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PRESS RELEASE : Keir Starmer call with President Jerí of Peru [December 2025]

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 22 December 2025.

The Prime Minister spoke to the President of Peru José Jerí today.

The leaders discussed the depth of UK-Peru ties across trade, defence, security, education and renewable energy, and agreed to closer collaboration in these key areas.

Trade reached £1.3 billion in 2024, boosted by the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership, and both leaders committed to further strengthening trade and investment ties to drive business growth and create jobs.

On Ukraine, the Prime Minister reiterated the UK’s unwavering support and condemned Russia’s ongoing illegal invasion.

They looked forward to speaking again soon.

December 27, 2025
NEWS STORY : UK Warns Myanmar Elections Could Spark Further Violence

STORY

The UK Government has issued a firm statement saying that holding elections in Myanmar under the current conditions risks provoking further violence and deepening the country’s ongoing crisis. Speaking at a United Nations forum, the UK’s representative expressed serious concern about the military-organised polls slated to begin this month, highlighting that they are taking place amid intense conflict, widespread repression and a fractured political landscape.

Myanmar’s military seized power in a 2021 coup, overthrowing the elected government and triggering a civil war that has cost thousands of lives and displaced millions. The planned elections are intended by the junta to confer legitimacy on its rule, but critics both inside and outside Myanmar describe them as a sham, with major opposition parties barred, key leaders imprisoned and many areas of the country excluded from voting because of fighting and insecurity. Observers fear that these conditions make a genuinely free and fair vote impossible and could further inflame tensions.

The UK’s message aligns with broader international scepticism and the United Nations human rights office has warned that the electoral process is unfolding amid threats, arrests and violence, whilst civil society and opposition groups have condemned the polls as illegitimate.

December 27, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : UK secures additional £8 million in valuable fishing opportunities for 2026 [December 2025]

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 22 December 2025.

The UK has secured bilateral fisheries agreements with Norway and the Faroe Islands for 2026, worth approximately £8 million in historic UK landing prices.

The agreements will grant the UK the same tonnage of Arctic stocks in Norwegian waters and of valuable stocks, including haddock and saithe, in Faroese waters in 2026 as for 2025, maintaining continuity for industry.

The deals transfer quota to the UK of over 1,000 tonnes in Arctic stocks and over 2,000 tonnes of stocks in Faroese waters, as well as additional North Sea herring quota.

Both agreements demonstrate the UK’s commitment to managing fisheries sustainably, supporting the long-term viability of stocks in the North Sea, and to cooperation with other parties on monitoring, control and surveillance.

The fishing opportunities and access arrangements the UK has secured through agreements with Norway and the Faroe Islands build on other fisheries deals signed with the EU and other coastal states earlier this month, bringing the UK’s total fishing opportunities for 2026 to around £840 million based on historic landing prices.

A Defra spokesperson said:

These agreements deliver tangible benefits for our fishing communities and will bring in approximately £840 million in fishing opportunities for UK fishers in 2026.

Providing stability and continuity for our fishing industry is vital so they can plan ahead, invest in their businesses, and continue supporting the coastal communities that depend on them.

UK-Norway bilateral agreement

The UK has secured approximately £3 million in fishing opportunities, based on historic landing prices, through quota exchanges with Norway.

This includes fishing opportunities of Arctic stocks in Norwegian waters and an additional 657 tonnes of quota of North Sea herring, attained following the signing on 5 December 2025 of the landmark North Sea herring deal in the UK-EU-Norway trilateral negotiations.

Industry will benefit from secured continuity of access for UK vessels of up to 30,000 tonnes for whitefish stocks in Norwegian waters.

The UK has also established a longer-term herring agreement of up to 20,000 tonnes access in each country’s waters which will enable the UK fleet to fish Atlanto-Scandian herring in Norwegian waters.

UK-Faroe Islands bilateral agreement

The UK has secured over 2,000 tonnes of additional fishing opportunities in valuable Faroese stocks, worth approximately £5 million based on historic landing prices, following annual negotiations with the Faroe Islands for 2026.

The agreement remains stable with the arrangements from 2025, maintaining continuity for the UK fleet amid challenging scientific evidence for some key stocks in UK waters in the North Sea.

The agreement provides the UK fleet with quota in haddock, cod, saithe, blue ling, ling, redfish, flatfish and other species in Faroese waters.

Agreed Records

The UK-Norway Agreed Record is published and available to read on GOV.UK here: Fisheries: bilateral agreement with Norway for 2026 – GOV.UK

The UK-Faroe Islands Agreed Record for 2026 is published and available to read on GOV.UK here: Fisheries: bilateral agreement with the Faroe Islands for 2026 – GOV.UK

December 27, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Elections under the current circumstances in Myanmar risk provoking further violence – UK statement on Myanmar [December 2025]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 22 December 2025.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Chargé d’Affaires to the UN, on Myanmar.

This morning, the Security Council will meet privately to discuss the situation in Myanmar.

We will hear updates from ASEAN Special Envoy Othman Hashim and the UN Special Envoy Julie Bishop.

Nearly five years since the Myanmar military overturned the democratically elected government,  the UK remains deeply concerned at the ongoing violence.

The military must de-escalate and cease its violence, including airstrikes on civilians.  

Targeted attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure must stop.

We strongly condemn the recent airstrike on a hospital in Rakhine State this month, which killed more than 30 civilians.

The humanitarian situation in Myanmar also remains catastrophic.

Over 16 million people will require life-saving assistance in 2026.

The UK has provided over $100 million this fiscal year. But financial support can only have real impact if access is granted.

Finally, the UK is clear: any meaningful election requires an end to violence and dialogue amongst all parties concerned.

And there are no indications that the planned elections will be perceived as free or fair.

Elections under current circumstances risk provoking further violence and make a long-term solution more elusive.  

The UK reiterates our support for ASEAN’s central role in pursuit of a solution to the ongoing crisis.  

We stand in solidarity with the people of Myanmar and their desire for a peaceful, inclusive, and democratic future. 

We will keep the Myanmar crisis on the Council’s agenda.

December 27, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Chancellor announces date of Spring Forecast [December 2025]

The press release issued by HM Treasury on 22 December 2025.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves has asked the Office for Budget Responsibility to prepare an economic and fiscal forecast for publication on 3 March 2026.

As set out at the Budget, the Spring forecast will not make an assessment of the government’s performance against the fiscal mandate and will instead provide an interim update on the economy and public finances.

The government will respond to the March forecast through a statement to Parliament, in line with the government’s commitment to deliver one major fiscal event a year at the Budget.

This approach gives families and businesses the stability and certainty they need and supports the government’s growth mission.

December 27, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : WPP appointed to be UK Government’s lead media agency [December 2025]
The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 22 December 2025.

In a major step forward for the modernisation of government communications, the UK Government has appointed media agency WPP Media, part of WPP, to provide media strategy, planning, and buying services across the public sector.
- British media agency WPP Media (part of WPP) appointed to lead government media strategy and support vital public sector campaigns.
- Innovative new approach will ensure that Government communications connect and engage with audiences directly on the platforms where they are most active.
- New agreement to focus on vital campaigns, including the National Blood Donation drive and Armed Forces and teacher recruitment.
In a major step forward for the modernisation of government communications the UK Government has appointed media agency WPP Media, part of WPP, to provide media strategy, planning, and buying services across the public sector.

WPP Media will plan high-impact public sector campaigns to engage and inform citizens across the increasingly diverse media landscape. Additionally, WPP Media has also been awarded the out-of-home buying duties on behalf of the Government.

Public information campaigns and the efficient running of frontline services depend on good Government communications and it is vital that the Government keeps pace with the media landscape, especially on digital platforms. WPP Media will support recruitment campaigns for essential frontline roles such as nurses, teachers, social workers, and prison staff. It will also support life-saving campaigns for NHS blood, plasma, and organ donation, alongside initiatives such as the THINK! Road Safety, Fire Kills and Violence Against Women and Girls campaigns.

The media procurement agreement also promotes the UK globally through the GREAT campaign – the UK’s flagship international communications programme – which in 2024/25 delivered £218 million in foreign direct investment and more than £300 million in trade wins.

By uniting media planning and buying under a single agency, the Government will streamline its work to more effectively reach target audiences across the platforms it engages with, such as TikTok, Instagram and Reddit, as well as television, radio and print media. Government Communications will also benefit from advances in AI-powered advertising technologies and audience insight to personalise messaging to the public.

The changes will also:
- Reduce the number of suppliers from 33 to 23 across the whole agreement:
- Reduce campaign planning times and management costs
- More effectively reach its citizens across the UK with messaging relevant to the platforms they use.
- Unify cross-government messaging to ensure every pound of public money is spent effectively.
- Support British jobs and investment through WPP’s extensive UK operations.
The Government is committed to using innovative technologies to transform the way the state and public services are run. WPP’s appointment will help the Government deliver modern, data-driven communications directly to citizens, broadening its reach beyond traditional politically-interested audiences.

A new targeted online audience-led approach will move Government Communications beyond traditional advertising and PR. Government Communications’ New Media Unit has proven the value of this approach and this appointment gives the Government the ability to replicate this approach at scale across all government campaigns.

Crucially, the agreement managed by the Crown Commercial Service – will play an important role in ensuring that the UK public receives clear, accurate, and authoritative information from the Government.

Permanent Secretary for Government Communications, David Dinsmore said:

Today’s media landscape is unrecognisable when compared to even a decade ago. The public has changed where and how they get their information and Government needs to communicate its story with the best tools available.

Our appointment of WPP Media means that we will transform how we deliver communications and secure the best value for money for the taxpayer.

Cindy Rose, CEO of WPP, said:

It’s a profound honour to be entrusted with the UK Government’s media strategy, planning and buying and OOH buying duties. We couldn’t be more excited about this partnership, combining the very best of British creativity and media innovation to support vital public service communications.

This decision is a powerful endorsement of our data capabilities and our AI-powered WPP Open platform to create a truly integrated and forward-thinking solution to connect the UK Government with the public it serves.

Kate Rowlinson, CEO of WPP Media UK, said:

It is such a huge privilege to be the first agency group to bring government planning and buying together to oversee hundreds of vital national campaigns. Our deep expertise in planning public sector communications, combined with our exceptional talent and innovative WPP Open platform, puts us in a brilliant position to ensure every government message resonates and drives action.
December 27, 2025
NEWS STORY : Government appoints interim commissioners to Equality and Human Rights Commission [December 2025]

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 22 December 2025.

The Government has appointed two interim commissioners to the Equality and Human Rights Commission to ensure continuity while a wider recruitment process is completed. The appointments are due to begin on 1 January 2026 and will run for a period of up to one year.

Ali Harris, chief executive of the human rights charity Equally Ours, and Professor Shazia Choudhry, a professor of law at the University of Oxford, have been named as interim commissioners. They will join the commission’s board during a transitional period as permanent commissioner roles are filled through an open competition.

The appointments are intended to support the ongoing work of the EHRC, which is responsible for promoting and enforcing equality and human rights law across Great Britain. The commission plays a key role in regulating the Equality Act 2010, advising public bodies and employers, and taking enforcement action where necessary.

The Minister for Women and Equalities said the interim appointments would help maintain stability at the regulator during a period of change, adding that both appointees bring significant experience in equality, human rights and legal expertise.

Alongside the interim roles, the Government has launched a recruitment campaign to appoint a number of permanent commissioners, including representatives for Scotland and Wales, with input from the devolved administrations. The process forms part of a broader refresh of the commission’s leadership.

December 27, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Government appoints interim commissioners to the EHRC [December 2025]
The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 22 December 2025.

The Minister for Women and Equalities has appointed Ali Harris and Professor Shazia Choudhry as interim commissioners at the EHRC.
- Ali Harris and Professor Shazia Choudhry appointed as interim commissioners at Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).
- They will ensure the EHRC can operate effectively while new commissioners are recruited.
- Appointments will run for 12 months from 1 January 2026.
- Appointments will ensure the EHRC can continue upholding and promoting equality and human rights and safeguarding and enforcing the laws that protect people’s rights to fairness, dignity and respect.
The Minister for Women and Equalities has appointed Ali Harris and Professor Shazia Choudhry as interim commissioners at the EHRC.

Ali Harris is Chief Executive of Equally Ours, a human rights charity. Shazia Choudhry is Professor of Law at the University of Oxford, and the Jeffrey Hackney Tutorial Fellow in Law at Wadham College. Their appointments ensure the EHRC can continue upholding and promoting equality and human rights while recruitment takes place for fixed commissioners.

On 3 November the Minister for Equalities launched a full, open recruitment campaign for at least 4 commissioners. These commissioners will continue to develop the EHRC and support long-term change and improvements to equality and human rights issues. The minister is working with the devolved governments to recruit a Wales and Scotland Commissioner.

Minister for Women and Equalities Bridget Phillipson said:

This government is committed to embedding fairness and equality into the heart of our agenda, and the EHRC has a key part to play in this.

Both Ali Harris and Professor Shazia Choudhry bring a wealth of experience and expertise in equality and human rights, and their appointments will ensure the EHRC can continue their crucial work as Britain’s independent equality and human rights regulator while recruitment is ongoing.

The EHRC is Britain’s equality and human rights regulator. They:
- regulate equality law in England, Scotland and Wales
- uphold human rights in England and Wales
- make their own decisions on enforcement and investigations
December 27, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : MI6 Chief says the “front line is everywhere” in first speech, as the UK faces new “age of uncertainty” [December 2025]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 15 December 2025.

In her first public speech, the new Chief of MI6 Blaise Metreweli will set out how MI6 is tackling new and emerging threats to the UK and its allies.
- new MI6 Chief underlines power of human agency in tackling new threats to UK security
- in first public speech, Blaise Metreweli will say that MI6 is keeping Brits safe in a world where the rules of conflict are being rewritten, by Russia and other hostile actors
- speech builds on Foreign Secretary’s Locarno Centenary speech which highlighted how the UK is utilising partnerships and technology to respond to new hybrid and information threats
In her first public speech, the new Chief of MI6 Blaise Metreweli will set out today (Monday 15 December) how MI6 is tackling new and emerging threats to the UK and its allies.

The Chief will describe the increasingly complex and interconnected nature of global threats, ranging from technological disruption and hybrid threats to terrorism and information manipulation.

Speaking from inside MI6 HQ, Metreweli will describe how the UK is evolving to meet these challenges, through building partnerships and harnessing the technology needed to protect our national security and stay ahead of our adversaries.

Mastery of technology must infuse everything we do. Not just in our labs, but in the field, in our tradecraft, and even more importantly, in the mindset of every officer. We must be as comfortable with lines of code as we are with human sources, as fluent in Python as we are in multiple languages …

Focusing on the new hybrid threat landscape the UK faces, Blaise Metreweli will call out the acute threat posed by an “aggressive, expansionist, and revisionist” Russia.

Putin should be in no doubt, our support is enduring. The pressure we apply on Ukraine’s behalf will be sustained.

The export of chaos is a feature not a bug in the Russian approach to international engagement, and we should be ready for this to continue until Putin is forced to change his calculus.

This builds on recent UK actions to expose and disrupt harmful activities threatening our national security, as the Foreign Secretary outlined the modern threats the UK now faces through information warfare. In response, the UK has sanctioned several Russian entities delivering the Kremlin’s information warfare, and 2 China-based companies for their campaign of indiscriminate cyber activities against the UK and its allies.

The Chief will conclude today’s speech by emphasising the importance of human agency in tackling traditional and emerging threats to our national security.

The defining challenge of the twenty-first century is not simply who wields the most powerful technologies, but who guides them with the greatest wisdom. Our security, our prosperity, and our humanity depend on it …

We all have choices to make ahead about how we deal with the undercurrents shaping the world. About how, in our new, faster, more dangerous and tech-mediated world, it will be our rediscovery of our shared humanity, our ability to listen, and our courage that will determine how our future unfolds …

It is not what we can do that defines us, but what we choose to do. That choice – the exercise of human agency – has shaped our world before, and it will shape it again …
December 21, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : UK Statement for Trade Negotiations Committee [December 2025]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 14 December 2025.

Delivered by Kumar Iyer, Ambassador and Permanent Representative for the UK Mission to the WTO and UN in Geneva.

Thank you Chair.

Responding to your recommendations on agriculture, we accept and note the difficulties in making progress noted by the CoASS Chair and we can see value to Members in a political discussion which can advance the agenda such as clear guidance on scope and stepping stones. Like others have said, we would urge keeping the discussions to be narrowly focused to only focus on areas where progress is possible and the UK stands ready to engage as needed.

On fish we think that a Ministerial recommitment post MC14 work is worthwhile as expressed by the Seychelles and others on Wednesday. We also welcome the new appointment of Ambassador Ramsammy as Chair and look forward to working with him.

On CTD SS we welcome the constructive approach of the G90 and the focus on process and moving substantive technical elements of the discussions on TBT, SPS and TRIPS to the relevant committees.

On Services, we support your recommendations. The Trade for Services for Development Conference last week showed why this is such an important file for the development agenda. Overall, we welcome the realistic assessments that in most cases, no substantive negotiated outcome is likely on the TNC file at MC14. We believe this helps create space and focus for the items to discuss next week, you have asked us to not list them so I will not list the priorities for the UK, but I’m sure there will be no surprise for the other Members in this room.

December 21, 2025