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PRESS RELEASE : Trailblazing scheme to reconnect thousands with HIV treatment [December 2025]
The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 1 December 2025.

The government has launched a scheme which will see thousands of people benefit from improved HIV testing and treatment under a new action plan.
- Government unveils HIV Action Plan to tackle stigma and end transmissions in England by 2030, backed by £170 million
- First ever national programme to re-engage people back into life-saving HIV care and treatment
- Opt-out HIV testing in A&E will pick up infections earlier, when treatment is most effective
Thousands of people across England will benefit from improved HIV testing and treatment under a new action plan designed to end new transmissions by 2030.

The Action Plan, unveiled by Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting today [Monday 1 December], tackles the stigma that remains a barrier for too many people – fear of judgement and discrimination means some people avoid getting tested, leaving infections undiagnosed and untreated.

At the heart of the plan is a first of its kind national programme will find and support people who are not accessing lifesaving HIV treatment and bring them back into care.

HIV is now entirely manageable – with the right treatment, people can live long, healthy lives and cannot pass the virus onto others.

Around 5,000 people are no longer in care, with reasons including mental health issues, addiction, poverty or fear of judgement.

This targeted support is particularly crucial for groups who are more likely to face problems including racism, stigma, poverty and housing issues that can make their lives more difficult.

Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, said:

On World AIDS Day, we honour both the memory of those we have lost and stand together with those living with HIV.

I promised to end HIV transmissions in England by 2030 and we are making this a reality thanks to our action plan, with a groundbreaking new HIV prevention programme, at home tests made available through the NHS App, and delivering opt out testing in emergency departments.

My message is simple – no one should ever have to fight HIV alone. Together, we will end the cycle of transmission, improve treatment and better protect people.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, said:

HIV treatment has been transformed. Today, people living with HIV can enjoy full, healthy lives – and can’t pass the virus on to others. That’s remarkable progress.

But we can go further. Ending new HIV transmissions by 2030 is ambitious – and this government is determined to make it happen.

Our national re-engagement programme, a truly innovative and agile approach, targets the epidemic where it’s growing and leaving no one behind. We’ll bring people into life-saving care and find infections early, when treatment works best, so everyone can live the full, healthy life they deserve.

Thanks to the work of determined campaigners across our country, ending new HIV transmissions by 2030 – a history making, world changing goal – is within reach. This government will now put its shoulder to the wheel to deliver this change.

Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Executive of the UK Health Security Agency, said:

We’re making progress – 95% of people living with HIV now know they have the virus. But around 4,700 people remain undiagnosed, including one in three in Black African communities and higher rates of late diagnosis in older age groups.

People need testing that meets them where they are, in ways that feel safe and accessible. We need to make starting PrEP straightforward for anyone who wants it, with particular focus on heterosexual and Black communities who are being failed by current disparities. And when someone is diagnosed, they should get consistent, respectful support that helps them stay on treatment and stay engaged in care.

This £170 million HIV Action Plan delivers on these priorities, enabling continued progress towards our 2030 goal.

Dr Claire Fuller, NHS England’s National Medical Director, said:

The NHS is fully behind this Action Plan, which gives us the tools to diagnose people earlier, reconnect those who are not currently receiving care, and ensure every person living with HIV receives support without stigma.

Alongside opt-out HIV testing in A&E, we are launching a new £5 million digital trial so people can order home testing kits through the NHS App – making it easier and more discreet than ever to get checked.

With early diagnosis and the right treatment, people with HIV can live long, healthy lives and cannot pass the virus on and this plan brings us a major step closer to ending new HIV transmissions in England by 2030.

Richard Angell OBE, Chief Executive of Terrence Higgins Trust, said:

The government has an ambition that is both momentous and historic: that England becomes the first country in the world to end new HIV cases. This new plan recognises the scale of the challenge, with the biggest new investment in HIV testing and care in decades.

National funding to re-engage people in life-saving HIV care, putting HIV home-testing on the NHS App and long-term funding for opt-out HIV and hepatitis testing in emergency departments will be transformational. This is what people with HIV need. This is what we have been calling for. Now we must work together to make it happen.

The leadership involved in pulling off this remarkable suite of initiatives is a tribute to Wes Streeting, Ashley Dalton and Kevin Fenton. We are in their debt, but will not hesitate to hold their feet to the fire.

Robbie Currie, Chief Executive, National AIDS Trust, said: 

National AIDS Trust welcomes the commitments in the HIV Action plan which provides a solid foundation for achieving the goal of ending HIV cases by 2030.  

Re-engaging people who are no longer in care is crucial to ensuring they can live well with HIV, and we’re pleased to see a new national programme dedicated to this. However, stigma, discrimination and inequality still push people away resulting in poorer health outcomes. Stigma training for hospitals is a welcome step towards ensuring healthcare settings are safe and inclusive. 

We are also delighted to see funding for formula milk – a priority we have campaigned on alongside our partners. This plan can get us on track to achieve the 2030 goals, but success requires rapid action and having the right policies in place across Government.

Anne Aslett, CEO, The Elton John AIDS Foundation, said:

The new HIV Action Plan is an important step toward ending new HIV transmissions in England. We welcome the extra funding for opt-out testing in emergency departments, a model the Foundation first piloted in 2018. The latest results speak volumes, over 90% of people newly diagnosed in EDs had never been tested for HIV before. Smart, targeted investment like this saves lives.

With up to 12,000 people living with HIV currently out of care, the £9 million investment in retention is crucial for keeping people healthy and stopping onward transmission. But without bold investment in prevention, including making PrEP widely accessible to everyone who needs it, ending new infections will remain out of reach.

Cllr Dr Wendy Taylor MBE, Chair of the LGA’s Health and Wellbeing Committee, said:

Councils are ready to play their part in delivering this national action plan through council-commissioned sexual health clinics, close partnership working, and developing their own locally tailored HIV plans.

We are committed to achieving the collective ambition to end new HIV transmission in England by 2030.

Local government, the NHS, and our wider partners must continue working together to ensure equitable access to HIV prevention, testing and treatment. This includes reaching underserved communities, supporting innovative approaches such as opt-out testing and a push on tackling HIV stigma in health and social care.

The Action Plan, backed by over £170 million, is also continuing funding for testing in A&E, meaning if you’re having a routine blood test, you’ll automatically be tested for HIV – unless you choose not to.

This testing programme is being delivered across areas with the highest rates, including London and Manchester, reaching thousands of people with undiagnosed infections who might never otherwise visit a sexual health clinic.

Communities most affected by HIV will also benefit from a national HIV prevention programme to improve awareness about safer sex, testing and treatment.

The prevention programme will work directly with those most at risk, providing tailored support and targeted testing to break down barriers and ensure no one is left behind.

Hospital staff will also receive anti-stigma training, so patients can access care without fear of being judged for their HIV status.

A groundbreaking £5 million trial, announced on Sunday will see home HIV testing kits ordered at the touch of a button through the NHS App.

The trial will allow at-risk patients to order home HIV tests seamlessly, receive results securely, and contact their GP or sexual health clinics – all from their phone.

The new digital service will offer a discreet route for those anxious about their sexual health to get tested without visiting a clinic.

The Action Plan comes as new UKHSA analysis published today shows HIV testing in England must adapt to reach the groups that need it most. The report reveals that while 95% of people with HIV are diagnosed, around 4,700 people remain undiagnosed – with additional investments in emergency department testing alone insufficient to reach all those in need.

Gaps remain in testing in lower prevalence areas and general practice settings that reach out to those who need prompt testing, including ethnic minority heterosexual populations and people aged 50 years and over.

Today [Monday 1 December], Minister Ashley Dalton will meet with people living with HIV and organisations working in the HIV sector to discuss and hear first-hand about how their experiences could be positively impacted by the HIV Action Plan.

Gillian McLauchlan, lead for sexual health for the Association of Directors of Public Health, said:

This new HIV Action Plan is particularly welcome because it recognises that only through true collaboration between local authority public health teams, the NHS, and the voluntary and community sector will the UK end HIV transmissions. 

Sustained and adequate investment is also vital – not just in the fight against HIV but to ensure that everyone can access high quality sexual and reproductive health services at the right time for them.

James Woolgar, Chair of the English HIV and Sexual Health Commissioners’ Group added:

The plan’s promise of continued investment in emergency department testing, the new national re-engagement in care plan, anti-stigma training and education are all very welcome. We of course also need a sustained commitment to the provision of PrEP and other prevention programmes.

I am extremely proud of the hard work and progress that local government has made in tackling this issue and, by strengthening collaboration, we can ensure evidence-based interventions reach communities more effectively, reduce inequalities, and tackle stigma. Only then can we reach our collective goal of zero new transmissions by 2030, and support those living with HIV to not only survive, but also thrive.

Professor Matt Phillips, President, British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, said:

The launch of today’s Action Plan marks a pivotal moment in shifting the dial in the HIV response. It also offers an opportunity to reflect on the progress we’ve made in recent years, and the work that still lies ahead.

Reconnecting those living with HIV who have been lost to care is a critical part of this work, and is key to achieving our target of reaching zero new HIV transmissions by 2030. The publication of this new Action Plan therefore provides us with a real chance to build on recent successes, through better enabling expert care and treatment to be accessed by all those who need it.

BASHH stands ready to work alongside the Government to help translate these vital ambitions into reality.

Dr Tristan Barber, Chair Elect of the British HIV Association (BHIVA) said:

The combination of prevention, treatment and testing, with an effective plan to re-engage people with HIV treatment and care, and access peer support, together provide a strong and pragmatic framework for progress.

It is vital that we prioritise the groups most affected by HIV, where diagnoses continue to rise. Half of all black African heterosexuals are diagnosed late, and women and young people also find it hard to access prevention using Pre Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), which should be available to everyone who needs it.

The success of Emergency Department opt-out testing has already shown what is possible so extending it, with the addition of at home testing via the NHS App, alongside renewed investment in sexual health services, will be key to achieving the 2030 goals.

Dr Amanda Williams, Paediatrician and Chair of the charity Chiva said:

Children and young people living with perinatally acquired HIV have to attend healthcare appointments and take medication their whole life, for what is still a highly stigmatised health condition. For many, missing appointments becomes more common in adolescence, and during the transition from paediatric to adult care.  That’s why we’re pleased to see plans to tackle HIV stigma and re-engage people back into care.

We welcome the Government’s decision to fund formula milk for all babies born to mothers living with HIV, who need it as part of HIV prevention measures during pregnancy through to post-birth – something that Chiva, The Food Chain and NAT have been calling for. Funding formula milk ensures women can follow medical guidance and are empowered to make informed choices about how to safely feed their babies without financial barriers.

Dr Zara Haider, President of the College of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare, said: 

We warmly welcome the publication of the HIV Action Plan, especially as it places women firmly within its focus by recognising the unique barriers they face in accessing HIV services. Measures such as funding for formula milk and sterilising equipment for women living with HIV, expanded opt-out testing, and tailored prevention programmes will directly support women who are too often forgotten.

With investment in home testing kits, a national HIV prevention programme, and plans to tackle the discrimination that still stops too many from seeking care, this Plan has real potential to improve HIV care in England by ensuring women are not left behind.

Darren Knight, Chief Executive, George House Trust, said:

George House Trust proudly backs the implementation of the new HIV Action Plan. Putting people living with HIV at the heart of this work, tackling HIV stigma, and ensuring everyone can live well and stay engaged in care isn’t just important, it’s essential.

We’re ready to collaborate with government, health and care partners, and our voluntary sector partners to work for a world where HIV holds no one back.

Charlotte Cooke, Director of Services, LGBT Foundation said:

LGBT Foundation welcomes the HIV Action Plan. We are pleased that gay and bisexual men remain a priority, alongside men who have sex with men – a community we have long supported and recognised as needing targeted interventions.

It is key to invest in prevention in order to achieve zero transmissions by 2023. It is cost-effective, delivers long-term impact, and depends on working together to ensure equitable access and uptake of HIV prevention services. We are committed to playing our part in this effort.

Sophie Strachan CEO of the Sophia Forum said:

We welcome this new ambitious Action Plan and hope that this will help address the health inequities and improve outcomes that prevents further marginalisation of communities who have to date have experienced ongoing health inequalities and poorer health outcomes.
December 1, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Keir Starmer call with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte [November 2025]

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 30 November 2025.

The Prime Minister spoke to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte this morning.

The leaders began by taking stock of the situation in Ukraine.

Peace talks in recent days had gained momentum, but the focus had to be on securing a just and lasting peace for Ukraine, both underlined.

The leaders discussed the work being done by the Coalition of the Willing to prepare for a cessation of hostilities and welcomed the close coordination between the grouping and NATO on next steps.

The leaders looked forward to speaking again soon.

December 1, 2025
Matthew Pennycook – 2025 Statement on Reforming Local Plan Making

The statement made by Matthew Pennycook, the Minister for Housing and Planning, in the House of Commons on 27 November 2025.

Following my written statement concerning local plan making and guidance—[Official Report, 27 February 2025; Vol. 762, c. 62WS.]—I am today providing an update on the implementation of our reforms to the plan-making system in England.

This Government were elected on a manifesto that included a clear commitment to build 1.5 million new homes in this Parliament, and all areas are required to play their part. In order to deliver the homes and growth that the country needs, we expect all local planning authorities to make every effort to get up-to-date local plans in place as soon as possible.

The plan-led approach is, and must remain, the cornerstone of our planning system. Local plans are the best way for communities to shape decisions about how to deliver the housing and wider development their areas need. In the absence of an up-to-date plan, there is a high likelihood that development will come forward on a piecemeal and speculative basis, with reduced public engagement and fewer guarantees that it will make the most of an area’s potential. It is for these reasons that the level of up-to-date plan coverage we inherited is so problematic.

As a Government, we have made a clear commitment to achieving universal local plan coverage. To that end, we have been clear that we intend to drive local plans to adoption as quickly as possible. That is why we introduced transitional arrangements for emerging plans in preparation as part of the changes we made to the national planning policy framework in December last year, and why we have recently awarded over £29 million in funding to 188 local planning authorities to support the rapid preparation of plans that reflect that updated framework.

However, the current system is optimised neither for speed, nor for community participation. The Government are therefore clear that more fundamental reform to the system is needed, to ensure that local plans are faster to prepare and simpler for end users to access and understand.

In February, we published the Government’s response to the previous Government’s consultation on implementation of plan-making reforms. I am today publishing more detailed information about the design of the legislation required to implement the new system; how we intend to roll it out across the country, and the resources that will be made available to support plan makers to that end.

Designing and implementing new plan-making regulations

We will shortly lay the regulations that will underpin our new approach to plan making. These will reflect our February 2025 response to the previous Government’s consultation on the new plan-making system, and their development has taken into account responses to that consultation, as well as feedback provided through extensive engagement with the sector.

The regulations will set out a new process for producing plans, with clear steps that a local planning authority will need to take. This should support faster preparation of plans and more frequent updates, in line with our aim of universal coverage of up-to-date plans that reflect local needs.

The Government are today publishing a summary of what we intend these regulations to contain. This will provide plan makers and other key stakeholders with the information they need to familiarise themselves with the new system in advance of it coming into force early next year.

Rolling out the new plan-making system

The Government are acutely aware that many local planning authorities are keen to start work on plans in the new system at the earliest opportunity, to give themselves the best possible chance of success and provide much-needed certainty for their communities.

Having considered carefully responses to the earlier consultation, I am announcing today that we no longer intend to roll the system out in a series of plan-making waves. Instead, local planning authorities will be encouraged to bring plans forward as soon as possible following the commencement of the regulations early in the new year.

While authorities will have discretion over how soon they start their plan, regulations will set out final backstop dates for when plan-making must legally have commenced. Local planning authorities covered by the NPPF transitional arrangements will have to commence formal plan making (gateway 1) by 31 October 2026, while those that have a plan that is already over five years old must commence by 30 April 2027. Further information will be set out in the regulations and in guidance.

We will provide a minimum of £14 million of funding this financial year to support local plan making. This is to help local planning authorities get ambitious plans in place as soon as possible and to support those starting work on a new plan early in the new plan-making system. Further details will be published shortly.

Guidance and tools to support local authorities

In February 2025 we launched a new home for local plan-making resources on gov.uk— https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/create-or-update-a-local-plan

This is already supporting plan makers. Today we are going further by publishing, in draft, the first dedicated guidance and tools to support plan makers bringing forward a local plan in the new system.

For this initial release we have prioritised resources that can best support plan makers in the earliest stages of plan-making, aiding their understanding of how the new system will work and what they could focus on now to get ready. Additional practical tools and templates have been provided by the Planning Advisory Service, which will further support plan makers with their preparations. These resources form part of a growing digital offer to support plan makers to deliver local plans faster. It will be followed by the timely release of tools and services both this year and beyond.

Plan making in the current system

The Government have been clear that they want local planning authorities to continue bringing forward plans as quickly as possible ahead of the new system coming into force. For plans progressing to adoption under the existing plan-making legal framework, we will be setting out in the aforementioned regulations that the final date for submission for examination will be 31 December 2026.

As set out in the revised NPPF published on 12 December 2024, local plans that reached regulation 19 stage on or before 12 March and needed updating as they were meeting less than 80% of local housing need, are expected to be updated and submitted by 12 June 2026, unless updating the plan required the authority to return to regulation 18. If this was the case, authorities have until 31 December 2026 to reach submission.

The Government are committed to taking tough action to ensure that local authorities have up-to-date local plans in place. While we hope the need will not arise, we have made it clear that we are willing to make full use of available intervention powers—including taking over a local authority’s plan making directly—if local plans are not progressed as required.

Duty to co-operate

The new plan-making system provided by the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 does not include the duty to co-operate that was inserted into the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 through the Localism Act 2011 to help bridge the gap in cross-boundary co-operation resulting from the abolition of regional planning. Instead, the new system will rely on revised national policy and the new tier of strategic planning to ensure effective co-operation between plan-making authorities.

The regulations for the new system will also save the current plan-making system for a period to allow emerging plans to progress to examination by 31 December 2026. Given the above, and to help drive local plans to adoption as quickly as possible and progress towards our objective of universal local plan coverage, we have decided not to “save” the duty, thereby removing this requirement for plans in the current system.

Local planning authorities should continue to collaborate across their boundaries, including on unmet development needs from neighbouring areas, and we expect planning inspectors to continue to examine plans in line with the policies in the NPPF on maintaining effective co-operation. I have written to the chief executive of the Planning Inspectorate to ask that these matters are made clear to local plan inspectors.

December 1, 2025
Al Carns – 2025 Statement on the Defence Estate Security Review

The statement made by Al Carns, the Minister for the Armed Forces, in the House of Commons on 27 November 2025.

Further to the Minister for the Armed Forces’ statement of 8 September (HCWS913), I am providing a further update on the measures we continue to take to enhance and improve security across the defence estate.

As we set out previously, after many years of under-investment and hollowing out under the previous Administration, we have identified the physical security of our sites as an area in need of greater focus. The Department is using in-year funding to deliver physical security enhancements, focusing on high priority sites across the defence estate. We remain committed to maintaining the highest standards of security to safeguard our national defence capabilities.

Since we last updated the House, we have maintained our posture of enhanced vigilance and continue to strengthen our security culture. Our updated guidance and reinforcing messaging applies to all those working on our estate, including our contractors. We have made it easier for defence personnel and industry partners to report suspected security incidents.

In respect of our airbases, the Royal Air Force has made significant progress in strengthening security through advanced technical enhancements, now operational at multiple main operating bases. These enhancements provide a robust layer of protection at our most critical sites. A key innovation is the use of cutting-edge technology through the immediate threat mitigation solution—a self-contained CCTV system designed to detect, track and deter unauthorised access.

This technical innovation strengthens physical security measures. At RAF Brize Norton, for instance, the upgraded automated track-and-detect system monitors specific areas and feeds into a central control room which is monitored 24/7, enabling faster decision making and improving the Military Provost Guard Service’s ability to respond swiftly and effectively to incidents. In addition, engagement with local landowners and Thames Valley police is strengthening suspicious activity reporting.

Together, these steps ensure technology and our workforce operate in tandem as part of a layered security approach, with lessons learned being rolled out across the defence estate.

We will also be piloting restricted airspace above 40 strategic sites across the defence estate, a precursor to wider implementation in 2026, reinforcing existing national security act legislation. This will aid the enforcement of the National Security Act prohibited place legislation and assist with identifying malicious and unlawful activity. We are significantly investing in remote piloted aerial systems, a drone capability that provides persistent surveillance and patrolling to help deter threats and identify them when they arise. This equipment has been procured and personnel are beginning training shortly.

We have taken decisive steps to improve recruitment across MOD Police, MOD Guard Service, Military Provost Guard Service, and Security Services Group. Recent financial incentive campaigns for the Military Provost Guard Service have been a success and we will consider similar campaigns where appropriate. Other steps include more targeted approaches to advertising and improved candidate engagement.

Looking further ahead, improvements through the implementation of the strategic defence review will address the chronic under-investment in the security of the defence estate this Government inherited and improve the assurance of security and resilience risk management that this Government inherited. The £20 million for digital transformation of our security, which the Minister for the Armed Forces announced in her statement to the House on 8 September, is being invested in three flagship systems to modernise defence security. These include MOD adoption of the critical national infrastructure knowledge base, a new enterprise incident case management system, and a real-time physical security assurance platform.

Ensuring the safety and security of the defence estate continues to be a key priority. We are focused on improving physical security, taking advantage of technological advancements and reinforcing our workforce to ensure that we deliver. And all those who seek to threaten the security of our bases should be in no doubt that we will use all the levers at our disposal to take swift action wherever and whenever that occurs. The Department will not hesitate to pursue prosecution where criminality is suspected.

December 1, 2025
Chris Elmore – 2025 Statement on Abductions in Nigeria

The statement made by Chris Elmore, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State of Foreign Affairs, in the House of Commons on 27 November 2025.

My noble Friend the Minister of State for International Development and Africa (the right hon. Baroness Chapman of Darlington) has today made the following statement:

I am writing to update the House on recent abductions in Nigeria, and the UK’s ongoing security partnership with Nigeria.

In the last week, Nigeria has faced a further series of abhorrent abductions from schools and churches, including the attack on St Mary’s catholic school in Niger state, which is one of the largest recorded mass abductions in the country’s history. These crimes are intolerable. Everyone should be safe to exercise their fundamental human rights to education and freedom of worship. The UK stands firmly with the people and Government of Nigeria during this difficult time, and of course with the families of those children who have been abducted.

As a valued Commonwealth friend, we are working closely with our Nigerian partners as they respond to these incidents, and welcome the efforts to date to secure releases of schoolgirls in Kebbi state and worshippers in Kwara state. One year on from the signing of the UK-Nigeria strategic partnership in November 2024, which includes our security and defence partnership as a key pillar, our co-operation continues to strengthen security and prosperity. This includes assisting the Nigerian Government to establish a dedicated unit, the multi-agency kidnap fusion cell, which brings together Nigeria’s police, military and justice agencies to rescue victims and bring perpetrators to justice.

The safety of school children is paramount. UK education funding has supported school safety improvements including through the “Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria Education” programme. In March 2025, with UK support, a safe school rapid response co-ordination centre was launched in Jigawa state, providing training and deployment of security personnel to public schools.

Abductions and kidnap for ransom remain a prevalent issue across Nigeria. Across the country, insecurity continues to devastate communities and severely impact ordinary people, driving displacement, heightening protection risks and eroding livelihoods. In the north-east, terrorist groups including Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa have indiscriminately killed individuals not just from Christian but also from Muslim communities. In the north-west and north-central, criminal bandits are primarily targeting communities for profit and ransom.

This Government are committed to strengthening our security and defence partnership with Nigeria to address the roots of insecurity. In my meeting with Nigeria’s Foreign Minister, Yusuf Tuggar, on 11 November, we discussed the security situation in Nigeria and issues relating to freedom of religion or belief, and the Foreign Secretary also discussed with him on 10 November the ongoing importance of UK-Nigeria security co-operation.

Through our security and defence partnership, we are helping to build capacity within Nigeria’s security agencies to effectively undertake counter-terrorism operations, investigations and intelligence analysis to prevent future attacks. Our “Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria” programme is working with Nigerian partners to address the root causes of intercommunal conflict, support collaboration and productive livelihoods for farmers and pastoralists and strengthen conflict early warning and response systems.

Through our strategic partnership, this Government remain committed to working with the Government of Nigeria to tackle insecurity in all its forms.

We will continue to express our solidarity with the people of Nigeria, to express our condemnation of these abhorrent abductions, and to stand up for freedom of religion or belief both in Nigeria, and throughout the world. We join the Government of Nigeria in calling for the safe return of all those who have been kidnapped, and call for all perpetrators to be brought to justice.

November 28, 2025
BSC Young Boys Football Club – 2025 Statement on Riots at Aston Villa

A statement made by BSC Young Boys Football Club on 28 November 2025 (translated from German) following riots involving their supporters.

The Aston Villa vs YB match on Thursday evening was overshadowed by incidents in the away sector. A heated atmosphere was already noticeable early on during Villa corners in this area, which escalated following relatively provocative goal celebrations. The fact that beer cups, coins, and even a seat were thrown at players is inexcusable.

Consequently, the referee sent YB captain Loris Benito over to the stand to calm the situation. At that moment, some YB fans attempted to move towards him to talk. However, the police officers, standing with their backs to the pitch, did not notice Loris Benito and assumed the fans were intending to storm the pitch, at which point the situation spiralled completely out of control. Clashes ensued. In the course of these altercations, two people were taken into police custody.

BSC Young Boys condemns in the strongest possible terms the throwing of objects at players and formally distances itself from violence. We also apologise for the behaviour of the individuals responsible.

November 28, 2025
Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2025 Daily Update (27 November 2025)

The statement made by Vladimir Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 27 November 2025.

I wish you health!

Briefly about today. We are using this day, just as every day now, for consultations with partners. Every single day, we exchange information – all the data needed to determine the optimal steps. The Russian war continues, and we all hear that Russia scorns the efforts of key global powers to truly end the war – with a lasting peace. But whether there will be peace does not depend on Russia’s threats or on whatever ultimatums it voices. It depends on the conditions the world ensures so that this aggression cannot be continued, and on what we ourselves do to defend our state, our people, and our Ukrainian national rights.

Right now, our defense of positions, our resistance on the frontline, and our joint work with partners to secure better diplomatic standing are equally important. And everything is aligned toward this work.

Already this week – at the end of the week – our team, together with American representatives, will continue to translate the points we secured in Geneva into a form that puts us on the path to peace and security guarantees. There will be a meeting of delegations. The Ukrainian delegation will be well-prepared and focused on substantive work. We remain in close contact with the American side and our European friends. I am also briefing our partners in other parts of the world, and I am grateful to them for their support of our sovereignty and our state. In the meantime, we are doing everything possible to ensure that Ukraine has sufficient defense support.

It is obvious to everyone in the world that Russia not only has the largest internationally recognized territory, but also the largest territory that is undeveloped and neglected. All of Russia exists for the sake of Moscow and St. Petersburg, and if everything else were to collapse, no one there would even notice. So when they want more kilometers of Ukrainian land, it is not about territory for them at all. It is about preserving their power forever – about subjugating a neighboring nation. And we have clearly seen that nothing can be expected from Russia except destruction. And we are not the only ones who have seen it – everyone in Europe has, and every one of Russia’s neighbors, from Finland to Kazakhstan and Japan. Accordingly, everyone understands what must be done for defense, and it is the Ukrainian defense of positions that is the key task for us and for all our partners. The stronger we are in our defense on the frontline, the more we can achieve in diplomacy, and the more actively the world will help us press Russia to end its war.

Today, an important meeting of the sanctions coordinators of European states took place. And if Putin does not want to stop, the sanctions will not stop. The priorities are clear – to hit Russian oil, Russia’s technological base, its finances, and its assets that serve the Russian war machine. The world will help us.

I thank everyone who is pressuring the aggressor now, and everyone who is defending Ukraine from pressure. We value this deeply, and we see every such effort. Next week, there will be important negotiations not only for our delegation, but also for me personally, and we are laying solid groundwork for those talks. Ukraine will stand firm. It always will. Thank you to everyone who helps us! Thank you to everyone who defends Ukraine as if defending themselves.

Glory to Ukraine!

November 28, 2025
NEWS STORY : Farage Faces Fresh Questions as Former UKIP Figure Rejects Russia Claims

STORY

David Coburn, the former UKIP MEP for Scotland, has firmly denied circulating online allegations suggesting he has undisclosed links to Russia, calling them “nonsense” and “the sort of rumour invented by people with too much free time and too little critical thinking”. Coburn issued a statement insisting he has “no connections, financial or otherwise, to any Russian political or commercial interests”.

Coburn said he was “irritated but not surprised” by the attention, adding that his years in European politics had made him “quite immune to internet theatrics”. He stressed that he has never engaged with Russian state actors and dismissed suggestions of improper influence as “purely imaginative and entirely wrong”.

The situation has drawn renewed attention to figures associated with the Brexit-era UKIP scene, including Nigel Farage, who once counted Coburn among his closest political allies. Although Farage is not directly involved in the claims, critics say the reappearance of disputes around former party colleagues does little to bolster confidence in his judgement of character.

November 28, 2025
Jess Brown-Fuller – 2025 Comments on Limiting Right to Jury Trials

The comments made by Jess Brown-Fuller, the Liberal Democrat spokesperson on Justice, in the House of Commons on 27 November 2025.

The leaked memo from the Ministry of Justice, which reveals plans to rip up our criminal justice system, is particularly surprising, given that the Deputy Prime Minister himself has stated that “Jury trials are fundamental”. In a report that he wrote, he called jury trials

“a success story of our justice system”.

Juries are not the cause of the court backlog; that was complacency from the former Government and a failure to grip the issue by this Government, totally failing the victims who are currently waiting. Will the Minister clarify whether this MOJ proposal is a suggested temporary emergency measure or a permanent erosion of our criminal justice system? Does she share my concern that the Office for Budget Responsibility is showing a real-terms cut of 3% a year to the MOJ’s capital budget after the Budget yesterday? Does she agree with the Deputy Prime Minister’s diagnosis from opposition that the Government should

“pull their finger out and acquire empty public buildings across the country”

in order to clear the backlog?

Sarah Sackman

As the hon. Member heard me say a moment ago, the constitutional right that we guarantee every citizen in this country who comes before our criminal courts is the right to a fair trial. When victims are waiting for years for their day in court, right now justice is not being served. When the Secretary of State made those comments, it was obviously in a very different context, not one where the Conservatives had allowed the backlogs to run out of control. As I said clearly earlier, the right to a jury trial and the jury trial will always be a cornerstone of the British justice system. That will not change. It does not change in Sir Brian’s report, in which he recommends the restriction of jury trials in certain cases, and it will not change in the plans that the Government are bringing out. She is right that we need a combination of structural reform and investment and, indeed, we are making that investment. We have increased capital investment in court maintenance and buildings to £148.5 million. We are opening new criminal courts, for example in central London, in Blackpool and in other parts of the country. We have to build system capacity, with more judges, more lawyers and more staff to man those cases, but ultimately we must be laser-focused on the need to deliver swifter justice for victims. In order to do that, we will, in due course, in response to Sir Brian Leveson’s recommendations, bring forward very careful plans that protect people’s rights, including that right to a fair trial.

November 28, 2025
Sarah Sackman – 2025 Statement on Limiting Right to Jury Trials

The statement made by Sarah Sackman, the Minister for Courts and Legal Services, in the House of Commons on 27 November 2025.

This Government inherited an emergency in our criminal courts, with record and rising caseloads, leaving the victims behind each and every one of those cases facing agonising delays and waiting to see justice done, while some defendants hope that their accusers simply give up on justice.

That is why the Government asked Sir Brian Leveson, a pre-eminent jurist and one of our most experienced judges, to undertake an independent review—a once-in-a-generation review—of our criminal courts. We have been carefully considering his recommendations and agree that a crisis of this scale requires bold action to get the system moving and to deliver swifter justice for victims. No final decisions have been made on exactly how to take forward the blueprint that Sir Brian and his expert panel have set down, and I suggest that the House waits for that response.

Let me be clear: jury trials will always be a cornerstone of British justice. This Government will do whatever it takes to protect the fundamental right to a fair trial. The Great British justice system, with all its traditions, would never let victims wait, in some cases for four years, for justice. There is indeed a clash of ideas between those of us on the Government Benches and the Opposition. We are on the side of modernisation, defending our values, and swifter justice for victims, while they are prepared to watch the system rot, not offering any answers. The old adage rings true in the current crisis: justice delayed is justice denied. The system was simply not designed for a scenario where tens of thousands of victims are facing agonising delays for justice.

The vast majority of cases in our courts are already heard without juries. Around 90% of all criminal cases are dealt with robustly and fairly by magistrates, with no jury. The country deserves meaningful reforms that back victims, modernisation and fairness over those gaming the system, and that speed up the courts and get victims the swifter justice that they deserve, resolving the court backlog and ensuring fair justice. As I have said, we intend to respond to the first part of Sir Brian’s review very soon, so I am afraid the House will have to wait a little longer for that response.

Mike Wood (Kingswinford and South Staffordshire) (Con)

Or read the papers.

Mr Speaker

No more leaks just yet, please.

Robert Jenrick

While this Government lurch from one outrage to another, yesterday the Chancellor shredded her promises and dropped a £26 billion tax bomb on working Britain. Meanwhile, we learned that the Justice Secretary is plotting to discard centuries of jury trials without so much as a by-your-leave—and where is the Justice Secretary to answer for this? Do we need to send out a search party to Saville Row in case he has gone suit shopping again this morning? Or perhaps he could not face up to the embarrassment that he is now destroying the very principles he once championed.

Jury trials are

“fundamental to the justice system…fundamental to our democracy. We must protect them.”

Those are not my words, but those of the Justice Secretary himself. This time, he was right: there is wisdom in 12 ordinary citizens pooling their collective experiences of the world. Yet, now that he is in government, he is doing the complete opposite. He blames the court backlog, but if the courtrooms standing empty this year were used, the backlog would be down by 5,000 to 10,000 cases. He pleads poverty on law and order, but yesterday the Chancellor came here and found £16 billion more to spend on benefits.

The truth is that the Labour party just does not think that ordinary people are up to it. It does not trust them with these decisions. Give away the Chagos islands, shackle us to the European convention on human rights, scrap jury trials—all because lawyers know best. And when the Justice Secretary is summoned here to the people’s House, what does he do? He cowers away. Well, the people who make up juries—the British people—will not wear it any more.

I have one simple question for the Minister he sent in his stead. Will she protect what is fundamental to our democracy, or will she stand by as the Justice Secretary casually casts aside centuries of English liberty?

Sarah Sackman

How extraordinary, Mr Speaker. The right hon. Gentleman claims to care about the rule of law; he claims to care about ancient legal traditions. This is the same shadow Justice Secretary who denigrates our independent judges and our legal community standing up for rights. I have already said it, and I will say it again: the right to a jury trial for our most serious cases will remain a fundamental part of our British legal tradition.

Since he is so fond of quoting our ancient principles and quoting Magna Carta, let me remind him of what is our constitutional right. Magna Carta states:

“to no one will we…delay right or justice.”

The right to a swift and prompt trial is a fundamental ingredient of fairness. When we have the crisis we inherited from the Conservative party, with a backlog now of some 80,000 cases—and behind each and every one of those cases is an actual victim and somebody accused of a crime—in the current system, we are denying a fair trial. When victims and witnesses pull out of the process, as is increasingly happening, that denies fairness.

I say this while wearing this pin, which shows that we stand in 16 days of activism against violence against women and girls: a woman reporting a rape today in London will be told that her trial may not come on until 2029-30. That is not justice at all, and it is a consequence of allowing the Crown court backlog to spiral out of control while doing nothing and offering not a single answer. That is not upholding the fundamental British constitutional right to a fair trial; it is exactly the opposite.

I for one, certainly, and as part of this Government, am not prepared to sit idly by. That is why we have gripped the crisis, making record investment in sitting days, extending magistrates court sentencing powers, investing in legal aid and asking one of our finest jurists, Brian Leveson, to conduct an independent review to provide us with a blueprint for how we get out of this mess. The Conservative party likes to call itself the party of tradition and the party of law and order, yet it presided over a justice system in which the British public can no longer have confidence.

I am afraid that I am not prepared to let victims down. This Labour Government are finally putting victims first. That is why we will carefully consider Sir Brian’s recommendations. It is why we will undertake to implement his blueprint, which takes as its fundamental premise this: the system is broken. There is no one in this House, no one in the community that represents victims and no one in the legal community—no judge, no one operating and working hard in the system to keep it going—who thinks that the system is not broken. We have to fix it.

Sir Brian Leveson tells us that investment alone will not fix it. We need investment coupled with structural reform and modernisation. That is exactly the blueprint that this Government will bring forward, because, as I said, we believe in the right to a fair trial, we believe in British justice and, unlike the Conservative party, we will deliver swifter justice for victims.

November 28, 2025