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PRESS RELEASE : Prime Minister to set out vision for ‘defence dividend’ in a changed world [May 2025]
The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 8 May 2025.

As the nation marks VE Day, remembering the triumph of our values and the sacrifices made to secure them eight decades ago, the Prime Minister will share his vision for working people, once again, to feel the benefit of Britain stepping up.
- As the nation marks VE Day, PM will deliver keynote speech at the London Defence Conference
- He is expected to say that the benefits of boosting defence investment in a changing world must be felt directly in the pockets of working people
- Seizing on the conference theme of Alliances, he will set out how state, businesses and society must join hands on security and prosperity
- He will also unveil a £563 million contract for Rolls-Royce, becoming the latest investment in Britain’s first class engine building industry
As the nation marks VE Day, remembering the triumph of our values and the sacrifices made to secure them eight decades ago, the Prime Minister will share his vision for working people, once again, to feel the benefit of Britain stepping up.

Delivering the keynote speech at the London Defence Conference this morning, he will describe the government’s task to seize upon the ‘defence dividend’ presented by our increased investment in defence, in order to create jobs, wealth and opportunity in every corner of the country.

In doing so he will highlight how the government’s boost to defence spending – the highest since the Cold War – will not only provide safety and security for the United Kingdom, but also cement the UK’s status as a defence industrial leader, with more high skilled jobs for people proud to keep our country safe.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to say:

Our task now is to seize the defence dividend – felt directly in the pockets of working people, rebuilding our industrial base and creating the jobs of the future.

A national effort. A time for the state, business and society to join hands, in pursuit of the security of the nation and the prosperity of its people.

An investment in peace, but also an investment in British pride and the British people to build a nation that, once again, lives up to the promises made to the generation who fought for our values, our freedom and our security.

The Prime Minister will use his speech to deliver a tribute to the bravery of the veterans who secured victory 80 years ago and the remarkable men and women who carry the vital task of protecting our security today. It follows a street party on Downing Street on Monday where the Prime Minister welcomed Second World War veterans and cadets from across the country, and comes ahead of his attendance at the service at Westminster Abbey this afternoon.

He will say:

Britain’s victory was not just a victory for Britain. It was a victory for good against the assembled forces of hatred, tyranny and evil, for the light of our values – in a world that tried to put them out.

Now, as you know, there are people who would happily do likewise today. Our values and security are confronted on a daily basis. We must use this moment to deliver security and renewal for our country.

At the Conference the Prime Minister will address policymakers, military figures, defence firms and academics from around the world.

In the face of global instability, he will reflect on how the conference theme ‘Alliances’ should mean not only our iron-clad commitment to NATO and Western Values but also an opportunity to double down on efforts to work hand-in-hand with business and society to make the UK better off and more secure.

He will announce the latest significant investment in British expertise with a £563 million contract for Rolls-Royce for the maintenance of Britain’s fleet of Typhoon fighter jets. The work to maintain 130 Typhoon engines will take place at Rolls-Royce’s sites, supporting hundreds of jobs in Bristol and beyond.

The announcement supports the government’s priority of continuing the UK’s great tradition of building the ships, missiles, artillery, vehicles, aircraft and more that keeps us safe – cementing the British defence industry’s place as the engine of national renewal.

It comes less than a week after the Prime Minister hailed the RAF’s new UK-made StormShroud drones. The groundbreaking new technology will make the RAF’s world-class combat aircraft more survivable and more lethal by delivering high-tech signal jammers to disrupt enemy radar at long ranges, protecting our aircraft and pilots.
May 8, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Russia has acted to obfuscate and embolden the DPRK’s unlawful pursuit of weapons of mass destruction – UK statement at the UN Security Council [May 2025]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 May 2025.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on North Korea.

Analysis from organisations like the Open Source Centre has become even more vital in the wake of the expertise gap left by the 1718 Panel of Experts.

One year on, the UK deeply regrets Russia’s decision to veto the mandate renewal of the 1718 Panel of Experts.

This was a deliberate act used to obfuscate and embolden the DPRK’s unlawful pursuit of weapons of mass destruction, and to conceal Russia’s own erosion of the UN sanctions architecture, which it has a responsibility to uphold as a permanent member of this Council.

The Panel’s credible, objective and independent reporting enabled this Council and the international community to effectively monitor the implementation of UN sanctions on the DPRK.

Most importantly, the Panel helped prevent the DPRK’s unlawful and dangerous development of nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.

Since Russia’s veto last year, there have been over 40 missile tests, including one intercontinental ballistic missile test and one intermediate-range ballistic missile test.

This escalation represents multiple breaches of UN Security Council resolutions, for which we have been deprived of further analysis.

Colleagues, it is obvious that Russia’s objective was to clear the path for the expansion of their military relationship with the DPRK.

The DPRK is believed to have supplied 20,000 containers of munitions to Russia, and its artillery and mortar shells account for 60% of those used in Russia’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine.

And as we’ve heard, in the past week, Russia and the DPRK publicly flaunted their agreement to use DPRK troops as mere cannon fodder in that war.

Let me be clear, we cannot allow this brazen disregard towards UN sanctions to become normalised.

The UK will continue to work closely with partners to monitor sanctions evasion, to hold both Russia and the DPRK to account, and to call out those complicit in the DPRK’s violations of UN Security Council resolutions.

As we have heard over the course of the NPT Prepcom, this Council should stand firm in its defence of the global non-proliferation regime.

The UK remains steadfast with partners in our shared goal for the DPRK to abandon all nuclear weapons, other weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner.

May 8, 2025
NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 29 April 1925

29 APRIL 1925

In the House of Commons Mr Churchill introduced his Budget, the main features of which include a return to the gold standard, a reduction of 6d. in the Income-tax, provision for pensions for widows and orphans, earlier Old Age pensions, higher death duties, and lower Super-tax. The McKenna duties are to be restored, and there are proposals for Imperial Preference.

The report of the Committee on the Gold Standard, to which the Chancellor of the Exchequer referred in his Budget speech, has been issued.

A Washington telegram says the announcement that the gold basis is being restored in England is gladly received by Treasury officials.

The Commonwealth has issued a proclamation that Australia is returning to free export of gold concurrently with Britain. Mr Bruce, the Premier, announces that it is not intended to substitute gold for notes as internal currency.

Holland has returned to the gold standard.

In the House of Lords the Licensing (Scotland) Bill passed second reading by 33 votes to 23. Lord Salisbury, who voted for the measure, said he could not promise Government support any further, as they could not suspend the 1913 Act by a private member’s Bill.

May 7, 2025
NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 28 April 1925

28 APRIL 1925

While there is apprehension that the election of Field-Marshal von Hindenburg to the Presidency portends a revival of militarism and monarchism in Germany, the belief is held by the Republican parties that Hindenburg will make no disturbing changes in foreign policy. France, however, is anxious, and Mr J. W. Gerard, American Ambassador in Berlin during the war, commenting on the result of the election, describes it as a danger to world peace.

The Earl of Balfour is to join the Cabinet as Lord President of the Council, in succession to the late Lord Curzon. The Marquis of Salisbury will be the Leader of the House of Lords.

This is Budget day. At a special meeting of the Cabinet Mr Churchill, it is understood, explained his proposals to his colleagues.

Sir Alfred Mond, speaking at Chelmsford, defended his proposals for the relief of unemployed, and said he would allow nobody to get in the way of his scheme being tried if he could help it.

Mr W. Dobbie, President of the National Union of Railwaymen, predicted a labour crisis on the railways when the companies rejected the men’s demands.

The National Joint Emergency Commission had a meeting with the building employers and workers over Summer Time hours and reached a decision (not yet published) which it is hoped will end the existing difficulties.

Mr Coppock, the secretary of the National Federation of Building Trade Operatives, said in London that his Federation were prepared to give Lord Weir the opportunity to erect his houses if he paid the price for the labour he used.

May 7, 2025
NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 27 April 1925

27 APRIL 1925

Hindenburg has been elected German President.

Communists at Plevna, in Bulgaria, have burned down the theatre and the municipal library there.

Speaking at the funeral of the victims of the Communist outrage in Paris, M. Millerand said that Republican France, after having repulsed the enemy from outside, was not going to tolerate civil war.

Anzac Day was observed in Australia and New Zealand. A special service of commemoration was held in London.

A memorial to the men of the Royal Naval Division who fell in the Great War was unveiled on the Horse Guards’ Parade, London. An address was delivered by the Right Hon. Winston Churchill.

“I can promise those who criticise that before the end of the year we shall have made quite a satisfactory start with the reforms we mean to carry out before we leave office in some four or five years’ time,” said the Premier, addressing the annual meeting of the Bewdley Division Unionist Association at Worcester. After weathering the trade crisis the country would emerge better, stronger, and sounder.

The King and Queen received a warm welcome in the streets of London on their homecoming.

Lord Weir and Sir John Gilmour took part in the formal opening at Newton-Stewart of the first municipal housing scheme of the Weir type completed in Great Britain. Lord Weir said Newton-Stewart had shown a progressive spirit in breaking away from tradition and a departure from the past rigidity of practice which ought to be an example to other communities.

May 7, 2025
NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 26 April 1925

26 APRIL 1925

Stanley Baldwin, the Prime Minister, made a speech to the Worcester Unionist Association where he made reference to communist extremists wanting to destabilise the economy. He added that Winston Churchill’s budget would be interesting and he added of his concern about peace in Europe.

The King and Queen returned to London following their cruise to the Mediterranean.

May 7, 2025
NEWS STORY : UK Urges Restraint as India-Pakistan Tensions Escalate Following Deadly Strikes

STORY

The United Kingdom has called for immediate de-escalation and direct dialogue between India and Pakistan after a series of military strikes and retaliations have brought the nuclear-armed neighbours to their most volatile point in decades. The crisis erupted after India launched “Operation Sindoor,” a series of air and missile strikes targeting what it described as terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The strikes were in response to a deadly terrorist attack on 22 April in Pahalgam, Indian-administered Kashmir, which killed 26 people, mostly Indian tourists. India attributed the attack to Pakistan-based militant groups, including Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed.

Pakistan condemned the Indian strikes as an “unprovoked and unjustified” act of war, reporting at least 26 civilian deaths and 45 injuries. In retaliation, Pakistan claimed to have shot down five Indian aircraft and launched its own strikes, reportedly destroying an Indian army brigade headquarters. The situation has led to intensified cross-border shelling, civilian evacuations, and the closure of Pakistani airspace to Indian airlines. The Foreign Secretary David Lammy expressed “serious concern” over the escalating conflict, urging both nations to show restraint and engage in direct dialogue. “Current tensions between India and Pakistan are a serious concern. The UK government is urging India and Pakistan to show restraint and engage in direct dialogue to find a swift, diplomatic path forward” Lammy said in a statement.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer echoed these sentiments during Prime Minister’s Questions, stating that the UK is engaging urgently with both countries and international partners to encourage dialogue and de-escalation. “Rising tensions between India and Pakistan will be of serious concern for many across Britain” Starmer said. The escalation has raised fears of a broader conflict, with international observers warning of the potential for a catastrophic confrontation between the two nuclear-armed nations. The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has called for military restraint, emphasising that “the world cannot afford a military confrontation between India and Pakistan.”

May 7, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : The UK will continue to pay tribute to the victims of war by pressing for a just and lasting peace in response to conflicts around the world – UK Statement at the UN General Assembly [May 2025]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 May 2025.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN General Assembly meeting on the Eightieth anniversary of the end of the Second World War.

Today, we remember the enormous contributions and sacrifices made, and honour the lives lost, in pursuit of peace and security 80 years ago.

Allied forces, united in their mission to liberate Europe from Nazi oppression, were victorious.

But we must never forget the tragic human cost of the Second World War.

Over 70 million lives lost around the world.

And as the world wars begin to fade from living memory, we must ensure the stories of those who lived through and fought in them are remembered by generations to come.

This organisation was founded in the wake of that conflict, to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, underpinned by a Charter which united the world with the aim of maintaining international peace and security, reaffirming our shared faith in Human Rights, and promoting development.

The United Kingdom remains deeply committed to those principles and to the UN Charter.

In the UN’s 80th year, our shared mission is more important than ever.

The world faces the highest number of conflicts globally since the UN’s inception.

The human costs are rising.

In Europe, security is once again threatened by blatant disrespect for the principles of sovereign equality of States and respect for territorial integrity.

These principles matter for all states.

President, my grandfather served as a British Army officer in France and in Italy during the Second World War. Decades later, even at the height of the Cold War, he spoke warmly of the Soviet forces he had fought alongside to defeat fascism.

Russia’s claims that the Ukrainian government is akin to the regime of the German Nazis is false and malicious propaganda that insults the memory of the Soviet forces who fought and died during the Second World War.

We were called here today for one solemn purpose: to commemorate the victims of the Second World War.

The fact that Russia sees fit to use this meeting to peddle blatant disinformation about is shameful, but it will not distract us.

As my Prime Minister said, this is a time to celebrate hard-won peace, honour the memory of those who lost their lives and remember the sacrifices made by so many to secure our freedom.

The United Kingdom will continue to pay tribute to the victims of war by pressing for a just and lasting peace in response to conflicts around the world.

As we join together today, we encourage all Member States to consider this anniversary a stark reminder that peace cannot be taken for granted.

We must all redouble our efforts to bring about the peace and security the people of the world need and which they deserve.

May 7, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : EA steps up dry weather prep after driest spring start since 1956 [May 2025]
The press release issued by the Environment Agency on 7 May 2025.
The Environment Agency has urged water companies to do more to safeguard water supplies after the driest start to spring in 69 years.

The environmental regulator convened a meeting of the National Drought Group today (Wednesday 7 May 2025) and said more needed to be done to cut leakage and help customers use water more wisely.

In England, March was the driest since 1961 and April received just half its normal rainfall. Farmers have had to start irrigating crops earlier and reservoir levels are either notably low or exceptionally low across the North East and North West of England. Both these regions have seen their driest start to the year since 1929.

Representatives from the EA told the meeting – which includes the Met Office, government, regulators, water companies, farmers and conservation experts – that while no area is currently officially in drought there is a medium risk of one this summer without sustained rainfall.

Chairing the meeting, Environment Agency Deputy Director of Water, Richard Thompson, said:

The changing climate means we will see more summer droughts in the coming decades.

The last two years were some of the wettest on record for England but drier conditions at the start of this year mean a drought is a possibility and we need to be prepared.

It’s heartening to see more people looking to reduce their water use and we expect water companies to do more to cut leakage and rollout smart meters.

Whilst there are currently no plans for hosepipe bans, if the prolonged dry weather continues, water companies may need to implement their dry weather plans in the weeks and months ahead.

The EA is closely monitoring water companies’ implementation of these plans, especially high-risk locations, as well as working with farmers to help them plan for irrigating their crops. It is also preparing dry weather advice and information for the public, including small steps they can take to reduce usage.

Water Minister, Emma Hardy, said:

Our water infrastructure is crumbling after years of underinvestment.

Water companies must go further and faster to cut leaks and build the infrastructure needed to secure our water supply.

The Government has secured over £104 billion of private sector investment to fund essential infrastructure, including nine new reservoirs to secure our future water supply into the decades to come.

The National Drought Group will meet to discuss action regularly in the coming months. At today’s meeting, attendees heard about the current water resources situation:

A dry start to the year means farmers have had an earlier start to the irrigation season and have seen an increased demand on their on-site storage reservoirs.

Reservoir storage across England is 84% of total capacity. This compares to 90% at the end of April in the 2022 drought year.

River flows are currently below normal or lower for this time of year across northern and central England.

Chalk groundwater levels are generally in a good position.

Wildfires have been reported in Cumbria, Derbyshire and Dorset as vegetation is dry.

The EA has called on the group’s membership to take action to ensure they are prepared for drought. This includes:

Water companies stepping-up action on leakage and preparing their dry weather plans.

Water companies communicating with customers about current risk and supporting them to use water wisely during this dry period.

Farmers to work with NFU to assess their water needs this summer and take action now to ensure they have enough to last the summer

EA to work with fishery owners to have ensure plans are in place to manage dry weather.

The public can play their part too by reducing individual water consumption, such as installing a water butt in the garden to harvest rainwater, taking shorter showers, and turning off taps when not in use.

According to EA figures, by 2050, England will need to find an additional 5 billion litres of water a day to meet demand for public water supply. This is more than a third of the 14 billion litres of water currently put into public water supply.

Note to editors

Each water company produces a drought plan, including measures to take when drought triggers are hit following dry weather. This includes campaigns on water usage, changes to their abstraction permits, and temporary usage bans (TUBS) – also known as hosepipe bans.

The last drought was in 2022, with five water companies imposing hosepipe bans on a total of 19 million customers to ensure drinking and wastewater services were prioritised. South West Water’s ban was lifted in September 2023.

More about drought can be found here: Are we prepared for a drought? The water resilience challenge – Creating a better place
May 7, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Update on UK – Turkey trade talks [May 2025]
The press release issued by the Department for Business and Trade on 7 May 2025.

UK and Turkey agree on date to relaunch talks for an upgraded free trade agreement.

Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds and Minister of State for Trade Policy and Economic Security Douglas Alexander met today in London [Wednesday 7 May] with their Turkish counterparts, Minister of Trade Ömer Bolat and Deputy Minister of Trade, Mustafa Tuzcu, to discuss how to grow the UK economy by boosting trade.

The UK and Turkey have a strong economic relationship, with trade between the two totalling around £28 billion in 2024, making Turkey the UK’s 16th largest trading partner, with UK companies already exporting £9.3 billion of goods and services to its growing market of 86 million people.

Ministers affirmed the importance and strength of the UK-Turkey trading bilateral relationship, committed to continue to pursue closer cooperation and increased trade and investment, and underlined the importance of defending free trade.

They also confirmed their intention for the first round of Free Trade Agreement negotiations to take place by the end of July.

Ministers concluded the meeting by signing an upgraded Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) chapter, in the form of an amendment to the 2020 UK-Turkey Free Trade Agreement (FTA). This chapter closely aligns UK-Turkey TBT provisions with those found in the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), reducing costs and making it easier for businesses to trade.

Background
- The UK is the second largest services exporter in the world, but in 2024 only 34% of our exports to Turkey were services.
- UK exports to Turkey directly supported around 57,100 jobs across the UK in 2020, more than 68% of which were in services.
- More than 7,800 UK companies currently export goods to Turkey (2024).
- Turkey’s economy is currently the 17th largest in the world. By 2050 is expected to be the 12th-largest in the world and the fourth largest in Europe.
- The Turkish company, Eren Holding Group, recently invested £1 billion in the redevelopment of Shotton Mill in Deeside, North Wales. This investment is set to safeguard 147 jobs and create a further 220. The project is supported by nearly £13 million from the Welsh Government and £136 million from UK Export Finance.
May 7, 2025