Tag: 2026

PRESS RELEASE : 52nd Universal Periodic Review of human rights – UK Statement on Seychelles [May 2026]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 12 May 2026.

UK Statement at Seychelle’s Universal Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Thank you Madam Vice President,

The United Kingdom welcomes the free and fair elections held in Seychelles in October 2025. But we have concerns around prolonged pre‑trial detention and expanded security powers despite otherwise strong democratic institutions.

The UK welcomes the activities of the Seychelles National Human Rights Commission since the last UPR, including its annual reports in 2024 and 2025. We continue to urge the government to ensure that the Commission is adequately financed and resourced.

We also commend the government for its continued constructive engagement with UN treaty bodies, including the review by the Committee on Migrant Workers in 2024.

We recommend that Seychelles:
1. Conducts an independent investigation on the 5 December 2024 prison riots, with demonstrable steps taken to hold perpetrators to account.
2. Publishes a clear legal and policy framework governing the protection of refugees and migrants, including procedures for identification, access to basic services, and safeguards against arbitrary detention, and reports publicly on steps taken to bring national practice into line with international human rights standards.
3. Establishes a transparent and time‑bound mechanism for monitoring, responding to and implementing recommendations made by the National Human Rights Commission, including public reporting on progress and outcomes.
Thank you.
12/05/2026
PRESS RELEASE : UK statement to the Swiss OSCE Chairpersonship Conference “Anticipating Technologies – for a safe and humane future” [May 2026]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 12 May 2026.

Sarah Spencer, UK Tech Envoy, underlined the opportunities and risks of frontier technologies, stressing responsible governance, partnerships and dialogue through the OSCE. She reaffirmed the UK’s support for Ukraine, condemned Russia’s illegal invasion, and highlighted the OSCE’s role in ensuring technological progress strengthens security, stability and a more humane future.

Thank you Chair and thank you to all the panellists for their insightful remarks.

I would like to thank Federal Councillor Cassis and the Swiss Chairpersonship for convening us today, and for framing today’s discussions around responsibility and cooperation. In the context of rapidly evolving technologies, strengthening dialogue, reducing misunderstandings and developing common approaches are indispensable to building trust and securing the foundations for security.

We must however acknowledge the fact that Russia continues its illegal invasion of Ukrainian sovereign territory and Russian troops continue to occupy Ukrainian land. The United Kingdom is committed to a sustainable peace in Ukraine and will continue to stand resolutely with Ukraine and its people.

Chair, frontier technologies afford multiple opportunities to deliver inclusive development outcomes and improve our impact in addressing humanitarian crises. These technologies are also transforming the security environment at unprecedented pace, increasing risks to national security, conflict escalation, and strategic stability. The development and deployment of artificial intelligence illustrates this tension between opportunity and risk particularly clearly. While AI has the potential to support early warning and early action in humanitarian crises, it can also amplify misinformation and widen instability if misused or deployed without adequate safeguards.

Capitalising on the opportunities of frontier tech therefore requires innovative partnerships and practical mechanisms, aligned with our shared principles, to safely and responsibly govern frontier technologies and build inclusive, responsible and sustainable digital ecosystems. For the United Kingdom, partnerships between states, institutions, industry and civil society matter more than products in realising the opportunities of technology and innovation. In two weeks, our Foreign Secretary will co-host a major conference in London on the future of international development partnerships – bringing together governments, civil society, and tech leaders, amongst others, to help shape the system for a new era. This includes identifying ways to leverage advanced technologies to accelerate progress on shared global challenges.

No one sovereign State can rise to this challenge alone. As the world’s largest regional security organisation, the OSCE has a unique role to play fostering dialogue on frontier technologies, supporting anticipatory approaches, and promoting the responsible use of innovation in the service of peace and security. The United Kingdom stands ready to support these efforts, and to work with all participating States to help ensure that technological progress contributes to a safer, more secure and more humane future for all.

Thank you.

12/05/2026
PRESS RELEASE : Government and Wayve sign partnership to accelerate Britain’s self driving future [May 2026]
The press release issued by the Department for Business and Trade on 12 May 2026.

Partnership will put the UK at the forefront of next generation self-driving technology.
- New agreement strengthens UK leadership in automated vehicles.
- Partnership focuses on shared research to bring forward responsible deployment of self‑driving cars.
- Deal backs innovative UK scale‑ups and helps make Britain the best place to grow a business.
A partnership that will put the UK at the forefront of next generation self-driving technology has been signed by the Government today with one of the country’s leading scale ups.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Wayve, a company pioneering AI for autonomous driving will deepen collaboration on next‑generation self‑driving technologies and back the scale‑up as it continues to grow in Britain.

The agreement brings government and industry together around shared research interests, supporting responsible deployment of automated vehicles while reinforcing the UK’s global leadership in autonomous and AI‑enabled mobility.

By linking cutting‑edge AI research with real‑world deployment and manufacturing, the partnership aims to act as a catalyst for new investment, skilled jobs and long‑term growth across the UK automotive ecosystem, sending a clear signal that the UK is the best place for ambitious tech companies to scale up.

Business Secretary Peter Kyle said:

“This partnership with Wayve shows how government is backing high‑growth British scale‑ups through our Modern Industrial Strategy to turn world‑leading research into real‑world deployment.

“By working hand‑in‑hand with innovative companies, we are accelerating self‑driving technology while anchoring jobs, investment and manufacturing here in the UK — making Britain the best place to start, scale and grow a business.”

Alex Kendall, Co-Founder and CEO, Wayve said:

“I’m delighted to deepen our collaboration with the Department for Business and Trade. We share the Government’s ambition to drive economic growth through the development of the self-driving vehicle sector in the UK and globally.

“Strengthening domestic capabilities will anchor high-value manufacturing in the UK, create thousands of skilled jobs across the supply chain, and support the future of the automotive industry. This is in addition to the transformative benefits to road safety to be gained from self-driving vehicles deployed at scale.

“Wayve has a proud history of developing our technology in the UK. We look forward to working with DBT on a shared set of priorities to ensure the UK continues to lead and that the full set of benefits is realised across the country.”

Science and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said:

“Wayve is a true British AI success story, putting the UK at the forefront of self-driving technology.

“This agreement will help secure high-skilled tech and advanced manufacturing jobs in this country.

“By working with companies such as Wayve we are rebuilding Britain for the modern age and sending a clear signal that the UK is the best place for ambitious tech firms to start up and scale up.”

The MoU sets out how DBT and Wayve will collaborate on research that helps move automated vehicles from prototype to large‑scale, commercially viable services operating on UK roads.

This includes work on safety assurance, simulation at scale and integration of full self‑driving technology into production‑ready vehicle platforms, helping the UK lead internationally on responsible deployment.

The partnership also reinforces the UK’s ambition to be a global hub for automated vehicle manufacturing, strengthening domestic supply chains in areas such as AI, systems integration and advanced automotive hardware.

Wayve will share insights from real‑world trials with government and regulators, supporting learning that can unlock national roll-out of self-driving services and inform future regulations and standards.

Through closer collaboration with industry and local partners, the agreement supports the revival and evolution of UK automotive manufacturing while demonstrating the government’s commitment to helping fast‑growing British companies scale at home rather than overseas.

Through its Modern Industrial Strategy, the UK Government has already set the stage to crowd in vital private investment into key growth sectors like advanced manufacturing, building on over £360 billion and 120,000 jobs we have secured since publication. 
12/05/2026
Jess Phillips – 2026 Resignation as Minister

The resignation letter written by Jess Phillips, the Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley, on 12 May 2026.

Dear Keir

I want to start by first saying that we have worked closely together on Violence Against Women and Girls for many years and I have no doubt you have genuine knowledge and desire to rectify this dreadful social ill. We have started to make steps towards change whilst in government and I have been grateful for your support.

However, it would be remiss of me not to say that real change and direction in this area usually came from threats made by me in light of catastrophic mistakes. The Mandelson saga whenever it bubbled up made Number 10 kick into gear on the subject in order to prove our credentials. I will never waste a crisis to make advancements for women and girls and so demands were made and some were met.

I think you are a good man fundamentally, who cares about the right things however I have seen first-hand how that is not enough. The desire not to have an argument means we rarely make an argument, leaving opportunities for progress stalled and delayed.

Over a year ago I presented solutions, long worked on by brilliant civil servants that would end the ability for children in the UK to take naked images of themselves. 91% of online child sex abuse is self-generated by children groomed, tricked and exploited in to abuse. The technology exists to stop children being able to take naked images of themselves. We could make this possible on every phone and device in the country. We could stop this abuse. It has taken me a year to get you to agree to even threaten to legislate in this space. Not legislate, just threaten. This is the definition of incremental change. Nothing bold about it. The announcement was meant to be in March, I’m still on a promise this will happen in June, I’ve given up believing it. How many children were left without a safety net in the time we dilly dallied and worried about tech bosses?

This is just one example.

Labour governments come around rarely is the constant refrain at the moment. It’s true they are precious. Every Labour government in my and my family’s lifetime has forged progress that changed our country and the world for the better. I know you care deeply, but deeds, not words are what matter. I’m not sure we are grasping this rare opportunity with the gusto that’s needed and I cannot keep waiting around for a crisis to push for faster progress.

Decency is vital, calm curiosity is also needed, but so too are fight and drive required. Have a row, push back, make arguments, bring people along. Standing up and being counted can’t always be workshopped. Politics is as much about feelings as policy, especially at the moment.

I want a Labour government to work and I will strive as I always have for its success and popularity, but I’m not seeing the change I think I, and the country expect, and so cannot continue to serve as a minister under the current leadership.

Best wishes

Jess Phillips

12/05/2026
PRESS RELEASE : Government steps up action to strengthen cyber defences as UK cyber industry continues to grow [May 2026]
The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 12 May 2026.

UK businesses are being urged to strengthen their cyber defences against fast-evolving AI-enabled threats.
- Businesses encouraged to sign Cyber Resilience Pledge to strengthen defences against fast-evolving AI-enabled threats
- New figures show UK cyber security sector revenue has risen 11% to £14.7 billion, with firms up 20% to 2,603
- Cyber Security and Resilience Bill to continue through Parliament following the King’s Speech, demonstrating the government’s long-term commitment to strengthen Britain’s foundations and build a more resilient country
Businesses across the UK are being urged to strengthen their cyber defences, as the government takes action to protect the economy and essential services people rely on every day from fast-evolving cyber threats.

As part of a wider push to shore up the UK’s cyber defences, ministers are urging organisations across the economy to boost their resilience by signing up to a Cyber Resilience Pledge.

The pledge, launching later this year, sets out 3 concrete actions organisations can take to improve their cyber security:
- making cyber security a board-level responsibility
- signing up to the National Cyber Security Centre’s free Early Warning Service
- require Cyber Essentials certification across their supply chains – the UK government-backed cyber security standard that blocks the most common cyber threats.
Together, these steps help businesses reduce risk, protect customers and build confidence across the wider economy.

Ministers have written directly to some of the UK’s leading companies inviting them to sign up to the Cyber Resilience Pledge, and organisations are now encouraged to review the requirements and commit. The government is backing this shift with £90 million towards improving cyber resilience across the economy.

The push comes as the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill will continue its passage through Parliament following the King’s Speech, demonstrating the government’s long-term commitment to protect critical national infrastructure, support economic growth and reduce the risk of disruption to essential services such as energy, water, healthcare and data centres.

New figures published today also show the strength of the UK’s cyber security sector, which grew 11% last year to £14.7 billion, with the number of firms rising by 20% to 2,603 – underlining the UK’s position as a global cyber security leader and a fast‑growing engine of the economy.

The sector created 2,300 jobs in the past year alone, reflecting rising demand for British cyber expertise as businesses and public services invest in stronger protection against increasingly sophisticated threats, including those enabled by AI.

Ministers have warned that the threats businesses face in cyber space are changing, and the way they respond must change with it. A new generation of AI models is lowering the barrier for cyber criminals, enabling them to find vulnerabilities and carry out attacks at a speed and scale that would have been impossible even a year ago. Recent figures show 43% of UK businesses experienced a cyber breach or attack in the past year, underlining the urgency of action.

The importance of taking action has been highlighted by recent research by the AI Security Institute, looking at frontier models like Mythos and GPT 5.5. Ministers are warning that traditional cyber protections alone are no longer enough. As AI accelerates the pace and scale of cyber attacks, organisations must now invest in smarter, more resilient systems that can limit the impact of breaches and keep ahead of attackers – rather than constantly reacting after the damage is done.

The UK is not standing still in response to this threat. We have built the AI Security Institute, the most advanced capability of any government in the world for understanding frontier AI systems. This ensures that your government can have an independently verified, robust assessment of current capabilities.

More broadly, the National Cyber Security Centre, part of GCHQ, is world-leading in defending the UK online, and continues to publish practical guidance every business can use.

Cyber Security Minister Baroness Lloyd said:

Cyber security is now fundamental to economic growth, job creation and the resilience of the services people rely on every day.

The UK has a world‑class cyber sector that is creating skilled jobs and protecting our economy – and government is doing more by investing in its own defences, legislating to require more of essential services and setting clear national standards.

As threats evolve, businesses of all sizes need to step up and take practical action now. The Cyber Resilience Pledge is a clear call for companies to strengthen their defences, protect their customers and play their part in keeping the UK secure and competitive.

CEOs are urged to harness the expertise and innovation of UK cyber startups, building partnerships that drive the development and adoption of advanced solutions, such as memory-safe systems that are significantly less vulnerable, to keep our economy ahead of adversaries.

Cyber security for AI is itself also an emerging growth area, with the number of UK firms offering cyber security products or services for AI up 68% in 2025 compared to the previous year – reinforcing the UK’s position as both a leader in innovation and a responder to new threats.
12/05/2026
James Cleverly – 2026 Comments on Labour’s Leadership

The comments made by James Cleverly, the Conservative MP for Braintree, on 12 May 2026.

Starmer cannot survive this, and doesn’t deserve to. He did not have a plan for government. He had no mandate for winter fuel payment cuts, working tax increases, business tas increases, huge benefits increases, family farm tax etc. His political and personal judgement is shockingly poor. He thinks the rules don’t apply to him, he blames everyone else but takes no responsibility himself. Hence the list of people that he appointed and then fired, Mandelson being just the highest profile. The chaos within the Government, the Labour Party, and the country are his fault. Whether he stands down today, or clings on for a while longer, it is clear he won’t lead Labour into the next General Election. Whoever takes over needs to put the country before party and sort this Starmer created mess out.

12/05/2026
John McDonnell – 2026 Comments on Wes Streeting

The comments made by John McDonnell, the Labour MP for Hayes and Harlington, on 12 May 2026.

I called for time for serious discussion, no precipitous coup & fully democratic process if leadership election.Instead Wes Streeting has launched coup for fear of a democratic process & whilst candidates are blocked. Handing leadership to Mandelson’s protege is gift to Reform.

12/05/2026
Paul Foster – 2026 Comments about Keir Starmer’s Leadership

The comments made by Paul Foster, the Labour MP for South Ribble, on 12 May 2026.

I want to see Keir Starmer succeed, because if he succeeds, then the country succeeds too.

Under his leadership, we have seen real successes. He brought stability after a turbulent period in British politics and has been a steady pair of hands during challenging economic and international times. For that, and for his service to both the party and the country, he deserves genuine thanks and respect.

But last week’s heartbreaking election results sent a clear message from the public that we cannot ignore.

Politics is ultimately about listening to the people we serve, even when the message is difficult to hear. The results showed that too many voters feel disconnected from my party and its values, and they are unconvinced that we fully understand their frustrations and concerns.

Unfortunately, after much reflection, the Prime Minister’s speech yesterday did little to reassure me that he has the vision needed to reconnect with the country and rebuild public confidence under his leadership.

We need a leader with the vision to take us into the next chapter; someone who can rebuild trust, reconnect with communities across the country and provide the sense of optimism and hope that people are crying out for, while delivering the change we promised in our manifesto.

It pains me to say this because I am a loyal person by nature, and I do not come to this conclusion lightly. But it is with great regret that I believe the party now needs a change of direction and, ultimately, a new leader.

12/05/2026
Miatta Fahnbulleh – 2026 Resignation and Comments about Keir Starmer’s Leadership

The comments made by Miatta Fahnbulleh, the Labour MP for Peckham, on 12 May 2026.

Dear Prime Minister,

I am writing to tender my resignation as Minister for Devolution, Faith and Communities.

I am proud of the work that I have done in this Government. First as the Minister for Energy Consumers where I secured energy bill discounts for 6 million families and kick started our Warm Homes Plan; and in my current role where I have rolled out our transformational Pride in Place Programme, delivered a generational shift in power through our English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act, and led our critical work on tackling the rising tide of hate and division in our communities. It has been a privilege to play my part in a government that is working hard at every level to deliver the change that our country needs.

Whilst progress has been made, we have not acted with the vision, pace and ambition that our mandate for change demands of us. Nor have we governed as a Labour Party clear about our values and strong in our convictions. Mistakes such as the winter fuel payment and cuts to the support provided to disabled people have left too many of my constituents doubting our mission. And the message on the doorstep was clear: you, Prime Minister, have lost the trust and confidence of the public.

Our country faces enormous challenges and people are crying out for the scale of change that this requires. The public does not believe that you can lead this change – and nor do I. Therefore, I urge you to do the right thing for the country and the Party and set a timetable for an orderly transition so that a new team can deliver the change we promised the country.

Yours sincerely,

Miatta Fahnbulleh, MP for Peckham

12/05/2026
John Slinger – 2026 Comments about Keir Starmer’s Leadership

The comments made by John Slinger, the Labour MP for Rugby, on 11 May 2026.

I haven’t ever equivocated or hedged my bets about whether Keir Starmer should remain Prime Minister.

I’ve always been clear: he must stay.

Here’s why.

Keir was the right person to lead Labour after Jeremy Corbyn, the right leader to change the Labour Party and make us electable again, and definitely the right leader in government.

I’ve not supported the Prime Minister for personal gain, nor because I’ve been told to, and certainly not to make myself popular either within the Labour Party or with the public. I’ve done so, and continue to do so, because I believe, sincerely, that Keir is the right person to lead our country.

I completely understand that some colleagues in the Parliamentary Labour Party, the wider party and many members of the public don’t share my view. I respect their views, but I want people to understand why I support Keir Starmer. As a party, and as a country, we need to learn to disagree agreeably. We must set a good example at this difficult time.

What the Prime Minister’s speech told us

Over the last few days, following the local election results, and before the PM’s speech today, I set out my thinking in LabourList and on my Substack. Keir’s speech today has only reinforced my belief that he should stay as Prime Minister.

In the Prime Minister’s speech we saw more of the person, a man from a working class background, who has committed himself to public service. We saw passion, someone who knows that this isn’t just the fight of his political life, but one far more important than that. He said he will “never stop fighting for the decent, respectful, diverse country that I love, I will never give up on the hope we can unlock in this country.” He has accepted responsibility as a leader, but rightly acknowledges that taking responsibility must include responsibility for taking action to resolve things. And finally, the plan: whether on the vital need for us as a country not to go back to the status quo ante after this recent Iran war-related crisis, but to make the long term changes we need to make, or closer ties to Europe, or much more support for our younger and future generations, with far more to come on Wednesday.

A complete break with the past

In moving beyond the status quo, in his speech today, the PM set out that we need a “complete break” with the past. He set out that we need to build a stronger and fairer country. He mentioned renationalising British Steel, he spoke of strengthening ever further our vital relationship with the European Union, and he spoke movingly about the need to offer a brighter future for our young people, in which every young person can realise their potential.

This last point has been one of my priorities since becoming an MP. As long ago as January 2025 I called for a Youth Triple Lock and for more resources and attention to be directed towards young people. I’ve been calling for this repeatedly since then, as well as for a Cabinet level Minister for the Younger and Future Generations.

Action this day

We’ll hear more from the Prime Minister and the government on Wednesday with the King’s Speech, which will set out our legislative programme for the next session of Parliament. The Prime Minister was clear in his speech that we must bring the same urgency with which the government acted over the Scunthorpe steelworks to “everything now”. This is something I wholeheartedly agree with, and I myself called for an “action this day” approach to government that takes a wartime mentality, much like the one that Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones spoke about recently when he said we need the Covid vaccine taskforce model to be applied across Whitehall.

The mainstream parties such as Labour must be able to demonstrate clearly to the public that democratic government should, can and will change their lives for the better, and that impediments to this will be overcome.

Why I oppose calls for the Prime Minister to resign

In addition to what I’ve already written about the Labour leadership, here’s why I support Keir Starmer as Prime Minister and oppose calls for him to resign, or to set out a timetable to resign.

Despite being hugely talented, and potentially being leadership material, none of the alternative leaders mentioned have set out their stall effectively enough on how to resolve the deep-set problems facing our country. What is at stake is the political leadership of the fifth largest economy in the world. The public expect us to treat this accordingly. We seem to be talking about the leadership of the Labour Party as if it’s something that can just be given to people relatively casually, rather like the presidency of a debating society.

Keir Starmer is not an accidental leader. He won a leadership election, reformed the Labour Party to ensure it was electable again, led us through opposition into an election campaign, won a huge majority and has led the country through a difficult period.

Why I wouldn’t support a challenge, even if there were credible alternatives
Even if there were a phalanx of alternatives, of “big beasts”, each capable of being Prime Minister and having set out their strategic vision, I would still not support a leadership challenge. Why?

Firstly, Keir Starmer has been a good leader, a good Prime Minister, who has begun the mammoth task of rebuilding a country reeling from years of underinvestment, deep-set structural problems and a deeply unstable international environment. He’s led a government that has stabilised and grown the economy, invested in public services, begun to carry out the long-term strategic reforms of our health system and our infrastructure, brought down NHS waiting lists, increased workers’ rights and the minimum and national living wage, and much more.

Secondly, the public would not forgive us for plunging the country back into the chaos that beset the last Conservative government, when they thought that replacing Prime Ministers would solve the country’s problems. We need stability and we need a grown-up approach to governing, and also to levelling with the public about the challenges that we face and what will be necessary to resolve them.

Another reason is how this must make us look internationally at a time of great peril overseas. Leaders and populations of foreign countries must be looking on aghast as some of my colleagues consider defenestrating a leader who won a major majority pretty much at the first sign of trouble, less than two years after he won big.

The political moment demands seriousness

We mustn’t replicate in politics, when the stakes are so high, some of the worst elements of the modern age: doomscrolling on social media, doom-headlining in the media, unrealistic demands for simple solutions to complex problems, looking to blame others rather than accept our own responsibility, a lack of decorum in political debate, or allowing frustration to turn into destructive anger and recrimination rather than into resolve to tackle challenges and unlock opportunities.

Pinning all our current problems as a government or as a country on the Prime Minister is unreasonable. It’s about all of us in the Parliamentary Labour Party, and in the wider labour movement, pulling together and accepting our responsibility. The Prime Minister has a responsibility, but so do cabinet ministers, ministers and MPs to set out the vision of this Labour government and to persuade the public about what we are doing. More widely, all of us in the party should now pull together, rally behind this Labour Prime Minister, and this Labour government, which is already delivering huge change in our country.

That is what I will be focused on, in supporting the Prime Minister in doing.

11/05/2026