The comments made by Wes Streeting on 15 June 2026.
They say never meet your heroes.
When Roy Hattersley came to my sixth form – a normal inner city state school – 26 years ago I was in awe.
I cherished every conversation since. A great revisionist, with Neil Kinnock he saved the Labour Party, and stood for equality and freedom.
The statement made by Jeremy Corbyn on 15 June 2026.
Today’s ruling to uphold the UK government’s proscription of Palestine Action is a travesty of justice.
One by one, the very foundations of our democracy are being destroyed — all to oil the wheels of British complicity in genocide.
Our government has participated in the mass murder of Palestinians. That is the real crime, and we must bring about justice.
The statement made by Pat McFadden, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in the House of Commons on 9 June 2026.
Earlier this year, I updated the House on progress to deliver the jobs guarantee. Since then, phase 1 of the jobs guarantee has started in six areas of the country, with the first young people now in work. We announced the delivery partners for phase 1 in April, and they can be seen here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/jobs-guarantee
I am grateful to these organisations for working with us at pace to achieve the first job starts in May. Many more young people will enter work through phase 1 of the jobs guarantee over the coming months.
Today, I am pleased to announce that the application window to identify delivery partners for the national roll-out of the jobs guarantee is now open as we prepare to deliver the jobs guarantee across Great Britain.
The jobs guarantee is a central part of the youth guarantee, supporting young people to earn, learn and move into sustained employment. It responds to a long-standing challenge: too many young people spending the early years of adulthood out of work or education.
In March 2026, the Government announced an additional £1 billion investment in employment and skills support over the spending review, taking total investment in the youth guarantee and growth and skills levy to £2.5 billion over three years.
As we build on this progress and roll out the jobs guarantee nationally, the scheme will be open to all eligible 18 to 24-year-olds who have been claiming universal credit and looking for work for 18 months. It will provide them with a guaranteed, fully subsidised six-month paid job. This will include wraparound employability and in-work support to help participants succeed in their roles. The aim is to support young people in taking that crucial first step into sustained employment. Once rolled out, the jobs guarantee is expected to support up to 90,000 young people into paid employment across Great Britain over the next three years.
The Department for Work and Pensions will award multi-year grants to selected delivery organisations, which will deliver the jobs guarantee in local areas. Successful applicants will bring their experience of the local labour market to source suitable jobs and match young people to roles. They will also use their expertise to provide ongoing support to young people while they are on the scheme.
The grant application window is now open and will run for five weeks, from 9 June to 13 July 2026. Applications are open to organisations with the capability and local expertise to deliver opportunities for young people. I encourage applications from any organisation interested in working with us to deliver the scheme.
This national roll-out marks a significant step in delivering our commitment to every young person that they have the opportunity to succeed.
STORY
The Court of Appeal has ruled that the Government’s decision to proscribe Palestine Action under terrorism legislation was lawful, overturning an earlier High Court judgment which had found the ban unlawful. The case concerned the Home Secretary’s decision to add the group to the list of proscribed organisations under the Terrorism Act 2000.
The Court of Appeal said the Home Secretary had been entitled to conclude that the group was not merely a non-violent protest organisation and that its activities involved covert operations and support for unlawful violence. The ruling means the proscription remains in force, making membership of, or support for, Palestine Action a criminal offence.
Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori has said the group intends to continue its legal challenge, including by seeking to take the case to the Supreme Court. The Home Office has welcomed the judgment, while civil liberties and human rights groups have criticised the use of counter-terrorism powers against a direct action group and warned of the implications for protest rights.
![PRESS RELEASE : UN Human Rights Council 62 – UK Statement for the Enhanced Interactive Dialogue with the UN Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan [June 2026]](https://www.ukpol.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/newfco.png)
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 15 June 2026.
UK Statement for the Enhanced Interactive Dialogue with the UN Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan. Delivered by the UK’s Permanent Representative to the WTO and UN, Kumar Iyer.
Mr President,
The UK thanks the Fact-Finding Mission for its harrowing update. It is deplorable that as the conflict enters its fourth year, such grave violations and abuses of human rights continue unabated.
Mr President, we are deeply alarmed by what we have heard today. Systematic arbitrary detention and torture devastate civilian lives. Rape and other forms of sexual violence are abhorrent and must end. Survivors must be supported and those responsible held to account. Let us be clear: sexual violence must never be used as a tactic of war.
The expanding use of drones is intensifying humanitarian need, with over 880 civilians reportedly killed by drone strikes this year alone. We deplore the continued targeting of civilian infrastructure, including schools, markets, and hospitals.
We call on the Sudanese Armed Forces, the Rapid Support Forces and their allies to comply fully with their obligations under international humanitarian law, enable safe, rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access and end the fighting.
We welcome the continued cooperation between the UN Fact-Finding Mission and the AU Fact-Finding Mission, including the Banjul Declaration. Together, their efforts are critical for ending the cycle of impunity and building the foundations of peaceful future for the people of Sudan.
Thank you.
The speech made by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, on 15 June 2026.
Good morning.
Now before I start on social media…
I want first to welcome the breakthrough reached last night between the US and Iran…
And I congratulate President Trump, the mediators from Pakistan and Qatar, and all those involved.
This is a hugely significant moment.
We have long called for deescalation.
And it is vital that all parties seize this opportunity…
To secure stability in the region…
And restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz…
Which, in turn will ease the economic pressures felt by people here in the United Kingdom and around the world.
We will now work closely with our partners to support this agreement…
And to ensure it turns into a durable, lasting peace.
****
Now turning to social media…
And can I say how great it is to see so many people here…
Who played such a key role in the consultation.
And you know – some people are dismissive of processes like this.
But policymaking that doesn’t listen very carefully to the voices of those it seeks to serve…
That is not how this Government carries out its business.
And so, I just want to thank you for the role that you have all played…
And indeed – I want to thank all the people who have campaigned so courageously on this issue…
Including those who have done so after suffering terrible tragedy or loss…
Thank you.
Because today is a big moment for our country.
This is a big step…
Real change for our children and our future.
Because today – I can announce…
That the Government will ban access to social media…
For all children under the age of sixteen.
This is not something I do lightly.
And I will not present it as cost-free…
As if social media has brought no benefits to young people…
Because clearly that is wrong.
But Government is always about choices.
And its clear to me that a full ban is the right choice.
Now I come to it as a parent myself…
I know exactly the fears that we all feel when we’re thinking about this issue.
You know, all I have ever wanted for my own children, hand on heart…
Is for them to be happy and for them to be safe.
And I think that’s what any parent wants.
But I ask the question now…
Do we truly believe that social media creates a happy environment for our children?
Do we truly believe that it’s a place where they can feel safe?
I don’t think I even need to answer those questions – do I?
Every parent can see it with their own eyes…
Social media is making children unhappy.
It’s making it easier for bullies to harass and abuse them…
And it could even be harming their mental health.
Exposing them to content that is dangerous…
Because that’s what grabs the attention.
It’s designed to be addictive – of course it is.
Features like the infinite scroll…
They’re designed to lock you in for hours.
And if nothing else, there’s an opportunity cost to that.
It stops children doing their homework…
Reading…
Playing with their friends outside…
Going to bed at a decent hour.
Now that may not sound like much…
But these are the activities that help a child develop into an adult…
We know how important they are.
We just never thought that something would come along to threaten them.
To be honest – I feel for this generation.
I think back to my own childhood – and yes, the early 1970s weren’t always a picnic.
But we didn’t have to deal with anything like this…
A technology that intrudes into every corner of a life…
Almost impossible to escape…
That records every mistake.
To deal with that, as a teenager…
On top of everything else…
That’s hard.
I feel for parents too.
I mean as a parent you always want to make the right choice for your child …
Which can face a little resistance in the teenage years…
Believe you me!
But parents just want to do the best for their kids…
In a way that’s what being a parent means.
But in this world, with this technology…
It is hard as a parent to know what to do.
And so, I think most parents will welcome this action…
I think they will welcome a clear and decisive choice…
And they will welcome a Government that stands by them…
That supports them to do the best for their children…
And that fights, for their happiness and safety…
Against the most powerful companies in the world.
Because this could be a fight – and to this point it has been a fight.
But it doesn’t have to be – I always prefer the politics of partnership…
And I fundamentally believe that we must harness the power of technology…
To build a stronger, fairer Britain.
But we must also protect our children.
And so, I want this message to be heard loud and clear…
I am not prepared to compromise…
On the safety and happiness of our children…
That is why this ban must happen…
That is why this ban will happen.
But it won’t be easy.
I mean some technology companies want us to think that social media is unchangeable…
Part of an almost natural order…
But we have to resist that kind of learned helplessness…
We have agency…
We can change it and we will.
Yes, it’s hard.
Hard to legislate for…
Hard to regulate…
Hard to enforce.
That’s why we’ve sought a wide range of views on this…
That’s why we’ve listened to people…
Had a conversation…
We’ve looked carefully at the evidence…
Learnt from countries, like Australia, that are taking similar steps
And we’re not just bringing forward a ban…
We’re going further.
We’re taking world-leading action on gaming services and livestreaming platforms…
Where, at the moment, strangers can contact any child unchecked.
Just think about that…
Is there a situation in the offline world…
Where you would just let your child pair up…
With a stranger…
An adult that you don’t know anything about?
No – so we’re taking action on that.
And look – we know perfectly well…
That we will have to adapt our approach as technology changes.
But, building on our experience with the Online Safety act…
We do have an understanding of how to apply age verification.
And because of powers we took in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act…
We can now move at pace…
And crucially – we can adapt as technology changes…
We have those powers.
So we are ready and confident that this ban can be effective.
Now – will it mean that no child ever logs onto social media again…
No.
But look – this might shock you – but it doesn’t shock parents of teenagers…
They get around other laws too!
But we don’t say – oh, look a teenager managed to
get a drink somehow…
So let’s not bother banning alcohol sales to children –
We don’t do that do we?
That would be utterly ridiculous.
And so, I just don’t accept that argument.
Laws are rules…
But they are also an expression of our values…
They shape the social contract.
And so this will change the conversations that parents have…
And the expectations of children, over time…
It will make a huge difference.
It will make our children safer.
It will make our children happier.
It will give them more time, more security,
more freedom to grow up…
More opportunity.
And that, at the end of the day is what this Government is about.
It is why so many of the investments that we’ve made…
Are about supporting children and young people.
In childcare…
New nurseries,
Family hubs…
Apprenticeships…
Tackling child poverty…
Mental health support…
Technical Colleges…
In a youth guarantee for young people struggling to find work.
And today – it’s exactly the same approach…
Now this isn’t just about taking something away…
Because we’re also investing in music, culture, art, sport…
All those activities that we know are so important to childhood…
Particularly for children who do not usually get
those opportunities.
So when you put all this together…
These policies are not just fixes for our problem…
They are the building blocks of a different Britain altogether…
One where we know that our children are safe, happy and secure…
To go as far as their talent and their effort will take them.
That is all any parent wants…
They want to know that Britain will be better for their children…
that they will get a fair chance…
And that’s what these changes are about…
Restoring that hope for every family…
A stronger Britain…
A fairer Britain…
And above all…
A Britain where we invest in the future of every single child.
That is why we are taking this step…
And it is the right step for Britain.
Thank you very much.
![PRESS RELEASE : New police data-sharing to target organised crime [June 2026]](https://www.ukpol.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/homeoffice.webp)
The press release issued by the Home Office on 15 June 2026.
UK police to access European vehicle data in seconds, accelerating organised crime investigations.
Foreign criminals involved in serious and organised crime, including those operating networks moving illegal migrants across continents, will be identified more quickly as UK police gain faster access to European vehicle data.
As part of efforts to secure the border and tackle illegal migration, officers will be able to check overseas-registered vehicles and receive key information in seconds rather than days or even months. Previously, delays slowed investigations into criminal gangs involved in smuggling migrants, illicit drugs and illegal weapons into the UK.
Officers can now carry out number plate checks through the EU’s Prüm data-sharing framework and receive results in around 10 seconds, rather than having to make individual requests to EU Member States. Where a match is found, the system provides vehicle keeper details and other key information, while also flagging stolen vehicles, helping police tackle crime, including vehicle theft, across the UK.
This capability will strengthen intelligence on cross-border crime and improve the identification of vehicles linked to trafficking networks. Earlier visibility of vehicles and individuals will enable law enforcement to identify vehicles repeatedly used in smuggling activity, better understand the supply chains underpinning migrant smuggling, and carry out more targeted, intelligence-led operations to disrupt organised criminal networks.
The system builds on the UK’s existing participation in the Prüm framework, which already enables the sharing of DNA and fingerprint data with European partners, and will be operational ahead of the second UK-EU Summit in Brussels.
Crime and Policing Minister Sarah Jones said:
This gives British police faster access to vital information and strengthens our work with European partners.
Officers will be able to quickly link vehicles to suspects, spot stolen or cloned cars, and track the movements of smugglers across borders.
For criminals, the message is simple: you can’t outrun the law by crossing borders. We will find you and bring you to justice.
Detective Chief Constable Peter Ayling, National Policing Lead for International Crime at the NPCC, said:
The ability to access keeper details of EU-registered vehicles is a welcome addition to a suite of other capabilities that help the UK tackle international crime.
Crime is increasingly a global issue, and a swift and effective approach to exchanging information and intelligence with EU partners is critical for public protection.
APCC Joint Leads on Serious Organised Crime, Lisa Townsend (Surrey PCC) and David Allen (Cumbria PFCC) said:
Serious organised crime is an increasing and global threat that plays out in communities across our country. Too many lives are devastated by the international trade in drugs and weapons, so it is vital police have all available tools to tackle it.
Quick access to EU data enabling police here to track the transnational movements of those involved in trafficking people, narcotics and lethal weapons into the UK will significantly support law enforcement in the fight against dangerous criminals whose illegal activities blight our local communities.
Today’s expanded access to vehicle registration data builds on the success of earlier UK-backed operations. During Operation Mobile 3, a coordinated 2-week effort involving multiple countries, more than 44,000 vehicle checks led to the recovery of over 350 stolen vehicles and 1,000 vehicle parts, while supporting action against organised crime networks, including 17 suspected migrant smugglers.
Vehicle data sharing under the Prüm system will launch with the Police Service of Northern Ireland before rolling out to forces across the UK in the coming weeks.
Under a reciprocal arrangement, EU law enforcement authorities will be able to request access to UK Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency data. This will help ensure criminals fleeing the UK can be identified and brought to justice.
All data sharing is subject to strict safeguards and is carried out in line with UK data protection law and the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement, ensuring information is used securely and appropriately.
STORY
Peter Vowles has been appointed as the next British High Commissioner to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has announced. He will succeed Dr Richard Montgomery and is expected to take up the role in September 2026.
Vowles is currently HM Ambassador in Harare, a post he has held since 2023. He has previously served as HM Ambassador in Yangon and held senior roles in the former Department for International Development, including Director for Asia, the Caribbean and Overseas Territories, Country Director in Kenya and Deputy Country Director in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
His earlier career included development and health-related roles in Bangladesh, Afghanistan and India, as well as work with the World Bank, the National Health Service management training scheme and Raleigh International. The appointment places him in one of the UK’s most significant diplomatic postings in Africa, with Nigeria remaining a key partner for the UK on trade, development, security and regional affairs.
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 15 June 2026.
Mr Peter Vowles has been appointed British High Commissioner to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in succession to Dr Richard Montgomery CMG.
Mr Vowles will take up his appointment during September 2026.
Full name: Peter Vowles
| 2023 to present | Harare, HM Ambassador | |
| 2022 to 2023 | FCDO, Transformation Director | |
| 2021 to 2022 | Yangon, HM Ambassador | |
| 2018 to 2021 | DFID, Director, Asia, Caribbean and Overseas Territories | |
| 2016 to 2018 | Kenya, DFID Country Director | |
| 2013 to 2016 | DFID, Head of Programme Delivery | |
| 2010 to 2013 | Democratic Republic of Congo, Deputy DFID Country Director | |
| 2007 to 2010 | India, Head of Global Partnerships | |
| 2006 to 2007 | Afghanistan, Governance and Security Team Leader | |
| 2006 | Joined DFID | |
| 2005 to 2006 | Mott MacDonald, Health and Development Consultant | |
| 2003 to 2005 | Bangladesh, Population and Health Programme Director | |
| 2002 to 2003 | Bangladesh, World Bank Health Adviser | |
| 2000 to 2002 | National Health Service, Management Training Scheme | |
| 1999 to 2000 | Raleigh International, Head of Projects | |
| 1996 to 1999 | Zimbabwe, Policy and Programme Manager, Students Partnership Worldwide | |
| 1992 to 1993 | Zimbabwe, Teacher, Ministry of Education Sports and Culture |
STORY
Roger Cook, the investigative journalist and former presenter of The Cook Report, has died at the age of 83 following a short illness. His family said he died in hospital surrounded by his wife, Frances, and daughter, Belinda.
Cook became one of British television’s best-known investigative reporters through The Cook Report, which ran on ITV from 1987 to 1999. The programme used undercover filming and direct confrontation to investigate criminality, fraud, corruption and organised crime, with subjects including drug trafficking, people smuggling, terrorism and the illegal ivory trade.
Before moving into television, Cook worked in radio and created the BBC Radio 4 investigative programme Checkpoint. He received a BAFTA special award in 1998 for his contribution to investigative reporting and later wrote about his career in Dangerous Ground. Tributes have described him as a significant figure in British current affairs broadcasting.