and the other is an instructor training course.

Working closely with Ukraine means the UK Armed Forces can learn valuable insights and techniques from the battlefield, helping to improve skills and tactics. Support for Ukraine has also seen closer industrial collaboration, benefiting British businesses and supporting the government’s Plan for Change.

The news comes as events take place across the UK today to celebrate Ukrainian Independence Day and highlight the historic relationship that Britain and Ukraine have built. Nearly 2,000 Ukrainian recruits, British military personnel, and other attendees are set to celebrate at one of the INTERFLEX training sites in England.

Defence Secretary John Healey MP said:

The UK is united for Ukraine. We will continue to step up our support alongside allies, so that Ukraine can defend today and deter tomorrow. In the face of ongoing Russian attacks, we must put Ukraine’s Armed Forces in the strongest possible position. And as the push for peace continues, we must make the Ukrainians into the strongest possible deterrent to secure that future peace.

On this special day for the freedom and democracy of the Ukrainian people, we are ramping up and evolving our world-leading training support that has given more than 50,000 Ukrainians vital combat skills.

This matters to Ukraine and it matters to Britain. A secure Ukraine is a secure Europe. From learning lessons from the battlefield to strengthen our own Armed Forces, to deepening our military industrial collaboration supporting jobs across the nation, Britain and Ukraine are growing closer than ever before.

INTERFLEX training began as a 5-week course to provide basic combat training to recruits, but following continued feedback and dialogue with Ukraine’s Armed Forces, has since become a 7-week course and offers alternative courses specifically designed to boost leadership and command skills for personnel, with new courses introduced, tailored according to seniority of trainees.

Training a new generation of Ukrainian instructors is one of the most effective methods to strengthen Ukraine’s security both now and in the long-term, increasing skills and capacity to expand its own training programmes. It will help Ukraine continue to regenerate its military capabilities, which would act as the strongest deterrent against further attacks from Putin under any peace deal.

New survey results of Ukrainian recruits who have completed training under Operation INTERFLEX from January to August 2025 revealed that 83% of those on leadership courses said they felt more able to make their troops under their command survivable at the end of their leadership training. The data also revealed that 93% of leadership trainees felt more confident they can make troops under their command more lethal at the end of their training.

Recent open-source reporting indicates that support from the UK and other nations has helped Ukraine achieve remarkable results on the battlefield, with more than 4,000 Russian battle tanks having been reported destroyed since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, compared with around 1,250 in Ukraine’s case. Reporting suggests that Russia has lost more than double the number of armoured vehicles compared to Ukraine.

Artem, a Ukrainian soldier currently training on Operation INTERFLEX’s Platoon and Company Sergeants Course said:

I am very grateful to the UK for supporting the people of Ukraine in their struggle for independence and identity as a nation. I am grateful for the opportunity to take such courses, for the high level of professionalism of the instructors, their dedication to their work, and for their ability to organise both group training and find an individual approach for each of us.

Instructors ensure that classes are conducted in conditions as close to real-life as possible, whether it be in trenches, in a forested area, or in an urban area. I learned how important it is to be prepared for coordinated actions in conditions of increased danger, how to properly coordinate personnel during defence, and planning offensive actions. I learnt how to survive in conditions of minimal support and improve first aid skills.

Work on a potential peace deal between Ukraine and Russia has deepened in recent weeks under US leadership, with the Prime Minister flying out to Washington last week to meet with President Trump and President Zelenskyy alongside other European leaders. The Chief of the Defence Staff also held meetings on the Coalition of the Willing with other NATO chiefs.

The Coalition of the Willing – led by the UK and France – has developed plans for a multinational military force that could be deployed to Ukraine to provide support in the event of a peace deal. Several planning meetings in recent months have involved more than 200 military planners and input from around 30 countries.

The UK remains fully committed to securing a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and are engaging with key allies in support of this effort, which is why £4.5bn is being spent on military support to Ukraine this year, the largest amount provided to date.

In March, the Prime Minister announced a historic £1.6 billion deal to provide more than five thousand air defence missiles for Ukraine – creating 200 new jobs and supporting a further 700. The UK will also invest a record £350m this year to increase the supply of drones to Ukraine from a target of 10,000 in 2024 to 100,000 in 2025.

August 27, 2025
NEWS STORY : Vandals daub St George’s flag on Lincoln church in crude attack that stirs hatred, say community leaders

STORY

A Lincoln church has been defaced with a crudely spray-painted St George’s Cross, in what its vicar condemned as an “attempt to intimidate” and a needless attack on a place of Christian worship. The Reverend Rachel Heskins said the symbol had been hijacked for division, adding that the graffiti “doesn’t represent us” and has no place on a church wall. Local parishioners described the daubing as thuggish and destructive rather than patriotic, pointing out that the clean-up will drain money and time better spent on community support.

The incident comes amid a wider spate of St George’s Cross graffiti across parts of England, including paint on roundabouts and crossings that councils and police have treated as criminal damage. In Birmingham, residents labelled similar markings “wanton vandalism,” while authorities in the Midlands have warned offenders they face investigation and removal costs.
AOL

August 27, 2025
NEWS STORY : Government plans new independent asylum appeals body and 24-week deadlines to cut backlog

STORY

Ministers have unveiled plans for a new independent body to hear asylum appeals, promising faster decisions, priority treatment for cases in asylum accommodation and statutory 24-week deadlines for certain appeals. Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, says the shake-up is designed to clear a mounting appeals backlog, accelerate returns and reduce reliance on hotels. Cooper said:

“We inherited an asylum system in complete chaos with a soaring backlog of asylum cases and a broken appeals system with thousands of people in the system for years on end. That is why we are taking practical steps to fix the foundations and restore control and order to the system. We are determined to substantially reduce the number of people in the asylum system as part of our plan to end asylum hotels. Already since the election we have reduced the backlog of people waiting for initial decisions by 24% and increased failed asylum returns by 30%. But we cannot carry on with these completely unacceptable delays in appeals as a result of the system we have inherited which mean that failed asylum seekers stay in the system for years on end at huge cost to the taxpayer. Overhauling the appeals system so that it is swift, fair and independent, with high standards in place, is a central part of our Plan for Change.”

The body would be separate from government and staffed by professionally trained adjudicators, with powers to “surge” capacity and to prioritise appeals from foreign national offenders and those receiving accommodation support. Officials say the First-tier Tribunal is struggling to keep pace despite extra sitting days, prompting the shift to a model used in some European countries where independent appeals bodies handle asylum cases.

Alongside the new body, ministers intend to place a legal requirement on the First-tier Tribunal to determine specified asylum appeals within 24 weeks. Further plans to fast-track ‘safe country’ cases will be set out in the autumn. According to the government, 106,000 cases are currently waiting to be heard at the First-tier Tribunal, including at least 51,000 asylum appeals, with average waits of around 53 weeks. While initial decision-making has sped up, cutting the number waiting for a first decision by about a quarter over the past year, officials say court delays over appeals are now the biggest driver of pressure in the accommodation system.

August 27, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Tribunal system reforms to speed up asylum decisions [August 2025]

The press release issued by the Home Office on 24 August 2025.

A new independent body will be set up to speed up decision making on asylum appeal cases.

Asylum appeals will be overhauled and speeded up to clear the backlog, accelerate returns and end hotel use under some of the most significant changes to the asylum system in decades.

As part of efforts to fix the broken asylum system the government inherited and end the use of asylum hotels, a new independent body to deal with asylum appeals made up of independent professional adjudicators, will be established to hear cases more quickly.

The proposals, driven jointly by the Home Office and Ministry of Justice, will reduce the number of asylum appeal cases in the system by ensuring cases awaiting decision can be heard faster, in turn reducing the backlog and creating a more efficient system. They are driven by serious concerns among Ministers that existing measures including increased investment in court sitting days are not delivering the pace of change needed to clear the asylum appeal backlog.

The new body will be fully independent of government with safeguards to ensure high standards and is expected to use the expertise of independent professionally trained adjudicators focusing particularly on asylum appeals, and will allow capacity to be surged so cases can be cleared. It will have statutory powers to prioritise cases from those in asylum accommodation and foreign national offenders.

Currently, there is a backlog of 106,000 cases waiting to be heard by the First-Tier Tribunal, including at least 51,000 asylum appeals. Wait times are increasing, with an average wait time of 53 weeks.

As initial asylum decisions have accelerated, court delays over appeals are now the biggest cause of pressure in the asylum accommodation system which is costing the taxpayer billions of pounds each year.

Doubling of asylum decisions since the election means that the number of asylum seekers waiting for an initial decision has gone down 24% in the space of 12 months and is falling further. However, the number of failed asylum seekers now waiting in the appeal system has increased substantially as most failed asylum seekers then appeal and decisions even on a first appeal can take more than a year to be made.

To relieve pressure on the system, the government has provided funding to increase the number of sitting days in the First-tier Tribunal, with the aim of ensuring it operates at maximum capacity. However, the tribunal cannot keep up with fluctuating and increasing demand, so an alternative approach is needed that can provide wider and more flexible capacity.

Ministers are also introducing a new legal requirement for a 24-week timeframe for the First Tier Tribunal to determine asylum appeals by those receiving asylum accommodation support and appeals by foreign offenders.

But the current tribunal system is still failing to keep up with the particular requirements to clear the asylum system so that failed asylum seekers can be returned as swiftly as possible. Nor can it accommodate a fast track system for safe countries.

The government will set out further details of our plans to fast-track cases in the asylum system this autumn.

Lessons are also being learned from other European countries who have faster appeal systems including countries which run independent appeal bodies rather than absorbing appeals entirely into the main courts and judicial systems.

Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper MP, said:

We inherited an asylum system in complete chaos with a soaring backlog of asylum cases and a broken appeals system with thousands of people in the system for years on end. That is why we are taking practical steps to fix the foundations and restore control and order to the system.

We are determined to substantially reduce the number of people in the asylum system as part of our plan to end asylum hotels. Already since the election we have reduced the backlog of people waiting for initial decisions by 24% and increased failed asylum returns by 30%.

But we cannot carry on with these completely unacceptable delays in appeals as a result of the system we have inherited which mean that failed asylum seekers stay in the system for years on end at huge cost to the taxpayer. Overhauling the appeals system so that it is swift, fair and independent, with high standards in place, is a central part of our Plan for Change.

Since taking office, this government has taken immediate action to fix the asylum system to start exiting hotels and surging returns of more than 35,000 people with no right to be here, including more than 5,000 foreign national offenders.

At its peak under the last government over 400 asylum hotels were open in summer 2023, costing almost £9 million a day. There are now just over 200 and better use of the hotels of the ones we must use have helped cut asylum costs by 11%.

The government has surged asylum decision-making capacity, delivering over 31,000 initial decisions to people per quarter – triple the average under the previous government.

The case backlog is down 18%, with the number of people waiting decisions down by 24% and we’ve achieved the third-highest quarterly decision rate since records began in 2002.

The Immigration White Paper announced in May also details plans to introduce legislation that tightens the application of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights on such appeals.

August 27, 2025