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NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 12 December 1925

12 DECEMBER 1925

A resolution condemning the Government’s decision to close the Rosyth and Pembroke dockyards was defeated in the House of Commons.

The report stage of the supplementary estimates of £9,000,000 for the coal wages subsidy, and of £1,000,000 to cover the Government guarantee in connection with Wembley, was agreed to.

A Geneva message says that the attempt at mediation made by the Council of the League of Nations in the Mosul dispute has completely failed. The Council’s decision is expected on Tuesday at the latest.

The Australian High Court has ordered the immediate release from prison of Messrs Walsh and Johansen, the strike leaders, and granted costs against the Crown.

The death-roll in connection with the mining disaster near Birmingham, Alabama, is 61.

Nine persons were killed and 21 injured in a railway disaster in Southern India.

The franc reached the record low level of 131.80.

Mr Churchill, speaking at Battersea, described British Socialists as “our Socialist softies and fatheads,” and Moscow Communists as a band of cosmopolitan conspirators gathered from the underworld of Europe and America.

Commenting on the Liberal land scheme at Wick, the Duke of Atholl said that under the plan the land would be “simply more than ever the toy for political wire-pulling,” which he described as the curse of land-owning and farming in this country.

Evidence on behalf of shipping was given at the Coal Commission. Five shillings a ton difference in the cost of coal represented at least 4 per cent. in the capital cost of a ship. Export trade was hampered by delay at Welsh and other ports, where eight to ten days were required to load a cargo that could be done abroad in about three days.

Queen Mary, in a message to the National Chamber of Trade, expresses the hope that every Local Authority and every housewife will co-operate to make the British shopping week a success.

The inquiry by the Ministry of Transport into the Fenny Stratford charabanc disaster was begun. After the engine-driver, fireman, and guard of the train had given evidence, the Inspector stated he had received a message from the Coroner, and deemed it in the public interest that the inquiry should be held in private.

January 1, 2026
NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 11 December 1925

11 DECEMBER 1925

The Duke of Montrose is dead.

A Supplementary Estimate of £1,000,000 for the subsidy in aid of wages in the coal trade was passed by the House of Commons in Committee of Supply. The financial position of the British Empire Exhibition also came under discussion.

By 72 votes to 20 the Dail gave a second reading to the Treaty Agreement Bill.

The ballot vote of the West Lothian shale workers shows a large majority in favour of resumption of work.

At the sitting of the Coal Commission in London, the men’s leaders, in presenting their case, complained of mismanagement of collieries, and referred to the “universal recognition of the failure of the system of private ownership and working.”

General Laidoner reported to the Council of the League of Nations on the Turkish atrocities in the Mosul region. The Turkish delegates did not attend the meeting.

The Prince of Wales, who was the guest of the Argentine Club in London, spoke of the generous hospitality and boundless kindness accorded him during his recent visit.

The Newcastle steamer Landport collided with a Norwegian steamer and sank. Ten of her crew of twelve are missing. Details of the wreck of the Cardiff steamer Competitor off the south-east coast of Africa, show that only six of the crew of 46 were saved. It is feared that the Hull-owned steamer Derville, previously reported as overdue, has been lost with her crew of fifteen.

January 1, 2026
NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 10 December 1925

10 DECEMBER 1925

By the decision of the National Wages Board, no change will be made in the wages and conditions of the men—the companies not having made out their case for a reduction, and the Board not being able to entertain the claims of the men’s Unions for increases in wages and improvement in conditions.

The House of Lords passed through all its stages the Bill to confirm the recent Irish agreement, and the Glasgow Boundaries Bill was also disposed of. A new clause was inserted in the Criminal Justice Bill eliminating forfeiture of theatre licence as the sole penalty for the unauthorised performance of plays, and leaving it to the discretion of the Magistrates to impose a pecuniary penalty as an alternative to a temporary or permanent suspension of the licence.

Mr Snowden’s amendment for the rejection of the Safeguarding of Industries (Customs Duties) Bill was defeated in the House of Commons by 308 to 142, and the Bill was read a second time. Defending the duties, Mr Churchill said they covered one-three-hundredth part of our imports. The Government would require three hundred years to carry a general tariff at the rate they were proceeding. He affirmed his opposition to a general tariff, and said that the Government, while carrying out its safeguarding pledges, had no intention of reviving issues that would divide friends and unite opponents.

Questions relating to the duration of the Treaty with Iraq were asked in the House of Commons. There was very little truth, said the Prime Minister, in the suggestion that Britain was to be bound down to the protection of Iraq for another twenty-five years after the expiry of the present Treaty.

Lord Oxford, speaking at the Liberal Fair in London, said that “Fight every seat” would be one of their battle-cries in the next campaign.

Sir James Craig, Premier of Northern Ireland, explained in the House of Commons, at Belfast, the position of Ulster under the Boundary Agreement.

Mr Ramsay MacDonald, speaking to his constituents at Port Talbot, said this country had lost its peasant population—it had wasted it. The Labour party could, however, bring them back by a well-devised scheme of land settlement. They would settle people on the land in groups of at least 200 families. Land settlement and afforestation must be co-ordinated.

January 1, 2026
PRESS RELEASE : Families to have better access to childhood vaccinations [January 2026]
The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 1 January 2026.

A new £2 million pilot will see health visitors reach families facing barriers to vaccines, to ensure more children are protected.
- Government to bring vaccines to doorsteps of families who can’t make it to the doctor
- New pilot will reach families facing barriers like travel costs, language difficulties or vaccine hesitancy
- £2 million pilot aims to close gap in healthcare inequalities
Health visiting teams will offer vaccinations to children, providing a vital safety net for families who might otherwise miss out.

The new pilot targets families who’ve fallen through the cracks – including those not signed up with a GP, struggling with travel costs, childcare juggling, language barriers or other tough circumstances that stop them getting to the doctor.

By offering vaccinations during routine health visits, the pilot removes these obstacles and ensures more children can access life-saving protection.

Health visitors are specialist public health nurses who support families with children under five. They provide advice on healthy child development, feeding, and family health through regular home visits and clinic appointments.

The twelve pilot schemes will roll out from mid-January across five regions of England – London, the Midlands, North East & Yorkshire, North West, and South West – designed to boost uptake and protect children from preventable diseases.

While the scheme isn’t designed to replace your GP – families should continue to get vaccinated at their local surgery first – it supports families with children who’d otherwise slip through the net.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, said:

Every parent deserves the chance to protect their child from preventable diseases, but some families have a lot going on and that can mean they miss out.

Health visitors are already trusted faces in communities across the country. By allowing them to offer vaccinations, we’re using the relationships and expertise that already exist to reach families who need support most.

Fixing the NHS means tackling health inequalities head-on. By meeting families where they are, we’re not just boosting vaccination rates – we’re building a health service that works for everyone.

The year-long trial will be evaluated before rolling it out across the country from 2027.

Health visitors on the pilot will get extra training to tackle tricky conversations with worried parents – including those who have doubts about vaccination – and to give vaccinations safely.

Struggling families will be identified by the NHS using GP records, health visitor notes and local databases.

The pilots form part of the commitment to ramp up vaccination programmes, with over 18 million flu vaccines delivered this autumn – hundreds of thousands more compared to this time last year – and over 60,000 more NHS staff also getting their jab.

The government is also investing in better digital services to help families track their child’s health and vaccinations. Through the new NHS App, parents will be able to monitor their children’s health using My Children – a 21st century digital alternative to the Red Book.

The pilot builds on the government’s commitment to Family Hubs and Start for Life programmes, which provide vital support for families during pregnancy and the early years of a child’s life, including health visiting services and parenting support.

From 2 January 2026, children will receive the new MMRV vaccine, protecting against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox in one vaccine. This replaces the current MMR vaccine, and offers protection against chickenpox for the first time while making vaccination simpler for families.

The government’s ‘Stay Strong. Get Vaccinated’ campaign also runs throughout the year to promote confidence in vaccination.
January 1, 2026
PRESS RELEASE : Business investment boosted with new tax relief taking effect today [January 2026]
The press release issued by HM Treasury on 1 January 2026.

Businesses to receive boost to investment as a new first-year allowance takes effect today (Thursday 1 January), as the government continues its drive to make Britain the best place to do business.
- Businesses to benefit from new 40% first-year allowance that supports investment and growth – effective from today, 1 January 2026
- New relief allows businesses to save tax on new plant and machinery in first year
- Supports UK’s position as one of the most generous and competitive capital allowances regimes in the world
First announced by the Chancellor at Budget 2025, the government is continuing to offer greater upfront tax reliefs for businesses with a new 40% permanent first-year allowance for main-rate plant and machinery.

This new relief follows calls from businesses to expand full expensing to more assets and businesses, and will mean businesses can deduct much of the cost of their investment in the year they make that investment, cutting their tax bill.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, said:

Saving tax for businesses that are investing is key to building the confidence needed to boost growth. We are building on the UK’s capital allowance regime – one of the most generous in the world – alongside capping Corporation Tax and enabling more scale ups to attract investment to help create a tax system that supports growth.

This will be available for assets bought for leasing and for unincorporated businesses, which do not benefit from full expensing, while preserving the current incentives to invest.

Full expensing allows companies to claim 100% capital allowances on qualifying main rate plant and machinery investments, such as warehouses or construction equipment, which means a company can deduct the entire cost of its investment from its taxable profits in year one, so that for every pound invested its taxes are cut by up to 25p.

The UK has one of the most generous and competitive capital allowances regimes in the world and is top of the rankings of OECD countries for plant and machinery capital allowances.

In line with the commitments made in the 2024 Corporate Tax Roadmap, the government has maintained the parts of the UK Corporate Tax offer that are most important for attracting new investment. This includes capping Corporation Tax at 25% for the rest of this Parliament, the lowest in the G7, and the generous full expensing offer.

Further information
- To ensure this new relief is introduced in a fiscally sound way, at Budget the Chancellor also announced a reduction in the main rate writing-down allowance (WDA) from 18% to 14% from April this year.
January 1, 2026
Keir Starmer – 2026 New Year’s Message

The Prime Minister’s New Year’s Message for 2026 released on 31 December 2025.

Things have been tough in Britain for a while.

For many, life is still harder than it should be.

You long for a bit more money in your pockets, a meal out, a holiday.

The chance to make a special family moment extra special.

In 2026, the choices we’ve made will mean more people will begin to feel positive change in your bills, your communities and your health service.

But even more people will feel once again a sense of hope, a belief that things can and will get better, feel that the promise of renewal can become a reality, and my government will make it that reality.

More police on the streets by March.

Energy bills down and the number of new health hubs up in April.

More funding for local communities.

And with that change, decline will be reversed.

That opportunity for you and pride in your community can be restored.

I share the frustration about the pace of change.

The challenges we face were decades in the making, and renewal is not an overnight job, but putting our country back on a stable footing will become our strength.

Strength that means we can support you with the cost of living.

Rail fares, prescription charges, fuel duty.

All frozen.

£150 cut from your energy bills.

A boost once again to the National Minimum Wage. A major cut to the cost of childcare.

We are getting Britain back on track.

By staying the course, we will defeat the decline and division offered by others.

For all the times that have been tough, I hope the festive period has brought good moments.

Precious time with your family.

A chance to celebrate what’s most important to you. I wish you more of those moments next year.

When things start to feel easier.

When politics shows it can help again.

When Britain turns the corner with our future now in our control, the real Britain will shine through more strongly.

Happy New Year!

January 1, 2026
NEWS STORY : European Human Rights Court Steps in to Examine UK’s Removal of Shamima Begum’s Citizenship

STORY

The European Court of Human Rights has formally raised questions about the UK Government’s 2019 decision to strip Shamima Begum of her British citizenship, signalling that her case in Strasbourg will be examined through the lens of the UK’s duties towards potential victims of trafficking.

Begum left the UK in 2015 when she was 15 and travelled to Syria, later being found in a Kurdish run camp in 2019. That year, then Home Secretary Sajid Javid removed her citizenship on national security grounds, arguing the move was “conducive to the public good”, a decision successive Governments have defended.

UK courts have repeatedly upheld the deprivation decision due to Begum’s support of a terror regime that threatened the lives of UK citizens. The Special Immigration Appeals Commission dismissed her appeal in February 2023 and the Court of Appeal rejected a further challenge in February 2024. The Supreme Court later refused permission for another appeal.

The Strasbourg judges have questioned whether the UK Government has an obligation to consider whether Begum was groomed before removing her citizenship. Concerns are growing that the European Court of Human Rights’ involvement in the Shamima Begum case could trigger a fresh wave of public anger, with critics framing it as ‘foreign judges’ overruling UK decisions. Ministers and campaigners fear the backlash could harden into wider hostility towards the court itself, especially in emotionally charged cases involving terrorism, citizenship and borders.

December 31, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : More than 600 government files released under 20-year rule [December 2025]

The press release issued by the National Archives on 30 December 2025.

More than 600 documents have been released by the Cabinet Office today under the 20-year rule. Most are correspondence and work on government policies during Sir Tony Blair’s Labour administration 2004-2005.

They include a file about Kim Philby’s archive and another relating to the successful Olympics 2012 bid.

There is material relating to the tsunami in the Indian Ocean and birthday messages to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret.

Of the files, The National Archives has digitised more than 80 which are available to view on the link below. The rest of the documents are available to order and read at The National Archives in Kew, south-west London.

December 31, 2025
Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2025 Christmas Statement

The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 25 December 2025.

I wish you health, fellow Ukrainians!

Today was also an active day for us, for our diplomacy – there were important conversations. Patriarch Bartholomew – I am grateful for the greetings extended to Ukraine and to all Ukrainians on the occasion of Christmas, as well as for the clear support of genuine values – the values of peace and respect for human life, and for the protection of life.

Today, we also spoke for nearly an hour with envoys of the U.S. President – Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. It was a truly good conversation: we went into many details; there are good ideas, which we discussed. We have some new ideas in terms of formats, meetings, and, of course, timing on how to bring a real peace closer. Later today, Rustem Umerov will continue discussions with the American team, and it is important if we succeed in organizing what we discussed today. Some documents are already prepared, as I see it, they are nearly ready, and some documents are fully prepared. Of course, there is still work to be done on sensitive issues. But together with the American team, we understand how to put all of this in place. The weeks ahead may also be intensive. Thank you, America! And I thank everyone who continues to put pressure on Russia so that they fully understand that prolonging the war will have severe consequences for them – for Russia. I also spoke today with the Prime Minister of Norway – I am grateful to Jonas for his unwavering support. I informed him about the current state of our discussions with the United States, and together with Jonas we also discussed possible next joint steps. I will also be speaking with other European leaders to ensure that we are all moving at the same pace and toward one shared goal. Real security, real recovery, and real peace – this is what must be achieved.

I received a report today from Pavlo Palisa on issues that expand our capabilities at the front. I also signed decrees today awarding our warriors with state honors. And everyone who is now defending our positions – all those currently on combat missions, at combat posts, all those providing Ukraine with protection against Russian assaults and Russian strikes – all of you, our warriors, are strengthening our diplomatic positions. Thank you! Thank you to everyone who is fighting for Ukraine as for themselves! Christ is born! Glorify Him!

Glory to Ukraine!

December 31, 2025
Luke Pollard – 2025 Statement on Ukraine

The statement made by Luke Pollard, the Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, on 18 December 2025.

With permission, I will update the House on Ukraine.

As we prepare for Christmas, the people of Ukraine are fighting. It is their 1,394th day of resistance since Putin’s full-scale invasion, and their fourth Christmas of the war. I would like to update the House on the work that we are doing to bring a just and lasting peace to Ukraine by ensuring that it is in the best possible position on the battlefield and at the negotiating table. A small number of members of our armed forces are at the heart of that work, whether they are delivering military training in the UK, transporting kit to Ukraine, or helping to develop innovative new warfighting capabilities. Last week, our armed forces and our country lost one of our brightest and best, Lance Corporal George Hooley. He was a model soldier who was tragically killed in Ukraine observing trials of a new defensive drone system, well away from the frontline. I know that the whole House will have been moved by the final letter he wrote to his family, which they released yesterday to coincide with his repatriation, and that the whole House will join me in sending our heartfelt thoughts and condolences to all his family, friends and colleagues.

This Government and this House will stand with our Ukrainian friends for as long as it takes. Twelve months ago, I set out five areas in which this Government would increase that support, and with the backing of Members across this House and the commitment of countless defence personnel, partners in industry and allied nations, we have delivered on all five. First, we have strengthened Ukraine’s military capabilities, with a record £4.5 billion military support package this year. That support package includes supplies of tens of thousands of rounds of advanced missiles and ammunition; 85,000 drones, up from the 10,000 gifted last year; and the new Gravehawk air defence system, co-developed with our Danish partners. Secondly, we have now trained more than 62,000 Ukrainians in the UK, alongside our Operation Interflex allies, and we have extended that programme until at least the end of 2026.

Thirdly, to boost Ukraine’s indigenous defence industrial base so that its destiny is increasingly in its own hands, I have led further trade missions to Kyiv. We have also signed new Government-to-Government co-operation agreements that have enhanced the sharing of battlefield technologies, and, in March, we facilitated the £1.6 billion deal for 5,000 lightweight air defence missiles. That supports 700 jobs at Thales in Belfast. This demonstrates how growing defence spending across the globe can act as an engine for growth across all our nations and regions in the UK.

Fourthly, the UK has ramped up our international leadership, with the Defence Secretary stepping up in the spring to co-chair, alongside Germany, the Ukraine Defence Contact Group of over 50 nations. Since then, our UDCG partners have pledged over £50 billion of military support for Ukraine, and at Tuesday’s UDCG meeting, we confirmed the UK’s biggest single-year investment in air defence for Ukraine. I am pleased to confirm to the House that the UK is providing £600 million-worth of air defence systems, missiles and automated turrets to shoot down Russian drones and defend Ukrainian civilians. This includes Raven systems to protect frontline units, Gravehawk systems that reinforce Ukraine’s ability to protect key infrastructure from Russia’s deep-strike barrages, and counter-drone turrets designed specifically to defeat Shahed-style attack drones at scale and at lower cost.

Fifthly and finally, alongside our allies we have significantly ramped up sanctions and economic pressure on the Russian economy. We have sanctioned Russia’s largest oil majors; lowered the crude oil price cap alongside EU partners, contributing to a 35% fall in Russia’s oil revenues year on year; introduced a maritime services ban on Russian liquefied natural gas, which will be phased in over the next year; and announced our intention to ban the import of oil products of Russian origin that have been refined in third countries.

Just this morning, we announced a further 24 sanction designations across the Russian oil, military and financial sectors to further ramp up economic pressure on Putin. As the Prime Minister said to the coalition of the willing last month, the UK is ready to move with the EU to provide financial support for Ukraine based on the value of immobilised Russian assets. We are working with EU and G7 partners to advance this aim, and I hope for further positive discussions on it today.

We have tightened sanctions, strengthened alliances, boosted industrial co-operation, delivered military training, and provided the biggest annual package of UK military support for Ukraine to date. Yesterday, we went further, with the Chancellor and the Foreign Secretary calling time on Roman Abramovich’s inaction. The Government have issued a licence that enables the transfer of more than £2.5 billion from the sale of Chelsea football club to benefit the victims of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. We urge Abramovich to honour the commitments he made over three years ago or face court action.

Twelve months ago, I pledged that this Government would provide iron-clad support for Ukraine. That is what we have delivered, and it is what we will continue to deliver for as long as Putin continues his barbaric assault on the Ukrainian people. I know that that support will continue to enjoy cross-party support in this House.

What was not on the table last December was peace talks. On Monday, the Prime Minister was in Berlin with European leaders to advance President Trump’s peace initiative. The leaders welcomed the significant progress that has been made, and reiterated their commitment to work together to provide robust security guarantees and support economic recovery as part of any peace agreement. We have worked determinedly with our French counterparts to establish a coalition of the willing, which now consists of 36 countries, and a Multinational Force Ukraine, which is an essential pillar of the credible security guarantees required to deter Putin from coming back for more territory in the future.

It has been the position of this Government from the outset that Ukraine’s voice must be at the heart of any peace talks. That is what we have worked to achieve—not just because that is what our values and our international norms and laws dictate, but because practically, Ukraine is too militarily powerful and too determined to defend its sovereignty for peace to be built over the country’s head.

While a pattern has emerged of Russia claiming battlefield successes at opportune political moments, its claims have been exposed as disinformation time and time again. Russia has suffered over 1 million casualties to gain around 1% of Ukrainian territory since the stabilisation of the frontline in 2022. In more than a year of fighting for the comparatively small city of Pokrovsk, Russia has advanced only 15 km—equivalent to 40 metres a day—and although Putin claimed to have finally taken that city ahead of the recent visit of the American negotiating team, it is our defence intelligence’s assessment that pockets of Ukrainian resistance continue to operate there. Right across the frontline, it is Ukraine’s continued strength on the battlefield that gives it strength at the negotiating table, so we will continue to work with our allies to boost that strength and secure the credible security guarantees needed to underpin a just and lasting peace.

As we approach the fifth year of fighting since Russia’s full-scale invasion, this Government are in no doubt that the frontline of UK and European security continues to run through Ukraine. Twelve months ago, there was no clear route to ending the war; today, the US-initiated peace process represents the brightest path towards securing a just and lasting peace that we have seen since the start of the full-scale invasion. To support those diplomatic efforts, we are accelerating joint work with the US on security guarantees. The Defence Secretary directed military chiefs this week to review and update the Multinational Force Ukraine military plans, so that we are ready to deploy when peace comes. That includes revising and raising readiness levels as we continue to work with allies to maximise pressure on Putin’s war machine, to strengthen Ukraine’s hand on the battlefield and to grow its defence industrial base.

Russia’s economy is getting weaker: military spending is around 40% of the budget. Its VAT is rising and its social spending is falling. We will continue to work with our allies to tighten the screw on the Russian economy, to provide more support for Ukraine and to lay the foundations for the just and lasting peace that the Ukrainian people so deserve and want. With increasing grey-zone attacks across Europe, Ukraine’s security remains our security. I commend that approach, and this statement, to the House.

December 31, 2025