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  • NEWS STORY : Government confirms £8.4 billion nuclear deterrent investment

    NEWS STORY : Government confirms £8.4 billion nuclear deterrent investment

    STORY

    The Government has announced an £8.4 billion investment to advance the next phase of the United Kingdom’s next generation nuclear deterrent submarine programme. Ministers said the funding would support national security while providing work for British industry and its supply chain.

    The investment will be used to progress construction and associated development work on the submarines that will eventually replace the Vanguard class. The Ministry of Defence said the programme is intended to maintain the United Kingdom’s continuous at sea deterrent for the decades ahead.

    The Government said the programme would sustain specialist engineering, manufacturing and shipbuilding employment in several parts of the country. Expenditure will remain subject to the programme’s existing oversight, procurement and parliamentary accountability arrangements.

  • NEWS STORY : Scott Layfield jailed for 22 years over child sexual abuse offences

    NEWS STORY : Scott Layfield jailed for 22 years over child sexual abuse offences

    STORY

    A man has been sentenced to 22 years in prison after pleading guilty to 25 child sexual abuse offences. The offences included the rape of a girl in the United Kingdom and arranging the livestreaming of abuse involving a girl in the Philippines.

    The investigation involved officers working across national and international boundaries to identify the victims and secure evidence. The court also imposed an extended licence period of eight years, meaning the offender will remain subject to supervision after his release from custody.

    Police said the sentence reflected the scale and seriousness of the offending. Officers also acknowledged the victims and the agencies involved in tracing the online activity and bringing the prosecution.

  • NEWS STORY : Prime Minister announces new income tax share for mayors

    NEWS STORY : Prime Minister announces new income tax share for mayors

    STORY

    The Prime Minister has announced plans to give mayors a share of income tax revenues as part of what the Government described as the largest transfer of power from Westminster in a generation. The proposal is intended to give regional leaders greater control over spending decisions affecting jobs, transport, housing and public services.

    Under the plans, mayoral authorities would receive new fiscal powers alongside existing devolved budgets. The Government said the arrangements would allow areas to retain a direct financial interest in economic growth and use additional resources according to local priorities.

    Further details will be required on the size of the income tax share, the distribution formula and the timetable for implementation. Ministers said the policy would be developed with mayors and local authorities before the new arrangements take effect.

  • NEWS STORY : Former Dorset police officer, James McClements, jailed for misconduct in public office

    NEWS STORY : Former Dorset police officer, James McClements, jailed for misconduct in public office

    STORY

    A former Dorset Police officer has been jailed after admitting misconduct in public office arising from an inappropriate sexual relationship with a vulnerable domestic abuse victim. James McClements pleaded guilty in April and was sentenced following a prosecution brought by the Crown Prosecution Service.

    The court heard that McClements met the woman while attending an incident in his professional capacity. Prosecutors said he subsequently abused the trust placed in him as an officer and developed a relationship with someone he knew to be vulnerable.

    The Crown Prosecution Service said the case demonstrated the seriousness with which abuses of police authority are treated. Dorset Police had previously investigated the conduct and referred the evidence for a charging decision.

  • NEWS STORY : EU releases €3.47 billion to Ukraine under support loan

    NEWS STORY : EU releases €3.47 billion to Ukraine under support loan

    STORY

    The European Commission has disbursed €3.47 billion to Ukraine through the defence window of the €90 billion Ukraine Support Loan. The payment was announced as part of the European Union’s continuing financial support for Ukraine during the war with Russia.

    The funding is intended to support Ukraine’s defence requirements while maintaining the operation of public services and the wider state. The Commission said disbursements under the loan are linked to agreed arrangements and form part of a broader package of European assistance.

    The payment follows earlier EU grants and loans provided through the Ukraine Facility and other financial instruments. European institutions have said further support will remain subject to the conditions and procedures agreed by the Council and European Parliament.

  • Yvette Cooper – 2026 Comments on Social Care

    Yvette Cooper – 2026 Comments on Social Care

    The comments made by Yvette Cooper, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on 29 July 2026.

    Too many older and disabled people are being let down by a broken system, while millions of unpaid carers shoulder an enormous burden every day. When social care fails, it affects people’s independence, families’ lives and communities across the country.

    More than 50 years ago, Barbara Castle recognised that health and social care must work hand in hand. Today, with demand for care rising and more people relying on support to live independently, that vision has never been more important.

    For decades, governments have struggled to solve this challenge. This government is determined to change that, working across political divides to deliver the lasting reform social care needs and build a system that gives people the dignity, support and security they deserve.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Birmingham fraudster Faruk Chowdhury secured Covid support for company which never traded [July 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Birmingham fraudster Faruk Chowdhury secured Covid support for company which never traded [July 2026]

    The press release issued by the Insolvency Service on 29 July 2026.

    • Faruk Chowdhury fraudulently claimed his Learn & Earn Ltd company had a turnover of £150,000 when applying for £37,500 in Covid support, despite having no genuine trading activity
    • He transferred the Bounce Back Loan money to his personal bank accounts within days and used the money to pay off his own debts
    • The 45-year-old was handed a suspended sentence, with the Insolvency Service now working to recover the fraudulently obtained funds

    A Birmingham director has been sentenced after fraudulently inflating his company’s turnover to secure Covid support which he used to pay off his personal debts.

    Faruk Chowdhury falsely claimed his company had a turnover of £150,000 and that the Bounce Back Loan would be used for legitimate business purposes.

    Chowdhury’s company, Learn & Earn Ltd, showed no genuine trading activity before or after receiving the £35,000 Bounce Back Loan and £2,500 top-up in late 2020 and early 2021.

    The 45-year-old, of Churchill Road, Birmingham, was sentenced to 22 months in prison, suspended for two years, at Birmingham Crown Court on Tuesday 28 July.

    He was also ordered to complete 250 hours of unpaid work.

    David Snasdell, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said:

    Faruk Chowdhury cynically exploited a government scheme designed to support legitimate businesses through an unprecedented crisis. He made false declarations about his company’s turnover and business activities, knowing full well that the funds would be used to settle his personal debts rather than support any genuine trading.

    Bounce Back Loans were a vital lifeline for small businesses during the pandemic, and those who abused the scheme undermined public confidence in government support.

    The Insolvency Service remains committed to investigating and prosecuting those who fraudulently obtained the loans, and work to recover the stolen funds.

    Chowdhury was the sole director of Learn & Earn Ltd, which was established in February 2020, just weeks before the pandemic began. The company described its trading on Companies House as “repair of computers and peripheral equipment”.

    In December 2020, Chowdhury secured the £35,000 Bounce Back Loan from a bank, fraudulently claiming his business had a turnover of £150,000 and that the funds would be used wholly for business purposes.

    Within days of receiving the loan, he transferred £25,000 to his personal bank account, with the remaining £10,000 following in early January 2021.

    Chowdhury obtained a £2,500 top-up to the loan in February 2021, providing the same turnover figure of £150,000 and again falsely declaring the money would be used for business purposes.

    The £2,500 was transferred to his personal account within days.

    Chowdhury claimed in interviews that the company had generated income and that he had used the funds to purchase computer equipment and pay himself as the sole employee.

    He alleged his business had been impacted by the pandemic and that he needed the loans to obtain premises and consolidate his personal debts due to a poor credit rating.

    However, banking records showed no genuine trading activity, no payments to any computer supplier, and the company never filed accounts or submitted tax returns.

    Learn & Earn Ltd entered liquidation in April 2021 and Chowdhury was disqualified as a director for nine years in January 2022 as a result of his misconduct at the company.

    The Insolvency Service is seeking to recover the fraudulently obtained funds under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

    Further information

    • Faruk Chowdhury is of Churchill Road, Birmingham. His date of birth is 24 May 1981
  • Andy Burnham – 2026 Comments on Social Care

    Andy Burnham – 2026 Comments on Social Care

    The comments made by Andy Burnham, the Prime Minister on 28 July 2026.

    Last week I said we needed a different kind of politics: problem-solving, not point-scoring. Nowhere is that more urgent than social care.

    For decades, governments have kicked this issue down the road because they’ve seen it as too risky, too difficult, and too complicated.

    Politicians might have different views but I’m serious about fixing this issue and to do that, we have to find common ground and listen to others to find a way forward.

    It’s time to draw a line under people playing politics when the human cost of that means carers struggling, families paying the price and our NHS buckling under the strain.

    This comes down to a choice. We can carry on passing the problem to the next generation, or we can face it head on and work together to build a care system that gives people dignity, security and the support they deserve.

    This is about bringing back hope that we can finally fix the difficult issues that have been ignored for too long, and making Britain believe again.

    That’s why I’m making this choice and I’m prepared to put everything I’ve got behind it.

  • PRESS RELEASE : FCDO statement on democratic governance, civic space and human rights in Nicaragua [July 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : FCDO statement on democratic governance, civic space and human rights in Nicaragua [July 2026]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 28 July 2026.

    An FCDO statement on recent declarations by the Nicaraguan authorities about elections.

    An FCDO spokesperson said:

    “The UK Government remains deeply concerned by the continued deterioration of democratic governance, civic space and human rights in Nicaragua.

    Recent declarations by the Nicaraguan authorities about elections represent a further assault on democratic principles and the Nicaraguan people’s right to choose their leaders freely and fairly

    We urge the Nicaraguan authorities to uphold their international human rights commitments, restore democratic guarantees, and create the conditions for meaningful political participation, peaceful dissent and respect for fundamental freedoms.”

  • PRESS RELEASE : The trajectory in the West Bank and East Jerusalem remains alarming – UK statement at the UN Security Council [July 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : The trajectory in the West Bank and East Jerusalem remains alarming – UK statement at the UN Security Council [July 2026]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 28 July 2026.

    Statement by Ambassador Kate Foster, UK Chargé d’Affaires to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on the Middle East.

    Last November this Council adopted UN Security Council Resolution 2803, endorsing President Trump’s Comprehensive Peace Plan for Gaza. 

    It continues to offer a historic opportunity to achieve lasting peace. But eight months on, implementation risks stalling. 

    Now is the time for all parties to fulfil their commitments under the plan, in full.  

    In that context, I will highlight three priorities to reinvigorate implementation. 

    First, we need further action to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza. 

    Civilians continue to endure horrendous conditions surrounded by sewage and rubble. 

    We welcome the progress that has pulled Gaza back from the levels of famine seen last year. 

    However, according to the IPC’s latest snapshot, 1.2 million people still face significant food shortages, with projections indicating 90% of the population will remain dependent on humanitarian aid to survive. 

    While food may be available in some private markets, it remains unaffordable or inaccessible for many Palestinians, particularly the most vulnerable. 

    Averting famine cannot be a benchmark for success. Nor can improving the humanitarian situation be conditional on progress on other tracks.  

    Israel must fulfil its commitments under the Comprehensive Plan by ensuring unimpeded humanitarian access. 

    This includes opening more crossings into Gaza, streamlining the dual-use approvals process, and allowing life-saving and essential recovery items to enter. 

    We are also deeply concerned by reports of Hamas obstructing humanitarian operations, as Deputy Special Coordinator Alakbarov set out today. 

    That includes the recent incident at a World Food Programme distribution centre.

    Actions that disrupt the lifesaving assistance are unacceptable.

    The UN, including UNRWA, and NGOs must be able to operate safely and at scale so that they can help alleviate the suffering.  

    Second, we need renewed momentum on security, governance, and recovery in Gaza. 

    We reiterate that Hamas must fulfil its commitments to decommission its weapons and dismantle its terrorist infrastructure.  

    This should be phased and verified alongside a strengthened Palestinian security presence, deployment of an International Stabilisation Force, and a sequenced Israeli withdrawal.  

    At the recent Palestinian Donor Group, the UK joined the Team Gaza Initiative and announced over 13 million dollars for the UN Horizon Fund.  

    These commitments should support Palestinian-led delivery across all of Gaza. 

    There can be no permanent arrangements that entrench Gaza’s division or leave millions of people living under Hamas control.   

    Thirdly, the trajectory in the West Bank and East Jerusalem remains deeply alarming.  

    We are appalled by the violence in the West Bank on 24 July, in which four Palestinians and two Israelis were killed. 

    We condemn violence on all sides and call for de-escalation. 

    We urge the Israeli government to exercise restraint, to uphold stability and international law, and to ensure accountability for crimes. 

    We are also alarmed by the mass incursion at the Haram al Sharif Temple Mount on 23 July by thousands of Jewish worshippers. 

    The Status Quo on Jerusalem’s holy sites is clear and should be respected. 

    We are further concerned by reports of an incursion by Israeli forces on an UNRWA training centre near Kalandia refugee camp yesterday morning.  

    These incidents form part of a broader deterioration in the stability and security of the West Bank, fuelled by settler violence and Israeli government policies.

    104 Israeli settlements have been approved in four years, and billions of dollars allocated to speed up construction. Together, these represent a deliberate attempt to erode the possibility of a two-state solution. 

    Madam President, the path to peace requires the parties to demonstrate the political will needed to realise the promise of the comprehensive peace plan.  

    We must now renew momentum across all tracks and deliver positive change on the ground. 

    That is the only route to a future based on a two-state solution that delivers peace, security, and dignity for Palestinians and Israelis alike.