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  • PRESS RELEASE : UN Human Rights Council 63 – Joint Statement on Sri Lanka [September 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : UN Human Rights Council 63 – Joint Statement on Sri Lanka [September 2026]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 8 September 2026.

    Joint Statement on Sri Lanka. Delivered by the UK’s Human Rights Ambassador, Eleanor Sanders.

    Mr President,

    This statement is by the Sri Lanka Core Group: Canada, Malawi, Montenegro, North Macedonia and the UK.

    We welcome the High Commissioner’s balanced assessment of the human rights situation in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka has faced considerable challenges recently, including severe weather events and global energy shocks. Against this backdrop, it is crucial that the government’s stated commitment to reform is translated into concrete progress.

    We welcome the positive developments highlighted, including the ratification of ILO Convention 190, and Sri Lanka’s engagement on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

    However, much further action is needed to build confidence in accountability and reconciliation efforts. Progress in several emblematic cases  has not yet been accompanied by a comprehensive, victim-centred accountability process to address past violations. Mass grave excavations are a stark reminder that thousands of cases of enforced disappearances remain unresolved. And reports of intimidation, harassment, and restrictions affecting civil society, journalists and victims’ groups, including in the North and East, still raise concerns.

    We urge progress on democratic governance, through transparent and inclusive consultation processes addressing the needs of all affected communities. This should include advancing legal and institutional reforms, resolving land-related issues, ensuring respect for human rights in detention institutions, and strengthening independent institutions.

    Thank you.

  • Martin McCluskey – 2026 Speech on AI for clean energy vision

    Martin McCluskey – 2026 Speech on AI for clean energy vision

    The speech made by Martin McCluskey, the Minister for Local Energy and Jobs, at Google on 8 September 2026.

    Good morning everyone,

    I want to start by thanking Google for setting up this accelerator programme and bringing all of you together today: you are all incredible companies that are working at the leading edge of AI deployment in our energy system.

    From generation to transmission, each shows a tangible pathway from invention to innovation…and ultimately adoption.

    And to quote a line from some of the briefing I had on this programme, ‘AI is not just a tool, but a pivotal force in accelerating this essential energy transition’, in Google’s words themselves.

    Despite challenges we face today, we cannot rely on yesterday’s thinking.

    The electricity grid in the UK used to be managed centrally with a handful of large coal-fired power stations delivering baseload power around highly predictable peaks and troughs.

    Fast forward to today and not only has the electricity grid’s carbon intensity dropped, but its complexity has grown dramatically.

    In this country, total solar capacity across the UK surpassed 2 million installations for the first time ever in March 2026.

    In 2025, the UK had nearly 3,000 fully commissioned offshore wind turbines across 46 wind farms, producing up to 16.5 GW of grid-connected capacity.  

    The grid today is managing millions of decentralised energy generating assets from small- to large-scale, and the only way we can handle that generation and demand in real-time is through using AI.

    That’s why today matters. This programme is pairing your innovative concepts with the tangible means to make them a reality.

    And our people, our communities, are set to benefit.

    So I’m grateful to all of you here for choosing to put your ideas forward.

    And as the Minister responsible for AI in the energy system, let me spend a minute to talk through some of the areas where we see potential in the UK energy system.

    At the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, our number one priority is to make energy more affordable. Not just for consumers and households, but also for businesses.

    And we know that AI holds real potential to make this happen.

    Its application could transform our energy system for the better.

    All the different possible uses I’ve outlined could add up to one incredibly important outcome; a modern, reliable energy grid that gives homes and businesses value for money. 

    But the word ‘could’ is doing a lot of heavy lifting here.

    Because this hinges on some big questions that need to be addressed.  

    Firstly, we need to take seriously the potential risks of introducing more AI into the energy system.

    We’re at a point in our history where energy infrastructure is known to be the target of disruption from our adversaries.

    That’s not just happening in the UK, it’s happening all over Europe.

    So we cannot be introducing risks and vulnerabities into our own system from technology that haven’t been fully explored yet. 

    And, second, we need to maintain public consent.

    Every technological and industrial revolution has been accompanied by questions about what it means for our society and the way we live.

    And that’s right – as politicians we wouldn’t be doing our jobs if we didn’t ask these questions, and the public has every right to push us to set out where we stand and to ensure we’re acting responsibly.

    So we have a duty, as government in this country and other countries across Europe, to be responsible in designing and delivering the infrastructure of the AI revolution…

    …and, just as we are seeking to do with our clean energy revolution, taking communities with us and making sure they’re in a position to benefit from playing a part in a generational upgrade.

    But let me also say this.

    People across the country will not forgive governments that fail to ensure we are equipped for the future.

    And AI has a fundamental part to play not just in modernising our energy system, but in allowing our industries to compete globally and in protecting our national security.

    These are big questions as the government we’re all grappling with. The technology is evolving fast, and the UK government is leading the effort to keep pace with it, and harness it for the public good.

    We are still at the beginning of this journey, and there is so much we will need to learn in the years ahead, but let me tell you about three things we are doing now.

    First, today we’re launching our AI for clean energy vision and seeking views on how AI could transform our energy system.

    This Vision sets out early thinking on how AI could improve efficiency, cut costs and strengthen energy security.

    We want to start a conversation with the public, with industry, with others, where we can start thinking about the big questions that we face…

    …including what role government can and should play in this, what AI’s long-term impact will be in our energy system…

    …how we acknowledge and mitigate against the risks involved, and how we overcome and identify barriers to adoption.

    This thinking, and the early answers to these questions, will shape the foundations of the AI in Energy Strategy we’ll be publishing next year.

    Second, we’re publishing an independent review of AI deployment in our electricity networks.

    And I want to thank Lucy [Yu], who is our AI Energy Champion, for her excellent work on that.

    The review has made a set of recommendations to government on moving towards a probabilistic grid…

    …delivering tangible benefits for consumers, establishing clear governance and accelerating the deployment of AI solutions.

    This is exciting stuff, pushing at the absolute frontier of global thinking on deploying AI in the energy sector.

    Third and finally, our Interim AI Adoption Plan, published in June this year, highlights four key barriers to adoption…

    …better data, clearer routes from innovation to deployment, trusted governance frameworks, and the skills and capabilities that we need to scale solutions across the system.

    For start-ups, like the ones we have here today, those barriers are also market opportunities.

    Opportunities to help unlock high-value datasets.

    Opportunities to make critical infrastructure safer and more resilient.

    Opportunities to bridge the gap between successful pilots and nationwide deployment.

    And opportunities to build trusted AI systems that regulators, operators and consumers can have confidence in.

    Let’s remember where we start from: The UK starts from a position of strength.

    We have world-class universities.

    A thriving technology ecosystem.

    Leading renewable energy deployment.

    And we already have examples of British companies creating exportable AI-enabled solutions for the energy sector.

    We are leading the work to get our energy system ready to embrace the AI solutions you are already working on here today.

    This is about exploring the potential of AI in our energy network, so that we can embrace it when the technology is ready.

    That’s what we need to communicate to the public.

    This is new territory for absolutely all of us.

    And we have a real duty to not just create policy, but to also explain to people about why we’re doing it.

    This is a frontier opening in the energy sector, where AI could resolve so many of the issues that have held us back in the past.

    So just to conclude, congratulations to all of you on the massive achievement of being here today…

    …because you’re on your way to solving some of the biggest challenges for our energy industry.

    My final message to you is simple.

    We need your ideas.

    We need your ambition.

    And we need your willingness to tackle some of the hardest problems in the energy system.

    The transition that we are on the road to in the UK at the moment, to clean power is one of the great national projects of our time.

    AI can help us get there faster.

    And it has the power to unlock a cheaper, fairer, simpler energy system for millions of people.

    Thank you.

  • Lucy Rigby – 2026 Speech at UK Finance

    Lucy Rigby – 2026 Speech at UK Finance

    The speech made by Lucy Rigby, the Economic Secretary to the Treasury, in London on 8 September 2026.

    Thank you Bob and to UK Finance for bringing us together today. And thank you for inviting me.

    As you know, I have spent a couple of months away from being City Minister. I think you’d be hard pressed to describe doing the Chief Secretary role as a holiday – I’ve certainly had more relaxing breaks – but it is fantastic to be back and supporting the success of the financial services sector and its contribution to growth and prosperity in every corner of the country.

    I am pleased that while I have been away, the digitalisation and tokenisation agenda has continued to accelerate. And as many of you know, building on this momentum is one of the things I am most excited to do back in this role.

    Because we are used to waves of technological development improving our lives; putting new products on to shelves, including digital shelves, and ensuring we benefit from new services.

    But there are also moments in the history of economic development where technology transforms the very infrastructure on which an economy operates. In the 1980s and 1990s we saw the shift from paper to electronic trading radically transform our financial markets. I believe we have reached a similar moment a generation later with the move from electronic to digital.

    So it is a pleasure to be here as UK Finance launches this report. This report, reinforcing the Digital Wholesale Champion’s report published in July, demonstrates a powerful message for the sector, which is that digitalisation is no longer a conversation taking place at the margins. It is moving firmly into the mainstream.

    And that matters because the opportunities before us are significant. For the City, the whole financial services sector, and importantly, for the entire UK economy.

    Today, I want to deliver a clear message. That the digitalisation of wholesale financial markets is now a national endeavour. An endeavour that requires industry, government, and regulators to work together.

    To maintain and enhance our global competitiveness; in what is an increasingly competitive landscape.

    The government can create the conditions and advocate for the UK. The regulators can provide clarity. But it is industry; market participants; you; that innovate, compete, forge new pathways and drive us forwards.

    That is why the work of organisations such as UK Finance is so important, and why I wholeheartedly welcome today’s report.

    One thing has become increasingly clear as I speak to firms across the sector. The debate isn’t whether wholesale markets will become tokenised; it’s when.

    And, importantly, if the UK can move quickly enough to be a leader in that global transition. And I say we can.

    And 2026 has already been such an important year for delivery. Significantly, we have seen the publication of the first report from the UK’s Wholesale Digital Markets Champion, Chris Woolard. That report sets out an industry-led roadmap for accelerating the digitalisation of UK wholesale financial markets, identifies priority use cases, and focuses attention on the practical issues that must be solved if digital markets are to scale.

    It also establishes nine industry action groups, and I am looking forward to the composition of these groups being announced very soon. It has also been great to see the number and variety of firms participating, from new entrants to large incumbents, as well as the senior individuals who are giving their valuable time to contribute.

    I am looking forward to seeing the outputs of the next phase.

    The key to the success of this work is not the technology itself. The technology already exists and we have individuals and organisations with the skills to deploy it effectively. The roots of the challenge are in coordination in order to build…

    How do firms move together?

    How do platforms interact with one another?

    How do we ensure interoperability?

    How do we build liquidity?

    How do we create common standards and ensure the UK is leading the global discussion?

    And how do we generate sufficient confidence for markets to move from pilots to scale?

    The answers to these questions are why this work matters so much

    And the additional question for government and regulators is then: how do we ensure that regulation effectively and appropriately accommodates digitalisation?

    Regulation is often criticised for being slow to adapt to new technological challenges and a rapidly changing environment. Well, we’re trying to address this.

    As you know, we have the Digital Securities Sandbox, and as UK Finance’s report highlights, it offers a nimble way of modifying UK legislation to enable firms to roll out innovative digital solutions to market.

    16 firms are currently participating, with the first firm recently approved to do live activity, and I am sure we will see more live activity soon.

    And we know there is more to do to ensure that the UK legal framework supports digital beyond the sandbox, building on work the government has done already to clarify the law.

    We will be engaging actively with the sector to map out the changes needed, and the plan for delivering them, including using the legislative tools we already have to make changes.

    All this builds on other work we are doing as government to support digital. This year, we have also seen continued progress on the Digital Gilt Instrument, DIGIT, which will be critical to establishing the foundations for a broader digital market ecosystem. DIGIT will be issued in Q1 2027, and we have announced our intention to prepare for potential further issuances, subject to the success of the first transaction.

    There is also work well underway to modernise the UK’s payments ecosystem, including through infrastructure upgrades and regulatory reforms that support stablecoins, tokenised deposits and the next generation of digital settlement.

    In particular, I wanted to recognise the efforts of UK banks in progressing the Great British Tokenised Deposit initiative, working with UK Finance to bring tokenised sterling deposits into the UK market.

    The work to tokenise bank deposits complements the work that the government and the regulators are undertaking to deliver a regulatory regime for stablecoins, all in order to provide payment settlement solutions for a truly digital market.

    Across all these areas, we are entering a critical delivery phase over this Autumn.

    Let’s continue to work together and whether it is the leadership shown by UK Finance.

    Whether it is the drive and the work of Chris Woolard and the Wholesale Digital Markets Champion Taskforce.

    Whether it is the Digital Securities Sandbox.

    Whether it is DIGIT.

    Each represents a different part of the same story. A story of a sector and a city choosing to innovate; whose sense of pride and ambition compel us to want to lead.

    A story of a country choosing to modernise.

    With a sense of national purpose to ensure that the markets of the future are built here in the United Kingdom.

    Thank you.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Prime Minister call with President Xi of China [September 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Prime Minister call with President Xi of China [September 2026]

    The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 8 September 2026.

    The Prime Minister spoke to President Xi Jinping of China this morning. 

    The Prime Minister expressed his sincere condolences for the lives lost in recent floods on the Nepal-China border and his appreciation for the rescue efforts and support for British Nationals affected.

    Both leaders affirmed their commitment to a long-term and consistent comprehensive strategic partnership between the UK and China. As Permanent Members of the Security Council and major economies, they discussed the importance of pragmatic cooperation in advancing UK and Chinese interests and addressing shared global challenges.

    They discussed the opportunities in the UK-China relationship including on economic growth and improving living standards for people in both their countries.

    The Prime Minister said that he would engage frankly and constructively on issues that matter for both countries, and raised domestic security, Russia’s war in Ukraine, Hong Kong, human rights and consular cases of particular importance.

    The leaders agreed to stay in touch, and that dialogue between their governments on a range of mutual priorities would continue.

  • NEWS STORY : Devon taxi driver ordered to repay £63,790 after Covid loan fraud

    NEWS STORY : Devon taxi driver ordered to repay £63,790 after Covid loan fraud

    STORY

    A Devon taxi driver who fraudulently obtained £100,000 through the Government’s Bounce Back Loan scheme has been ordered to repay £63,790. The confiscation order was made against Murat Dogantekin at Exeter Crown Court following an investigation by the Insolvency Service.

    Dogantekin secured two loans of £50,000 from separate banks in 2020 after claiming that two taxi businesses had annual turnovers of £200,000 and £205,000. Investigators found that he had declared earnings of £16,500 for the relevant tax year and had overstated his combined turnover by £388,500. He was jailed for two years and seven months in February 2025 after being convicted of fraud offences.

    The Insolvency Service said £48,000 of the money was used to purchase a flat in Turkey, while Dogantekin also bought a Peugeot car for £2,840 and a pizza oven for £800. He has been given three months to pay the confiscation order and could face a further five years in prison if he fails to do so, although the debt would remain payable

  • PRESS RELEASE : Joint Foreign Ministers’ Statement on the Two-State Solution [September 2026]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 8 September 2026.

    Statement of the Foreign Ministers of Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UK on the Two-State Solution.

    1. The Government of Israel’s actions in the West Bank are undermining the possibility of a two-State solution. The situation is rapidly deteriorating amid unprecedented levels of settler violence and settlement expansion, including the unacceptable decision to publish tenders for the E1 settlement project. UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, the President of France Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister of Canada Mark Carney have agreed on the need to take action to prevent further damage.
    2. Today, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UK confirm their intention to introduce national and/or support European restrictions on trade in goods with settlements which are illegal under international law, or that they are actively considering these and other measures, in accordance with their national procedures. In this regard, the UK, France and Canada welcome the important action already taken by Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Norway and Belgium and will bring forward national measures to ban trade in settlement goods.
    3. Together, we are resolute: the two-state solution must be protected, and we will take action in pursuit of a just and lasting peace, based on the principles enshrined in the New York Declaration adopted one year ago. We firmly oppose actions tantamount to the annexation of Palestinian land and forcible displacement of the Palestinian population.
    4. The Government of Israel must immediately halt the expansion of settlements and civilian administrative powers, ensure accountability for settler violence, and investigate allegations against Israeli forces.
    5. We recognize Israel’s legitimate security interests and reiterate our condemnation of the Hamas 7 October terrorist attack, the worst antisemitic massacre since the Holocaust. We are clear in our determination to tackle antisemitism wherever it occurs. We are unequivocally committed to the two-state solution, in accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions, that enables Israel and a sovereign, democratic and viable Palestinian state to live side by side in peace, security and mutual recognition within secure and internationally recognised borders.
  • PRESS RELEASE : Retailers target 100,000 jobs for young people as sector joins forces with government in major work experience drive [September 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Retailers target 100,000 jobs for young people as sector joins forces with government in major work experience drive [September 2026]

    The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 8 September 2026.

    Young people will be given vital work experience opportunities thanks to a major initiative between government and Britain’s leading retailers – with the ambition to create up to 100,000 jobs by the end of the Parliament.

    • New scheme to offer 18-24-year-olds work experience being developed with Britain’s biggest retailers including John Lewis, Currys and Costa Coffee.
    • It forms part of a wider retail sector target to deliver 100,000 jobs for young people by the end of this Parliament to tackle the number of young people not in employment, education or training.
    • Former Marks and Spencer Chief Executive Marc Bolland – appointed by Government to drive forward youth employment reforms – played central role in creating new partnership with the British Retail Consortium.

    Young people will be given vital work experience opportunities thanks to a major initiative between government and Britain’s leading retailers – with the ambition to create up to 100,000 jobs by the end of the Parliament. 

    Alongside the sector’s ambitions of creating 100,000 jobs, BRC and DWP are launching a new work experience programme, Opening Shift, which will see 18-24-year-olds looking for work offered two to four weeks of hands-on experience as part of more than 11,000 placements with Britain’s biggest retailers, including Tesco, John Lewis, Waitrose, Curry’s and Costa Coffee, complete with dedicated workplace support and interview experience. 

    The DWP will manage the pipeline of eligible young Universal Credit customers who will be referred to the voluntary programme through Jobcentres, and the retailers will provide the placements and wider support, with 16 to 35 hours of work experience provided each week for two to four weeks. 

    They could be offered a permanent role if one is available, be put on the retailer’s talent bank, or directed towards apprenticeship and other opportunities. 

    The retail sector has used the launch of the programme to set a target of delivering 100,000 jobs for young people not in employment, education or training (NEET) by the end of this Parliament.  

    Retail has long been a key gateway into work for young people, and this new offer from the sector comes after Alan Milburn spoke of the vital importance of work experience for young people, while warning that for many the first rung on the career ladder has thinned.  

    Earlier this year the government appointed former Marks & Spencer Chief Executive and founder of the charity Movement to Work Marc Bolland to convene businesses and create more opportunities for young people, and he has played a central role in creating this new partnership.  

    To mark the launch Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden met young people during a visit to John Lewis Oxford Street on Monday. The John Lewis Partnership has also committed to the Jobs Guarantee with 30 new Waitrose roles and a target to recruit 1,000 care-experienced young people by 2030. 

    Work and Pensions Secretary, Pat McFadden said:

    This partnership will help young people to get the experience employers are looking for.

    Work experience can be life-changing, giving young people the skills, confidence and connections they need to take their first step into work.

    By creating thousands of opportunities in the retail sector, we’re delivering on our commitment to help more young people build brighter futures, backed by our £2.5 billion investment to support the next generation into employment.

    Marc Bolland said:

    My work as Founder and Chairman of Movement to Work showed me first-hand what’s possible when business and government work together to open doors for young people.  

    Today’s announcement takes that further, creating thousands more opportunities for young people to build a future in one of Britain’s biggest industries and I’d encourage every retailer to look at what more they can offer.

    Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive at the British Retail Consortium, said:

    Retail is coming to the rescue for tens of thousands of young people struggling to take their first steps on the career ladder. Too many are trapped in a no experience, no job doom loop. High-quality work experience is essential to fix this problem and Opening Shift is a major contribution to delivering it.

    Retail is uniquely placed to make a difference on the NEETs crisis, given the industry’s scale and reach touching every corner of the country. The challenges facing young people are significant. Work experience is a first step and with the right conditions for businesses to invest and create new entry level jobs, employers across the economy can help tackle the NEET crisis.

    As one of the UK’s largest employers, with businesses in communities across the country, the retail sector is uniquely placed to provide the work experience, skills and confidence that can help young people take their first step into employment.

    This comes as many retailers are already backing the government’s Youth Guarantee reforms to give every young person the chance to earn or learn. This includes McDonald’s which has launched the largest paid in-person work experience programme in the UK, as well as Sainsbury’s, who have also committed to create around 10,000 work experience and employability opportunities for young people from October. Together, they are creating more opportunities for young people who are NEET or at risk of becoming NEET.  

    This follows the Government’s recent education reforms to provide technical pathways for young people to close the gap between the classroom and the workplace. 

    The sector’s involvement builds on the Government’s youth employment support, including the Jobs Guarantee scheme, which has been backed by over 400 employers and offers a direct route into work for eligible young people. More than 90,000 young people will be supported into work by the scheme in the next three years, with the first cohort already starting positions with retailers including Lidl and Boots. 

    Additional Information

    • Opening Shift is a new DWP and retail industry work experience programme for 18 to 24-year-old NEETs, offering two to four-week placements (16 to 35 hours per week) with ongoing Universal Credit support, travel cost assistance where needed, workplace mentoring and interview experience. Its aim is to give young people the skills and experience they need to get their first job and contribute towards the BRC’s ambition of creating 100,000 jobs by the end of this Parliament.
    • The British Retail Consortium is the trade association for the UK retail industry, representing more than 200 members including major retailers and independent businesses, and has brought together retailers to develop this programme with the support of the DWP.
    • Marc Bolland is Lead Non-Executive Director at the Department for Work and Pensions and founder chairman of Movement to Work, a registered charity offering free support to businesses to create youth employability programmes. It has delivered more than 200,000 opportunities for 16 to 30-year-olds facing barriers to work. *The Government is investing an additional £2.5 billion by 2029 into the Youth Guarantee and the Growth and Skills Levy.
    • This investment will support almost one million young people and create up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn, including a £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant, a £2,000 apprenticeship hiring payment for employers, and a fully funded six-month job for long-term unemployed 18–24-year-olds through the Jobs Guarantee.
    • The Jobs Guarantee will support over 90,000 Universal Credit claimants aged 18 to 24 into work over the next three years, providing six months of fully funded paid employment matched to their skills after 18 months of claiming and searching for work. The first cohort of young people have already started roles at companies such as Boots and Lidl, with a national rollout later this year.
    • The John Lewis Partnership (JLP) is contributing to the Youth Guarantee through a range of employment and work experience opportunities. Through JLP’s Building Happier Futures programme, 1,000 roles will be ringfenced for care-experienced young people by 2030.
    • List of retailers involved in the development and roll out of Opening Shift to date: Aldi, All Saints, Amazon, Ann Summers, Asda, B&M, B&Q, Bensons, Booths, Boots, Currys, Dobbies, Dr Martens, Dunelm, Fishpools, Holland & Barrett, House of Bruar, Iceland, JD Sports, John Lewis Partnership, JoJo Maman Bebe, Lakeland, Liberty, Lidl, Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, Mountain Warehouse, New Look, Next, Our Coop, Pets at Home, Pret, Primark, Savers, Screwfix, Superdrug, Tesco, The Perfume Shop, The Works, Very Group, Wickes.

    Supportive quotes

    James Goodman, Asda Chief People Officer, said:

    Supporting young people into employment is vital to the future of our industry. Many of Asda’s senior leaders started their careers on the shop floor, and we’re proud to support initiatives that help young people develop skills, gain experience, and discover pathways into rewarding careers.

    Helen Webb, Chief People Officer at the John Lewis Partnership, said:  

    Retail gave many of us our first job, and it should still be doing that. Too many young people are being asked for experience they’ve had no chance to get, and Opening Shift is a practical way to change that. It’s also how our sector builds the talent it will need.

    Jon Sparkes, chief executive of learning disability charity Mencap, says:  

    This is a welcome opportunity for the many young people struggling to get a foot on the career ladder, and it’s great to see retailers stepping up. 

    Young people with a learning disability tell us time and time again that they want to work – what they’re denied is the support and opportunity. Work experience can be the difference between a young person with a learning disability having the chance to prove what they can do, rather than being judged on what it’s perceived they cannot. 

    We’ve supported many young people with a learning disability into retail roles, and the feedback from them and from their employers is consistently hugely positive. We hope many more will get the chance, and we’d urge every retailer signing up to make sure their placements are genuinely supportive of and accessible to people with a learning disability.

    Rosie Ferguson OBE, Chief Executive of UK Youth, said: 

    Young people deserve the opportunities to find their way in the world. Government, employers, schools and youth workers all have a role to play in creating the opportunities, support and pathways they need to succeed. 

    Today’s announcement is a significant commitment to expanding meaningful work experience, and it is encouraging to see employers stepping up. Partnerships with businesses can help young people take those first steps into work, build confidence and develop skills that open doors in the future. 

    For young people furthest from the labour market, access to these opportunities must come with the right support. Youth workers play an essential role in building trusted relationships, helping young people navigate transitions into work and training, and connecting them with employers and wider support. 

    When employers and youth workers work together, we can do more than help young people get their first job. We can help them discover their strengths, build on their potential and take the next steps towards a fulfilling working life.” 

    Tesco CEO Ken Murphy said: 

    Tesco has a long history of creating opportunities for young people, helping them take their first steps into work regardless of their background, qualifications or previous experience. 

    Through programmes like our Stronger Starts apprenticeships and the 5,000 new Opening Shift placements we’re creating this year in partnership with Movement to Work, we want to help more young people not in employment, education or training to build their confidence, develop valuable skills and take their first steps towards a rewarding career at Tesco. 

    The retail industry has always been at the heart of local communities, providing jobs that are flexible, secure and accessible. The scale of the response from our sector shows retailers recognise the challenge facing the next generation and are determined to be part of the solution.

    Chief Executive, Mental Health UK, Brian Dow said: 

    The first step on the career ladder ought to feel like the easiest one to make, yet for so many young people it has felt dauntingly out of reach.  The announcement of Opening Shift with the emphasis it includes in supporting young people arrive in the workplace with confidence brings the prospect of a firm beginning and hopeful future one step closer.” 

    John Boumphrey, Amazon UK country manager, said:  

    Visiting our sites across the country, I regularly meet people whose lives were changed because someone gave them a chance. Work experience builds confidence, opens doors, and, for many young people, it’s the first time they’ve been told ‘you can do this’.  

    We’re proud to support Opening Shift, building on the work experience, apprenticeship and supported employment programmes we already run, including for those with additional needs. We’ll keep investing in giving young people across the UK the opportunities they deserve.

    Sophie Morrell, Director of Corporate Partnerships, at The King’s Trust said: 

    Retail gives thousands of young people their first step into work every year. From learning how to communicate with customers, to working as part of a team and taking responsibility in the workplace, the skills gained can last a lifetime.” 

    Retail employers have long been among The King’s Trust’s most committed partners, consistently stepping up to help young people build the confidence, skills and experience they need to enter the world of work. It’s encouraging to see the sector unite behind this initiative and create even more opportunities for the next generation to thrive.

    Nick Orrin, UK & Ireland Managing Director, Costa Coffee, said: 

    Retail and hospitality are often seen as a first step into work, but they can also be the start of a long and rewarding career. Across our business, many colleagues have progressed from frontline roles into leadership positions. 

    We welcome efforts to give more young people the skills, confidence and experience they need not only to get into work, but to progress once they are there. By working together, employers, government and education providers can open up more opportunities for young people to build rewarding careers.

    Sarah Yong, Deputy CEO at Youth Futures Foundation, said:  

    Giving young people the opportunity to gain experience of the workplace and connect with employers can play an important role in helping them take their first steps into employment. For young people who have had limited opportunities to engage with employers, meaningful work experience can help build confidence, develop skills and give them a better understanding of what the world of work looks like. 

    It is great to see the retail sector coming together to create more opportunities for young people to gain this experience and make valuable connections with employers. Exposure to the workplace, alongside the right employment support, can help young people move closer to and into good work. 

    Hamish Shah, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at Business Disability Forum, said:  

    Work experience can be a vital first step into employment, helping young people build confidence, develop skills and understand what they have to offer an employer. We welcome this commitment from government and the retail sector to create more opportunities for young people to get that first foothold in the workplace. It is important, however, that these opportunities are genuinely accessible and inclusive. Disabled young people can face additional barriers when trying to enter the world of work, and employers have a crucial role to play in removing those barriers and ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to thrive. By combining high-quality work experience with the right support and adjustments, this initiative can help open doors for a much wider range of young people and create a more inclusive workforce for the future.” 

    Ellie Harris, Principal Research Fellow and Head of Children and Young People, IPPR, said:

    Young people are full of ambition, but too many don’t have the support or opportunities they need to realise their aspirations.

    This is a welcome first step towards giving young people a tangible route out of the cycle of missed opportunities that can leave them stuck and falling further behind.

    Where you grow up still shapes the chances you get. Young people in some of the country’s most deprived towns have the most to gain from access to the experiences, networks and opportunities that others too often take for granted.

  • NEWS STORY : Seven arrested after four men stabbed in Bromley

    NEWS STORY : Seven arrested after four men stabbed in Bromley

    STORY

    Seven men have been arrested after four men were stabbed during an altercation in Bromley town centre. Metropolitan Police officers were called to Bromley High Street at approximately 14:15 on Thursday 10 September and attended alongside the London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance.

    All four injured men were taken to hospital. Police said one remained in a critical condition, while the injuries sustained by the other three were not believed to be life threatening. A cordon was established on the High Street while forensic examinations and other inquiries were carried out.

    The seven arrested men remained in police custody as the investigation continued. No charges have been announced and police have not confirmed the circumstances leading to the violence or the relationship between those involved. The Metropolitan Police said it did not believe there was a wider threat to the public and asked anyone with information to contact officers on 101.

  • NEWS STORY : Local leaders to receive powers to introduce overnight visitor levy

    NEWS STORY : Local leaders to receive powers to introduce overnight visitor levy

    STORY

    Mayors and other strategic authority leaders in England will be given the power to introduce a levy on stays in hotels, bed and breakfasts and short term rented accommodation. The charge will be optional and calculated as a percentage of the accommodation price, meaning that people choosing cheaper places to stay would pay less.

    The money will be retained locally and could be invested in public transport, high streets, cultural attractions, events and other services used by visitors and residents. The Government said temporary accommodation, shelters and refuges would be exempt, while local leaders could create additional exemptions for places such as campsites. Accommodation providers will be responsible for paying the levy to the relevant strategic authority.

    The Government intends to introduce legislation establishing the scheme, with local leaders expected to publish spending plans by early 2028. The proposal had been welcomed by mayors seeking additional investment but opposed by parts of the hospitality industry, which argue that higher accommodation costs could discourage visitors. No levy has yet been introduced under the new powers, and its rate and local application will depend upon decisions taken after the legislation is approved.

  • NEWS STORY : NHS records its busiest summer for emergency care

    NEWS STORY : NHS records its busiest summer for emergency care

    STORY

    Nearly 7.3 million people attended accident and emergency departments in England between June and August, making 2026 the busiest summer recorded by the NHS. The total was approximately 240,000 higher than during the same period last year and almost one million above the figure recorded in 2022.

    Ambulance services responded to approximately 2.46 million incidents during the three months, while NHS 111 received more than three million calls. Despite the increased demand, hospitals treated more emergency patients within four hours than during any previous summer. The figures were published alongside NHS England’s regular emergency-care statistics.

    NHS leaders said five periods of exceptionally hot weather contributed to admissions and argued that summer was increasingly becoming a second period of intense pressure alongside winter. The waiting list for planned hospital treatment also rose to approximately 7.3 million cases in July. Although extreme heat can worsen respiratory, cardiovascular and other medical conditions, the emergency-care figures alone cannot establish how many attendances were caused directly by the weather.