Tag: 2025

PRESS RELEASE : UK’s flagship public markets programme receives Norwegian support [September 2025]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 2 September 2025.

The UK’s MOBILIST programme will receive NOK40 million (£2,9 million) of additional funding from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) over the next 3 years to help it unlock greater private capital investment in emerging markets through products publicly listed on stock exchanges.

The extension of support was marked at a signing ceremony at Norad’s headquarters, where the countries highlighted their longstanding partnership to use public markets to mobilise private capital for development. Public markets represent a powerful but untapped opportunity for mobilising development finance to emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs) at the scale needed to address urgent challenges.

Created by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), MOBILIST is the only development finance programme that focuses on public markets. The programme provides catalytic equity investment toward initial public offerings (IPOs) and the development of new listed products, as well as research to drive policy reform. Norway has been supporting MOBILIST since 2022, previously providing NOK34 million in technical assistance funding.

Norad will also represent the Government of Norway as a co-implementor of the ‘EMDE Public Markets Coalition’ launched by the UK and its partners at the UN’s Fourth Financing for Development Conference (FFD4) in July this year. The Coalition will develop a Toolkit for MDBs, DFIs, and investors to support them in facilitating greater investment in EMDEs through public markets.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Jan Thompson CMG OBE, His Majesty’s Ambassador to Norway, said: “The UK welcomes the extension of Norway’s support to the MOBILIST programme. This partnership has been invaluable for increasing the impact MOBILIST has on emerging market businesses tackling climate and other development challenges. This collaboration demonstrates UK and Norway’s continued strategic partnership and shared ambition for innovative approaches to development finance.”

Gunn Jorid Roset, Director General of Norad, said: “By extending our support to MOBILIST, Norway is underlining its belief in the power of capital markets to deliver development impact, and as a key component in solving development challenges. In strategic partnership with the UK, and through MOBILIST, we are bridging development finance and global capital markets — enabling more investors to become active partners in addressing the urgent needs of our time.”

Since its inception, MOBILIST has committed $141.5 million to eight investees and mobilised $349.8 million in private finance. The programme’s investments include participating in the IPO of Citicore Renewable Energy Corporation, the second-largest solar energy producer in the Philippines and investing alongside Norway in the Green Guarantee Company (GGC), the world’s first dedicated climate-focused guarantee company.

The funding from Norway enables MOBILIST to provide technical assistance to companies on their listing journey or to develop products offering insights or guidance to the wider market. This support is crucial in capital markets that are not fully developed and where companies have limited access to the technical support and advice needed to list.

MOBILIST’s technical assistance projects have included providing support to develop a handbook to guide Mexican SMEs on raising funding through listed corporate debt, a framework for investing in gender bonds in emerging markets, and the first green bond to list on the Pakistan Stock Exchange.

More about the EMDE Coalition:

More than $250 trillion in capital is channelled through listed stock and bond markets every year. This is roughly 20 times the value of all assets held in private markets and 100 times the total capital on the balance sheets of multilateral development banks (MDBs). However, only a fraction of capital invested through public markets is allocated to emerging markets, where development finance is most urgently needed. The EMDE Coalition, launched under the Sevilla Platform for Action (SPA) Initiative ‘Public Markets Mobilisation for Development’, aims to turbocharge private capital mobilised through public markets to tackle key climate and development challenges.

Alongside the UK and Norway, the Coalition will be co-implemented by the African Development Bank and has received endorsement from the Governments of the Philippines, Switzerland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), British International Investment (BII) and the Centre for Development Finance Studies (CDFS).

About Norad

Norad is the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation. Norad is an administrative and professional body for international aid, and shall assist in realizing the goals of Norwegian development policy. Norad manages grants for long-term aid in developing countries and for humanitarian aid, and provides aid and administrative advice to the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Climate and Environment. www.norad.no

About MOBILIST

A flagship UK government programme, MOBILIST supports investment solutions that help deliver the climate transition and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in developing economies. MOBILIST focuses on mobilising institutional capital to spur new, scalable, and replicable financial products. MOBILIST invests capital, delivers technical assistance, conducts research and builds partnerships to catalyse investment in new listed products. www.mobilistglobal.com

September 2, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : New Army accommodation completed at Kendrew Barracks [September 2025]

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 2 September 2025.

Soldiers and officers at Kendrew Barracks will benefit from new accommodation.

New accommodation for service personnel at Kendrew Barracks has been completed under a major investment programme that is improving living conditions across the Army estate.

The new Single Living Accommodation (SLA) blocks provide 126 en suite single bedspaces for junior ranks, senior ranks and officers, with utility rooms, drying rooms, kitchens and furnished communal space. The project was funded under the Army’s SLA Programme and was delivered by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), contracting to Volumec.

The design of the modular SLA includes sustainable features such as solar harvesting, air source heat pumps and a SMART energy management system, which learns how the building is used through a multitude of sensor data to ensure it runs as efficiently as possible.

Brigadier Pete Quaite CBE, the Army’s Head of Infrastructure Plans, said:

Modular construction is enabling us to build more quickly, ensuring that more Army sites benefit from investment in new and improved infrastructure. These modern, energy efficient buildings demonstrate the high quality of accommodation being rolled out across our estate, to improve living conditions for our people while contributing to the Army’s efforts to operate more sustainably.

Warren Webster, DIO MPP Army Programme Director, said:

The handover of new single living accommodation at Kendrew Barracks is another milestone in our work to provide quality, sustainable infrastructure for the Army. We continue to learn from data gathered from these new buildings to improve their environmental credentials and the lived experience, while delivering better value for money.

Lt Col Jim Turner, Deputy Commander of Kendrew Barracks, said:

The new accommodation at Kendrew Barracks has been delivered to an impressive standard and will provide a modern, comfortable home for our soldiers and officers. The wellbeing of our people is a vital component of military capability, and we look forward to seeing the blocks fully occupied in the coming weeks.

Simon Rawson, Volumec Ltd Chief Executive Officer, said:

We see this project as a real testament to what can be achieved through genuine collaboration, along with shared vision, commitment, and trust. This has, without doubt, been one of the most rewarding projects to have been involved with. We are all so proud of the end product and to have played our part in delivering 126 much-needed modern living spaces.

DIO and Volumec are building another two SLA blocks for the Army at Wattisham and Weeton Barracks, with construction due to complete later this year.

September 2, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : £104 million government investment to deliver faster, more reliable travel for millions [September 2025]
The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 2 September 2025.

Investment will help councils improve transport for local people, from cleaner buses to safer cycling routes for communities across England.
- towns and rural areas across the country will benefit from an additional £104 million to improve local transport
- funding is part of a £2.3 billion government investment to support local transport connections, driving growth and access to opportunity as part of the government’s Plan for Change
- investment will make journeys smoother and more reliable for people using public services, going to work, the shops and seeing family and friends
Millions of people across the country will have greater access to jobs, education and public services thanks to a £104 million government funding boost, which will be shared with communities outside England’s major cities.

Thanks to the additional resource funding, local authorities can now decide how to improve public transport and drive forward schemes that boost growth and matter most to their communities. This could include new zero emission buses, improving accessibility, reducing congestion and making streets safer with improved lighting and crossings for pedestrians and cyclists.

The government has now confirmed how much funding each local authority across the country will be receiving under the Local Transport Grant (LTG). The funding boost will see significant uplifts for the North West, Yorkshire and Humber, East Midlands and West Midlands and will enable councils to develop detailed plans for local schemes that have the greatest impact in their areas.

Funding will also ensure councils can manage the delivery of projects that improve journeys to work, shops and essential services across towns and rural areas, helping grow local economies to deliver the Plan for Change.

Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, said:

Good transport connections are the foundation of thriving communities, which is why we’re backing local authorities to transform journeys for millions of people across England.

This investment will help councils to improve transport for local people – from cleaner buses to safer cycling routes – connecting communities with jobs, education and essential services.

By putting resources directly into the hands of local leaders, we’re ensuring every part of the country benefits from better transport links that support economic growth and provide opportunity – all part of our Plan for Change.

Jane Gratton, Deputy Director of Public Policy, British Chambers of Commerce, said:

This is much needed funding to help people access jobs and services across England. It will also better connect businesses, customers, and suppliers. High-quality, reliable transport options, which reduce congestion, are key to boosting local economic growth.

Ben Plowden, Chief Executive, Campaign for Better Transport, said:

With 70% of trips under 5 miles, properly resourced local authorities are central to the task of improving sustainable travel choices. Confirmation of this investment to help them plan and deliver schemes will be very welcome in towns and rural areas, where difficult journeys can cut people off from jobs, services and connections with others.

Better transport makes a huge difference to people’s lives, unlocking opportunities and revitalising communities.

David Skaith, the Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, said:

An accessible, affordable and reliable transport network is critical to growth in our region – connecting people to jobs, education and vital services.

After decades of neglect, we won’t be able to realise our transport aspirations overnight. However, this funding is a welcome boost that will ensure we can continue laying the groundwork and bringing together the skills and expertise we need to deliver the transport improvements across York and North Yorkshire that our communities want and need to see.

The investment provides unprecedented support for local transport improvements that support the government’s Plan for Change, driving growth and access to opportunity.

Today’s £104 million resource allocation boost for local authorities follows the government’s commitment of £2.2 billion, providing them with multi-year funding certainty to improve transport in their communities.
September 2, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : UK provides emergency aid to Afghanistan earthquake victims [September 2025]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 2 September 2025.

The UK has announced emergency funding to support families affected by the devastating earthquake which hit Afghanistan.
- Afghan families to receive UK emergency funding following earthquake in eastern Afghanistan which has killed over 800 people
- funding will provide emergency assistance to affected people, including the provision of essential healthcare to women
- support demonstrates UK’s longstanding commitment to the Afghan people
The UK has, today, announced emergency funding to support families affected by the devastating earthquake which hit Afghanistan on Sunday. Victims of the earthquake, which killed over 800 people and injured thousands, will receive immediate humanitarian support.

These funds will be split equally between the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and the International Red Cross (IFRC) to deliver critical healthcare and emergency supplies to Afghans in the most affected regions.

All UK assistance is channelled through experienced partners, ensuring aid reaches those in need and does not go to the Taliban.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said:

News of the earthquake in the Kunar Province of Afghanistan is truly tragic. The UK remains committed to the people of Afghanistan, and this emergency funding will help our partners to deliver critical healthcare and emergency supplies to the most hard-hit.

The UK remains grateful to the aid workers on the ground, who help us to provide support to Afghanistan’s most vulnerable people.

The £1 million in emergency funding will contribute to UNFPA’s earthquake response, including mobile health teams, emergency medical kits, dignity kits and shelters for displaced families. UNFPA teams will also provide maternal healthcare and psychological support at existing facilities in Kunar – the worst-affected province.

Meanwhile funding to the IFRC will support their mobilisation of local volunteers for search and rescue operations, and deployment of ambulances to transport wounded Afghans to health centres.

Mountainous terrain and recent flooding have restricted access to many areas hit by the earthquake, adding to Afghanistan’s ongoing humanitarian crisis, where over 23 million people already require assistance.

This emergency response builds on the UK’s substantial humanitarian commitment to Afghanistan. The UK allocated £171 million in 2024 to 2025 to support Afghanistan’s most vulnerable people, particularly women and girls.

The UK works with international partners to strengthen global safety and security, and safeguard human rights. Fostering stability overseas ensures our security in the UK too, helping us deliver our Plan for Change.

Background
- women and girls accounted for at least 50% of beneficiaries reached by FCDO’s support to Afghanistan in financial year 2024 to 2025
- in financial year 2024 to 2025, UK support to Afghanistan provided at least:
  - 2,715,000 people with humanitarian assistance, including water and sanitation, food, nutrition, health and cash/voucher, of which 1,782,000 were women and girls
  - 1,274,000 people with cash or voucher transfers, of which 615,000 were women & girls. This includes cash for food, health, shelter repair, agricultural support, essential household items (eg blankets) and winterisation
September 2, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Justice Secretary introduces democratic lock over Sentencing Council [September 2025]
The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 2 September 2025.
- New legal requirement for Sentencing Council guidelines to be agreed by the Justice Secretary before they are issued
- Lady Chief Justice will also need to explicitly approve any new guidelines
- Part of Government’s Plan for Change to build public confidence in the justice system
The Sentencing Council will be unable to issue new guidelines without the explicit approval of the Justice Secretary, strengthening democratic oversight of the body. The approval of the Lady Chief Justice will also be required before new guidelines are issued.

Today’s news follows a disagreement between the Justice Secretary and Sentencing Council earlier this year over planned new guidelines which the Justice Secretary argued would result in “a clear example of differential treatment” and risked “undermining public confidence in a justice system that is built on the idea of equality before the law”.

While a new law introduced in June blocked these sentencing guidelines, the Justice Secretary is clear the Council should not be allowed to stray into setting policy without the direction of Parliament and committed to “right the democratic deficit that has been uncovered”.

As part of the Sentencing Bill, introduced in the House of Commons today, both the Justice Secretary and the Lady Chief Justice will be given individual – and separate – powers requiring them to approve any future guidelines before they can be issued.

Enshrined in law, this means any new directive issued by the Sentencing Council will require the explicit approval of both. If the either oppose the guidance, it will not be issued.

The new powers will end a historic democratic deficit, ensuring Parliament’s legitimate role in setting the sentencing framework is recognised and upheld, while maintaining and strengthening judicial and democratic oversight.

Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice Shabana Mahmood said:

Individual sentencing decisions will always be the responsibility of the independent judiciary – and this is something I will staunchly defend.

However, policy must be set by parliamentarians, who answer to the people.

Government and Parliament have a legitimate role in setting the sentencing framework. It is right that we now have greater democratic and judicial oversight of the direction of the Council’s work and the final guidelines they publish.

The move forms part of wider reforms to sentencing policy as set out in today’s Sentencing Bill. This landmark legislation also includes measures to ensure prisons never run out of space again, including Texas-style earned release sentences and bold new action to toughen up community punishment.

This comes alongside the Government’s prison building programme, the largest expansion in the estate since the Victorian era. The Government has already opened 2,500 new places since taking office, and has invested £7bn in construction, on track to deliver 14,000 places by 2031.

Tens of thousands more offenders will also be tagged and monitored thanks to a huge boost in investment for the Probation Service, with an increase of up to £700 million by 2028/29, up 45 percent from the current budget.

There will also be a requirement for the Council to seek approval from the Justice Secretary of its annual business plan. The reforms do not interfere with the independence of judges in making individual sentencing decisions.
September 2, 2025
Calum Miller – 2025 Speech on the Middle East

The speech made by Calum Miller, the Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs spokesperson, in the House of Commons on 1 September 2025.

I thank the Foreign Secretary for advance sight of his statement. I welcome the robust approach of the E3 in initiating the snapback mechanism in response to Iran’s nuclear ambitions and programme, which are in breach of its undertakings.

The Foreign Secretary’s statement on 21 July shocked this House, and we had a long debate about the situation in Gaza, yet the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and the west bank has deteriorated even further since then, as he has acknowledged. We have seen hundreds more Palestinians killed while seeking aid; famine declared in the strip; a chronic lack of medical supplies, attested to by UK medics volunteering in Nasser hospital; the start of IDF operations in Gaza City; and the images of emaciated hostages still held in brutal captivity by Hamas terrorists.

The human suffering is indeed beyond comprehension, yet the extremists are indifferent. Hamas terrorists publish videos intended to torment the families of hostages. Cabinet members Ben-Gvir and Smotrich advocate for the forced displacement of Palestinians. In Israel, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum and Opposition parties call for an end to the violence. In the UK, our constituents are desperate for the same. The bloodshed can be stopped only by decisive actions—actions that I regret the Government have so far failed to take.

The Prime Minister was wrong in principle to condition the recognition of Palestine on the actions of the Netanyahu Government, and wrong in practice, as he has been ignored. Will the Foreign Secretary confirm today that the UK will recognise Palestine later this month at the UN? The Government must learn a lesson and now apply relentless pressure on the Netanyahu Government, so the Liberal Democrats call today on the Foreign Secretary to finally sanction Prime Minister Netanyahu for expanding his military campaign and pursuing the illegal expansion of the E1 settlements, and to take the steps necessary to ban the export of all UK arms to Israel, including F-35 components. Will he also make representations to the Qatari Government to demand that they exile Hamas from their political headquarters unless they agree to the release of all the hostages immediately and unconditionally?

The Foreign Secretary bemoans that words are not enough to alleviate the suffering. He acknowledges that the Government have failed to move the combatants, yet there is one man who could unlock progress. Donald Trump has the power to secure peace in Gaza, if he chose to, by picking up the phone to Netanyahu. Will the Foreign Secretary tell the House how he will use his special relationship with Vice President Vance to help secure that goal, and will the Government commit to making a ceasefire in Gaza a priority during President Trump’s state visit?

Mr Lammy

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his remarks, particularly on Iran. He is absolutely right to place at the centre the 15,000 people who have been injured in Gaza while simply seeking aid, and the more than 2,000 who have died seeking aid. It is totally unacceptable, and he is right to remind the House about the position of the hostage families, who are crystal clear that they do not want to see further military endeavour and operation in Gaza City. What they want is a ceasefire, and they fear that further military endeavour will actually harm their loved ones further, not succeed in bringing them home.

The hon. Gentleman criticises our position on recognition. I ask him to reflect on that, because it must be right that the Government continue to give diplomacy an opportunity as we head to the UN alongside other partners. Surely he would want us to be working with our French, Australian and Canadian partners as we head to that gathering at UNGA, and surely he would want to see the Israelis commit to a ceasefire, commit to a process and end the war. All of that is what we are seeking to do as we make an assessment of where we have got to in the coming weeks. I reassure him that of course I raise the issue of Gaza with all levels of the US Administration. I did raise the situation in Gaza with Vice President Vance earlier in the summer and with Secretary of State Rubio, and I have spoken to envoy Steve Witkoff in the last 24 hours to get an update on this fast-moving situation. Direct sales of F-35s to Israel are banned, and the hon. Gentleman knows that we ban arms that could go to the IDF for use in Gaza.

September 2, 2025
Emily Thornberry – 2025 Speech on the Middle East

The speech made by Emily Thornberry, the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, in the House of Commons on 1 September 2025.

I read with alarm yesterday’s report in The Washington Post detailing a plan for the future of Gaza that is circulating among the Trump Administration. They call it the “GREAT” plan. It proposes the total transformation of Gaza into a tourist region—a high-tech hub under temporary US administration. What is going to happen to the Gazans? Well, 2 million of them will be temporarily relocated to other countries, including Somaliland and South Sudan. Forced population transfer is contrary to, and a complete violation of, international humanitarian law.

Serious thought must be given to the day after for Gaza, and my Committee recommended as much in our report that was published in July, but this unserious, illegal and deeply dystopian plan cannot be the sum of that thinking. What are the Government doing to dissuade Donald Trump from following this path? What, alongside regional and European allies, are we doing to put forward a serious plan for a peaceful future in Israel, Gaza and the west bank that is ready for the day after this terrible war finally comes to an end?

Mr Lammy

I am very grateful to my right hon. Friend —my dear friend—for her remarks, and I commend the work of her Committee on the day after and the thoroughness of approach that is required. I have read the reports, but it is speculative stuff that I have seen in different news articles; it is not a comprehensive approach. In my discussions with the US system, I have seen nothing confirmed along the lines of what she said. The day after requires the removal of Hamas; it cannot be about the further displacement of the Gazan people. It is going to require a degree of finance and stability, which I think will require other states, particularly Arab partners. They would set themselves against the sorts of reports I have seen in the papers.

September 2, 2025
Priti Patel – 2025 Speech on the Middle East

The speech made by Priti Patel, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, in the House of Commons on 1 September 2025.

I thank the Foreign Secretary for advance sight of his statement. Let me also express my sympathy for the people of Afghanistan who are suffering as a result of last night’s major earthquake.

Since the House last met, the awful conflict in the middle east has continued to see lives lost, with intolerable suffering. Hamas continues to refuse the release of all remaining hostages, despite the best efforts of those trying to broker peace. The hostages are now approaching 700 days in captivity, and the whole House will have been sickened by the harrowing clip of the emaciated hostage Evyatar David, which was released by Hamas over the summer. The humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire, and we are all familiar with the reports that we have seen daily on news channels. The inhumane suffering, the recent airstrikes and the inability to provide food for civilians simply cannot go on. We all want an urgent and sustainable end to this conflict. We want to see the release of the hostages from terrorist captivity, and to see aid for the people of Gaza.

There are key questions for the British Government to answer. The British Government are in a position to help influence those outcomes, but are they actually fully leveraging their ability to do so? The Government’s frequent statements have so far not moved the dial closer to a sustainable end to the conflict, and, as the Foreign Secretary himself has said, we are not in a position to see any alleviation of this horrendous situation. Diplomacy is about putting in the hard yards to find solutions, not just about giving statements, and I therefore want to ask the Foreign Secretary three specific questions.

First, are the Government taking any new specific action to tighten the screws on Hamas and pile more pressure on them to release the hostages? Should we expect more measures to further degrade Hamas’s ability to finance their campaign of terror? Why are the Government not leading international efforts to produce a credible plan to do exactly that, with an agreement from all the key regional partners and players with an interest in peace to see Hamas leave Gaza? Secondly, can the Foreign Secretary update the House on precisely where we stand and what Britain is contributing to the efforts of the United Nations and our regional allies to broker the release of hostages, and to an end of the conflict? Are we intimately involved, and are we sending in the UK expertise to help, given that we have great expertise when it comes to brokering negotiations of this kind? Thirdly, while we note the Foreign Secretary’s announcement yesterday about support for women and girls, the Government have yet to make essential breakthroughs on aid.

Ministers must obviously work around the clock with everyone—with all our partners, including the Israelis and multinational institutions—to unblock the situation by coming up with practical solutions, even new solutions, on which all sides can focus when it comes to getting medical and food aid into Gaza. That must provide a significant increase in food and medical supplies reaching civilians while also addressing Israeli concerns about aid diversion, because those concerns are constant. Is the UK working with the multilateral bodies to try to mediate in the divisions and breakdowns of trust that have emerged with the Government of Israel? Is the Foreign Secretary considering schemes similar to those implemented by the Conservative Government, such as the floating piers that, working with the United States and Cyprus, we put in place off the coast of Gaza to get aid in? We need pragmatic and practical solutions to get food and medical supplies to innocent civilians in Gaza.

Let me now turn to Labour’s decision to recognise a Palestinian state. The Government announced that huge shift in British policy just days after the House went into recess. We all support a two-state solution that guarantees security for both Israelis and Palestinians, but the Foreign Secretary must know that recognising a Palestinian state in September will not secure the lasting peace that we all want to see. Recognition is meaningful only if it is part of a formal peace process, and it should not happen while the hostages are still being held in terrorist captivity and while Hamas’s reign of terror continues. Can the Foreign Secretary explain his plan to go ahead with recognition while hostages are still being held, and while Hamas, who have predictably welcomed and been emboldened by this move, continue to hold on to power in Gaza? What practical measures are we proposing to remove Hamas from Gaza?

The Foreign Secretary must realise that recognition will not secure the release of the hostages or get aid into Gaza immediately. We must always consider what tools of leverage we have in respect of future peace processes and negotiations that could actually help to establish a two-state solution and peace in the middle east. How will this unilateral action help to advance the best shot that we have at achieving a two-state solution, which is the expansion of the Abraham accords and Saudi normalisation, through which we could also calibrate our actions?

As for the question of the middle east more broadly, the appalling behaviour of the Iranian regime has gone on for too long, and the regime has brought the initiation of the snapback process on itself. The Iranian people deserve much better. Tehran must never obtain a nuclear weapon, and Conservatives remain clear about the fact that the recent US strikes were necessary. Can the Foreign Secretary tell us whether he believes that Iran has the capability and the intention of recommencing its nuclear programme, and whether his assumption is that the snapback process will be seen through to completion? Can he tell us whether or not he welcomes Israel’s actions regarding the Houthi leadership in Yemen, and can he update the House on how the UK will use this moment to further degrade the Houthis’ ability to carry out the attacks and strikes that we have seen recently?

Mr Lammy

I am grateful to the shadow Foreign Secretary for the tone of her remarks. I am pleased that she agrees with me and, indeed, shares the sentiment of the entire House on the dire—as she described it— humanitarian situation in Gaza and the inhumanity that she also described. She will recognise that even before we came to power, the last Government were calling for the ceasefire that we all want to see.

The right hon. Lady asked what the Government were doing in relation to Hamas. In New York, with our Arab partners, the French and others, we were doing just that—supporting the Prime Minister’s framework for peace, and working with colleagues to establish the circumstances of the day after. We have been crystal clear: there can be no role for Hamas. We need the demilitarisation of Gaza, and we are working with partners to try to set up the trusteeship, the new governance arrangement with Gaza. No Government are doing more than we are. We signed a memorandum of understanding with the Palestinian Authority, and we are working with it on reform in a deliberate, day-to-day action, because there must be a role for it subsequently.

The right hon. Lady asked what new solutions on aid might be found. That is where I depart with her sentiments, because I am not sure that we need new solutions. We need the old ones: the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, the United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs, and the World Food Programme. They exist, so let us support them. It was this party that restored funding to UNRWA when it was opposed by the Opposition. Let me say gently to the right hon. Lady that that is not what feeds women and girls. The mechanisms are there, and they work all over the globe. This worked the last time we had a ceasefire, when as many as 600 trucks a day went in, and we can do it once more. That is the position of the UK Government.

I spoke to Tom Fletcher at the United Nations this morning to get the latest. The moderately good news is that the number of truck movements in August was higher than it was when I last updated the House in July, as the House was going into recess, but he reminded me that 60 or 70 trucks a day was nowhere near the number needed. I found the extra resources today because we know that the medical situation is dire, and the work that we can do with UK-Med is so important and so valued even when we are up against this horrific situation.

Let me be crystal clear: Hamas is a terrorist organisation. Our demands are unconditional and have not changed. The hostages must be released without delay, and there can be no role for Hamas. But equally, the right hon. Lady will have seen the situation in the west bank. She did not comment on the E1 development running a coach and horses through the idea of two states, which has been the united position of every single party in this Chamber. That is why we set out the plans for recognition. Unless we get the breakthrough that we need on the ceasefire and a full process, we will move to recognition when UNGA meets in New York.

I am grateful for the right hon. Lady’s support on Iran and the snapback. My assessment is that no country needs the percentages of enriched uranium that we see in Iran. We do not have them in our country. We do not have them at sites like Sellafield and others, including the Urenco site. There is absolutely no need for them. We need a baseline, and that is why we need the inspectors back in. We need to know where the highly enriched uranium has gone, and that is why we have been very clear with the Iranians on the need to trigger snapback. We will see the sanctions come back unless we can reach a diplomatic solution in the next 30 days.

September 2, 2025
David Lammy – 2025 Statement on the Middle East

The statement made by David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, in the House of Commons on 1 September 2025.

With permission, Madam Deputy Speaker, I shall make a statement on the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Iran.

In Gaza, the situation on the ground is unimaginably bleak. Horrifying images and accounts will be seared into the minds of colleagues across this House. They are almost impossible to put into words, but we can and must be precise with our language, because on 22 August the United Nations-backed IPC mechanism confirmed what we are witnessing: famine—famine in Gaza city; famine in its surrounding neighbourhoods now spreading across the wider territory; famine which, if unchecked, will spiral into widespread starvation.

This was foreseen: it is the terrible conclusion of the obstacles we have warned about for over six months. Since 1 July, over 300 people have died from malnutrition, including 119 children. More than 132,000 children under the age of five are at risk of dying from hunger by June next year. This is not a natural disaster; it is a man-made famine in the 21st century, and I am outraged by the Israeli Government’s refusal to allow in sufficient aid. We need a massive humanitarian response to prevent more deaths, crucial non-governmental organisations, humanitarians and health workers to be allowed to operate, and stockpiles of aid on Gaza’s borders to be released. In the past three months, more than 2,000 Gazans have been killed trying to feed their families, and Hamas themselves are exploiting the chaos and deliberately starving Israeli hostages for abhorrent political purposes.

I know that these words of condemnation, echoed across legislatures all over the world, are not enough, but be in no doubt: we have acted as a country where we can. We restored funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency. We suspended arms exports that could be used in Gaza. We signed a landmark agreement with the Palestinian Authority. We stood up for the independence of international courts. We have delivered three sanctions packages on violent settlers and far-right Israeli Ministers for incitement. We have suspended trade negotiations with the Israeli Government. We are at the forefront of the international community’s work to plan for a stable, post-conflict peace. We have now provided more than £250 million in development assistance over the past two years.

Today, we are going further. I can announce an additional £15 million of aid and medical care for Gaza and the region. We continue to work alongside regional partners, including Egypt and Jordan, to enable the United Nations and non-governmental organisations to ensure that aid reaches those most in need. Brave medics in Gaza tell us that essential medicines are running out and they cannot operate safely. That is why we are funding UK-Med, whose field hospitals have treated more than 600,000 Gazans. It is also why we are funding the World Health Organisation in Egypt to treat thousands of evacuated Gazan people.

Meanwhile, as my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary said earlier, we are working with the World Health Organisation to get critically ill and injured children into the UK, where they will receive specialist NHS treatment. The first patients are expected to arrive in the UK in the coming weeks. Extracting people from a war zone is, of course, complex and dangerous, and it relies entirely on Israeli permissions. I am pressing the Israeli Government for that to happen as quickly as possible. We are also supporting brilliant students granted Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Chevening scholarships and other scholarships to escape Gaza, so that they can take up their places for the coming academic year.

I recognise that those things only touch the edges of this catastrophe. We all know that there is only one way out: an immediate ceasefire that would see the unconditional release by Hamas of all hostages and a transformation in the delivery of aid. We know it, our US and European allies know it, and our Gulf partners know it, too. I am working night and day with them to deliver a ceasefire and a wider political process to deliver long-term peace. To make a ceasefire last, we need a monitoring mechanism, the disarmament of Hamas and a new governance framework for Gaza. That is the focus of our intense diplomacy in the region.

In contrast, further military operations in Gaza City will only prolong and deepen the crisis. Together with our partners, we demand an immediate halt to the operation. Each week brings new horrors. Last week’s double strike on Nasser hospital—one of Gaza’s last remaining major health facilities—killed 20 people, including five journalists. I remind Israel once again that international law requires the protection of healthcare workers, journalists and civilians. These actions will not end the war, and they will not bring the hostages home, let alone make them safer, as hostage families have recognised. Such actions will sow despair and anger across the region for generations.

In the west bank, the Israeli Government are tightening their stranglehold on the Palestinian economy and continue to approve illegal settlement construction, including just recently in the E1 area east of Jerusalem. That would erect a physical barrier to the contiguous Palestinian state, and it must not happen.

In July, I described before the UN General Assembly our intention to recognise the state of Palestine later this month, unless the Israeli Government take substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza and commit to a long-term sustainable peace. That commitment responds to the current crisis, but stems from our historic responsibility to the region’s security, reaching back over a century to the Balfour declaration. As I said last month in New York, I am deeply proud that it was a British Foreign Secretary who helped establish a homeland for the Jewish people, but the same declaration promised that

“nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights”

of the Palestinian people. Those rights are more under threat than at any point in the past century.

To those who say recognition rewards Hamas or threatens Israeli security, it does neither. Recognition is rooted in the principle of a two-state solution, which Hamas rejects. We have been clear that any Palestinian state should be demilitarised. Indeed, President Abbas has confirmed that in writing. We see no contradiction between the two-state solution and our deep commitment to Israeli security, because security comes from stable borders, not indefinite occupation.

Before I finish, I would also like to update the House on Iran. On 28 August, the UK, along with France and Germany, triggered the snapback mechanism under UN Security Council resolution 2231. That means that if no new agreement is reached within 30 days, the sanctions that were lifted under the Iran nuclear deal—the joint comprehensive plan of action—will come back into force. Those wide-ranging sanctions include a full arms embargo and restrictions on Iran’s nuclear, missile and drone programme. It was not a decision we took lightly. For years, we have worked with international partners to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. The 2015 deal was meant to do just that, but Iran has repeatedly undermined the agreement. Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium is now 40 times over the limit set by the JCPOA. Despite that clear escalation, we have made every effort over years of negotiations to bring Iran back to compliance. Those efforts have continued in recent months. I have urged Foreign Minister Araghchi to de-escalate and choose diplomacy.

In July, we offered Iran more time if it agreed to return to negotiations with the US and restore full access to the International Atomic Energy Agency. Last month, I warned Iran that time was short and we would have little choice but to trigger snapback. I regret to inform the House that Iran has not complied with its legal obligations, nor chosen the path of diplomacy, so we have had no choice but to act. I have long been clear that I will not allow snapback to expire without a durable and comprehensive deal. It would be unacceptable to allow this issue to fall off the UN Security Council agenda, despite the threat posed by Iran’s nuclear programme. Snapback is not the end of diplomacy, as Secretary Rubio has also recently underlined. Iran can still meet our conditions. It can restore full IAEA access and address our concerns about its stockpile and enrichment, and it can return to negotiations. Alongside our partners, I will continue to urge Iran to choose that path.

In the worst of times, this Government will continue to take all the steps that we can to alleviate suffering, to help bring regional conflict to an end and to create the conditions for long-term peace and security. We will not rest until there is a ceasefire in Gaza, the hostages are returned, and a flood of aid reaches those in desperate need. Despite the obstacles before us, we will work with partners to preserve the two-state solution. I commend this statement to the House.

September 2, 2025
Neil Hudson – 2025 Comments on Asylum Seekers, Borders and Migration

The comments made by Neil Hudson, the Conservative MP for Epping Forest, in the House of Commons on 1 September 2025.

Home Secretary, please: we have a tinder-box situation in Epping. We have the Bell hotel, with alleged sexual and physical assaults, and now twice-weekly major protests, some of which became violent, with injuries to police officers. Appallingly, last week the Government successfully appealed against the injunction on the hotel, prioritising the rights of illegal migrants over the rights and, indeed, safety of the people of Epping. Our community is in distress. The situation is untenable. This week the schools are back. The hotel is in the wrong place, right near a school, and many concerned parents have contacted me. When will the Home Secretary and the Government listen to us, address this issue and do the right and safe thing: close the Bell hotel immediately?

Yvette Cooper

I agree that all asylum hotels need to be closed as swiftly as possible, including the Bell hotel. That needs to be done in an orderly and sustainable manner so that they are closed for good. The hon. Gentleman is not right in the characterisation of the Government’s case, because we are clear that all asylum hotels need to close. We need to ensure that that is done in an ordered way that does not simply make the problem worse in other neighbouring areas or cause the kind of disordered chaos that led to the opening of so many hotels in the first place. We also need to strengthen the security and the co-operation with policing, and we want to strengthen the law on asylum seekers who commit offences and can be banned from the system. That will be part of our Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill as well.

September 2, 2025