Blog

  • Kemi Badenoch – 2026 Comments on Russian Attack on Keir Starmer

    Kemi Badenoch – 2026 Comments on Russian Attack on Keir Starmer

    The comments made by Kemi Badenoch, the Leader of the Opposition, on 15 June 2026.

    Keir Starmer and I disagree on many things, but good people across the political spectrum will welcome today’s verdicts, condemn these appalling attacks which seem to have been sponsored by Russia, and wish the PM and his family well.

    Whatever our political differences, no one should face intimidation, threats or attacks because they hold public office.

    Democracy is settled at the ballot box, not through fear or violence and definitely not through foreign interference from hostile countries.

  • Keir Starmer – 2026 Comments on Second European Summit

    Keir Starmer – 2026 Comments on Second European Summit

    The comments made by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, on 16 June 2026.

    Today I’ve agreed with the European Council President that we will hold the second UK-EU summit on 22 July. My Labour Government is delivering on our promise to reset our relationship and put Britain at the heart of Europe. Together we will tackle the cost of living, boost jobs and create opportunities for young people.

  • Shabana Mahmood – 2026 Comments on 10 Years Since Jo Cox Death

    Shabana Mahmood – 2026 Comments on 10 Years Since Jo Cox Death

    The comments made by Shabana Mahmood, the Home Secretary, on 16 June 2026.

    Today marks 10 years since the murder of Jo Cox. My thoughts today are with her beautiful family and her many friends.

    I remember Jo as a fearless campaigner, and a passionate voice for the people of Batley and Spen.

    In her maiden speech, she gave us those famous words that we will never forget: “we have far more in common than that which divides us”.

    Her words are more important now than they were even then.

    Political violence, and any attempt to harm those in public life, can never be tolerated.

    We owe it to Jo’s memory to ensure that anyone, from any background, can step forward to serve without fear.

  • Bridget Phillipson – 2026 Comments on Kemi Badenoch Referring to her as a Gestapo Office

    Bridget Phillipson – 2026 Comments on Kemi Badenoch Referring to her as a Gestapo Office

    The comments made by Bridget Phillipson, the Secretary of State for Education, on 16 June 2026.

    The Gestapo marched hundreds of thousands of innocent people to their deaths.

    I’ve ended private schools’ tax breaks to invest in state schools.

    No responsible leader makes vile comparisons like this. Kemi Badenoch is not fit to be Prime Minister.

  • Zarah Sultana – 2026 Comments on Prince George Attending Eton

    Zarah Sultana – 2026 Comments on Prince George Attending Eton

    The comments made by Zarah Sultana on 16 June 2026.

    What’s wrong with the local comprehensive?

    If state schools are good enough for everyone else, why not the future king?

    Meanwhile, we’re expected to keep footing the bill.

    One rule for them. Another for us.

    Abolish the monarchy.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Prime Minister meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen [June 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Prime Minister meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen [June 2026]

    The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 16 June 2026.

    The Prime Minister met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the G7 Summit in Evian today.

    The leaders began by reflecting on discussions at the G7 and the situation in Ukraine and the Middle East.

    With war still raging in Europe, and a conflict thousands of miles away impacting people at home, it was vital the UK and the European Union worked closely together to provide security and opportunity for both sides, the Prime Minister said.

    The leaders agreed to press ahead with a UK-EU Summit on July 22 so that people on both sides could feel the benefits of UK-EU collaboration as soon as possible

    Discussing migration, the Prime Minister welcomed the EU’s new Channel migration plan and updated on the UK’s work with France to deter and intercept illegal crossings.

    They agreed to stay in touch.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Prime Minister meeting with President Costa of the European Council [June 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Prime Minister meeting with President Costa of the European Council [June 2026]

    The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 16 June 2026.

    The Prime Minister met the President of the European Council António Costa at the G7 Summit in Evian today.

    The leaders underlined the importance of close cooperation between the UK and Europe, to benefit both sides.

    A closer relationship was vital for European security, resilience and prosperity, they reiterated.

    Both leaders agreed to work closely ahead of the UK-EU summit, which they agreed would be held on July 22.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Early industry engagement increasing speed of Middle East support [June 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Early industry engagement increasing speed of Middle East support [June 2026]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 16 June 2026.

    Industry engagement is speeding up support to the Middle East, enabling faster decisions, improved capability access and stronger defence supplier collaboration

    Key points

    • The Defence Industrial Joint Council (DIJC) is a key forum for strategic engagement, enabling earlier collaboration and fast responses to urgent operational needs
    • Early market engagement is providing clearer and insight into available capability, supporting quicker, better informed procurement decisions
    • MOD Category Strategies are strengthening  access to critical materials, reducing supply chain delays, and aligning activity with industry through the DIJC Working Group.

    Increasing the speed of support through early industry engagement

    Meeting urgent operational demands in the Middle East relies on earlier, stronger engagement with industry. The Defence Industrial Joint Council (DIJC), alongside the National Armaments Director (NAD) Group’s newly formed Early Market Engagement team, is central to increasing the speed of support. This work supports the Defence Industrial Strategy commitment to provide clearer, earlier demand signals, ensuring suppliers are better positioned to respond to rapidly evolving requirements.

    Through structured engagement, including Strategic Industry Roundtables, MOD has moved beyond traditional procurement approaches to earlier, more open conversations with suppliers. The approach engages industry before requirements are fully defined. By sharing clearer problem statements and operational context, Defence can better understand available capability, test feasibility, and shape delivery options at speed.

    Nathan Hinchliffe, Head of Market Engagement, National Armaments Director Group, said:

    Early and continuous engagement with industry allows us to adapt to rapidly evolving requirements, understand what is feasible, and speed up capability. By bringing industry into the conversation earlier and broadening participation, we are creating a more partnership-based approach that is already helping delivery happen faster and unlocking tangible results.

    Better access and faster delivery

    This approach is widening participation beyond established primes, bringing in Small and Medium -Sized Enterprises (SMEs), academia, and non-traditional suppliers based on capability. Insights gathered from these engagements are directly shaping delivery decisions, particularly in areas such as export processes and procurement routes. For example, industry feedback identified barriers in export approvals, prompting accelerated government-to-government mechanisms and closer coordination with the Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU). As a result, 37 of 47 export licences have been expedited many significantly faster than standard timelines helping priority capabilities to reach partners more quickly.

    The Middle East context has also highlighted existing structural pressures in the supply chain, including constraints in critical raw materials and long lead times for key components. In response, NAD is developing Category Strategies to improve access to constrained areas such as Sensors, Rocket Motors, and Energetics. This work improves understanding of assembly capacity and the drivers of long lead times, enabling joint identification of opportunities to compress delivery timelines. Activity is being coordinated across MOD and industry through the DIJC Readiness and Resilience Working Group, ensuring alignment and coherence.

    Making this the standard approach

    Together, these efforts represent a shift in how Defence works with industry, embedding early, continuous engagement as a core part of delivery. This demonstrates how Defence Reform and the Defence Industrial Strategy are being implemented in practice to improve pace, access, and outcomes for the frontline.

    Lessons from Middle East support are now shaping a more sustainable, business-as-usual model, including the development of a Coordinating Authority for Market Engagement. By formalising this approach, MOD aims to create a repeatable and scalable framework that improves industry relationships, supports investment confidence, and ensures rapid and resilient delivery of capability to the warfighter.

  • PRESS RELEASE : UK Public Health Rapid Support Team deploys in response to the Ebola outbreak [June 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : UK Public Health Rapid Support Team deploys in response to the Ebola outbreak [June 2026]

    The press release issued by the UK Health Security Agency on 16 June 2026.

    The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is deploying public health specialists from the UK Public Health Rapid Support Team (UK-PHRST) to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and across the region.

    Developed following the 2014 to 2015 West Africa Ebola outbreak and funded by the Department of Health and Social Care’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget, UK-PHRST works with low- and middle-income countries to respond and prepare for infectious disease outbreaks and public health emergencies. UK-PHRST brings extensive experience to the current response, including 10 deployments to Eastern DRC during the 2018 to 2019 North Kivu Ebola outbreak – part of more than 50 deployments involving over 100 people in the last 9 years.

    As a key international partner in epidemic disease response, the team is now deploying 7 specialists from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) to support the international response to the outbreak:

    • 4 will be based in Eastern DRC, supporting World Health Organization (WHO) field operations across infection prevention and control, epidemiology, and risk communication and community engagement (RCCE)
    • a further RCCE specialist is being deployed to the WHO country office in Kinshasa
    • an epidemiologist is being deployed to the Republic of Congo to support the wider regional response
    • additional support is being provided remotely by a data modelling expert

    UK-PHRST has worked closely with WHO and UNICEF, offering support in response to the formal requests for assistance through the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN). 

    Today, UKHSA together with continued funding from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and in partnership with the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) also announced the renewal and expansion of the academic partnership underpinning the UK-PHRST more broadly.

    The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine will lead a new multi-institutional academic consortium, building on nearly a decade of collaborative research between UKHSA and LSHTM since the UK-PHRST was established in 2016. The expanded partnership brings together world-leading expertise in epidemic preparedness and response, with a central commitment to shared leadership between UK and low- and middle-income country (LMIC) institutions. 

    The £18million 5-year programme will conduct applied research across Africa and Southeast Asia, spanning the readiness, detection and response phases of epidemic outbreaks. Research priorities include equity and gender in outbreak response, mental health and psychosocial support, diagnostics, AI-assisted decision-making, and community engagement. Amid an increasing risk of epidemic threats, this renewal highlights the UK government’s commitment to global health security.

    Dr Edmund Newman, Director of the UK Public Health Rapid Support Team at UKHSA, said:

    This deployment will help strengthen the existing response to the Ebola outbreak in the DRC and across the region, with experts in epidemiology, risk communications and community engagement, infection prevention and control and data modelling now on the ground to support.

    We know infectious diseases are not restricted by borders, which is why it’s vital we continue to work collaboratively with the World Health Organization and other international partners, as well as national and local response organisations,  to protect global health security.

    Amid uncertainty in the global landscape, we’re really pleased to announce the renewal and expansion of the UK-PHRST partnership with the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, which allows us to continue sustainably sharing knowledge and support internationally, delivering cutting edge research and evidence to help prevent outbreaks >from becoming global health emergencies.

    Jenny Chapman, Minister for Africa and International Development, said:

    Ebola is a devastating disease, and this latest outbreak is deeply concerning. The UK is acting fast, working with regional partners to save lives and stop the spread.

    The UK Public Health Rapid Support Team brings world-class expertise, from infection control to community engagement and modelling the data. It demonstrates our commitment to global health security, and supporting the4 African-led response to this crisis.

    We are investing in the research, evidence and local leadership needed to respond faster and more effectively to this deadly disease.

    The UK has committed up to £21 million to support the government-led Ebola response in DRC to support a locally led response, helping to protect frontline workers and vulnerable communities.

    Today (16 June) the Minister for Africa and International Development will join African leaders, the WHO Director-General, the Africa Centres for Disease Prevention Director-General and others at their high level meeting to discuss regional preparedness and response.

    UKHSA continues to monitor the Ebola outbreak closely. The risk to the public in the UK remains very low.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Change of UK Chargé d’Affaires in Belarus – William Longhurst

    PRESS RELEASE : Change of UK Chargé d’Affaires in Belarus – William Longhurst

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 16 June 2026.

    Mr William Longhurst has been appointed Chargé d’Affaires at the British Embassy in Minsk in succession to Mr David Ward.

    Mr Longhurst will take up his appointment during July 2026.

    Curriculum Vitae

    Full name: William Jesse Longhurst

    YearRole
    2024 to 2026FCDO, Full time Language Training in Russian
    2019 to 2024British Embassy Berne, Deputy Head of Mission and HM Consul-General to Switzerland & Liechtenstein
    2019FCO, Full time Language Training in German
    2018FCO, Deputy Head, Global Britain Task Force
    2014 to 2018Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia
    2011 to 2013FCO, Deputy Head, ASEAN Department
    2007 to 2011British Embassy Belgrade, Deputy Head of Mission and HM Consul-General
    2006 to 2007FCO, Full time Language Training in Serbian
    2001 to 2006UK Mission to the United Nations in New York, First Secretary (Finance and Management Reform)
    1998 to 2001Department of Trade and Industry, Head of Exports to Japan Unit
    1995 to 1998British Embassy Tokyo, First Secretary (Commercial)
    1992 to 1995British Embassy Seoul, Third Secretary (Economic), later Second Secretary (Political and Information)
    1990 1991FCO Assistant Desk Officer, Economic Relations Department
    1990Joined Foreign & Commonwealth Office