The statement made by Ursula von der Leyen on 8 May 2025.
We sincerely congratulate His Holiness Leo XIV on his election as Pope and head of the Catholic Church.
We wish that his pontificate be guided by wisdom and strength, as he leads the Catholic community and inspires the world through his commitment to peace and dialogue.
The speech made by Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, on 5 May 2025.
It is an honour to be here in the Sorbonne – surrounded by some of the brightest minds in the world. Dear Emmanuel, you once said that before being a university, the Sorbonne was an idea. An idea of scientific excellence, collaboration and – if I may add – of opportunity. And no story encapsulates this better than that of Maria Salomea Skłodowska-Curie, also known a Marie Curie. In her homeland of Poland, then under Russian occupation, women were barred from universities. So, she and her sister joined underground night schools, dreaming of freedom through knowledge. That was at the end of the 19th century. Her journey would eventually bring her to La Sorbonne. Here she was allowed to study and do her research. She ultimately revolutionised medicine and physics. Maria Skłodowska-Curie became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, the first person to win a Nobel Prize twice, and the only person to win a Nobel Prize in two different fields. And her discoveries and her work on radiation saved millions of lives. I start with this story not just because we are here in the Sorbonne – or even because it shows how scientific excellence can change the course of destiny. But because this is also a story about freedom. Freedom to learn and invent. It is a story about openness. Openness to turn ideas into groundbreaking discoveries. And it is a story about collaboration beyond borders. And this is exactly what Europe and the world need more today. Because I am convinced that science remains the fuel of progress and growth for our societies. Without the ideas and breakthroughs that come from scientific research, progress sooner or later stagnates.
Unfortunately, as your discussions have shown today, the role of science in today’s world is questioned. The investment in fundamental, free and open research is questioned. What a gigantic miscalculation. I believe that science holds the key to our future here in Europe. Without it, we simply cannot address today’s global challenges – from health to new tech, from climate to oceans. And as I look around the room – and at all the young people here – I know we are far from having run out of new ideas or bright minds. In fact, the truth is we have barely scratched the surface of the knowledge that science can offer us. So more than ever we need to stand up for science. Science that is universal – shared by all humanity – and that is unifying. Because the pursuit of knowledge and the yearning to understand how things work are values that bring us together as people, as it has done today. We can all agree that science has no passport, no gender, no ethnicity or political party. And as such it does play a crucial role in connecting people and creating a shared future in today’s fractured world. We believe that diversity is an asset of humanity and the lifeblood of science. It is one of the most valuable global goods and it must be protected.
That is why I am here today, to say that Europe will always choose science. And Europe will always make the case for the world’s scientists to Choose Europe. Scientific endeavour runs deep through European history – from Pythagoras and Aristotle in Ancient Greece to Galileo and Copernicus in the Renaissance period or to Koch or Pasteur in latter centuries. The oldest university in Europe was founded in Bologna, where teaching started as far back as 1088. And Europe was the home of the Scientific Revolution which saw one of the most consequential transformations in human history – thanks to breakthroughs in mathematics, astronomy, biology and much more. That tradition lives on today. Europe already has the second highest scientific output in the world. It is home to over 2 million researchers – one quarter of the world’s total. We lead in green tech, health, economics, business and social sciences. We excel in areas of scientific research and technologies that are pivotal to our future – from aerospace to robotics, from automotive to engineering, from biotechnologies to pharmaceuticals, just to name a few.
And we have a huge number of natural advantages that help set us apart. The first is sustained and stable investment from Europe and its Member States. Europe runs the world’s largest international research programme, Horizon Europe. It has a firepower of over EUR 93 billion. Over the last 40 years, the European Union has funded 33 Nobel Prize laureates. European support has made possible breakthroughs in genome sequencing and mRNA vaccines. It spurred the development of cutting-edge microchips, and even led to the first image of a black hole. These examples show what we all know – the return on investment in science is unparalleled. We have worldclass research infrastructure. From particle physics to molecular biology, and from space exploration to nuclear fusion. This helps make Europe a leader in fundamental research.
We have a world-leading supercomputing infrastructure, EuroHPC, and we are investing massively in AI, quantum and digital research. Finally, we also have a proud tradition of open and collaborative science. We uphold the principles of open science, open education and data sharing. Our European Research Council is run not by politicians, but by scientists, for scientists. Our Horizon Europe programme is a magnet for global cooperation. From the UK to Switzerland, from Canada to South Korea, more and more countries want to join it. We see scientists from across the world collaborating here in Europe. Take CERN as a case in point. Founded 70 years ago to carry out cutting-edge research that no individual nation could do alone, it is today the world-leading laboratory for high-energy particle physics and related technologies. Researchers from over 100 nationalities working together for the good of humanity. This is how science should work, and it is why scientific freedom and collaboration must always be at the heart of our institutions and our infrastructure.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Europe has everything that is needed for science to thrive: we have the stable and sustained investment; we have the infrastructure; we have the commitment to open and collaborative science, we have a social market economy that delivers access to good schools, education and healthcare for all. But at the same time, we have to be alert and work on our deficiencies. We know that researchers still face too much – or too complex – bureaucracy here in Europe compared to some other parts of the world. We know that the path from fundamental research to business and to market is not straightforward or fast enough here in Europe. We know that we need to offer the very best a longer-term perspective. We are ready to tackle this head on.
We want Europe to continue to be at the forefront of fundamental research. We want Europe to be a leader in priority technologies from AI to quantum, from space, semiconductors and microelectronics to digital health, genomics and biotechnology. We want scientists, researchers, academics and highly skilled workers to choose Europe. And this is why today I am presenting the first elements of our Choose Europe Initiative.
The first priority is to ensure that science in Europe remains open and free. This is our calling card. We must do everything we can to uphold it – now more than ever before. We want to strengthen the free movement of knowledge and data across Europe – just as we do for goods, talents and capital across our Single Market. And we want to enshrine freedom of scientific research into law in a new European Research Area Act. Because as threats rise across the world, Europe will not compromise on its principles. Europe must remain the home of academic and scientific freedom.
The second element of Choose Europe is financing. Science is an investment – and we need to offer the right incentives. This is why I can announce that we will put forward a new EUR 500 million package for 2025-2027 to make Europe a magnet for researchers. This will help support the best and the brightest researchers and scientists from Europe and around the world. We aim to create a new seven-year ‘super grant’ under the ERC to help offer a longer-term perspective to the very best. Through the ERC, we are already supporting researchers who relocate to Europe with a top-up beyond their grant. We are now doubling the amount they can receive this year. And I want to extend this support for 2026 and 2027.
At the same time, we must also focus on the next generation. This is why we are also increasing support to early career scientists through our Choose Europe pilot under Maria Skłodowska-Curie. Those that choose Europe will benefit from higher allowances and longer contracts. We will expand this support over the next two years, with targeted incentives in frontier fields, like AI. For the mid- and long-term: together with our Member States, we want to reach the 3% of GDP target for investment in research and development by 2030. And we will put forward ambitious proposals on research and innovation funding in the next long-term budget. Because we know that an investment in science is an investment into our future.
The third part of Choose Europe is the need to fast-track the pathway – from breakthrough science to transformative innovation and business opportunities. This is why we will put forward a first ever European Innovation Act and a Startup and Scaleup Strategy, to remove regulatory and other barriers, and to facilitate access to venture capital for innovative European startups and scaleups.
Last but not least: We have to make it easier and more attractive to come to Europe for research. We will better link up researchers with research institutions. We will speed up the process around entering and staying in Europe. We already have an excellent platform that links researchers worldwide with thousands of jobs in Europe, as well as providing visa support and career guidance. We now want to support public and private institutions to better link up to highly skilled workers and researchers, and to speed up and simplify the entry for top researchers. Because bringing the best from across the world is about bringing out the best of Europe.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Europe has made its choice. We are choosing to start a new age of invention and ingenuity. We are choosing to put research and innovation, science and technology, at the heart of our economy. We are choosing to be the continent where universities are pillars of our societies and our way of life. We are choosing to be the continent where innovation serves humanity, where global talent is welcomed. Because as the history of the Sorbonne and our excellent universities show, progress thrives on freedom, openness and collaboration. So, to every researcher, at home or abroad, to every young girl and boy who dreams of a life in science, as Maria Skłodowska-Curie once did, our message is clear: Choose Science. Choose Europe.
The statement made by Donald Tusk, the Prime Minister of Poland, on 8 May 2025.
Habemus Papam! Evil will not prevail. Zło nie zwycięży. Ił male non prevarrà. The optimism and hope that the world needs.
The statement made by Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, on 8 May 2025.
A historic moment for the Catholic Church and its millions of faithful. To Pope Leo XIV, and to all Catholics in France and around the world, I extend a message of fraternity.
On this May 8th, may this new pontificate be one of peace and hope.
The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 8 May 2025.
Congratulations to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV @Pontifex on his election to the See of Saint Peter and the beginning of his pontificate.
Ukraine deeply values the Holy See’s consistent position in upholding international law, condemning the Russian Federation’s military aggression against Ukraine, and protecting the rights of innocent civilians.
At this decisive moment for our country, we hope for the continued moral and spiritual support of the Vatican in Ukraine’s efforts to restore justice and achieve a lasting peace.
I wish His Holiness Leo XIV wisdom, inspiration, and strength—both spiritual and physical—in carrying out his noble mission.
Ad multos annos!
The comments made by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, on 8 May 2025.
Just a few moments ago, I spoke to President Trump, the President of the United States.
And I am really pleased to announce to you, and I wanted to come to you to announce it, that we have agreed the basis of an historic Economic Prosperity Deal.
That is a deal will protect British businesses and save thousands of jobs in Britain, really important, skilled, well-paid jobs.
It will remove tariffs on British steel and aluminium, reducing them to zero.
It will provide vital assurances for our life sciences sector, so important to our economy and grant unprecedented market access for British farmers without compromising our high standards.
And for the great British cars that you make here, that we see all around us, this deal means that US tariffs will now be cut from 27.5% to 10% for 100,000 vehicles every year, that’s a huge and important reduction.
And I know from when I was last here, how much that will have been weighing on your minds when you knew the size of the tariffs that would otherwise be in place.
To get that decrease was hugely important to me and I can tell you my teams were working really hard on this deal night and day for weeks. I was working with them.
And in politics what matters sometimes is who you have in your mind’s eye when you are making these deals, who do you have in your mind’s eye when you are taking decisions.
What I took away from here last time was you and the brilliant work that you do and had you in my mind’s eye as we did that.
We have scope to increase that quota as we go forward, this is not fixed, this is where we have got to.
And all of these tariff cuts will come into place as soon as possible and that’s really important in relation as well to the work that you are doing, and the brilliant cars that you make.
And as Adrian has said I was here with you just a few weeks ago and I promised you that I would deliver in the national interest.
And today I am really pleased to come back here, to be able to look you in the eye and say I have delivered on the promise I made to you.
And that’s why as soon as I knew this deal was coming in today, I said I want to come back to JLR to talk to the workforce there, for whom this means so such.
Now of course we are the first country to secure such a deal with the United States.
In an era of global instability that is so important. The great challenge of our age is to secure and renew Britain.
And that is what we are going to do.
Acting in the national interest.
Shaping this new era – not being shaped by it.
If it’s not good for Britain, we won’t do it.
If it doesn’t mean more money in people’s pockets, we won’t do it.
If it doesn’t mean security and renewal in every part of the country – we won’t do it.
But that doesn’t mean we’re turning inward.
Instead, we are sending a message to the world that Britain is open for business – seeking trade agreements with India on Tuesday, with the US today, and working to boost trade with other partners too – including of course the EU with who we have an important meeting just a week on Monday.
Making deals that will benefit working people.
You know – in recent years an idea has taken hold that you show strength by rejecting your allies.
That you shut the door, put the phone down, storm off. I’ve had plenty of people urging me to do that rather than stay in the room and fight for the interests of our country.
I want to be absolutely crystal clear – that is not how this Government operates. It is never how this Government operates. We don’t storm off, we stay in the room, and we negotiate, and we work for our country with the national interest at the foremost of our mind.
Because the other way of working doesn’t deliver the benefits that working people need.
And so I also want to be clear – this is just the start.
With the deal we have done today we can say: jobs saved. Jobs won. But not job done.
Because we are more ambitious for what the UK and US can do together.
So we are hammering out further details to reduce barriers to trade with the United States across the board.
We have £1.5 trillion invested in each other’s economies, creating 2.5 million jobs across both countries.
There are so many areas where I think we can even more than that and put more pounds in the pockets of working people across the United Kingdom.
As the two biggest services exporters in the world, we will work to bring down barriers, creating jobs in our thriving services sectors – in Leeds, in Manchester, London and Birmingham.
As the only two western nations with trillion-dollar tech sectors we will go further to deepen our partnership in new technologies to shape the innovations of this century together and create the jobs of the future.
Because, look – our history shows what we can achieve when we work together.
And what timing for this deal, that we have agreed this deal on VE Day.
80 years ago, today Churchill was addressing the nation at the end of the Second World War. Victory in Europe.
And we were standing the United Kingdom with the United States on defence and security. For 80 years we have been the closest of partners, and today we have added to that trade and the economy in the special relationship between us.
Defined by peace and economic prosperity.
So, it is fitting today that we renew the bond on the 80th anniversary of VE Day.
![PRESS RELEASE : World Press Freedom Day 2025 – Joint Statement to the OSCE [May 2025]](https://www.ukpol.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/fco-150x150.png)
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 8 May 2025.
UK and others call for action to safeguard media freedom across the OSCE.
Madam Chair,
I am delivering this statement on behalf of the following participating States that are members of the informal Group of Friends on Safety of Journalists: Austria, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom and my own country France.
Last week, on 3 May, we marked the World Press Freedom Day. This day serves as a reminder for States to respect their commitments and obligations regarding press freedom. It is also an opportunity for us all to show our support for media that are affected by restrictions of press freedom, and a day of remembrance of journalists and media actors who lost their lives in the line of duty.
As the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media has consistently highlighted: there is no security without media freedom. There can be no media freedom if journalists and other media actors cannot work safely and freely. Despite ample commitments and obligations in the field of human rights, media freedom and the safety of journalists, the challenges in the OSCE area are manifold. Journalists and media actors are being harassed, threatened, imprisoned or even killed. Legislation seeking to restrict the space for civil society, journalists and media actors is being implemented in several participating States. Challenges in the digital sphere, such as disinformation, information manipulation and smear campaigns, adverse impacts of AI, and online violence and harassment spurring physical attacks, all pose additional pressure on the safety of journalists and media freedom in the OSCE area. As highlighted by the RFoM, female journalists face a double burden as they are being attacked as journalists and as women.
More than three years into Russia’s unprovoked and unjustifiable war of aggression against Ukraine, with the complicity of Belarus, media freedom and the safety of journalists continue to be severely affected. According to Reporters Without Borders, 13 journalists have been killed by Russian forces, at least 47 Ukrainian and foreign journalists have been injured while reporting due to attacks by Russian armed forces. According to the International Press Institute, at least 20 Ukrainian journalists are currently in Russian captivity. The Moscow Mechanism report of April 2024 also found that journalists are among the thousands of Ukrainian civilians arbitrarily detained by Russia. We continue to be deeply concerned about the treatment of Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna. Russia continues attacking media facilities in Ukraine. On 13 April 2025, several media offices in Sumy were damaged as a result of a Russian strike. On the night of 6 April 2025, an office building in Kyiv used by Inomovlennya, Ukraine’s state service for foreign broadcasting, was damaged as a result of Russian strikes on the city.
In Russia, the systematic, state-sponsored repression is intensifying, including through the silencing of dissenting voices, civil society and independent media. Also in Belarus, the systematic and widespread repression continues unabated and intensifies. At least 38 journalists and media actors are currently detained in Russia, and 45 in Belarus. We call on Russia and Belarus to immediately and unconditionally release all those arbitrarily detained and imprisoned, including journalists and media actors.
We are following with deep concern the developments regarding media freedom and how it is affected by the spread of so-called “foreign agents” laws and other legislation restricting the possibilities for journalists and media actors to operate. In Georgia, the rushed adoption of repressive legislation is fundamentally incompatible with core democratic principles. We repeat our call on Georgia to immediately and unconditionally release all journalists and media actors arbitrarily detained or arrested, and to engage in genuine dialogue with the RFoM and ODIHR. In Azerbaijan, there has been a concerning increase in cases against independent journalists and free media outlets. We call on Azerbaijan to honour its OSCE commitments and ensure all its citizens due legal process and access to free and independent media. All those detained for exercising their fundamental rights should be released. Regarding Türkiye, we echo the statement by the RFoM calling for the swift release of journalists arrested while covering recent demonstrations.
Madam Chair,
Let us take the opportunity of the World Press Freedom Day to honor those journalists and media actors that risk their lives and safety to keep us informed, and to reiterate our commitment to implementing our joint commitments and international obligations in the field of human rights and media freedom.
I thank you and request that you attach a copy of this statement to the Journal of the Day.
![PRESS RELEASE : Landmark economic deal with United States saves thousands of jobs for British car makers and steel industry [May 2025]](https://www.ukpol.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/downingstreet-150x122.png)
The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 8 May 2025.
Thousands of jobs have been saved as the Prime Minister secured a first-of-a-kind trade agreement with the US.
Thousands of jobs have been saved as the Prime Minister secured a first-of-a-kind trade agreement with the US.
It is the second major trade announcement this week – following the India Free Trade Agreement on Tuesday, this historic agreement with the US to slash tariffs delivers for UK carmakers, steelworks and farmers – protecting jobs and providing stability for exporters.
Car export tariffs will reduce from 27.5% to 10% – saving hundreds of millions a year for Jaguar Land Rover alone. This will apply to a quota of 100,000 UK cars, almost the total the UK exported last year.
The Prime Minister visited Jaguar Land Rover last month announcing greater freedom for car manufacturers to back British industry in the face of global headwinds. During this visit he told workers he would accelerate trade deals to protect their jobs, their livelihoods, and to champion British business worldwide.
The UK steel industry – which was on the brink of collapse just weeks ago – will no longer face tariffs thanks to today’s deal. The Prime Minister negotiated the 25% tariff down to zero, meaning UK steelmakers can carry on exporting to the US. This follows last month’s intervention from the Prime Minister to take control of British Steel to save thousands of jobs in Scunthorpe.
In a win for both nations, we have agreed new reciprocal market access on beef – with UK farmers given a quota for 13,000 metric tonnes. There will be no weakening of UK food standards on imports.
We will also remove the tariff on ethanol – which is widely used in our manufacturing sector – coming into the UK from the US, down to zero.
It is one of many international deals that the Government is landing to boost our economy – following an Indian trade deal which will add £4.8 billion to the UK economy and £2.2 billion in wages every year.
The new global era demands a government that steps up, not stands aside.
This historic deal delivers for British business and British workers protecting thousands of British jobs in key sectors including car manufacturing and steel.
My government has put Britain at the front of the queue because we want to work constructively with allies for mutual benefit rather than turning our back on the world.
As VE Day reminds us, the UK has no greater ally than the United States, so I am delighted that eight decades on, under President Trump the special relationship remains a force for economic and national security.
This is jobs saved, jobs won but not job done and our teams will continue to work to build on this agreement.
My Government is determined to go further and faster to strengthen the UK’s economy, putting more money in working people’s pockets as part of our Plan for Change.
I am delighted our calm approach and proactive engagement with the US has resulted in this deal which cuts tariffs for UK industry and cuts costs for businesses.
Businesses across the country will be glad to see our approach working, but this is only the beginning. We look forward to strengthening our trading relationship with the US through a wider economic deal, which will help us to deliver on our Plan for Change to provide economic stability and make this country fit for the future.
The car industry is vital to the UK’s economic prosperity, sustaining 250,000 jobs. We warmly welcome this deal which secures greater certainty for our sector and the communities it supports. We would like to thank the UK and US Governments for agreeing this deal at pace and look forward to continued engagement over the coming months.
Work will continue on the remaining sectors – such as pharmaceuticals and remaining reciprocal tariffs. But – in an important move – the US has agreed that the UK will get preferential treatment in any further tariffs imposed as part of Section 232 investigations. The deal opens the way to a future UK US technology partnership through which our science-rich nations will collaborate in key areas of advanced technology, for example biotech, life sciences, quantum computing, nuclear fusion, aerospace and space.
The Digital Services Tax remains unchanged as part of today’s deal. Instead the two nations have agreed to work on a digital trade deal that will strip back paperwork for British firms trying to export to the US – opening the UK up to a huge market that will put rocket boosters on the UK economy.
![PRESS RELEASE : HMRC interest rates for late payments will be revised following the Bank of England interest rate cut to 4.25% [May 2025]](https://www.ukpol.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/ukpol-150x150.jpg)
The press release issued by HM Revenue and Customs on 8 May 2025.
The Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee announced on 8 May 2025 to reduce the Bank of England base rate to 4.25% from 4.50%.
HMRC interest rates are linked to the Bank of England base rate.
As a consequence of the change in the base rate, HMRC interest rates for late payment and repayment will reduce.
These changes will come into effect on:
Information on the interest rates for payments will be updated shortly.
HMRC interest rates are set in legislation and are linked to the Bank of England base rate.
Late payment interest is currently set at base rate plus 4.00%. Repayment interest is set at base rate minus 1%, with a lower limit – or ‘minimum floor’ – of 0.5%.
The differential between late payment interest and repayment interest is in line with the policy of other tax authorities worldwide and compares favourably with commercial practice for interest charged on loans or overdrafts and interest paid on deposits.
The rate of late payment interest encourages prompt payment and ensures fairness for those who pay their tax on time, while the rate of repayment interest fairly compensates taxpayers for loss of use of their money when they overpay.
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 8 May 2025.
Ambassador Holland welcomes the work of the OSCE Mission towards preventing escalation and finding practical solutions to issues, amid the challenging backdrop of energy shortages during the reporting period.
Thank you, Mr Chair.
I would like to offer a warm welcome to Ambassador Keiderling for the final time at the Permanent Council as Head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova. Thank you to you and your team for the Mission’s work over the last six months, and for the comprehensive presentation this morning.
The United Kingdom fully supports the work of the Mission towards preventing escalation, mitigating a deterioration of relations between Chisinau and Tiraspol and finding practical solutions to the challenges of everyday life for all citizens on both banks of the Nistru. We regret Russia’s continued instrumentalisation of the Mission’s mandate and reiterate our call for a return to a full 12-month directive to ensure the Mission has the stability and predictability it needs to fulfil its vital role.
The UK commends the Mission’s efforts across its three lines of action during the reporting period, amid the challenging backdrop of energy shortages on both banks. We appreciate the constructive engagement between Chisinau and Tiraspol and the Mission’s role in facilitating dialogue through the Chief Negotiators and Working Groups. We also welcome the engagement of Special Representative Thomas Lenk during this period.
The UK again notes the lack of progress Russia has made in withdrawing its illegally stationed troops from Moldovan sovereign territory, which runs in direct contradiction to other efforts. Russia must remove its forces without delay and present a considered proposal to resume the process of removal and destruction of ammunition from the Cobasna site.
As our Foreign Secretary stated during his visit to Moldova in November, the UK will not stand by as the Kremlin attempts to undermine democracy, stability and security across Europe. As shown by the signing last year of the UK-Moldova Defence and Security Partnership, the UK is strengthening its commitment to Moldova’s security. At the UK-Moldova Strategic Dialogue yesterday, our officials were proud to reaffirm UK support on cyber, counter-disinformation and judicial cooperation to help Moldova to defend its democratic institutions from malign interference.
To conclude, Ambassador Keiderling, the UK highly appreciates the energy and dedication that you have brought to the role and towards advancing a peaceful resolution. As we look ahead to parliamentary elections in September, the United Kingdom will continue to support the OSCE Mission in fulfilling its mandate, and to support peace and stability for the people of Moldova.