Tag: 2026

PRESS RELEASE : Government has secured £100 billion of clean energy investment [June 2026]

The press release issued by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on 24 June 2026.

Energy Secretary announces that government has secured £100 billion of private clean energy investment.

It comes one year after the government launched its Modern Industrial Strategy

More than £100 billion in clean energy investment announcements has been secured since the government came to office, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband will confirm at London Climate Action Week, as he declares Britain is part of a global boom in clean energy that is creating jobs across the UK and boosting energy security.

It follows a recent announcement of up to £9 billion investment from Japan into the UK’s offshore wind industry, and Rolls-Royce SMR winning a multi-billion-pound Sweden nuclear export contract off the back of the UK’s pioneering SMR programme. Meanwhile today (Tuesday 23 June), National Grid confirmed £1.2 billion of contracts to upgrade 1,000km of transmission lines.

This year’s renewable auctions have unlocked the largest chunk of private investment this parliament, with £27 billion mobilised in clean energy investment. $2 trillion investment is expected globally in clean energy this year.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said:

The UK’s clean energy economy is booming. Today we announce we’ve passed the incredibly significant milestone of over £100 billion of private investment announced in clean energy since our government came to office. That means investment, jobs, growth.

The Energy Secretary is today due to speak alongside the UN Secretary General Antonio Guetteres, EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen and Executive Director of the IEA Fatih Birol at the Global Energy Transition and Electrification Summit.

Notes to editors

The over £100 billion in private investment announced figure reflects significant capex announcements since July 2024 into UK clean energy plans and projects, regardless of whether the investment has reached a final investment decision, or not.

This total excludes investment announced prior to July 2024 as well as accounting for double counting of specific projects across announcements. Further detail and explanation are available at Sources – Clean Energy Homepage.

The IEA World Energy Investment Report 2026 reports that globally in 2026 around USD 2.2 trillion is expected to go collectively to renewables, nuclear, grids, storage, low-emissions fuels, efficiency and electrification, and some USD 1.2 trillion to oil, natural gas and coal.

Breakdown of announced private investment

UK-wide/multiple region

Location	Project	Company	Clean energy type	Private investment value (£bns)
UK wide	Iberdrola UK capex plan	Iberdrola/Scottish Power	Renewables, grid	24.0
UK wide	Octopus capex plan	Octopus Energy	Clean energy projects	2.0
UK wide	Social housing retrofit	Barclays/Lloyds/NatWest/Rothesay	Social housing retrofit	1.7
UK wide	Hydrogen Allocation Round 1 projects	10 projects	Hydrogen	0.4
UK wide	UK secured £7.5 billion Japanese investment in key growth sectors	Sumitomo Corp	Key UK infrastructure and clean energy projects	7.5
UK wide	OnPath capex plan	OnPath	UK onshore wind, solar and storage capex	1.0
UK wide	Eelpower battery	Aware Super and Equitix	BESS	0.3
UK Wide	AR7 Fixed and Floating Offshore Wind projects	Multiple	Offshore wind	22.0
UK Wide	AR7 onshore wind and solar projects	Multiple	Onshore wind and solar	5.0
UK Wide	Hithium	Hithium	BESS	0.2
UK wide	National Grid Extended and upgraded 5-year Financial Framework	National Grid	Networks	40.0
UK wide	UK and Japan unlock significant inward investments totalling up to £9 billion in offshore wind	Multiple	Offshore Wind	9.0
UK wide	Macquarie capex plan	Macquarie	“Green infrastructure”	1.3
Scotland, Devon, Greater Manchester and Wales	6 battery storage systems	Pulse Clean Energy	BESS	0.2
UK wide	UK solar portfolio	Environmena	Solar	0.5
England	Hybrid solar & storage	British Solar Renewables	Solar and storage	0.3

North East and North West

Location	Project	Company	Clean energy type	Private investment value (£bns)
Teesside	Teesside GigaPark battery storage system	Natpower	BESS	1.0
Tyne	Port of Tyne Clean Energy Park	Port of Tyne	Ports	0.2
North West England / Teesside (North East)	CCUS T1	CCUS investors	CCUS	8.0

Yorkshire & the Humber

Location	Project	Company	Clean energy type	Private investment value (£bns)
Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England	Thorpe Marsh Battery Energy Storage System	Fidra Energy	BESS	0.8

East Midlands

Location	Project	Company	Clean energy type	Private investment value (£bns)
Nottinghamshire, England	Staythorpe Battery Energy Storage System	EDF/Elements Green	BESS	0.1

East of England

Location	Project	Company	Clean energy type	Private investment value (£bns)
Thurrock, Essex	Thurrock Flexible Generation	Statera Energy	BESS	0.4
Suffolk, England	Sizewell C	EDF, La Caisse, Centrica, INPP and NLF via Amber Infrastructure	Nuclear	1.1, 1.7, 1.3, 0.7
Norfolk	AMPYR Solar project	AMPYR Solar Europe	Solar	0.2
England (East Anglia) and Germany	Tarchon Energy Interconnector	Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and Volta Partners	HVDC Interconnector	1.2

South East of England

Location	Project	Company	Clean energy type	Private investment value (£bns)
North Kent	Cleve Hill Solar Park	Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners	Solar deployment with battery	0.2
Bramley, Hampshire	Solar & BESS project	Cero Generation & Enso Energy	Solar & BESS	0.2

West Midlands

Location	Project	Company	Clean energy type	Private investment value (£bns)
Hams Hall and Berkswell	2 BESS projects	BW Group	BESS	0.5

Wales & Ireland

Location	Project	Company	Clean energy type	Private investment value (£bns)
Wales and Ireland	MaresConnect Interconnector	MaresConnect Limited	HVDC Interconnector	0.4
Pembroke, Wales	Pembroke Battery Storage Facility	RWE	BESS	0.2

Scotland

Location	Project	Company	Clean energy type	Private investment value (£bns)
North Sea, off east coast of Scotland	Green Volt floating offshore wind project	Flotation Energy / Vargronn / Greenvolt	Floating offshore wind	2.5
South Lanarkshire/East Coast of Scotland (Kincardine, Fife)	Coalburn 2/Devilla BESS	Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners	BESS	0.8
North Sea, off east coast of Scotland	Cerulean Winds/Aspen offshore wind project	Cerulean Winds/Aspen	Offshore wind	5.9
Kilroot in Northern Ireland to Hunterston in Ayrshire, Scotland	LirIC interconnector	LirIC interconnector	HVDC Interconnector	0.7
Cockenzie, East Lothian (Scotland)	Inch Cape reaching financial close	Red Rock Renewables/ESB	Offshore wind	3.5
Scotland	Nacelle & hub factory	Vestas	Offshore Wind	0.2
Eccles–Leitholm, Scotland	500 MW BESS project	Matrix Renewables	BESS

25/06/2026

PRESS RELEASE : Martha’s Rule extended to all maternity services [June 2026]
The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 24 June 2026.

Landmark patient safety initiative, Martha’s Rule, rolled out to all maternity settings after review found serious and sustained failures.

Mothers and newborns across the country will be better protected, as landmark patient safety measure Martha’s Rule will be rolled out to all maternity settings in England, following a string of serious and sustained failures at maternity wards in the Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH).

Donna Ockenden’s review – the largest into maternity and neonatal services in NHS history – considered the experiences of maternity care for 2,500 families and found women ignored or complaints dismissed, missed opportunities to identify deteriorating patients and a culture of silencing both junior staff and parents.

The government will today (Wednesday 24 June) commit to rolling out Martha’s Rule across maternity and neonatal wards in England to ensure every parent can request a rapid review from an independent medical team if a baby or mother’s condition is deteriorating and they are concerned this is not being responded to.

The scheme – which is helping transform the NHS’s culture and has been rolled out for inpatients in every acute hospital in England – has already been piloted in 15 maternity and neonatal settings, with rollout to more expected this year.

NHS data shows that there have already been over 2,100 calls to Martha’s Rule requiring changes in a patient’s treatment, with over 600 calls leading to potentially life-saving interventions to transfer them to enhanced levels of care.

The safety initiative is named after Martha Mills, who died in 2021 aged 13 after developing sepsis in hospital, where she had been admitted with a pancreatic injury after falling off her bike.

Martha’s family’s concerns about her deteriorating condition were not responded to, and in 2022 a coroner ruled that Martha would probably have survived had she been moved to intensive care earlier.

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care James Murray said:

Last week I met with the families in Nottingham and heard first-hand about the devastating loss they have suffered, often caused by horrendous care they received on the NHS. Donna Ockenden’s review lays bare a culture where too many voices went unheard, too many opportunities to prevent harm were missed and too many lives were lost. That’s why we have to take action, and quickly.

No family should ever have to battle the system that is meant to care and protect them. That is why Martha’s Rule is so fundamental. It provides a way for a concerned mum or family member to raise the alarm before it is too late.

I want families across the country to feel safe when they walk through the doors of their maternity settings. Today marks a step in achieving that – but this is just the beginning.

I want to thank Donna for her work over the last 4 years. These clear recommendations will form part of our national plan to deliver real improvements in maternal and neonatal care, in Nottingham and beyond.

Those responsible for failures will be compelled to give evidence to investigations into failing maternity care to end a culture of secrecy and prevent further harm.

This action will help ensure the reviews in Leeds and Sussex are fair and comprehensive, so that uncovering the truth does not rely solely on those who choose to come forward voluntarily. Those who refuse to do so or deliberately withhold information about failures could face up to 2 years in prison.

The measures are designed to tackle the culture of silence exposed by the Nottingham review, where over 800 staff gave evidence but many described a culture of being silenced by senior clinicians and hospital bosses when raising concerns around patient safety. This will ensure that for both reviews of Sussex and Leeds, staff are heard and families are closer to getting the answers they deserve.

Reports of incidents in mortuaries across the country will also be more tightly reviewed, following the deeply concerning findings about the lack of respect given to deceased babies, and the complete disregard to their dignity. The Human Tissue Authority will require all mortuaries to review internal records dating from 2015 to 2026 to ensure all incidents have been logged and reported. This will strengthen accountability, ensuring concerns cannot be hidden or overlooked.

Donna Ockenden, Chair of the Independent Review, said:

To every family who came forward, I want to say this: we have listened. It is my sincere hope that through this review you now feel as though your voices have been heard and what happened to you and your families has been recognised and will be acted upon.

Today, we have started the process of providing answers. We have set out clear findings and essential actions to address the concerns raised by families and staff. These actions when implemented will drive improvement both within perinatal services at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and across England.

While the majority of births on the NHS are safe, too many families have suffered harm that should never have happened. Their experiences will drive real and lasting change to maternity services in England, driven by staff working to improve services.

Michelle Welsh MP, the government’s first Maternity Adviser, said:

Donna Ockenden’s review is a stark reminder of the devastating consequences when women, families and frontline staff are not listened to. The experiences of the Nottingham families must be a catalyst for lasting change across maternity and neonatal services.

We owe it to every mother, baby and family affected by these failures to ensure that lessons are learned and that meaningful improvements are delivered across the NHS.

The measures announced today – including the extension of Martha’s Rule and the Hillsborough Law – are a positive step in ensuring the lived experience of women is at the heart of reforming maternity care.

NUH is also taking immediate action, introducing a new helpline for concerned members of the public available from today. The helpline will provide support for families who use or have used NUH maternity and neonatal services and may have concerns or questions following the publication of the report and media coverage. Details on how to access this service will be available via the NUH website.

Kate Brintworth, Chief Midwifery Officer for England, said:

I am so sorry for the heartbreaking loss, grief and pain experienced by women and families at Nottingham.

My thoughts are with those who have been harmed, bereaved or let down by the care they received. They have shown extraordinary courage in speaking up, and their voices must be at the centre of how the NHS responds.

We’ve introduced new national clinical standards which are helping prevent harm and ensure women get urgent maternity care more quickly, and local leaders and staff in Nottingham are working hard to address these failings. However, this report shows the scale of what still needs to change.

I know it can be worrying for women using maternity services, but please continue to speak to your midwife or maternity team if you have any concerns.

This government has already taken urgent action on maternity. Since 2025, the government has invested £145 million to improve the safety of maternity and neonatal care facilities. Other measures include:
- implementing a new programme to reduce the 2 leading causes of avoidable brain injury during labour
- delivering a package of initiatives and interventions to reduce stillbirths, neonatal brain injury, neonatal death and preterm birth
- introducing a Perinatal Culture and Leadership Programme to develop a culture of safety, learning and support for leads from all maternity and neonatal units
- expanding maternal mental health services to help women and extended the baby loss certificate scheme to include all historic losses
- rolling out guidance across the NHS to tackle the leading causes of maternal death including thrombosis, mental health, epilepsy and haemorrhage
A national action plan will be developed through the National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, chaired by the Secretary of State, bringing together the findings of this review and Baroness Amos’ report to drive real and lasting change for women and families across the country.
25/06/2026
PRESS RELEASE : Russia’s violations of international humanitarian law in Ukraine are extensive and well-documented – UK statement to the OSCE [June 2026]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 24 June 2026.

Ankur Narayan, Counsellor for Politico-Military Affairs at the UK Delegation to the OSCE highlights verified evidence of Russia’s violations of international humanitarian law in Ukraine, including rising civilian casualties, crimes against children, and the use of sexual violence, and calls for Russia’s withdrawal, accountability, and the return of deported Ukrainian children.

Mr Chair, during the last meeting of this Forum, on 10 June, the representative of the Russian Federation said that, in the context of civilian casualties, there are “gaps in the knowledge of International Humanitarian Law” of other States. We agree that civilian casualties are a tragedy. We agree that IHL is an important issue.

That is why my statement will focus on both issues today. The OSCE’s Code of Conduct compels every participating State to ensure their armed forces abide by international law. I will highlight three elements: civilian casualties; the treatment of children; and the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war. I will only cite independently-verified, internationally-respected sources.

Firstly, on civilian casualties. Last week, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission confirmed that May 2026 was the deadliest month for civilians in Ukraine since April 2022: at least 274 killed and 1,763 injured — a 93 per cent increase on May 2025. Long-range missiles and drones accounted for 45 per cent of May’s casualties, falling overwhelmingly on urban centres such as Kyiv and Dnipro, far from the front line. Along the front line itself, short-range drones killed and injured more civilians in May than in any month since the full-scale invasion began. International humanitarian law prohibits indiscriminate attacks, including those which are expected to cause excessive civilian harm in relation to the anticipated military advantage.

Secondly, on the treatment of children. On 12 March the OHCHR’s Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine concluded that Russian authorities have committed two distinct crimes against humanity against Ukrainian children — deportation and forcible transfer, and enforced disappearance. The Commission has verified that at least 1,205 children were taken from their homes. Four years on, 80 per cent have not been returned – instead they have been placed across 21 regions of Russia and the temporarily occupied territories. The Commission reported that it was “a policy conceived and executed under the leadership at the highest level of the Russian Federation state apparatus”. International humanitarian law affords children special protection in times of armed conflict. This includes protection from their forcible transfer or deportation from occupied territory.

Thirdly, on sexual violence. ODIHR’s Eighth Interim Report sets out the conflict-related sexual violence committed in areas under Russian control, the arbitrary detention of civilians, and the use of children in hostilities. The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission has separately documented the widespread and systematic torture and ill-treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war by Russian authorities. This includes the use of sexual violence. International humanitarian law protects civilians from violence and exploitation. It also requires that all prisoners of war are treated humanely in all circumstances.

Mr Chair, the UN, ODIHR and other international organisations continue to catalogue irrefutable independent evidence of Russia violating international law and international humanitarian law. As per the Code, such breaches are a “direct and legitimate” concern for us all and we must act in solidarity with the affected State. The United Kingdom once again calls on Russia to withdraw fully from Ukraine’s internationally recognised borders, to return every deported child, and to engage with independent and impartial investigations into all allegations of violations of international humanitarian law and abuses of international human rights law.

Thank you Mr Chair.

25/06/2026
PRESS RELEASE : UN Human Rights Council 62 – Joint Statement for the Annual Discussion on Women’s Rights [July 2026]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 24 June 2026.

Joint Statement for the Annual Discussion on Women’s Rights: Domestic violence against women and girls. Delivered by the UK’s Permanent Representative to the WTO and UN, Kumar Iyer.

Thank you Vice President,

The UK delivers this joint statement on behalf of Australia, Brazil, Jamaica, Morocco, Spain and South Africa.

Across the world, violence against women and girls persists, with one in three experiencing physical and/or sexual violence over their lifetime. We must address this global and national emergency.

The UK together with Australia, Brazil, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Jamaica, Morocco, Spain and South Africa have launched an International Coalition to End Violence against Women and Girls. We will collaborate to prevent all forms of gender-based violence, including online and offline, so that women and girls can live free from fear, no matter who or where they are.

Through this coalition, we will accelerate action by strengthening national responses, sharing expertise, and enhancing global leadership to prevent violence, protect victims and survivors and hold perpetrators to account.

Moreover, as the world faces increasing conflict, we will look to strengthen global efforts to prevent sexual violence in conflict and other forms of violence in humanitarian crises.

Progress requires sustained political leadership and a multistakeholder approach. We call on all States to step up efforts to end gender-based violence, including by scaling up evidence-based prevention and response activities, and ensuring accountability for all perpetrators.

Thank you.

25/06/2026
PRESS RELEASE : More oil and gas workers to be supported into jobs [June 2026]
The press release issued by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on 24 June 2026.

More oil and gas workers across Scotland will be offered tailored skills support to seize high-quality jobs in energy and other growth sectors.
- Over a thousand more oil and gas workers to get tailored support to move into new growing industries, from clean energy to advanced manufacturing
- Comes as UK and Scottish governments invest a total of £6 million to expand a successful skills programme that has already helped over 400 North Sea workers retrain
- The expanded scheme will now open to more workers across Scotland, offering the skills needed to access thousands of high-quality jobs in a range of fast-expanding sectors
Over a thousand more oil and gas workers will benefit from tailored career support to access good, well-paid jobs in clean energy and other growth sectors, as a successful skills programme is expanded across Scotland.

Backed by a total of £6 million from UK and Scottish governments, the expansion follows a successful pilot scheme in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire – which has helped over 400 North Sea workers retrain for roles in Scotland’s energy transition.

Following popular demand, the new scheme will give current and former oil and gas workers living anywhere in Scotland specialist training support, if they wish to transfer their high-value skills into fast-expanding sectors under the energy transition.

The expansion follows the government’s plans, announced last year, to continue to use the North Sea for decades to come, by managing existing oil and gas fields for their lifetime and supporting new investment in oil and gas production through Transitional Energy Certificates.

The government will not continue the same failed approach to the North Sea that it inherited, which saw the skilled workforce fall by a third over past decade, without the necessary investment in what comes next. By actively scaling up clean energy industries, the government is paving the way for over 40,000 new roles in Scotland by 2030, creating the next generation of skilled energy workers.

These jobs are already hitting the market, as latest industry figures show that more than 1,500 new jobs were supported in Scotland’s electricity networks in the last two years alone. Meanwhile, 2025 saw jobs in the UK’s wind industry reach a record high of around 55,000, according to Renewable UK.

The scheme is also being expanded to provide training support in other growing sectors, including advanced manufacturing, life sciences and defence – where the skills and expertise of oil and gas workers are in demand.

Energy Minister Michael Shanks said:

Thousands of good jobs are being created right now in renewable energy and upgrading our grid and we want to make it as easy as possible for people with skills from the oil and gas industry to take advantage of these opportunities.

This programme has already been oversubscribed so we are investing to expand it to more skilled workers as part of our commitment to deliver a fair and prosperous transition in the North Sea.

Secretary of State for Scotland Douglas Alexander said:

The expansion of the training scheme will support Scotland’s position at the heart of energy production in the UK. The scheme will support more than one thousand oil and gas workers in their transitions into new energy technologies.

After a successful first phase, I am also pleased to see opportunities in different sectors, such as defence and advance manufacturing, are being made available to oil and gas workers in Scotland to utilise their specialist skills and experience.

Scottish Government Energy Minister Stephen Gethins said:

Scotland has the geography, we have the infrastructure, and above all, we have the people to make the most of the energy transition that is upon us.

The workforce that has driven Scotland’s oil and gas industry for generations is one of the most skilled and experienced in the world and it is vital that their expertise is preserved in the North East, and beyond.

A just and managed transition means putting workers, and the communities that depend on them, at the heart of the economic benefits created by that transition. That is exactly what this fund intends to achieve by giving people the freedom to take their world-class skills into new and growing sectors, without being held back by the cost of training.

Eligible oil and gas workers in Scotland will be able to submit new applications for the scheme from today, via Skills Development Scotland’s Transition Training Fund website. Successful applicants to the scheme will receive careers advice and funding towards training courses for highly-skilled and in-demand roles such as in welding, electrical engineering, construction and more.  

The expansion forms part of up to £20 million in joint UK and Scottish Government funding, committed as part of the government’s Clean Energy Jobs Plan last year, to provide North Sea oil and gas workers with bespoke careers training for thousands of new roles in clean energy.

Frank Mitchell, Chair of Skills Development Scotland, said:

The skills and expertise of Scotland’s oil and gas workforce are in demand across a number of growing sectors.

SDS advisers can help workers in the oil and gas industry to reskill and upskill for careers in growing sectors to help them build on their experience and ultimately transition into new roles.

The fund will play an important role in ensuring communities across Scotland benefit as much as possible from the continued growth of these key sectors.

Workers will soon be able to access support from a new North Sea Jobs Service, announced as part of the UK government’s North Sea Future Plan last year, that will offer end-to-end career support for oil and gas workers to take up new opportunities in growing sectors – ensuring North Sea communities remain at the heart of Britain’s energy and industrial future.

Oil and gas workers are also benefitting from the Energy Skills Passport, in collaboration with industry and Scottish Government, which helps workers to identify routes into several roles in offshore wind including construction and maintenance. This will also be expanded to include more clean energy sectors over time. 
25/06/2026
PRESS RELEASE : The UK is proud to have contributed to the significant progress the world has made in tackling HIV over the past decades – UK Statement at the UN General Assembly [June 2026]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 23 June 2026.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Chargé d’Affaires to the UN, at the UN General Assembly meeting on HIV/AIDS.

The United Kingdom welcomes this High-Level Meeting and its political declaration.

The UK is proud to have contributed to the significant progress the world has made in tackling HIV over the past decades, reducing transmissions by 65% since 1995 and deaths by 74% since 2004.

This progress is particularly significant amongst children, where there has been a 69% reduction in transmissions since 2010.

Each of these numbers affects lives, people, and futures made possible brining hope to us all.

This hope continues today, with new, innovative long-acting antiretroviral technologies also offering transformative potential, improving adherence, reducing stigma, and expanding HIV services.

The UK continues to support key partners in this work, including the Global Fund, World Health Organisation, Unitaid, and UNAIDS.

We also recognise the important roles that UNDP, UNICEF, and UNFPA play in delivering the response on the ground.

But we are concerned about this progress reversing if we do not refocus our effort to end AIDS and ensure no one is left behind.

This is particularly critical for key populations and for women and girls.

Engagement, inclusion, and partnership with these groups and others at the grassroots of the HIV response remains essential.

Three things will be particularly important.

First, we need to continue to work together, including across the UN, to strengthen health systems, prevent new infections, and end AIDS-related deaths.

Second, we need stronger country-led, sustainable responses.

National leadership, integrated services, and efficient use of resources will be critical.

And third, community-led organisations must remain at the heart of the response.

Their leadership, resilience, and expertise are essential to reach those most in need and sustain long-term progress.

Innovation and evidence will continue to underpin successful partnerships, working with key populations, addressing structural barriers created by stigma and discrimination, and tackling drivers of new transmissions.

So colleagues, we must act with urgency to refocus our resources where they will have the greatest impact, and remain steadfast in our shared commitment to ending AIDS.

25/06/2026
Dan Jarvis – 2026 Speech at the RUSI Land Warfare Conference

The speech made by Dan Jarvis, the Secretary of State for Defence, on 23 June 2026.

Almost a fortnight – time flies when you’re having fun. Thank you, Conference.

My foremost responsibility is to our service personnel. As I speak, members of our armed forces are deployed on dozens of operations across the globe in every domain. All are serving at an increasingly dangerous moment in history. It’s now my duty to make sure that we rise to meet that moment. So while people’s attention is understandably focused elsewhere, my focus today, tomorrow and beyond will be dedicated to the job in hand.

Twelve days ago, I was at Sandhurst on a visit to meet with cadets, thirty years after I marched into the place, awkwardly clutching a rifle and pining for a memory that will be familiar to a number in the room. The instructors’ faces had long changed; somehow the same dread that they inspired had not. Again, a feeling I’m sure is also familiar to many. Being in the company of those cadets was an inspiring experience; being in the company of those who step forward to serve always is.

That evening I was asked to serve as the Defence Secretary. Now some people want to know why I accepted. The answer is because I was asked and it’s not my nature to back away. I crossed over the river from Downing Street into the Ministry of Defence, and honestly, it felt like I was coming home after fifteen years away. Soon afterwards, I was receiving briefings confirming what I already knew. But in those intervening years, tactics, technology and threats had changed beyond all recognition. The one thing, however, that had remained constant is the professionalism, courage and extraordinary skill of our servicemen and women.

I should probably admit – and I think it’s fair to say – that I haven’t spent all of my professional life in uniform. People will always be our most important asset in the end. No doctrine, no technology, no plan, however sophisticated it might be, can succeed without the determination of the men and women whose experience and excellence is built from the ground up, shaped by history, hardened by experience. We produce the finest soldiers in the world. Those uncompromising standards develop exceptional NCOs who demand nothing less than the very best from their senior leaders, a truth borne out in the middle of the South Atlantic just last month, when our personnel deployed to Tristan da Cunha to help someone in desperate need of medical attention. As the then Security Minister, I worked with COBR on that operation. I did so with the utmost confidence, knowing that despite the complexity of the task, those involved would execute with precision and success.

I think we will ask much of our service personnel in the years ahead. I know the immense weight of responsibility for every single member of the armed forces and their families that I now carry, and I know that I need to get them what they need, and I am utterly determined to make sure that I do.

Now, it is of course a matter of public record why my predecessor and friend, John Healey, is not delivering these remarks. I accepted this job with full awareness of the task before me, and my priority is to get the Defence Investment Plan done, but not at any cost. I have a responsibility to get it right. There will be a change of Prime Minister. There will be no change in the urgent need to produce the Defence Investment Plan. The DIP is a significant and vast piece of work. The department has been working on it for twelve months. I’ve had twelve days, but I’ve made the most of all of them. I am now working to finalise and publish it before I travel to Ankara with the Prime Minister.

And today I want to talk to you about where we are and where we’re going. This is a learned audience, but let me tell you what this government inherited: almost every single major programme behind schedule, delayed upgrades to our nuclear deterrent, and an army at its smallest size in centuries. There is no overnight remedy. There is no single defence review or funding settlement that can erase the legacy of accumulated neglect. Our armed forces and the British people they are sworn to protect deserve honesty when it comes to our national security.

Given recent commentary, a casual observer would be forgiven for believing defence spending is somehow going down. Under this government, defence spending is going up. In fact, it’s going up by more than anyone currently in uniform has known before. To date, there is eleven billion more in the annual defence budget than there was when we entered office. Last year, we will invest two hundred and seventy billion in defence over the course of this Parliament. The DIP will mean more money added on top. We will have another spending review next year in which I expect defence to be the number one priority.

Don’t get me wrong – the DIP will shape how our armed forces fight, direct what our industry builds and deepen the strength of our alliances and partnerships. It is important, but it is not yet complete.

Now, the measure of Britain’s security is the strength of those who defend it. The purpose of the DIP is to ensure that our armed forces are strong in the coming years. We made a promise to our allies as they did to us: 3.5% by 2035. I told the NATO Secretary General last week that promise will be met, and a credible plan will be produced to ensure that it is. I said the same to Secretary Hegseth in our first meeting — or, as Pete put it, just a couple of majors getting together to talk about defence.

NATO has been the foundation of our security for seventy-seven years. Everyone is familiar with Article 5 — but that famous promise is only made real by the hard principle of Article 3: that we can only stand up for each other if we are able to stand up for ourselves. Britain has always met NATO’s spending commitments; under this government, we always will. Britain has always stood with our allies; under this government, we always will.

Last week, I gave President Zelensky my personal guarantee that the UK would stand in full support with his people — today, tomorrow and for the long term. The first UK interdiction of a Russian vessel, followed by the funding of one hundred and fifty thousand Ukrainian-made drones, were a seven hundred and fifty-two million pound expression of that promise.

The most profound change in defence during my time away has undoubtedly been the pace of innovation — where once it was measured in years, now it is measured in months. It is of course a cliché to say that we only ever prepare for the last war. What is not a cliché is doing something about it. Putin’s brutal war of aggression altered everything — from NATO’s assumptions on collective defence, to attitudes on defence spending, and not least, the way of war. The conflict in Ukraine began with troops in Soviet-era tanks. Today, it is waged with drones that think for themselves. Conflict always forces us to reach into the future. But these four years have accelerated military technology in a way that we have never seen before. A drone rules the battlefield. It would be reckless to ignore the lessons of Ukraine. Artificial intelligence, autonomy and uncrewed systems are no longer capabilities of the future. They will receive investment that reflects their strategic importance.

There are some who hold the view that we should trade everything in the locker for drones. I understand the temptation, but there are important distinctions to make. For as long as we remain a member of NATO, we won’t fight alone. And for as long as we maintain our independent nuclear deterrent, we will always command our own destiny. Even in Ukraine, amid extraordinary advances in technology, it is still a war fought in the trenches where ground is held street by street, and where the reach of artillery and deep precision strike has proven invaluable.

Just this year, our armed forces have been called on to protect the seabed in the High North and the skies in the Middle East. They are now readying themselves for the prospect of regenerating Ukraine’s forces and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. All the while, they protect our island home and retain the ability to respond to crises in dangerous and distant lands. Britain needs a flexible, hybrid, integrated force that can deter and fight across every domain.

The land forces which prevail tomorrow will be those who combine high-end platforms with mass, agility and considerable expertise. General Walker has achieved this. He has done more to modernise the British Army than any other Chief of the General Staff in living memory. You heard his vision earlier. The DIP will make real those ambitions — and that includes investing in the uncrewed ground vehicles the Army requires to build the next generation of land forces.

And let me say this: all of the Chiefs have my full support, not just during this process, but way beyond it.

Now, I’d like to take just a moment, if I may, to address our friends from industry. Because to say recent months haven’t been easy would perhaps be an understatement. But I’m grateful to you all, and I will be relying on you to implement the DIP and to make it a success. Though my life has been spent in public service, I have never mistaken where prosperity comes from. Our defence industrial base represents a commitment to excellence and to entrepreneurialism – hallmarks of the British spirit. You are a source not only of a pay check for many, but of pride for communities across our country. Most of all, you exist to equip the finest armed forces with the most advanced technology — kit they can rely on, operate with confidence and employ with precision. Something I saw during my first engagement in this role, at the opening of the Pulsar Systems Centre in Swindon.

The problems with how we spend money in defence are well known and long established. So too is the ritual of every Defence Secretary promising to fix them. I’ll skip that particular ritual and just ask to be judged on what I do rather than what I say. I know that I have a unique responsibility, given what Cabinet colleagues have foregone from their budgets to support mine. My commitment to them, and indeed to the British public, is that with the need to spend more comes the duty to spend wisely. The DIP will lay out significant savings, and I will continue to scrutinise every line of spend to make every pound count.

Look, I’m acutely conscious that there is something far more important that many of you would rather be watching. I don’t want to deprive anybody of a good vantage point. So I will draw my words to a close.

Before I do, let me say this. Above all, we must never lose sight of what service in our armed forces can demand. It can be bloody hard. It asks more than any profession ever will. I tell those considering it to think about it carefully – but in return, you have the opportunity to serve your country in a way which no other profession can offer. Purpose, responsibility and belonging. You become part of something bigger – a force which secures the safety, values and interests of every person in our nation.

My only real ambition when I arrived through the gates of Sandhurst all those years ago was to survive the place. Not for one moment did I think that one day I would be accountable for every member of our armed forces. To do so is a privilege and a responsibility beyond measure. This moment calls for leadership, and it calls for action. That is what I will provide. And I promise every single member of our armed forces that I will seek to serve them as well as they serve us.

25/06/2026
PRESS RELEASE : The UK welcomes continued progress on peace and security in the Central African Republic – UK statement at the UN Security Council [June 2026]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 23 June 2026.

Statement by Jennifer MacNaughtan, UK Minister Counsellor, at the Security Council meeting on the Central African Republic.

President, I will make three points.

First, the United Kingdom welcomes the continued progress on peace and security in the Central African Republic, with the support of MINUSCA.

This includes the holding of national and local elections in December 2025, and the disarmament and demobilisation of over 1,300 ex-combatants since last July.

We urge further efforts to consolidate progress.

This includes a halt to abuses of human rights and restrictions on civilian movement by some armed groups.

We call on all parties to uphold their commitments under the Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation and to work to translate recent gains into sustainable peace and inclusive governance.

Second, the spillover of the Sudan conflict into the Central African Republic remains deeply concerning, with renewed armed activity along the border.

The United Kingdom condemns reports of attacks by the Rapid Support Forces in Vakaga, resulting in displacement and human rights abuses.

We call on the Government of the Central African Republic to strengthen further state presence in affected areas and to work with regional partners to enhance border security to protect affected communities.

Third, the protection of civilians remains a serious concern, especially in the Haut-Mbomou and Vakaga Prefectures.

Reports of conflict‑related sexual violence and grave violations against children continue at scale.

Women and girls remain disproportionately affected, while children are subject to recruitment, abduction, and other abuses.

We call on the Government of the Central African Republic to strengthen accountability, prevent violations, and work with the UN to implement national action plans.

Finally, the United Kingdom reiterates its strong support for MINUSCA and its vital role in protecting civilians and supporting lasting stability in the Central African Republic.

As the Mission adapts its posture, we encourage the Government to continue to work with MINUSCA and assume greater responsibility for its security and governance.

25/06/2026
PRESS RELEASE : Accountability for attacks against United Nations personnel serving in peacekeeping operations is essential: UK explanation of vote at the UN Security Council [June 2026]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 23 June 2026.

Explanation of Vote by Jennifer MacNaughtan, UK Minister Counsellor, at the UN Security Council meeting on UN Peacekeeping Operations.

The United Kingdom welcomes the unanimous adoption of this resolution, and we thank Denmark and Pakistan for their efforts.

This resolution makes clear that accountability for attacks against United Nations personnel serving in peacekeeping operations is essential.

This year has seen unacceptable attacks on Blue Helmets.

Our deepest sympathies are with the families of those killed and injured.

We stress the importance of ensuring that investigations into recent incidents progress.

And we commend the courage and professionalism of personnel serving in UN peacekeeping operations.

Finally, President, the United Kingdom is committed to ensuring that UN Peacekeeping remains an effective tool in support of international peace and security.

And we look forward to receiving the Secretary-General’s report on the future of all forms of peace operations.

25/06/2026
PRESS RELEASE : UK and allies Joint Statement on the situation in El Obeid [June 2026]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 23 June 2026.

The United Kingdom and E4+deliver a joint statement on the situation in El Obeid, Sudan.

We, the Foreign Ministers of like-minded partners (France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, UK), are deeply concerned by reports of a continued assault on El Obeid, despite calls for a halt to the attack and protection of civilians.

Last year, the world witnessed with horror the atrocities in El Fasher – crimes that are assessed to bear the “hallmarks of genocide”. We must not allow such failures to be repeated.

In recent weeks, repeated drone strikes on El Obeid have killed civilians and driven acute shortages of fuel, food and water. With the rainy season fast approaching, humanitarian workers continue to provide life-saving assistance but are being deliberately targeted.

There are now credible signs of an imminent offensive. This is a critical moment, and the international community must act.

We call on the RSF to halt its attack immediately. Civilians must be able to leave safely, and all parties must ensure rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access. The RSF and the SAF, and their allies, must de-escalate, uphold international humanitarian law, and honour their commitments under the Jeddah Declaration.

External support continues to sustain this conflict. We call on those fuelling the conflict to cease, and those with influence must exercise it now to avoid further bloodshed.

We will continue to work closely at the UN Security Council and with regional and international partners to secure a clear and unified response: the violence must end, civilians must be protected, and those responsible must be held to account. We remain committed to supporting a credible path to peace through the Quintet-led process and call on all parties to engage in good faith.

25/06/2026