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Tag: 2026

  • PRESS RELEASE : Weekend voting and shopping centre polling stations to be trialled [March 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Weekend voting and shopping centre polling stations to be trialled [March 2026]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 9 March 2026.

    Some voters in England will be able to cast their ballot in a shopping centre and on weekends as part of plans to make voting easier and more convenient for people during May’s local elections.

    The way we vote at the polling booth has not changed since 1872. Four areas are taking part in new pilots which will give people more choice over where and when they vote, by turning popular venues into polling booths and letting people vote before polling day.

    In Milton Keynes, voters can have their say in the city’s main shopping centre – Midsummer Place – rather than being restricted to a single designated polling station. This could eventually be rolled out across the country in future elections along high streets and in town centres.  

    People in Cambridge, Tunbridge Wells and North Hertfordshire will be able to cast their vote in person ahead of the election, including on the weekend. This will stop people being limited to just one polling day.  

    Voters in these places will be able to visit central buildings across their area at a time that suits them, such as the Guildhall in Cambridge’s city centre.  

    This will make voting more convenient, accessible and efficient for local people – and could eventually happen in all UK elections.   

    Minister for Democracy Samantha Dixon said:  

    The way we vote in person has not adapted to people’s busy lives, with voters often given no choice but to cast their ballot at strictly set polling stations within limited hours.

    Our trials will make polling days more convenient and test out the first real changes for over 100 years, bringing our democracy into the 21st century.

    Further plans for future pilots could include mobile voting stations that travel to different locations, potentially including care homes, universities, or community centres. Other plans could include voters casting their vote at any polling station within the local authority area rather than being restricted to a designated location.  

    At the same time the integrity and security of the UK’s voting system will continue to be protected, with participating local authorities using existing safeguards, and robust technology, with strong support from the government throughout. 

    Local authorities will continue to operate traditional polling stations alongside the new options, and people will still be able to vote by post or proxy, meaning voters can choose the method that works best for them. 

    This comes alongside the government’s landmark Representation of the People Bill which reduces barriers to participation including a landmark change to give votes to 16 year olds, along with tougher rules on political donations to tackle risks around foreign interference in our democracy.

    Peter Stanyon, Chief Executive of the Association of Electoral Administrators, said:  

    These pilots are a great start to exploring different ways to offer electors greater choice about when and where they cast their vote. Weekend and early voting, plus voting hubs at places like shopping centres, are used to good effect in many democracies and we hope will also be successful here. Well done to the election teams who have stepped up to take these pilots forward, we look forward to learning from you.

    William Benson, Chief Executive and Returning Officer for Tunbridge Wells borough said:  

    I am very pleased that Tunbridge Wells is part of the pilot scheme. It’s important that every eligible elector uses their vote and three hubs in key locations across the borough will make it even easier. 

    Voters can be assured these new arrangements are just as secure as the polling stations they’re used to, and the same helpful staff will be there to guide people through the process.

    Leader of Milton Keynes City Council, Cllr Pete Marland said: 

    Milton Keynes is proud to be leading the way as the UK’s first pilot area for a central voting hub, making it easier and more convenient for people to vote. We’re committed to improving democratic participation, and this innovative approach will give residents greater flexibility.

    Melanie Stimpson, Democratic Services Manager and Returning Officer for North Hertfordshire said: 

    We are very pleased to have been selected to take part in the flexible voting pilots. We know that people lead busy lives and face real challenges in finding time to vote.  Being able to explore new approaches is important to understand how we can better support of residents and collaborate our Council priorities of thriving committees and accessible services.

    Robert Pollock, Returning Officer for the City of Cambridge:  

    Cambridge is renowned for science and tech innovation. We want to bring that mindset to test how we can make voting more inclusive and convenient for all our residents. We already have higher than average turnout in Cambridge. I’d really like this trial to help us get to over 40% at the May local elections.

  • PRESS RELEASE : UN Human Rights Council 61 – Panel on disabilities [March 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : UN Human Rights Council 61 – Panel on disabilities [March 2026]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 March 2026.

    UK Statement for panel discussion on the rights of persons with disabilities. Disability-inclusive infrastructure, including transport and housing.

    Thank you, Mr President. 

    The United Kingdom thanks the panellists for their contributions to this important discussion. We fundamentally agree that disability-inclusive transport and housing plays an important role in realising the rights of disabled people, particularly in enabling independent and community living.  

    On housing, the Disabled Facilities Grant, administered by local authorities in England, helps to meet the cost of adaptations for disabled people to make their homes safe and suitable for their needs. 

    With regards to transport, our goal is for disabled passengers to travel confidently, easily and with dignity. The new Bus Services Act includes a comprehensive package of measures to improve accessibility, including helping local authorities to deliver safer, more accessible bus stations and stops as well as mandating more streamlined disability training for bus drivers and frontline staff.  

    We are also glad to be working closely with disabled people, operators and regulators to develop an Accessible Travel Charter, to embed accessibility across the transport system.  

    Mr President, how can States further utilise assistive technologies to enhance accessibility and service delivery across transport and housing infrastructure?

  • Peter Mandelson – 2025 Email Requesting Foreign Office Help

    Peter Mandelson – 2025 Email Requesting Foreign Office Help

    The email sent by Peter Mandelson on 17 September 2025 and released as part of the Mandelson files.

    From: Peter Mandelson
    Sent: 17 September 2025 14:35
    To: Mark Power < @fcdo.gov.uk>

    Subject: Re: Further correspondence

    Thank you for your letter. These dates are right given the delay in obtaining Jock’s veterinary certification.

    My chief concern is leaving the US and arriving in the UK with the maximum dignity and minimum media intrusion which I think is to the advantage of all concerned, not least because I remain a crown/civil servant and expect to be treated as such.

    How is the FCDO assisting in this ?

    I am not sure what you mean by paras 12 and 13. My understanding is that I have common law employment rights but this will be better understood by lawyers than by me.

    Very best

    Peter

  • PRESS RELEASE : We are appalled by the continued restrictions imposed on the women and girls of Afghanistan – UK statement at the UN Security Council [March 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : We are appalled by the continued restrictions imposed on the women and girls of Afghanistan – UK statement at the UN Security Council [March 2026]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 March 2026.

    Statement by The Rt Hon Baroness Smith of Malvern, Minister of State (Minister for Skills) and Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities) at the UN Security Council meeting on Afghanistan.

    Colleagues, let me first begin by expressing the United Kingdom’s deep concern at the intensification of the Taliban’s repression. 

    We are appalled by the continued restrictions imposed on the women and girls of Afghanistan, including the ban preventing Afghan women from accessing UN spaces. 

    Millions are being systematically excluded from society. 

    As we heard from Afghan student, Sunbul Reha, in the opening session of the Commission on the Status of Women this morning, this is not an abstract concept. But a devastating infringement of women’s rights, opportunities, and dreams.

    And it cannot continue.
    As we mark the beginning of the Commission on the Status of Women here at the UN, the United Kingdom stands in solidarity with the women and girls of Afghanistan, who deserve full, meaningful, and equal participation in all areas of life.
    We are dismayed by the Taliban’s new criminal procedures directive, which legitimises domestic violence, embeds religious discrimination, and targets women and minorities. 

    These oppressive measures must be rescinded.

    As my Foreign Secretary has said, the rights of all Afghans must be protected.
    Second, the United Kingdom is deeply concerned by the significant escalation in tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan. 

    We call for de-escalation and re-engagement in mediated dialogue.
    Finally, the United Kingdom is a longstanding and major donor to Afghanistan, providing over $200 million this financial year for vital life-saving and basic services support to the country’s most vulnerable people, especially women and girls. 

    We are therefore deeply dismayed by the Taliban’s refusal to allow essential health and nutrition supplies over the border into Afghanistan. 

    This is having a severe impact on the delivery of aid. It is vital that these goods are allowed to enter Afghanistan without obstruction and without delay. 

    22 million people across the country remain in dire need of humanitarian assistance.
    Colleagues, progress in Afghanistan requires the Taliban to engage meaningfully in the UN process. 

    This is the path towards the goal which we collectively agreed in resolution 2721, of an Afghanistan that is at peace with itself and its neighbours, fully reintegrated into the international community and meeting its international obligations.  

    The United Kingdom supports the efforts of UN leadership and UNAMA in this regard, and looks forward to continuing to work together with our international and regional partners to this end.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Action plan launched to build stronger communities [March 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Action plan launched to build stronger communities [March 2026]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Housing on 9 March 2026.

    The government is launching a rallying call for action, setting out the first steps towards a more connected, cohesive and resilient United Kingdom.

    Millions of families, friends and neighbours will feel a stronger sense of community, unity and national pride thanks to renewed efforts to stamp out extremism, hate and division announced today.

    Today the government is launching a rallying call for action, setting out the first steps towards a more connected, cohesive and resilient United Kingdom – a place where neighbour continues to look out for neighbour and people come together with a shared sense of values, pride, and belonging.  

    The action plan follows decades of rapid change – technological advancements, demographic change, local industries collapsing, the increasing cost of living and the decline of vital public services. This has caused a strain on social cohesion. Bad actors, including from abroad, have sought to stoke community tensions and promote toxic division and extremist ideology in our communities. 

    Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Steve Reed will tell the House of Commons:   

    Today, through the publication of Protecting What Matters, we set out the first steps towards a more confident, cohesive, and resilient United Kingdom. This plan is what patriotism means to this government. We choose to celebrate our national successes and historic achievements, we choose to come together in the best of times and the worst of times, and we choose to take on those who try to divide us.

    This publication – Protecting What Matters – puts the emphasis on healing divided communities, setting out clear expectations around what it means to live together and integrate into society, tackling those trying to subvert our shared values and ultimately promoting pride, unity and tolerance.   

    This comes as the latest statistics show that hate crime is rising, with Jewish people disproportionately more targeted by hate crime than any other group.  

    To tackle antisemitism head on, the government is investing at record levels to scale up security at synagogues and schools, clamping down on antisemitic extremism, and rolling out training on antisemitism in the workplace.  

    Religious hate crimes targeted at Muslims are also at record levels, with almost half of these crimes targeted towards the Muslim community and many living in fear that they will be targeted because of how they look or assumptions over where they come from.  This government has a duty to act but cannot tackle something that has not been defined.  

    The government is taking the historic step of adopting a non-statutory definition of anti-Muslim hostility which makes it clear what is unacceptable prejudice, discrimination and hatred directed at Muslims or those perceived to be Muslim.   

    Crucially, this definition protects the fundamental right to freedom of speech while protecting people from unacceptable abuse and violence. A special representative on anti-Muslim hostility will also be appointed to support action to strengthen understanding, reporting and response.   

    This sits alongside a new suite of measures to bring communities across the country together:  

    • Tough action on extremism with stronger powers to shut down charities promoting extremism and transformed capability to disrupt extremists, including stopping hate preachers entering the UK, and an annual State of Extremism report.   
    • Clear expectations will be set around integration for people looking to settle in the UK, focused on shared language, local participation and respect for shared values. To support this, the Government will look at how English is taught, and if new technology can help more people can speak the language confidently.   
    • A £500,000 investment in community-led school linking projects will bring children from different backgrounds together, helping them forge friendships and understand what they have in common. And tougher oversight of home education – including the first-ever mandatory register of children not in school – will ensure no child misses out on the shared values and experiences that bind communities together. 

    This all builds on the £5.8 billion committed to hundreds of areas through the Pride in Place programme, with power put in the hands of local people.  

  • PRESS RELEASE : Government plans new powers to close down charities peddling extremism [March 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Government plans new powers to close down charities peddling extremism [March 2026]

    The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 9 March 2026.

    Powers are in addition to an imminent consultation that will road-test plans to ban leaders who use their positions to promote violence or hatred.

    The Government has announced plans to strengthen the Charity Commission’s powers to close down charities that promote extremism and protect the vast majority of the sector delivering positive work. 

    Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has asked officials to work with the regulator to speed up the process for investigating charities suspected of engaging in extremist behaviour, including strengthening its powers to close them down if needed. This includes processing decisions more quickly and reviewing the appeals process.  

    Further measures under consideration include mandatory trustee ID verification, the digitisation of charity accounts, and a strengthening of local authority powers to issue fines and take other enforcement action to tackle unlicensed street fundraising. 

    The measures are in addition to a new consultation launching shortly, which will road-test plans to automatically ban individuals with a criminal conviction for hate crime from serving as charity trustees or senior managers. It will also consult on plans to strengthen the Commission’s powers to disqualify individuals where there is evidence they have promoted violence or hatred. 

    This work forms part of wider government plans – which will be announced later today – to actively renew the UK’s social contract by promoting national pride, establishing clearer expectations around integration, and taking action to bring communities together. 

    Since October 2023, the Charity Commission has opened over 400 regulatory cases for hate speech, and made around 70 referrals to police where criminal offences may have been committed. 

    The government recognises that robust action is necessary to ensure that those with extremist agendas cannot exploit charitable status and undermine public trust in the sector. 

    Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said:

    Charities are the lifeblood of our communities, and we will not allow extremists to hijack their good name. 

    By giving the Charity Commission the teeth it needs to act fast and decisively, we will close the door on those who exploit charitable status to spread hate, and open a new chapter that gives the sector the protection it deserves.

    This is a vital step in our ongoing work of national renewal and a Britain built for all.

    These measures build on the Civil Society Covenant launched last summer, which is harnessing the collective power that charities play in bringing communities together and supporting Britain’s most vulnerable people. 

    ENDS

    • The Charity Commission regulate charities in England and Wales, to ensure that the public can support charities with confidence.
    • Today, the Government will set out an initial plan to improve social cohesion, recognising how social cohesion in the UK has come under strain from widespread challenges like economic insecurity, foreign interference, migration pressures and extremism. It will set out plans to actively renew the UK’s social contract by promoting national pride, establishing clearer expectations around integration, and taking action to bring communities together.
  • Bridget Phillipson – 2026 Speech at the RISE Inclusion Conference

    Bridget Phillipson – 2026 Speech at the RISE Inclusion Conference

    The speech made by Bridget Phillipson, the Secretary of State for Education, on 9 March 2026.

    Today I want to start by telling you about a child with an inspiring story. 

    His name is Joshua – and he’s a happy boy from Brighton. 

    At age five Joshua was diagnosed with Autism. 

    In his own words, it’s a part of him, but not what defines him. 

    Now his first experience of school wasn’t great. 

    The school wasn’t set up to meet his needs – and so he could only manage 10 minutes in the classroom a day. 

    Too noisy. 

    Too many people. 

    He had to leave the school because it just wasn’t working him – his education was suffering and he wasn’t achieving all he could. 

    That’s when he started at West Blatchington Primary, part of The Pioneer Academy trust – and his path in life changed. 

    Joshua benefitted straight away from the school’s on site SEND unit. 

    He learned how to manage his feelings and build friendships – so that soon he was ready to join his classmates in the mainstream class. 

    He went from barely coming in to being in school all day, every day. 

    Joshua achieved and he thrived – in school and out. He became a Beaver, then a Cub, then a Scout. He’s made lots of friends. 

    And now he’s sharing his story with children across the south east and raising awareness of autism – giving assemblies in 14 different schools. 

    He even gave the keynote speech at the Croydon Inclusion Conference and at the Brighton and Hove Inclusion Conference too. 

    Joshua proudly tells people that he ‘smashed’ his SATs and is now doing well at a mainstream secondary school. 

    He shows what can happen when we get it right for children with SEND. 

    For his primary school’s celebration of 30 years of their SEND unit, Joshua wrote a message of thanks: 

    “West Blatch changed my life and for that I’m eternally grateful.” 

    That’s what we do this for. 

    You’ll have your own stories of success… the children in your schools who you were able to support and who did well. 

    That feeling of having made a difference, there’s nothing like it. 

    The young people like Joshua, living better lives because you were there for them at a crucial time.  

    Thank you, for everything you do for the children of this country. 

    But you’ll know that the system just isn’t set up to meet the needs of most children like Joshua.  

    I’ve spent the last year speaking to teachers about this. 

    And they tell me that the stories of success are despite, not because of, the system we have. 

    Leaders tell me that the system doesn’t deliver success as standard for children with SEND… it usually only comes when your heroic staff go above and beyond. 

    I’ve spoken to parents and carers too. Mams and dads are fed up… 

    not of you and your staff… 

    they know how hard you work, they see your dedication… 

    rather they are fed up of the faceless, soulless system that governs what their child gets and how… 

    support that is not delivered freely but must be fought at every step of the way…  

    support that responds in the first instance not to need but to paperwork. 

    I know it’s a system that frustrates you just as much. 

    You’ll know that parents have had enough of seeing their child underachieve… 

    not through a lack of effort…  

    not through a lack of talent… 

    not through a lack of hard work from staff. 

    But because children with SEND suffer from a system of late support, inconsistent support… 

    support that only exists far away, so that at weekends and during the holidays they have no friends to play with back home. 

    Where is the connection to community in that? 

    Where is the sense that all children belong in our society… when the system sends so many of them away? 

    Children with SEND are being failed because the system we have inherited is not set up for them to succeed in their local school. 

    Not yet anyway. 

    But it will be. 

    I know that for too long, so much has been asked of you – by government, by parents and by society.  

    At times you have become a fourth emergency service, stepping up when wider services fail. 

    And I want to thank you and your staff for that, for going above and beyond, again and again. 

    You do it because you care, because you can’t and won’t just look the other way. 

    But you shouldn’t have to fill all these gaps… 

    and I’m determined that you won’t be doing it alone. 

    Under this government we are rebuilding childhood and family services. 

    Our Best Start Family Hubs give parents all the support they need for their child’s early years – and now including support for SEND. 

    We’ve delivered the 30-hours a week of government-funded childcare and begun to turn around the children’s social care system. 

    We’re expanding free school meals, rolling out free breakfast clubs, ending the two-child limit… fighting the disgrace of child poverty. 

    And by 2030, I am deeply proud that this government will have lifted more than half a million children out of relative poverty… and that we will see the largest ever reduction in child poverty in a single parliament. 

    I know change won’t come in full overnight, of course… 

    but over time you’ll see fewer children arriving for their first day of school in nappies… 

    you’ll spend less time supporting children to catch up thanks to early intervention in crucial areas like language… 

    and you’ll no longer be under pressure to run a foodbank as well as a school. 

    This is about providing the right support at the right time, so that when children reach your classroom, they are ready and raring to go. 

    Two weeks ago, building on those strong foundations, I launched this government’s schools white paper, setting a new vision for education in this country… 

    A future in which children grow up together, go to their local school together, achieve and thrive together. 

    A future of high standards and inclusion. 

    A future in which all children with SEND get the rights they deserve… 

    the right to be included in their local schools… 

    the right to enjoy exactly the same high standards and expectations that we have for other children. 

    And, colleagues, we get there through inclusive mainstream. 

    More children educated at a great local school…  

    with their friends, close to their family, a core part of their local community. 

    And to those who say that inclusion in our schools will come at the cost of high standards… 

    I say: you are wrong. The evidence proves it. 

    My department has looked at English and maths GCSE results for children with SEND. 

    And those children do better in mainstream schools than specialist schools. 

    Don’t just take our word for it. 

    Research from the European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education shows that children with SEND in mainstream schools have a better chance of getting a job when they leave. 

    Inclusive mainstream can offer children with SEND the precious opportunity to go on to live a rich and fulfilling adult life. 

    And research also shows that, when they learn alongside their peers… 

    children both with and without SEND tend to do better, both academically and socially. 

    Because inclusion and high standards…  

    it’s not one or the other, it’s both. 

    These are the changes in our schools that I want to work hand-in-hand with you to deliver. 

    A new system of support as standard, layered to meet different needs. 

    Universal for all. 

    And where needs are greater, targeted support through Individual Support Plans. 

    Then specialist provision for children who need it. 

    I ask you to work with us and with your families to run this new system. 

    Establish an inclusion base for children with more complex needs. 

    Draw up an inclusion strategy, show how you’re going to make inclusion a defining strength of your school. 

    Join together with local schools in groups to pool ideas and resources, spreading what works… because the only way we succeed is together, partners in our shared moral mission to make education work for every child. 

    The spirit of collaboration – parents and teachers and support staff, schools and other schools, local services coming together alongside Government. 

    You will be at the centre of this generational change for our children and our country. 

    Your talent. Your dedication. Your expertise. 

    And to see these changes through, I’m backing you… 

    the Chancellor is backing you… 

    with £1.6 billion for an inclusive mainstream fund so you can build inclusion into school life… 

    £3.7 billion to develop inclusion bases, improve accessibility and create new special school places… 

    £200 million to train your staff to deliver for children with SEND. 

    The new Experts at Hand service – in time, a bank of professional support for children… 

    occupational therapists, educational psychologists, speech and language therapists… 

    freed up to support students, not fill out forms… 

    ready to go when need arises, not only after a battle is fought. 

    And our RISE service is here to support you. 

    Our RISE inclusive mainstream offer has already been delivering webinars and setting up national networks for support bases. 

    And we’ll work to grow our offer of support, to guide you through these new reforms, especially by sharing and spreading good practice. 

    You are not alone in this. It’s a shared endeavour. 

    Schools will sit at the centre of a system of support that stretches through childhood and beyond. 

    And I will give you the resources you need to make your schools places of inclusion and excellence for all. 

    But I won’t leave this to chance.  

    Inclusion is no longer a nice-to-have. 

    It’s an essential marker of school performance, and Ofsted have changed their inspections to recognise it.  

    For the first time, inclusion has its own dedicated judgement when Ofsted inspect nurseries, schools and colleges. 

    We’ll highlight what works and multiply it so that all children can benefit. 

    But this isn’t the end of the conversation. We’ve launched a consultation – and I urge you all to get in touch and tell us what you think… have your say on how these reforms should be designed and delivered in practice. 

    We’re asking everyone with a stake to make their voices heard, in service of all the children in our schools. 

    Those children deserve a school system that moves to meet their needs, a system that knows inclusion is a strength, not a weakness. 

    Because the best schools are not those that shut themselves away, offering excellence only to a narrow band of children. 

    The best schools open themselves up to their communities, they offer excellence to all, and they are stronger for it.  

    I want to work with you to spread that into every school in the country, so that every child can benefit… so that Joshua’s experience is no longer the exception, but the norm.  

    Before us we have a once-in-a-generation chance for change. 

    So let’s come together now – members of our shared moral mission – and build a school system that works for each and every child. 

    Thank you.

  • Darren Jones – 2026 Speech on the Public Consultation for Digital ID

    Darren Jones – 2026 Speech on the Public Consultation for Digital ID

    The speech made by Darren Jones, the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, in the House of Commons on 10 March 2026.

    Today the Government are launching a national conversation on how we will build and use digital ID as the means to access public services digitally on a mobile phone or computer.

    Public services are meant to be there at the most important moments of your life: free childcare hours to help your children get a good start in life, getting your passport to go on your first holiday, passing your driving test and getting your first driving licence, asking for help if you lose your job, or receiving your state pension in retirement. But today, as the House knows, it is often too hard for people to get what they need when they need it. The current legacy system of call centres, paperwork and the need for people to tell their story multiple times to different parts of Government, with hours on hold and not knowing where they are in the process, is not good enough. I want to change that, and this Government will.

    In its place, we will build a truly modern Britain where public services work for the citizen, through new digital public services that come together on the gov.uk app, so that help is there when people need it most. To do that, Government need to build the foundations for these new modern public services, and that is exactly what this digital ID system is for. It will be free to access for anyone who wishes to use it, and it will be built on three core principles. First, it must be useful. It needs to be easier than the old telephone and paper-based systems. Secondly, it must be secure. People will have more control over what data they share, and we expect nothing less than the level of security protections provided by banks for online banking services. Thirdly, it must be for everyone. We will not leave people behind, and the Government will help those who are less confident with technology or do not have other forms of ID, such as a passport.

    With a digital ID, citizens will be able to log in to the gov.uk app and then, crucially, prove who they are. But unlike an ordinary login, the digital ID will work across different Departments and services, bringing those all together in one place in the gov.uk app, so that the public can access all the services they need in one place. This is different from building one giant Government IT system—that is not what we are doing. Services will remain on separate IT systems in their relevant Departments, and the NHS app and citizens’ health data will always remain separate, but the gov.uk app and digital ID will, over time, bring all other public services into one app on mobile phones—the front door to modern public services.

    This will not be a new experience for citizens. The public already use these systems every day, from banking to shopping. Other countries are already far ahead of us, from Denmark and Estonia to Australia and India. Britain is having to catch up.

    It is an issue of convenience and efficiency, but it is also one of fairness and equality. We all know who the status quo often favours: those with the resources, the headspace, and perhaps the pointy elbows or the pushiness to get themselves to the front of the queue or allow them to play the system. But public services are meant Toggle showing location ofColumn 182to be there when people need them most, and how the legacy system has sometimes treated people in these stressful or difficult situations is quite frankly an outrage, piling them up with bureaucracy and leaving them without the help they need.

    Who is it who struggles to fill in the forms correctly or lacks the form of ID required? Who are the one in seven people across the UK who do not have a passport? They are often the strivers who are juggling work and caring responsibilities. This Government believe that everybody deserves a fair shot, and it is up to Government to give people support and a leg-up when they need it.

    Today we are launching this national conversation to discuss how we will build and use a digital ID. We want to know where frustrations exist with the current legacy system and which services could be made easier via the gov.uk app. Later today, I will share a prototype of how a digital ID could work that shows how “government by app” could become a reality, joining up different Departments and services so that the public do not have to do the work themselves.

    In the initial stages, the digital ID system will start by making it easier to complete simple administrative tasks, such as proving one’s right to work when starting a job. Other tasks, such as paying car tax, ordering a passport or sorting childcare entitlements, could become part of the same app. I understand that the idea of a digital ID has sparked significant public interest, so I have instructed my Department to ensure that this consultation goes further than any other that the Government have done before.

    As part of the public consultation, which is live right now, we will invite a representative sample of the public at large—from all walks of life and all parts of the country—to form a people’s panel. [Interruption.] That deliberative democracy process will build on our experience of supporting Parliament’s citizens assembly on net zero in the previous Parliament. Working with over 100 citizens, we will debate the difficult questions, find ways forward and build a system that can secure the trust and support of everyone. [Interruption.] To those Members chuntering from a sedentary position about having a conversation with the public, I say, “What do you fear?” This Government are very happy to talk to the public about what we are doing, and I look forward to talking to hon. Members’ constituents if they are selected to be part of the process.

    I understand that this will not be for everyone. I hope that the services we build will be so good that most people will wish to use them, but for those who do not, I want to make sure that help is on hand in their local community. That is why the roll-out of the digital ID will be accompanied by a digital inclusion drive to help people to access and use the services. I do not come to Parliament today with preconceived answers, and we will of course need to ensure that any future scheme is value for money, but I am interested to hear ideas about how we might use the people and buildings we already support through public expenditure to help local communities. We could use local post offices and postal workers, or libraries and jobcentres, to ensure that the majority of people can, if they need to, access digital assistance to use these services. For those who really do not wish to, traditional routes will of course still be made available.

    As right hon. and hon. Members from across the House know, by the end of this Parliament, digital checks to verify someone’s right to work will be mandatory when they start a new job. It is currently a legal requirement for employers to check that a new employee has a legal right to work in the United Kingdom, but the often paper-based approach of photocopying or scanning a passport or utility bills, without further checks, is vulnerable to fraud and does not create a clear record for enforcement agents of when and where checks have been carried out. That is why the Prime Minister has asked for those existing checks to be conducted digitally by the end of this Parliament. It will still be the employer’s responsibility, but employees will be able to choose between using their Government digital ID—as we are setting out today—and using a passport, e-visa or other alternative method. It will be easier and quicker for individuals to demonstrate their right to work. For businesses, it will streamline and reduce the cost of compliance reporting. For the Home Office, it will create a digital audit trail of where checks have been carried out, to support enforcement where checks have not been carried out and to deter those who think that it is too easy to work illegally in the United Kingdom.

    This is quite a technical consultation, but it is also a deeply political one. When the public voted for change they also voted for better public services. That is what Labour Governments at their best are all about: building new and innovative public services to support opportunity for all, rather than for just the privileged few—from the NHS in the 1940s, to the Open University in the 1960s and Sure Start centres in the 2000s. Today we are continuing that proud Labour tradition by building modern, digital public services that extend opportunity and support for people when they need it. This stands in stark contrast to political parties that wish to conserve the unacceptable status quo, or that offer to tear everything down and leave people on their own.

    We want people across Britain to want this system, we want them to be part of it, and we want them to have the opportunity to shape it. This consultation is that opportunity. I look forward to the involvement of Members from across the House and of our constituents. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Makerfield (Josh Simons) for his work on this issue to date, and the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Bury North (Mr Frith), for all the work that he will now do to make this a reality—for which I will take the credit if it goes well, and he the blame if it goes wrong. I commend this statement to the House.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Change of His Majesty’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan – Duncan Norman [March 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Change of His Majesty’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan – Duncan Norman [March 2026]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 2 March 2026.

    Mr Duncan Norman MBE has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Republic of Azerbaijan in succession to Mr Fergus Auld OBE.

    Mr Duncan Norman MBE has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Republic of Azerbaijan in succession to Mr Fergus Auld OBE. Mr Norman will take up his appointment during May 2026.

    Curriculum Vitae

    Full name: Duncan Charles Norman

    YearRole
    2023 to 2024National Security Secretariat, Deputy Director, Joint Funds Unit
    2022 to 2023FCDO, Deputy Director Ukraine Recovery Conference Unit
    2021 to 2022Home Office, Deputy Director, International Criminality Directorate
    2016 to 2021Tirana, Her Majesty’s Ambassador
    2015 to 2016Pre-posting training (including Albanian language training)
    2013 to 2015FCO, Head of Afghanistan Unit
    2010 to 2013FCO, Head of HR Services Unit
    2007 to 2010Dhaka, Deputy Head of Mission
    2006 to 2007Dhaka, First Secretary Political
    2004 to 2006Tortola, British Virgin Islands, Head of the Governor’s Office
    2000 to 2003FCO, Middle East Department
    1998 to 2000Yerevan, Deputy Head of Mission
    1994 to 1997Riyadh, Vice Consul
    1993 to 1994FCO, Research Dept
    1990 to 1993FCO, Finance Dept and Joint Assistance Unit
    1990Joined FCO
  • PRESS RELEASE : Billion-pound helicopter deal secures 3,300 British jobs, boosts battlefield kit and unlocks up to £15 billion in UK exports [March 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Billion-pound helicopter deal secures 3,300 British jobs, boosts battlefield kit and unlocks up to £15 billion in UK exports [March 2026]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 2 March 2026.

    Leonardo UK selected for £1 billion contract for new medium helicopters (NMH) – which could work alongside uncrewed aircraft – to support defence operations around the globe.

    • Leonardo UK selected for £1 billion contract for new medium helicopters (NMH) – which could work alongside uncrewed aircraft – to support defence operations around the globe. 
    • Upgraded deal makes Yeovil the global centre for Leonardo’s military helicopter production and exports, and sets up the UK as a leader for uncrewed and autonomous systems, a key frontier technology in the government’s Defence Industrial Strategy.  
    • International orders for Leonardo’s military helicopters built in Yeovil could see over £15 billion in exports over the next 10 years.

    Thousands of skilled British jobs have been secured with a major helicopter deal that will boost the UK Armed Forces’ battlefield kit and makes Britain Leonardo’s global centre for military helicopter production and exports – worth a potential £15 billion over the next decade.   

    The £1 billion deal will also make Yeovil the centre of excellence for military helicopter autonomy, as the Ministry of Defence invests further in Proteus – the UK’s first autonomous uncrewed air system which is built by Leonardo and recently undertook its first flight. The development of uncrewed and autonomous technology in the UK is at the heart of the government’s Defence Industrial Strategy and could offer the opportunity to make platforms such as NMH optionally-crewed. 

    The new deal secured by the Government with Leonardo will provide the UK Armed Forces with 23 new medium-lift helicopters – which could work alongside uncrewed aircraft – and paves the path for future military international orders to be built in the UK, with an increased workshare for the UK above 40%. There are around 20 countries with requirements for new medium-lift helicopters. Together with Leonardo’s other helicopters, international orders for NMH could generate over £15 billion in exports over the next 10 years.  

    The agreement secures the future of the UK’s sovereign helicopter production and Leonardo’s facility in Yeovil, Somerset, sustaining 3,300 jobs. This includes 650 people working directly on NMH and more involved with autonomous systems and providing ongoing support and manufacture of the Merlin and Wildcat helicopter fleets. With a UK supply chain of nearly 70 companies, the programme also secures sovereign defence skills and expertise for decades to come.    

    The deal represents a major investment into the UK’s industrial base – a key pillar of delivery for the Defence Industrial Strategy and other growth driving sectors like Advanced Manufacturing and Digital and Technology.   

    Defence Secretary John Healey MP said:

    This defence investment works for Britain on every level. It strengthens our Armed Forces, secures thousands of skilled British jobs, and sets up big export opportunities. It is a major vote of confidence in British industry, British workers and British innovation.    

    This Government’s broad deal makes Yeovil the proud home of Leonardo’s global military helicopter production, building world-class helicopters for our forces and allies around the world for many years to come.  It backs British jobs and security today and makes the UK a pace-setter in uncrewed, technology and innovation for tomorrow. 

    Chancellor Rachel Reeves said:

    In an uncertain world we are backing Britain’s world‑class defence sector to both keep Britain safe and drive economic growth.

    This historic partnership not only supports British jobs and security today, but positions the UK and its allies at the forefront of the next generation of defence and autonomous systems tomorrow.

    The upgraded deal is the result of the government’s commitment to a new partnership and new ways of working with industry as set out in the Strategic Defence Review and Defence Industrial Strategy – and makes the MOD’s relationship with Leonardo even stronger.   

    In a major backing for Britain, the partnership will see the UK lead the world in helicopter innovation and autonomy, with Leonardo setting up Yeovil as a future centre of excellence for autonomous helicopters. Proteus, which undertook its first flight at the end of January, is being developed to conduct a range of missions, including aspects of anti-submarine warfare.   

    The agreement paves the path for future export orders of the AW149 helicopter to be built in the UK, significantly expanding the UK’s workshare for the aircraft and growing the local workforce in the South West, with a potential to sustain 3,900 jobs – a 20% increase.  

    Nigel Colman, Managing Director of Helicopters UK, Leonardo said:

    We welcome the decision to award the New Medium Helicopter contract to supply medium lift helicopters to the Ministry of Defence, as well as the continued investment in Proteus – our autonomous rotary wing uncrewed air system in development with the Royal Navy. 

    Leonardo is committed to providing the UK Armed Forces with a world-class medium lift helicopter based on our leading AW149 platform that will serve our military personnel for many years to come.   

    The Government’s procurement of the AW149, as well as the continued investment in autonomy, will support more than 3,300 jobs in Yeovil, the Home of British Helicopters, as well as 12,000 across the UK supply chain.

    As the nature of warfare changes, the war in Ukraine has highlighted the continued importance of helicopters on the battlefield – transporting forces, kit and capabilities in complex environments. The NMH is capable of operating in all environments in support of defence operations around the globe, from warfighting to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts.   

    The AW149 NMH will deliver multiple rotary wing requirements using a single aircraft-type. This means that the platform will be able to undertake defence tasks that were previously delivered by three different aircraft types, streamlining our capabilities – improving efficiency and operational flexibility now and in the future.   

    The new deal delivers on the Strategic Defence Review and Defence Industrial Strategy – improving warfighting readiness, strengthening the UK’s defence industrial base, and making defence as an engine for growth. The Ministry of Defence spends nearly £7 billion with the defence industry in the South-West, which supports more than 37,000 jobs.    

    The procurement is backed by the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War – hitting 2.6% of GDP from 2027 with £270 billion this Parliament.