Tag: 2026

  • Sarah Olney – 2026 Speech on the Third Runway at Heathrow Airport

    Sarah Olney – 2026 Speech on the Third Runway at Heathrow Airport

    The speech made by Sarah Olney, the Liberal Democrat MP for Richmond Park, in the House of Commons on 14 May 2026.

    The debate surrounding a third runway at Heathrow has stretched over the past three decades. The Liberal Democrats have long stood by communities who oppose a third runway, arguing that the economic benefits are overstated and the environmental consequences are unavoidable. Although I have always opposed a third runway at Heathrow, the current proposal could not have come at a worse time. The cost of expansion has doubled over the past 10 years, and the addition of nearly 300,000 more flights, which expansion implies, will make our net zero targets almost unachievable.

    It is widely rumoured that even Heathrow Airport Ltd did not believe the timing of expansion to be practical. Despite that, on 29 January 2025, the Chancellor announced her support for a third runway to be built at Heathrow airport. This endorsement was the landmark announcement during her speech on growth; as such, it has a significant amount of political weight behind it. My plea to the Minister is that any decision taken on a third runway at Heathrow should be based on merit and unbiased data, not politics. The decision has an enormous impact on millions of lives, and it must be more than just a signal to investors to compensate for the Government’s economic mismanagement.

    The Chancellor believes that expansion at Heathrow will produce economic growth. Nearly 18 months later, however, the Government have yet to produce their economic analysis to support that assertion, and the figures raised in the Chancellor’s speech on growth were drawn directly from an internal business case prepared for Heathrow airport and have not been independently verified.

    The Department for Transport’s own updated appraisal report from 2017 shows that the net present value of a third runway ranges from just £3.3 billion to minus £2.2 billion. Now it has been admitted that even that figure is a generous estimate, as the DFT’s guidance suggests that international transfer passengers, who are estimated to make up 75% of a projected third runway’s capacity, do not contribute to the UK’s economy. When discounting those passengers, it is estimated that the net present value could be reduced by as much as a further £5.5 billion.

    In addition, the New Economics Foundation asserts that twice as many people fly out of the UK than fly in, thus exporting more money out of our economy. An assessment of the impacts of inbound and outbound tourism flows is currently missing from the economic analysis of aviation’s contribution to the economy. Will the Minister provide reassurance that that research will be conducted and published with the airports national policy statement?

    Heathrow Airport Ltd has cited that the cost of building a third runway will be an eyewatering £49 billion, before factoring in an estimated £100 billion in carbon abatement costs and at least £15 billion of investment on surface access upgrade improvements. Without that upgrade, there will be no way to deliver sufficient passengers to Heathrow to utilise the additional capacity and deliver the supposed economic benefits.

    The Government have said that funding for a third runway at Heathrow will be privately financed. With Heathrow already drowning in over £15 billion-worth of debt, I am not convinced. I would therefore like to ask again, will the Minister provide reassurances that none of the costs associated with building a third runway at Heathrow will be pushed on to the taxpayer?

    Danny Beales (Uxbridge and South Ruislip) (Lab)

    I thank the hon. Member for securing this important debate on an issue that matters to my constituents in Hillingdon, to her constituents and to many constituents across the west London area. As she rightly points out, there have been discussions about the third runway being privately financed, but as she has touched on, there are public sector burdens and costs too, including from the extra pressure on the Elizabeth line, because of the capacity that will be needed, and on the local road network. Does she agree that it is vital when looking at the economic case that possible public sector pressures are fully accounted for in the decision-making process? Does she agree that the Government’s four tests are absolutely vital, and that we need transparency about how those tests will be measured and assessed?

    Sarah Olney

    The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right that we need to see the economic case and to look at it in the round—not just the specific costs associated with building the runway, but all the additional costs associated with operating it at capacity and all the impacts that that will have on Heathrow, along with the whole of London and the south-east.

    The economic argument simply does not stand up to scrutiny, while the social and environmental consequences of a third runway are unavoidable. Communities would be severely impacted by the additional flights that a third runway would bring. It is expected that nearly 325,000 more people will fall within the Department for Transport’s “significantly affected” decibel level measurement. That does not even reference the increased bombardment of noise that houses already impacted by Heathrow’s flights are likely to experience. Not only would that noise disturbance affect people’s everyday lives, whether their sleeping pattern or their ability to work from home, it would have serious physical and mental health repercussions for local residents.

    People living in communities surrounding Heathrow have a 24% higher chance of stroke, a 21% higher chance of heart disease and a 14% higher chance of cardiovascular disease compared with people exposed to low levels of aircraft noise. Will the Minister confirm how many people will be exposed to noise at 45 decibels, the level that the World Health Organisation estimates that health impacts begin? Will the Government commit to setting a minimum acceptable level of noise by which any expansion proposal can be judged? Will the Government also commit to ensuring that there is no increase in night flights? People deserve a full night of undisrupted sleep, and I would be grateful if the Minister could confirm that the Government do not plan to approve anything that would mean more planes fly over households during night hours.

    Yesterday, the Government outlined their plan to introduce the civil aviation Bill in this parliamentary Session. Will the Minister outline a timeline for the introduction of that Bill, and will he explain how the Government can provide communities with reassurances that a third runway will not bring new or extended disruptions when airspace changes are yet even to be drawn up?

    On the environmental argument, it should almost go without saying that adding nearly 300,000 extra flights to our skies each year will have a profound impact on air pollution and climate change. This Government have used wishful thinking in their assertions that sustainable aviation fuel will mitigate the additional pollution from Heathrow expansion. They are yet to provide any evidence that shows how Heathrow can expand while complying with their legal air pollution limits.

    International uncertainty over China’s introduction of their SAF mandate, which accounts for more than 90% of our imported SAF, and challenges to UK-US trade have meant that the UK’s SAF targets, which in themselves would not mitigate pollution from Heathrow expansion, are even more difficult to deliver. The challenges to the UK’s ability to produce and import SAF were underscored by the Climate Change Committee’s report last year, which estimated that only 17% of the UK’s aviation industry will use SAF by 2040. That is 5% lower than the Government’s mandated targets and 8% below the EU’s target. The estimate does not even take into account the additional flights that would come in and out of the UK as a result of the proposed airport expansion.

    Heathrow is already the single biggest source of carbon emissions in the UK, and expansion will add an extra 8 megatonnes to 9 megatonnes of CO2 every year. The Climate Change Committee’s balanced pathway to net zero estimates that aviation will contribute 23 megatonnes of CO2 by 2050. A third runway at Heathrow would increase emissions at the airport alone to 20 megatonnes. Does the Minister still believe that the UK can be compliant with our net zero targets with the expansion of Heathrow airport?

    This Government have repeated that they will honour and respect the Labour party’s four tests, as highlighted by the hon. Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Danny Beales). They are: growth across the country, noise issues to be addressed, air quality to be protected and our climate change objectives to be met. They must be passed before expansion can be approved. As I have just laid out, I do not believe that any of those tests can be passed, let alone all four, but I ask that the Government honour the principle of the tests and do not attempt to circumvent them by using biased data.

    I hope I have underlined the importance of this decision for our economy, environment and local communities. Moreover, I hope that this speech has impressed on the Government that this decision cannot move ahead solely on the basis of political expediency.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Banking reforms to boost investment by billions for British businesses [May 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Banking reforms to boost investment by billions for British businesses [May 2026]

    The press release issued by HM Treasury on 18 May 2026.

    British businesses stand to benefit from billions in fresh financing being unlocked through reforms to the bank ring-fencing regime.

    • Reforms to ring‑fencing to create a more agile and proportionate regime that reduces duplication within banks and removes barriers to lending and investment
    • Proposed New Growth Allowance and wider product range could enable banks to provide up to £80 billion in additional support to businesses, channelling more financing into UK businesses, jobs and the economy
    • Key protections remain unchanged – safeguarding depositors and ensuring the UK banking system stays resilient and secure

    British businesses stand to benefit from billions in fresh financing being unlocked through reforms to the bank ring-fencing regime.

    The reforms will create a more agile and proportionate framework for ring‑fencing that makes it easier for banks to operate efficiently without weakening protections for customers.

    At the heart of the changes is a new Growth Allowance, which will let major banks use a limited portion of their balance sheets more flexibly, potentially unlocking up to £80 billion of additional financing for UK businesses – helping firms invest, expand and create jobs across the country.

    The reforms will also give the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) more flexibility to update and tailor the rules over time. Instead of relying on rigid legislation, more of the detail will sit in regulatory rules, allowing the PRA to adjust them more quickly as the financial system evolves. This will mean the PRA will be able to remove outdated requirements or adapt rules to reflect wider banking reforms.

    Boosting growth across the economy is a top priority of the reforms, with the Treasury seeking to modernise and streamline the regime while removing unnecessary barriers to lending and investment in the UK.

    The package, designed in close collaboration with the Bank of England, will continue to provide strong protections for depositors and ensure stability of the UK’s banking system.

    Set out in a new report – Safeguarding Stability, Enabling Growth – the reforms will be delivered through the forthcoming Enhancing Financial Services Bill and subsequent legislation and form a central plank of the Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy.

    At the heart of the changes is a clear objective for government: to ensure more financing can flow into UK businesses more easily and do so more easily: all while supporting innovation, expansion and higher living standards.

    Economic Secretary to the Treasury and City Minister, Rachel Blake said:

    Where financial systems are inefficient, we will change them. These reforms will ensure more financing flows into UK businesses, and we can support growth and create jobs across the country.

    This will unlock finance for growth while keeping the UK banking system resilient, competitive and fit for the future.

    Alex Depledge, Entrepreneurship Advisor to the Chancellor, said:

    This is exactly the kind of pro‑growth reform the UK needs. Too often, our fastest‑growing firms hit a wall of unnecessary friction just as they start to scale. These changes will unlock more of the capital founders need to keep building in the UK, while maintaining the financial stability that underpins investor confidence. 

    This is about backing ambition, cutting friction, and ensuring our banks can power the next generation of great British businesses to start, scale and stay here.” 

    Ring‑fencing is a key part of the UK’s post‑financial crisis banking reforms, requiring the largest UK banks to separate their core retail services – such as retail and SME deposits and lending – from riskier investment and trading activities. This helps to protect depositors, maintain access to banking services, and support financial stability if shocks occur.

    Through the reforms banks will also be able to offer a broader range of products and services to support firms as they grow, including better hedging tools and greater access to programmes delivered through public financial institutions such as the British Business Bank and National Wealth Fund.

    Maintaining protections and stability for consumers is essential to the reforms – ring‑fenced banks will continue to operate independently from investment banking activities, protecting retail deposits from volatility in global financial markets. The government will consult on the detail of the reforms to ensure protections are maintained while maximising the benefits for growth.

    The government will also ensure the regime remains proportionate over time, including regular reviews of key thresholds and reporting requirements.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Consumer Credit Act reformed to protect consumers and support modern finance [May 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Consumer Credit Act reformed to protect consumers and support modern finance [May 2026]

    The press release issued by HM Treasury on 18 May 2026.

    The government will modernise the Consumer Credit Act for the first time in over 50 years, giving consumers clearer information and firms the flexibility to innovate.

    • Landmark legislation, first passed over 50 years ago, modernised to reflect how people use credit today.
    • Changes will mean consumers will receive clearer information when using credit cards, loans and overdrafts – helping them make smarter financial decisions.
    • Reforms support innovation and growth, giving firms the freedom to develop new products while maintaining strong consumer protections.

    Consumers who take out loans, credit cards or overdrafts are expected to benefit from clearer information about costs and key terms, helping them understand their options and make informed financial decisions – thanks to major reforms announced today (18 May).

    While some updates have been made over the years to the Consumer Credit Act – first passed in 1974 – many of the core rules have not kept pace with the digital financial products and services that millions of people use every day.

    Today’s announcement will be the first step in moving many of the CCA’s detailed, prescriptive requirements out of the legislation and into the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) rulebook – making them easier to update as technology evolves.

    The new regulations will be informed by consumer testing and kept under review as products and technology changes. This should mean that people using credit cards, loans, overdrafts or other borrowing products will benefit from clearer and better-timed information to help them understand their options and manage their finances with confidence.

    The reforms, part of the Financial Services and Markets Bill introduced in the King’s Speech, will make information about credit products clearer, ensuring it genuinely helps people make informed decisions and supports vulnerable consumers who may find jargon more challenging.

    Economic Secretary to the Treasury and City Minister, Rachel Blake said:

    People need to be able to make informed choices when applying for and using credit.

    The Consumer Credit Act was written for a different era – we are creating a flexible regime fit for the digital age.

    Robust consumer protections in the CCA will be maintained to the highest standards and the FCA has a wide range of enforcement powers, including the ability to fine firms that break the rules.

    Firms will benefit from a more flexible framework that allows them to develop new products and use new technology to serve their customers better. Rather than working around rules designed for a world before smartphones and digital banking, businesses will operate under a regime that can adapt as the financial sector continues to innovate.

    Peter Tutton, Director of Policy, Research and Public Affairs, StepChange Debt Charity, said:

    Our thirty years of experience providing free debt advice has shown us just how important clear and usable information about credit agreements is for consumers. What’s more, for those struggling with managing credit repayments, it is vital that consumers can make informed choices about products and know how to seek help when it is required.

    Whilst the Consumer Credit Act contains important and much needed consumer protections, new steps to move communication requirements into FCA rules allows flexibility and a test and learn approach that will offer better outcomes to consumers and reduce harm around debt.

    Chris Woolard CBE, Chair of The Woolard Review and Partner at EY, commented:

    Modernisation of the Consumer Credit Act to support better outcomes for both consumers and firms was a key recommendation of The Woolard Review of the unsecured credit market. These first steps, to enable clearer information and new products, are therefore welcome ones.

    Eric Leenders, Managing Director of Personal Finance, UK Finance:

    UK Finance welcomes the government’s plans to modernise the Consumer Credit Act. Ambitious, forward-looking changes are needed to give consumers clearer, more accessible information, and lenders flexibility to provide new and innovative products. These reforms are an important step towards a simpler, future‑proofed regime with strong consumer protections in an increasingly digital world

    NOTES TO EDITORS:

    • The Government today published a policy statement setting out the final approach to CCA reform, alongside its response to the Phase 1 CCA reform consultation. Both documents are available on GOV.UK
  • Bridget Phillipson – 2026 Speech at the Education World Forum

    Bridget Phillipson – 2026 Speech at the Education World Forum

    The speech made by Bridget Phillipson, the Secretary of State for Education, in London on 18 May 2026.

    Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.

    I’m conscious that today I’m following in the forceful footsteps of one of my predecessors.

    Ellen Wilkinson was the Minister of Education in the post-war Labour government here in the UK.

    And a little over 80 years ago, in November 1945, she addressed a gathering of education leaders, just around the corner from where we meet today.

    Ellen was joined by representatives of 44 nations at the Institute of Civil Engineers on Great George Street – a location chosen mainly out of necessity.

    Many of London’s great large buildings had been damaged during the Second World War. And this was one of the few left standing.

    The war destroyed more than buildings, of course.

    It shattered relationships between nations around the world.

    Elected President of the conference on the first day, Ellen urged those present to help build a new international order of peace and prosperity – with education at its heart.

    She called for the ‘development of all that is best in human nature’.

    And after more than two weeks of discussions between delegates, Ellen then rose to her feet again on the final day of the conference to read aloud the fruits of their labour:

    the constitution of the brand-new UNESCO.

    “The education of humanity…”, she read out, is a “sacred duty which all the nations must fulfil in a spirit of mutual assistance and concern.”

    Politics and economics would not be enough, leaders had decided.

    Education was essential for lasting peace. And with that fresh hope, UNESCO was born.

    A recording of the conference is available online.

    And watching it back today… the black and white video, the crackling audio, the clothes, the hairstyles,

    it feels every bit 80 years old.

    But the words Ellen speaks, they have never been more relevant.

    Because colleagues, we come together at a time of renewed international conflict and upheaval,

    a time when the world is crying out for the kind of empathy, understanding and connection that only education can bring.

    So it is with not just with great pleasure that I welcome you to this year’s Education World Forum,

    but with great urgency too.

    Education must be at the root of our response to the global crises we face, the current that carries us towards a more peaceful and inclusive future.

    So let’s come together around this year’s EWF theme,

    Education for a Shared Future: Peace, Planet, Purpose, and Pathways.

    For us here in England, that shared future is vital.

    And we approach everything we do in education with that deeper sense of purpose,

    because we know that the values that we want for our country tomorrow, those are the values that we build into our education system today.

    Outward facing. Tolerant. Inclusive.

    But the mistake too many leaders make is to believe that that can only come as a trade off against excellence,

    the fallacy that inclusion dilutes high standards in our schools,

    as if excellence is a resource that can run out.

    It comes, I think, from the false belief that academic achievement is only for some children, and not for others.

    For so long this country has been falling into that trap when it comes to children with special educational needs and disabilities.

    Children who need extra help to take part, engage and learn in every phase and type of education.

    The chronic underperformance of these children was met too often not with a shout of outrage but with a sigh of resignation.

    Sad but inevitable, the system had decided.

    And in this country for many years these children have been sidelined, sent to schools far away from home,

    by an approach unable or unwilling to accommodate them in their local school.

    But now that is changing,

    because in this government we see inclusion and high standards as what they are,

    not enemies but friends,

    not in conflict but in concert,

    one strengthening the other.

    We are building a system in which children grow up together, go to their local school together, achieve and thrive together.

    We’re introducing layered support in our schools, to meet a much wider range of needs.

    Universal support available for all children.

    Targeted help through Individual Support Plans.

    And specialist provision for children who need it.

    We’re backing these changes with investment, to make mainstream schools more inclusive:

    £1.6 billion for an inclusive mainstream fund.

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

    £200 million to train staff.

    And a £1.8 billion fund for our ‘Experts at Hand’ service:

    a bank of professionals that schools can call upon to help their students,

    speech and language therapists, educational psychologists, and occupational therapists too.

    And we’re starting early, in the first years of a child’s life, with SEND support available at our new Best Start in Life Family Hubs,

    early identification to get ahead of issues before they spiral.

    Because all children benefit from that inclusive approach, not just children with SEND.

    And our country will benefit too.

    By drawing from a deeper and wider pool of talent, we’ll make our country not just fairer but stronger.

    By sending our children to school together, we’ll make our country not just stronger but kinder.

    Children growing up side-by-side with classmates who have different needs, different ideas, different talents,

    that’s the recipe for a society more welcoming of difference,

    more settled,

    more comfortable with who we are.

    Because we can’t have a strong and inclusive society without a strong and inclusive education system.

    Here in England, we still have far to go in building a truly inclusive education system.

    We’ve been drawing on the wisdom of young people, parents, carers, teachers and professionals through our public consultation, which closes today.

    But the journey continues. And the challenge has only been growing as we’ve seen more and more children with special educational needs and disabilities.

    I know we all approach this topic differently. Some of us will have different definitions, different systems, different responses.

    But overall, I’m sure that many of you are seeing broadly similar trends in your countries. And grappling with similar challenges too.

    We can see it in the research of the Centre for Education Systems.

    Looking at a basket of countries, three trends stand out:

    They’re all trying to be more responsive to need, and less reliant on narrow medical models.

    They’re all trying to wire more support into mainstream education.

    And they’re all finding it challenging to join up support across different services.

    Colleagues, this is a golden chance to work together,

    to bring purpose to our education systems,

    to deliver opportunity for all young people and prosperity for every society.

    So today I am proud to announce that I will convene an International SEND Alliance in 2027,

    a coalition of countries, coming together across a series of summits,

    to chart a common path forward.

    Under a shared mission to deliver opportunity for all children with SEND around the world,

    we’ll meet at international education events hosted right here in the UK across 2027.

    At Bett in January, at EWF here again in May, and at the International Summit on the Teaching Profession too.

    And for these children we will go beyond warm words.

    Our countries will compare experiences, share what works,

    and agree clear action plans that governments can take forward.

    So I urge all countries here today to join us, let’s come together on this shared challenge,

    so we can learn from one another, and build education systems of excellence and inclusion, fit for the 2030s and beyond.

    Every child in every country achieving and thriving.

    Those are the shared values that can unite us as we move towards a more peaceful and prosperous future.

    And our collaboration won’t stop there. We must foster links at every level.

    That’s why I’m delighted that the UK will join the Erasmus+ programme in 2027.

    For learners, it means more chances to study, work and volunteer abroad.

    For teachers, it means more chances to learn from international colleagues.

    And for schools, colleges and universities, it means more opportunities to collaborate across borders.

    Putting people front and centre of our relationship with the EU.

    But Erasmus is about more than the flow of people between our countries.

    It’s about the flow of friendship and opportunity too.

    More than a hundred thousand could benefit in the first year alone, each one a new bond between our nations.

    And this government is going further than ever to promote international collaboration.

    Earlier this year I convened an international summit on generative AI in education.

    Together we discussed the powers and the pitfalls of this radical technology, and we mapped the way ahead.

    That spirit of collaboration is driving our new International Education Strategy.

    It’s all about delivering growth and opportunity, at home and abroad.

    Stronger partnerships between our schools.

    Our colleges.

    Our universities.

    Our countries.

    But to succeed together, those partnerships need strong foundations in the best international evidence.

    We need hard data on what works for teaching and learning across our nations.

    That’s why I’m pleased to announce today that England is rejoining the Teaching and Learning International Survey – conducted by the OECD.

    Armed with comparable data on the teaching profession, we can work together to improve outcomes for young people in classrooms across the world.

    Peace, Planet, Purpose, and Pathways – those are the core themes of our conference.

    For each of them, collaboration is key.

    Here in this country, a big focus of mine has been getting everyone in education to collaborate.

    To deliver a fantastic education for every child, schools must learn from each other, push one other to improve.

    No school is an island.

    And while I’ll concede that in fact some countries are in fact islands, our education systems can’t be.

    As Ellen said, all those years ago:

    ‘It is for us to clear the channels through which may flow from nation to nation the streams of knowledge and thought,

    of truth and beauty which are the foundations of true civilisation.’

    That’s not a task to tick off.

    It’s a promise to keep.

    An ongoing journey that we take together.

    So thank you all so much for coming today,

    for committing to that journey once again,

    and for putting education at the centre of a brighter future for all of us.

    Thank you.

  • PRESS RELEASE : New international alliance to support children with SEND [May 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : New international alliance to support children with SEND [May 2026]

    The press release issued by the Department for Education on 18 May 2026.

    Education Secretary calls on global leaders to join International Alliance to deliver opportunity for all children with SEND.New international alliance to support children with SEND.

    Children and young people with special educational needs were at the forefront of discussions at the launch of the Education World Forum today, as the Education Secretary launched a new International SEND Alliance.

    She called on countries to join a new alliance of nations to share experiences and proven approaches, and agree clear action plans with a shared mission to deliver opportunity for all children with SEND.

    The government has always been clear in its ambition to put inclusion and high standards at the heart of a decade of improvement to education in England, and in Bridget Phillipson’s opening speech, she set out her plan to take this beyond British shores.

    This comes on the final day of the government’s consultation on its own bold reforms for children with SEND – backed by £4 billion to ensure every child gets the right support, in their local school, at the earliest possible stage, without having to fight for it.

    In her speech, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:

    I am proud to announce that I will convene an International SEND Alliance in 2027, a coalition of countries, coming together across a series of summits, to chart a common path forward. 

    Under a shared mission to deliver opportunity for all children with SEND around the world, 

    […] our countries will compare experiences, share what works, and agree clear action plans that governments can take forward. 

    So, I urge all countries here today to join us, let’s come together on this shared challenge, so we can learn from one another, and build education systems of excellence and inclusion, fit for the 2030s and beyond.

    The alliance will meet at major UK-hosted international education events including Bett in January, the next Education World Forum in May, and the International Summit on the Teaching Profession to chart a path forward by learning from one another.

    Already, countries across the world are taking innovative approaches to support children with SEND.

    For example, in Norway, early intervention is written into law – teachers are trained to spot and respond to needs before problems escalate, keeping children who can thrive there in mainstream classrooms.

    Here in England, the Education for All Bill, announced in this week’s King’s Speech, will deliver high-quality education, health and care in every community from 2029 – including a new legal duty to put an Individual Support Plan in place for every child with SEND.

    The Education Secretary continued:

    In this government we see inclusion and high standards as what they are, not enemies but friends, not in conflict but in concert, one strengthening the other. 

    We are building a system in which children grow up together, go to their local school together, achieve and thrive together […] Because all children benefit from that inclusive approach, not just children with SEND.

    And our country will benefit too. By drawing from a deeper and wider pool of talent, we’ll make our country not just fairer but stronger. 

    By sending our children to school together, we’ll make our country not just stronger but kinder […] Because we can’t have a strong and inclusive society without a strong and inclusive education system.

    The new legislation will focus on:

    • Providing early support, strong protections and fairness and ensuring children get the support they need quickly through new legal duties to put an Individual Support Plan (ISP) in place for every child and young person with SEND and National Inclusion Standards.
    • Clearer protections for children with the most complex needs through reformed EHCP processes, Specialist Provision Packages and stronger oversight of Independent Special Schools.
    • Managing a smooth transition to the new system that is centred on fairness through clear transitional protections, including a triple lock to ensure no child loses effective support as the system changes. 

    When a Bill is announced in the King’s Speech, this is confirming the government’s intention to legislate, it is not the introduction of legislation – and the government is clear this process will not get ahead of the development of reforms through its landmark public consultation.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Three Hundreds of Chiltern

    PRESS RELEASE : Three Hundreds of Chiltern

    The press release issued by HM Treasury on 18 May 2026.

    The Chancellor of the Exchequer has this day appointed Joshua Cameron Simons to be Steward and Bailiff of the Three Hundreds of Chiltern.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Youth Justice overhaul to keep streets safer [May 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Youth Justice overhaul to keep streets safer [May 2026]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 18 May 2026.

    Children and young people will get earlier support to steer them away from crime under a major overhaul of the youth justice system unveiled by the Government today (Monday 18 May).

    • Landmark reforms will intervene earlier and stop more young people falling into crime.
    • Parents and carers to face tougher accountability when children offend.
    • New youth intervention courts to tackle repeat offenders.
    • Part of Government action to cut crime and create safer streets.

    Published by the Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, a new Youth Justice White Paper provides the blueprint for earlier intervention, more targeted support, and tackling the root causes of youth crime to create safer communities and fewer victims.

    The announcement comes as figures show eight out of ten prolific offenders committed their first crime as a child, while two-thirds of those released from custody reoffend within a year.

    New measures announced today include piloting new Youth Intervention Courts, which will for the first time bring together judges, youth justice services and specialist support to tackle the drivers of offending and keep young people on track. The courts will also provide intensive supervision and tailored interventions, including health or educational requirements, while closely monitoring compliance to break cycles of repeat reoffending.

    Parents and carers will also face greater responsibility for children who commit crime or cause anti-social behaviour, recognising the vital role families play in reducing reoffending. The Government will strengthen and expand Parenting Orders, which can compel parents or guardians to address their child’s behaviour – including attending counselling or guidance sessions – or face penalties such as fines.

    The move comes after the use of Parenting Orders declined dramatically, from more than 1,000 in 2009/10 to just 33 in 2022/23.

    There will also be a greater emphasis on addressing children who present the highest risk of committing the most serious and violent offences. Ministers will explore strengthening Youth Rehabilitation Orders with intensive supervision and surveillance, allowing electronic monitoring to track their whereabouts alongside robust rehabilitation activity to keep the public safe. However, the Government is clear custody will always remain essential for the most dangerous offenders.

    Crucially, the reforms look to modernise the youth justice system, ensuring it keeps pace with new and emerging risks faced by today’s children including online harms, exploitation and rising vulnerability.

    Further measures set out in the White Paper include:

    • An extra £15.4 million per year investment in the Government’s flagship Turnaround programme to help a further 12,000 children at risk of entering the youth justice system, over the next three years. As of December 2024, just 7% of children who had completed Turnaround interventions had gone on to receive a sentence or caution.
    • Fundamental reform of the youth out-of-court resolution framework, setting out our proposals in autumn 2026.
    • Taking a fundamental look at the function and purpose of criminal courts for child defendants, reporting by August 2027.
    • A commitment to end unnecessary custodial remand for children – slashing its use by 25% this Parliament to ensure children awaiting trial or sentencing are not held unless public protection requires it, backed by £5 million for robust community alternatives.
    • Widening the range of tough community sentences available to the courts and reducing ineffective short custodial sentences – which combined with remand reforms could reduce the youth custodial population by 20%.
    • Consulting on childhood criminal records reform by the end of the year. This will consider potentially ending lifelong disclosure requirements for childhood offences so people aren’t forever held back by mistakes made as children.
    • Delivering on the commitment to create a new child criminal exploitation offence – going after the adults who prey on children and draw them into offending.

    Deputy Prime Minister, David Lammy said:

    Too many young people are being drawn into crime, with devastating consequences for victims, communities and their own futures.

    These reforms lay the foundation to intervene far earlier, support families, and tackle the drivers of offending so fewer young people become trapped in cycles of crime, creating safer streets and fewer victims.

    Minister for Sentencing and Youth Justice, Jake Richards, said:

    Put simply, the youth justice system is not working – not for children, victims and communities blighted by crime.

    These reforms will modernise the system, keep pace with emerging risks and ensure young offenders get the support they need to turn their lives around, while improving public safety.

    The reforms announced today are backed by figures which show more than two-thirds of children released from custody reoffend within a year, but just over one-third of children sentenced to community sentences reoffended.

    In addition, following sustained efforts across the system for many years, the number of children entering the youth justice system has fallen significantly. The result is a far more complex cohort of children, many victims of exploitation and with extensive offending histories including serious offences.

     The White Paper seeks to address this challenge head on – ensuring the youth justice system intervenes earlier, is firmer where necessary, and is consistently focussed on preventing harm.

    Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza said:

    As Children’s Commissioner, I have consistently been clear about the need to reform the youth justice system. We must build an approach that keeps children safe, diverts them from crime wherever possible, and prioritises meaningful behaviour change.

    Education is central to this. It is the most powerful tool we have to prevent offending in the first place, and it remains vital for those in Young Offender Institutions who have already fallen through the cracks. I am therefore pleased to welcome the Youth Justice White Paper published today, and that I have been asked to undertake a review of the education children in YOIs receive, with the aim of improving outcomes and giving these children a better chance for the future.

    Anti-knife crime campaigner and founder of Fazamnesty, Faron Paul, said:

    Fazamnesty welcomes the Government’s proactive approach in the Youth Justice White Paper, which focuses on early intervention, prevention, and support for young people facing growing pressures and exploitation. Prevention is always better than cure. By working together with organisations like Fazamnesty and other community groups, we can help guide young people away from crime and create safer communities for everyone.

    These reforms build on recent Government action to tackle the most serious issues affecting young people including knife crime and violence against women and girls.

    Every child in England and Wales caught carrying a knife will now be given a mandatory specialised plan to stop them reoffending, part of the Government’s commitment to halve knife crime within a decade.

    Meanwhile, the Government’s violence against women and girls strategy seeks to better protect girls from abuse and steer young boys away from harmful misogynistic influences.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Seven-year ban for cleaning director, Philip Walker, who used Atherton scheme and transferred almost £200,000 to new company [May 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Seven-year ban for cleaning director, Philip Walker, who used Atherton scheme and transferred almost £200,000 to new company [May 2026]

    The press release issued by the Insolvency Service on 18 May 2026.

    • Philip Walker used the Atherton scheme to walk away from more than half a million pounds of debt owed by his cleaning company
    • He made net payments of almost £200,000 from his insolvent business into a new company he controlled, knowing Solus Facilities Limited could not pay its creditors
    • Walker has been disqualified as a company director for seven years following Insolvency Service investigations into users of the scheme

    A cleaning boss has been banned as a company director after transferring almost £200,000 out of his insolvent business into his new company.

    Leicestershire-based Philip Walker was the director of Solus Facilities Limited, a company providing cleaning services for restaurants.

    However, by April 2023, the company was in financial difficulty, and unable to pay its debts.

    Instead of following standard insolvency procedures, the 44-year-old used the Atherton scheme to avoid paying his debts, leaving creditors more than half a million pounds out of pocket.

    Atherton was advertised as a corporate rescue service where directors of distressed companies were encouraged to sell their businesses as an “alternative” to entering formal insolvency proceedings such as liquidation.

    Walker paid Atherton Corporate (UK) Ltd £16,500 in three instalments across the summer of 2023 for it to purchase Solus Facilities Limited’s liabilities.

    During this period, Walker also set up a new phoenix company, Carbon White Group Ltd, of which he was director.

    Solus Facilities Limited did not trade after Walker resigned as director and was replaced by Karen Mortimer, one of Atherton’s main enablers, in December 2023.

    Despite this, Walker accessed the company’s account, making net payments of £198,100 to Carbon White Group Ltd between November 2023 and January 2024 when he knew that Solus Facilities Limited was insolvent.

    Solus Facilities Limited went into liquidation in September 2024 owing creditors £513,090.

    Walker, of Wykes Close, Quorn, has been disqualified as a company director for seven years.

    Dave Magrath, Director of Investigation and Enforcement Services at the Insolvency Service, said:

    Philip Walker made payments to his new company when he knew his former business had no reasonable prospect of avoiding liquidation, leaving creditors seriously out of pocket.

    Indeed, many of these transfers were made when Walker had resigned as a director of Solus Facilities Limited yet was still accessing the company’s bank account.

    These actions are deeply damaging to creditors and are completely unacceptable. Those who deliberately use companies repeatedly to avoid debts – known as abusive phoenixism – should be in no doubt that we will pursue them using all the enforcement tools at our disposal.

    Mortimer, 67, was disqualified as a company director for seven years having put the creditors of 138 companies at risk of financial loss after taking control of businesses referred to her by Atherton Corporate UK (Ltd) and Atherton Corporate Rescue Limited.

    Her sister Joanna Seawright, 55, also received a seven-year ban for her role in the Atherton scheme.

    Atherton enabler Neville Taylor, 59, was disqualified as a company director for nine years in January 2025.

    Suzanne Harley-Davies, 68, who failed to ensure her Atherton-linked companies operated for legitimate corporate purposes, was banned for four years in May this year.

    Atherton Corporate (UK) Ltd and Atherton Corporate Rescue Limited, along with five companies which enabled the running of the scheme, were wound-up in the public interest in the summer of 2024.

    Four more companies which formed part of the Atherton scheme – Atherton Corporate Partners LLP, Jones & Harlington Ltd, TYA GRP Ltd and TYA Two GRP Ltd – went into compulsory liquidation in early 2026 after Insolvency Service investigations.

    Criminal investigations into the Atherton scheme remain ongoing. Six search warrants have been executed across the UK in the last three months with the support of the police.

    The Secretary of State for Business and Trade accepted a disqualification undertaking from Walker, and his ban started on Friday 15 May.

    It prevents him from being involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company, without the permission of the court.

    Further information

    • Philip Walker is of Wykes Close, Quorn, Leicestershire. His date of birth is 10 November 1981
    • Solus Facilities Limited (company number 09796369)
  • PRESS RELEASE : UK Armed Forces salute 250 years of American independence with US celebrations [May 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : UK Armed Forces salute 250 years of American independence with US celebrations [May 2026]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 18 May 2026.

    • The Red Arrows will tour the United States this summer to support the UK’s closest ally as it celebrates 250 years of independence
    • The iconic team will appear at 13 events across seven states this summer
    • Royal Navy ships will attend celebrations in New Orleans and New York

    The UK Armed Forces will visit the United States to mark 250 years of American independence with a series of high-profile celebrations across the US this summer.

    At the heart of the celebrations, the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team – widely known as the Red Arrows – will lead the UK’s contribution with a showcase tour spanning one month.

    Royal Navy ships will visit New Orleans later this month and attend the US Navy’s International Naval Review 250 in the port of New York and New Jersey in July.

    The Band of His Majesty’s Royal Marines will also travel to the United States to perform at the celebrations and celebrate the close military relationship.

    Defence Minister Lord Coaker said:

    I offer our sincere congratulations to the United States as it celebrates 250 years of independence. The defence relationship between our nations is built on unparalleled trust, professionalism and shared purpose.

    British and American forces have served together with distinction for generations, and our alliance remains vital to the security of our countries and our allies around the world.

    The Red Arrows will deliver a series of spectacular displays at 13 events across New York, Washington, Wisconsin, Maine, Maryland and Michigan between 27 June and 26 July, commemorating the anniversary.

    On 4 July – Independence Day – the world-famous red jets will take part in a major international flypast over New York, performing in front of crowds expected to reach tens of thousands. Additional flypasts are set to be confirmed as part of the programme.

    The visit will highlight and celebrate the enduring and close partnership between the United Kingdom and the United States – its strongest and closest security ally.

    The Red Arrows will also appear at events across the United Kingdom before and after their visit to the USA.

    Air Officer Commanding No. 1 Group, Air Vice-Marshal Mark Jackson, said:

    We’re honoured to accept the US military’s invitation for the Red Arrows to participate in these special July 4 events in the country’s 250th year.

    The Royal Air Force has a long, proud history of working side-by-side with the Armed Forces of the United States, whether that be on operations and exercises or by joining with other allies as part of NATO.

    I hope the Red Arrows’ trademark combination of close formation flying, speed and world-class precision will excite and inspire the hundreds of thousands of people attending these shows.

    Officer Commanding the Red Arrows Wing Commander Sasha Nash said:

    The whole Red Arrows team are greatly looking forward to visiting the United States – the tour is a fantastic opportunity to display the best of British, at significant events and occasions marking the 250th anniversary, alongside friends, allies and international counterparts.

    The UK-US alliance remains central to the UK’s NATO-first approach to defence. For more than a century, British and American forces have operated side-by-side in some of history’s most significant conflicts and security operations.

    From the beaches of Normandy during the Second World War to joint operations in the Middle East and ongoing cooperation through NATO, this partnership has remained steadfast – playing a crucial role in maintaining global stability.

    Today, the UK and the US continue to share one of the closest defence relationships in the world, underpinned by deep intelligence cooperation, integrated military planning, joint exercises, advanced defence technology collaboration and shared strategic objectives.

  • John Slinger – 2026 Speech on Getting Britain Working Again

    John Slinger – 2026 Speech on Getting Britain Working Again

    The speech made by John Slinger, the Labour MP for Rugby, in the House of Commons on 14 May 2026.

    I do not know if colleagues noticed, but a lot of rhetoric and rumours have been flying around Westminster recently. MPs have been huddled in the Tea Room and the corridors, whispering feverishly—tensions are high. After all the anticipation and the angst, today was the day. Rumour became reality.

    Members will have guessed it: today it was announced that, for the start of 2026, we had the fastest GDP per capita growth in four years. In Q1, the UK’s growth was the fastest of six G7 nations for which we have data. Reports of the economy being in demise under the stewardship of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer have been greatly exaggerated, as have reports of the political demise of my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister. Today’s good economic news matters for my constituents in Rugby. Economic growth matters for jobs and public services, for tackling the cost of living and much more.

    The Labour party is aptly named: labour, work. It is a party founded to represent working people in this House of Commons. We want people to work, and we are doing much to help people find work, to help people who face challenges of all kinds to get into work, to ensure that all have dignity when they are in work, to help them navigate a rapidly changing world of work and to ensure compassion and support for those who cannot work but who can still contribute and lead fulfilling lives. Because we are Labour we believe in an active state, not in the laissez-faire approach of the Conservatives or the money-from-who-knows-where approach of Reform UK. We believe in work.

    It is easy for people in here and for people outside to assume things about someone’s professional and work background. Even I have made that mistake. After reading the Reform UK leaflets that came through my door about the local elections, emblazoned with the face of the hon. Member for Clacton (Nigel Farage), I made the schoolboy error of thinking that, given his mythical status as a man of the people, his work background was varied, perhaps even working class. It turns out that this tribune of the people was a commodities trader in the City of London—nothing wrong with that.

    I would not want hon. Members to assume anything about my professional background. To misquote President Reagen in 1984, I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponents’ inexperience in blue collar jobs. My career has been varied. I did a paper round, I have been a gardener, I have done farmwork, I worked in a cinema, and I share with the Leader of the Opposition the fact that I worked in a McDonald’s restaurant for several years, although not the same one as her. I have been a waiter and a bartender, I was a hospital porter for two years, and I even worked here 20 years ago for Labour MPs. However, I have spent most of my career in the private sector in strategic communications consultancy.

    I say that because all jobs are important. All add value—public or private, blue or white collar, full time or part time. From our teenage years, they teach us that our labour is valuable and that we can benefit not only ourselves but the wider community. Members across the House will know that I have spoken many times about engaging young people and ensuring they have the best start in life. That has been a core tenet of my philosophy as an MP, and I am pleased to see it reflected in the King’s Speech, with policies that give young people more freedom, more opportunity and more hope, because building the foundations of a young life through work helps us strengthen the foundations of our country.

    In the Prime Minister’s much analysed speech on Monday, he described a vision to relentlessly pursue opportunities for our young people, promising a closer relationship with Europe, where young people can benefit from the Erasmus+ scheme and a new youth experience programme, which I strongly commend. He placed an even greater emphasis on young people: we will invest in apprenticeships, technical excellence colleges and a guaranteed offer of a job, training or work placement for every young person. Those measures will be brought forward in Bills announced in the King’s Speech.

    I welcome this Government’s laser focus on getting Britain working because, sadly, the latest official statistics make for depressing reading. They show that nearly 1 million 16 to 24-year-olds are not in education, employment or training. I want to see that figure come down, as I am sure all Members do. Not only does this situation rob young people of opportunity; it also risks condemning them to a life of inactivity, reliant on the state for their needs. That is unfair both to them and to the rest of the tax-paying population. The costs are borne by the individual, too. Analysis suggests that someone who is long-term unemployed loses around £1 million in lifetime earnings, which is absolutely shocking.

    Make no mistake, Madam Deputy Speaker: the scale of the problem is a direct consequence of 14 years of Tory rule. Under their watch, the number of 16 to 24-year-olds who are not in education, employment or training rose from 673,000 to 921,000. Shamefully, young people were written off, while the enormous benefits bill continued to grow. The Green party attracts those who are disillusioned with the status quo, but it offers no concrete pathways into work or training. I cannot see Reform offering anything substantial either, apart from Orwellian, un-British slogans about “remoralising” our youth. Young people do not need their morals recalibrated by that party or any other.

    Young people already have the initiative and the talent; they just need to be encouraged and helped. The Bills and measures announced in the King’s Speech will do just that and go beyond what this Government have already achieved to tackle the national scandal of young people being written off: the youth guarantee, backed by £820 million of new funding; hundreds of thousands of new training and work experience placements; and a new jobs guarantee that fully subsidises six months of paid employment for 18 to 21-year-olds who are long-term unemployed and on universal credit. Alan Milburn’s review seeks to dig deeper into this issue, and I have been in touch with him to contribute to the much-needed work he is conducting with the Secretary of State.

    I have previously spoken in Parliament about driving job creation for young people. I have visited Rugby College in my constituency and met with Intec Business Colleges, and I am campaigning for a youth hub that will offer employment advice and wellbeing support. I recently supported Jobcentre Plus and the DWP in organising a well-attended jobs fair in Rugby. I want to do all I can to help everyone right across my constituency into work.

    However, young people need more attention, resources and empowerment. They and their needs must be elevated in the decision-making process and the lawmaking process, as we govern more widely, and among other stakeholders in society. To co-ordinate that, I hope the Government will consider going further by appointing a youth commissioner, or even better, a dedicated Cabinet Minister for young people and the future generations. Such a role would scrutinise the work of Government, so that the benefits and trade-offs are assessed against the needs of young people and the future generations, ensuring that every decision takes their future into account. Their demographic is too often overlooked, but the legislation set out in the King’s Speech offers the Government an opportunity to give young people a genuine voice.

    Since January last year, I have been making the case for what I call a youth triple lock—a commitment to protecting and expanding the opportunities for young people in the same way that we protect pensioners. That idea is also supported by my hon. Friend the Member for York Outer (Mr Charters). It could include free bus travel, increasing maintenance loans above inflation or a voucher scheme for constructive activities—answers on a postcard.

    Before I draw my remarks to a conclusion, I want to pay tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for Jarrow and Gateshead East (Kate Osborne) for her moving words about her autism diagnosis. I am sure it is a difficult thing to speak publicly about.

    The Government should take this moment, and be bold in their approach. The Prime Minister set out on Monday that we can no longer continue with the status quo, or go back to the status quo ante, and that we must bring urgency to everything we do. I am glad we have a Chancellor, a Prime Minister, a Government and a parliamentary Labour party committed to ensuring that young people are empowered to become the architects and owners of the future, not merely tenants of one built by others. This is work in progress. This King’s Speech shows that Labour is the party of work, and we are making progress.