Blog

Rishi Sunak – 2023 Press Conference in Paris

The speech made by Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, at a press conference in Paris on 10 March 2023.

Emmanuel, thank you for hosting us here today.

Now, if we’re honest, the relationship between our two countries has had its challenges in recent years…

…and I’m not just referring to you knocking England out of the World Cup.

But I believe today’s meeting does mark a new beginning – our entente renewed.

We’re looking to the future.

A future that builds on all that we share – our history, our geography, our values.

And a future that is far more ambitious about how we work together to improve the lives of the people we serve.

We’ve discussed every aspect of our crucial alliance today.

And made important progress in three areas in particular: illegal migration, energy, and security.

Emmanuel and I share the same belief: criminal gangs should not get to decide who comes to our countries.

Within weeks of my coming into office, we agreed our largest ever small boats deal.

And today, we’ve taken our co-operation to an unprecedented level to tackle this shared challenge.

We’re announcing a new detention centre in Northern France…

…a new command centre bringing our enforcement teams together in one place for the first time…

…and an extra 500 new officers patrolling French beaches.

All underpinned by more drones and other surveillance technologies that will help ramp up the interception rate.

And the legislation the UK has introduced this week supports this…

…because it’s designed to break the business model of the criminal gangs and remove the pull factors bringing them to the Channel coast.

Now, we will always comply with our international treaty obligations…

…but I am convinced that within them we can do what is necessary to solve this shared problem – and stop the boats.

Second, the UK and France are working together so that never again can the likes of Putin weaponise our energy security.

You are helping us to secure our supply of nuclear power thanks to EDF’s incredible work at Sizewell C.

And through our ports and interconnectors, we can be Europe’s gateway for non-Russian gas.

Today we’re going further, with an ambitious new Energy Partnership.

We have:

Signed a new deal on civil nuclear cooperation…

Agreed that France will examine the case for new energy interconnectors…

And committed to work together on low carbon energy.

Together, I believe we’re creating a future where every watt of energy

powering our homes and industry will come from secure, sustainable, and reliable sources.

Third, the UK and France share a special bond and a special responsibility.

When the security of our continent is threatened, we will always be at the forefront of its defence.

And today we’re going even further to strengthen our security and defence co-operation.

We’ve agreed:

To train Ukrainian marines, helping to give Ukraine a decisive advantage on the battlefield and for Ukraine win this war.

To increase the inter-operability of our forces, harnessing the full potential of the Combined Joint Expeditionary Force.

To promote security and stability in the Indo-Pacific, coordinating our carrier deployments.

And we will jointly explore the development of complex weapons like air defence, combat air, and long-range weapons.

Now, for decades we’ve been two of the world’s biggest defence powers, and leading contributors to NATO.

And we will continue to stand together for freedom, democracy, and the rule of law.

Finally, today there has also been a celebration of the richness of our cultures…

…all that we give to each other, and all that we learn from each other.

And so we’ve agreed to make it easier for our children to go on school exchanges…

…and our museum curators, writers and artists to create and collaborate together.

And that brings me to my concluding thought.

For all the agreements we’ve reached today – in the end, it’s about people.

The bonds of family, friendship, and solidarity that we share.

And there’s no greater example of that human connection than the sympathy of the French people on the passing of Her Majesty the Queen.

And I want to thank you personally, Emmanuel, for the graciousness of your words.

They said everything about you as a leader and as a friend of Britain.

You know, I’ve learnt very quickly in this job that there are some things you can control and some things you can’t.

And one thing you can’t control is who you get as an international counterpart.

I feel fortunate to be serving alongside you.

And incredibly excited about the future we can build together.

Merci, mon ami.

11/03/2023
PRESS RELEASE : New UK-France partnership to bring ‘more energy security and independence’ [March 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on 10 March 2023.

UK and French governments have signed a new deal to help both nations achieve greater energy security by moving away from fossil fuels and towards renewables and nuclear power.
- New blueprint for UK-France energy cooperation promotes regional and global energy security, as well as delivering secure, green, affordable energy for both countries
- agreement bolsters nuclear cooperation, including on new nuclear and reducing reliance on civil nuclear goods from Russia
- both also commit to tackle barriers to deploying hydrogen and carbon capture, with agreement also potentially supporting a rise in electricity interconnection by two thirds
A new partnership between the UK and French governments has been signed today (10 March), which will help both nations make the move towards greater energy security by moving away from fossil fuels and towards renewables and nuclear power.

Under a new deal signed today by Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps and France’s Energy Minister, Agnes Pannier Runacher, the UK and France commit to further cooperation on civil nuclear, to capitalise on both countries ambitions to significantly grow their sectors.

Already, the UK and France have a decades-old partnership on nuclear power. French company EDF are leading the development of Hinkley Point C in Somerset, and following an historic £700 million investment announced by Grant Shapps last November, the UK government is a co-shareholder in the proposed Sizewell C project in Suffolk with EDF. This investment represented the first state-backing of a nuclear project in Britain in over 30 years.

The statement also commits France and the UK to work together, along with other G7 leaders, to take concerted action to cut reliance on civil nuclear and related goods from Russia, including working to diversify their supplies of uranium and nuclear fuel production capability.

The UK currently has 3 interconnectors with a capacity for 4 GW of electricity interconnection with its French partners. Today’s agreement could also have the potential to support an increase in electricity interconnection with France by up to 2 thirds, subject to regulatory approval. Increased interconnection will support the UK’s ambition to have at least 18 GW of interconnection capacity by 2030.

Mr Shapps hopes the agreement will help lower energy bills for consumers, and boost the availability of clean renewable energy between both countries. It will also see both work to tackle barriers to deploying fast-developing low-carbon technologies, including hydrogen and carbon capture and storage (CCUS), helping create tens of thousands of jobs in the UK.

Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary Grant Shapps said:

Successful economies need plentiful and reliable energy. Putin’s barbaric invasion of Ukraine has demonstrated that energy security can only be achieved by working with our international friends.

We are already partnering with France through these energy interconnectors, but we share the ambition to go much further.

Today’s agreement could lead to two thirds boost in our interconnected power bringing more energy security and independence to the United Kingdom and France.

The UK has an ambition of up to 10GW of low-carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030, which could support over 12,000 jobs and unlock over £9 billion in private investment by 2030. Today’s partnership supports this, as France looks to deploy low-carbon hydrogen for their own power system.

France and the UK have also recognised the potential of working together on CCUS. The UK’s North Sea has the potential to store 78 billion tonnes of CO2 on the UK continental shelf, which could be turned into a multi-billion-pound industry, supporting up to 50,000 jobs in 2030.
11/03/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Prime Minister agrees unprecedented measures to tackle illegal migration alongside France [March 2023]
The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 10 March 2023.

Package will see a new detention centre established in France as well as the deployment of more French personnel and enhanced technology to patrol beaches in a shared effort to drive down illegal migration.
Package will see a new detention centre established in France as well as the deployment of more French personnel and enhanced technology to patrol beaches in a shared effort to drive down illegal migration.

The unparalleled multi-year agreement delivers on the PM’s priority to stop small boats and builds on joint measures taken with France in 2022 which increased patrols by 40%.

Enhanced cooperation aims to increase the interception rate for attempted crossings and drastically reduce the number of crossings each year.

Hundreds of extra French law enforcement officers will use enhanced technology and intelligence insight to prevent illegal Channel crossings under a new agreement struck by the Prime Minister and President Macron in Paris today.

For the first time, the UK will help fund a detention centre in France to enhance the country’s ability to cope with the level of people being trafficked across the Channel. This new centre will support French efforts to increase detention capacity, allowing more migrants who might otherwise travel by dangerous and illegal routes to the UK to be removed from the French coast.

Building on our existing partnership, which saw twice as many illegal crossings stopped in 2022 than 2021, today’s agreement will also more than double the number of personnel deployed in northern France to tackle small boats, with over half of these in place by the end of the year. The UK will contribute funding towards this.

Efforts will be bolstered by a new, highly trained, permanent French mobile policing unit dedicated to tackling small boats. Additional drones, aircraft and other technologies like surveillance will also be deployed, as the UK and France step up intelligence sharing to clamp down on people trafficking routes.

These French efforts will be overseen by a new 24/7 zonal coordination centre, with permanent UK liaison officers. The coordination centre will bring all relevant French law enforcement partners together for the first time to coordinate the response to an alarming trend which has seen a 50% rise in illegal migration across Europe in the last year. The UK has our own Small Boats Operations Command which has ensured that 99% of those who enter British waters are intercepted.

This enhanced cooperation aims to increase the increase the interception rate for attempted crossings and drastically reduce the number of crossings each year, supporting our long-term, shared goal of completely stopping this illegal migration route.

The Prime Minister said:

I have made it one of my five priorities to stop the boats. We are delivering on that priority to stop people coming to the UK illegally.

Last year I agreed the largest ever small boats deal with France to increase UK-funded patrols by 40 per cent. This week I announced measures to ensure nobody who enters the UK illegally can remain here.

We don’t need to manage this problem, we need to break it. And today, we have gone further than ever before to put an end to this disgusting trade in human life. Working together, the UK and France will ensure that nobody can exploit our systems with impunity.

In addition to the extra steps taken to patrol the beaches in the north of France, today’s agreement will also see further UK and French cooperation upstream to stop illegal migration at source. This includes further coordination between the National Crime Agency and its French counterpart via officers based in countries along the routes favoured by people traffickers.

Alongside last year’s deal with France, the Prime Minister has taken a number of steps to curb illegal migration since taking office. This includes re-establishing the Calais Group of Northern European nations to disrupt traffickers and setting a long-term ambition for a UK-EU wide agreement on returns – an ambition France has confirmed today that they share.

This week the UK Government has announced a Bill to end illegal entry as a route to asylum in the UK.

These measures will remove the incentive for people to risk their lives through dangerous and unnecessary journeys and pull the rug from under the criminal gangs profiting from this misery once and for all.

Illegal migrants will be detained and swiftly removed to their home country if safe, or another safe third country, such as Rwanda, where they will be supported to rebuild their lives.

Anyone illegally entering the UK will be prevented from accessing the UK’s world-leading modern slavery support or abusing these laws to block their removal.

The only challenges that will suspend removal will be where someone claims that their removal to a safe third country would lead to a real risk of serious and irreversible harm, or on the basis that they do not fall within the cohort of persons liable to removal under the Bill. Any other challenges or human rights claims can also only be heard after removal, remotely.

By ending illegal immigration as a route to asylum, stopping the boats and taking back control of our borders the Bill will ensure the UK can better support people coming through fair, safe and legal routes.
11/03/2023
PRESS RELEASE : UK provides new life-saving support for Rohingya people [March 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 10 March 2023.

Minister for the Indo-Pacific Anne-Marie Trevelyan announced new UK funding to support Rohingya people living in camps in Bangladesh.
- Minister for the Indo-Pacific, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, announces new UK funding through the World Food Programme to help 449,000 people
- she is visiting Bangladesh for the first time in her role to strengthen historic UK-Bangladesh ties
- she will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister Dr A K Abdul Momen, and strengthen UK-Bangladesh partnership on climate action
Minister for the Indo-Pacific Anne-Marie Trevelyan will visit Cox’s Bazar this week to see first-hand how UK support is providing a lifeline to Rohingya people in the camps.

During her first visit to Bangladesh in the role, she will also set out how the UK is providing new humanitarian support through the [orld Food Programme to supply food for 449,000 people living in the camps this month.

UK support will also go to the [nited Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for pressure cookers that can help to reduce the consumption of cooking gas.

Minister for the Indo-Pacific Anne-Marie Trevelyan said:

The UK is committed to supporting Rohingya people who continue to live in Cox’s Bazar. We are helping the World Food Programme feed 449,000 people, as well as providing pressure cookers that can help to reduce the consumption of cooking gas.

The UK continues to push for a long-term solution that will enable the Rohingya to return to Myanmar on a safe, voluntary and dignified basis.

During her visit, Minister Trevelyan will meet Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister Dr A K Abdul Momen as well as hold talks with civil society organisations.

British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Robert Chatterton Dickson said:

I’m pleased to welcome the Minister for the Indo-Pacific to Bangladesh. The UK’s partnership with Bangladesh is a unique and valued relationship which contributes much to the prosperity and security of both our countries.

This visit reaffirms the UK’s firm commitment to Bangladesh as a fast growing Indo-Pacific partner with strong people-to-people connections and our ambition to work even more closely together in the future.
11/03/2023
PRESS RELEASE : World Trade Organization General Council – UK Statements [March 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 10 March 2023.

The UK spoke on a variety of agenda items at the WTO General Council on 6 – 7 March 2023.

Let me start by echoing many others who are paying tribute to those arriving and departing, particularly to Ambassador Spencer who is leaving us with typical eloquence. Kingston’s gain is very much Geneva’s loss. I think she has always kept her eyes on the prize and certainly has been moulding consensus in this organisation for her time here and she will be much missed.

Looking to our agenda, it’s absolutely right that, as we did at TNC [Trade Negotiations Committee] we look ahead to where we want to be in a year’s time, amidst the glories of the UAE, trying to have a successful MC13 and in doing so, have a sense of what we want to achieve at MC13 and the agenda which we wish to set. And we very much support the DG in looking to an agenda that is green, that’s digital, that services, and is inclusive. As our Chinese colleague reminded us earlier, in doing so, I think we have to be alive to what is happening outside of this organisation as well. And in that respect, let me welcome the Global Oceans Treaty agreed yesterday, which of course builds on what we achieved in this organisation just last June in the able hands of the gentleman up on the stage today [Santiago Wills, former Chair of the Fisheries negotiations, now Director TNC Division, WTO].

As we look ahead, we obviously have to build on those very successful retreats we’ve had including the development retreat. And as my good friend George [Amb. Australia] (who is about to follow me and probably take any of the good lines I would otherwise have used) said just last week, we have done a lot of retreating and now the time is for a little bit of advancing and to build on those discussions. So let me thank those who have put forward practical proposals, whether they be India or the LDCs or the Latin Americans, in terms of how we can actually reform by doing in this organisation; how we can improve the quality of our work, right across the piece.

Just on the Indian proposals I think we, like others, recognise the importance of them. We need to think about how we use the CTD [Committee on Trade for Development] that doesn’t duplicate or undermine other bodies in this organisation; and how we ensure that in the work of all the Committees of this organisation, we advance with a view to the development perspectives which we have in each and every body of this organisation.

Let me also pay tribute to our EU partners and friends for the proposals they have brought forward today. I think it’s a really important idea; there are a lot of really important themes we need to consider in this organisation. It is right that we need to think about the diverse and complex forms of state intervention that we now experience in the global economy and how we consider those within this organisation and with others. And there is some great work in the secretariat with the World Bank, the IMF and the OECD in this regard and, having consulted very carefully with the CTE [Committee for Trade and Environment] Chair, I think it is really noteworthy that we’ve got some very practical ideas here for taking forward the work of that organisation. Again, going back to where I started with the Global Ocean Treaty, there is really important work that is being done outside this organisation: this latest Treaty but also COP15 in Montreal in December, work which identifies things that we need to be taking forward in trade policy and trying to bring that back here into this House and work out how we can contribute to sustainable development. I think it’s a real key task for this organisation as we prepare for MC13.

Ecommerce

“I would like to thank the facilitator for her work and the update just now. We welcome very much discussions under the Work Programme so far which are delivering on the mandate from MC12. We are pleased to see a high level of engagement from all Members, especially developing countries and LDCs. The UK has been pleased to share its experience on consumer protection and telecommunication policy issues in recent meetings. We think that the Work Programme is a valuable forum for exchanging information, experience and best practice on key Ecommerce policy issues. We should explore ways in which we could deepen discussions moving forward, and we very much support the facilitator in involving, as has been suggested, other international organisations and businesses into Work Programme discussions. We look forward, also, to discussions on the customs duty moratorium in April at the meeting of the Work Programme. And it’s well-known: the discussion must be focused on the need to move forwards and not backward at MC13.

MC12 TRIPS

The UK has indicated flexibility on the deadline for concluding negotiations on Paragraph 8 of the MC12 TRIPS decision and places high importance on the inclusive processes to resolve procedural ambiguity in Therapeutics and Diagnostics discussions. The UK supports robust, evidence-based policy making in TRIPS Council and encourages members to remain cognisant of the precedent which actions set now and for future negotiations, and the bearing outcomes will have on business confidence in the international system to innovate, invest and collaborate.

Small and Vulnerable Economies (SVEs)

Just to briefly say we really welcome Mauritius and Guatemala bringing this issue to our attention, and thanks to the many colleagues who have highlighted the particular issues that SVEs face. We are very keen on engaging on this issue and we recognise the particular trade challenges that SVEs, including SIDs, face and we need to take forward that work in the dedicated session later this month. I would just say, for those of you that have not spotted already, that in our own International Development Strategy we have set out an ambition, an ambition that by 2030 those Small Island Developing States, the SIDs, would have the economic and climate resilience not only to graduate from ODA with sustainable economies but also to withstand economic and climate shocks. And I think trade policy, including the work we do in this organisation, has a really crucial role to play in this respect.

Accessions

Thank you very much for the report and for all the work that lies behind the efforts to bring Comoros and Timor Leste to accession. I think we should take some pride in the fact that quite so many countries wish to join this organisation. Which, I think, I hope, reflects the fact that by joining this organisation their trade will increase, their prosperity will increase. That is a good thing, and we occasionally tie ourselves up in knots about it but it’s a positive thing and let me just say, we are trying to help this process. We are providing technical assistance targeted at Uzbekistan’s accessions process and we are actively engaged with Tashkent on that. And we also held a really positive joint round table in Addis Ababa with the Economic Commission for Africa on Ethiopia’s accession, and I think out of that came a really strong commitment from everybody to restart that accession process and work to support Ethiopia’s accession. I think that is very positive, not only in of itself, but also as part of the broader peace effort in Ethiopia so thank you very much and I think this is a good news story.

LDC Graduation

I would like to start by thanking the Ambassador of Djibouti for the proposal and the Ambassador of Togo for presenting, and thank Bangladesh for their tireless work and flexibility to try and achieve an outcome on this proposal. As George reminded us, graduating out of LDC status is a success; it shows that your participation in this organisation is working and helping you develop as a country, but it is right, as we have been trying to work out how to do, that we ensure that that graduation process works properly for the countries concerned. I hesitate to use the words ‘quick wins’ in this organisation, but this does appear to be one of those things which should be a ‘quick win’. We just haven’t won it quickly enough. But it is certainly something that we should be trying to deliver before or at MC13, a low-hanging fruit which should be part of that harvest, that we hope to reap in Abu Dhabi. Obviously, as others have said, the primary issue here is where we discuss this. To be honest, for us, we don’t really mind, but we are very happy to support the LDC request to move this proposal to the LDC sub-committee and we very much hope that by doing so we will be able to come to a swift conclusion on this important issue.

Subsidies

We thank Cameroon for introducing the paper, and officials in capital are reading it with interest and an open mind, as many others are. We agree with many points in the paper, particularly around the importance of multilateralism and that the WTO as a multilateral institution has to be relevant and responsive to the problems faced by all Members, and we recognise that many of the areas raised in the paper are of high interest to Members in this room. We also recognise that this is one of a number of contributions that we are having in this debate, and we note, as others have, the parallels with the EU paper which we saw under Item 2. And in particular we saw the importance of making the WTO fit for purpose, avoiding unilateralism and subsidy races. So we look forward on engaging on this going forward. Thank you.

11/03/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Plans unveiled for new sites to become bathing waters [March 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 10 March 2023.

Four swimming spots in England are being considered to become designated bathing water sites and benefit from regular water quality monitoring from this spring, the Water Minister has today (10 March) announced.

Sykes Lane Bathing Beach and Whitwell Creek at Rutland Water, Firestone Bay in Plymouth, and a section of the River Deben at Waldringfield, Suffolk, have all progressed to a public consultation. If designated, it will take the total number of sites to 424, the highest number ever.

Once designated, the Environment Agency regularly monitors water quality at bathing waters and assesses whether action is needed to cut pollution levels, working with local communities, farmers and water companies to improve water quality at these locations.

Over the past decade, we have made good progress in improving bathing water quality at existing sites, thanks to robust regulation and strong investment. Since 2010, the proportion of bathing waters assessed as ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ has increased from 76% to 93%. Meanwhile, 72% are considered ‘excellent’ – up from just 51% in 2010. This is the highest level ever, despite the classification standards for bathing waters having been made more stringent in 2015.

The government’s Environmental Improvement Plan, published earlier this year, includes a target for everyone to live within a 15 minute walk of a green or blue space, such as bathing sites. As of 2022, there are 421 designated bathing waters in England (407 coastal, 12 lakes, 2 rivers).

Water Minister Rebecca Pow said:

England’s bathing water sites are an important part of how we safeguard our precious coastal waters, rivers and lakes, as well as protecting the health of bathers.

The actions we have taken mean that people across the country will be able to swim at more sites and in better quality water, but we know there is more to do.

“I would strongly encourage all residents and bathers to take part in these consultations to help make sure we continue to have cleaner and healthier waters both now and for future generations.”

If the sites are designated, the Environment Agency will regularly take samples during the bathing season – which runs between 15 May and 30 September. Local residents, businesses, farmers and other members of the public are invited to have their say before the consultation closes on 24 March.

When selecting new sites, Defra considers how many people bathe there, if the site has suitable infrastructure and facilities, such as toilets, and where investment in water quality improvements following designation would have the most impact.

All applications are assessed against these factors and only those that meet these factors are taken forward to public consultation.

This government has taken significant action in recent years to protect and improve our rivers, lakes and coastal waters. This includes:
- Setting strict new targets on water companies – designed to frontload action in important areas such as bathing waters – as part of our Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan. This requires water companies to deliver the largest infrastructure programme in water company history – £56 billion capital investment over 25 years.
- Increasing monitoring of discharges from approximately 5% in 2016 to nearly 90% in 2021. This will reach 100% cover by the end of this year. Through the Environment Act, water companies are being required to make near real-time data on storm overflow discharges publicly available.
- Working with the farming community and regulators to reduce nutrient pollution from agriculture through our future farming reforms. The government has also increased the Environment Agency’s capacity to conduct farm inspections, with the target of conducting 4,000 a year, and doubled the funding for our Catchment Sensitive Farming programme.
- Seeing record levels of fines for water companies who break the law. Since 2015, the Environment Agency has secured fines of over £144m. Government is making it easier for regulators to enforce fines and hold water companies to account – with a consultation to launch this spring.
11/03/2023
Ed Davey – 2023 Comments Calling for Resignation of BBC Chair Richard Sharp

The comments made by Ed Davey, the Leader of the Liberal Democrats, on Twitter on 11 March 2023.

The MOTD saga has shown failure at the top of the BBC and the need to urgently protect its independence.

We need leadership that can uphold British values and withstand Conservative attacks.

Under Richard Sharp’s leadership this hasn’t been the case. He must resign.

11/03/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Paedophile, Alan Nicholson, stung by undercover police has sentenced increased [March 2023]

The press release issued by the Attorney General on 10 March 2023.

A predator who told a woman he met online to sexually assault two young children has his sentence increased by more than two years.

Alan Nicholson, from High Harrington, Cumbria, had his case referred to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

In September 2021, Alan Nicholson (53) spoke to a woman online, called Louise, who he believed had two daughters, aged five years-old and a baby of four-months.

Their conversations revolved around serious acts of sexual abuse that Nicholson intended to carry out on Louise’s children.

However, Louise was an undercover police officer supporting Cumbria Constabulary’s Cyber and Digital Crime Unit.

Nicholson was found guilty on two counts of attempting to arrange/facilitate the commission of a child sex offence and received a three-year prison sentence.

He was also placed on the Sex Offender’s Register and given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years.

Following the sentencing at the Crown Court at Carlisle on 16 December 2022, the case was referred to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

Nicholson’s original sentence was found to be unduly lenient by the Court of Appeal on 9 March 2023 and was increased to 5 years 9 months.

Speaking after the hearing, the Solicitor General Michael Tomlinson KC MP, said:

Alan Nicholson believed he was successfully arranging to carry out vile acts on very young children. Thankfully the person he was talking to was an undercover police officer, whose diligent and commendable work led to his imprisonment.

I would like to praise all of those involved for catching Alan Nicholson and helping prevent anyone else come to harm. A longer prison sentence for this despicable crime shows such behaviour cannot and will not be tolerated.

Detective Sergeant James Bailey of Cumbria Constabulary’s Cyber and Digital Crime Unit said:

We welcome the increased sentence given out to Nicholson.

Our specialist officers work hard behind-the-scenes all-year-round to deter offending, catch criminals and safeguard victims.

We will not tolerate those carrying out such crimes and will continue to do what we can to target those offending in this way and bring them to justice.

11/03/2023
PRESS RELEASE : New ultrasound technology aims to improve breast cancer diagnosis [March 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 10 March 2023.

The Government Office for Technology Transfer (GOTT) has funded the National Physical Laboratory’s development of new ultrasound technology in breast cancer diagnosis.
Background

Women with ‘significantly denser’ breast tissue are around 6 times more likely to develop breast cancer than those with ‘low breast density’. Breast density is currently estimated from mammogram and MRI scans, which leaves detection open to clinical judgement and therefore potential room for error.

The knowledge asset solution

The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is developing innovative new ultrasound technology which provides quantitative measurements of breast tissue composition and has the potential to make a significant impact in breast density assessment. The technology can also help with breast cancer diagnosis and monitoring the response to treatment.

Who will this help?

Patients: Over 700,000 women in the UK are living with undetected high breast density

Clinicians: Supporting doctors to identify women with high breast density with safe, consistent and reliable technology available outside of a hospital setting

NHS: Earlier detection of breast cancer can reduce the cost of treatment and save lives

Funding awards

NPL were awarded £93,954 in the ‘Expand’ phase of the Knowledge Asset Grant Fund (KAGF) in November 2021 and were awarded an additional £199,312 in September 2022 in the ‘Extend’ phase to further develop this technology.

GOTT’s role

GOTT immediately saw the potential for the further development of this public sector owned knowledge asset, and its potential benefits to patients and the healthcare sector. The evidence presented by NPL was strong and an excellent example of how the KAGF can be used to support government bodies to exploit and leverage their knowledge assets and, in this case, improve the diagnosis of cancer.

Quote from NPL

Daniel Sarno, a research scientist at the National Physical Laboratory and a member of the NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme, said:

While the technology is currently in the research phase, we are encouraged by our in-person results and excited for the technology journey from bench top to bedside. The Knowledge Assets Grant Fund has enabled us to continue to pursue our vision for getting this technology into the market and used by those who can benefit from it.
11/03/2023
Alastair Campbell – 2023 Article in Support of Gary Lineker

An excerpt from the article written by Alastair Campbell in the New European on 8 March 2023.

“Language not dissimilar to Germany in the 1930s,” says Lineker. Too bloody right. Swarms. Invasions. Left wing lawyers. The liberal elite. They all starred in the story of the rise of fascism. Judges as “Enemies of the People?” Remember that one, which not a single member of this government condemned? Exactly what the pro-Hitler press called judges in the 30s.

Indeed, if I were doing a media studies PhD right now I would be tempted to analyse the similarities between Der Stürmer and the Völkischer Beobachter in ‘30s Germany and the Mail, Express and Co of recent decades here, in terms of headlines, story selection, consistency of populist messaging, denial of critical voices.

Polarisation. Populism. Post-truth. The 3Ps of modern autocracy. I honestly thought Sunak might be different. He is certainly not as incontinently dishonest as Johnson, or as utterly useless as Liz Truss. But that is such a low bar it is hardly worth making the comparison. On the 3Ps, at his “stop the boats” press conference and in his exchanges with Keir Starmer in the Commons, he showed himself to be just as bad as his predecessors.

11/03/2023