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PRESS RELEASE : Russia continues its brutal attacks causing widespread destruction – UK statement to the OSCE [October 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 October 2023.

UK military advisor, Nicholas Aucott, says Russia’s attack in Hroza was despicable, killing more than 50 people, but notes Russia continues to blunder as it shoots down one of its own fighter jets.

Madam Chair, before I turn my attention to Ukraine, I would now like to say a few words about the terrible events that unfolded over the weekend in Israel. The UK strongly condemns Hamas’ appalling acts of terror against Israeli citizens, and we call for an end to the attacks on Israel. Hamas’s indiscriminate use of violence and the resulting civilian casualties is horrific. The number of Israeli citizens killed has surpassed 1,200 and continues to rise. The taking hostage of over one hundred Israeli citizens is heinous. The UK stands steadfast in support of Israel and its right to self-defence. Hamas does not represent the legitimate aspirations of Palestinian people and offers them nothing other than more terror and bloodshed. Hamas’ despicable acts have also resulted in the deaths of over 830 Palestinians in Gaza and at least 19 Palestinians in the West Bank.

Turning now to events in Ukraine, it has been two weeks since this Forum last sat and during this period we have unfortunately witnessed Russia continue its despicable attacks, causing the death and destruction of Ukraine’s civilians and civilian infrastructure. Russia conducted heavy shelling over the weekend in Kherson and Donetsk resulting in several civilian casualties. This comes after Russia’s missile strike in the village of Hroza which killed more than 50 people, including an 8-year-old boy. Reporting estimates that Russia killed one in five of the population of Hroza in one single event.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian people are resisting Russia’s unprovoked attack with resolute conviction. While the fighting is hard going, Ukraine continues to enjoy success on the battlefield. Ukrainian headway in clearing Russia’s minefields and defensive fortifications has taken time and cost many lives. But Ukraine has made steady progress. Ukraine’s armed forces recaptured more than half the territory Russia seized illegally in February 2022, including Snake Island, Kharkiv and Kherson. Russia has been unable to defend Bakhmut, the only gain in Russia’s winter counter-offensive. And, since this Forum last met to discuss Ukraine, Russia has committed further blunders, shooting down one of its own Su-35 jets. In contrast, Ukraine’s armed forces have shown bravery, ingenuity and determination in reclaiming their land.

A critical aspect of Ukrainian success has been the sustained pipeline of military aid that the United Kingdom and our partners have provided to Ukraine. As a key member of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, the United Kingdom will continue in its military support to Ukraine for as long as it takes. In a demonstration of the United Kingdom’s unwavering commitment to Ukraine, the United Kingdom has also committed £4.7 billion to non-military support.

Madam Chair, Russia continues to spend vast resources on its self-destructive war. The longer Russia fights, the more Russia loses, and the weaker Russia becomes. Russia has suffered almost 200,000 casualties and 50,000 fatalities. In spite of this, Russia continues with this morally abhorrent campaign. Declassified intelligence warned last month that the Russian military had attempted a missile strike against a cargo ship in the Black Sea. The UK declassified further intelligence last week showing that Russia may continue targeting civilian shipping, including by laying explosive devices in the approach to Ukrainian ports. Once again civilians and civilian infrastructure will bear the brunt.

As my Foreign Secretary said: “Russia’s pernicious targeting of civilian shipping in the Black Sea demonstrates Putin’s total disregard for civilian lives and the needs of the world’s most vulnerable. The world is watching – and we see right through Russia’s cynical attempts to lay blame on Ukraine for Russia’s attacks. We and our allies stand united against Putin and his attempts to harm Ukraine, and thus harm the rest of the world.”

Madam Chair, as we have highlighted many times in this Forum, we are presented with the clear situation of Russia, as a member of this organisation, having ruthlessly invaded Ukraine without provocation. We have also highlighted previously the multiple civilian deaths following Russian strikes in Kremenchuk and Kramatorsk. It is truly tragic, therefore, that we must now add the name of Hroza to the list of events which display the very depths of Russian depravity. In the face of these horrors, Ukraine will continue to fight for as long as is necessary and the United Kingdom will remain unwavering in its support. Thank you.

12/10/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Statement to the 104th Session of the Executive Council of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons [October 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 October 2023.

Statement to the 104th Session of the Executive Council of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons by Her Excellency Joanna Roper, Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Mr Chairperson, Director General, Excellencies, colleagues,

We acknowledge the progress made in recent months towards the eradication of the use of chemical weapons, including the opening of the ChemTech Centre, the expansion of capacity building activities in support of States Parties and the destruction of all declared chemical weapon stockpiles, as set out by the Director General this morning. Thank you to the Director General, the Technical Secretariat and all those leading working groups and clusters of issues. Despite this progress, we know that challenges remain.

In August, we joined other States Parties in commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Assad regime’s horrific chemical weapons attack on Ghouta, which killed 1,400 innocent civilians – including hundreds of women and children. At the end of this week, we will recognise another important date – 10 years since Syria joined the Chemical Weapons Convention. This should be a moment to mark, as a step towards a world without chemical weapons. Instead, we reflect on at least 9 subsequent Assad regime chemical weapons attacks and the further, significant loss of innocent life in egregious violation of international law in Syria.

These attacks confirm beyond all doubt that, in spite of repeated Syrian Regime assurances, Syria did not declare and destroy all of its chemical weapons in 2013. The Syrian Regime has continued to obfuscate and block progress to resolve serious outstanding issues with its declaration. Until these outstanding issues are resolved, we cannot rule out the possibility that the Assad regime will use chemical weapons again.

Mr Chair,

We acknowledge the contents of the Noted Verbale submitted by Syria, but note that without meaningful engagement with the OPCW, its chemical weapons programme will continue to pose a threat to regional and international security. We must uphold the Convention by fortifying our pursuit of: Syrian compliance with the CWC, accountability and risk reduction.

Mr Chair,

Russia continues to make baseless allegations of chemical attacks in Ukraine and the prospect of Ukrainian ‘chemical provocation’. Considering Russia’s recent track record of using chemical weapons, we are gravely concerned that these allegations could be used as the pretext for Russian use of chemical weapons in their illegal and abhorrent violation of Ukraine’s sovereign and internationally recognised territory. Any use of chemical weapons by Russia in Ukraine would have severe consequences.

Ukraine’s Notes Verbale to the Technical Secretariat and a Russian state media report indicate widespread Russian use of riot control agents in the prosecution of its illegal war, in contravention of Article I of the CWC. We look forward to Russian answers to Article IX questions posed in a Note Verbale submitted to the Technical Secretariat on 6 October. The UK will remain steadfast in its support of Ukraine’s efforts to protect itself against the threat of chemical weapons and to investigate possible use, noting the option set out in the Convention and in decisions of policy-making organs.

Mr Chair,

We recognise important work, supported by the majority of states, to enhance the effectiveness of the OPCW and ensure its continuing viability. We commend progress made to establish the Working Group on Geographical Representation and to drive discussions on tenure policy.

We also welcome States Parties’ spirit of cooperation and the work of the Technical Secretariat to finalise the biennial budget. We recognise that the trade-offs are difficult, but we remain committed to supporting efforts to achieve affordable outcomes that protect OPCW core activity. Let me close by acknowledging all the hard work by the Director General and colleagues that has gone into pursuing these outcomes. Thank you Mr Chair.

12/10/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Chief Secretary hosts AI meeting to boost public sector productivity [October 2023]

The press release issued by HM Treasury on 11 October 2023.

John Glen spoke to experts in artificial intelligence to discuss the technology’s potential.

The Chief Secretary to the Treasury, John Glen, met with experts in artificial intelligence (AI) today (Wednesday 11 October) to discuss the technology’s potential to drive public sector productivity in a safe and secure way.

The Chancellor has been clear that public spending cannot continue to outpace growth without people paying more in taxes. To ensure this does not happen he has asked the Chief Secretary to look at ways to boost public sector productivity. The Public Sector Productivity Review will report in autumn.

Hosting a roundtable of academic and business leaders in the Treasury, the Chief Secretary emphasised that the safe use of AI can be a key driver of productivity growth, saving taxpayers money while improving public services – noting that in 90 per cent of stroke units across England, cutting edge AI tools are already supporting clinicians to treat patients that present with stroke more quickly, halving the time to get treatment and tripling the chances of patients living independently following a stroke.

The Chief Secretary listened to experts from academia and industry to better understand how companies are already using AI safely to benefit their staff and consumers, including using it to improve customer experiences and how the US Bureau of Labor Statistics has used artificial intelligence to relieve employees of tedious and repetitive tasks, saving staff 25,000 working hours.

The Chief Secretary asked for opinions on what would be required to implement AI safely and responsibly, noting the UK has attracted £18 billion of private investment since 2016 and is third in the 2022 Government AI Readiness Index and highest in Western Europe, but was placed tenth in the public sector category.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury John Glen said:

“If we don’t make our public services more productive, we will be trapped in an unsustainable cycle of spending increases.

“Through the use of safe AI, we can unchain our nurses, teachers, police officers and civil servants from time consuming admin – freeing them up to help the taxpayer.”

The Chief Secretary also took part in Google Cloud’s flagship annual event, Google Next London, by delivering a speech on the role of digital transformation, AI and innovation in driving productivity. The event was attended by public sector decision makers and businesses such as Unilever, John Lewis and BT.

11/10/2023
PRESS RELEASE : UK to host Minerals Security Partnership for first time to boost investment in critical minerals [October 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Business and Trade on 11 October 2023.

On Tuesday 10 October, the UK hosted the Principals’ meeting of the Minerals Security Partnership for the first time, at the London Metals Exchange.

The UK hosted a Principals’ meeting of the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP) for the first time ever in London yesterday (10 October), which focused on boosting responsible investment and sustainable finance in critical mineral supply chains.

Industry Minister Nusrat Ghani co-chaired the historic meeting of the MSP at the London Metals Exchange together with US Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment Jose Fernandez yesterday afternoon.

The MSP is a group of 14 partners – representing over 50 percent of global GDP – that aims to catalyse public and private sector investment in responsible critical mineral supply chains globally.

Minister for Industry and Economic Security Nusrat Ghani said:

By 2040, the world will need four times more critical minerals than it does today. There’s a global rush towards securing these, so it is vital we secure them for the UK supply chain to support both our economy today and jobs for the future.

I was honoured to co-chair the latest Minerals Security Partnership meeting with Under Secretary Fernandez as we seek to boost investment in critical minerals and secure our supply chains for the long term.

Jose Fernandez, US Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment said:

We have to work together to ensure that wherever there is new development of critical mineral projects, there is also fairness: respect for communities and host governments, local value addition and economic development and environmental protection.

At the meeting yesterday, MSP partners confirmed that they are driving forward a range of projects which will help to develop responsible critical mineral supply chains, including:
- 11 projects in upstream mining and mineral extraction, four projects in midstream minerals processing, and two projects in recycling and recovery – including a UK-based recycling technology led by HyProMag, commercialising rare earth magnet recycling (further details below).
- One project focusing primarily on lithium; three on graphite; two on nickel; one on cobalt; one on manganese; two on copper; and seven on rare earth elements.
- Five projects in the Americas, seven projects in Africa, three projects in Europe, and two projects in Asia-Pacific.
The meeting yesterday enabled collaboration between MSP partners, governments of existing and emerging mineral economies and the private sector to accelerate more extraction, processing and recycling projects across the critical minerals value chain, while promoting high environmental, social, and governance standards and ensuring economic prosperity for all.

MSP partners participating in the meeting included Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, India, Italy, the Republic of Korea, Norway, Sweden, the UK, the USA and the EU (represented by the European Commission).

A select group of additional mineral-producing countries – including Brazil, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, South Africa and Zambia – also took part in the meeting.

About HyProMag:
- HyProMag is commercialising rare earth magnet recycling using Hydrogen Processing of Magnet Scrap (HPMS) technology, developed at the University of Birmingham, UK, which can liberate and recycle magnets from end-of-life scrap.
- Having commissioned the UK’s first rare earth magnet recycling pilot plant at the University of Birmingham in 2022, alongside the UK’s only facility to make sintered rare earth magnets, HyProMag, together with the University of Birmingham, are developing a large-scale recycling plant at Tyseley Energy Park, Birmingham, with first production by the end of this year and supported with funding from UK Research and Innovation.
- Investment from UK-Canada listed Mkango Resources in 2020 has helped scale-up and catalyse international growth initiatives, including in Germany where HyProMag has established a sister company, HyProMag GmbH, and in the U.S. through a new Maginito-CoTec 50:50 joint venture company, with evaluation of other jurisdictions underway. Maginito (79.4% Mkango; 20.6% CoTec) acquired HyProMag in 2023.
- In line with MSP’s commitment to recycling and reuse, the development of new sources of recycled rare earths can accelerate development of sustainable and competitive rare earth magnet production.
11/10/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Home Secretary announces new Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner [October 2023]
The press release issued by the Home Office on 11 October 2023.

Eleanor Lyons will take up the role to help combat modern slavery.

Eleanor Lyons, the current Deputy Children’s Commissioner, has been selected to take up the role of Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner.

She will play a key role in helping to drive the UK’s response to this devastating crime.

The unique role was established by the Modern Slavery Act 2015, and is independent of government. The Commissioner works collaboratively with the government and its partners to ensure modern slavery is effectively tackled in the UK, as well as working with international partners to promote best practice.

Ms Lyons was selected for the important role by Home Secretary Suella Braverman following a robust competition, conducted in accordance with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

Home Secretary, Suella Braverman said:

I congratulate Eleanor Lyons on her appointment and look forward to working with her to tackle modern slavery. She will provide tremendous insight and expertise as she takes up this role.

Ms Lyons said:

Modern slavery and human trafficking are abhorrent crimes. Our response must be focused on prosecuting those responsible, preventing further exploitation and protecting victims, particularly those least often heard. The Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner was created to drive efforts forward and encourage best practice across the UK.

I look forward to working constructively with stakeholders and building on the progress that has been made since the role was created. I am committed to a victim-centric approach and to ensuring that survivors’ experiences inform my work to effect meaningful change.

Ms Lyons will be expected to:
- encourage good practice in the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of slavery and human trafficking offences and in the identification of victims
- work alongside Government in its implementation of the reform of National Referral Mechanism (NRM) to improve UK’s ability to identify and support victims of modern slavery
- commission specific research, studies and inquiries to strengthen the evidence base on modern slavery to support the mobilisation of appropriate responses and the commissioning of interventions
- build positive relationships with the modern slavery leadership community, including the Devolved Administrations, business, academia, civil society, international partners and victims of modern slavery
The appointment is designated for a fixed period of three years, with Ms Lyons taking up the role from 11 December 2023, after she concludes her role as Deputy Children’s Commissioner. Between November 2019 and July 2020, Ms Lyons was Director for Portland Communication Consultancy. Between November 2017 and August 2019, she was Special Adviser to the Prime Minister, Defence Secretary and Chief Whip.
11/10/2023
PRESS RELEASE : The King and Queen will undertake a State Visit to Kenya [October 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 October 2023.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla will undertake a State Visit to Kenya, from Tuesday 31st October to Friday 3rd November 2023.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla will undertake a State Visit to Kenya, from Tuesday 31st October to Friday 3rd November 2023, to celebrate the warm relationship between the two countries and the strong and dynamic partnership they continue to forge.

The visit is at the invitation of President Ruto and comes as Kenya prepares to celebrate 60 years of independence. His Majesty’s first visit to a Commonwealth nation as King is therefore to the country in which Queen Elizabeth II’s reign began, having acceded to the throne in Kenya in February 1952.

The King and Queen will visit Nairobi City County, Mombasa County and surrounding areas. Their Majesties’ programme will reflect the ways in which Kenya and the United Kingdom are working together, notably to boost mutual prosperity, tackle climate change, promote youth opportunity and employment, advance sustainable development and create a more stable and secure region.

During the visit, Their Majesties will meet President Ruto and the First Lady as well as and other members of the Kenyan Government, UN staff, CEOs, faith leaders, young people, future leaders and Kenyan Marines training with UK Royal Marines. The King will also attend an event to celebrate the life and work of the Nobel Laureate the late Professor Wangari Maathai, together with Wangari’s daughter, Wanjira Mathai. The King and Queen’s programme will celebrate the close links between the British and Kenyan people in areas such as the creative arts, technology, enterprise, education and innovation. The visit will also acknowledge the more painful aspects of the UK and Kenya’s shared history, including the Emergency (1952-1960). His Majesty will take time during the visit to deepen his understanding of the wrongs suffered in this period by the people of Kenya. Together, Their Majesties will tour a new museum dedicated to Kenya’s history and will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior at Uhuru Gardens, as well as visiting the site of the declaration of Kenya’s independence in 1963.

The King and Queen’s programme also will include:
- Their Majesties will be greeted in Nairobi with a ceremonial welcome at State House and will each attend bilateral meetings – The King with The President and The Queen with the First Lady, before The President hosts a State Banquet at State House.
- His Majesty will visit the United Nations Office at Nairobi, to learn more about the work of UN Habitat and the UN Environment Programme. UNON is the only UN Headquarters in the Commonwealth.
- His Majesty will attend a technology showcase, meeting Kenyan entrepreneurs who are driving forward innovation in the country’s tech sector. Kenya has the third largest start up eco-system in Africa.
- His Majesty will host a reception focussed on Kenya’s young people and future leaders across development, trade, media, the creative arts and environmental conservation.
- Their Majesties will visit a Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery, joining British and Kenyan military personnel in an act of Remembrance, before hearing about the Commission’s recent work to ensure all those who supported Britain’s efforts in both World Wars are commemorated.
- The King and Queen will visit Nairobi National Park to witness the vital conservation work being undertaken by the Kenya Wildlife Service, which is integral to Kenya’s thriving tourism industry.
- Her Majesty, Patron of the equine welfare charity Brooke, will hear how the charity is working with the Kenya Society for the Protection and Care of Animals to rescue donkeys at risk and promote their welfare.
- The King, as Captain General of the Royal Marines, and The Queen, will visit Mtongwe Naval Base in Mombasa. There, Their Majesties will witness Kenyan Marines, trained by the Royal Marines, demonstrating a covert beach landing, showing defence collaboration in action.
- The Queen will meet survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, learning how they are supported and sharing her own insights from working in this area.
- The King will meet faith leaders from Mombasa’s diverse community, hearing how they are working together to promote harmony amongst the city’s population.
Notes to Editors

Previous visits to Kenya

The King has undertaken three previous official visits to Kenya, in 1971, 1978 and 1987. Both Their Majesties have also previously visited the country privately.
11/10/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Defence Minister Baroness Goldie reaffirms UK commitment to the Philippines [October 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 October 2023.

UK Defence Minister Baroness Goldie celebrates the relationship between the UK and the Philippines during her visit to Manila and Legazpi this week.

Baroness Goldie will meet with Defence Minister Teodoro on Wednesday in Manila. They will discuss the strengthening UK – Philippines relationship and shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Reinforcing the UK’s commitment to the region, the Ministers also discussed the UK’s recent Integrated Review Refresh and the importance of maritime security and upholding maritime law.

The Minister will visit HMS Spey in Legazpi and attend the closing ceremonies of naval exercise SAMA SAMA, supporting international defence cooperation and the rules-based international order. HMS Spey will observe the joint PH-US maritime exercise, alongside Japan, Australia and Canada. Together with our allies, the UK is committed to freedom of navigation.

HMS Spey, the greenest ship in the Royal Navy, is on a five-year operation to the Indo-Pacific region alongside her sister ship HMS Tamar. Working with partners, the ship is helping tackle security challenges and support nations to deal with the impacts of climate change.

To pay her respects to all those fallen, the Minister will lay a wreath at the Commonwealth War Grave in the American Cemetery in Manila. The CWGC work tirelessly to maintain cemeteries around the world to ensure that the fallen will always be appropriately remembered.

UK Defence Minister, Baroness Goldie, said:

The UK remains committed to our relationship with the Philippines, and I am pleased both to be visiting for the first time and to be the first UK defence Minister to visit in many years.

I look forward to visiting Exercise SAMA SAMA, and discussing how the UK and the Philippines can deepen our defence cooperation as part of our shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Baroness Goldie will discuss the UK’s enduring commitment to the Indo-Pacific and regional peace and security during her visit. The UK Government is committed to further strengthening ties with the Philippines.

11/10/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Safety warnings to be provided to all patients with every valproate-containing medicine they receive under new law [October 2023]

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 11 October 2023.

Patients to receive the latest valproate safety information with every pack, following changes to the Human Medicines Regulations, 2012.

Valproate-containing medicines will be dispensed in the manufacturer’s original full pack, following changes in regulations coming into effect on Wednesday, 11 October 2023. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has today published new guidance for dispensers to support this change.

Following a government consultation, this change to legislation has been made to ensure that patients always receive specific safety warnings and pictograms, including a patient card and the Patient Information Leaflet, which are contained in the manufacturer’s original full pack. These materials form a key part of the safety messaging and alert patients to the risks to the unborn baby if valproate-containing medicines are used in pregnancy.

The changes follow a consultation on original pack dispensing and supply of medicines containing sodium valproate led by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), in which there was overwhelming support for the introduction of the new measures, to further support safety of valproate-containing medicines.

A large majority of respondents to the consultation – 85% – agreed or strongly agreed with the requirement that the full-pack dispensing of medicines containing valproate in the manufacturer’s original pack will ensure patients always receive the safety information supplied on the label and in the Patient Information Leaflet.

MHRA Chief Executive, Dr June Raine, said:

“It is essential that all patients on valproate-containing medicines receive the latest safety information every time their prescription is dispensed. The changes in the law announced today ensure this happens. People’s situation may change, especially with regard to the possibility of pregnancy, so it is vital that the warnings about the harms of valproate are always brought to mind.

“We are pleased to provide guidance to support the further strengthening of safety warnings around dispensing and we ask all dispensers of medicines containing valproate to consult the new guidance carefully.

“It is very important that patients do not stop taking valproate-containing medicines without advice from a healthcare professional. If you are concerned about the risks, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or another healthcare professional.”

Minister for Public Health, Maria Caulfield, said:

“This safety information will help patients stay informed about risks of valproate, and I encourage all dispensers of valproate to consult the new guidance carefully.

“This continues our commitment to listening and learning from the experiences of people impacted by valproate and their families and using what we hear to improve patient safety.”

There is a significant risk of birth defects for unborn babies and developmental disorders in children born to women who take valproate-containing medicines during pregnancy. Because of these risks, prescribing to women and girls of childbearing potential must fulfil the conditions of the Valproate Pregnancy Prevention Programme which is designed to make sure patients are fully aware of the risks and the need to avoid becoming pregnant.

The new legislation allows dispensers such as pharmacists to round the prescribed amount of valproate-containing medicines either up or down so that the patient receives only complete packs. The medicine must not be re-packaged into plain dispensing packaging.

In rare cases, pharmacists can make an exception on an individual patient basis. This can only happen where a risk assessment is in place that refers to the need for different packaging. For example, the patient may need a monitored dosage system. In all these exceptional cases, the pharmacist must ensure that the patient is given the Patient Information Leaflet about valproate-containing medicine, and the pharmacist can explain why the patient is not receiving the manufacturer’s original full pack.

11/10/2023
Wes Streeting – 2023 Speech to Labour Party Conference

The speech made by Wes Streeting, the Shadow Health Secretary, in Liverpool on 11 October 2023.

Nathaniel, it is truly an honour to have you with us here in Liverpool.

When you came to see me in my advice surgery that Friday afternoon, I was moved by your spirit and your courage.

Your determination to follow your great passions of music and education in the face of your terrible diagnosis blew me away.

But I also felt a deep sense of injustice that I feel now.

The injustice that the NHS didn’t reach you in time.

The injustice that delay meant the difference between life and death.

As a cancer survivor, it shakes me to my core.

I owe my life to the NHS because it was there for me when I needed it.

Not many people find themselves in a position to repay that kind of debt to the NHS.

But I can.

And I am determined to make sure that the NHS doesn’t fail people like Nathaniel anymore.

It starts with gripping the crisis in front of us.

7.7 million people waiting.

The longest waiting lists ever.

And the audacity of the fifth Conservative Prime Minister in 13 years blaming NHS staff for the Tories’ abysmal failure.

Rishi Sunak – how dare you?

There is a window of opportunity for negotiations before the next round of strikes takes place.

A serious Prime Minister would take it.

But this is his government in a nutshell

– problems are there to be exploited, rather than solved.

Meanwhile, patients are left waiting.

That’s why a Labour government will take immediate action to cut waiting lists.

We’ll provide an extra £1.1bn to help the NHS beat the backlog, with extra clinics at evenings and weekends

– providing two million more appointments each year.

Faster treatment for patients.

Extra pay for staff.

The first step to cut waiting lists and beat the Tory backlog.

Paid for by abolishing the non-dom tax status, because patients need treatment more than the wealthiest need a tax break.

We’ve also got to deal with the immediate crisis in NHS dentistry.

Things are so bad that the number one cause of hospital admissions among children is tooth decay.

People are pulling their own teeth out with pliers because they can’t get an NHS dentist.

This is Dickensian.

DIY dentistry.

In 21st century Britain.

That’s why Labour will deliver 700,000 extra appointments each year, get more dentists into the communities that need them most, and make sure that everyone who needs an NHS dentist can get one.

But tackling the immediate crisis isn’t enough.

It’s our mission to get the NHS back on its feet and fit for the future.

Achieving our mission will take time, investment, and reform.

Reform is even more important than investment.

Because pouring ever-increasing amounts of money into a system that isn’t working is wasteful in every sense.

A waste of money we don’t have.

A waste of time that is running out.

A waste of potential, because the NHS has so much going for it.

Labour will never abandon the founding principles of the NHS as a publicly funded public service, free at the point of use.

I make the case for reform not in opposition to those principles but in defence of them.

I’m blunt about the fact that the NHS is no longer the envy of the world, not to undermine it, but to reassure people that we’ve noticed.

I argue that our NHS must modernise or die, not as a threat but a choice.

The crisis really is that existential.

When I look at leading health systems across the world, the fundamental problem with the NHS becomes obvious.

We have an NHS that gets to people too late.

A hospital-based system geared towards late diagnosis and treatment, delivering poorer outcomes at greater cost.

An analogue system in a digital age.

A sickness service, not a health service.

With too many lives hampered by preventable illness.

And too many lives lost to the biggest killers.

So be in no doubt about the scale of the challenge.

Not just because as waiting lists rise, public confidence falls.

But because in the longer term the challenge of rising chronic disease, combined with our ageing society, threatens to bankrupt the NHS.

The Tories answer is all sticking plasters in the short term but an abandonment of the NHS in the longer term.

As we saw in Manchester last week, the Conservative Party dances to the tune of Nigel Farage now.

And the more they move to the right, the greater their threat to our NHS becomes.

So it falls to us, the Party that founded the NHS 75 years ago, to rescue, rebuild and renew the health service today.

Labour’s reform agenda will turn the NHS on its head.

– From hospital to community.

– Analogue to digital.

– Sickness to prevention.

A neighbourhood health service as much as a National Health Service, pioneering cutting edge treatment and technology, preventing ill-health, not just treating it.

And what gives me hope are the people working with and for the NHS today, who are leading the way to that better future.

There is nothing wrong with the NHS that can’t be cured by what’s right with the NHS.

In Sussex, GPs work together providing specialist and urgent care in the community, allowing patients to see their regular family doctor, and giving them greater control over their own care.

They’re preventing 4,000 patients from having to go to hospital every year.

Primary care will be at the heart of Labour’s plan for the NHS – we’ll train thousands more GPs and cut the red tape that ties up their time.

Labour will bring back the family doctor.

Faced with the appalling effects of the pandemic on children’s mental health, schools in Bury are working with the NHS to deliver support.

The number of children requiring mental health services has been cut in half.

Every child struggling with their mental health should get the help they need.

Labour will put mental health support in every school and hubs in every community, paid for by abolishing tax breaks for private schools.

Politics is about choices. Labour chooses to give every child the best start in life, not just the privileged few.

There is no solution to the crisis in the NHS that doesn’t include a plan for social care.

We will grip the immediate crisis in social care, starting with the workforce, and I’ll have the best ally I could hope for

– the former care worker turned Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner.

Together, Ange and I will deliver a New Deal for Care Workers.

A workforce plan to address recruitment and retention, the professional status these remarkable people deserve, and the first ever Fair Pay Agreement for care professionals.

The first step on our ten-year plan for a National Care Service.

One of the biggest opportunities we have is the revolution taking place in medical science and technology.

That revolution is happening here in Britain.

We’re a world leader in life sciences.

Home to some of the smartest tech entrepreneurs.

Take Moorfields Eye Hospital, where artificial intelligence identifies signs of disease on scans, with an accuracy equal to world-leading experts.

They spot conditions earlier and prioritise patients with the most serious diseases before irreversible damage sets in.

The next Labour government will arm the NHS with state-of-the-art equipment and new technology to cut waiting times Our ‘Fit For The Future Fund’ will double the number of scanners in the NHS, so patients are diagnosed earlier, and treated faster.

More than that – breakthroughs in genomics and AI mean that we’ll soon be able to predict and prevent illness in the first place.

If we combine the care of the NHS, with the ingenuity of our country’s leading scientific minds, the NHS could once again be the envy of the world.

At the heart of Keir’s mission driven approach is this idea:

Transformation of the National Health Service must go hand in hand with a transformation of the health of the nation.

A child born in Britain today should live to see the 22nd century.

I want them to be part of the healthiest generation that ever lived.

That’s Labour’s ambition for children.

And we will bring it to life by taking tough action against those who are cutting our children’s lives short.

We will ban junk food ads targeted at children.

Bridget’s breakfast clubs will provide every primary school pupil with a healthy, nutritious start to the day, making sure they have hungry minds, not hungry bellies.

We’ll introduce supervised toothbrushing to keep kids’ teeth clean and keep them out of hospital.

And to those in the vaping industry, who have sought to addict a generation of children to nicotine with flavours like rainbow burst and cotton candy ice, you have been warned,

– a Labour government will come down on you like a ton of bricks.

Back in January, I proposed going even further by outlawing the sale of cigarettes to the next generation altogether.

Tory MPs said it was “nanny state”,

“an attack on ordinary people and their culture”,

They accused me of “health fascism”.

Unfortunately for them,

Labour is winning the battle of ideas, and where Labour leads Rishi Sunak follows.

We’ll vote through the ban on selling cigarettes to kids, so that young people are even less likely to smoke than they are to vote Tory.

Conference, those are just the first steps of what is needed.

Our reforms will be fundamental and deep.

They have to be if the NHS is to be there for us in the next 75 years, as it has in the last 75 years.

The choice at the general election is clear.

We can see the future with the Tories unfolding before our eyes.

A two-tier health service, where those who can afford it go private and those who can’t are left behind.

Our NHS reduced to a poor service for poor people.

Our country viewed as the sick man of Europe.

Labour has a different vision for our future.

Where no one fears ill-health or old age.

Where people have power, choice and control over their own health and care.

Where the place you’re born or the wealth you’re born into don’t determine how long you’ll live.

Where patients benefit from the brightest minds developing cutting edge treatments.

And where children born in Britain today become the healthiest generation that ever lived.

That’s Labour’s ambition for our country.

To those who say that we’re all the same and that voting never changes anything, tell them:

13 years of Conservative government have delivered the longest waiting lists and lowest patient satisfaction on record.

13 years of Labour government delivered the shortest waiting times and the highest patient satisfaction in history.

That’s the Labour difference.

And when they ask what does Labour stand for, tell them:

Two million more appointments a year to cut waiting lists.

700,000 more appointments with NHS dentists.

Mental health support in every school.

Mental health hubs in every community.

Double the number of scanners.

The biggest expansion of NHS staff in history.

More doctors, more nurses, more midwives.

An NHS that’s there for you when you need it.

Back on its feet and fit for the future.

So let’s go out there and give Britain its hope back.

Let’s give Britain its NHS back.

Together, with Keir, let’s give Britain its future back.

11/10/2023
Bridget Phillipson – 2023 Speech to Labour Party Conference

The speech made by Bridget Phillipson, the Shadow Education Secretary, in Liverpool on 11 October 2023.

Thank you, Jayne, and thank you, Conference.

Growing up in the North East in the 1990s, it was teachers and support staff like Jayne, who not only gave me an amazing education, but in doing so, taught me so much about why education matters.

They saw the value and worth, in each and every one of us.

And I never forget, that I am standing here today, above all, because I was lucky.

Lucky, to have a family filled with love.

Lucky, to have a school that cared.

And today I have the amazing good fortune, to be Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary, with a fantastic team of shadow ministers around me.

Helen, Matt, Seema, Catherine, and in the Lords, Fiona, Debbie and Glenys.

But Conference, it goes to the heart of all our values, that life should not come down to luck.

That opportunity belongs to everyone.

That the role of government is to extend opportunity – fundamentally to extend freedoms – to each of us, and to all of us.

Freedom from fear, from ignorance, from illness.

Freedom from insecurity, from injustice and from poverty.

Freedom to achieve and to succeed, to learn and enjoy, to take part and to speak out.

These are the opportunities which for 13 years, this government has ripped away.

Those are the freedoms our children deserve, and it is the future which once again a Labour government will give them.

Conference, I joined Labour not simply because I knew Britain could be better, not just because I shared Labour’s values. No.

I joined Labour, 25 years ago this autumn, because I had seen what the Tories did to our country.

Then as now, the public realm literally crumbling around the next generation.

And because I saw with my own eyes, a Labour government making Britain better.

Year by year, step by step. We did it then, and we will do it again.

And just as life shouldn’t come down to luck, government cannot be left to chance.

It’s why Keir has set out, the five missions we will take, from opposition into government.

Because to be Labour is to believe, that the future is something we shape together, not face alone.

Conference, our missions speak to that ambition, that determination, that faith in our collective strength.

Rising growth. Falling crime. Healthier lives. Greener energy.

And the greatest of all, a determination that for each of us, and for all of us, background will be no barrier to opportunity.

And education is the key to that.

Now, I don’t need to remind you, that we see every day, how 13 years of Conservative failure means children’s backgrounds aren’t just limiting their opportunities.

It’s worse than that.

Conference, for too many children, across too much of our country, their backgrounds are ravaging their opportunities, all their lives long.

I tell you, it breaks my heart.

It starts with our smallest children.

The Tories have committed to slashing staffing and standards in early years childcare, and they have no plan for early education at all.

And as children grow, when school begins, the gaps widen just as the curriculum narrows.

Because for our children, the teachers aren’t there, aren’t qualified, or it isn’t their subject. The buildings are turning to dust.

Just on Friday, we found out the Conservatives had botched next year’s schoolsbudget. By a staggering £370 million.

The mess that the next Labour government is going to have to sort out in education simply beggars belief.

Conference, every parent wants the best for their children. Every parent. Not just those who can afford it.

Aspiration and ambition are for everyone, and so too must be excellence and opportunity.

And I understand why parents worry about the education that the Tories are prepared to offer our children.

Parents want their children to read and write, to master maths.

But they want a lot more than that.

They want their children to learn about the joy of life too: to delight in music, to enjoy sport, to experience the beauty of art, and to know the wonder of science.

They want their children confident, ready to speak up and speak out.

They want them to carry a love of learning, right throughout life, that sets them up to achieve and thrive.

Conference, I want those standards, those expectations, those dreams, for every child.

Because I worry that for too many children, the fire that education should kindle in every mind, it doesn’t start, or it doesn’t catch.

The Prime Minister talks about extending maths to 18.

But if young people hate maths at 16, it’s just too late.

These problems need to be tackled early, not left to fester.

Apprenticeships down. Qualification reforms, botched then junked. A levy on employers that doesn’t deliver for companies or communities, for individuals or for our economy. Other people’s children. Our children, not theirs.

Again, with universities.

Degrees are for their children, not ours: it’s never their kids’ choices or chances, that they’re keen to wind back.

Student debt for nurses, for young people starting out, looking to buy a home and build a family – not their problem. Other people’s children.

The Education Secretary has made their ethic her motto: “nothing to do with me”.

Conference, I tell you, we will change every part of it, and we will change it for good.

In every part of our system, in every year of children’s lives, in every corner of our country, Labour will be the party of high and rising standards.

Conference, we know what the private schools lobby think of our ambition. They were arrogant enough to write it down. ‘Chippy’.

And if they or anyone else doubt my determination to deliver on our dream, then I have a message for them.

Chippy people make the change that matters. I will make the change that matters.

Together we will make the change the matters.

We will end the tax breaks that private schools enjoy to deliver high and rising standards, in every school for every child.

Now, Conference, our ambition starts, as education starts, at the beginning of all our lives: our childcare system must be about life chances for children, as well as work choices for parents.

That is why I am determined that new investment in childcare comes with ambitious reform, to ensure early education is available in every corner of our country for every family and every child.

To drive up standards for our youngest children and lift up the amazing people who support and teach them.

It’s why we’ll end restrictions on councils delivering childcare.

It’s why today I’m announcing that Sir David Bell, former primary school teacher, and former Chief Inspector of Schools, will lead Labour’s work, to develop the Early Years Plan.

The next generation deserve, to bring high and rising standards, for the workforce we need, for the qualifications they’ll have, for the settings where it’ll happen, for the education they’ll give, to deliver our ambition for a modernised childcare system, supporting families from the end of parental leave to the end of primary school.

Conference, high and rising standards cannot just be for families who can afford them.

I want them for my children. For your children. For all of our children.

That’s why as children start at primary school, we’ll deliver breakfast clubs to start each day, funded by closing tax loopholes for the global super-rich.

It’s why we’ll roll out early interventions to transform children’s speech and language skills, and tackle the attainment gap, in settings across our country.

It’s why, we’ll bring in the School Support Staff Negotiating Body, because we know it’s support staff, as well as teachers, who will deliver the change our children need, and Labour will value and respect them just as much.

And it’s why I’m proud to tell you today, that we’ll tackle our chronic cultural problem with maths, by making sure it’s better taught at six, never mind 16.

The last Labour government began a revolution in reading standards, a revolution still unfolding in our schools.

It’s past time, we brought that same focus to maths.

One in four of our children leave primary school without the maths they need. That is a disaster.

Maths is the language of the universe, the underpinning of our collective understanding.

It cannot be left until the last years of school.

I am determined that Labour will bring maths to life for the next generation.

Better training for teachers to teach, with confidence and success.

Better standards for our children, so they’re set up to succeed.

Because be it budgeting or cooking, exchange rates or payslips, maths matters for success.

And I want the numeracy all our young people need – for life and for work, to earn and to spend, to understand and to challenge, I want that to be part of their learning right from the start.

Conference, high and rising standards.

A richer curriculum woven through with speaking, listening and digital skills.

Through every subject and year of school.

It’s why we’ll invest in more teachers, in careers guidance, in mental health support, in work experience,

For all our children, in all our schools.

And we’ll deliver those standards not by ending inspection, but by improving it.

With annual inspection for the issues that matter most.

And we won’t stop there, because education doesn’t end there.

We’ll change the way students pay for their time at university, so none of our young people, fear the price they’ll pay for the choice they’d like.

And after 13 years of drift, Labour will create Skills England to bring leadership and ambition to England’s skills system.

A Growth and Skills Levy driving opportunity in every workplace.

Technical Excellence Colleges right across our country.

Skills not just for each of us, but for all of us.

Training the generation ahead, to build the greener, safer, healthier future we need.

Ours will be a government with not just vision, but drive. Not just a dream, but a plan.

Conference, the difference between us and the Conservatives, it isn’t just about values, competence, ideas.

It’s simpler: it’s all about hope.

Not just hope for each of us, but hope for all of us.

Hope for our society, and our country, as well as ourselves, and our families.

Hope that our greatest days are yet to come.

Conference, Labour will again bring hope to a new generation.

Labour is the party for the future we all deserve.

Thank you.

11/10/2023