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Tag: 2022

  • Rachel Reeves – 2022 Speech to the Times CEO Summit

    Rachel Reeves – 2022 Speech to the Times CEO Summit

    The speech made by Rachel Reeves, the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, to the Times CEO Summit in London on 16 June 2022.

    Thank you Dominic, and thanks to the Times for hosting us today.

    Since being appointed Shadow Chancellor I have had the privilege to visit inspiring British businesses.

    From Castleton Mills, once a key part of West Yorkshire’s textiles industry – now reimagined as a creative, collaborative space housing freelancers and start-ups.

    To world-recognised names like Rolls Royce in Derby – leading pioneering research to develop carbon-neutral aviation.

    And Oxford Nanopore, one of our leading technology and life science firms.

    Britain has huge economic strengths. Our leading universities, our language, our geography, our excellence in sectors from financial services to life sciences to cultural industries.

    But questions of wealth creation have become too marginal to our politics.

    After starting my career as an economist at the Bank of England, I spent several years at HBOS in Halifax.

    I know what business can bring. Not just in prosperity and work which pays well – but in pride and identity.

    After a decade in which people have seen their incomes stagnate and their public services cut to the bone, I don’t only see the task of building a more just society as a moral responsibility – though it is that – but also as the route to a dynamic economy with wealth creation at its core.

    Through which opportunity is widely shared, and through which we can break out of our cycle of low growth, low productivity and underinvestment.

    Labour is pro-worker and pro-business in the knowledge that the success of both is crucial to our country’s economic success.

    A new partnership between government and business will be the foundation of everything the next Labour government will hope to achieve.

    This a challenging moment.

    The politics of stagflation and energy security have come to the fore for the first time in half a century.

    But this present crisis is just the latest chapter in a longer economic story. Between 1997 and 2010, the UK economy grew at an average of 2.1 percent a year, but since then, growth has averaged just 1.5 percent a year.

    And now the OECD forecasts that the UK will have zero growth next year – putting us behind every G20 economy bar Russia.

    I don’t accept that economic decline is an inevitability.

    But we do face a succession of challenges if we are to return to strong growth and shared prosperity.

    Our success will rely on the leadership of both government and business.

    I know businesses increasingly recognise their wider role in strengthening our economy and society.

    But there is an onus on government to rethink too.

    It is no longer enough – if it ever was – for government to simply get out of the way.

    In America, the Biden administration is taking a more active role in tackling structural economic weaknesses. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen calls this approach ‘modern supply side economics.’

    For the next Labour government, such an approach will mean government applying itself more concertedly to driving up the productive potential of our economy. By boosting labour supply through providing workers with the skills, healthcare, and childcare they need to flourish. By using its power of procurement to support businesses here in Britain. And as a strategic partner of business.

    Let me talk more about that final point – strategic partnership.

    I want to see UK companies thrive, to see great ideas come to fruition and for the UK to be a great place in which to invest.

    But I don’t believe all that happens in a vacuum.

    The state has to be active in fostering the conditions for our country to prosper, whether that is in sponsoring world leading research, getting the regulatory environment right, or in helping bridge the gap between a fantastic concept and the reality of its commercial production.

    The last Labour Government developed an active industrial strategy on these lines – and for all my differences with the the Cameron and May governments, their efforts to continue this work were welcome.

    But now these efforts have been abandoned – and the industrial strategy scrapped.

    And for no clear reason, other than an ideological objection.

    Ideology won’t help great British companies, but good partnership will.

    That’s why Labour will bring local, regional and national leaders together with businesses, workers and universities to support the growth of high-tech, competitive industries of the future. And to map out a better way forward for the high-employment, low-productivity sectors on which we all rely – what I call the everyday economy.

    But an approach to strategic partnership can’t stop there.

    I agree with the director of the CBI, Tony Danker, that what is required to break us out of our cycle of underinvestment and low productivity is ‘catalytic public investment’.

    Labour’s climate investment pledge would provide just that, and crowd in private sector investment – to create new markets and bolster existing ones.

    And a modern supply side approach cannot and must not ignore the task of making Brexit work for British businesses and consumers.

    So we must address the flaws in the Brexit deal hitting our food and drinks manufacturers, creative industries, professional services and more – through repairing and strengthening our supply chains, and building on the UK-EU trade deal to cut red tape for exporters.

    We need to adopt an approach that seeks to solve problems in a practical way for UK companies, and aims to build trust – rather than continually retreating to the issue of Brexit as a domestic political wedge.

    Any competitive market economy must offer opportunities for new, innovative and agile businesses to flourish.

    Innovation is a great British strength. It’s in our DNA.

    We have immense resources in the creativity and drive of our entrepreneurs, and the innovative capacity of our universities.

    Fast-growing firms already contribute £1 trillion to our economy and employ 3.2 million people.

    But something I have heard repeatedly is a real worry about the stubborn obstacles preventing many of them from scaling up, and the small number of start-ups listing in the UK.

    Labour’s mission is to build an institutional ecosystem enabling the market access, finance, and skills that new and growing businesses need.

    So today I am launching a review, led by a panel of entrepreneurs and experts including the economist and former Treasury Minister Lord Jim O’Neill, and tasked with charting a course to ensure Britain is the best place to start and to grow a business.

    The review will be given a remit to ask the difficult questions and present solutions – about the incentives for growing businesses here compared with other countries, about access to capital – especially patient capital, about the skills, structures and incentives presented to our universities to spin out new businesses, and about how we extend opportunities to a more diverse range of entrepreneurs.

    I consider it a key task for the next Labour government – a central part of a modern supply side approach – to provide answers to those questions, and to unleash the next generation of innovators and wealth creators.

    The method I have outlined today is a modern supply-side approach, with government as a provider economic security, enabler of a highly-skilled workforce, and a strategic partner to business.

    The object is a stronger society – underpinned by a thriving market economy in which opportunity is shared widely.

    But to realise this, we need a different kind of leadership. Upholding strong institutions, practising transparent decision-making, and showing respect for business.

    Keir Starmer’s Labour Party – proudly pro-worker and proudly pro-business – will offer that leadership.

    Thank you.

  • Rachel Reeves – 2022 Comments on the Economy

    Rachel Reeves – 2022 Comments on the Economy

    The comments made by Rachel Reeves, the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, on 12 June 2022.

    People are scared about the future and lack the confidence to spend.

    While the Chancellor’s cost of living package and u-turn on the windfall tax are welcome, we need more than just sticking plasters. People want more than just sticking plasters. They want to know that the government has got control of the economy and a grip of this crisis.

    Over the past 12 years the Conservatives have demolished the foundations of our economy.

    With me as Chancellor, Labour will build a stronger, more secure economy. We will get the cost of living crisis under control and make Britain more resilient, laying the foundations we need for a thriving, dynamic economy.

  • Robert Courts – 2022 Statement on the Aviation Industry Disruption

    Robert Courts – 2022 Statement on the Aviation Industry Disruption

    The statement made by Robert Courts, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, in the House of Commons on 16 June 2022.

    Over the half-term jubilee weekend, we saw disruption at UK airports with some passengers facing long queues and cancellations largely due to staff shortages at airports, airlines and ground handlers. These experiences, for too many consumers recently, have been unacceptable.

    The Secretary of State and I have made it clear to the sector that they need to operate services that are offered for sale properly and according to schedule, or provide swift, appropriate compensation.

    The aviation industry is privately owned, operated, and run. It is therefore responsible for making sure that it has enough staff to meet demand and to operate the flights offered for sale. It is important that the sector is a competitive, attractive market for workers. The Government have called upon the sector’s leadership to offer better packages and build a resilient workforce to meet demand.

    Since earlier this year, the Government have worked across a number of different areas to help the industry alleviate the issues they have been facing. We are clear that consumers should not lose out. The Government are taking steps to boost consumer rights, including recently consulting on using our Brexit freedoms to enhance consumer protections. We have committed to publishing an aviation passenger charter to ensure consumers can access information about their rights all in one place.

    We have sought ways to ease the burden of background checks carried out by industry. A statutory instrument was laid on 29 April to provide greater flexibility, enabling Ministers to take the decision to allow certain training to be undertaken while background checks were completed. Ministers have also agreed that HMRC employment history letters can be used as a suitable form of reference check—with safeguards in place. These temporary alleviations have helped to speed up recruitment times.

    In partnership with the Civil Aviation Authority, the Government have written to the industry setting out five specific expectations we have for the aviation sector this summer:

    Summer schedules must be reviewed to make sure they are deliverable.

    Everyone from ground handlers to air traffic control must collaborate on resilience planning.

    Passengers must be promptly informed of their consumer rights when things go wrong, and—if necessary—compensated in good time.

    Disabled and less mobile passengers must be given assistance they require.

    Safety and security must never be compromised.

    I am chairing a strategic risk group with CEOs of the aviation sector, which will meet on a weekly basis going into the summer. This group will identify possible interventions to further improve the resilience of the sector, and will be used to hold the sector to account for delivering its schedules. Department for Transport Ministers and senior officials will continue to monitor the situation closely to make sure consumers do not lose out from any further disruption.

  • Eddie Hughes – 2022 Statement on the Government’s Private Rented Sector White Paper

    Eddie Hughes – 2022 Statement on the Government’s Private Rented Sector White Paper

    The statement made by Eddie Hughes, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, in the House of Commons on 16 June 2022.

    The Government have today published their White Paper “A fairer private rented sector”.

    The private rented sector currently offers the most expensive, least secure, and lowest-quality housing to a growing number of vulnerable people, including 1.3 million households with children and 382,000 households over 65. This is driving unacceptable outcomes and is holding back some of the most deprived parts of the country.

    Many renters face a lack of security as they can be evicted without a reason at just two months’ notice (so called “no fault” section 21 evictions, under the Housing Act 1988). This means many tenants do not challenge their landlords or agents on standards. Renters also feel that they cannot put down roots in their local areas, which does nothing for community cohesion.

    The system does not work for good landlords either, the majority of whom do right by their tenants and offer them a positive, secure living situation. They lack the ability to effectively tackle antisocial behaviour or deliberate and persistent non-payment of rent. Most landlords are trying to do the right thing but simply cannot access the information they need. Further, inadequate enforcement is allowing criminal landlords to thrive, which harms tenants and reputable landlords.

    The A Fairer Private Rented Sector White Paper builds on the vision in the Levelling Up White Paper and sets out our plans to fundamentally reform the private rented sector and level up housing quality in this country. It sets the strategic direction for the PRS for the first time in a generation and demonstrates our ambition and determination to give private renters a better deal.

    The White Paper sets out a 12-point action plan of how we will deliver a fairer, more secure, higher quality private rented sector:

    Safe and decent homes

    The PRS has some of the worst housing of all tenures. We will improve this by:

    Delivering on our levelling up housing mission and require privately rented homes to meet the decent homes standard for the first time. This will give renters safer and better value homes and the blight of poor-quality homes in local communities.

    Accelerating quality improvements in the areas that need it most. We will run pilot schemes with a selection of local authorities to explore different ways of enforcing standards and work with landlords to speed up adoption of the decent homes standard.

    Increased security and stability

    For too long tenants have felt powerless and unable to challenge poor practice. We want to change this. We will rebalance the law to deliver a radically fairer deal for renters, while making sure that landlords can regain possession of their property when needed. We will achieve this by:

    Delivering on our manifesto commitment to abolish section 21 “no fault” evictions and introducing a simpler, more secure tenancy structure. A tenancy will only end if the tenant ends it or if the landlord has a valid ground for possession, empowering tenants to challenge poor practice and reducing costs associated with unexpected moves.

    Reforming grounds for possession to make sure that landlords have effective means to gain possession of their properties when necessary. We will expedite landlords’ ability to evict those who disrupt neighbourhoods through antisocial behaviour and introduce new grounds for persistent arrears and sale of the property.

    Improved dispute resolution

    Tenants and landlords need structures in place that allow them to resolve disputes efficiently and fairly. We will deliver on this by:

    Only allowing increases to rent once per year, ending the use of rent review clauses, and furthering tenants’ ability to challenge excessive rent increases through the first-tier tribunal to support people to manage their costs and to remain in their homes.

    Strengthening tenants’ ability to hold their landlord to account and introduce a new single ombudsman that all private landlords must join. This will provide fair, impartial, and binding resolution to many issues and be quicker, cheaper and less adversarial than the court system.

    Working with the Ministry of Justice and Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS) to target the areas where there are unacceptable delays in court proceedings. We will also strengthen mediation and alternative dispute resolution to enable landlords and tenants to work together to reduce the risk of issues escalating.

    Better compliance and robust enforcement

    Landlords, tenants, and local authorities need access to the right information and, for local authorities, the right powers, to crack down on poor practice. We will deliver this by:

    Introducing a new property portal to make sure that tenants, landlords and local authorities have the information they need. The portal will provide a single “front door” for landlords to understand their responsibilities, tenants will be able to access information about their landlord’s compliance and local councils will have access to better data to crack down on criminal landlords. We also intend to incorporate some of the functionality of the database of rogue landlords, mandating the entry of all eligible landlord offences and making them publicly visible (subject to consultation with the Information Commissioner’s Office).

    Strengthening local councils’ enforcement powers and ability to crack down on criminal landlords by seeking to increase investigative powers and strengthening the fine regime for serious offences. We are also exploring a requirement for local councils to report on their housing enforcement activity and want to recognise those local councils that are doing a good job.

    A positive renting experience

    We want to improve the experience of everyone who rents in the private rented sector and will:

    Legislate to make it illegal for landlords or agents to have blanket bans on renting to families with children or those in receipt of benefits and explore if action is needed for other vulnerable groups, such as prison leavers. We will also improve support to landlords who let to people on benefits, which will reduce barriers for those on the lowest incomes.

    Give tenants the right to request a pet in their property, which the landlord must consider and cannot unreasonably refuse. We will also amend the Tenant Fees Act 2019 so landlords can request that their tenants buy pet insurance.

    Work with industry experts to monitor the development of innovative market-led solutions to passport deposits. This will help tenants who struggle to raise a second deposit to move around the PRS more easily and support tenants to save for ownership.

    We have already taken significant action to improve private renting, including significantly reducing the proportion of non-decent private rented homes, banning tenancy fees for tenancy agreements signed after 1 June 2019, and introducing pandemic emergency measures to ban bailiff evictions—these reforms will finish the job that we started in 201—and deliver a fairer private rented sector.

    We have also today published the Government response to the 2019 consultation “A new deal for renting” that sets out how the new tenancy regime will work once section 21 evictions are abolished, the Government response to the “Considering the case for a Housing court: call for evidence”, and the Government response to the 2019 “Tenancy deposit reform: a call for evidence”. We will be depositing copies of these documents in the Library of the House.

    We will deliver on these reforms in the forthcoming parliamentary Session, which will drive real change and make the private rented sector fit for the 21st century. These reforms will apply to England only.

  • Victoria Atkins – 2022 Statement on Rape Cases

    Victoria Atkins – 2022 Statement on Rape Cases

    The statement made by Victoria Atkins, the Minister of State at the Ministry of Justice, in the House of Commons on 16 June 2022.

    Today the Government are announcing additional funding for victims of sexual violence and domestic abuse, publishing a progress report on the implementation of the rape review action plan and the next iteration of the criminal justice system (CJS) delivery data dashboard. These form an important part of our commitment to transform the criminal justice system response to rape, boost transparency and ensure victims get the support they deserve.

    The Government are announcing:

    An additional £6.6 million p.a. boost on a multi-year basis throughout this spending review period, for services supporting victims of sexual violence and domestic abuse. £6 million is being provided directly to police and crime commissioners to increase community-based support in local areas and £0.6 million for training to support the recruitment of the 300 additional independent sexual violence advisors and independent domestic violence advisors over the next three years.

    The publication of a progress report one year on from the publication of the end-to-end rape review action plan. This delivers on commitments in the rape review to be transparent and accountable to the public on how we are progressing work to improve the cross-system response to rape.

    The third iteration of the criminal justice system delivery data dashboard, previously named the CJS scorecard. This publication includes additional Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) metrics and population adjustments.

    Together, these products will contribute to this Government’s commitment to restore faith in the criminal justice system, pursue justice for victims, and build back safer.

  • James Cleverly – 2022 Statement on the UK-EEA EFTA Separation Agreement

    James Cleverly – 2022 Statement on the UK-EEA EFTA Separation Agreement

    The statement made by James Cleverly, the Minister for Europe and North America, in the House of Commons on 16 June 2022.

    The UK-EEA EFTA separation agreement, which was agreed with Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein, and signed on 28 January 2020, covers citizens’ rights and separation provisions. The separation agreement established a Joint Committee whose primary role is to supervise and facilitate the implementation and application of the separation agreement, with the power to make decisions. The Joint Committee has a rotating chair which is currently held by Liechtenstein.

    The third meeting of the Joint Committee took place on 8 June 2022 in London, and focused on citizens’ rights. Each of the parties to the agreement gave an update on the implementation and application of the citizens’ rights provisions, and reiterated their commitment to ensuring continued correct implementation and application. The Independent Monitoring Authority and the EFTA Surveillance Authority also attended to give updates on their monitoring and complaints handling functions as required by the separation agreement, and to discuss their annual reports for 2021.

    The Joint Committee adopted a decision to amend part I of annex I of the separation agreement to reflect decisions taken by the EU’s Administrative Commission for the Coordination of Social Security Systems. These decisions relate to the interpretation of the relevant social security co-ordination provisions, including on data processing and data exchange. They do not impact the rights provided for in the separation agreement. Copies of this decision have been deposited in the Libraries of both Houses.

    The Joint Committee will meet at least annually, with Norway holding the next rotating chair. The next meeting is expected to take place in 2023. I commit to continuing to update Parliament following future meetings of the Joint Committee where decisions are taken.

  • Ben Wallace – 2022 Statement on UK Air Defence Support to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

    Ben Wallace – 2022 Statement on UK Air Defence Support to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

    The statement made by Ben Wallace, the Secretary of State for Defence, in the House of Commons on 16 June 2022.

    After the attacks on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) oil production facilities on 14 September 2019, the UK has worked with Saudi Arabia and international partners to help defend critical infrastructure and support the territorial integrity of the kingdom. The UK deployed two Giraffe radars in February 2020 to help mitigate the continued aerial threats that the kingdom has faced. The deployment was purely defensive in nature. It was necessary to repatriate these radars in December 2021, but the threat to Saudi Arabia has not abated and the requirement to support KSA remains.

    The Ministry of Defence has conducted a phased follow-on deployment of air defence equipment to Saudi Arabia. The deployment comprises a small number of high-velocity missile (self-propelled) systems and associated personnel. As with the Giraffe radars, this is a purely defensive capability, and is being deployed solely to support KSA efforts to defend itself from persistent aerial threats to its territorial integrity.

  • Kwasi Kwarteng – 2022 Statement on the National Security and Investment Annual Report 2022

    Kwasi Kwarteng – 2022 Statement on the National Security and Investment Annual Report 2022

    The statement made by Kwasi Kwarteng, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, in the House of Commons on 16 June 2022.

    I am today laying before Parliament the first annual report under the National Security and Investment Act 2021. I will place copies in the Libraries of both Houses and the report will also be published on gov.uk.

    The National Security and Investment Act 2021 protects the UK from risks to national security arising from acquisitions of control of entities and assets. In doing so it also maintains the UK’s status as an attractive place to invest. The system is predictable, enabling businesses involved in acquisitions to have certainty when engaging with it and it provides clear and efficient clearance processes for relevant acquisitions to be assessed, for remedies to be applied if necessary.

    The new National Security and Investment (NSI) system commenced on 4 January 2022. The Act requires me to report on the system each year after 31 March.

    I am pleased to lay the first NSI Act annual report before the House today. This fulfils my requirements under section 61 of the Act for this year.

    The report shows that the system has started strongly. As of 31 March, the Investment Security Unit received 222 notifications and accepted 201 of them. To that date I had issued 17 call-in notices. Of those notifications that were cleared without any further action, all were cleared within the statutory 30 working-day limit. I had not imposed any final orders (the means by which I can impose conditions on, block, or unwind an acquisition) by 31 March in relation to the 17 call-in notices issued, though the full national security assessment process was still ongoing for many of them.

    Because the data covers only the first three months of the Act’s operation, we cannot draw long-term conclusions or observe patterns with accuracy. However, the system is operating well and, extrapolating out, volumes at each stage are within the estimates provided by the impact assessment.

    We brought forward the reforms in the NSI Act to protect national security while keeping the UK open to investment. The early data is encouraging and shows that these objectives can be complementary rather than mutually exclusive. Those who wish us harm should be in no doubt that we will always act to protect the UK’s national security interests. Equally, the Government’s ambition is for the UK to be the best place in the world to invest and to start and grow a business, so I hope that business leaders and investors will take confidence from this report.

  • Anne-Marie Trevelyan – 2022 Speech at WTO Ministerial Conference

    Anne-Marie Trevelyan – 2022 Speech at WTO Ministerial Conference

    The speech made by Anne-Marie Trevelyan, the Secretary of State for International Trade, on 17 June 2022.

    I want to thank everyone who has worked around the clock at the WTO Ministerial Conference over the past week. Our hard work was not in vain. As the Director General said in her closing speech, we have successfully shown that the WTO is capable of responding to some of the biggest challenges of our time.

    As the UK’s first Ministerial Conference as an independent member, I am incredibly proud of the active and principled role that we played. We approached negotiations with a constructive spirit, and showed flexibility to get things done.

    I was pleased to convene fellow Ministers to discuss trade measures in support of Ukraine. Against the backdrop of Putin’s illegal war, it was important to demonstrate the breadth of support for our heroic Ukrainian friends. Whilst Russia may have had a presence at MC12, I am clear that it does not represent a normalisation of trade relations between the UK and Russia.

    Global food insecurity was already an issue before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. So it was right that the WTO membership gave this issue the attention it deserves by signing a new political declaration, which recognises the important role that trade can plan in improving global food security.

    There was apprehension going into MC12 about whether the membership could put aside their differences and unite behind common goals. I am proud that we proved the naysayers wrong. The reality is that this Ministerial Conference has produced positive outcomes.

    We know that businesses, in both developed and developing countries, wanted us to guarantee tariff-free digital trade. I am happy to say that we delivered for them. Digital trade is what allows a start-up in Malawi access to the same global opportunity as an MSME in Manchester, or indeed a multi-national in California. In the digital age, the E-Commerce Moratorium provides certainty and lowers costs for global supply chains. And, in time, we want to see this Moratorium made permanent.

    Coming into discussions about the WTO’s response to the pandemic, we were clear that the solution to the access of Covid-critical goods lay beyond Intellectual Property, such as principles in applying export restrictions, increased transparency supporting trade facilitation and tariff reduction. While we pressed for the WTO Declaration to go further, we welcome the fact that members found common ground and committed to keep working to improve our preparedness for future pandemics.

    The UK is a long-standing champion of equitable access to vaccines. However, we could only accept an outcome on TRIPS that was operable and did not undermine the existing Intellectual Property framework. That is why the UK fought hard to clarify the exact intent and scope behind the TRIPS Decision. After intense negotiations, we are satisfied the final text is sufficiently workable.

    Let me be clear: this is not about waiving IP rights. This decision should make it easier for developing countries to export the vaccines they produce within existing flexibilities.

    The Fisheries Agreement does not go as far as many members wanted (the UK included). But it does go some way to delivering what our ocean’s need and all those that are dependent on them. We made a firm commitment to continue negotiations so that we can support the recovery of global fish stocks.

    The agreements we reached this week may not be perfect, but they do provide a platform on which we can continue to build. No one has worked harder than the Director-General, who has moved mountains in her efforts to bring about consensus. I congratulate her, the WTO Secretariat, Committee Chairs and Facilitators for their tireless efforts.

    The UK still believes in the centrality of the WTO to the global trading system. The outcomes achieved in Geneva this week show that we are not alone in this belief. Let’s not wait until MC13 to keep making progress.

  • Boris Johnson – 2022 Comments on Second Visit to Kiev

    Boris Johnson – 2022 Comments on Second Visit to Kiev

    The comments made by Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, on 17 June 2022.

    My visit today, in the depths of this war, is to send a clear and simple message to the Ukrainian people: the UK is with you, and we will be with you until you ultimately prevail.

    As Ukrainian soldiers fire UK missiles in defence of your nation’s sovereignty, they do so also in defence of the very freedoms we take for granted.

    That is why I have offered President Zelenskyy a major new military training programme that could change the equation of this war –harnessing that most powerful of forces, the Ukrainian determination to win.

    Two months on from my last visit, the Ukrainian grit, determination and resilience is stronger than ever, and I know that unbreakable resolve will long outlive the vain ambitions of President Putin.