Tag: 2025

PRESS RELEASE : Tech companies urged to join drive to cut crime [May 2025]
The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 8 May 2025.

Top tech experts are meeting the Justice Secretary as part of a Government drive to use AI and technology to transform the justice system and cut crime.
- New study shows tags monitoring curfews cut reoffending by 20%
- Top tech experts assemble to address criminal justice challenges
- Ambition to use technology to deliver safer streets as part of Plan for Change
Today around 30 companies including Microsoft, Amazon Web Services and Google will explore how revolutionary tech could be used to tackle violence in prison, better monitor offenders in the community and improve risk assessments of offenders.

The meeting comes as new research shows curfew tags, which keep offenders at home and off the streets during certain times, can reduce reoffending by 20 per cent. This demonstrates how even older technology is supporting punishment in the community and cutting crime.

The challenge now is to see how newer technology can contribute to help deliver the Government’s Plan for Change to make streets safer.

Today’s gathering will be chaired by James Timpson, the prison and probation minister, and opened by Lord Chancellor, Shabana Mahmood.

Lord Chancellor, Shabana Mahmood, said:

We inherited a justice system in crisis, with prisons close to collapse and staff overburdened and under pressure.

We need bold ideas to address the challenges that we face – supporting our staff, delivering swifter justice for victims, and cutting crime.

Today, we have an analogue justice system in a digital age.

The UK has a world-leading and growing tech sector, and I know our tech firms have a huge role to play in delivering our Plan for Change to make streets safer.

The roundtable marks the first time key players in the UK’s tech ecosystem will meet with justice ministers to discuss some of the toughest challenges our courts, prisons and probation system face.

Discussion will focus on the potential for even more effective tracking of offender movement, using data to aid probation officers to perform better risk assessments and whether digital platforms can help offenders rehabilitate and integrate back into society, cutting reoffending.

It has been organised in partnership with techUK which is the trade association that brings together companies and organisations to promote digital technology.

techUK CEO, Julian David OBE said:

We’re honoured to be hosting this roundtable discussion with the Ministry of Justice – It presents an excellent opportunity for the tech sector to highlight the transformative role that technology is playing in modernising our criminal justice system.

techUK and our members believe that collaboration and open dialogue are essential to fostering innovation and driving meaningful reform – particularly in how offenders are rehabilitated – and that digital tools can be a powerful force in sustaining this positive impact across society.

Other companies attending include:
- Allied Universal: an industry leader technology and service company for three decades
- Cognizant Worldwide Limited: focuses on modernising technology, reimagining processes and transforming experiences
- TPXimpact: a UK-based company focusing on digital transformation and creating positive change for people, places, and the planet
Microsoft Ltd. UK Public Sector General Manager, Amanda Sleight said:

We’re thrilled to be part of this groundbreaking initiative with the Ministry of Justice.

Microsoft is committed to advancing the ethical use of AI technology to reduce the administrative burden on prison and probation staff, allowing them more time to focus on delivering high-quality frontline services, reducing recidivism and helping integrate offenders back into society.

The aim is for a follow up to this meeting with an event open to the whole of industry to apply to come back and present their groundbreaking ideas and solutions in the coming months.

Earlier this year, the Lord Chancellor set out her vision for the Probation Service, which included a bold new £8 million pledge to introduce new technology to help risk assess offenders and cut back on admin, increasing focus on those offenders who pose the greatest risk to the public.
May 8, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Prime Minister to set out vision for ‘defence dividend’ in a changed world [May 2025]
The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 8 May 2025.

As the nation marks VE Day, remembering the triumph of our values and the sacrifices made to secure them eight decades ago, the Prime Minister will share his vision for working people, once again, to feel the benefit of Britain stepping up.
- As the nation marks VE Day, PM will deliver keynote speech at the London Defence Conference
- He is expected to say that the benefits of boosting defence investment in a changing world must be felt directly in the pockets of working people
- Seizing on the conference theme of Alliances, he will set out how state, businesses and society must join hands on security and prosperity
- He will also unveil a £563 million contract for Rolls-Royce, becoming the latest investment in Britain’s first class engine building industry
As the nation marks VE Day, remembering the triumph of our values and the sacrifices made to secure them eight decades ago, the Prime Minister will share his vision for working people, once again, to feel the benefit of Britain stepping up.

Delivering the keynote speech at the London Defence Conference this morning, he will describe the government’s task to seize upon the ‘defence dividend’ presented by our increased investment in defence, in order to create jobs, wealth and opportunity in every corner of the country.

In doing so he will highlight how the government’s boost to defence spending – the highest since the Cold War – will not only provide safety and security for the United Kingdom, but also cement the UK’s status as a defence industrial leader, with more high skilled jobs for people proud to keep our country safe.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to say:

Our task now is to seize the defence dividend – felt directly in the pockets of working people, rebuilding our industrial base and creating the jobs of the future.

A national effort. A time for the state, business and society to join hands, in pursuit of the security of the nation and the prosperity of its people.

An investment in peace, but also an investment in British pride and the British people to build a nation that, once again, lives up to the promises made to the generation who fought for our values, our freedom and our security.

The Prime Minister will use his speech to deliver a tribute to the bravery of the veterans who secured victory 80 years ago and the remarkable men and women who carry the vital task of protecting our security today. It follows a street party on Downing Street on Monday where the Prime Minister welcomed Second World War veterans and cadets from across the country, and comes ahead of his attendance at the service at Westminster Abbey this afternoon.

He will say:

Britain’s victory was not just a victory for Britain. It was a victory for good against the assembled forces of hatred, tyranny and evil, for the light of our values – in a world that tried to put them out.

Now, as you know, there are people who would happily do likewise today. Our values and security are confronted on a daily basis. We must use this moment to deliver security and renewal for our country.

At the Conference the Prime Minister will address policymakers, military figures, defence firms and academics from around the world.

In the face of global instability, he will reflect on how the conference theme ‘Alliances’ should mean not only our iron-clad commitment to NATO and Western Values but also an opportunity to double down on efforts to work hand-in-hand with business and society to make the UK better off and more secure.

He will announce the latest significant investment in British expertise with a £563 million contract for Rolls-Royce for the maintenance of Britain’s fleet of Typhoon fighter jets. The work to maintain 130 Typhoon engines will take place at Rolls-Royce’s sites, supporting hundreds of jobs in Bristol and beyond.

The announcement supports the government’s priority of continuing the UK’s great tradition of building the ships, missiles, artillery, vehicles, aircraft and more that keeps us safe – cementing the British defence industry’s place as the engine of national renewal.

It comes less than a week after the Prime Minister hailed the RAF’s new UK-made StormShroud drones. The groundbreaking new technology will make the RAF’s world-class combat aircraft more survivable and more lethal by delivering high-tech signal jammers to disrupt enemy radar at long ranges, protecting our aircraft and pilots.
May 8, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Russia has acted to obfuscate and embolden the DPRK’s unlawful pursuit of weapons of mass destruction – UK statement at the UN Security Council [May 2025]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 May 2025.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on North Korea.

Analysis from organisations like the Open Source Centre has become even more vital in the wake of the expertise gap left by the 1718 Panel of Experts.

One year on, the UK deeply regrets Russia’s decision to veto the mandate renewal of the 1718 Panel of Experts.

This was a deliberate act used to obfuscate and embolden the DPRK’s unlawful pursuit of weapons of mass destruction, and to conceal Russia’s own erosion of the UN sanctions architecture, which it has a responsibility to uphold as a permanent member of this Council.

The Panel’s credible, objective and independent reporting enabled this Council and the international community to effectively monitor the implementation of UN sanctions on the DPRK.

Most importantly, the Panel helped prevent the DPRK’s unlawful and dangerous development of nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.

Since Russia’s veto last year, there have been over 40 missile tests, including one intercontinental ballistic missile test and one intermediate-range ballistic missile test.

This escalation represents multiple breaches of UN Security Council resolutions, for which we have been deprived of further analysis.

Colleagues, it is obvious that Russia’s objective was to clear the path for the expansion of their military relationship with the DPRK.

The DPRK is believed to have supplied 20,000 containers of munitions to Russia, and its artillery and mortar shells account for 60% of those used in Russia’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine.

And as we’ve heard, in the past week, Russia and the DPRK publicly flaunted their agreement to use DPRK troops as mere cannon fodder in that war.

Let me be clear, we cannot allow this brazen disregard towards UN sanctions to become normalised.

The UK will continue to work closely with partners to monitor sanctions evasion, to hold both Russia and the DPRK to account, and to call out those complicit in the DPRK’s violations of UN Security Council resolutions.

As we have heard over the course of the NPT Prepcom, this Council should stand firm in its defence of the global non-proliferation regime.

The UK remains steadfast with partners in our shared goal for the DPRK to abandon all nuclear weapons, other weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner.

May 8, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : The UK will continue to pay tribute to the victims of war by pressing for a just and lasting peace in response to conflicts around the world – UK Statement at the UN General Assembly [May 2025]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 May 2025.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN General Assembly meeting on the Eightieth anniversary of the end of the Second World War.

Today, we remember the enormous contributions and sacrifices made, and honour the lives lost, in pursuit of peace and security 80 years ago.

Allied forces, united in their mission to liberate Europe from Nazi oppression, were victorious.

But we must never forget the tragic human cost of the Second World War.

Over 70 million lives lost around the world.

And as the world wars begin to fade from living memory, we must ensure the stories of those who lived through and fought in them are remembered by generations to come.

This organisation was founded in the wake of that conflict, to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, underpinned by a Charter which united the world with the aim of maintaining international peace and security, reaffirming our shared faith in Human Rights, and promoting development.

The United Kingdom remains deeply committed to those principles and to the UN Charter.

In the UN’s 80th year, our shared mission is more important than ever.

The world faces the highest number of conflicts globally since the UN’s inception.

The human costs are rising.

In Europe, security is once again threatened by blatant disrespect for the principles of sovereign equality of States and respect for territorial integrity.

These principles matter for all states.

President, my grandfather served as a British Army officer in France and in Italy during the Second World War. Decades later, even at the height of the Cold War, he spoke warmly of the Soviet forces he had fought alongside to defeat fascism.

Russia’s claims that the Ukrainian government is akin to the regime of the German Nazis is false and malicious propaganda that insults the memory of the Soviet forces who fought and died during the Second World War.

We were called here today for one solemn purpose: to commemorate the victims of the Second World War.

The fact that Russia sees fit to use this meeting to peddle blatant disinformation about is shameful, but it will not distract us.

As my Prime Minister said, this is a time to celebrate hard-won peace, honour the memory of those who lost their lives and remember the sacrifices made by so many to secure our freedom.

The United Kingdom will continue to pay tribute to the victims of war by pressing for a just and lasting peace in response to conflicts around the world.

As we join together today, we encourage all Member States to consider this anniversary a stark reminder that peace cannot be taken for granted.

We must all redouble our efforts to bring about the peace and security the people of the world need and which they deserve.

May 7, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : EA steps up dry weather prep after driest spring start since 1956 [May 2025]
The press release issued by the Environment Agency on 7 May 2025.
The Environment Agency has urged water companies to do more to safeguard water supplies after the driest start to spring in 69 years.

The environmental regulator convened a meeting of the National Drought Group today (Wednesday 7 May 2025) and said more needed to be done to cut leakage and help customers use water more wisely.

In England, March was the driest since 1961 and April received just half its normal rainfall. Farmers have had to start irrigating crops earlier and reservoir levels are either notably low or exceptionally low across the North East and North West of England. Both these regions have seen their driest start to the year since 1929.

Representatives from the EA told the meeting – which includes the Met Office, government, regulators, water companies, farmers and conservation experts – that while no area is currently officially in drought there is a medium risk of one this summer without sustained rainfall.

Chairing the meeting, Environment Agency Deputy Director of Water, Richard Thompson, said:

The changing climate means we will see more summer droughts in the coming decades.

The last two years were some of the wettest on record for England but drier conditions at the start of this year mean a drought is a possibility and we need to be prepared.

It’s heartening to see more people looking to reduce their water use and we expect water companies to do more to cut leakage and rollout smart meters.

Whilst there are currently no plans for hosepipe bans, if the prolonged dry weather continues, water companies may need to implement their dry weather plans in the weeks and months ahead.

The EA is closely monitoring water companies’ implementation of these plans, especially high-risk locations, as well as working with farmers to help them plan for irrigating their crops. It is also preparing dry weather advice and information for the public, including small steps they can take to reduce usage.

Water Minister, Emma Hardy, said:

Our water infrastructure is crumbling after years of underinvestment.

Water companies must go further and faster to cut leaks and build the infrastructure needed to secure our water supply.

The Government has secured over £104 billion of private sector investment to fund essential infrastructure, including nine new reservoirs to secure our future water supply into the decades to come.

The National Drought Group will meet to discuss action regularly in the coming months. At today’s meeting, attendees heard about the current water resources situation:

A dry start to the year means farmers have had an earlier start to the irrigation season and have seen an increased demand on their on-site storage reservoirs.

Reservoir storage across England is 84% of total capacity. This compares to 90% at the end of April in the 2022 drought year.

River flows are currently below normal or lower for this time of year across northern and central England.

Chalk groundwater levels are generally in a good position.

Wildfires have been reported in Cumbria, Derbyshire and Dorset as vegetation is dry.

The EA has called on the group’s membership to take action to ensure they are prepared for drought. This includes:

Water companies stepping-up action on leakage and preparing their dry weather plans.

Water companies communicating with customers about current risk and supporting them to use water wisely during this dry period.

Farmers to work with NFU to assess their water needs this summer and take action now to ensure they have enough to last the summer

EA to work with fishery owners to have ensure plans are in place to manage dry weather.

The public can play their part too by reducing individual water consumption, such as installing a water butt in the garden to harvest rainwater, taking shorter showers, and turning off taps when not in use.

According to EA figures, by 2050, England will need to find an additional 5 billion litres of water a day to meet demand for public water supply. This is more than a third of the 14 billion litres of water currently put into public water supply.

Note to editors

Each water company produces a drought plan, including measures to take when drought triggers are hit following dry weather. This includes campaigns on water usage, changes to their abstraction permits, and temporary usage bans (TUBS) – also known as hosepipe bans.

The last drought was in 2022, with five water companies imposing hosepipe bans on a total of 19 million customers to ensure drinking and wastewater services were prioritised. South West Water’s ban was lifted in September 2023.

More about drought can be found here: Are we prepared for a drought? The water resilience challenge – Creating a better place
May 7, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Update on UK – Turkey trade talks [May 2025]
The press release issued by the Department for Business and Trade on 7 May 2025.

UK and Turkey agree on date to relaunch talks for an upgraded free trade agreement.

Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds and Minister of State for Trade Policy and Economic Security Douglas Alexander met today in London [Wednesday 7 May] with their Turkish counterparts, Minister of Trade Ömer Bolat and Deputy Minister of Trade, Mustafa Tuzcu, to discuss how to grow the UK economy by boosting trade.

The UK and Turkey have a strong economic relationship, with trade between the two totalling around £28 billion in 2024, making Turkey the UK’s 16th largest trading partner, with UK companies already exporting £9.3 billion of goods and services to its growing market of 86 million people.

Ministers affirmed the importance and strength of the UK-Turkey trading bilateral relationship, committed to continue to pursue closer cooperation and increased trade and investment, and underlined the importance of defending free trade.

They also confirmed their intention for the first round of Free Trade Agreement negotiations to take place by the end of July.

Ministers concluded the meeting by signing an upgraded Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) chapter, in the form of an amendment to the 2020 UK-Turkey Free Trade Agreement (FTA). This chapter closely aligns UK-Turkey TBT provisions with those found in the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), reducing costs and making it easier for businesses to trade.

Background
- The UK is the second largest services exporter in the world, but in 2024 only 34% of our exports to Turkey were services.
- UK exports to Turkey directly supported around 57,100 jobs across the UK in 2020, more than 68% of which were in services.
- More than 7,800 UK companies currently export goods to Turkey (2024).
- Turkey’s economy is currently the 17th largest in the world. By 2050 is expected to be the 12th-largest in the world and the fourth largest in Europe.
- The Turkish company, Eren Holding Group, recently invested £1 billion in the redevelopment of Shotton Mill in Deeside, North Wales. This investment is set to safeguard 147 jobs and create a further 220. The project is supported by nearly £13 million from the Welsh Government and £136 million from UK Export Finance.
May 7, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : New rules to sack officers guilty of gross misconduct [May 2025]

The press release issued by the Home Office on 7 May 2025.

Police officers to no longer be able to escape the sack for gross misconduct as major government reforms to boost standards in policing continue.

Police officers found guilty of gross misconduct will no longer be able to escape dismissal under new rules that will help to root out rogue individuals and drive up standards.

The new rules, being laid in parliament today and due to come into effect at the end of the month, will strengthen the ability of police chiefs to clean out their forces of officers unfit to serve by setting clear expectations about what should happen to those guilty of the most serious behaviour.

Whilst many officers who are found guilty of gross misconduct do get sacked, with over 500 officers dismissed – or “would have been dismissed” if they hadn’t already left the service – last year, there currently is no guarantee that gross misconduct will lead to dismissal.

In some cases, officers remain in post, with 56 officers remaining in policing last year despite being guilty of gross misconduct.

Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson said:

We place a huge amount of faith and trust in the police officers we see in our communities, and it is vital that only those fit to wear the uniform are serving the public.

We cannot let the majority of officers, who are brave and committed to keeping us safe, be tarnished by the few who commit serious criminality or gross misconduct. They, and the public, deserve certainty that those who are unfit to serve will be dismissed.

With our Plan for Change, we are sending the clear message that no matter where you are in the country, the officers serving on our streets are only of the highest standards.

Under the new rules, which will come into force from 28 May, a presumption of dismissal will be created for proven gross misconduct, which means there will be a clear expectation that officers will be sacked unless there are exceptional circumstances.

These new rules will provide clarity and certainty to the public and officers that gross misconduct has no place in policing, and form part of a series of government reforms to boost public confidence in policing as part of its Safer Streets Mission and Plan for Change. It builds on a new process to sack officers who fail background checks that was announced last month, with holding vetting becoming a legal requirement.

Head of External Affairs at Women’s Aid, Isabelle Younane, said:

Women’s Aid welcomes reforms to policing announced today by the Home Office, which will help ensure that forces are able to remove dangerous perpetrators from their ranks more swiftly.

It is essential that women are able to trust that when they are bravely reporting their experiences of abuse to the police, they aren’t speaking to an officer who has been accused of violence against women and girls (VAWG) related misconduct themselves.

These reforms, alongside those announced previously, are positive first steps to improving women’s trust in the police. We continue to urge for further action to ensure that no individuals with the misogynistic attitudes and beliefs that underpin VAWG are eligible to join.

Victims’ Commissioner Baroness Newlove said:

Today’s changes are a welcome and necessary step toward restoring public trust – and reaffirming the values policing must uphold. Too often and for far too long, red flags have been missed, minimised or ignored.

While only one piece of the puzzle, I hope these measures will help to kick urgently needed cultural change into gear, ensuring only those worthy of the badge are allowed to serve.

The new legislation being laid today will also create a presumption of accelerated hearings for former officers, ensuring swifter proceedings for those who resign or retire before they face a misconduct hearing. Former officers who would have been dismissed had they still been serving will continue to be barred from future service.

Unsatisfactory performance procedures are also being streamlined so that underperforming officers are taken through the process more quickly.

Serious criminal offences will also automatically amount to gross misconduct under these new measures. Whilst ‘indictable only’ criminal offences like rape and grievous bodily harm often lead to misconduct proceedings, this is not currently defined in law, and the government is therefore making it more straightforward for forces to deal with these cases quickly.

As part of the government’s reform agenda, further measures will be brought in later this year to strengthen national vetting standards and ensure every force follows them, as well as introduce stronger requirements to suspend officers under investigation for violence against women and girls.

May 7, 2025
Douglas Alexander – 2025 Statement on Trade Negotiations

The statement made by Douglas Alexander, the Minister for Trade Policy and Economic Security, in the House of Commons on 6 May 2025.

I wish to make a statement on the progress that this Government have made towards a UK-India trade deal. I am delighted to inform the House that we have now concluded negotiations on a comprehensive, modern agreement with the fastest-growing economy in the G20.

Hon. Members will no doubt be aware that India is expected to be the third-largest economy in the world by 2028. By the end of this decade, it will be home to an estimated 60 million middle-class consumers, and with trade between the United Kingdom and India already standing at north of £43 billion, we know that this powerhouse economy is and will remain a hugely important market for British businesses. While past Governments have failed to negotiate a deal with India, this Government have today succeeded. We have brokered the most generous trade deal ever agreed by India in its history.

From day one of this deal coming into force, it will make trade between our countries cheaper, easier and quicker. UK exporters will benefit from much lower tariffs across a whole host of sectors, including those that we are prioritising in our industrial strategy. It means simplified customs processes for businesses in advanced manufacturing and aerospace, in the food and beverage sector, and in the creative sector, which will benefit from improved copyright protection.

For our world-leading financial and professional services companies, this deal locks in access to India’s fast-growing market. It will ensure that UK banks and finance companies are placed on an equal footing with Indian suppliers, and it encourages the recognition of professional qualifications, so that UK and Indian firms can access the right talent at the right time, whether they are in Mumbai or Manchester. This deal will unlock new opportunities for businesses in every part of the United Kingdom, including our advanced manufacturing companies in the north-east, our iconic Scottish whisky brands and our car plants in the west midlands. In all, we will have secured over £400 million in tariff reductions in the first year alone, doubling to around £900 million after just 10 years.

Crucially, the deal we have negotiated will provide bespoke support for small and medium-sized enterprises to enter the Indian market, alongside a firm commitment from India to address the trade barriers that those businesses face. Since taking office, we have committed to hardwiring the views and interests of small businesses into everything we do, and the deal we have negotiated is evidence of that. For the very first time, British businesses will have guaranteed access to India’s vast procurement market, covering goods, services and construction. They will be able to bid for approximately 40,000 tenders worth at least £38 billion a year.

The deal that we have just got over the line is further proof that this Government are using the power of international trade and investment to raise living standards here at home. Indeed, experts predict that it will boost our bilateral trade by some £25.5 billion. It is also projected to increase UK wages by £2.2 billion each year, while adding nearly £5 billion to our GDP over the long run.

We have done all that while defending stoutly the UK’s national interest. We have brokered a deal that protects our NHS and upholds our high food standards. It ensures that our points-based immigration system remains unaffected. The deal demonstrates our commitment to both workers and businesses, staying true to our Labour values while contributing to our primary mission of economic growth.

I recognise that this House will need time to scrutinise the deal before the ratification process. My Department will follow the process set out in the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 in sharing the finalised treaty text with hon. Members. The House will, of course, have the opportunity to scrutinise any legislation associated with its implementation.

This deal sends a powerful message about the UK and India’s shared commitment to free, fair and open trade. The UK-India relationship has deep, enduring roots, exemplified by the living bridge of 1.9 million people of Indian heritage living in the United Kingdom. While I do not personally lament that the right hon. Member for Richmond and Northallerton (Rishi Sunak) is no longer the UK’s Prime Minister, it would be wholly wrong of me not to acknowledge his significant achievement as the first British-Indian Prime Minister, which is a testament not just to his own ability but to the close bonds that unite our two nations.

The Government are proud to back open markets and free trade. We recognise that Britain has always been an open, outward-looking trading nation, and we believe that open markets and free trade are fundamental building blocks with which the UK can secure its opportunities and prosperity at home and abroad. Through our upcoming trade strategy, we will set out our ambitions to engage with more industrial giants, like India, to ramp up trade and investment over the coming months and years.

Today, though, as close trading partners and as friends, I am proud that we have secured this deal with India. It is a deal that affords UK businesses certainty and stability during a time of global uncertainty and instability, and a deal that will give British businesses access to one of our biggest markets abroad, while raising wages and driving growth here at home. That is what this deal delivers, and I commend this statement to the House.

May 7, 2025
Lisa Smart – 2025 Speech on Counter Terrorism Policing Arrests

The speech made by Lisa Smart, the Liberal Democrat MP for Hazel Grove, in the House of Commons on 6 May 2025.

I thank the Minister for updating the House and for advance sight of his statement. I also add my thanks to the security services and the police for all their work to keep us safe.

Over recent years Members have been called to this Chamber to discuss plots to commit acts of terror on Britain’s streets at the hands of the Iranian regime—but consecutive Governments are yet to proscribe the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation. In opposition, the now Foreign Secretary said:

“The IRGC is behaving like a terrorist organisation and must now be proscribed as such.”

Earlier this year I asked the Minister precisely this question: does he not agree that now is surely the time? In his earlier remarks, he mentioned the review that has concluded. If now is not the time for proscription, when should the House expect a further update?

The Liberal Democrats have welcomed previous sanctions against those linked to the Iranian regime. However, I urge the Government to go a step further and look closely at whether those individuals and others with links to the regime have assets here in the UK. Will the Minister commit to carrying out an audit, so that we know where those assets are, enabling the Government to freeze them as appropriate? The Minister is right to reference the long-standing pattern by the Iranian intelligence service of targeting people of the Jewish faith and of Israeli nationality. Could he update the House on any conversations he has had with the UK Jewish community leadership, specifically the Community Security Trust, about threats here in the UK?

Dan Jarvis

I thank the hon. Lady for, as is always the case, the very sensible and reasonable way in which she has phrased her questions. I am always available to discuss these matters in more detail should she wish to do so. To her question on proscription, I hope she will acknowledge the response I gave to the shadow Minister a few moments ago.

We take these matters incredibly seriously. The Home Secretary and I looked at them very closely in opposition, and that is precisely why the Home Secretary commissioned Jonathan Hall. He is the right person to look carefully at our legislative framework and make recommendations about whether we can toughen and strengthen our laws in this particular area. Mr Hall has now concluded his report; we are looking very closely at it, and it will be published shortly. As I said to the shadow Minister, we will not hesitate to bring forward further measures as required.

The hon. Lady made an important and helpful point about sanctions and assets, and I know it will have been heard by the Foreign Office Minister, my hon. Friend the Member for Lincoln (Mr Falconer), with whom we work incredibly closely. We work hard to ensure that our response is always as joined up across Government as it can be. The Home Secretary works very closely with the Foreign Secretary, and I work very closely with my hon. Friend the Member for Lincoln on these matters, and we will consider whether further measures need to be taken.

The hon. Lady’s final point about the Jewish community is a very important one. I give her and the whole House an absolute commitment that we will work tirelessly to ensure the safety of the Jewish community in our country. The Home Secretary and I, and other Ministers, are in regular contact with members of that community, including the CST, which she referenced and which does an excellent job. I will be meeting them in the very near future, and the hon. Lady can be reassured that we will work very closely with them to ensure that they get the protection that they need and deserve, and the assurances that they rightly want.

Paul Waugh (Rochdale) (Lab/Co-op)

I pay tribute to the bravery and professionalism of the counter-terrorist specialist firearms officers who took part in the arrest of an Iranian national in Rochdale over the weekend. It was a reminder of not only the constant threat that we face, but the intelligence and police services’ daily work to keep us all safe. Does the Minister agree that in this week of the 80th anniversary of VE Day, it is a reminder too that Britain is at war with a modern enemy: the fascism of Islamist extremism and state-sponsored terrorism? The message should go out loud and clear that my town, our country and this House will never surrender to such terrorism or to its ideology.

Dan Jarvis

My hon. Friend makes a powerful and important point. He is absolutely right that the Government will never drop their guard to the threats that we undoubtedly face in countering terrorism, whether the specific threat around Islamist extremism or state threats. We take these matters incredibly seriously, and we will work to ensure that all our security services and police forces have the resources and tools they need to address the threats we face.

May 7, 2025
Matt Vickers – 2025 Speech on Counter Terrorism Policing Arrests

The speech made by Matt Vickers, the Conservative MP for Stockton West, in the House of Commons on 6 May 2025.

I thank the Minister for providing advance sight of his statement on this critical issue. People will have read the deeply concerning report suggesting that an attack may have been just hours away, and this will understandably be worrying to people across the country.

This statement reminds us of the tragic incidents that have plagued our country in the past. This month marks 12 years since the death of Lee Rigby on our streets, as well as eight years since the horrific Manchester Arena bombing. Later this year, we will also mark the 20th anniversary of the 7/7 attacks, which brought to London a level of destruction that many of us never thought we would see in our lifetimes. These acts of terror, along with other cowardly acts, caused untold hurt to victims and their families.

As we discuss the arrests over the past weekend, we must remember the importance of keeping the British public safe from those who seek to terrorise us, and I therefore pay tribute to the hard-working members of the police and intelligence services for their bravery in disrupting terrorist activities. In October, the head of MI5 said that the police and MI5 had together disrupted 43 late-stage attack plots since the Manchester bombing. We must remember that each of these cases is not merely a statistic, but represents someone’s life and someone’s future.

I commend the Minister for recognising the work of the previous Government and for acknowledging the measures that were used effectively in this incident. In turn, we will support measures that enact the National Security Act and give the Government the powers needed to act against malign influences on our country.

Turning to the incidents at hand, I would be grateful if the Minister could clarify certain points. While I am thankful for today’s statement, I hope the Government will be as transparent as possible about the details to avoid the vacuum of information we have previously discussed in this place. While I appreciate that the Government do not want to provide a running commentary, like many other Members I would be grateful if the Government could be as open as possible, given the seriousness of the arrests.

As the Minister has outlined, there were two separate arrests of Iranian nationals in relation to terror offences, which has raised serious questions about how their networks were formed and what their intentions were. Can the Minister provide any further information about the suspects? For example, while we know they were Iranian nationals, what is their immigration status? Was the state aware that these individuals were in the UK, and was there any prior indication of the risk they might pose?

On the broader issue of Iran, while I understand that the Minister may not be able to comment on proscription directly, the Home Secretary did address this while in opposition.

In July 2023, she told the Royal United Services Institute that

“instead of trying and failing to use counter-terror legislation to proscribe organisations like Wagner or IRGC, we will introduce a bespoke proscribing mechanism to address state-sponsored threats.”

She also said at the Dispatch Box in April 2024 that Labour wanted

“appropriately targeted proscription-style restrictions on the operations of state-linked organisations such as the IRGC.”—[Official Report, 15 April 2024; Vol. 748, c. 19.]

However, it was only in March of this year that the Minister for Security announced the review by Jonathan Hall. Does he share my concerns that these mixed signals and the delay suggest a lack of prioritisation by the Government? Ultimately, we must all work together to ensure that the UK adopts the strongest possible stance on national security. As cross-party co-operation is essential, I urge the Government to take every possible step to prevent these cowardly acts of terror.

Dan Jarvis

I thank the shadow Minister for the sensible, reasonable and constructive tone of his response. He is absolutely right to draw the House’s attention to the tragic death of Lee Rigby, the tragic bombing in Manchester and, of course, the 20th anniversary of the 7/7 bombings that we will be commemorating in a couple of months’ time.

Let me join the shadow Minister in paying tribute to all those who work tirelessly to keep our country safe. It is one of the greatest privileges of this particular role that we have the opportunity to serve in government, as Conservative Members will also have done, and to work closely alongside those incredibly committed members of the police and the intelligence services; we owe them a debt of gratitude.

I am also grateful for the opportunity that the shadow Minister has afforded me to offer our thanks for the work that was done by the previous Government, both in introducing the National Security Act 2023, which has proved to be an incredibly valuable tool, and in creating CTOC, which is delivering very significant operational value. I can absolutely give an assurance that this Government, like the previous one, will continue to invest in that institution.

The shadow Minister made an important point about transparency, and I can give him the reassurances that he seeks. He and the House will understand that we are just a couple of days on from those arrests that took place on Saturday. The Home Secretary will provide a further update as soon as we are operationally able to do so. I give the shadow Minister a commitment that we will be as transparent as possible while of course ensuring that we do not cut across live counter-terrorism operations.

The shadow Minister mentioned proscription, and I understand why. I know that he will acknowledge—or at least I hope that he will—that on 4 March I announced a very strong suite of measures designed to most effectively address the nature of the threat that we face from Iran. Contained within those measures was a request from the Home Secretary for Jonathan Hall, who I know is held in very high regard because of the experience and credibility that he has in this area, to look very carefully at the legislative framework that might enable us to more effectively proscribe state-based entities. I can confirm that Mr Hall has completed his report and that the Home Secretary and I are considering it very carefully. It will be published shortly. I assure the shadow Minister that we will not hesitate to act if there is a requirement to bring forward further measures.

May 7, 2025