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  • Emma Reynolds – 2026 Speech on Food Security

    Emma Reynolds – 2026 Speech on Food Security

    The speech made by Emma Reynolds, the Environment Secretary, at the British Ambassador’s Residence in Paris on 12 February 2026.

    Good evening, bonsoir, mesdames et messieurs. Distinguished guests, colleagues and friends. Thank you for welcoming me to Paris this evening.

    And thank you Andrew for that kind and rather cheesy introduction.

    Je suis ravie d’etre ici ce soir avec vous. Paris occupe une place toute particulière dans mon cœur. J’ai travaillé en France dans ma tendre jeunesse à l’âge 19 ans comme serveuse a la gare de Lyon Partdieu. J’en ai retenu deux choses essentielles: l’importance d’un service de qualité… et une passion toujours aussi intense pour le fromage, la charcuterie et le vin français.

    And in fact, when I reflect on my time living here in France I can see some similarities between being a waitress and being a politician – you’re working long hours, serving the people, and also, alas, dealing with complaints – but unfortunately, we politicians can’t blame the kitchen when things go wrong!

    This impressive residence – Hotel Charost – has a rich history. The Duke of Wellington bought it off Napoleon’s sister, but don’t worry; the money and indeed the gold Britain paid for it was used by the French emperor to finance his return from exile!

    And this residence has served for over 200 years as a place where British and French people have come together to discuss the issues of the moment and explore the opportunities ahead.

    That is exactly what I want to do this evening with you.

    Today has been a day full of rich conversations.

    I had the great pleasure of meeting my French counterpart, Minister Annie Genevard, to discuss the future of our farming sectors, international trade and the agreement that we are negotiating between the UK and the EU on sanitary and phytosanitary rules – un accord sur les normes sanitaires et phytosanitaires – which you can see why we shorten to “SPS agreement”.

    I have also had meetings with Ambassador Olivier Poivre D’Arvor to discuss our shared ocean priorities – from marine protected areas to the plastics treaty.

    And Ambassador Barbara Pompili and I covered the biodiversity agenda, including our joint work on biodiversity credits.

    What struck me throughout today’s meetings was a common thread: a shared commitment to high standards, practical cooperation, and the understanding that the challenges we face – from climate to food security to ocean health – do not respect borders. And that we can stand tall in the world, working together in partnership to solve these challenges.

    Why food security matters now

    And that reminded me of something I learnt from my many years working in Brussels.

    That the relationship between the United Kingdom and our European neighbours is not simply a matter of treaties and trade statistics, as important as they are. It is built on something deeper.

    We have shared values, shared culture and a shared history. And most importantly we have a shared future.

    As the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said yesterday, Britain’s future is inextricably bound with Europe’s future. For economic reasons, for security, for resilience and for defence. Geography matters in our world today. None of the trade agreements the UK has done around the world are as important as our trade arrangements with the EU.

    That is why our Labour government committed to the British people that we would reset and deliver on the partnership with our European friends. And that is exactly what we are doing.

    Because this partnership, based on our shared values, matters even more in this uncertain world.

    War on our continent, with the illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine.

    Increasing geopolitical tensions.

    New biosecurity threats – plant and animal diseases that do not respect borders.

    All these challenges demand greater cooperation, not isolation.

    And climate change is placing unprecedented pressure on food systems, biodiversity, and the natural resources we all depend upon.

    This is not a distant threat. Droughts, floods, extreme weather events – are already disrupting harvests, straining supply chains, and driving up costs for farmers and consumers alike.

    Food security has direct consequences for the safety and wellbeing of our populations. In this new geopolitical reality, it is inseparable from national security.

    That is why food security has become a strategic priority for governments across Europe – and why the strength of our relationships with our closest partners matters more than ever.

    For our shared security. And our shared prosperity.

    UK-France food systems are deeply connected

    The English Channel, la Manche, is one of Europe’s most important food corridors.

    Every day, high-value, time-sensitive goods cross in both directions, serving consumers and supporting producers on both sides.

    France exports over €7 billion euros in agri-food products to the UK each year.

    In return the UK exports over €3 billion euros of such produce to France.

    French produce on British tables; British products in French markets.

    Indeed, some of the finest French produce can be found in some of the best French restaurants – many of which are of course in London.

    French wine, cheese, chocolate and croissants are fantastically popular back home amongst the French expats but also les roast bifs.

    I must confess a particular weakness for a good Côtes du Rhône or indeed Burgundy.

    I read of President Macron’s visit to the trade show, Wine Paris, just this week, championing French producers and seeking new markets.

    We share that instinct: to support our agricultural sectors, defend quality, and find partners who value what we grow and make.

    And I’m sure that many of you have your own British favourites. I know that British salmon, whisky and lamb are valued in French restaurants and markets. Some of you might even drink a morning cup of tea.

    These flows of agri-food products represent millions of meals, thousands of livelihoods, and generations of trade built on trust. And something more, that the French know better than anyone else, food is culture.

    What crosses the Channel reflects not just commerce, but connection.

    Our supply chains are not national systems operating in parallel. They are integrated networks.

    The UK’s food security benefits when France and the wider EU are thriving. French resilience benefits when UK production and supply are stable.

    SPS agreement benefits

    This brings me to the agreement we are working towards with the EU.

    The SPS agreement is designed to restore the Channel corridor to its full potential.

    Exports of British farm products to the EU have dropped by a fifth in the five years since Brexit. And I heard in a roundtable this afternoon with French producers that they have had similar challenges exporting to the UK.

    That’s not good for farmers and consumers on both sides of the channel.

    This agreement will change that.

    It will make trade faster, easier, and cheaper.

    Businesses large and small will benefit from less time and money spent on complex paperwork at the border.

    Consumers will have greater access to the high-quality products they value.

    The agreement will mean over €300 million euros worth of cheese entering the UK from France would no longer need to be checked at the border and can reach customers more quickly.

    It also means that over €500 million euros worth of UK fish arriving in France each year can be sold faster and more reliably.

    Frictionless trade, efficient borders, open supply chains – these directly support farmer incomes, consumer prices, and shared resilience.

    The mutual benefits are significant.

    They tie the UK and EU together on food security and improve movement and reliability on both sides of the Channel.

    Shared high standards

    There is sometimes a temptation, when discussing trade agreements, to suggest that standards must be traded off against supply.

    My government rejects that view.

    The UK and EU are natural allies in upholding high standards of animal welfare and environmental protection – and in championing these principles internationally, protecting the integrity of our food systems while leading the global transition to sustainable agriculture.

    High standards are not a barrier to trade. They are what makes trade valuable. They are what consumers trust. And they are what will distinguish European agriculture in an increasingly uncertain world.

    Sustainable farming and food security

    The climate crisis means we cannot secure our food systems simply by producing more. We must produce food differently.

    Sustainable farming is not a constraint on food security – it is the foundation of it. Soil health, water management, biodiversity, reduced emissions – these are not luxuries. They are the conditions on which productive agriculture depends.

    Farmers who protect and restore their land are not just producing food. They are safeguarding the capacity to produce food for generations to come.

    As G7 and G20 members, the UK and France have both the platform and the obligation to drive global action on climate – in our food systems but also in energy, trade, and the protection of natural ecosystems worldwide.

    Last week I addressed scientists and policymakers gathered in Manchester for the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.

    At that gathering, I delivered remarks on behalf of His Majesty the King, who spoke of nature as “the ultimate foundation of our societies and, critically, our economy” – and of the urgent need to reverse biodiversity loss.

    His Majesty is right. Together we will demonstrate that protecting and restoring nature isn’t just an environmental necessity, it is essential for our security, our economy, and our future.

    The King also highlighted the International Advisory Panel on Biodiversity Credits, jointly established by the UK and French governments, as a model for how nature finance can channel investment towards nature across the world.

    That partnership – practical, innovative, and rooted in shared values – extends to the work ahead.

    And tomorrow I look forward to meeting Environment Minister Monique Barbut to discuss how we can work together through France’s G7 presidency this year and beyond – and demonstrate what multilateralism can deliver.

    Today has been a reminder of why these partnerships matter – not just in policy documents, but in practice.

    The conversations I’ve had with my French colleagues and counterparts, have reinforced my belief that the UK and France are ready to write the next chapter together.

    Because the challenges we face – climate change, geopolitical instability, pressures on our food systems – are not challenges any country can meet in splendid isolation.

    They demand cooperation between trusted partners who share not just interests, but values.

    That is what the UK and France have built together.

    Not a relationship of convenience, but one grounded in shared history, mutual respect, and a common vision for the future.

    In the months ahead, as we work to finalise the SPS agreement and deepen our cooperation, I am confident we will demonstrate what this partnership can achieve – not just for our two countries, but as a model for how neighbours can work together in an uncertain world.

    And in the spirit of partnership, I should warn you: the sparkling wine you have been drinking is produced by the finest English vineyards! But don’t worry – le vin rouge est francais!

    The entente may be tested, but I trust it will remain cordiale.

    But in all seriousness, I hope you’ll join me in toasting the friendship between our nations – past, present, and future.

    À notre amitié – d’hier, d’aujourd’hui et de demain.

    Merci.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Record year of drug seizures made by Border Force [February 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Record year of drug seizures made by Border Force [February 2026]

    The press release issued by the Home Office on 12 February 2026.

    Border Force and police seizures of ketamine and cannabis at all-time high and Border Force ramps up the return of foreign smugglers.

    Seizures of ketamine, cannabis and nitrous oxide are at an all-time high following a record-breaking year of interceptions by Border Force and police. 

    Cocaine interceptions by police are also at record levels with 23,706 seizures in the year to March 2025.  

    Almost 150 tonnes of illegal drugs – equivalent to two Boeing 737s – with a street value of £2.6 billion was seized by Border Force. This is a 40% increase on the total quantity seized in the previous year and the highest since records began. 

    Border Force and police forces intercepted drugs on a record-breaking 269,000 occasions – an increase of 24% on the previous year.  

    The seizures come as new data shows the success of an innovative pilot to immediately remove foreign cannabis smugglers from the UK.   

    Border Force’s ‘Seize and Return’ policy, introduced last year, allows officers to return cannabis traffickers to their country of origin, often within hours of arriving. 

    To date, 165 criminals responsible for smuggling over 4 tonnes of cannabis into UK airports have been returned.  

    This has saved British taxpayers an estimated £11.4million – easing pressure on the prison estate, preventing foreign offenders clogging up the courts system and heading off any potential asylum claims. The scheme has now been rolled out across England and Wales. 

    Cannabis was present in 93% of all drugs seized by Border Force in the year ending March 2025, with over 62,000 illegal imports intercepted.  

    A record 4 million doses of nitrous oxide was seized by Border Force and police, representing a 2,185% increase from last year.  

    The same year also saw a surge in criminals attempting to smuggle ketamine into Britain. The total quantity seized by Border Force and police increased by 55% from the previous year to 1.3 tonnes. 

    Home Office Minister Mike Tapp said:  

    Drug seizures are at a record high under this government – with British law enforcement depriving evil gangs of almost £3billion worth in one year alone. 

    Every seizure strikes a blow at the heart of organised crime and stops dangerous drugs from inflicting misery on our communities.  

    We will continue to do whatever it takes to secure Britain’s borders against those doing harm to our country.

    Border Force Director General Phil Douglas said:  

    Our innovative Seize and Return policy is delivering real results – removing smugglers within hours, saving taxpayers millions, and freeing up our officers to pursue the organised crime gangs that cause the most harm. 

    Border Force will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of dangerous criminal networks and disruption of drug supply. 

    Working in partnership, police forces, Border Force, the National Crime Agency and international partners use intelligence and technology to keep the UK’s borders safe, prevent drug trafficking and bring those responsible to justice.    

    Border Force has also intensified efforts to tackle drug smuggling at sea as organised crime groups attempt to use maritime routes and a range of methodologies, including ‘at-sea-drop-offs’ to smuggle drugs into the country.  

    In January last year, 1.5 tonnes of cocaine with a street value of just under £60 million was detected on a vessel arriving into Dover from Peru.  

    Officers use a range of methods including hi-tech search equipment to detect and stop illegal and restricted goods that criminals attempt to bring into the country.  Border Force also employs specialist officers trained to conduct deep searches of ships and vessels.  

    Organised crime gangs are increasingly using expensive equipment to conceal drugs in the hope that law enforcement will be deterred by the potential costs involved with destroying it. In September last year, Border Force outsmarted criminals who hid one tonne of cocaine in two industrial generators valued at £720,000.   

    Under the Plan for Change, Border Force will continue to build on last year’s success through ongoing operations targeting drug smuggling networks.

  • NEWS STORY : UK Pledges Support for New Yemeni Government at UN Security Council

    NEWS STORY : UK Pledges Support for New Yemeni Government at UN Security Council

    STORY

    The United Kingdom has formally declared its full support for Yemen’s newly formed government, hailing the transition as a pivotal opportunity to restore security and prosperity to the war-torn nation. Speaking at the United Nations Security Council in New York on 12 February 2026, Ambassador James Kariuki, the UK Chargé d’Affaires, praised the leadership of Prime Minister Zindani and the Presidential Leadership Council for their efforts to stabilise the country.

    A significant focus of the British statement was the inclusion of three women ministers in the new Cabinet. The UK delegation emphasised that an inclusive administration is essential for lasting progress, arguing that representing all segments of Yemeni society is a prerequisite for a sustainable political settlement. This diplomatic endorsement comes as the international community looks for a breakthrough in a conflict that has spanned over a decade.

    Despite the political optimism, the humanitarian outlook remains dire. Ambassador Kariuki noted that 22 million people continue to require urgent assistance, warning that the primary healthcare system faces a potential collapse while food insecurity continues to spiral. The UK underscored the need for a collective global effort to address these shortages, particularly as the UN Mission to support the Hudaydah Agreement (UNMHA) begins its orderly drawdown following the adoption of Resolution 2831.

  • PRESS RELEASE : The UK fully supports the new government’s efforts to advance security, stability and prosperity for the Yemeni people – UK statement at the UN Security Council [February 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : The UK fully supports the new government’s efforts to advance security, stability and prosperity for the Yemeni people – UK statement at the UN Security Council [February 2026]

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

    Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Chargé d’Affaires to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on Yemen.

    I would like to start by welcoming the announcement of the new government of Yemen and commend the leadership of Prime Minister Zindani and the Presidential Leadership Council. 

    This marks an important step for Yemen and an opportunity for important economic, governance, and security reforms.

    The UK fully supports the government’s efforts to advance security, stability, and prosperity for the Yemeni people.  

    We would like, in particular, to welcome the three new women ministers in the Cabinet. An inclusive government is vital for lasting progress. 

    Second, following the adoption of Resolution 2831, we remain closely engaged on the orderly and safe drawdown of UN personnel and assets, as the UN Mission to support the Hudaydah Agreement, UNMHA, in Yemen closes. 

     We look forward to the Special Envoy’s continued efforts to deliver on the UN’s commitments under the Hudaydah Agreement.

    Third, Yemen remains one of the most acute humanitarian crises in the world, as we’ve heard today, with 22 million people in need of assistance, spiralling food insecurity, and the potential collapse of the primary healthcare system.

    We need to act collectively and urgently to galvanise efforts to address these needs.

    Finally, we have heard again today in the Council, the unequivocal call for the immediate and unconditional release of all those detained by the Houthis.

    The UK strongly condemns the death sentences issued by the Houthi authorities and the continued detention of aid workers. 

    These actions violate fundamental rights and due process. They also shrink the operational space for NGOs, which is vital to supporting Yemenis who remain in desperate need. They must be released.

  • Keir Starmer – 2026 Comments on Sir Chris Wormald

    Keir Starmer – 2026 Comments on Sir Chris Wormald

    The comments made by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, on 12 February 2026.

    I am very grateful to Sir Chris for his long and distinguished career of public service, spanning more than 35 years, and for the support that he has given me over the past year. I have agreed with him that he will step down as Cabinet Secretary today. I wish him the very best for the future.

  • PRESS RELEASE : The Prime Minister and Cabinet Secretary have agreed by mutual consent the Cabinet Secretary will stand down [February 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : The Prime Minister and Cabinet Secretary have agreed by mutual consent the Cabinet Secretary will stand down [February 2026]

    The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 12 February 2026.

    Sir Chris Wormald to stand down as Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service.

    The Prime Minister and the Cabinet Secretary have agreed that Sir Chris Wormald will stand down as the Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service by mutual agreement from today (12 February). 

    Sir Chris Wormald, said: 

    It has been an honour and a privilege to serve as a civil servant for the past 35 years, and a particular distinction to lead the Service as Cabinet Secretary. I want to place on record my sincere thanks to the extraordinary civil servants, public servants, ministers, and advisers I have worked with. Our country is fortunate to have such dedicated individuals devoted to public service, and I wish them every success for the future.

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer, said: 

    I am very grateful to Sir Chris for his long and distinguished career of public service, spanning more than 35 years, and for the support that he has given me over the past year. I have agreed with him that he will step down as Cabinet Secretary today. I wish him the very best for the future.

    For an interim period, the responsibilities of the Cabinet Secretary will be shared by Catherine Little CB, Permanent Secretary at the Cabinet Office, Dame Antonia Romeo, Permanent Secretary at the Home Office and James Bowler CB, Permanent Secretary at His Majesty’s Treasury. 

    The Prime Minister will appoint a new Cabinet Secretary shortly. The appointment process will be agreed by the First Civil Service Commissioner.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Government to publish new gender guidance for schools [February 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Government to publish new gender guidance for schools [February 2026]

    The press release issued by the Department for Education on 12 February 2026.

    Guidance for gender questioning children is clear schools should take a careful approach when a child asks to social transition.

    Schools and colleges will soon have clear and pragmatic guidance instructing them that they must take a very careful approach when a child asks to socially transition.

    Legal duties will be absolutely clear after government embeds guidance within Keeping children safe in education, the established statutory safeguarding framework schools are expected to follow.

    Backed by Baroness Cass, whose review warned that strong evidence about the impact of social transition remains limited, the guidance says children’s wellbeing and safeguarding must be at the centre of every decision and schools cannot take a one size fits all approach.  

    It clearly sets out that single sex spaces must be protected. Without exception, no child should be made to feel unsafe through inappropriate mixed sex sport, and there should be no sharing of school and college toilet facilities over eight years old or mixed sex sleeping arrangements on trips.  

    It is also vital that schools and teachers are aware of any child’s birth sex to be able to take appropriate action where needed, so the guidance will also make clear that this must be accurately recorded in school and college records.  

    Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:  

    Parents send their children to school and college trusting that they’ll be protected. Teachers work tirelessly to keep them safe. That’s not negotiable, and it’s not a political football.  

    That’s why we’re following the evidence, including Dr Hilary Cass’s expert review, to give teachers the clarity they need to ensure the safeguarding and wellbeing of gender questioning children and young people.   

    This is about pragmatic support for teachers, reassurance for parents, and above all, the safety and wellbeing of children and young people.

    The guidance also provides much needed clarity by determining schools should always consider any clinical advice the family has received and seek parents’ views unless there is a genuine safeguarding reason not to.

    School leaders and unions including Star Academies and the Sixth Form College Association have backed the clear red lines set out in the proposed guidance to protect all children and young people.  

    KCSIE is kept under regular review to make sure it is meeting the need of schools, colleges and families, allowing for further changes as new evidence emerges.

    It is already used by teachers and schools and colleges every day – and the latest iteration includes strengthened guidance and guardrails on issues central to our children’s safety from violence and harassment to online risks and mental health.

    Dr Hilary Cass, Author of the Cass Review, said: 

    The safety and wellbeing of the child must be at the heart of any decision when a young person is questioning their gender. Schools, parents and government share this fundamental responsibility. 

    Integrating this guidance within Keeping Children Safe in Education ensures this. It places this work alongside other duties to protect children, on a clear statutory footing, with proper accountability for all involved. 

    The updated guidance is practical and reflects the recommendations of my review, giving schools much needed clarity on their legal duties so they can support children with confidence.

    Sir Hamid Patel CBE, Chief Executive of Star Academies, said:  

    This gender questioning guidance offers a considered and practical framework for schools and colleges navigating the complexities around gender-questioning children.   

    It rightly prioritises transparency with parents and a cautious, evidence-informed response to complex issues.  

    By setting out clear expectations and red lines within Keeping Children Safe in Education, it helps schools and colleges to navigate sensitive situations while ensuring that all children and young people are protected, respected, and supported. 

    Pepe Di’Iasio, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said:

    We welcome the publication of guidance on supporting gender questioning children.

    Schools and colleges have done a very good job in dealing with this complex and sensitive issue over the course of many years, striving to create inclusive environments for all their young people. But they have had to do so amid an often-polarised public debate.

    We have long called for clear, pragmatic and well-evidenced national guidance to support them in this area and we are pleased to have reached this point.

    Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said:

    We welcome the publication of this guidance for consultation, as there is a clear need for greater clarity about how schools should manage this sensitive issue and support their pupils.

    Placing this within existing safeguarding guidance ensures that the key principles of safeguarding children underpin the approach schools take. It is important to remember that individual children and young people are at the heart of this, and schools remain focused on ensuring that every child in their care is safe and treated with compassion and humanity.

    Bill Watkin, Chief Executive of the Sixth Form Colleges Association, said:

    Sixth form colleges make every effort to safeguard the welfare and dignity of all students, as well as to provide welcoming, inclusive environments for those who identify as trans or are questioning their gender.

    The major additions proposed today by DfE to the statutory safeguarding guidance will allow them to continue to do that with greater confidence, ending a long period of uncertainty about how to apply broad legal principles to the day-to-day reality on the ground in colleges.

    We are particularly pleased that DfE has addressed many of our questions and concerns about previous draft guidance, including by acknowledging that the best approach will vary by student age and stage.

    Polly Harrow, DfE Further Education Student Support Champion; Vice-Principal Kirklees College:

    The consultation on Gender Questioning guidance within KCSIE will be welcomed by the FE sector. The guidance is useful for all educators and gives clear information and advice on an issue that needs clarity and sensitivity.

    I would urge practitioners to take the opportunity to comment, as the final guidance will be invaluable for supporting our work in this space.

    Leora Cruddas CBE, Chief Executive of the Confederation of School Trusts said:

    This is an important area, where schools need to follow the law while responding sensitively to individual circumstances.

    This updated guidance gives clarity, but also the flexibility to demonstrate respect and care for pupils and families.

    Working together we can help ensure all pupils are properly safeguarded.

  • Richard Hermer – 2026 Speech at the Great Synagogue in Sydney

    Richard Hermer – 2026 Speech at the Great Synagogue in Sydney

    The speech made by Richard Hermer, the Attorney General, at the Great Synagogue in Sydney on 6 February 2026.

    Rabbi Elton, Rabbi Feldman, members of the congregation – Shabbat Shalom

    Whenever and wherever I travel, I try to visit two types of venues close to my heart – courts and Shuls.  My children would say this shows I need to get out more.  I disagree, never more so than this evening – what a privilege it is to address you in this magnificent and historical Shul – which has been a centre of Australian Jewish life for almost 150 years. 

    And Australian Jewish life has been important for me and part of my Jewish identity for over 40 years.  I spent my year-off in Israel and on my very first night there met up with a group of Aussies from my same Jewish youth movement.  They became life-long friends bringing me back to these shores many times.  The bonds that we created have continued through to the next generation with both my children attending youth camps here as madrachot (youth leaders). L’dor v’dor (from generation to generation) 

    But the capacity in which I am here tonight is very different to previous years and the reason for my attendance is altogether more important and solemn. 

    I come on behalf of His Majesty’s Government of the United Kingdom and the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer. I come to express our outrage at the terrorist attack at Bondi beach, to offer our condolences to the families of those killed and those injured to express our profound friendship and solidarity with the Jewish community of Australia as you come to terms with the horror of the attack and face the challenge of tackling modern antisemitism.

    Earlier today, not long after I arrived in Australia, I went to Bondi and stood on the green, and reflected on the horror of what had taken place there.

    Although I was appointed Attorney General only 18 months ago, tragically this is not the first time that I have spoken at Friday night services following an antisemitic terrorist attack. 

    As you will know, last Yom Kippur the Heaton Park Shul in Manchester was the subject of a dreadful terrorist attack – two people were murdered and others injured.  On the following Friday night I gave a D’var Torah at my own Shul in North London.  I spoke on behalf of the Prime Minister offering our condolences to the victims and to the British Jewish community and expressing our determination to address the rise of antisemitism.  But I also spoke as a Jew, as a member of the congregation – trying to make sense of the senseless, to articulate what this meant me, my family, my community as Jews in modern Britain – and I spoke as part of a Shabbat community the natural place to come together as one, to work through the pain, bewilderment and anger together, just as communities did across the world after 7 October.

    Hearing the news of the attack on Yom Kippur I imagine that I went through the same range of emotions as many of you felt on 14 December here in Sydney.  The first reaction is almost primal – are our family and friends safe?  Your mind spins through the list of your loved ones.  My eldest child is a student in Manchester and I knew she was planning on going to shul – I was being rushed to a national security meeting whilst trying to track her down.  Many of you no doubt were having the same agonising reactions here as the news of the horror broke.  Then immediate reaction is replaced by the flood of fear, anger and outrage at what has taken place – and the knowledge that for many families there was no reassurance that loved ones were safe, but rather calls that went unanswered and unimaginable loss.

    One sentiment that I also anticipate was shared by our two communities was the sense that although utterly shocking neither events were completely unexpected.  They gave cruel expression to our long-standing fear of the inevitable.  I have grown up in the UK normalising that our Shuls, schools and venues are by necessity protected by security for a good reason. 

    The attacks at Heaton Park and at Bondi beach took place at the other side of the globe within weeks of each other.  This reflects the unacceptable reality that there are very few places on this planet in which Jewish life exists without physical risk – it demonstrates the reach of modern antisemitism that strikes on our ability to live openly as Jews, to worship without fear and to belong wherever in the world we live, in the north, south, east or west.

    But yet – Jewish history, like the Jewish calendar is marked by the juxtaposition of not only sadness but joy, what has been called our dialectical dance – represented in myriad ways for example how we smash the glass under the chupa at weddings.

    As the late Rabbi Sacks wrote, in an essay that typically for him referenced Aristotle, Keirkegard and Robert Louis Stevenson, ‘In Judaism joy is the supreme religious emotion.  Here we are, in a world filled with beauty. Around us is the love that moves the sun and all the stars.  The soul that celebrates, sings.”

    So permit me, if short of expressing joy, in this moment of solemnity at least to seek to offer some optimistic reflections about where we find ourselves.

    The first is to remind our ourselves that even though our communities have been forced to endure these terrorist outrages, seen in our historical context this remains an extraordinary time to be jewish in our societies.  For centuries of Jewish existence, attacks on Jews would have been perpetrated by states, directly, indirectly or at best with atrocities committed whilst states and their institutions turned a blind eye.   The contrast in our era is profound – every arm of the state employed to track down and prosecute those involved in terrorist crime, a determination to root out antisemitism and to protect our communities.  The genuine heart felt expression of solidarity of our fellow citizens. 

    A few hours after the events in Manchester, the Prime Minister, Chancellor of the Exchequer and Foreign Secretary attend the Neilah service at West London Synagogue to show their solidarity with the jewish community.  Last week, for the first time in British history our Cabinet meeting was addressed by a Holocaust survivor Mala Tribich producing tears around the table. 

    And I also know from conversations with colleagues in both State and Federal Government in Australia of our shared sense of endeavour to tackle antisemitism at home and overseas and ensure that our societies are safe for jews to simply be jews – without having to look over shoulders or feel that we are not free to express our beliefs and practice our religion.  

    Secondly, I think a positive response in both our countries has been a determination that these outrages will not be used to divide communities.  We are blessed in both the UK and Australia to live in proud, tolerant and diverse nations.  The Jewish values we all grew up with recognise, indeed promote this value – that love for our fellow human beings will always outshine hatred and division.  To allow our anger to dictate another path would be to hand a victory to terrorists. What greater reflection of how, united, our communities are always stronger, is the extraordinary bravery of a Muslim father of two, a proud Australian, and a hero –  Ahmed al-Ahmed.

    In that moment, he showed something deeply human.

    A reminder of who we are, when fear doesn’t get the final say.

    That unity that is mirrored in millions of relationships across this country – deep friendships forged without regard to which God we pray to or the colour of our skin. 

    I think we should take joy in a world in which extraordinary people choose humanity over hatred, again and again and again. 

    So as we look towards the rest of 2026, we do so always mindful of the grievous loss sustained by the victims of terror, with a steely determination to root out antisemitism and intolerance in all its manifestations,  but with the Jewish spirit of believing that light will always outshine darkness. 

    Let me end where I began. To express on behalf of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom our condolences to the families of those killed an injured at Bondi Beach and our solidarity with the Australian Jewish community.

    May their memory be a blessing.

    Shabbat Shalom.

  • Kanishka Narayan – 2026 Speech on AI

    Kanishka Narayan – 2026 Speech on AI

    The speech made by Kanishka Narayan, the Minister for AI and Online Safety, at the Founders Forum on 10 February 2026.

    Thank you, Carolyn, the Tech Nation, London AI Founders and Merantix teams. 

    When I said I wanted to share our AI vision and delivery news with our founders… 

    …I knew I wanted to do it at the heart of Britain’s AI community. 

     Within a year, you have created that here, at the London AI Hub. Thank you for doing so and thank you for opening its doors tonight. 

    Historical heritage

    175 years ago, London’s makers similarly opened up their doors. 

    During the Great Exhibition of 1851, the world came to London and saw the first wave of mass-produced consumer goods. 

    Most of it was what textile designer and social activist William Morris called ”shoddy”— cheap, poorly made, and “ugly”.  

    Critics of these goods argued it was designed by machines to mimic hand-made luxury, except without the soul. 

    But Morris didn’t reject the machine. Along with the Arts and Crafts movement, he demanded that the machine be the servant of the craftsman. 

    They built the Kelmscott Press, treating the “technology” of printing as a way to create the most beautiful books in history.  

    They challenged the decline in printing… 

    …ushered in a new aesthetic… 

    …exerted greater agency… 

    …and inspired the Private Press movement. 

    This fork of 1851 is perhaps one of the most significant moments in the history of design. 

    It put to humans a central question:  

    Does the machine exist to serve what is beautiful about the world, or to replace it with dull mimicry detached from our humanity?  

    For Morris, that question of aesthetic was grounded in the question of agency:  

    Is technology wielded by humans, or is the beauty of our life injured by our 

    service to machines? 

    175 years on, I believe we face Morris’ question again.  

    Indeed, I believe it to be the central question today for both our startups and our politics. 

    Faced with Grok stripping human dignity… 

    …do we wield agency, or does technology? 

    With model releases now separated by months, , how do British startups build with agency, to real needs that persist? With model releases now separated by months, how do British startups build with agency, to real needs that persist?  

    In fear of AI’s jobs impact, can we enhance human labour or are we bystanders in its erosion? 

    My primary purpose tonight is to tell you a simple vision:  

    This government will wield agency over technology to serve the power of our labour… 

    …the need of our economy… 

    …the joy of our aesthetic…  

    … and the depth of our British values. 

    The context for founders

    Today, British tech’s challenge is this: before we can steer the wheel, we need to get to the front of the bus. We need greater British technology ownership before we can demand deeper British technology influence. 

    In my maiden speech , I talked about the shock that no working-age person in this country had seen a start-up go to the FTSE top ten. In the US, 8 out of 10 had. 

    The last decade and a half failed to exercise British agency. 

    In the most fruitful period for technology businesses, Britain did not get a seat on the bus. 

    Part of that is because previous governments made us into burdened Britons… 

    …carrying greater risk in our frozen wages…  

    …our flat pensions…  

    …our eroded public services…  

    …not the buccaneering Britons we had been and must be again.  

    Already, we have begun to break glass on our frozen heritage of curious adventure. 

    Our changes to Enterprise Management Incentives now make Britain pretty much the best tax system in the world to chase curiosity as a startup tech employee…. 

    …Our pension reforms, our ramp up in BBB scaleup capital deployment, mean British buccaneering will finally get the rocket booster of British bucks…. 

    …Our changes to research funding – a focus on curiosity-driven research, backed with funding to commercialise – mean returning to our heritage of moonshot invention and industrial application together.  

    And to fire up our imagination for adventure, we have some of our best tech leaders banging the drum for startups… 

    …whether that be Tom Blomfield as our AI Ambassador for British startups and scale ups, talent and investment or Katie Gallagher, our AI Sector Champion for Digital and Tech. 

    Above all, we have put fiscal credibility and financial responsibility back at the heart of government. 

    I came into politics after a career advising FTSE firms and investing in our startups, because I believed in a clear economic mission: Keir Starmer’s commitment to restoring stability and trust in the public finances.  

    Because markets punish uncertainty without hesitation. 

    We saw that in the chaos of the Truss era – capital pulled back, confidence evaporated, a risk premium priced into everything. 

    Many have since forgotten that this is not some abstract Treasury concern: it is the basis of a young families’ mortgage…  

    …of local councils’ finances in managing potholes… 

    …parks, our public spaces… 

    …the basis of dignity for millions of borrowers in this country… 

    …and of growth and prosperity, across this country.  

    It is the stability that marked 2025 as the year financial credibility returned, the year the UK startup economy roared back to life. 

    Investment is flowing again.  

    Founders are building with confidence.  

    The pipeline from idea to scale is wide open once more. 

    Last year, UK startups and scale-ups raised around $24 billion in venture capital, nearly 35 per cent up on the year before, one of the strongest performances on record.  

    UK AI startups alone raised almost $8 billion, roughly a third of all venture capital invested into British tech. 

    And the UK is once again Europe’s startup engine, producing more unicorns than France and Germany combined. 

    Celebrating success

    But let me be candid.  

    Our lost opportunity was not just down to those who didn’t take risk… 

    …it was down to us failing to value those who did.  

    Somewhere in our history, we let ourselves be captured by that most vicious guard of conservative privilege: the tall poppy syndrome. 

    We forgot that the root of the tall poppy tale, thousands of years old, wasn’t some egalitarian impulse; it was, in fact, the most egregiously privileged advice of King Tarquin Superbus to his son: that the path to elite control for kings ran through the total destruction of common merit and talent. 

    We can course correct from that fork of fake British mythology.So when people say to me today: we don’t celebrate those who have taken risk and succeeded. I say back: we have agency on this question, so why don’t we start today? 

    Now is the time to recognise the innovators that are shaping the future, right here in the UK.  

    The entrepreneurial spirit of Arm’s pioneering founders created a world-leading semiconductor firm that is spear-heading the development of transformative new technologies, including AI.  

    This would not have been possible without each of those twelve individuals… 

    …Jamie Urquhart, Mike Muller, Tudor Brown, Lee Smith, John Biggs, Harry Oldham, Dave Howard, Pete Harrod, Harry Meekings, Al Thomas, Andy Merritt, and David Seal.  

    It’s time that we recognise their contribution to innovation, and the contribution of founders across the UK’s technology stack.  

    Cleo’s Barney Hussey-Yeo is driving financial services transformation.  

    Quantinuum’s Ilyas Khan is accelerating quantum computing to unlock the technology’s full potential. 

    ElevenLabs’s Mati Staniszewski and Piotr Dabkowski are stretching the boundaries of voice generation to supercharge translation, transcription and agentic capabilities. 

    The risks that these founders took are driving growth and prosperity in the UK.  

    I want to continue recognising these achievements, and so each year I will showcase the innovative founders who are transforming the UK for the better.  

    And as I do so, I’m committed to ensuring we celebrate the full breadth of that talent.  

    The UK remains the largest hub for female-founded innovation in Europe, as recognised by the 2025 Female Innovation Index… 

    …Yet we know that our technology ecosystem still skews heavily male.  

    The Secretary of State and I are determined to change that… 

    …That is why we launched the Women in Tech Taskforce in December- to address the barriers that prevent women from starting tech businesses, entering the sector, or progressing once they’re in.  If women started and scaled new businesses at the same rate as men, our economy could see a £250 billion boost. 

    So we will champion the game-changing work that is being done by the women who are blazing the way in tech leadership. 

    Women like Starling Bank’s Anne Boden, PensionBee’s Romi Savova, and Resi’s Alex Depledge, who is also serving this country as an Entrepreneurship Advisor to the UK’s first female Chancellor. 

    This is the talent that will cement the UK as a global tech leader. 

    And we should be aiming this high. My ambition, within the next 5 years, is to name a trillion-dollar founder from our shores. 

    Some may say that setting out this target in such terms is its own risk… 

    …to them I say that government is embracing the mentality that has been so successful for our ambitious founders.  

    Opportunity dispersed

    Yet, even when we have fixed our relationship with risk, we have a choice to make. 

    We could have fixed it for elites. 

    We could have spared tall poppies Tarquin’s cull. 

    That was the pattern of the SaaS and smartphone revolutions, the trend of frontier tech in the last 2 decades: let elites build, let the rest benefit.  

    That cannot be the trend of the next 2 decades.  

    AI’s opportunity is too spread to encourage that narrow vision: it’s not just concentrated code, but diffuse physics, that will determine AI’s impact.  

    Crucially, Britain’s strength is a separate trend: British tech has done best when we have spread opportunity. 

    There is a reason that our largest UK-listed tech company started in 1981 when a local printing firm owner asked a university student to automate his quotes and accounting.  

    The automation worked so well, they decided to quit printing and start selling. Plotting their startup at the Rose and Crown pub, they saw a herb poster on the wall: having ditched calling their company Parsley Systems, Rosemary Systems and Basil Systems, they landed on the startup’s name: Sage Systems. 

    Over 4 decades on, that green herb is Britain’s pride, our largest UK-listed tech company, still headquartered in Newcastle.  

    The Sage effect in Newcastle…  

    …the ARM effect in Cambridge…  

    …the Admiral Group effect in South Wales… 

    …the Deepmind effect in King’s Cross… 

    …the Skyscanner effect in Scotland…  

    …the THG effect in Manchester.  

    Each of these is the effect of remarkable founding teams, and each is in turn the cause of huge lifts in opportunity in their places. 

    That is why we have announced not just ~£28 billion in AI Growth Zone infrastructure in my first 4 months in this role, but we have announced it in deep areas of strength: 

    …5,000 jobs in the North East… 

    …over 8,000 jobs in North and South Wales… 

    …over 3,000 jobs in Lanarkshire.  

    In this tech revolution, Britain is proving that opportunity spread is opportunity scaled. 

    It is why we are announcing £27 million for TechLocal, spreading skills training and better job placements in tech right across our country… 

    …It is why I whizzed around every nation, 6 cities in just over 24 hours, to see our Regional Tech Boosters building startup communities like this one in each nation of the United Kingdom… 

    …It is why this government has thrown open the doors of opportunity.  

    Harold Wilson did it with the Open University; with that Wilsonian sense of scale, our programme to support AI skills is now targeting 10 million workers – almost a third of our workforce – skilled in AI by 2030. 

    British agency 

    In all this, we have to remember that the opportunity of tech is not just in who builds, but in what we build. 

    That is especially so because Britain has a history of building things that expand agency, extending what we can each do. 

    When Britain set joint stock ownership, we extended the agency of entrepreneurs scaling risk by widening the scope of who could share in that risk; 

    When a Briton submitted the first proposal for a World Wide Web, we extended the agency of people sharing knowledge on an open internet. 

    When Britain led with open data, and with data platforms such as UK Biobank, we extended the agency of citizen engagement and frontier research alike. 

    When tech was starting to become opaque, the reserve of a few, it was Britain that put capability back into people’s hands.  

    Raspberry Pi, born in Cambridge and manufactured in Wales, was designed to be cheap, hackable and understandable. It restored agency — to students, hobbyists, engineers and schools alike.  

    In doing so it made a fully programmable general-purpose computer that gives a student in Nairobi, São Paulo or Manchester the chance to learn on the same platform, with the same tools.  

    In keeping with that British tradition, of tech that extends human agency, I will reaffirm today what we have felt deeply in government: Britain will be the home of global open source AI talent. 

    We have fellowships, with Alan Turing Institute and Meta, to back open source talent in government. We have tools – including via the UK AI Security Institute (AISI) – that build open source infrastructure. 

     The UK, through AISI , has developed the world’s most widely used government-backed evaluation tools. Inspect, InspectSandbox, InspectCyber, and our latest release, ControlArena, are now being used by governments, companies, and academics around the world.  

    These open tools lower the barrier to high‑quality evaluation and make safety science accessible at scale. 

    AI Infrastructure

    If we do this – restore agency in taking risk, in succeeding, in building across our country– we will have done a huge service. 

    We will have also done it by restoring another sort of agency: the agency of the state, our collective vehicle for progress. 

    Perhaps, to some of you, the words agency and state don’t obviously go together. 

    But the reality is that the history of the British state is not one of passivity – those are just the Conservative aberrations, the Reform allegations – the history of the British state is one of agency. 

    Alongside the agency of our modern health service, the foundation for our life sciences sector, we have a proud history of Harold Wilson’s technological agency. In Callaghan’s government, another undersold story of state agency.  

    For it was “a Labour government that backed the creation of Inmos in 1978 with £50 million to establish a UK semiconductor industry. 

    Housed in Bristol and Newport, Inmos went on to make a moonshot product – the revolutionary Transputer, designed for parallel computing decades before multi-core processors became industry standard. 

    Inmos didn’t ultimately survive, sold too early by Thatcher.  

    But the original Inmos facility in Wales then became the seed for Wales’ world-leading compound semiconductor cluster, offering a lifeline to a community amidst declining steel jobs, now offering us the chance at global leadership in that critical industry. 

    When I visited the cluster, I saw an exceptional set of apprenticeships for young women, breaking every stereotype of what British tech could be.  

    Where the last decade of SaaS meant SWE jobs in SWE cities only, that hardware cluster flipped the conventional chains that tie class to earnings, restoring craft, pride in human labour, good pay for a good factory job in a high-tech sector. 

    Workers at Inmos didn’t just seed Wales’ semis cluster.  

    A handful left to join another fledgling British startup.  

    In 1981, British startup Acorn Computers won the hardware contract for BBC Micro, the BBC’s computer literacy programme.  

    Within years, Acorn joined forces to spin out a small, asset-light chip design startup in a turkey barn in Cambridgeshire.  

    Shortening the Acorn RISC Machine, they called the company ARM.  

    Today, the legacy of Inmos, with the boost of the BBC’s procurement, is the world’s premier chip design IP firm, valued at over $100 billion. 

    We are picking up where Labour’s semiconductor legacy left us, and we are spreading it across each part of our startup economy. 

    I am, therefore, delighted to announce today Fractile, is confirming £100 million of new investment in its UK headquarters over the next 3 years, underlining its commitment to building advanced AI hardware capability in Britain.  

    The investment will expand its London and Bristol sites, create a new UK industrial hardware engineering facility, and grow its UK-based team to develop and optimise next-generation system.  

    A British AI inference chip startup, rooted in Inmos and ARM’s legacy, now relentlessly chasing the future. 

    Conclusion

    When you all similarly chase the future, you will find in Britain a government in the service of startup Britain. 

    I mean that in practice, not just in slogan.  

    And because Andy Grove was right – what matters is high output management, not loud  politics. 

    You will have a government that will measure its output in public, with a new AI Opportunities Action Plan dashboard… 

    …A government acting as an investment amplifier, driving tens of billions of investments in tech ventures. Establishing a standalone Sovereign AI unit that will operate at market pace, equipped with £500 million, investing into high-potential British AI start-ups… 

    …A government acting to secure British national security with our National Security Strategic Investment Fund (NSSIF)… 

     …And a government here to celebrate your remarkable achievements: ~$24 billion raised in venture in 2025, the best tech ecosystem outside of California… 

    …A government making sure you have the compute to turn AI ideas into economic opportunity.  

    In just the time I have been in post, we have secured over £68 billon in AI infrastructure and research investment; underpinned by significant planning and energy reforms. We are putting over £1 billon of public compute, the AI Research Resource (AIRR), in the service of British startups and research… 

    …When you have built with capital and compute, you will have a government willing to be a first-class customer, putting enterprise sales cycles to shame. With novel chips, we will do so with a £100 million Advance Market Commitment… 

    …In our recent planning and education AI procurements, a government willing to accelerate procurement processes… 

    …A government that knows community – the collective force of our talent – is the biggest determinant of our success. With a dedicated AI stream for global talent, reimbursing visa fees and accelerating visa process, alongside a domestic obsession with support for British kids training in AI… 

    …And, finally, a government that knows the central question for us is one of culture: a culture of relentless agency, shared opportunity and extended human ability, so we meet Morris’ challenge and put machines in service, once again, of British agency.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Ministers kick off review to safeguard radio’s future [February 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Ministers kick off review to safeguard radio’s future [February 2026]

    The press release issued by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport on 12 February 2026.

    Review will examine digital shifts, market trends and emerging technologies including use of AI.

    • Government is committed to helping UK radio to thrive and retain status as most trusted form of media, amid changing listener habits
    • Nearly 75% of UK radio listening now happens on digital or online platforms, and the government will work with key industry partners to help manage this transition

    Radio listeners across the UK stand to benefit as the government launches a review of the UK’s radio industry to ensure it continues to flourish as audiences increasingly shift to digital platforms.

    Radio remains the most trusted form of media in the UK, with more than 85% of UK adults tuning in every week. From national and international headlines to crucial local updates, radio stations provide timely, reliable content that reflects the diverse fabric of the UK’s communities. They offer companionship and social connection to millions of people. 

    However, the way people listen is rapidly changing. Almost 75% of UK radio listening now takes place on digital or online platforms, rather than FM and AM. To help the industry navigate this shift, the government will work with key partners, including the BBC and commercial radio, to examine changes in listener behaviour and audio markets in recent years, and make recommendations on the future distribution of radio services.

    The review will consider:

    • Whether there should be a managed transition away from FM in the 2030s and, if so, over what timescale;
    • The potential impact of a decision on the future of Digital Terrestrial TV (DTT) on radio distribution;
    • The role of emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), and the benefits and challenges they pose to the industry.

    A previous Radio and Audio Review in 2021 concluded that FM should continue until at least 2030, but recommended that in 2026 government and industry revisit a potential analogue switch-off. There has been broad support across the industry for this further review.

    The launch of this new review coincides with World Radio Day tomorrow (13 February), which this year focuses on ‘Radio and AI’, and how the technology could offer more personalised listener experiences and support fact-checking.

    Media Minister Ian Murray said:

    In the midst of the media revolution, radio remains a powerful and popular medium that holds a special place in people’s lives. It provides company for the isolated, entertainment to millions of people on their daily commute, and helps circulate vital news and information across the country.

    However, we also know that listening habits are changing as even more people access radio via digital and online platforms, whether at home or in the car. The use of AI as a tool is only going to keep increasing in the coming years and this will impact how radio is made and consumed.

    That is why it is so important that we carry out this review. We need to make sure that the UK radio industry has the right support to thrive long into the future.

    Radiocentre’s CEO Matt Payton said:

    Radio remains extremely popular, yet listening habits continue to change driven by new technology and innovation. Whether audiences are listening on smart speakers, a radio set or in a connected car, it’s vital to ensure that distribution and access to radio is secure for the future. We look forward to working together with government and industry to address this challenge.

    The BBC’s Director of BBC Sounds Jonathan Wall said: 

    We all have a common objective to secure and protect the future of radio for our listeners and welcome the opportunity to work together with our colleagues in commercial radio and across the industry during the Radio Review.

    Notes to Editors

    • The review’s Terms of Reference are to:
    1. Investigate future scenarios for the consumption of UK radio and audio content on all platforms into the 2030s, taking into account likely models of future listener behaviour, market trends, and technical developments. 
    2. Consider the impact of these scenarios on current and future distribution strategies for the UK radio industry and on the future availability of UK radio services for listeners on all platforms. 
    3. Make recommendations – based as far as possible on a cross-industry consensus – on the future distribution of radio services and provide advice to government on ways of strengthening the long-term viability of UK radio until the early 2040s.
    • The Radio Review will conclude in autumn 2026 with a report to the government.
    • This report will inform further policy development and the latter stages of the ongoing BBC Charter Review.
    • The most recent Rajar figures published on 5 February 2026 reported that 74.6% of all UK radio listening was via a digital platform.
    • The Steering Board for the 2026 Radio Review will be confirmed in due course.
    • This follows the recent uplift to the Community Radio Fund, which DCMS has increased to over £1 million to support nearly 50 radio stations across the UK, as announced by Ofcom on Tuesday.