The statement made by Jeremy Corbyn on 15 June 2026.
Today’s ruling to uphold the UK government’s proscription of Palestine Action is a travesty of justice.
One by one, the very foundations of our democracy are being destroyed — all to oil the wheels of British complicity in genocide.
Our government has participated in the mass murder of Palestinians. That is the real crime, and we must bring about justice.
The statement made by Pat McFadden, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in the House of Commons on 9 June 2026.
Earlier this year, I updated the House on progress to deliver the jobs guarantee. Since then, phase 1 of the jobs guarantee has started in six areas of the country, with the first young people now in work. We announced the delivery partners for phase 1 in April, and they can be seen here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/jobs-guarantee
I am grateful to these organisations for working with us at pace to achieve the first job starts in May. Many more young people will enter work through phase 1 of the jobs guarantee over the coming months.
Today, I am pleased to announce that the application window to identify delivery partners for the national roll-out of the jobs guarantee is now open as we prepare to deliver the jobs guarantee across Great Britain.
The jobs guarantee is a central part of the youth guarantee, supporting young people to earn, learn and move into sustained employment. It responds to a long-standing challenge: too many young people spending the early years of adulthood out of work or education.
In March 2026, the Government announced an additional £1 billion investment in employment and skills support over the spending review, taking total investment in the youth guarantee and growth and skills levy to £2.5 billion over three years.
As we build on this progress and roll out the jobs guarantee nationally, the scheme will be open to all eligible 18 to 24-year-olds who have been claiming universal credit and looking for work for 18 months. It will provide them with a guaranteed, fully subsidised six-month paid job. This will include wraparound employability and in-work support to help participants succeed in their roles. The aim is to support young people in taking that crucial first step into sustained employment. Once rolled out, the jobs guarantee is expected to support up to 90,000 young people into paid employment across Great Britain over the next three years.
The Department for Work and Pensions will award multi-year grants to selected delivery organisations, which will deliver the jobs guarantee in local areas. Successful applicants will bring their experience of the local labour market to source suitable jobs and match young people to roles. They will also use their expertise to provide ongoing support to young people while they are on the scheme.
The grant application window is now open and will run for five weeks, from 9 June to 13 July 2026. Applications are open to organisations with the capability and local expertise to deliver opportunities for young people. I encourage applications from any organisation interested in working with us to deliver the scheme.
This national roll-out marks a significant step in delivering our commitment to every young person that they have the opportunity to succeed.
![PRESS RELEASE : UN Human Rights Council 62 – UK Statement for the Enhanced Interactive Dialogue with the UN Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan [June 2026]](https://www.ukpol.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/newfco-150x150.png)
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 15 June 2026.
UK Statement for the Enhanced Interactive Dialogue with the UN Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan. Delivered by the UK’s Permanent Representative to the WTO and UN, Kumar Iyer.
Mr President,
The UK thanks the Fact-Finding Mission for its harrowing update. It is deplorable that as the conflict enters its fourth year, such grave violations and abuses of human rights continue unabated.
Mr President, we are deeply alarmed by what we have heard today. Systematic arbitrary detention and torture devastate civilian lives. Rape and other forms of sexual violence are abhorrent and must end. Survivors must be supported and those responsible held to account. Let us be clear: sexual violence must never be used as a tactic of war.
The expanding use of drones is intensifying humanitarian need, with over 880 civilians reportedly killed by drone strikes this year alone. We deplore the continued targeting of civilian infrastructure, including schools, markets, and hospitals.
We call on the Sudanese Armed Forces, the Rapid Support Forces and their allies to comply fully with their obligations under international humanitarian law, enable safe, rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access and end the fighting.
We welcome the continued cooperation between the UN Fact-Finding Mission and the AU Fact-Finding Mission, including the Banjul Declaration. Together, their efforts are critical for ending the cycle of impunity and building the foundations of peaceful future for the people of Sudan.
Thank you.
The speech made by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, on 15 June 2026.
Good morning.
Now before I start on social media…
I want first to welcome the breakthrough reached last night between the US and Iran…
And I congratulate President Trump, the mediators from Pakistan and Qatar, and all those involved.
This is a hugely significant moment.
We have long called for deescalation.
And it is vital that all parties seize this opportunity…
To secure stability in the region…
And restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz…
Which, in turn will ease the economic pressures felt by people here in the United Kingdom and around the world.
We will now work closely with our partners to support this agreement…
And to ensure it turns into a durable, lasting peace.
****
Now turning to social media…
And can I say how great it is to see so many people here…
Who played such a key role in the consultation.
And you know – some people are dismissive of processes like this.
But policymaking that doesn’t listen very carefully to the voices of those it seeks to serve…
That is not how this Government carries out its business.
And so, I just want to thank you for the role that you have all played…
And indeed – I want to thank all the people who have campaigned so courageously on this issue…
Including those who have done so after suffering terrible tragedy or loss…
Thank you.
Because today is a big moment for our country.
This is a big step…
Real change for our children and our future.
Because today – I can announce…
That the Government will ban access to social media…
For all children under the age of sixteen.
This is not something I do lightly.
And I will not present it as cost-free…
As if social media has brought no benefits to young people…
Because clearly that is wrong.
But Government is always about choices.
And its clear to me that a full ban is the right choice.
Now I come to it as a parent myself…
I know exactly the fears that we all feel when we’re thinking about this issue.
You know, all I have ever wanted for my own children, hand on heart…
Is for them to be happy and for them to be safe.
And I think that’s what any parent wants.
But I ask the question now…
Do we truly believe that social media creates a happy environment for our children?
Do we truly believe that it’s a place where they can feel safe?
I don’t think I even need to answer those questions – do I?
Every parent can see it with their own eyes…
Social media is making children unhappy.
It’s making it easier for bullies to harass and abuse them…
And it could even be harming their mental health.
Exposing them to content that is dangerous…
Because that’s what grabs the attention.
It’s designed to be addictive – of course it is.
Features like the infinite scroll…
They’re designed to lock you in for hours.
And if nothing else, there’s an opportunity cost to that.
It stops children doing their homework…
Reading…
Playing with their friends outside…
Going to bed at a decent hour.
Now that may not sound like much…
But these are the activities that help a child develop into an adult…
We know how important they are.
We just never thought that something would come along to threaten them.
To be honest – I feel for this generation.
I think back to my own childhood – and yes, the early 1970s weren’t always a picnic.
But we didn’t have to deal with anything like this…
A technology that intrudes into every corner of a life…
Almost impossible to escape…
That records every mistake.
To deal with that, as a teenager…
On top of everything else…
That’s hard.
I feel for parents too.
I mean as a parent you always want to make the right choice for your child …
Which can face a little resistance in the teenage years…
Believe you me!
But parents just want to do the best for their kids…
In a way that’s what being a parent means.
But in this world, with this technology…
It is hard as a parent to know what to do.
And so, I think most parents will welcome this action…
I think they will welcome a clear and decisive choice…
And they will welcome a Government that stands by them…
That supports them to do the best for their children…
And that fights, for their happiness and safety…
Against the most powerful companies in the world.
Because this could be a fight – and to this point it has been a fight.
But it doesn’t have to be – I always prefer the politics of partnership…
And I fundamentally believe that we must harness the power of technology…
To build a stronger, fairer Britain.
But we must also protect our children.
And so, I want this message to be heard loud and clear…
I am not prepared to compromise…
On the safety and happiness of our children…
That is why this ban must happen…
That is why this ban will happen.
But it won’t be easy.
I mean some technology companies want us to think that social media is unchangeable…
Part of an almost natural order…
But we have to resist that kind of learned helplessness…
We have agency…
We can change it and we will.
Yes, it’s hard.
Hard to legislate for…
Hard to regulate…
Hard to enforce.
That’s why we’ve sought a wide range of views on this…
That’s why we’ve listened to people…
Had a conversation…
We’ve looked carefully at the evidence…
Learnt from countries, like Australia, that are taking similar steps
And we’re not just bringing forward a ban…
We’re going further.
We’re taking world-leading action on gaming services and livestreaming platforms…
Where, at the moment, strangers can contact any child unchecked.
Just think about that…
Is there a situation in the offline world…
Where you would just let your child pair up…
With a stranger…
An adult that you don’t know anything about?
No – so we’re taking action on that.
And look – we know perfectly well…
That we will have to adapt our approach as technology changes.
But, building on our experience with the Online Safety act…
We do have an understanding of how to apply age verification.
And because of powers we took in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act…
We can now move at pace…
And crucially – we can adapt as technology changes…
We have those powers.
So we are ready and confident that this ban can be effective.
Now – will it mean that no child ever logs onto social media again…
No.
But look – this might shock you – but it doesn’t shock parents of teenagers…
They get around other laws too!
But we don’t say – oh, look a teenager managed to
get a drink somehow…
So let’s not bother banning alcohol sales to children –
We don’t do that do we?
That would be utterly ridiculous.
And so, I just don’t accept that argument.
Laws are rules…
But they are also an expression of our values…
They shape the social contract.
And so this will change the conversations that parents have…
And the expectations of children, over time…
It will make a huge difference.
It will make our children safer.
It will make our children happier.
It will give them more time, more security,
more freedom to grow up…
More opportunity.
And that, at the end of the day is what this Government is about.
It is why so many of the investments that we’ve made…
Are about supporting children and young people.
In childcare…
New nurseries,
Family hubs…
Apprenticeships…
Tackling child poverty…
Mental health support…
Technical Colleges…
In a youth guarantee for young people struggling to find work.
And today – it’s exactly the same approach…
Now this isn’t just about taking something away…
Because we’re also investing in music, culture, art, sport…
All those activities that we know are so important to childhood…
Particularly for children who do not usually get
those opportunities.
So when you put all this together…
These policies are not just fixes for our problem…
They are the building blocks of a different Britain altogether…
One where we know that our children are safe, happy and secure…
To go as far as their talent and their effort will take them.
That is all any parent wants…
They want to know that Britain will be better for their children…
that they will get a fair chance…
And that’s what these changes are about…
Restoring that hope for every family…
A stronger Britain…
A fairer Britain…
And above all…
A Britain where we invest in the future of every single child.
That is why we are taking this step…
And it is the right step for Britain.
Thank you very much.
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 15 June 2026.
Mr Peter Vowles has been appointed British High Commissioner to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in succession to Dr Richard Montgomery CMG.
Mr Vowles will take up his appointment during September 2026.
Full name: Peter Vowles
| 2023 to present | Harare, HM Ambassador | |
| 2022 to 2023 | FCDO, Transformation Director | |
| 2021 to 2022 | Yangon, HM Ambassador | |
| 2018 to 2021 | DFID, Director, Asia, Caribbean and Overseas Territories | |
| 2016 to 2018 | Kenya, DFID Country Director | |
| 2013 to 2016 | DFID, Head of Programme Delivery | |
| 2010 to 2013 | Democratic Republic of Congo, Deputy DFID Country Director | |
| 2007 to 2010 | India, Head of Global Partnerships | |
| 2006 to 2007 | Afghanistan, Governance and Security Team Leader | |
| 2006 | Joined DFID | |
| 2005 to 2006 | Mott MacDonald, Health and Development Consultant | |
| 2003 to 2005 | Bangladesh, Population and Health Programme Director | |
| 2002 to 2003 | Bangladesh, World Bank Health Adviser | |
| 2000 to 2002 | National Health Service, Management Training Scheme | |
| 1999 to 2000 | Raleigh International, Head of Projects | |
| 1996 to 1999 | Zimbabwe, Policy and Programme Manager, Students Partnership Worldwide | |
| 1992 to 1993 | Zimbabwe, Teacher, Ministry of Education Sports and Culture |
The comments made by Liz Kendall, the Technology Secretary, on 15 June 2026.
Today we take a bold and significant step, towards creating a safer, healthier life online, for our children and future generations.
Tech companies have had countless opportunities to keep children safe, yet they have failed to act. That is why we are a taking power away from the tech giants and putting it back in parents’ hands.
My driving force has always been to give every child, from every background, the best possible start in life. That is what these regulations will deliver.
The comments made by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, on 15 June 2026.
Parents want to keep their kids safe and happy, but the online world has made that harder than ever.
I’ve heard first hand from families crying out for change and we will do right by them.
That’s why we’re going further than any country in the world by banning social media for under-16s and putting wider protections in place to give kids their childhood back.
This is a line in the sand. Tech giants had their chance and failed, but we’re stepping in to protect children, back parents and set a new normal for future generations.
![PRESS RELEASE : Social media to be banned for under-16s in landmark government move to give kids their childhood back [June 2026]](https://www.ukpol.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/science-150x150.png)
The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 15 June 2026.
Social media platforms to be blocked from offering services to under-16s, marking a line in the sand and setting a new normal for future generations.
Children will be given back their childhoods thanks to government action to ban social media platforms from offering services to under-16s, with less time for scrolling and more time for play.
The plans will set a new normal for future generations, kickstarting a cultural shift and driving forward the government’s fight to give every child the best start in life.
The government plans to use the same model for a social media ban as Australia. This would capture user-to-user platforms, whose purpose is to enable social interaction and which allow users to post material, alongside algorithms. The ban will therefore include platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X. We do not intend for messaging services like WhatsApp and Signal to be included in the social media ban.
In a move to protect children online and address the scale of the challenge, the government will also go further than a blanket ban on social media with world-leading blocks on harmful functions such as livestreaming and stranger communication with children for under-16s. These restrictions – which together with the ban go further than any other country – will apply to a wider range of online services, including on gaming sites.
Restrictions on these functionalities will also be on by default for under 16- and 17-year-olds to prevent a cliff-edge at 16. The government will also be looking in more detail at overnight curfews and breaks in infinite scrolling for under-18-year-olds and will set out more detail in July.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:
Parents want to keep their kids safe and happy, but the online world has made that harder than ever.
I’ve heard first hand from families crying out for change and we will do right by them.
That’s why we’re going further than any country in the world by banning social media for under-16s and putting wider protections in place to give kids their childhood back.
This is a line in the sand. Tech giants had their chance and failed, but we’re stepping in to protect children, back parents and set a new normal for future generations.
So-called AI ‘romantic companion’ chatbots – designed to simulate sexual relationships or roleplay with users – will have to enforce a minimum age of 18. Similar intimate functionalities will be restricted for under-18s on AI chatbots more widely.
Taken together, these measures will mean a much more comprehensive model than just a blanket ban on social media — one that responds to how children experience harm online, rather than just where it happens.
The changes will back parents grappling with the risks for children that come from the online world and help empower them by providing a clear decision on what is safe and age-appropriate for children.
This is a decisive first step by the government which marks a clear choice to put children’s wellbeing first and give them a healthy life online. We stand ready to take further measures in the future.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said:
Today we take a bold and significant step, towards creating a safer, healthier life online, for our children and future generations.
Tech companies have had countless opportunities to keep children safe, yet they have failed to act. That is why we are a taking power away from the tech giants and putting it back in parents’ hands.
My driving force has always been to give every child, from every background, the best possible start in life. That is what these regulations will deliver.
The government will also learn the lessons from Australia’s experience by introducing more highly effective age assurance (HEAA) measures to support compliance, making it far harder for children to bypass safeguards.
Ofcom will conduct a rapid study on what is effective age assurance for verifying whether someone is over 16. The Secretary of State has also written to the new Chair of Ofcom to ask for an urgent review of Ofcom’s enforcement capabilities with a clear enforcement strategy to be published as soon as possible.
In her letter, the Secretary of State confirmed the government will ensure Ofcom has the funding it needs to carry out its new responsibilities – as well as continue its vital work to enforce the existing provisions of the Online Safety Act, including protecting women and girls online, tackling harmful content that puts vulnerable people at risk, and taking action against serious illegal activity such as child sexual abuse material and online fraud and scams.
Today’s announcement follows one of the biggest national conversations held by this government, with more than 116,000 responses submitted by parents, children and experts across the country. The responses showed overwhelming public backing for tougher action. 9 in 10 parents said they would support a social media ban for children under 16.
The majority of young people also backed action, with two-thirds agreeing that children younger than 16 should not be allowed to use at least some social media platforms.
On social media services, real-time content makes harmful material harder to moderate, and algorithmic feeds can intensify exposure to dangerous, distressing or overly engaging material.
Parents rightly expect government to take action as quickly as possible, which is why the government has already taken powers through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act to act fast — using secondary legislation to introduce targeted protections without needing to wait to bring in a whole new Act. This means the first set of regulations could be in effect in Spring 2027.
Today’s action builds on the government’s work to date to go further and faster to protect children online and fight for their wellbeing. Last week, the Prime Minister challenged tech companies so that Britain will be the first country in the world to make it impossible for children to take, share or view nude images – with a 3-month deadline to make meaningful progress.
This watershed moment will come alongside the government’s drive to remove barriers to opportunity and set every child up for happy, fulfilling lives. Yesterday, the government set out further steps to make sure children in every part of the country get greater access to enrichment opportunities in sport, creative activities, nature and the arts both in and out of school.
This builds on wider work to halve the participation gap and reclaim childhood for all young people, including through reforms to the curriculum so that every child gets the skills they need to get on in life, and support throughout their school years to explore and develop their talents, regardless of their background or where they live.
![PRESS RELEASE : Joint E4 Leaders’ Statement on the US-Iran peace deal [June 2026]](https://www.ukpol.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/downingstreet-150x150.png)
The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 15 June 2026.
Joint statement from the leaders of the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy on the US-Iran peace deal.
We warmly welcome the announcement of the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran. We congratulate the United States, the Iranian government and all those involved, including Pakistan, Qatar and all other mediators, on this diplomatic breakthrough.
This is a moment of opportunity to restore regional stability and stabilise the global economy.
It is now vital that the detailed negotiations are concluded and this agreement is implemented rapidly and comprehensively. We are ready to support that effort.
The urgent re-opening of the Strait of Hormuz with unconditional and unrestricted freedom of navigation is essential. We are committed to playing our part to achieve this —in accordance with our respective constitutional requirements— including through a strictly defensive and independent mission to reassure commercial shipping and conduct mine clearance operations.
Iran must never acquire a nuclear weapon. We stand ready to work with the US, Iran and the IAEA to this end. We are prepared to lift relevant sanctions in response to clear, verifiable steps by Iran on its nuclear programme.
We will work intensively with the US, Iran and regional partners to seize this moment, maintain momentum and achieve a long-term diplomatic settlement.
We also reaffirm our full support to the stability, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon and the importance of a robust ceasefire.
The comments made by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, on 15 June 2026.
I warmly welcome today’s agreement reached between the United States and Iran. This is a hugely important step forward in ending the war, ensuring regional stability and re-opening the Strait of Hormuz. I congratulate President Trump and the mediators from Pakistan, Qatar and elsewhere who have contributed to this breakthrough. We have long urged de-escalation and this is the progress we had hoped to see.
Attention must now turn to fully implementing the memorandum of understanding to ensure the Strait reopens and remains fully and permanently open, and that the detailed elements of the nuclear agreement are finalised. We stand ready to support the technical talks that will now begin. Our priority is that this becomes a durable and lasting peace, and we will work with international partners to support that.
We are clear that toll-free freedom of navigation must now be restored in the Strait of Hormuz, to begin easing the severe economic impacts that have been felt for several months – on families here in the UK and around the world.
We will continue to work with partners to support this – including, if required, through standing up the defensive, independent multilateral mission which the UK and France have taken a leading role in planning up to this point, particularly to offer support on mine clearance in an agreed way.
For any peace to endure, it is essential that the commitments made, particularly in relation to Iran’s nuclear programme, are robust, verifiable and fully implemented. It remains the UK’s firm and longstanding position that Iran must never have a nuclear weapon.