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PRESS RELEASE : HM Government licensing cyber security tech for a global market [June 2026]
The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 19 June 2026.

SilentGlass is a plug-and-play cyber security device developed by NCSC and commercialised with support from GOTT, now licensed to a UK firm for global use.

Background

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), a part of The Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), is the UK’s National Technical Authority on cyber security. It works round the clock to combat cyber threats, support victims of cyber incidents, empowers organisations to protect the online services and digital technologies that underpin the UK economy and public services.

As modern computer monitors become increasingly ’smart‘, digital video connections can be exploited to compromise laptops and other connected devices. This risk is particularly acute in environments where devices of differing trust levels connect to shared monitors, including secure government facilities, hybrid office working, and home working set‑ups.

SilentGlass was developed within the NCSC to address this challenge, providing a simple and effective way to prevent video connections being used as a route for cyber-attack.

Knowledge Asset solution

SilentGlass is a small, ’plug-and-play’ hardware device that sits between a laptop and a monitor, preventing the physical connection from being used as a route to compromise either device. By removing this attack pathway, it helps organisations improve cyber security while supporting safer flexible and hot‑desking arrangements.

The technology was originally developed for internal government use, but has since demonstrated clear potential for wider adoption across the public sector, critical national infrastructure and the private sector.

To bring the technology to market while maintaining strong governance and security considerations, the NCSC pursued a licensing‑based commercialisation route.

Who will this help?

SilentGlass supports organisations that need high‑assurance protections for connected devices, including:
- government departments and public sector bodies
- organisations operating critical national infrastructure
- businesses with high cyber security requirements
- employers enabling flexible and hybrid working
For the public sector, the case demonstrates how a government‑developed cyber security capability can be commercialised, supporting wider adoption while protecting intellectual property and ensuring greater public benefit.

GOTT’s role

The Government Office for Technology Transfer (GOTT) supported the NCSC to shape the commercialisation of SilentGlass by:
- advising on appropriate intellectual property licensing strategies
- providing funding and mentoring for a local Knowledge Asset manager to build commercialisation capability
- facilitating access to the Tech Transfer ecosystem, including connections to experts in public sector investment and licence management
- Championing and supporting the licensing approach across HM Government
This support helped the NCSC navigate the commercialisation process, engage effectively with the market and secure a suitable licensing partner through a fair and competitive process.

Outcome

Following a competitive process, a global IP licence for SilentGlass has been agreed with a UK‑based company, Goldilock Labs. The device is now available globally.

The licensed product will enable wider access to a high‑assurance cyber security solution originally developed for government use, supporting safer deployment of digital technologies and helping share the benefits of public sector innovation more widely across the UK and globally.

By helping to launch a UK company onto the global market with this world-class innovation, we are breaking new ground, showing the impact that the NCSC can have, alongside industry partners, with an affordable and effective product now globally available. GOTT’s expertise and encouragement of UK HMG departments to seek greater value from their intellectual property (IP) was instrumental in our confidence to commercialise SilentGlass. We’ll continue working together off the back of this success to commercialise more of our unique IP to benefit our mission and the UK’s prosperity.

Ollie Whitehouse, NCSC Chief Technology Officer
21/06/2026
NEWS STORY : Rail Safety Investigation Launched After Near Miss at Todmorden

STORY

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch has opened an investigation into a dangerous occurrence at Todmorden in West Yorkshire after an out-of-service Northern train made an uncontrolled movement towards Todmorden Viaduct Junction. The incident happened at around 22:28 on 7 May 2026 and was announced by the RAIB on 19 June 2026.

The RAIB said the driver of the out-of-service train had been given permission by the signaller to move closer to a signal on Todmorden West Curve. However, the driver was not aware that the train was already standing with its driving cab beyond that signal, resulting in an uncontrolled movement towards the junction. The driver realised what had happened and brought the train to a stop close to the junction.

Around 12 seconds later, the 21:57 Manchester Victoria to Leeds passenger service, also operated by Northern, passed through the junction at about 45mph after leaving Todmorden station. The RAIB said there were no injuries or damage, but its investigation will examine the sequence of events, signalling systems, staff training and competence, revised working arrangements and any underlying management factors.

21/06/2026
PRESS RELEASE : Dangerous occurrence at Todmorden [June 2026]
The press release issued by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch on 19 June 2026.

Investigation into a dangerous occurrence at Todmorden, West Yorkshire, 7 May 2026.

At around 22:28 on 7 May 2026, the driver of an out-of-service passenger train, operated by Northern, was given permission by the signaller to move their train closer to a signal on Todmorden West Curve, in West Yorkshire. However, the driver was not aware that their train was already standing with its driving cab beyond this signal. This resulted in the train making an uncontrolled movement towards Todmorden Viaduct Junction. The driver realised what had happened and brought their train to a stop close to the junction.

Around 12 seconds after the out-of-service train came to a stop, the 21:57 Manchester Victoria to Leeds passenger service, also operated by Northern, passed through the junction at about 45 mph (72 km/h). This service had just left Todmorden station.

There were no injuries or damage caused as a result of the incident, which occurred during a period of revised working arrangements that had temporarily increased the number of shunting movements involving Todmorden West Curve.

Our investigation will seek to identify the sequence of events which led to the near miss. It will also consider:
- any factors that may have influenced the actions of those involved
- the status and function of the signalling systems in the area
- the management, training and competence of staff
- how the risk of revised working arrangements was being assessed and controlled
- any underlying management factors.
21/06/2026
PRESS RELEASE : Environment Agency minded to approve Powerfuel Portland permit [June 2026]

The press release issued by the Environment Agency on 19 June 2026.

The permit variation will change the types of waste allowed to be incinerated on site.

The Environment Agency is minded to issue a permit variation for Powerfuel Portland Limited to change the permitted waste types that can be incinerated at their Portland facility.

A consultation on the permit application took place between 5th November 2025 and 18th December 2025, and approximately 685 comments were received.

The Environment Agency has carefully considered the documents provided by Portland Powerfuel Limited and explored several issues of concern, such as emissions to air, odour, noise and arrangements for the storage and handling of wastes.

The Environment Agency is now satisfied they have all the information needed and cannot find any reason to refuse this permit variation application and is minded to issue the permit variation.

This means that the Environment Agency thinks the draft permit is ready to be issued but will not make the final decision until they have considered all comments carefully.

A consultation has been launched so that the public can have their say on this draft decision.

The Environment Agency may only refuse a permit application if it does not meet one or more of the legal requirements under environmental legislation, including if it will cause significant harm to the environment or to human health.

If all the requirements are met, the Environment Agency is legally obliged to issue a permit.

The planning and permitting processes are separate from each other. A local authority can grant planning permission without an environmental permit in place, and the Environment Agency can grant a permit without planning permission having been provided.

An Environment Agency spokesperson said:

We have considered all responses to our consultation carefully and are now minded to issue the permit variation.

At this stage, we can only refuse the permit variation if new evidence is brought to light showing the site will cause significant harm to the environment or human health.

We cannot consider planning issues such as the suitability of the location.

The consultation is open and runs until 31 July.

21/06/2026
PRESS RELEASE : UN Human Rights Council 62 – UK Statement for the Interactive Dialogue with the Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity [June 2026]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 19 June 2026.

UK Statement for the Interactive Dialogue with the Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity. Delivered at the 62nd Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Thank you,

The UK welcomes the Independent Expert’s report, which coincides with the alarming rise of anti-rights activity worldwide.

The report makes clear that lesbian, bisexual and queer women and girls, and trans and gender-diverse people face unique and disproportionate exclusion, discrimination and violence – often at the hands of those seeking to uphold gender stereotypes and norms.

We are concerned by the clear evidence that LBQ+ women and girls face exclusion, discrimination and violence, including barriers to accessing health, protection and participation in public life. These harms are compounded by their invisibility in data, policy and service provision.

The UK is steadfast in its commitment to ending gender-based violence against women and girls in all their diversity, both at home and overseas. Through the All-In Coalition – launched by the UK in 2025 – we are working with partners to drive global action to prevent and respond to all forms of gender-based violence.

Our approach is underpinned by the UK’s International Strategic Framework on Women and Girls. Its four pillars – educating girls, empowering women and girls, championing sexual and reproductive health and rights, and ending gender-based violence – will guide our efforts to ensure that all women and all girls, in all their diversity, can realise their rights and potential.

Thank you.

21/06/2026
PRESS RELEASE : Chancellor backs former coalfield areas with new investment to end decline and encourage local talent [June 2026]
The press release issued by HM Treasury on 19 June 2026.

Communities in former coalfield areas of Britain will benefit from new jobs and business opportunities, as the Chancellor confirms investment in projects that support local talent and boost growth.
- Former coalfield areas in England, Scotland and Wales are set to get a share of £13.5 million to construct new industrial developments for businesses.
- Projects will create hundreds of new jobs and support thousands more, bringing opportunity to areas that have suffered decline overseen by previous governments for decades.
- Investment is part of this Government’s plan to build a stronger and fairer economy by creating the conditions for growth through local investment.
Cowdenbeath in West Fife, St Helens in Merseyside and Seven Sisters in Neath Port Talbot are among six locations that have been selected to get a share of £13.5 million – breathing new life into areas neglected for decades by previous governments.

The money from the Government’s Growth Mission Fund will pay for half of the construction costs of new industrial developments which will house small and medium-sized businesses. The Coalfields Regeneration Trust – a charity dedicated to creating jobs and injecting growth into coalfield areas – will fund the other half.

Former coalfield areas have been selected to receive this funding as the Chancellor pushes to return jobs, opportunities and investment to areas that were once a hub of industry.

The funding will support entrepreneurs in those areas who want to start their own business – or business owners who want to expand their company – in their hometown, rather than feeling forced to go to the next biggest town or city with a stronger economy.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, said:

These areas have been overlooked for decades by the previous government. Our investment in new industrial developments is one way we’re making it a stronger business destination where jobs and opportunity are created, not wasted.

If you are an entrepreneur in a former coalfield area wanting to start your own business – or are already a business owner there wanting to expand your company – we are backing you.

Andy Lock, Chief Executive of the Coalfields Regeneration Trust, said:

This is fantastic news for coalfield communities, and this investment will deliver benefits for many years to come.

Our industrial developments will create hundreds of jobs and economic growth for the coalfields, while the income generated will support more grassroots community organisations and vulnerable people in the coalfields.

This funding will change thousands of lives in coalfield communities, taking us another step forward to address the challenging legacy of the pit closures.

The investment is part of the Chancellor’s work to build a stronger and fairer economy, making previously overlooked parts of the country better places to live, work and start a business.

Subject to approval of the final business cases, the six areas set to receive funding are:
- Cowdenbeath (Perth Road): 51,000 square feet of light industrial units will be built along with a substation and 87 car parking spaces. 103 jobs will be created on site with hundreds more supported.
- St Helens (Robins Lane, Sutton Fold): 32,000 square feet of light industrial units will be built alongside 54 car parking spaces. 64 jobs will be created on site with hundreds more supported.
- Thoresby (Thoresby Vale Colliery): A 22,500 square foot industrial development is proposed once the site is purchased – expected later this summer.
- Ashington (Ashwood Business Park): 49,500 square foot industrial development is proposed once the site is purchased – expected later this summer – and planning permission secured.
- Resolven (Vale of Neath Business Park): A 30,000 square foot industrial development is proposed once the site is purchased – expected later this summer – and planning permission secured.
- Seven Sisters (Nant y Cafn Business Park): A 45,000 square foot industrial development is proposed once the site is purchased – expected later this summer – and planning permission secured.
Once complete, sites will be self-sustaining, with rent revenue reinvested back into the local communities.

Welcoming the investment in Cowdenbeath, Secretary of State for Scotland Douglas Alexander said:

We are immensely proud of Scotland’s coalmining heritage. The UK Government’s partnership with the Coalfields Regeneration Trust develops new businesses, creates jobs, and generates revenue to support local communities, ensuring these communities are not just part of Scotland’s past, but will play a leading role in its future. The UK Government is backing them to achieve that.

Stephen Percy-Robb, Chief Executive of Fife Chamber of Commerce said:

We strongly welcome this investment in Cowdenbeath and Fife’s wider coalfield communities, recognising both their proud industrial heritage and future potential.

Creating high-quality industrial space in former coalfields will help local businesses grow and ensure talent can stay and succeed within the area.

Fife Chamber of Commerce looks forward to working with partners to maximise the opportunities this brings for jobs, enterprise and long-term economic growth.

Welcoming the investment in Resolven and Seven Sisters, Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said:

As a result of this investment, people and businesses in former South Wales coalfield communities will receive greater access to the jobs and opportunities they deserve.

For too long, these communities have been left behind – with many people having been forced to leave their local areas to seek employment elsewhere.

The UK Government is acting to stop this cycle, by delivering jobs, prosperity, and growth right across Wales. We are backing our coalfield communities with the support they need, helping local businesses thrive, and ensuring our coalfield communities reap the benefit of a strengthened and fairer UK economy.

Dr Fiona Withey, COO, Chambers Wales South East South West and Mid, said:

Chambers Wales SESWM fully supports this commitment to rebuilding prosperity where it matters most in our region. This investment is a powerful catalyst for renewal in Wales’ former coalfield communities.

By backing new industry, expanding businesses and local entrepreneurs, it will create jobs, attract further investment and unlock opportunities in areas long overdue for economic revival. Chambers Wales SESWM fully supports this commitment to rebuilding prosperity where it matters most.

Welcoming the investment in St Helen’s, Paul Cherpeau, CEO of Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, said:

This is really encouraging news for the wider St Helens area and helps to reinforce confidence among local businesses about the economic growth potential of the plans for Parkside.

It also strengthens opportunities to drive investment, support innovation, and fast-track major property developments in the borough through the Liverpool City Region’s new Industrial Strategy Zone.

Given its proximity to major motorways and the existing manufacturing base, Newton le Willows is perfectly positioned to attract engineering and advanced manufacturing businesses, creating highly-skilled jobs and training opportunities, and boosting the local supply chain for generations to come.

The Growth Mission Fund, from which this investment comes, is focused on supporting projects that have been previously overlooked which contribute to local growth, create jobs, support the regeneration and maintenance of heritage and culture assets, or other important local policy objectives.

Almost three hundred areas across the country are also receiving up to £5.8 billion of Pride in Place funding over the next ten years, helping to revitalise local areas through building thriving places, strengthening communities and putting local neighbourhoods back in control of their own areas.

This includes St Helens, which will benefit from up to £40 million of flexible funding for Newton-le-Willows and the Town Centre East and Fingerpost neighbourhood. This allows the community to invest in things like youth clubs, libraries, community grocers, cultural venues, and health and wellbeing services.
21/06/2026
Keir Starmer – 2026 Comments on Home Ownership

The comments made by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, on 21 June 2026.

Getting the keys to a home you can call your own is one of the biggest events in anyone’s life. But right now, the system that should provide support instead turns it into a battle, leaving people in limbo and putting that opportunity out of reach.

We’re turning the page. Our reforms will bring this outdated process into the modern age, saving people time and money, and giving them the certainty they deserve.

This is about building a stronger, fairer Britain, one that works for the next generation and makes the dream of home ownership a reality for many more hard-working people.

21/06/2026
PRESS RELEASE : Homebuying shake-up to slash delays, cut costs and stop sales falling through [June 2026]
The press release issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 18 June 2026.

New rules introduced to simplify homebuying and selling making the process easier and simpler.
- Families and first-time buyers set to save time, money, and stress under major changes to the homebuying process – supporting the next generation and those locked out by a slow and unfair system
- New sales packs to ensure buyers have the information they need upfront, earlier binding agreements, and digital tools will halve the number of sales that fall through saving millions
- Reforms will cut buying times by around four weeks, save first-time buyers an average of £650, and get the housing market moving more quickly
Buying and selling a home is set to become faster, cheaper, and less stressful under major reforms unveiled today (Friday 19 June) to cut delays, reduce and digitalise paperwork, and stop sales collapsing.

At a time when families are feeling the squeeze, new changes will cut homebuying times by around four weeks, save first-time buyers an average of £650, and stop the nasty surprises that cost time, money, and heartbreak. This will ensure the chance to own a home isn’t determined by who can afford to take the biggest risk.

Sellers and estate agents will have to provide key information upfront in ‘sales packs’ at the point of listing. This will set out a home’s condition, leasehold costs, and chain status so buyers can make informed decisions, and property professionals can get to work sooner – while creating a fairer, more transparent process for everyone involved.

Changes will also see new earlier binding agreements to stop parties walking away months into negotiations without a legitimate reason. This will help to give young people confidence in the system and better plan for their next steps, not put them on hold.

In addition, a new Code of Practice will raise standards for estate agents, alongside proposals for mandatory qualifications for the sector which could ensure agents are properly equipped to support efficient transactions and rebuild trust in the sector.

With the average home purchase taking around 120 days, one in three sales falling through costing sellers around £400 million per year, and failed transactions costing the economy up to £1.5 billion every year – these reforms will fix a broken system.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

Getting the keys to a home you can call your own is one of the biggest events in anyone’s life. But right now, the system that should provide support instead turns it into a battle, leaving people in limbo and putting that opportunity out of reach.

We’re turning the page. Our reforms will bring this outdated process into the modern age, saving people time and money, and giving them the certainty they deserve.

This is about building a stronger, fairer Britain, one that works for the next generation and makes the dream of home ownership a reality for many more hard-working people.

Housing Secretary, Steve Reed said:

Buying or selling a home should be one of life’s great moments and not a drawn-out nightmare of delays, hidden costs, and failed deals.

These changes will make the system faster, fairer, and more secure – giving families and first-time buyers the certainty they need all while saving them time and money.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves said:

Delays, hidden costs, and deals collapsing at the last minute are not only bad for homebuyers, it’s bad for the economy too.

Our reforms will cut those delays, cut costs and make the process quicker and more reliable – getting more people on the housing ladder while keeping more money in their pockets.

We have the right economic plan – getting the housing market moving, building thousands more good-quality homes in every region, and transforming rights for renters.

At the heart of the reforms is a major shift to digital – replacing the outdated paper-based systems with faster, more reliable tools.

Digital property logbooks and sales packs will allow trusted information to be shared securely between professionals and accessed by buyers and sellers in real-time, cutting out the back-and-forth that cause so many delays.

The government will also back digital identity checks, electronic signatures and AI-assisted conveyancing to strip out duplication, reduce fraud risk and accelerate transactions from start to finish. Together, these changes will create a modern, end-to-end system where people can track and progress their move more easily.

Phil Spencer, Property Expert & Move iQ Founder said:

For as long as I’ve worked in property, one of the biggest frustrations I’ve heard from buyers and sellers is that the process simply doesn’t work as well as it should. It can be slow, stressful and uncertain, with too many transactions falling through after months of time, effort and expense.

I welcome these proposals – they address many of the issues consumers have been grappling with for years, from a lack of upfront information to unnecessary delays and last-minute surprises. Giving people a clearer picture from the outset and creating greater certainty throughout the transaction process can only be a positive step.

These have the potential to make moving home a far better experience for everyone involved. Having spent decades at the heart of the housing market, I’ve seen first-hand the emotional and financial toll that a failed transaction can take. Anything that helps buyers and sellers move with greater confidence and fewer obstacles is to be applauded.

I look forward to seeing these changes brought forward and the difference they could make to the way we buy and sell homes.

Paul Whitehead, CEO, Zoopla said:

Zoopla sits at the heart of the UK property market and over 6 million homeowners are tracking the value of their most important asset and planning their next move. They deserve better than a home-buying process that takes months, falls through too often, and leaves everyone poorer for it.

These proposed reforms change that. Upfront sales packs, digital logbooks and binding contracts aren’t just technical reforms – they are the foundations of a market people can trust. Zoopla will continue to be an active partner to the Government and industry in building a faster more transparent system that makes moving simple.

Johan Svanstrom, CEO, Rightmove said:

This is an encouraging step towards a faster and more efficient property market, addressing some of the biggest frustrations that home-movers and industry participants face. By making more information available upfront, there is a clear opportunity to reduce fall-throughs and increase transparency. Our UK-wide data shows that it takes a lengthy 170 days on average to complete a transaction and that over one in five transactions initially falls through. Last year, fall-throughs alone meant that approximately £900 million in potential stamp duty receipts and estate agency commission in England was lost, and consumers lose both precious time, certainty and money when needing to repeat transaction processes. The implementation and phasing of these initiatives will be key to ensure consistency and adoption. It needs to be helpful to the vital role estate agents play in the marketplace, and to avoid any unintended consequences.

Increased mobility, transparency and certainty is key to overall economic growth. We strongly believe that further digitisation and improvements to the home-moving process can help to speed it up and reduce friction. It will require cross-industry collaboration and innovation to achieve the aims set out today.

Countries like the Netherlands, Norway, and Finland have already shown that reforms like these deliver real benefits for buyers, sellers and the industry alike.

The Netherlands uses a live tracking system for buyers and sellers to check their transaction status helping to achieve a final completion time of 20 days on average, whilst Norway’s efforts to streamline and digitalise the system has estimated savings of up to £1.4bn over 10 years.

This package will inject fresh momentum into the housing market and help people keep more money in their pockets by cutting the hidden costs and delays in buying a home to ease cost of living pressures and support a fairer housing market that works for ordinary families.
21/06/2026
PRESS RELEASE : We urge Israel to immediately remove unjustifiable restrictions on humanitarian access – UK statement at the UN Security Council [June 2026]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 18 June 2026.

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

President, last November this Council adopted resolution 2803, endorsing President Trump’s Comprehensive Plan to end the Gaza conflict.

This provided a historic opportunity to achieve lasting peace.

And as USG Fletcher’s briefing set out, there has been some progress since then on the humanitarian front, and in the return of all hostages.

But Mr Fletcher and Ms Khalidi also provided us with a stark reminder that the promise of this plan has not yet been realised, and urgent action is needed by both sides to fulfil their commitments and get implementation back on track.

So I will highlight three priorities.

First, as we heard today, the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire.

Ongoing violations of the ceasefire are reported to have killed over 1000 Palestinians since October.

Repeated displacement, unsanitary conditions, and inadequate access to medical care have left children and families exposed to disease; too malnourished to fight infection.

And yet Israel continues to apply ‘dual use’ restrictions to block essential items, while also limiting aid delivery to a single crossing, creating congestion and further delay.

Resolution 2803 is clear. There must be full resumption of humanitarian aid immediately, including rehabilitation of civilian infrastructure.

The January 2025 ceasefire showed what can be delivered when there is political will.

That level of delivery must now be restored, in line with the Comprehensive Plan.

We urge Israel to fulfil its commitments under international law and immediately remove unjustifiable restrictions on humanitarian access.

It is also vital that the UN, including UNRWA, and international NGOs are able to operate safely and at scale to deliver their essential work, in line with international humanitarian law.

Second, we need renewed momentum on security arrangements and a political transition in Gaza.

Hamas must fulfil its commitments under the Comprehensive Plan to decommission its weapons and dismantle military and terrorist infrastructure.

The UK supports a phased and verified decommissioning process, alongside deployment of an International Stabilisation Force, training of a Palestinian police force, and a sequenced IDF withdrawal.

But let me be clear. Israel’s obligation to facilitate humanitarian access is not conditional on Hamas’ disarmament.

Humanitarian assistance must never be used as a political lever; this is one of the basic tenets of international humanitarian law.

Third, stability in the West Bank is essential to any lasting peace.

Yet violence against civilians is increasing at unprecedented levels.

We are horrified by footage of Israeli forces killing a seven‑month‑old baby in Hebron on 5 June.

Israel must take action to ensure the perpetrators face accountability.

Such acts of violence, alongside continued displacement, and the withholding of Palestinian Authority revenues of over $5 billion undermine the Comprehensive Plan.

This must stop.

President, now is the time to move decisively towards peace.

Last week, alongside Australia and Canada, we announced a new International Peace Fund for Israel and Palestine to reinvigorate these efforts.

The United Kingdom remains committed to working with partners to lay the foundations for a different future, based on peaceful coexistence between two sovereign and secure states.

21/06/2026
David Lammy – 2026 Speech to the World Gold Council

The speech made by David Lammy, the Deputy Prime Minister, on 18 June 2026.

London has stood at the heart of the world’s gold trade for centuries and remains one of its most important bullion centres. Holding around 20 percent of global financial gold. 

But today’s subject matter actually carries more of a personal significance for me.

My grandfather was a gold miner in Guyana. It’s what Guyanese people called a “pork-knocker”. Named for the pickled pork they would eat after a long day’s mining.

And like prospectors before him, he travelled in search of gold, opportunity and a better life.

His story speaks to both the hope and hazard of gold.

The hope of work, of course of discovery – I have to say there weren’t many discoveries! – and prosperity, but also the hazard of a precious resource that, if exploited can scar landscapes, endanger lives and enrich the wrong people.

And while illicit gold rarely captures headlines in the way other crimes of course do its consequences are real in the lives of our citizens and they are far-reaching.

So we are here in common purpose: to ensure that gold is sourced, is traded and used responsibly. To ensure sustainability, higher standards and integrity. But above all, to ensure that it is trust that defines the global gold market, and not any sense of criminality.

That matters enormously here in the United Kingdom. As home to one of the world’s leading bullion markets London has both an interest and a responsibility in maintaining the very highest of standards.

The LBMA, the World Gold Council, civil society and others here in this room have shown genuine leadership in strengthening responsible sourcing, in improving due diligence and building confidence in global markets. And the London Good Delivery system remains a globally recognised benchmark for trust, and quality.

So I think we are making real progress. But of course there is more to do.

This is not simply a British challenge. Nor even an industry challenge. It is a global challenge, worth at least £90 billion every year.

And a challenge of that scale demands a response of equal ambition.

For criminals, the golden glimmer of opportunity is the means of moving and concealing illicit wealth.

Easily transportable, gold can fit a fortune into the palm of unscrupulous hands.

Unlike cash, it does not need a bank account, a password or an internet connection. It is harder to trace, once it flows into formal supply chains and so uniquely attractive to criminals the world over.

The consequences are felt everywhere, in different ways. First, in conflict. In Russia’s brutal war in Ukraine and the war in Sudan, both bankrolled by dirty gold.

Second, at the sharpest end, in the poorest nations children exposed to dangerous working conditions, rivers poisoned by mercury, citizens deprived of schools, hospitals and public services as resources that should be creating opportunity.

Instead line the pockets of kleptocrats and their cronies.

And third, in organised crime, I say in my capacity as Secretary of State for Justice. It is so easy to think of these harms as distant problems, confined to remote mines, far away. They are not.

The same criminal networks that profit from illicit gold are the gangs involved in drug trafficking, people smuggling, cybercrime and fraud.

What begins thousands of miles away has direct consequences on the streets of British towns and cities and other towns and cities around the world. And that is the human cost of illicit gold.

So tackling it is not just a matter of market integrity. It is a matter of public safety and it is a critical front in the wider fight against illicit finance.

Gold is also being abused as a means of conducting criminal transactions and we are seeing an increasing relationship between gold and crypto to further hide illegal activity.

Ancient and modern forms of finance being pressed into service to fund illegal wars, circumvent sanctions or launder proceeds of crime.

And as gold prices soar even higher, a 140 per cent rise since January 2023 and the world around us is ever-more turbulent the rewards for criminal gangs become even greater and so does their determination to exploit this trade.

And that is why our response must be even stronger.

The good news is that we are not starting from scratch here.

As I mentioned earlier – we are seeing progress, much of it represented here in this room. And the UK Government is committed to building on that progress.

Last year, my ministerial colleague at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Stephen Doughty announced a new, dedicated Public-Private Partnership on illicit gold flows with a domestic UK focus through the Joint Money Laundering Intelligence Taskforce.

Chaired by the Foreign Office and the industry, it brings together government, law enforcement, civil society, the UK gold industry and the financial sector to share intelligence, identify threats and close the gaps that criminals seek to exploit.

Its early success has reinforced the fact that criminal networks do not operate in silos.

So neither can we.

Just as criminals collaborate across borders, jurisdictions and markets, those who seek to stop them must collaborate even more effectively.

Together, we must ensure there is no safe haven for illegally produced gold. No route to market for gold smuggled across borders and no opportunity for criminal networks to profit from exploitation and corruption.

Having seen first-hand, when I was Foreign Secretary, the effort refineries put into diligence and scrutiny I am convinced that lasting progress depends on partnership across the entire supply chain.

That is why I’m pleased my colleagues at the FCDO are pursuing a new international public-private partnership on illicit gold flows.

This will bring together governments, industry and civil society to tackle illicit gold across the global supply chain and together, we can strengthen responsible sourcing, improve information sharing, support the implementation of OECD guidance, and FATF  standards and disrupt the criminal networks that profit from illicit gold trade.

No business can solve it alone. No government can solve this alone. And no country can solve it alone.

So our response must be international, must be coordinated, and must be sustained – principles at the heart of the UK’s Illicit Finance Summit which my friend the Foreign Secretary will host this December.

The purpose is clear: to expose the scale of illicit finance, to strengthen transparency, enforcement and international standards and to build the partnerships needed to turn shared commitments into collective action.

But while we strengthen our response to illicit gold flows, we must also address the harms they cause at source. From mercury-polluted rivers and deforestation, to the exploitation of communities and Indigenous Peoples who depend on these environments.

That is why, alongside today’s focus on international supply chains, and the Illicit Finance Summit’s focus on illicit flows London Climate Action Week will highlight how the UK is working internationally to address the environmental, social and climate damage wrought by the global trade in dirty gold.

The challenge is clearly complex, but the direction is clear. We must make it harder for criminals to hide wealth. Harder for corrupt actors to exploit global markets and harder for organised crime to profit from human suffering.

Because, ultimately, that is what the fight against illicit gold is about.

It is about whether valuable resources benefit communities, or criminal networks. Whether wealth serves citizens, or corrupt elites and whether organised crime continues to grow stronger.

Or whether, together, we cut off the golden oxygen supply that sustains it.

Gold should be a source of prosperity, not exploitation. A source of opportunity, not criminality and ensuring that that remains true is a responsibility that belongs to all of us.

21/06/2026