Tag: 2025

  • PRESS RELEASE : New Midlands Area Chair for Arts Council England [October 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : New Midlands Area Chair for Arts Council England [October 2025]

    The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 3 October 2025.

    The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has appointed Pawlet Brookes MBE as the Midlands Area Chair for Arts Council England.

    Pawlet Brookes MBE

    Pawlet is the Founder, CEO and Artistic Director of Serendipity Institute for Black Arts and Heritage, a Leicester-based organisation committed to championing Black arts, heritage, and cultural equity in the UK and internationally. Under her leadership, Serendipity has become an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation and a national leader in archiving, producing, and programming work that makes the invisible visible.

    A curator, producer, and advocate, Pawlet established Let’s Dance International Frontiers, an annual festival bringing global dance practitioners to Leicester and has spearheaded major initiatives including the Living Archive, preserving Black British arts and heritage for future generations. 

    Pawlet has previously been a Midlands Area Council Member, contributing her expertise to funding policy and sector strategy, and is a regular speaker on equity and representation in the arts. In recognition of her contribution, she was awarded an MBE for Services to the Arts and Cultural Diversity in 2022. She was presented with an Honorary Fellowship from Northern School of Contemporary Dance in 2023, an Honorary Doctor of Arts from De Montfort University in 2025, and an Honorary Fellowship from Falmouth University in 2025, marking her impact as both a cultural leader and an alumna of UK higher education.

    Pawlet Brookes MBE has been appointed for a four-year term, from 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2029. 

    Remuneration and Governance Code

    The Midlands Area Chair receives an annual remuneration of £7,525. This appointment has been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments. The appointments process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Under the Code, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election. 

    Pawlet Brookes MBE has declared no such political activity.

    Notes to Editors

    DCMS has around 400 regulated Public Appointment roles across 42 Public Bodies including Arts Council England, Theatres Trust, the National Gallery, UK Sport and the Gambling Commission. We encourage applications from talented individuals from all backgrounds and across the whole of the United Kingdom.  To find out more about Public Appointments or to apply visit the HM Government Public Appointments Website.

  • PRESS RELEASE : UK-Greenland trade deal talks resume [October 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : UK-Greenland trade deal talks resume [October 2025]

    The press release issued by the Department for Business and Trade on 3 October 2025.

    UK-Greenland trade deal talks resume to deliver cheaper seafood for British shoppers 

    • Negotiations resume on UK-Greenland trade deal to slash tariffs on over £70m of seafood imports, cutting prices for British shoppers 
    • Agreement will seek to strengthen cooperation on critical minerals and encourage further trade to boost economic growth and security, supporting the Plan for Change 
    • Deeper strategic partnership with all parts of the Kingdom of Denmark will deliver security and prosperity in the Arctic, North Atlantic and at home 

    British shoppers and restaurants could see the price of seafood fall with negotiations restarting on the UK’s trade deal with Greenland.  

    Seafood products became subject to tariffs of up to 20% when the UK left the EU, increasing costs and restricting choice for British shoppers as well as restaurants and the seafood processing sector.  

    A new agreement could reverse this by eliminating tariffs to benefit consumers and businesses including the likes of Grimsby Fish Market and Royal Greenland UK. Giving British businesses greater and more targeted access to global markets to help drive growth is a key part of the UK’s Trade Strategy. 

    Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark are central partners in the Arctic and North Atlantic, regions of strategic importance to UK and NATO security and prosperity. Deepening long-term relationships will support our shared economic interests, demonstrate Britain’s commitment to the Arctic and secure strong foundations as part of the Plan for Change.   

    The announcement follows UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer attending the European Political Community summit in Copenhagen with Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen of Greenland and Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen of Denmark. 

    Trade Secretary Peter Kyle said:  

    This partnership represents an opportunity to restore our trading relationship with Greenland and deliver real benefits for British families and businesses.  

    By eliminating tariffs on Greenlandic seafood, we can help to bring down prices on supermarket shelves whilst supporting thousands of jobs in our fish-packing industry, putting more money in people’s pockets as part of our Plan for Change. 

    Andrew Wrigley, Country Director at Royal Greenland UK, said: 

    We welcome the renewed negotiations on a trade agreement between Greenland and the United Kingdom. A modernised deal that reduces tariffs on seafood would strengthen our long-standing commercial ties and ensure continued access to high-quality, sustainably sourced seafood for our British consumers.

    For Royal Greenland, it represents not only an economic opportunity but also a reaffirmation of our role as a reliable trading partner in the North Atlantic. We see this as a step towards deeper cooperation built on shared interests and mutual respect.

    Martyn Boyers, Chief Executive of Grimsby Fish Market and Grimsby Fish Dock Enterprises, said:  

    Greenland plays an important role in the Seafood Industry and historically there have been strong partnerships with the UK, creating trade and opportunities for both sides.

    Creating a platform for talks to restart and further cooperation can only be a good thing, especially for Grimsby, where a lot of the product imported from Greenland – particularly frozen prawns and white fish – is brought for packing by local seafood businesses.

    Greenland remains a key exporter of seafood to the UK, with the UK importing around £70 million seafood products from Greenland each year; primarily comprising prawns, shrimp, and cod. 

    The deal could also support the UK’s seafood processing industry, which employed almost 16,000 people in 2024. 

    Beyond seafood, the UK will seek a deal that strengthens supply chains that could offer opportunities in critical minerals, where UK firms currently hold a third of mining licences in Greenland.  

    Developing these supply chains responsibly together with Greenland and our partners will safeguard strategically important industries, strengthen British and European long-term economic security and reduce dependence on volatile global markets. 

    Eldur Olafsson, CEO of UK listed Amaroq Ltd, said:  

    The resumption of talks is very good news for Greenland’s emerging mining sector and reaffirms the strategic importance of Greenland’s mineral resources to the global economy.

    As the most active mining and exploration company in Greenland, including of critical metals such as copper and nickel, we look forward to collaborating with the UK to establish a sustainable supply chain for these essential materials.

    This would be Greenland’s first bilateral free trade agreement and aims to be a platform for deeper cooperation spanning research and innovation, climate change, sustainable tourism, renewable energy and education. This builds on the UK’s recent £81m investment in the Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA) programme on Greenland climate tipping points.  

    Together with Greenland and Denmark, the UK is delivering a more prosperous and secure Arctic. 

    Notes to editors: 

    • Between 2022 and 2024 the UK imported an average £70 million seafood from Greenland each year. Sourced from HMRC import data by preference July 2025 – data on a country of origin basis.  
    • Employment figures sourced from Seafish – Seafood Processing Industry Performance 2024. In 2024 seafood processors employed 15,868 FTE workers. 
    • Negotiations for a UK-Greenland Free Trade Agreement opened in 2022, to reinstate tariff-free trade that ended when the UK left the EU. This agreement was paused prior to the UK’s 2024 general election.
  • PRESS RELEASE : Lord Vallance speech at the BVCA Pensions and Private Capital Showcase [October 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Lord Vallance speech at the BVCA Pensions and Private Capital Showcase [October 2025]

    The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 2 October 2025.

    The Science Minister, Lord Vallance gave a speech at British Venture Capital Association (BVCA) Pensions and Private Capital Showcase on 2 October 2025.

    Thanks of course to the BVCA which has been a constructive partner to government including through its Pensions & Private Capital Expert Panel, led by Kerry Baldwin, and its work to launch the Investment Compact. I want to recognise your role, particularly in keeping this conversation practical and action orientated.

    And I want to be clear, now is the time for action. 

    It is encouraging to see so many pension investors here. As someone said to me recently, Canadian pensioners have done very well out of investing in UK science and technology companies. We need to do the same for UK pensioners.  

    35 years ago in Cambridge, a small team at Acorn Computers created a revolutionary processor design. That innovation became Arm. From a handful of engineers, the business grew into a world leader whose designs power 99 per cent of the world’s smartphones. Arm began in the UK, built on British science and ingenuity – but much of the capital that fuelled its growth came from overseas, and today its primary listing is on NASDAQ in New York.  

    There are many other examples of exciting, impactful UK companies doing fantastic work, to which UK investors are underexposed.  

    Arm’s story captures both our strengths and our challenge: world-class research and innovation, home to 4 of the world’s top ten universities, great talent, and now more startups than anywhere else in Europe. 

    But still too little domestic capital to take enough of our exciting innovation engines to global scale. Today’s Showcase is about changing that. 

    We meet at an exciting time. The UK is Europe’s leading destination for tech investment, and we are serious about commercialising and scaling our research. Our Modern Industrial Strategy, with 8 Sector Plans:

    • Advanced Manufacturing
    • Clean Energy Industries
    • Creative Industries
    • Defence
    • Digital and Technologies
    • Financial Services
    • Life Sciences
    • Professional and Business Services

    provides the framework. 

    And as many people have said to me – unlike previous industrial strategies you don’t need to look in the appendix to find science and technology. It is woven throughout every part and every sector plan. 

    All underpinned by smarter investment from our public financial institutions, pro-innovation regulation, stronger procurement signals, an excellent talent and skills pipeline, and by deep partnerships with business and investors.  

    The UK ranks third globally for venture capital investment, behind only the US and China, yet has produced only 2 tech firms valued at over £10 billion in the last 50 years — Sage and Arm. But many many more UK inventions and startups have fed growth elsewhere. 

    I want to be clear. Unlocking more pension fund investment is central to our mission. This is not just about returns — although it will help deliver greater returns. It is also about fuelling the innovation that underpins UK competitiveness: boosting productivity, strengthening the NHS, advancing defence capability, accelerating the clean energy transition, and scaling UK leadership in life sciences, AI, fintech and sustainability.  

    Of course, the UK has deep pools of institutional capital, yet only a fraction reaches our most promising growth companies. UK DC schemes allocate about 0.5% to private equity. By contrast, Australian superannuation funds invest up to 5% in private markets.   

    And we know that the proportion of UK capital invested in S&T companies drops dramatically from seed funding through to scale up. 

    But – and many thanks to many in this room – we are making progress.  

    The Mansion House Accord, the Investment Compact and the BVCA’s Expert Panel’s report have provided structure and ambition, and government has provided capital and support through initiatives such as the British Growth Partnership and LIFTS. Using LIFTS capital and co-investment from Phoenix Group, Schroders’ UK Long-Term Asset Fund has already deployed capital into companies such as Draig Therapeutics working on next generation medicines for neuropsychiatric disorders.  

    We’ve seen strong venture inflows – over $16 billion invested into UK start-ups and scale-ups last year, and more than $8 billion raised in the first half of 2025, exceeding France and Germany combined. But IPO activity has fallen sharply: in H1 2025 just £160 million was raised via IPOs in London – a 98 per cent drop compared to H1 2021 and one of the weakest periods in 3 decades – while overseas investors continue to acquire leading UK technology companies, and benefit from the innovation we have developed here.   

    So, the challenge is clear: great science, fantastic people, strong early-stage funding – but still too many barriers at scale-up and sustainability.  

    That is why we are reforming the UK’s capital markets to ensure high-growth companies can scale and stay here. We are streamlining listing and prospectus rules, removing outdated restrictions on follow-on capital, and have launched PISCES – a new stock-exchange model to help private companies scale and provide a stepping-stone to public markets. 

    It is beginning to work but we need to go faster. We get more spin outs and startups every month and every day we don’t fix the scale up deficit we increase the lost opportunity. 

    We are pushing better regulation, including through the work of the Regulatory Innovation Office which has cleared away barriers in 4 technology areas and will expand its work over the next year. 

     We are reforming procurement to enable government to be a better customer for innovative SMEs and leveraging public capital through the National Wealth Fund and the British Business Bank.  

    • We have committed £670 million for quantum technologies; £500 million for the Sovereign AI UnitAI Growth Zones; and invested in computing infrastructure for AI.  
    • The Life Sciences Sector Plan will be supported over the lifetime of the Spending Review by government funding of over £2 billion. Alongside the Wellcome trust we will invest £600M in creating the Health Data Research Service to utilise our extraordinary data resources to improve treatments, prevention and cures.  
    • Defence will commit a £2.5 billion increase in SME spend by 2028.  
    • In clean energy and sustainability we will double investment to £30 billion annually by 2035, including ambitious plans for new nuclear technologies 

    Today’s Showcase represents the next phase of that work: connecting pension industry representatives with high-growth companies across defence, life sciences, AI and fintech, cleantech and sustainability.  

    Yes – there are good things to invest in, and plenty of them. 

    And to support that journey I’m pleased to announce that we have published the second edition of the UK Innovation Clusters Map. This gives a clearer, more comprehensive view of our innovation clusters across the UK and is a practical tool to help investors identify the strongest opportunities. We are pushing the rapid development of the extraordinary Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor and the opportunities of the Northern Growth Corridor. 

    Arm’s story shows what is possible: a British idea, scaled to global impact.  

    Rather than rely solely on overseas capital, we want domestic investment to back the next generation of UK success stories. If we unlock more of our own long-term savings to support UK innovation, the next Arm, the next AstraZeneca, the next Rolls Royce, the next Oxford Nanopore can emerge and be sustainable. Investors and pensions will share in the returns, the NHS will get better treatments faster, and Britain will cement its position as the best place in Europe to scale a company.  

    That is the prize before us. But we need to move fast. If you didn’t feel the weight of expectation on your shoulders before you entered the room, I hope you do now.

  • Keir Starmer – 2025 Statement on the New Archbishop of Canterbury

    Keir Starmer – 2025 Statement on the New Archbishop of Canterbury

    The statement made by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, on 3 October 2025.

    I welcome the appointment of The Right Reverend and Right Honourable Dame Sarah Mullally D.B.E as the new Archbishop of Canterbury and the first woman to hold the role.

    The Church of England is of profound importance to this country. Its churches, cathedrals, schools, and charities are part of the fabric of our communities.

    The Archbishop of Canterbury will play a key role in our national life. I wish her every success and look forward to working together.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Appointment of the Archbishop of Canterbury [October 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Appointment of the Archbishop of Canterbury [October 2025]

    The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 3 October 2025.

    The King has approved the nomination of The Right Reverend and Right Honourable Dame Sarah Mullally D.B.E., for election by the College of Canons of Canterbury Cathedral in the place of The Right Reverend and Right Honourable Justin Portal Welby, GCVO, as Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, Primate of All England and Metropolitan.

    Lord Evans of Weardale, KCB, DL, Chair of the Crown Nominations Commission for Canterbury welcomed the news:

    It has been a great privilege to have chaired the Crown Nominations Commission as it sought to discern who God is calling to lead the Church of England and Anglican Communion as Archbishop of Canterbury. That discernment began with the public consultation, which heard the voices of thousands of people as they expressed their hopes for this nomination, and continued all the way through to the Commission’s final meeting. I would like to thank all those who took part in this process, particularly those who took time to share their views in the consultation and the members of the Commission who worked so diligently over several months, ably assisted by the Appointments Secretaries and by the Appointments and Vocations team at Lambeth Palace. I shall be praying for Bishop Sarah as she prepares to take up this new ministry in the coming months.

    Background

    Sarah Mullally was, prior to ordination, the Government’s Chief Nursing Officer for England having specialised as a cancer nurse.  She was educated at South Bank University, London, and Heythrop College, University of London, and trained for ministry at the South East Institute of Theological Education.  She completed her title at St. Saviour Battersea Fields, in the Diocese of Southwark, and was ordained as a priest in 2002.

    In 2006, Sarah was appointed Team Rector, Christ Church, Sutton, Southwark and then became Canon Residentiary and Treasurer at Salisbury Cathedral in 2012.  In 2015, Sarah was consecrated as Suffragan Bishop of Crediton, in the Diocese of Exeter, and in 2018 took up her current role as Bishop of London as well as Dean of the Chapels Royal from 2019.

  • PRESS RELEASE : UN Human Rights Council 60 – UK Statement for the Interactive Dialogue on Technical Cooperation in Libya [October 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : UN Human Rights Council 60 – UK Statement for the Interactive Dialogue on Technical Cooperation in Libya [October 2025]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 3 October 2025.

    UK Statement for the Interactive Dialogue on Technical Cooperation in Libya. Delivered by the UK’s Human Rights Ambassador, Eleanor Sanders.

    Thank you, Mr Vice President.

    We welcome OHCHR and United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) technical assistance and capacity building in Libya, and their growing cooperation with the Libyan authorities. We support Libya’s renewal of this Item 10 resolution so that it stays on this Council’s agenda. 

    The OHCHR’s report raises a number of concerns, including arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, and torture, with limited accountability. 

    We urge Libya to address threats to civic space, including reprisals against civil society and restrictions on youth organisations. Women and girls reportedly face violence and discrimination while migrants suffer abuse and are subjects of disinformation. We call for international non-governmental organisations to be permitted to operate in accordance with international humanitarian law and domestic regulations, and deliver vital services to vulnerable groups.

    We urge the Libyan authorities to adopt legislation on reconciliation, women’s protection, and to close all unofficial detention centres.

    We welcome the extension of the ICC’s jurisdiction in Libya, and we support calls for a comprehensive, rights-based transitional justice process. The UK stands ready to support inclusive Libyan-led efforts to restore the rule of law and deliver justice for victims.

    Mr Vice President, how can the international community support Libya to ensure transitional justice efforts are inclusive, victim-centred, and lead to meaningful accountability?

  • Keir Starmer – 2025 Statement on Manchester Terror Attack

    Keir Starmer – 2025 Statement on Manchester Terror Attack

    The statement made by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, on 2 October 2025.

    Good evening. Earlier today, on Yom Kippur – the holiest day for the Jewish community – a vile individual committed a terrorist attack. That attacked Jews because they are Jews, and attacked Britain because of our values. So many Jewish families first came to this country as a place of refuge, fleeing the greatest evil ever inflicted on a people. And Britain welcomed them. Communities, like the one attacked in Manchester, provided safety, but also the security that comes from a promise that this is a country that stands up to hatred. And that we don’t just provide refuge, we provide a home. For so many Jewish families – that is the story of Britain. But Britain is also a country where Jewish buildings, synagogues, and even schools require round-the-clock protection. Where dedicated, specialist, security is necessary because of the daily threat of antisemitic hatred. Today’s horrific incident shows why. And while this is not a new hate, this is something Jews have always lived with, we must be clear – it is a hatred that is rising once again, and Britain must defeat it once again. 

    On behalf of the nation, I want to offer my condolences to the families and victims affected. I want to thank the Greater Manchester Police, the first responders, and those dedicated security specialists. There is no doubt whatsoever that they have prevented an even greater tragedy, and we thank them for their bravery. But to every Jewish person in this country, I also want to say this: I know how much fear you will be holding inside of you. I really do. And so on behalf of our country, I express my solidarity, but also my sadness that you still have to live with these fears. Nobody should have to do that – nobody. And so I promise you that I will do everything in my power to guarantee you the security you deserve, starting with a more visible police presence, protecting your community. I promise you that over the coming days, you will see the other Britain – the Britain of compassion, of decency, of love. And I promise you that this Britain will come together to wrap our arms around your community and show you that Britain is a place where you and your family are safe, secure and belong. Thank you.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Water company fines fund local restoration projects [October 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Water company fines fund local restoration projects [October 2025]

    The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 3 October 2025.

    Over £10 million in water company fines has been channelled into cleanup projects to repair the damage done by sewage– directly benefitting communities and the environment which have been harmed by rule breaking.  

    Through the Water Restoration Fund, money from fines handed to five water companies will fund 51 projects across England, from active measures such as rewilding and restoring floodplains to funding for assessments of water quality and development of improvement plans.  

    Anglian Water, South West Water, Thames Water, Yorkshire Water and United Utilities were forced to pay millions after causing pollution incidents between April 2022 and October 2023.   

    From restoring riverbeds in Exmoor National Park to tackling septic tank spills into Windermere, these projects will restore precious habitats, improve flood resilience and enable local wildlife to thrive.

    Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said:  

    I share people’s anger at the damage caused by sewage pollution and want communities to once again feel they can take pride in their environment. 

    This money from water company fines will be directed back into local projects to tackle pollution and support long-term plans for nature restoration. 

    Under our Plan for Change we’re resetting the water industry – holding water companies to account and reinvesting in areas harmed by their rule breaking.

    Projects, which span the length and breadth of the country, include a £1.2 million floodplain and river restoration project on the River Witham in Lincolnshire, as well as river restoration, nutrient capture and wetland creation in the Evenlode catchment in Oxfordshire. 

    The Water Restoration Fund delivers on the government’s Plan for Change – empowering communities to invest money raised from water company wrongdoing back into the environment. 

    The Government is committed to restoring our waterways to good health and will continue to direct water company fines and penalties into projects to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas. With increased accountability, record investment to fix broken pipes, and a new powerful regulator responsible for the entire sector that will stand firmly on the side of customers and the environment.

    Projects and funding distributions: 

    Thames area (£3,318,392.84) 

    • Coate Water Site of Special Scientific Interest Restoration Project (£83,306) 
    • Restoring the River Ching (£175,729.13) 
    • Citizen Crane, Catchment Scale Restoration of an Urban River (£133,755) 
    • The Wandering Wandle (£161,217.18) 
    • Emm Brook Restoration Project (£743,146.64) 
    • Ilford Arrival, Restoring the Lower Roding (£113,415) 
    • Improving the Evenlode Catchment (£780,780) 
    • Rye to Good Phase 3 (£100,236) 
    • The Keston Ponds Project (£248,853) 
    • Colne Catchment (£143,737.89) 
    • Rediscovering the River Colne (£198,807) 
    • Ealing Regional Park River Restoration Plan (£250,000) 
    • River Windrush and Sherborne Brook Catchment Improvement Project (£102,822) 
    • Roundmoor and Boveney Chalk Stream Restoration Project (£82,588) 

    East England (£3,036,664) 

    • Upper Witham River and Floodplain Restoration Project (£1,185,957) 
    • Great Ouse Blue Connections (£85,674) 
    • Recovering the Deben (£248,274.32) 
    • Slade Brook Natural Flood Management Project (£187,782) 
    • A Collaborative Restoration Plan for the Cam (£179,602.54) 
    • Welland Headwaters Nature-based Solutions (£107,053) 
    • 20-year Strategy for restoration of river & floodplain habitats in the rivers Nene, Ise and Tove (£165,976.57) 
    • Broadland Catchment Partnership Development Plan (£205,376.49) 
    • Stanwick Lakes Hydrological Survey (£118,272) 
    • Panford and Blackwater Catchment Regeneration Project (£552,696.08) 

    South West (£1,849,513.04) 

    • Heddon Valley (£162,694) 
    • Otter Catchment- Source to Sea (£75,000) 
    • Upper Barle River Restoration Project (£147,496) 
    • Teign and Taw Fisheries Management (£664,286.50) 
    • Arlington Lake, Fish Opening and Habitat Enhancement (£80,558.68) 
    • Water Wise Farming (£81,105) 
    • Restoration of the River Mere Catchment (£202,267.24) 
    • Washfield Wetland (£202,609) 
    • Improving the West Looe River Water Body (£95,394.34) 
    • Catchment Planning – Avon, Gara & Slapton Ley, and Kingsbridge Salcombe Estuary (£138,102.28) 

    Yorkshire (£1,533,722.28) 

    • Dewsbury Country Park (£76,570.85) 
    • Ashfoldside Metal Mines Project (£81,730) 
    • Solutions for the Swale, Ure, Nidd, Ouse, Foss, Wiske, & Wharfe (£75,236) 
    • Water in the Wharfe (£249,445) 
    • Foss & Esk River Restoration Improvement Studies (£130,060) 
    • Derwent Site of Special Scientific Interest Project (£79,054.44) 
    • Swaledale and Wensleydale Environmental Farmers (£222,960) 
    • Connecting Limbs (£225,817) 
    • Upper and Lower Staveley Weirs (£75,039.99) 
    • Pickhill Beck (£93,473) 
    • Feasibility Study for Doe Lea Catchment (£75,045) 
    • Hornsea Mere Restoration (£149,291) 

    North West (£758,161.50) 

    • Stalybridge Restoration Planning (£97,055.50) 
    • River Tame Barriers Modification Feasibility Study (£247,500) 
    • Lakes Biosecurity Priority Area Project (£140,320) 
    • River Cocker Catchment Restoration (£150,182) 
    • Windermere STEP (Septic Tank Engagement Programme) (£123,104)
  • Kemi Badenoch – 2025 Speech to Conservative Party Conference

    Kemi Badenoch – 2025 Speech to Conservative Party Conference

    The speech made by Kemi Badenoch, the Leader of the Opposition, in Manchester on 8 October 2025.

    Only the Conservative party can deliver the stronger economy and stronger borders that will give people a more prosperous future.

    Every generation must face its test.

    In the 1940s, our test was to defeat fascism and ensure the victory of freedom.

    In the 1980s, it was to banish socialism and deliver prosperity.

    And in the 2020s, our test is to restore a strong economy, secure our borders, and rebuild Britain’s strength so our children inherit a country that works.

    Ladies and Gentlemen, Conference, thank you.

    Thank you, for standing by the only party that can meet the test of our generation.

    The only party that can deliver a stronger economy and stronger borders.

    Everything else relies on getting this right.

    National security, order on the streets, decent healthcare, high quality education, cohesion in our communities.

    None of this exists without a strong economy and strong borders.

    A weak economy makes us poorer.

    The services we rely on get worse and people cannot build a better life for themselves or their families.

    Weak borders allow people to exploit our generosity, put our housing and public services under pressure, and fracture our sense of who we are as a nation.

    A weak economy and weak borders mean steady decline.

    I reject that fate.

    Together, we Conservatives will save Britain from that fate.

    And we can do it together because we are a strong team.

    My fantastic shadow cabinet Mel, Chris, Claire, Laura, Rob, Andrew – both of them, James – both of them, Mims, Jesse Stuart, all of you: thank you. Thank you so much.

    My front bench, experienced hands and rising stars.

    Conference, we know our MPs and peers have more collective wisdom than the rest of Parliament put together.

    And it’s not just them, lets to forget Darren and our MSs in Wales, Russell and our MSPs in Scotland, our fantastic mayors.

    Labour beater Ben Houchen and Reform slayer Paul Bristow, Councillors, activists.

    You are our party. Thank you.

    I joined our party as an activist 20 years ago.

    I was with you delivering leaflets and knocking on doors.

    I sat in this hall listening to speeches.

    I celebrated all our wins, and I felt the pain of every defeat.

    I cannot tell you how honoured, how privileged, and how proud I am to stand before you as Leader of our party.

    Leader of the Conservative Party.

    The only party that can meet the test of our generation.

    You are more than just a political party to me.

    You have supported me, you have stood by me, you have enabled me to achieve more than I ever dreamed.

    You are my family, in many ways quite literally.

    I married the deputy chairman of my association, and I certainly would not be standing here today without my husband, Hamish. Thank you.

    I love this party for what it has given me but more than that, I love it because it has made life better for so many in our country and will do so again.

    Time and time again, guided by our values.

    And our principles.

    We have steered this country through its darkest days.

    And today, we must be ready to do the same again.

    Because we are the only party that has the vision, the courage, and the competence to tear up a broken political model, deliver a new blueprint for our country, and together take Britain into an era of prosperity and security.

    To do this, Conference, we must be frank about the problems our country faces.

    Because they are not the same ones that we faced in the 1940s, or the 1980s, or even the 2010s.

    The country that Hamish and I were born in, had its issues.

    But thanks – in large part – to hard choices taken by this party

    Opportunity was there for people who worked hard.

    People had a sense of pride in our national story, and excitement about the future.

    I am not sure young people feel that way anymore.

    They feel they are living somewhere where things never get any better.

    Britain is stagnating, while the world around us moves on.

    We are competing with restless and ambitious countries around the world.

    We are competing with a billion people in India striving to become middle class.

    We are competing with economic success stories like Poland.

    15 years ago, Polish workers came here to find opportunity.

    Now, Poland is growing twice as fast as we are.

    While Britain was redefining what a woman is, China was building five nuclear reactors.

    Conference, people around the world are determined to lift their lives, and their children’s lives up to a standard that we have taken for granted.

    Some countries won’t be able to do this.

    And in those countries millions of people will decide that they want to come here instead.

    And if our borders are not secure, they will succeed.

    Especially, if our economy is addicted to migration.

    Of course, we want brilliant minds and great talents to come here.

    But at the moment we are not just taking in doctors, engineers, and scientists.

    We are accepting hundreds of thousands of people, some with many dependents.

    Some with no skills at all.

    This broken immigration model is heaping pressure on our public sector.

    A public sector which already every year, demands more and more and more of our money, yet services don’t get better, they get worse.

    Everyone in this room knows what I am talking about.

    We have all felt it.

    We used to ring up our GP and get an appointment the same day.

    Now, now we have to wait on the phone to see if we’re one of the lucky ones.

    We have potholes that have been around, so long people are holding birthday parties for them.

    Underneath all of this, is a society which is struggling to cope.

    Struggling to cope with the reality of getting poorer, struggling to cope with the erosion of a sense of who we are as a country.

    We cannot drift our way into solving these problems.

    We know what drift looks like.

    It looks like allowing the trade unions to overturn years of progress in school standards.

    It looks like letting our veterans face vexatious prosecutions when we should be worrying about the strength of our military.

    Drift looks like Labour’s one-in-one-out returns deal with France that ends up letting 100 people in, for every one who leaves.

    Being timid will get us nowhere.

    We need bold ideas.

    We need a positive vision for this country.

    And a plan to deliver it.    

    We need a new approach.

    A new approach that delivers a stronger economy and stronger borders.

    We owe that to our children.

    During our time in government, we did great things.

    Labour, want to pretend the last 14 years were all bad.

    They want to forget that they were losing all that time.

    Let’s remind them.

    Between 2010 and 2020 we slashed the deficit.

    We lifted millions of people out of tax and got millions in to work.

    We sent English schools soaring up the international league tables.

    We led the coalition against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

    But Conference, the truth is we didn’t always fight hard enough for what we believed in.

    We need to remember who we are fighting for.

    We are fighting for people who work hard and do the right thing.

    We are fighting for people who ask, “why do sickness benefits pay more than the minimum wage?”

    More than the living wage even.

    We are fighting for small business owners, people who take risks and get things done.

    We are fighting for the victims of crime.

    They want to know that we are on their side.

    That criminals will face the full force of the law.

    We are fighting for the farmers, putting food on our tables.

    These are our people.

    They are the backbone of our country.

    We fought for them before.

    And we will fight for them again.

    Conference, time and time again, we have been the only party that is bold enough to do what is needed.

    The only party that is competent enough to do it properly.  

    We were bold enough to create the modern police force, to introduce free state education for every child.

    We were radical enough to launch the Right to Buy, to free the workplace from the dead hand of the state, to give working men the vote and — better late than never — women too.

    We were courageous enough to introduce same-sex marriage.

    And of course, brave enough to take Britain out of the European Union, honouring the biggest democratic mandate in our history.

    All, Conservative, achievements.

    Yes, all of that was us.

    But enough about past glories.

    Actually, how about one more.

    Conference, do you know the one thing we Conservatives have done the most throughout our history?

    Clear up the mess left by Labour.

    And my goodness, they are making one hell of a mess.

    Never in the field of human history have so many been let down by so few.

    All they have delivered is a doom loop of higher taxes, weaker borders, and month after month of chaos.

    They had a plan to win, but no plan for power.

    No vision for Britain.

    They know how to make promises, but not how to deliver them.

    This year, the Prime Minister was asked to name his best moment in office.

    Do you know what he said?

    “Walking into Downing Street.”

    For once, I agree with him.

    It’s all been downhill all the way since.

    What have Labour given us?

    An anti-corruption minister under investigation for corruption.

    A homelessness minister who made her own tenants homeless.

    A Housing Secretary sacked for dodging housing taxes.

    You couldn’t make this stuff up.

    We had a transport secretary fired for stealing a phone.

    And our Ambassador in Washington thrown out in disgrace.

    There is an old joke, that a diplomat is someone sent abroad to lie for their country. Well at least in Peter Mandelson they had a man of experience.

    Just look at the spectacle we saw in Liverpool last week.

    Minister after Minister failing to rule out the tax rises, we all know are coming.

    The Mayor of Manchester touting his own manifesto for the country.

    But to be honest I can’t blame Andy Burnham for that one, who doesn’t want to get rid of this utterly useless weak Prime Minister.

    After five years as Labour leader, people still don’t know what Keir Starmer stands for.

    And you know what the real problem is?

    He doesn’t know himself.

    Today we learn, today we learn that Labour deliberately collapsed the trial of two men accused of spying on MPs for China because the PM wants to suck up to Beijing.

    This is squalid.

    We have got the measure of them.

    Just look at Shabana Mahmood, the new Home Secretary.

    She’s trying to convince us she’s tough.

    Right.

    I remember when she tried to stop foreign criminals being deported. Do you remember that one?

    I remember when she lay down on the ground in front of a Sainsbury’s protesting because they were selling food from Israel.

    So, forgive me, if I treat this new-found tough image with a little scepticism. You remember.

    Labour represents everything that is wrong with politics.

    Rachel Reeves likes to congratulate herself for breaking the glass ceiling.

    But what she’s really broken, is our economy.

    Attacking those who work hard, destroying business confidence, forcing wealth creators to leave the country, piling debt onto our children.

    We know, that in her November Budget of Doom, she will give us all something to cry about.

    The highest business taxes since the 1970s.

    Taxes on farmers.

    Taxes on education – an unprecedented tax punishing parents who work hard to invest in their children’s future.

    Shameful.

    The tax burden is so high.

    It is making Britain poorer.

    Because business is giving up.

    Business is leaving.

    And as they leave, or never start in the first place, people’s livelihoods, people’s hopes, people’s dreams, go with them.

    Grangemouth refinery gone, Merck, BMW, Ineos pulling investment.

    Schools for children with special needs, are shutting their doors.

    Farmers feeling they’ve got no way out.

    The London Stock Exchange dropping out of the world’s top 20 for listings.

    Our party knows that a job is the best route out of poverty.

    We got unemployment to a 40-year low.

    And what has happened since Labour came in?

    A jobs tax.

    Unemployment up.

    Inflation up.

    Borrowing up.

    These are the real-life consequences of a weak, directionless, government.

    Conference, last year, the public voted for change.

    But all they have been given is change for the worse.

    And because they are still angry with us, parties that in normal times would never be seen as a serious option for government are gaining ground, making promises they will never be able to keep.

    Let’s look at what’s on offer out there. for all those disappointed by Labour.

    Reform promising free beer tomorrow.

    Jeremy Corbyn promising free jam.

    Lib Dems promising free lentils.

    All of them promising more spending.

    Blowing up the public finances.

    Whether it’s Starmer, Farage, Corbyn or Davey all these men are shaking the same magic money tree.

    Following the same, failed playbook.

    No plan for growth.

    No honesty about the scale of the challenges.

    And it always leads to the same result.

    More government, more taxes, more debt.

    It’s irresponsible, it’s cynical, and it’s why Britain needs Conservatives back in charge.

    But we can’t beat them, simply by attacking them.

    As George Bernard Shaw said.

    ‘Never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty, and the pig likes it.’

    We have to offer something better.

    So, what are we going to do?

    Conference, as you may have heard, I am an engineer.

    My starting point is always to carry out a diagnosis, before producing the blueprint to put it right.

    Since I became your leader, my Shadow Cabinet and I have analysed the problems facing the country.

    Our diagnosis is clear: Britain is being held back by a broken model.

    A model which says that government always knows best.

    That high immigration is always good for the economy.

    That Britain should apologise for its history rather than be proud of it.

    We lost because we accepted the status quo.

    No more.

    When Margaret Thatcher was Leader of the Opposition, she said this.

    “If every Labour Government is prepared to reverse every Tory measure, while Conservative Governments accept nearly all socialist measures the end result is only too plain.”

    She was right. To fix our country, we must reverse Labour’s measures.

    So, we will cancel their vindictive tax on education, Vicki knows what’s coming, we will scrap their tax on family farms, Andrew, we will scrap their tax on family businesses.

    And we will reverse the terrible measures in Angela Rayner’s Unemployment Bill, written by the unions, for the unions.

    A bill that will wrap firms in red tape.

    Cost business £5 billion.

    And make Angela Rayner one of the last people in Britain to ever be legally sacked.

    But conference, simply unwinding Labour measures isn’t enough.

    We are Conservatives, not anarchists.

    I am an engineer, not an arsonist.

    So together, we are going to build something better.

    We are creating a Blueprint for Britain – a new settlement – based on Conservative values.

    So, what’s in it?

    Firstly, securing our borders.

    On Sunday I announced our plan.

    To take the UK out of the ECHR.

    To scrap the Human Rights Act.

    To deport 150,000 illegal immigrants.

    This is a plan, not a slogan.

    Next in my blueprint, work, and welfare.

    If we want to end our over-reliance on immigration, then we must make sure that every British citizen who can work, does work.

    Right now, there are six and a half million working age adults claiming benefits instead of working.

    You heard me right six and a half million.

    That is the entire population of Cardiff, Belfast, Glasgow, and Manchester.

    Combined.

    Being paid to sit at home all day.

    We cannot expect people to get up and go to work, and pay more and more in taxes, to subsidise millions of others not to work.

    It is not controversial to say this.

    Conference, we have done the hard work.

    And we have a plan to cut welfare spending.

    First, British benefits for British Citizens.

    It is common sense that you should not draw out of a system that you haven’t paid in to.

    Second, we will restrict benefits to those with more severe mental health conditions – not anxiety or mild depression.

    Yes, these challenges are real, and people should get support.

    But they cannot be treated as a reason for a lifetime off work.

    And third, we will restrict Motability vehicles to people with serious disabilities.

    Those cars are not for people with ADHD.

    These are the first steps of a radical reform of our welfare system.

    We will return to its founding principle.

    That support only goes to those that really need it.

    This should be common sense.

    But only the Conservatives understand this.

    Labour, the Liberal Dems, Greens, the nationalists, and Reform are all demanding more welfare spending.

    They don’t care that it’s not fair, but we do.

    After Covid, 2,000 people a day were being signed onto out-of-work sickness benefits.

    It is a national tragedy.

    That in just one year of Labour the latest figure has more than doubled.

    5,000 new people are signing on every single day.

    Many are young people, who are losing the chance to make something of themselves.

    Never knowing what it’s like to pay their own way.

    This isn’t just about saving money – important though that is.

    It’s far more than that.

    It is driven by our deep, Conservative conviction that work is a good in itself.

    And as people work, as they strive, as they provide for themselves and their families, they should not pay more and more of their money in taxes, to a state that provides less and less.

    So, fixing the state is next in our Blueprint.

    Since Brexit and Covid the size of the Civil Service has swollen by over a third.

    There are now more than half a million civil servants.

    And have you noticed?

    Is Government working a third better for you?

    I don’t think so.

    So, we are going to reverse this.

    We are going to cut the civil service back to where it was in 2016.

    And as Conservatives, we don’t just believe in reducing the size of the state.

    I have always said, that while Government should do less, what it does, it should do well.

    Let me give you an example.

    Conservatives are proud of our police.

    Unlike Labour, we will always have their back.

    But security and prosperity cannot exist, in a country where the law is mocked, where crime is ignored, and where criminals laugh at justice.

    Right now, tens of thousands of police hours are wasted every year on “non-crime hate incidents” and form-filling.

    Officers chasing tweets instead of thieves.

    The Shadow Justice Secretary is stopping more fare evaders than Transport for London. Thank you, Rob.

    Conference, we are going to free the police to protect the public.

    Not to chase political correctness.

    Right now, our police are spending 800,000 hours every single year waiting with mental health patients.

    Eight hundred thousand hours.

    That’s the equivalent of 400 police officers doing nothing else all year except waiting around.

    No more.

    Every single officer we free from pointless paperwork.

    We will put back on our streets.

    We will send them after the shoplifters making life a misery for high streets.

    And we will triple stop and search.

    Because the more people we stop and the more people we search, the more knives we take off the streets.

    Across public services, we are developing similarly detailed plans to make things work better.

    In the NHS, industrial action has kept waiting lists high for far too long.

    Enough is enough. We will ban doctors from going on strike.

    In education, Labour have bent over to the teaching unions – and are removing our academy freedoms which have been so successful.

    We will reverse this act of educational vandalism.

    And we will make sure that brilliant schools and teachers have the freedom to do what they do best. Teach.

    Because education should be how people change their lives.

    It should help you develop the skills you need to get on in life.

    It should ensure you get the job you want.

    So, if your name’s Rachel, you can be an economist instead of working, in customer complaints.

    And speaking of customer complaints, let’s talk about university.

    Every year thousands of young people go off to University but leave with crippling loans and no real prospects.

    Nearly one in three graduates see no economic return, and every year taxpayers write off over £7 billion in unpaid student loans.

    Wasted money, wasted talent. Its every year.

    A rigged system propping up low-quality courses, while people can’t get high-quality apprenticeships that lead to real jobs.

    And this is personal for me.

    I did two degrees.

    One in engineering. One in law.

    And I also had an apprenticeship first.

    But while I can’t remember how to do parallel integration.

    I can remember how to fix a broken computer.

    Which I learnt to do during my apprenticeship.

    I was working with adults.

    I was paying my own way.

    And it gave an eighteen-year-old me a self confidence that my university degrees never did.

    And unlike my degrees, I wasn’t left with any debt.

    So, we will shut down these rip-off courses and use the money to double the apprenticeship budget.

    We will be giving thousands more young people the chance of a proper start in life.

    Just like I had.

    Which brings me Conference, to the most important task that we will face, and the centrepiece of our blueprint.

    The reason, why the Conservative Party is the only party in Britain who can be trusted to meet the test of our generation is that none of this works without a strong economy.

    Securing our borders.

    Getting people into work.

    Policing our streets.

    Defending the nation.

    None of it is possible without the money to pay for it.

    And we are the only party with a plan to get our economy back on track.

    It starts with fiscal responsibility.

    We have to get the deficit down.

    And we must also show how every tax cut or spending increase is paid for.

    So today, I am introducing a new Golden Economic Rule.

    Every pound we save, will be put to work.

    At least half will go towards cutting the deficit.

    Because living within our means is our first priority.

    And with the rest, we will get Britain growing and bring down the taxes stifling our economy.

    Over the next decade, Rachel Reeves is going to double the deficit with her borrowing and tax doom loop.

    She is stealing from our children and grandchildren.

    And Conservatives will put an end to it.

    We will always explain – up front – where we will make these savings.

    We’re not going to do what Labour did – promise not to cut public spending, only to snatch away pensioners’ winter fuel payments.

    We are doing things differently.

    Thanks to the hard work of the Shadow Cabinet, we have already identified £47 billion in savings

    Priti has earmarked £7 billion from the overseas aid budget.

    Alex has identified £8 billion from cutting the civil service

    Helen has found £23 billion from welfare.

    Under our Golden Rule – half of those savings will go towards reducing Labour’s deficit.

    With the rest, we are going to unleash our economy.

    That’s the Conservative way.

    Responsibility today. Opportunity tomorrow.

    Like so many young people, all of my first jobs were on the high street.

    Yes, in McDonalds, have I ever mentioned that?

    But it wasn’t just me, my friends were working in similar jobs.

    Cafés, local pubs, family run shops.

    The places that make our high streets what they are.

    The shops and businesses essential to communities in every town and village.

    And so, on Monday, you will have heard Mel, make our commitment to abolish their Business Rates.

    Whether you’re a councillor, a mayoral candidate, a campaigner, I want you to go out there and spread the word.

    That the Conservatives are bringing back the high street.

    Conference, energy is growth.

    It always has been, and it always will be.

    Countries with cheap energy grow faster.

    Countries with expensive energy decline.

    Right now, we pay four times what industry in the US does for electricity.

    The result.

    We are deindustrialising.

    It’s not just manufacturing that is disappearing.

    Not just steel, not just chemicals, not just ceramics, not just oil and gas.

    We are losing our farming industry.

    We are losing our fishing industry.

    These are the foundations of a strong economy, and they are going all because we chose a slogan of Net Zero over a serious strategy for a stronger economy and a better environment.

    So, I am saying, enough.

    I am reversing this.

    We will get rid of the Climate Change Act and replace it with a proper strategy that actually works.

    A strategy which protects the natural environment and landscapes we love.

    A strategy that takes sensible steps to tackle climate change, without bankrupting ourselves in the process.

    We will cut bills for families, slash costs for businesses, end the madness that you have to tear out your boiler, or disconnect your gas hob.

    We are going to bring industry and jobs back home.

    This is real action Conference, not slogans.

    Conference, I am not a climate change sceptic.

    But I am a Net Zero sceptic.

    Britain has already done more than any major country to cut emissions.

    But we cannot have a law which will make this country poorer, while creating jobs abroad and increasing our reliance on hostile states.

    So, we will axe the Carbon Tax on electricity.

    We will scrap Labour’s wind and solar levy.

    And instead, we will give you our Cheap Power Plan.

    Through this plan we will cut bills by £165 for the average family.

    Nearly £5,000 for the average restaurant.

    And over £1,100 for the average pub.

    Those are costs that are passed on to consumers.

    Conference I won’t promise you free beer, but I do want you all to have cheaper beer.

    Now it is time to put British prosperity first, give this country the cheap, reliable energy it needs to thrive again.

    Backing nuclear but also recognising that it is pure folly to ban new oil and gas extraction, while paying to import resources that Norway takes from the very same basin.

    So, when it comes to the North Sea, we have a very simple policy, drill our oil and gas now.

    Conference, you’d would have seen, you will have seen it, out there in the fringes all over Manchester, that this is a Party fizzing with ideas, building our policy programme, setting out our plans.

    A tax cut for our high streets, a helping hand for the young with our first-jobs bonus, reforms to welfare, 10,000 new police officers, tripling stop and search, scrapping the sentencing council, a new removals force, improving behaviour in schools, doubling apprenticeships, support for our veterans, £165 off your electricity bills, drilling in the North Sea, an end to the Energy Profits Levy, scrapping the Family Farm Tax, scrapping the Family Business Tax, scrapping VAT on School Fees, out of the ECHR, a plan for our borders, a plan for a stronger economy.

    And Conference.

    Because of all the savings we’ve found and costed.

    Because of the tough decisions on what the government shouldn’t do.

    Because of our golden economic rule.

    We can afford to make one more announcement.

    As the Conservative party, we know who our people are.

    They are people who work hard.

    They are the people who save hard.

    They are the people who understand the importance of putting down roots.

    They are the people who make sacrifices today for a better life tomorrow.

    They do the right thing.

    Our people are the Brits who want to get ahead in life.

    At the heart of a Conservative Britain is a country where people who wish to own their own home, can.

    I remember the joy, when I got the first set of keys, to my first flat.

    The excitement of opening my own front door for the very first time.

    The smell of the fresh paint. I remember it just like yesterday.

    I want everyone in our country to have that feeling.

    To know, it’s your place, your house, your home.

    We Conservatives believe that owning your own home gives you a real stake in society, roots in your community.

    But our housing market is not working as it should.

    Because there’s a big barrier that keeps getting in the way.

    That barrier, Conference, is the tax you have to pay when you buy your home.

    I haven’t even said what it is yet, but you all know.

    You all know that barrier is stamp duty.

    Young people trapped in the pain of renting.

    Workers who want to further their career.

    Pensioners who want to downsize but can’t afford the thousands of pounds they have to pay in tax.

    Conference, Stamp Duty is a bad tax. It is an unConservative tax.

    The last Conservative Government cut stamp duty for thousands of homebuyers.

    But now we must go further, we must free up our housing market.

    Because a society where no one can afford to buy, or move, is a society where social mobility is dead.

    So I have looked at the Stamp Duty thresholds to see if we can change them.

    I have looked at the rates you have to pay to see if we can lower them.

    I have decided we can’t.

    Because that simply wouldn’t be enough.

    Conference, the next Conservative Government will abolish stamp duty on your home. It will be gone.

    I thought you’d like that one. Thank you.

    That is how we will help achieve the dream of home ownership for millions.

    Home ownership should be a dream that’s open to everyone.

    Abolishing stamp duty on your home is a key to unlock a fairer and more aspirational society.

    We cannot unpick every tax, the debt, the deficit and the damage this Labour government is creating means we cannot do everything all at once.

    Scrapping stamp duty will benefit people of all ages because Conservativism must speak to all generations.

    The young professional, buying their first flat.

    The couple looking for somewhere to bring up their first baby.

    The growing family hunting for their forever home.

    The pensioner who wants somewhere a little smaller, or maybe to move nearer the grandchildren.

    No longer will they be punished with a tax that is a barrier to doing the right thing for them, for their family, and for society.

    And this change will bring wider benefits to our economy, too, because every time a home is sold it triggers a chain reaction of activity.

    Movers, builders, decorators.

    Flat pack furniture and DIY.

    Trips to Next, John Lewis and IKEA.

    And I can afford to do this while still leaving space within my golden economic rule.

    Because that’s the fiscally prudent way to do things.

    That’s what Conservatives do.

    Conference, I want to see a better Britain, where people have a brighter and more prosperous future.

    The Labour Party fails when it follows its principles.

    We fail when we don’t follow ours.

    We are going to follow the same timeless, Conservative principles which have led us to success in the past.

    Personal responsibility.

    Free enterprise.

    Family.

    Freedom of speech.

    People want to know what I stand for; I stand for a government that takes less of your money and doesn’t interfere in your life.

    Where the state does less but does it better.

    Where those who create wealth are welcomed with open arms, not driven from our shores.

    Where reward matches effort.

    Where Britain stands tall in the world.

    I stand for an economy where profit is not a dirty word.

    Where enterprise is supported not crushed.

    I stand for a country where what you put in determines what you get out.

    Where excellence is celebrated.

    I stand for a country where actions have consequences.

    Where we talk about responsibilities as well as rights.

    Where crime is punished and justice is served.

    Where the welfare of victims outweighs the welfare of criminals.

    I stand for a society where free speech trumps hurt feelings.

    Where everyone knows what a woman is.

    Where people are judged by the content of their character not the colour of their skin.

    Where the vulnerable are supported.

    But where freeloaders are told where to get off.

    Conference, I stand for stronger borders and a stronger economy.

    So that the young can fulfil their potential, the old can live out their years in dignity, and everyone can achieve their dreams – to own a home, run a business, raise a family.

    This is the Britain I stand for.

    If it is the Britain, you stand for then stand with me.

    And let’s build it together.”

  • PRESS RELEASE : New Taser approved for UK police forces to protect public [October 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : New Taser approved for UK police forces to protect public [October 2025]

    The press release issued by the Home Office on 3 October 2025.

    Police across England and Wales will be able to equip themselves with new and improved taser devices to help protect the public and themselves from dangerous criminals.   

    Axon’s Taser 10 model is more effective than previous devices, being able to fire at greater distances, with better handling and improved safety mechanisms to reduce the risk of injury to both members of the public and police officers. The device can fire up to 10 single probes and the officer can determine where each individual probe is fired, unlike previous devices.  

    The device also provides an auditory warning, if activated by the officer before firing, alerting the public and serving as a deterrent to offenders.  

    The device has been subject to rigorous scrutiny, independent testing and medical assessments, with trials carried out by the College of Policing to ensure that the device is fit for purpose and can be deployed safely, accurately and with confidence.   

    The introduction of the Taser 10 comes after the Home Office, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), and the College of Policing worked together to assess the new model. A joint implementation plan between NPCC and College of Policing has also been developed to ensure forces are supported with training, guidance, and operational readiness.  

    Policing Minister Sarah Jones said:  

    Police officers up and down the country are at their best when diffusing stressful, and often dangerous, situations, but their safety, and the safety of the communities they serve is paramount. 

    The new Taser 10 offers a safer option for officers who find themselves in those dangerous situations. 

    This new device, backed by robust testing, will help our police forces and properly trained officers tackle crime more effectively while maintaining public trust and accountability, which is crucial to our Plan for Change.

    Chief Constable Lucy D’Orsi, national policing lead for less-lethal weapons, said:

    We are proud to operate a predominantly unarmed police service built on public consent, where officers resolve most incidents safely without force, and we continue to see a consistent decline in Taser discharges.  

    Taser provides vital support in high-risk, fast-moving situations. Officers who volunteer to carry Taser are highly trained, and in 92% of cases, its presence alone defuses danger swiftly and safely.  

    Accountability is paramount, and the new Taser 10 model enhances oversight and prioritises de-escalation, reinforcing our focus on public safety and trust.

    The device is now available for purchase by forces, and it will be for individual forces to train officers and authorise deployments with the Taser 10.

    Chief Constable Sir Andy Marsh, CEO of the College of Policing, said:     

    Taser 10 is an invaluable tool, and it is policing’s responsibility to make sure it is used wisely and effectively.     

    Our updated guidance was developed in consultation with experts and tested in real-world scenarios. The effective use of Taser 10 is about improving the safety of our police officers and fulfilling our duty to protect the public from harm, whilst using the minimum amount of force. It’s also about trust, as the public rightly expects police powers are used with care and accountability.     

    The College of Policing’s new guidance and training will ensure officers are not only prepared to the highest possible standards, but also that those standards are transparent. This will help build public trust and confidence and ensure officers are held to the high professional standards the service is proud to uphold. 

    Alex Lowe, UK and Ireland Regional Director at Axon, said:   

    We welcome the government’s approval of Taser 10 and its ongoing commitment to giving officers the tools they need to protect themselves and the public.  

    Taser 10 – supported by immersive VR (virtual reality) training – is a vital part of the technology toolkit alongside body-worn video and real-time digital evidence management that will help police deliver on the government’s Safer Streets mission.  

    Axon has been a proud partner to UK policing for over 20 years, and Taser 10 is just one example of the innovative, integrated solutions we provide. We look forward to deepening that partnership in the years ahead.