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PRESS RELEASE : UK drone transformation to strengthen Armed Forces backed by more than £5 billion [June 2026]
The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 29 June 2026.

Britain’s Armed Forces will be strengthened and thousands of British jobs created through a drone transformation, announced by the Prime Minister and backed by more than £5 billion in the Government’s Defence Investment Plan.
- Largest ever drone investment in UK Armed Forces – more than £5 billion over the next four years – to be included in the Defence Investment Plan.
- Investment will drive a drone transformation for the UK Armed Forces, with new technology and infrastructure to keep the nation at the leading edge of innovation, and back British jobs.
- Prime Minister to launch Defence Investment Plan today (Tuesday 30 June), setting out how the Government will go further and faster on defence spending to protect the nation.
Britain’s Armed Forces will be strengthened and thousands of British jobs created through a drone transformation, announced by the Prime Minister today and backed by more than £5 billion in the Government’s Defence Investment Plan.

In a major speech at a British defence firm today (Tuesday 30 June), the Prime Minister will set out how new investment in defence will accelerate the use of drones and autonomous systems across the Armed Forces and keep the country safe for years to come, as he launches the Defence Investment Plan.

As the conflicts in Iran and Ukraine show, drones are rapidly reshaping warfare, with cheap systems destroying high value targets and innovation cycles measured in weeks, not years.

Ukraine uses roughly 200,000 drones a month to defend itself from Russia’s barbaric invasion, while at the height of the Iran conflict, 700 offensive drones were being launched per day.

The £5 billion investment will see Britain build a flexible, integrated force with attack drones flying alongside Army helicopters, RAF jets made invisible from enemy detection with new drones, and a hybrid Royal Navy made up of crewed and uncrewed vessels.

It will also fund Europe’s biggest drone testing centre, the Uncrewed Systems Centre, opened earlier this month in Swindon, and a new Uncrewed Systems Taskforce to rapidly develop and field new autonomous capabilities with industry. This will ensure the UK can continuously scale production and get the very latest drones into the hands of our Armed Forces to protect the UK and our Allies.

The Prime Minister will today lay out other key areas of the Defence Investment Plan and how the Government will go further and faster on defence spending to protect national security, drive growth across the country and deliver opportunity.

The Defence Secretary has spent the last two weeks refocusing the DIP so that it prioritises getting the latest kit into the hands of military personnel, including for the UK’s elite Commandos. They will be equipped with new high-speed boats and the latest drone and autonomous technology. At least six new warships will also be built for the Royal Navy, delivering the UK’s most advanced maritime air defence capability and keeping British shipyards working for decades to come.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

This game-changing investment will strengthen our Armed Forces on land, at sea and in the air, ensuring our servicemen and women have the cutting-edge capabilities they need to deter evolving threats and keep the British people safe.

At the same time, we are backing British innovation, British industry and British jobs and delivering opportunity to every corner of the country.

Today’s Defence Investment Plan will help drive growth across the UK, giving our industrial base the confidence, certainty and support it needs to develop and scale the technologies that will keep our country safe and secure long into the future.

Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis MBE MP said:

Our Armed Forces are serving at an increasingly dangerous and unpredictable time. We are determined to give them what they need as they serve with courage and exceptional skill to keep us safe.

The character of warfare is rapidly changing. In Ukraine and the Middle East, uncrewed systems are defining conflicts. This largest ever UK investment into these evolving technologies will help our Armed Forces stay ahead of our adversaries, backed by the best of our defence industry. We are giving our extraordinary people the equipment they need to fight and win.

This major investment will see capabilities ranging from highly complex autonomous mine-hunting drones to small ‘quadcopter’ tactical drones, and low-cost ‘kamikaze’ one-way attack drones. The drone transformation will be accelerated across all the services:

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is transforming into a Hybrid Navy, combining autonomous vessels and AI with warships and aircraft, including:
- Type 91: Uncrewed missile platforms to increase the firepower of the Hybrid Fleet.
- Type 92: Uncrewed sense platforms designed to hunt enemy submarines across the North Atlantic, supporting our new frigates.
- Type 93: Extra-large uncrewed underwater vessels which will work alongside crewed hunter-killer submarines to seek and destroy enemy submarines.
- Type 94: Uncrewed sense platforms designed to scan the skies for threats to the hybrid navy or the homeland.
- In the 2030s, we will expand the numbers of the above platforms and bring at least six Common Combat Vessels into service as the brain of a networked Maritime Air Defence system.
- Project PANTHEON: Development of a Hybrid Carrier Air Wing, including trialling jet-powered drones to work alongside our F-35B force.
- Our Royal Marine Commandos will benefit from further investment in their transformation, equipped with new high-speed boats and the latest drone and autonomous technology.
British Army

The British Army is increasing its lethality, including through:
- A major investment into inexpensive expendable autonomous systems and loitering munitions to enhance the lethality of the Army, including a £50 million boost over the next 12 months for the Army’s RAPSTONE programme, funding additional first person view and interceptor drones.
- Uncrewed Ground Vehicles: A new programme to rapidly develop and produce uncrewed vehicles and their associated mission systems for the Army through UK industry.
- Project NYX: Up to 24 autonomous armed drones will be operational by 2030, flying alongside the Army’s recently upgraded Apache helicopters. They will carry out reconnaissance, precision strikes, and electronic warfare.
- Project Corvus: Up to 24 surveillance drones to replace the Watchkeeper system, carrying out intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance.
Royal Air Force

The Royal Air Force is transforming, investing in:
- A new, national Collaborative Combat Air programme: The development of new autonomous fighter jets which will fly alongside crewed jets, to defend the UK’s skies with a demonstrator flying by at least 2030.
- Storm Shroud system: Bring our new uncrewed electronic warfare drone into service this year.
This Defence Investment Plan is delivering the vision set out in the Strategic Defence Review and placing defence on a stronger, more sustainable footing.

The Defence Investment Plan will prioritise growing sovereign British AI and autonomous technology, drawing on the UK’s world-leading research base – collaborating with key allies and positioning Britain to export cutting-edge defence capabilities internationally.
01/07/2026
David Lammy – 2026 Comments on Domestic Killers Having Longer in Prison

The comments made by David Lammy, the Deputy Prime Minister, on 29 June 2026.

For centuries, the law failed to protect women from violence at the hands of their partner – whether from marital rape or from abuse behind closed doors. Whilst we’ve made significant progress, we need to continue righting these wrongs.

This change closes a long overdue gap and will ensure those who murder their partner face sentences that better reflect the devastating harm they cause.

I pay tribute to Carole Gould, Julie Devey and Elaine Newborough whose courageous campaign will help future mothers, daughters and wives get the justice they deserve.

01/07/2026
PRESS RELEASE : Justice for victims as domestic killers to face longer behind bars [June 2026]
The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 29 June 2026.

People who kill their partner, or ex, to face a 25-year sentencing start point under a change announced today by the Deputy Prime Minister.
- Longer sentences for murders committed by partners or exes
- DPM pays tribute to courageous campaigners who fought for historic change
- Part of Government’s commitment to halve violence against women and girls
Heinous offenders who kill their partner, or ex, could face an additional 10 years in prison, under a change announced today by the Deputy Prime Minister.

Under the current law, most domestic murders have a 15-year sentencing starting point, because they take place in the home with a weapon most likely already at the scene. However, for other murders where a weapon is taken to the scene with intent, the starting point is 25 years.

The Government has announced today (30 June) it intends to close this 10-year gap so that domestic murders are dealt with the same severity as other murders – regardless of whether they happen at home or anywhere else.

Domestic murders are among the most devastating crimes and often represent a culmination of prolonged trauma and abuse.

Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary, David Lammy said:

For centuries, the law failed to protect women from violence at the hands of their partner – whether from marital rape or from abuse behind closed doors. Whilst we’ve made significant progress, we need to continue righting these wrongs.

This change closes a long overdue gap and will ensure those who murder their partner face sentences that better reflect the devastating harm they cause.

I pay tribute to Carole Gould, Julie Devey and Elaine Newborough whose courageous campaign will help future mothers, daughters and wives get the justice they deserve.

More than a fifth of all murders are domestic, and overwhelmingly women are the victims in these cases.

This change forms part of the Government’s commitment to halve Violence Against Women and Girls, and ensure swifter justice for victims and their families.

The change will also include important safeguards to further protect victims. This means in cases where a victim of domestic abuse kills their abuser, the existing 15-year baseline starting point will still apply.

This change was only made possible by this Government stabilising the prison system and introducing the Sentencing Act to ensure that the most dangerous offenders can always be put behind bars.

Further information:
- This change to the law is subject to consultation with the Sentencing Council.
- This measure will be introduced as soon as possible.
- Further policy details, including the application to children who murder, will be outlined in due course.
- The new starting point will apply to future murders after the date of implementation and will not be applied retrospectively.
- This work is being conducted alongside the Law Commission’s review of homicide law and sentencing, to address the disparity as quickly as possible, ahead of the review’s conclusion in 2028.
01/07/2026
PRESS RELEASE : Civilians must never bear the consequences of conflict – UK statement at the UN Security Council [June 2026]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 29 June 2026.

Statement by Jennifer MacNaughtan, UK Minister Counsellor, at the Security Council meeting on Belarus.

Any loss of civilian life is a tragedy.

We are saddened by reports of the incident on 17 June involving a bus carrying Belarusian civilians in Bryansk, Russia.

Our thoughts are with the families of those killed and injured.

Civilians must never bear the consequences of conflict, and children must always be protected.

At present, we are not aware of any independent verification of the circumstances surrounding the incident.

We note that Ukraine has publicly denied any claims that a Ukrinaian drone struck the bus.

What we do know is that if Russia truly wished to protect civilians, it would agree to a full, immediate, and unconditional ceasefire.

According to OCHA, over 16,000 civilians have been killed in Ukraine since Russia launched its war of choice on 24 February 2022.

None of this would be happening had Russia not launched its illegal full-scale invasion against Ukraine.

President, the United Kingdom’s position is consistent and clear: all allegations of civilian harm should be taken seriously, wherever they occur.

The protection of civilians remains a fundamental obligation under international humanitarian law.

We made that same point when this Council met last week following reports of civilian casualties resulting from recent Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities.

We reiterate it today.

Children have been particularly affected.

The UN has reported that at least 796 children have been killed in Ukriane and a further 2,835 injured since the start of Russia’s war, bringing the total number of child casualties to 3,631.

In Ukraine, children’s homes, schools, and hospitals have been damaged and destroyed.

Russia has targeted the electricity infrastructure that heats their houses in winter, it has disrupted their education, and its attacks have displaced families across Ukraine and beyond.

We should all strive to prevent further civilian suffering.

Russia could do so immediately.

Ukraine has time and again reiterated its commitment to a ceasefire.

We call on Russia also to commit to a ceasefire, to engage meaningfully in peace talks, and to end its illegal war against Ukraine.

01/07/2026
PRESS RELEASE : Resident doctors agree deal with government to end strikes [June 2026]

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 29 June 2026.

BMA votes to accept offer that will see resident doctors benefit from new pay structure and better career-progression opportunities.

Resident doctors have voted to accept an offer from the government, bringing an end to a period of industrial action that has seen 21 days of strikes by the British Medical Association (BMA) resident doctors committee since July 2025.

The government will continue to engage closely with the BMA and other stakeholders to implement this deal and establish a new working relationship, to ensure the NHS remains a place where doctors can thrive and develop rewarding, long-term careers.

The conclusion of strikes by resident doctors will allow the NHS to focus on supporting patients and improving working conditions for all staff, rather than managing disruptive industrial action. When unions and the government work together, patients, staff and services benefit.

Health and Social Care Secretary James Murray said:

This is very good news for resident doctors, patients and the NHS as a whole, allowing us to draw a line under the disruption of previous months and focus on getting on with the job of rebuilding our health service.

Because of this deal, resident doctors will benefit from a new pay structure, better career progression opportunities and a range of other improved conditions to support them as they rotate and train. Patients will be relieved that the NHS is entering a period of greater stability.

But this is the beginning, not the end of the journey. I know there is much more to do, and I am determined to keep working constructively with resident doctors, all NHS staff and the unions who represent them to improve their working lives and together build a health service that is fit for the future.

The deal means resident doctor pay will be 35.2% higher on average compared to 4 years ago. They will also benefit from pay structure reform, leading to more frequent wage rises as they progress and gain new skills which benefit the health service.

Up to 4,500 additional training places will also be created, giving more resident doctors the opportunity to progress in their careers to more senior roles. Competition rates for training places have already halved this year following action from the government to put in place urgent legislation to prioritise UK graduates and those who have spent a significant period in the NHS.

The deal will also put money back in resident doctors’ pockets through the reimbursement of mandatory Royal College portfolio fees and mandatory examinations costs, often worth thousands of pounds, and improve working conditions for locally employed doctors (LEDs) and those who work less than full time (LTFT).

NHS National Medical Director Professor Frankie Swords said:

It’s great news for patients and the NHS that resident doctors have accepted this offer. This means the NHS can focus on providing high-quality care for patients, and the best working environment for all of our staff – including important improvements for resident doctors – and we can avoid further disruption from strikes.

As ever, staff are focused on the job of caring for patients, delivering record numbers of tests and checks despite facing record demand on services due to the warm weather.

Thanks to the tireless efforts of NHS staff, and despite repeated rounds of strike action, waiting lists are over 400,000 lower than in June 2024. The government is committed to building on the progress already made – cutting waiting lists further and continuing to improve conditions for the staff who make the NHS work, in partnership with them.

Each day of strike action by resident doctors costs the NHS around £50 million. The cost of settling this dispute is a fraction of the cost of ongoing industrial action by resident doctors and prevents thousands of appointments and procedures being cancelled on each day of strike action.

The government is committed to improving working conditions for all NHS staff. The NHS Staff Council has been issued with a mandate to negotiate changes to the Agenda for Change pay structure, to ensure that nurses, midwives and paramedics are fairly compensated for the invaluable work they do.

The government has also been working constructively with trade unions to discuss options for consultant contract reform and specialty, associate specialists and specialist (SAS) career progression, in recognition of the valuable contribution of senior NHS doctors.

Thanks to record investment, modernisation and the remarkable efforts of NHS staff across the country, we are making the NHS fit for the future.

01/07/2026
PRESS RELEASE : New UK Envoy to champion LGBT+ rights globally [July 2026]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 29 June 2026.

New UK envoy Lord Collins will champion LGBT+ rights globally, strengthening partnerships to tackle discrimination, violence and persecution.
- new Special Envoy for LGBT+ rights Lord Collins will champion UK efforts to protect LGBT+ people from violence, persecution and discrimination globally
- appointment builds on the UK’s commitment to international LGBT+ rights and role as host of the European IDAHOT+ Forum in 2027
- new Envoy will strengthen partnerships with civil society, governments, parliamentarians and business to defend human rights and support locally led change
LGBT+ people facing violence, persecution and discrimination around the world will be championed by the appointment of Lord Collins of Highbury as the UK Special Envoy for LGBT+ Rights.

The appointment comes as LGBT+ communities, human rights defenders and civil society organisations face rising hostility, less freedom to speak publicly and more severe discriminatory laws in a number of countries.

As Special Envoy, Lord Collins will strengthen UK partnerships with civil society, governments, parliamentarians, business and international organisations. He will support diplomatic and development work to protect and advance human rights and reduce violence against LGBT+ people.

FCDO Minister for Multilateral and Human Rights, Chris Elmore, said:

“Everyone should be able to live safely and freely, no matter who they are or who they love. Lord Collins’ appointment strengthens the UK’s work with civil society and international partners to defend LGBT+ rights, tackle violence and persecution, and support practical change around the world.”

Lord Collins of Highbury, UK Special Envoy for LGBT+ Rights, said:

I am honoured to be appointed as the UK Special Envoy for LGBT+ Rights. No one should face violence, criminalisation or exclusion because of who they are or who they love.

I look forward to working with governments, parliamentarians, civil society, business and communities to defend human rights, support those at greatest risk and help ensure LGBT+ people everywhere can live safely, freely and with dignity.

Lord Collins has a strong record of championing human rights, equality and inclusion. He serves as Deputy Leader of the House of Lords and Government Spokesperson for Equalities and has previously served as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.

The role will report to the FCDO Minister for Multilateral and Human Rights and will complement the UK’s wider work to defend human rights and fundamental freedoms globally.

The appointment forms part of wider government action to advance equality and protect LGBT+ people from abuse, including the draft Conversion Practices Bill and the UK’s role as host of the European IDAHOT+ Forum in London in 2027.

Notes to editors:
- Lord Collins of Highbury succeeds Lord Herbert of South Downs, who served as the first UK Special Envoy for LGBT+ Rights from May 2021 until January 2025
- the UK announced a £21 million commitment in May 2026 to advance LGBT+ rights internationally over three years, supporting legal reform, people’s right to speak freely, and locally led organisations tackling violence and persecution
- the UK will host the European IDAHOT+ Forum in London in May 2027, bringing together governments, civil society organisations, policymakers and advocates from across Europe
- Lord Collins will continue to fulfil his separate duties as Deputy Leader of the House of Lords and Government Spokesperson for Equalities
01/07/2026
NEWS STORY : More Than 450 Blue Badges Cancelled in Wirral Fraud Crackdown

STORY

More than 450 Blue Badges have been cancelled in Wirral after a Government-backed fraud investigation found that permits issued to deceased residents were still being used.

The Cabinet Office and Public Sector Fraud Authority said 459 unauthorised badges had been cancelled by Wirral Council, with an estimated saving to the taxpayer of more than £363,000. The badges were identified through the National Fraud Initiative, which matched council data against central Government records held by the Department for Work and Pensions.

Blue Badges are intended to help disabled people park closer to the places they need to access. Ministers said misuse of the scheme denied spaces to people with genuine need and undermined public confidence in support intended for vulnerable residents.

The investigation created a high-priority list of potentially fraudulent badges by cross-checking records and internal council data. The Government said the approach showed how better use of data could help identify and prevent fraud more quickly across local and central Government.

01/07/2026
PRESS RELEASE : Prime Minister meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte [June 2026]

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 29 June 2026.

The Prime Minister hosted the NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at Downing Street today.

The leaders began by discussing the publication of the Defence Investment Plan. The Prime Minister set out how his plan would focus on readiness and autonomous capability, ensuring British forces would have the equipment they need to keep the UK and its NATO Allies safe.

The leaders then reflected on their recent diplomatic meetings, including at the G7, the E5 in Berlin and the Secretary General’s visit to the US. They discussed the strong international support for Ukraine and looked ahead to the outcomes of the upcoming NATO Summit in Ankara.

Ukraine would form a key part of European security long into the future, with the strongest armed forces in Europe, the leaders agreed.

On the Strait of Hormuz, the Prime Minister and Secretary General discussed the need to ensure the safe passage of global shipping and the Prime Minister updated on the UK’s military assets in the region to support a multi-national mission when the conditions allowed.

They both looked forward to speaking again soon.

01/07/2026
PRESS RELEASE : Government crackdown on fraud leads to cancellation of over 450 Blue Badges in the Wirral [June 2026]
The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 29 June 2026.

Over 450 Blue Badges have been cancelled after findings show permits issued to deceased residents were still being used.
- 459 unauthorised Blue Badges cancelled in Wirral Council, saving over £363,000 for the taxpayer.
- Potentially fraudulent permits identified with a data matching tool through the Public Sector Fraud Authority’s National Fraud Initiative.
- Nationally, the estimated value of Blue Badges cancelled was over £34 million across the past two years.
Over 450 Blue Badges have been cancelled after findings show permits issued to deceased residents were still being used. This joint operation between the Public Sector Fraud Authority and Wirral Council protects parking spaces for those who truly need them and has saved taxpayers over £363,000 between 2024-2025.

Blue Badges give disabled people access to parking where they need it most, with every fraudulent badge denying that access to someone in genuine need. In the last two years, the estimated value of Blue Badges cancelled across the country was over £34 million, as the government is now finding and stopping fraud faster than ever before.

The government’s National Fraud Initiative matched Wirral Council data against central government records held by the Department for Work and Pensions. By cross-referencing these matches to internal records, the investigation team generated a high-priority ‘hotlist’, leading to the cancellation of 459 badges potentially being used fraudulently, with a loss prevention value of over £363,000.

Traffic wardens in the Wirral will now conduct targeted patrols including roads near local schools, with powers to confiscate badges on the spot. Residents misusing badges following the death of the badge holder face formal warning letters and fines of up to £1,000.

Cabinet Office Minister Satvir Kaur said:

Blue Badges are a lifeline for disabled people, allowing them to go about their daily business safely and with dignity. Every time a badge is misused, it unfairly deprives someone in genuine need of a vital parking space right when they need it most.

By working closely with Wirral Council, we are ensuring those in need are properly supported and taxpayer money is protected.

Wirral Council leader and Chair of the Policy and Resources Committee, Cllr Paula Basnett, said:

The Blue Badge scheme is an important means of support for some of our most vulnerable residents, but sadly it seems it has become subject to an acceptable level of misuse across the country.

Our response in Wirral has been to use all the tools at our disposal to conduct a proactive, intelligence-led operation, which is backed up with a stronger enforcement strategy. This includes giving traffic wardens the power to immediately cancel and remove illegally used badges and issue warning letters with the potential for fines up to £1,000.

We have also been collaborating closely with our neighbouring Council in Liverpool to support the management of formal prosecutions. This demonstrates our joined-up approach to tackling fraud locally.

This builds on work done by the government to fight fraud across the public sector, with £7.53 billion saved for the taxpayer over the past year due to our efforts to identify and dismantle fraud across both central and local government.

These measures are part of our long-term commitment to reduce the estimated £55 billion to £81 billion lost annually to fraud and error across government, as we create a more productive and agile state.
01/07/2026
NEWS STORY : LGA chief executive Joanna Killian to step down

STORY

The Local Government Association has announced that Joanna Killian is stepping down as chief executive. The development comes during a period of significant policy pressure for councils, including local Government reorganisation, devolution, financial sustainability and adult social care.

Killian has led the organisation through a period in which councils have warned repeatedly about rising costs and limited resources. Local authorities have faced growing demand in children’s services, housing, special educational needs and adult social care, placing pressure on budgets across the sector.

The appointment of a successor will be watched closely by council leaders and ministers. The LGA’s next chief executive will inherit an organisation seeking to influence a busy Government agenda while representing councils with very different political, financial and structural challenges.

01/07/2026