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Ed Davey – 2026 Speech on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (former Prince Andrew)

The speech made by Ed Davey, the Leader of the Liberal Democrats, in the House of Commons on 24 February 2026.

I beg to move,

That an humble Address be presented to His Majesty, that he will be graciously pleased to give directions to require the Government to lay before this House all papers relating to the creation of the role of Special Representative for Trade and Investment and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s appointment to that role, including but not confined to any documents held by UK Trade and Investment, British Trade International (BTI) and its successors, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the Cabinet Office and the Prime Minister’s Office containing or relating to advice from, or provided to, the Group Chief Executive of BTI, Peter Mandelson, the Cabinet Office and the Prime Minister regarding the suitability of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor for the appointment, due diligence and vetting conducted in relation to the appointment, and minutes of meetings and electronic communications regarding the due diligence and vetting.

Thank you, Mr Speaker, for your statement ahead of this debate.

The appalling crimes of Jeffrey Epstein and his associates have rightly stunned the whole world. The scale of Epstein’s operation was shocking—selling human beings for sex, turning hundreds of young women and girls into victims and survivors—and those women are at the front of our mind today as we finally seek transparency, truth and accountability.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor shamed our country and the royal family, but for too long, Members of Parliament were barred from even raising criticisms of him, let alone properly scrutinising his role as trade envoy, because of the outdated tradition that mentions of any member of the royal family in this House must, in the words of the previous Speaker, be

“very rare, very sparing and very respectful”.—[Official Report, 28 February 2011; Vol. 524, c. 35.]

I encountered this at first hand back in 2011, when I was asked to respond to an Adjournment debate on behalf of Lord Green, who was then the Minister for Trade and Investment. The debate was led by the late Paul Flynn, but even he—an ardent and outspoken republican, as I am sure many of us remember, was not allowed to raise any actual concerns about Andrew himself. Paul called it “negative privilege”, and that is what it was. He said his mouth was “bandaged by archaic rules”, and that had very real and damaging consequences. I am pleased to see the Minister in his place, because I know he was also constrained by those rules when he raised similar issues. In that debate, Epstein’s name was not mentioned once, and there was no chance to debate the substance. Standing in for the responsible Minister, I set out the Government’s position, as it had been for a decade, in support of the prince’s role as trade envoy. Looking back and knowing what we all know now, I am horrified by it. I cannot imagine what it must have been like for the survivors and their families to hear Andrew praised like that, as they did so often all around the world, so I apologise to them, and I am determined to change things.

I was struck by the words of Amanda Roberts, Virginia Giuffre’s sister-in-law, after Andrew was arrested last week. She said this could be a stain on the royal family for the rest of our history, or

“it could be a moment where they, and we, decide that this is the time when cultural change happens.”

As a staunch supporter of His Royal Highness the King and the royal family, I believe we must help to bring about that cultural change now.

Liz Saville Roberts (Dwyfor Meirionnydd) (PC)

The leader of the Liberal Democrats is making a powerful speech. I am sure he will agree that decades of deferential and, frankly, sycophantic treatment by Parliament and state authorities are being exposed as having enabled Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to behave as though he were untouchable. I am sure he will also join me in calling on the Government to introduce independent oversight of those members of the royal family who undertake official duties, and in requiring transparency and scrutiny of anything paid for by the state from now on, because apparently, they work for us.

Ed Davey

I am grateful for that intervention. We must build a culture of transparency and accountability; I think that is essential. I hope that we as a House will look at ending the archaic “negative privilege” rules that Paul Flynn spoke about, and remove the bandages from our mouths. Today, we are free of those bandages, when it comes to Andrew. Our motion focuses on finally getting out the truth about his role as a special representative for trade and investment.

Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)

First, I commend the right hon. Member and his party for bringing forward the motion, and for the way that he interviewed on TV this morning. Certainly, he speaks not just for this House, but for this nation. We are all greatly shocked at what has taken place, but does he agree that King Charles, Queen Camilla, Edward, Sophie, William and Kate are members of the royal family who need our support at this time? Does he also agree that now is perhaps the time to tell them that we in this House love them, and that this nation loves them? We understand the pain they are suffering, and we support those members of the royal family who are above reproach on this.

Ed Davey

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his intervention, and I think he probably speaks for the whole House. Indeed, the intention of this debate is to bring this House together. The changes that we think are necessary would protect the royal family and strengthen the monarchy, which in some places has been criticised. That is important, and it is why we need these reforms.

The motion focuses on the start of this—on the appointment of the former Prince Andrew to this role back in 2001. We have seen reporting that says that the King, then the Prince of Wales, expressed his concerns about that appointment. More alarmingly, we have read that Peter Mandelson wrote to the then Prime Minister, Tony Blair, as his former Trade Secretary, pushing for Andrew’s appointment—one friend of Epstein lobbying for a job for another friend of Epstein, and a job that might help Epstein enrich himself. We clearly need to get to the bottom of that appointment and the role that Mandelson played in it, and only the papers demanded by this motion will allow us to do that. We need them published as soon as possible, without delay.

There are many questions about Andrew’s conduct in the role, which is now subject to a criminal investigation. As you said, Mr Speaker, we clearly do not want to jeopardise that investigation through anything we say today. We must let the police get on with their work, especially for Epstein’s victims, survivors and their families, who deserve to see justice done at last. However, I would highlight one example of the way that Jeffrey Epstein sought to use Andrew’s role as a trade envoy to enrich himself.

Monica Harding (Esher and Walton) (LD)

My right hon. Friend is talking about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s role as a trade envoy. When I was working overseas for the British Council, Mountbatten-Windsor came to an exhibition I had put on about Dolly the sheep, which was a fine example of British scientific innovation, but he stood up in front of Japanese dignitaries and business people and said, “This is rubbish. This is Frankenstein’s sheep.” Would my right hon. Friend agree with me that that was a very poor example of promoting British trade interests?

Ed Davey

I am grateful for my hon. Friend’s intervention, which shows not only that we need to focus on the scandals we have heard about, but that even greater questions are raised if the trade envoy was actually speaking against British commercial interests. I hope that not just in this debate, but in other debates, and in Select Committees and elsewhere, we will get to the bottom of that issue.

As I was saying, I would like to highlight one example of how Jeffrey Epstein sought to use Andrew’s role as trade envoy to enrich himself. Channel 4 uncovered emails in the Epstein files in which Epstein was trying to meet the Libyan dictator Gaddafi in the dying months of the Gaddafi regime, to help him find somewhere to “put his money”—something that the Minister raised at the time. In other words, Epstein looked at the deadly crisis in Libya and saw a chance to make some money, and he thought his friend Andrew could help. This is what he said in one of the emails:

“I wondered if Pa should make the intro”.

A few weeks later, Andrew wrote back, “Libya fixed.”

Although the Epstein-Gaddafi meeting does not appear to have happened, this shows clearly what these relationships were all about for Epstein: increasing his own wealth and power. The idea that the role of special trade envoy for our United Kingdom may have been used to help him do that—to help a vile paedophile sex trafficker enrich himself—is truly sickening. Again, I pay tribute to the Minister, who tried to raise this at the time, like his colleague, the late Paul Flynn. It shows again why we need to change the rules of this House that govern Ministers and the debate here.

Matt Bishop (Forest of Dean) (Lab)

I thank the Leader of the Opposition for giving way. [Interruption.] Sorry, the leader of the Liberal Democrats—I stand corrected. [Hon. Members: “More!”] It’s coming.

I asked the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister yesterday in this House about the speed of bringing legislation forward. Victims, Members of this House and Members of the Lords all want this process to happen as swiftly as possible. Does the right hon. Member agree with the Chief Secretary’s comments and that whatever happens with Andrew or anybody else, we must keep pushing to get legislation brought forward swiftly, not in the years to come?

Ed Davey

I am grateful for both the hon. Gentleman’s Freudian slip and his suggestion that we need to speed up action in this area.

Let me begin to conclude. In many ways, this is the first truly global scandal, from the White House and silicon valley to Oslo and Paris. But it is also a deeply British scandal, reaching right to the top of the British establishment. Can there be many people more symbolic of the rot that eats away at the British establishment than the former Duke of York and special trade envoy, and the former Business Secretary, First Secretary of State and ambassador to the United States? Their association with Epstein and their actions on his behalf, while trusted with the privilege of public office, are a stain on our country.

Today, we must begin to clean away that stain with the disinfectant of transparency. Whether it is the President of the United States and his Commerce Secretary, Peter Mandelson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor or Epstein himself, their victims and survivors have seen those responsible evade accountability and escape justice for far too long. I hope—I desperately hope—that is ending now, and I hope the House will approve this motion.

February 24, 2026
PRESS RELEASE : Government ends runaway independent special school fees [February 2026]
The press release issued by the Department for Education on 19 February 2026.

Children’s progress put first as government ends runaway independent special school fees.

Thousands more children with SEND will get the support that helps them achieve and thrive under new government action to end spiralling independent special school costs and reinvest funding where it makes the biggest difference to pupils’ life chances.

It comes ahead of the Government’s schools white paper, which will be a golden opportunity to change the course of children’s lives for the better, moving away from a one size fits all approach to one where every child belongs and where high standards and inclusion are two sides of the same coin.

Independent special schools charge an average of £63,000 per child per year – more than twice the £26,000 cost of a state special school. Yet there is no evidence children do any better. Over 30% of these schools are backed by private equity firms, with public money intended for children and young people with the most complex needs instead flowing into private profit.

For the first time, clear national price bands and strengthened standards will ensure every specialist placement delivers real progress for children – not higher bills for councils – ending the postcode lottery that families have faced in securing high-quality SEND support.

Demand for SEND support has risen sharply in recent years, driving an over-reliance on expensive independent special school placements. Today’s measures will reset the specialist sector so that funding is focused on what matters most – high-quality education, better progress and stronger life chances for children.

And for those children who we know can thrive in mainstream schools with the right support, new research shows that children with SEND perform half a grade better at GCSE than their peers in special schools.

Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson said:

For too long, families have faced a postcode lottery – fighting for support that depends on where they live, not what their child needs. That ends now.

We’re cracking down on providers who put profit before children. New standards and proper oversight will ensure every independent special school placement delivers real outcomes for children – not unreasonable bills for local authorities.

This is about building a system where every child with SEND can achieve and thrive, at a school that’s right for them and delivers the life chances they deserve.

Under the plans:
- New national price bands will end unjustified fee variation for the same provision, giving councils the confidence to challenge poor value placements.
- New statutory SEND-specific standards will ensure every independent special school delivers consistent, high-quality support and clear outcomes for pupils.
- Full cost transparency will show exactly how public money is spent.
- Local authorities will have a formal say on new or expanding independent provision so places are created where children actually need them.
Where special schools are the right setting for children with the most complex needs, the new framework will ensure places are high-quality, locally planned and financially sustainable.

Cllr Louise Gittins, Chair of the LGA, said:

It is good the Government has set out plans to regulate independent special schools and measures to control costs.

While in some cases an independent school can be the best place for a child to attend, it is wrong that when councils’ own costs are soaring that some providers are setting unreasonably high prices and making significant profits from state-funded placements.

To reduce the reliance on independent special schools, we look forward to the Government’s Schools White Paper ensuring more children with SEND get the care and support they need in schools and other mainstream settings.

These measures complement work already underway to create an inclusive education system, including £3.7 billion to deliver 60,000 specialist places in mainstream schools and £200 million to train all teachers and teaching assistants to support pupils with SEND.

This forms the foundations of the government’s reform plans, centred around the belief that children with SEND can thrive in mainstream settings with the right support.

For example, when looking at comparable pupils with EHCPs, the data shows that not only are those in mainstream schools considerably more likely to be entered into GCSE exams, but those who are, achieve around half a GCSE grade higher in English and maths than their peers in special schools.

That’s a half a grade which could mean the difference between a pass or fail at one of the most important academic milestones.

The forthcoming Schools White Paper will build on these reforms, setting out further action to strengthen oversight, improve inclusion and ensure public funding is directed to the support that delivers the best outcomes for children and young people.
February 24, 2026
PRESS RELEASE : Let this be the time that the world comes together to end the cycle of bloodshed in Sudan – UK Statement at the UN Security Council [February 2026]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 19 February 2026.

Statement by The Rt Hon Yvette Cooper, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, at the UN Security Council meeting on Sudan.

Two weeks ago, I stood in Adré, on the Chad-Sudan border.

A camp of over 140,000 people who have fled Sudan’s conflict – and 85% of them are women and children. Women I met who are teachers, nurses, students, small businesswomen, market traders, mothers back home but whose lives and whose families are ripped apart,

I spoke to a mother who didn’t know whether her children are still alive.

A Sudanese young woman told me that most women she knew had experienced what she termed ‘bad violence’ that no one wanted to talk about it because of the shame.

A Sudanese community worker told me she thought more than half of the women had been subjected to sexual violence. And other community workers who have told yet more distressing stories one about three sisters arriving at the Sudanese Emergency Response Room facility who had all been raped. The oldest sister was 13. The youngest was 8.

There is a war being waged on the bodies of women and girls, and I told the women that I spoke to in Adre that I would bring their voices and their stories to the United Nations and to the world and that is what we are doing today because the world must hear the voices of the women of Sudan, and not the military men perpetuating this conflict.

Voices that ensure this Council confronts the bitter truth, because the world has been catastrophically failing the people of Sudan.

This is the worst humanitarian crisis of the 21st century.

A war that has left 33 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, 14 million people forced to flee their homes, famine stalking millions of malnourished children and a conflict that embedded in vested interests and regional rivalries with implications that go far beyond Sudan’s borders.

Yet too often the world has looked away. We must shine a spotlight on the suffering in Sudan. And that is why in the Human Rights Council in November the UK led work across countries to commission the fact-finding mission into El Fasher and the siege and capture of the city the RSF, and that report is now published today. That report is now published today and I am bringing its evidence and conclusions before this Security Council. Page after page of the most distressing accounts imaginable. It is horrific.

Quotes which say:

“Survivors consistently spoke of widespread killings, including indiscriminate shootings and point-blank executions of civilians in homes, streets, open areas or while attempting to flee the city.”

“A pregnant woman was asked how far she was in her pregnancy. When she responded, “seven months”, he fired seven bullets into her abdomen, killing her”.

“Hospitals, medical personnel, the sick and wounded were not spared.”

“And survivors reported being raped in front of their relatives, including their children.”

“Ethnic targeting.”

And calls for, as it says, “extermination.”

So why are we here, in this Council, when we see a report concluding that the violence bears “the hallmarks of genocide.”

This Council, whose mandate and purpose is to confront such shocking crimes and to drive action.

Because El Fasher should have been a turning point. Instead, the violence is now continuing.

More than three months after the fall of El-Fasher, we continue to hear and see reports of continued violations of international humanitarian law or human rights abuses unfolding.

Aid agencies still facing barriers to getting in, schools, hospitals, markets and humanitarian convoys being destroyed.

Four attacks on the World Food Programme since the start of this month alone. There have been reports of strikes on aid operations by both RSF and SAF and the real risk of further escalation now across Sudan and beyond as fighting spreads to the Kordofan regions.

This is not just a humanitarian crisis, it is a regional security crisis and a migration crisis too.

We have seen the impact for regional security on neighbouring countries and on the whole of the Horn of Africa and along the Sahel, opportunities for extremists to exploit and terror groups to take hold. And millions displaced from their homes, the risk of increased migration destabilising nations nearby but also across and into Europe as well.

This affects all of us.

And that is why we need action and we need the United Nations to be a force for countries to come together from across the world to demand peace.

First it means demanding unimpeded humanitarian access and far greater humanitarian support, protection for civilians and for aid workers. Both warring parties must lift the restrictions on aid.

The UN 2026 appeal is just 13 per cent funded — leaving frontline agencies without the funding they need to save lives.

The UK is the third largest Sudan donor, providing $200 million dollars this year, plus $54 million dollars for Sudanese refugees. And in Chad, I announced a further $27 million dollars to support survivors of sexual violence. But aid alone won’t stop this.

We need an immediate humanitarian truce and a pathway to a permanent ceasefire, so I commend the work of the US and President Trump’s Special Advisor who has convened the Quad of nations with Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia to discuss plans for peace, and the commitment from the Quintet, from the African union, and the European Union and others to support plans for peace.

But we will need pressure from every UN member state, and I urge all of those with influence on both the RSF and the SAF not to fuel further conflict but instead to exert maximum pressure on them to halt the bloodshed, to pull back and to pursue a plan for peace.

A plan which includes rebuilding Sudanese civil society, supporting civil society groups and a civilian transition because it should be the people of Sudan who determine Sudan’s future.

And that means we also need an end to the arms flows.

There is no military solution to this conflict, but the reason that the military men still convince themselves there is a military solution is because they can still obtain ever more lethal weapons. External support from at least a dozen states funding, manufacturing, transit, training that is perpetuating the conflict and the misery.

The Fact-Finding Mission has said that it will report back further on investigations into breaches of the UN arms embargo into Darfur, but arms restrictions need to be enforced and extended, so again I appeal to all nations – now is the time to choke off the arms flows and exert tangible pressure for peace.

And we need accountability, it is time for more sanctions against the perpetrators of these vile crimes. The UK has already sanctioned several senior RSF commanders linked to the atrocities committed in El Fasher.

And this week we joined the US and France in proposing they be designated by the UN Security Council too. We are confronting impunity by supporting the ICC’s Sudan investigation so we can bring perpetrators to justice.

Last September at the UN General Assembly the energy and determination in this Security Council but right across the UN around the peace process for Gaza, rightly, was immense. We could see and feel countries across the world coming together – countries who normally disagree coming together– to back a peace process. That is what made it possible for the US-led plan to deliver a ceasefire within weeks

We need that same energy and determination we have rightly brought to the peace process for Gaza now to bring peace for Sudan, so that we can secure an immediate ceasefire, humanitarian truce and so that those responsible for atrocities are held to account.

Let this be the time that world comes together to end the cycle of bloodshed and to pursue a path to peace.

February 24, 2026
PRESS RELEASE : New technology and medicines to combat drug and alcohol addiction [February 2026]
The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 19 February 2026.

Innovators across the UK are being offered £20 million in grants for technology designed to reduce harm and death from drug and alcohol addiction.
- £20 million in grants for technology designed to reduce harm and death from drug and alcohol addiction
- Wearable tech, artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality projects to be considered
- Part of the government’s Addiction Healthcare Goals (AHG) programme to save and improve lives
Innovators across the UK are being offered £20 million of government funding to develop cutting‑edge medicines, medical technologies and digital tools to tackle drug and alcohol addiction.

Thousands of people die every year from substance misuse and addiction – with hundreds of thousands more suffering.

Grants, delivered through Innovate UK, will support the development and deployment of new technologies designed to improve treatment, strengthen recovery and reduce harm from drug and alcohol addiction.

Health Minister Dr Zubir Ahmed said:

Addiction ruins lives and we need to look at any way we can help ease the suffering – and aid the recovery – of hundreds of thousands of people.

Embracing new technology will help supplement all the work this government is already doing, including expanding access to vital drugs and providing billions in funding for drug and alcohol prevention treatment and recovery.

Finding new ways to combat the scourge of addiction could save thousands of lives and billions of pounds.

Around 15,000 people die each year in the UK due to alcohol and drugs.

Hundreds of thousands more suffer the effects, which costs England an estimated £47 billion each year.

The AHG Catalysing Innovation Awards – part of the Addiction Healthcare Goals programme led by the Office for Life Sciences – will help reduce this by supporting those working on new medicines, medical devices, wearables, virtual‑reality therapies, treatment apps and AI‑enabled tools.

These innovations have the potential to transform care for people with drug and alcohol addictions by improving treatment outcomes, preventing relapse and reducing the risk of overdose and death.

Science Minister Lord Vallance said:

Cutting-edge medicines and technologies could save thousands of lives lost to alcohol and drug addiction while improving outcomes for hundreds of thousands more.

Backing both late‑stage technologies and earlier‑stage innovations means we are creating a clear and rapid route from breakthrough ideas to real‑world impact.

This is about using the UK’s scientific excellence to prevent avoidable deaths and support recovery, while helping innovative companies to grow and thrive in the UK at the same time.

Professor Anne Lingford‑Hughes, Chair of Addiction Healthcare Goals, said:

Too many lives are still cut short by drug and alcohol addictions, and healthcare innovations are urgently needed to address the immense personal, mental and physical health and societal impacts they cause.

To meet this challenge, I am pleased to be working with Innovate UK to launch these Catalysing Innovation Awards, supporting the development of the most promising medicines, devices and digital tools to enhance treatment and care.

These awards will support UK companies and innovators to build the evidence needed to show what works in real services, ensuring innovations reach the people who need them sooner, prevent deaths and strengthen recovery.

Dr Stella Peace, Managing Director, Healthy Living and Agriculture, Innovate UK, said:

Working with the Office for Life Sciences, Innovate UK is accelerating the development of cutting‑edge drug and alcohol addiction treatments and interventions to move quickly from research into real‑world services.

By fast‑tracking these innovations into the hands of clinicians and support teams, we can improve outcomes for people with these addictions and drive economic benefit for the UK.

Applications open today (16 February 2026), with awards of up to £10 million available to support late‑stage, high‑impact projects that can demonstrate real‑world effectiveness, UK market readiness and progress towards regulatory approval.

These grants will support projects expected to be close to deployment and capable of delivering impact within health and care services.

A second strand will support earlier‑stage innovations, with awards of up to £1.5 million to help promising technologies demonstrate initial effectiveness, strengthen business planning and help them progress.

Successful projects will also receive exclusive access to an education session from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), supporting innovators to navigate evidence requirements and the pathway to UK certification, approval and roll‑out.

How to apply

Applications for funding close on 6 May 2026.

More information about the funding available and where to apply is on Innovate UK’s website: supporting innovation in drug and alcohol addiction healthcare challenges.

An online briefing event will be held on 19 February to guide organisations through eligibility, scope and the application process. Register for the online event

Background information

The AHG programme is being delivered by the Office for Life Sciences, alongside the dementia, mental health, cancer and obesity Healthcare Goals.

The AHG is working to make the UK a globally leading location for researchers and industry to develop, trial and deploy innovative treatments and technologies which will help people recover from drug and alcohol addictions, save lives and benefit society.

Other opportunities from AHG include the Addiction Healthcare Goals Research Leadership Programme, with over £10 million of funding available, to support career development and training for a pipeline of future leaders in addiction research across the UK.

The AHG programme forms part of the Department of Health and Social Care’s ambition to deliver a world-class treatment and recovery system for people experiencing drug and alcohol addictions.
February 24, 2026
NEWS STORY : Historic Funding Boost for the Protection of Faith Communities

STORY

The UK government has committed a record £73.4 million for the 2026 to 2027 period to enhance the security of faith communities across the country. This substantial investment follows a sharp rise in religious hate crime and aims to ensure that citizens of all faiths can worship without fear of intimidation or violence. The funding package is designed to provide both physical security enhancements and on-site personnel for places of worship, schools and community centres.

A significant portion of this record sum is dedicated to the Muslim community, with up to £40 million allocated to the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme. This follows recent data indicating that nearly half of all religious hate crimes in 2025 were directed at Muslims. Similarly, the Jewish community will receive up to £28.4 million through the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant, which is administered by the Community Security Trust to protect synagogues and Jewish educational sites.

The government has also increased support for wider faith groups, including Christian, Hindu and Sikh communities, by raising the budget for the Places of Worship Protective Security Scheme to £5 million. This represents an uplift of £1.5 million from previous levels, ensuring a broader range of religious sites can access necessary safety measures like CCTV and secure fencing.

February 24, 2026
PRESS RELEASE : Record funding to protect faith communities [February 2026]

The press release issued by the Home Office on 19 February 2026.

Government announces a record £73.4 million in funding in 2026 to 2027 for protective security at Jewish, Muslim, and other faith sites.

Faith communities across the UK can feel safer, thanks to record levels of funding for protective security announced today.

Up to £73.4 million in funding will be available in 2026 to 2027 through the government’s different protective security schemes for Jewish, Muslim and other faith sites. This funding will pay for on-site security staff and equipment such as CCTV, fencing, intruder alarms and floodlights.

Up to £28.4 million will be available through the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant, which is managed by the Community Security Trust (CST), for measures at synagogues, Jewish schools and community centres.

Up to £40 million will be available through the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme, which supports mosques, Muslim schools and community centres.

Eligible organisations can apply on a rolling basis directly with the Home Office.

Last October, the Prime Minister announced the Jewish and Muslim protective security schemes would receive an additional £10 million uplift in 2025 to 2026 to respond to increased threats. Today’s announcement confirms those record funding levels will be maintained through next year.

Meanwhile, the Places of Worship Protective Security Scheme, which is for all non-Jewish or Muslim faiths, will receive an uplift of £1.5 million, bringing the total available to protect Christian, Hindu, Sikh, and other faith sites to a record £5 million.

The next application window for this scheme will open later this year.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said:

Nobody should be forced to live a smaller life in this country because of their faith.

The funding we have announced today will protect places of worship, faith-based schools and community centres across the country.

This government will never tolerate religious hatred or intimidation.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said:

We are ensuring record funding to protect faith communities all across the UK.

This goes further than cameras and alarms, it’s about restoring peace of mind and sending the message: religious persecution and intolerance has no place in Britain.

Hate crime sits at unacceptable levels across the UK. The 2025 hate crime statistics for England and Wales show overall religious hate crime was at all-time record levels. Jewish people were proportionately more affected by these shameful crimes, while 45% of all religious hate crimes last year targeted Muslims. Meanwhile, statistics published by the CST last week show that antisemitic incidents in 2025 were at their second-highest levels since the CST began keeping records.

Local police forces have also stepped up patrols in at-risk areas, and we have given police more powers and resources to manage repeat, intimidating protests, investigate religious hate crimes, and support communities who feel targeted.

February 24, 2026
PRESS RELEASE : Joint Ministerial Statement on Protection of Civilians and Humanitarian Operations in Sudan [February 2026]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 19 February 2026.

Joint Ministerial Statement from the UK and partners on the Protection of Civilians and Humanitarian Operations in Sudan.

We express grave concern over the continued deadly unlawful attacks on civilians, civilian infrastructure and humanitarian operations as heavy fighting across the Kordofan and Darfur States continues. The recent severe escalation in drone and aerial attacks including those affecting displaced civilians, health facilities, food convoys and areas near humanitarian compounds have resulted in a significant number of civilian deaths and injuries and is further disrupting humanitarian access and supply lines.

In recent weeks alone, drone and rocket strikes on trucks and warehouses of the World Food Programme, as well as on health facilities, have resulted in the deaths and severe injuries of civilians and humanitarian personnel and the destruction of urgently needed humanitarian supplies and infrastructure. Intentional attacks against humanitarian personnel, vehicles, or supplies, as well as wilfully impeding relief supplies, are contrary to international humanitarian law and may amount to war crimes.

The Darfur and Kordofan States remain at the epicenter of the world’s largest humanitarian and protection crisis. Sexual and gender-based violence is rampant, famine is confirmed and severe hunger continues to spread. Up to 100.000 people have been displaced in recent months in the Kordofan states alone. According to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, violations and abuses committed by the RSF and its allied militias in and around El Fasher last October risk being repeated in the Kordofan region. We urgently repeat our call to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and their allied militias to immediately cease hostilities.

We condemn the abhorrent violence against civilians, particularly women and children and all serious violations of international humanitarian law in the strongest terms. These violations may amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity and must be promptly and impartially investigated, with those responsible for international crimes brought to justice.

All parties must respect international humanitarian law which includes an obligation to allow and facilitate the rapid, safe and unimpeded access of food, medicine, and other essential supplies to civilians in need. Civilians including humanitarian personnel must be protected at all times, particularly women and girls, who remain at risk of sexual and gender-based violence. Those fleeing must be granted safe passage.

We stand with the people of Sudan and humanitarian organisations – local and international – who are working tirelessly and under extremely challenging conditions to assist them.

This statement has been signed by:

Johann Wadephul, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany

Anita Anand, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada

Antonio Tajani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy

Baiba Braže, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia

Beate Meinl-Reisinger, Federal Minister for European and International Affairs of Austria

Constantinos Kombos, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus

David van Weel, Minister of Foreign Affairs of The Netherlands

Dr. Ian Borg, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism of Malta

Elina Valtonen, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland

Espen Barth Eide, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway

Hadja Lahbib, European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management

Helen McEntee TD, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade of Ireland

Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France

Jose Manuel Albares Bueno, Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of the Kingdom of Spain

Juraj Blanár, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic

Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Denmark

Margus Tsahkna, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Estonia

Maria Malmer Stenergard, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden

Maxime Prévot, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Development Cooperation of Belgium

Oana Țoiu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania

Rt Hon Winston Peters, Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand

Yvette Cooper, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom

Senator the Hon Penny Wong, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia

Tanja Fajon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovenia

Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iceland

Xavier Bettel, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and Minster for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs of Luxembourg

Ana Isabel Xavier, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Portugal

Dominik Stillhart, Head of Swiss Humanitarian Aid, Deputy Director General of Swiss Development Cooperation

Jiri Brodsky, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic

Nikolay Berievski, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria

Péter Sztáray, State Secretary for Security Policy and Energy Security of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary

Croatia

Poland

February 23, 2026
NEWS STORY : King approves nomination of Richard Simpson as next Bishop of Durham

STORY

The King has approved the nomination of the Venerable Richard (Rick) Simpson for election as the next Bishop of Durham, Downing Street has announced. Simpson, who is currently Archdeacon of Auckland in the Diocese of Durham, will succeed the Right Reverend Paul Roger Butler following Butler’s retirement.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Prime Minister’s Office said the appointment had received royal approval and confirmed Simpson’s current senior role in the diocese. The Bishop of Durham is one of the Church of England’s most prominent posts, with the office-holder also serving as a Lord Spiritual in the House of Lords.

February 23, 2026
NEWS STORY : New Allegations made about Personal conduct of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor

STORY

Fresh allegations have emerged about the personal conduct of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly the Duke of York, with former civil servants claiming he billed the tax-payer for “massage services” while serving as the UK’s special representative for international trade and investment. The claims relate to his time in the role between 2001 and 2011 and have been reported by several news outlets, with one former official saying they initially refused to approve a massage-related expense during an overseas trip but were overruled by more senior colleagues.

According to the accounts, the alleged massage expense was part of a wider pattern of spending that staff found difficult to challenge, with whistle-blowers describing a culture in which costs were rarely scrutinised and were sometimes spread across different budgets, making overall oversight harder.

Mountbatten-Windsor has yet to respond to the latest allegations made against him.

February 23, 2026
NEWS STORY : Peter Mandelson Arrested on Suspicion of Misconduct in Public Office

STORY

Peter Mandelson has been arrested by the Metropolitan Police on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The police confirmed that they had detained a 72-year-old man at an address in Camden, north London, and taken him into custody for questioning as part of an ongoing investigation.

The arrest is linked to an inquiry that followed the release of newly disclosed Jeffrey Epstein-related files in the United States, which have prompted fresh scrutiny of Mandelson’s past contacts with Epstein and allegations that confidential or market-sensitive government information may have been shared while Mandelson held ministerial office. Reports stress that the investigation concerns alleged misconduct in public office rather than any allegation of sexual offending.

Police also carried out searches connected to the inquiry, with reports describing warrants executed at addresses in London and in Wiltshire, as detectives continue what they have characterised as a complex investigation. Mandelson has previously denied wrongdoing.

February 23, 2026