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Tag: 2026

  • PRESS RELEASE : UK to develop new deep strike ballistic missile for Ukraine [January 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : UK to develop new deep strike ballistic missile for Ukraine [January 2026]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 11 January 2026.

    The UK will develop new tactical ballistic missiles that boost Ukraine’s firepower to defend itself from Putin’s war machine.

    • New ballistic missile could carry a 200kg warhead over a range of more than 500 kilometres.
    • Missile will provide Ukraine a long range-punch to counter Russian aggression
    • Project aims to boost UK defence industry, supporting innovation and growth while stepping up support for Ukraine into 2026.

    The UK will develop new tactical ballistic missiles that boost Ukraine’s firepower to defend itself from Putin’s war machine.

    Under Project Nightfall, the UK has launched a competition to rapidly develop ground-launched ballistic missiles with a range of more than 500 kilometres and designed to operate in high-threat battlefields with heavy electromagnetic interference.

    Nightfall missiles will be capable of being launched from a range of vehicles, firing multiple missiles in quick succession and withdrawing within minutes – allowing Ukrainian forces to hit key military targets before Russian forces can respond.

    With a 200kg conventional high explosive warhead, high precision production rate of 10 systems per month and a maximum price of £800,000 per missile, NIGHTFALL is intended to provide Ukraine with a powerful, cost-effective long-range strike option, with minimal foreign export controls.

    The Nightfall project builds on the UK’s ironclad commitment to Ukraine, particularly to its long range capabilities, through the gifting of thousands of deep strike one-way attack drones.

    Defence Secretary John Healey MP said:

    The attacks overnight on Thursday just go to show how Putin thinks he can act with impunity, targeting civilian areas with advanced weaponry.

    Instead of seriously negotiating a peace, he’s seriously escalating his illegal war.

    We were close enough to hear the air raid sirens around Lviv on our journey to Kyiv, it was a serious moment and a stark reminder of the barrage of drones and missiles hitting Ukrainians in sub-zero conditions.

    We won’t stand for this, which is why we are determined to put leading edge weapons into the hands of Ukrainians as they fight back.

    Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, Luke Pollard MP said:

    A secure Europe needs a strong Ukraine. These new long-range British missiles will keep Ukraine in the fight and give Putin another thing to worry about.

    In 2026, we will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine. Providing equipment to keep them in the fight today, whilst working to secure the peace tomorrow.

    The project aims for three industry teams to each be awarded a £9 million development contract to design, develop and deliver their first three missiles within 12 months for test firings.

    Nightfall is a project focused on rapid prototyping, spiral development, resilience to electronic warfare, and the ability to scale manufacturing quickly, particularly in the UK.

    Whilst aimed at supporting Ukraine, Nightfall will also inform future UK Armed Forces’ long range strike projects.

    The detailed Nightfall requirements were shared with Industry Partners on the 19 December 2025 that had signed the required confidentiality and security arrangements. The deadline to receive Nightfall development proposals is the 9th February 2026, with development contract(s) aimed to be awarded in March 2026.

  • Kemi Badenoch – 2026 Comments on Limiting Social Media for under-16s

    Kemi Badenoch – 2026 Comments on Limiting Social Media for under-16s

    The comments made by Kemi Badenoch, the Leader of the Opposition, on 12 January 2026.

    Enough is enough.

    Social media is taking childhood from our children.

    Today, Laura Trott and I met with a group of parents crying out for stronger safeguards for children online. That’s why we have a plan to introduce age limits for social media access for under 16s.

  • Nadhim Zahawi – 2026 Comments on his Defection to Reform UK

    Nadhim Zahawi – 2026 Comments on his Defection to Reform UK

    The comments made by Nadhim Zahawi on 12 January 2026.

    Today I became the newest member of the Reform Party UK, because Britain is broken and Nigel Farage is the only person who is capable of building the team to fix it.

  • Ed Davey – 2026 Comments on Defection of Nadhim Zahawi

    Ed Davey – 2026 Comments on Defection of Nadhim Zahawi

    The comments made by Ed Davey, the Leader of the Liberal Democrats, on 12 January 2026.

    Farage backed Boris Johnson’s disastrous Brexit deal and Liz Truss’s catastrophic mini-budget.

    No wonder he’s welcoming someone who enthusiastically supported both.

  • Liz Kendall – 2026 Statement on Grok’s Image Generation

    Liz Kendall – 2026 Statement on Grok’s Image Generation

    The statement made by Liz Kendall, the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology on 9 January 2026.

    Sexually manipulating images of women and children is despicable and abhorrent. It is an insult and totally unacceptable for Grok to still allow this if you’re willing to pay for it. I expect Ofcom to use the full legal powers Parliament has given them.

    I, and more importantly the public – would expect to see Ofcom update on next steps in days not weeks.

    I would remind xAI that the Online Safety Act Includes the power to block services from being accessed in the UK, if they refuse to comply with UK law. If Ofcom decide to use those powers they will have our full support.

    We will be banning nudification apps in the Crime and Policing Bill which is in parliament now.

    We are in the coming weeks bringing in to force powers to criminalise the creation of intimate images without consent.

    I expect all platforms to abide by Ofcom’s new Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) guidance and if they do not, I am prepared to go further.

    We are as determined to ensure women and girls are safe online as we are to ensure they are safe in the real world. No excuses.

  • PRESS RELEASE : UK strengthens its commitment to protecting human rights defenders [January 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : UK strengthens its commitment to protecting human rights defenders [January 2026]

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

    The UK Government has published the Guiding Principles on Supporting Human Rights Defenders, reaffirming its commitment to promoting and protecting those who work to uphold fundamental rights worldwide.

    This document sets out how the UK seeks to support individuals and organisations at risk for their work in defence of human rights. The principles include: 

    • Diplomatic action to raise visibility and provide protection. 
    • Practical support, such as guidance and resources to reduce risks. 
    • International collaboration with governments, civil society and multilateral bodies. 
    • Promotion of safe environments, where defenders can work free from threats or reprisals. 

    Human rights defenders play a vital role in building fair and democratic societies. Yet many face intimidation, violence and criminalisation. Through these principles, the UK aims to strengthen protection and ensure their work can continue safely. 

    To read the full principles and access additional resources, visit the official link.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Appointment of Josh Simons [January 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Appointment of Josh Simons [January 2026]

    The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 9 January 2026.

    The King has been pleased to approve the following appointment:

    • Josh Simons MP as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. He will remain Parliamentary Secretary in the Cabinet Office.
  • Olly Glover – 2026 Speech on Road Safety Strategy

    Olly Glover – 2026 Speech on Road Safety Strategy

    The speech made by Olly Grover, the Liberal Democrat MP for Didcot and Wantage, in the House of Commons on 8 January 2026.

    I thank the Minister for her statement and for the strategy. We welcome it, having called for an updated road safety strategy for some time, following years of neglect of our roads by the previous Conservative Government. The strategy shows serious intent, and I commend the thought and research that has gone into it and the breadth of thinking on display. It is welcome that it is largely substance rather than gimmicks, which could have been the case. In particular, I welcome the fact that the Ryan’s law campaign on penalties for hit and run, championed by my hon. Friend the Member for North Cornwall (Ben Maguire), is incorporated into the strategy.

    Our concern is that much of the strategy is based on a commitment to undertake consultations. I hope the Minister agrees that we would not want to see a repeat of the time it has taken to undertake a pavement-parking consultation—admittedly one initiated by the previous Government—with a wait of five years until the welcome announcement of something today. Consultations need to be meaningful, but they also need to be time-bound and then translated into action.

    A number of areas need focus. We need to consider the significant impact on some groups in society that these measures will have, right though they are for advancing road safety. The first group is older people. The older generation have grown up in an age of decades-worth of Government policy promoting travel by car, so this runs the risk of having a significant impact on them. As I know from constituency casework, they also suffer from DVLA administration failures in processing medical changes and so on. This underlines the importance of improving public transport to reduce car dependency—in particular, the development of demand-responsive transport in rural areas, which the Transport Committee has looked at in detail.

    These measures also run the risk of placing further pressure on the rural economy. Our pubs and farming communities are already under real pressure from increased alcohol taxation, business rates and inflation and poor international trade arrangements, which makes it even more important that they are properly supported and that the Government listen, including to Liberal Democrat calls for a 5% cut to VAT for hospitality.

    It is welcome that the strategy mentions potholes, which drive all our constituents mad—particularly mine on the A4130 between Didcot and Wallingford and the Milton interchange in Queensway. Most importantly, we need to support young drivers. More is needed, given that the Government have twice moved the deadline for reducing the wait for tests to seven weeks. The six-month wait is understandable, but it is important that we support young people.

    Madam Deputy Speaker

    Order. Those on the Liberal Democrat Front Bench know that they have two minutes, not two minutes and 50 seconds or three minutes and 10 seconds.

    Lilian Greenwood

    I thank the hon. Gentleman for his words of support. Let me be clear that we are consulting on a number of the measures in the road safety strategy so that the public and stakeholders have an opportunity to share their views. The intent is not to delay. The consultations will be open for 12 weeks, and then we intend to take concrete action as a result of the feedback we receive. Some of the measures in this strategy will take very little time and do not require legislation. Others will require secondary or, indeed, primary legislation, but we intend to take action in order to meet the ambitious targets we have set for just nine years’ time.

    I totally understand what the hon. Gentleman says about older people. We do not want to restrict older people’s independence, and we know how important driving can be, but the truth is that we need to keep people safe. We do not want anyone on our roads whose medical condition means that they are not safe to drive. Some people may be unaware that their eyesight has deteriorated and poses a danger to others. I know that many families find it difficult to have those conversations with an older relative about when is the right time to stop driving. We hope that the measures we are proposing on eyesight testing will help in those circumstances.

    I recognise what the hon. Gentleman says about rural areas and the need to ensure that these measures are rural-proofed. When it comes to potholes, he is right: they are not only very annoying for all our constituents but a real danger to pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. That is why this Government are investing £7.3 billion over the spending review period in local roads maintenance, on top of the additional £500 million this year. We are giving local authorities that long-term funding settlement so that they can improve the shocking quality of the roads we were left with by the previous Conservative Government.

    When it comes to young drivers, we have considered carefully the right balance between protecting young people, who we know are at particular risk, and not curtailing their opportunities for work, education and social activities.

  • PRESS RELEASE : 2026 – A crucial year for Tax Justice [January 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : 2026 – A crucial year for Tax Justice [January 2026]

    The press release issued by Tax Justice UK on 9 January 2026.

    Happy New Year! And what a start to the year. On day one, we saw crowds taking to the streets of New York City for new mayor Zohran Mamdani’s inauguration chanting “Tax the rich”. That’s the energy we need to bring to the UK as we head into a year full of opportunities to make the super-rich and mega-corporations pay their fair share, and for that money to be put to good use in our public services.

    In early May 2026 Wales and Scotland elect new parliaments, and councils across the UK go to the polls. These elections matter. They give us the chance to win material reforms to our tax system that could change lives in the devolved nations, turn up pressure on the national government, and build the nationwide movement we need to win transformative change. And thanks to your generous support at our last fundraiser, we’re in a strong position to seize these opportunities.

    We need to keep making it clear to everyone in Westminster that no party will win the next general election without offering a credible plan to improve people’s lives. This means the government standing up and tackling inequality, and showing they’re willing to face off the vested interests of the super-rich and corporations that are hollowing out our economy.

    Mamdani’s victory in New York City showed how regional elections can spark hope far beyond their borders when they centre ordinary people make bold demands, and explicitly address inequality through tax reform.

    But in just this first week of the year, we’ve also had stark reminders of the world as it is right now. A world where the rich and powerful rip up, rewrite or ignore any rules that don’t serve them, and where governments serve the interests of billionaires, by any means necessary.

    Earlier this week, the OECD (an opaque club of rich countries that set a number of international tax regulations) announced that the 15% Global Minimum Corporation Tax (GMCT) will no longer apply to U.S. multinationals — effectively giving the green light to some of the world’s biggest corporations to continue dodging their taxes.

    Even with the global minimum corporation tax agreed, the UK was already losing an estimated $9 billion a year to tax‑dodging by U.S. companies. Under the new “side‑by‑side system,” there’s no limits on the tax that U.S. giants’ can dodge by profit-shifting. This is an accounting trick used by multinationals to pretend they made £0 in profit on their massive sales & operations in countries like the UK, by recording £billions in profits from a tiny office somewhere in a tax haven like Luxembourg or the British Virgin Islands.

    This change is technical, and with so much else going on it hasn’t got the headlines it deserves. But it’s incredibly important. It will mean yet another massive transfer of wealth into the bulging bank accounts of massive mega-corporations and their billionaire shareholders and CEOs, instead of being invested into services for our communities.

    In June the UK is hosting a major summit on illicit finance and dirty money. With enough public pressure, this should be a turning point in the fight against profit shifting and tax evasion. We mustn’t let up on our demand to end UK tax havens that allow monumental amounts of tax dodging. The UK government must know the public is watching — and expects them to defend fairness, not fold to corporate pressure.

    So we have a massive fight on our hands in 2026. We’ll be using every election, every platform, and every moment to push for a tax system that works for people, not just the powerful.

  • Ursula von der Leyen – 2026 Speech at the Opening Ceremony of the Cypriot Presidency

    Ursula von der Leyen – 2026 Speech at the Opening Ceremony of the Cypriot Presidency

    The speech made by Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, on 9 January 2026.

    Dear President Christodoulides, dear Nikos,

    Dear President Zelenskyy, dear Volodymyr,

    Dear President Sandu, dear Maia,

    Dear President Rashid,

    Dear President Aoun,

    Dear President Costa, dear António,

    Dear Deputy Minister Raouna, dear Marilena,

    Your Excellencies,

    Ladies and gentlemen,  

    It is a pleasure to be back in Cyprus. A country blessed with more than 300 days of sunshine each year. A land of remarkable beauty, fitting for the birthplace of Aphrodite. Today, you are a proud European country with a thriving economy, and a society looking firmly to the future. We see that here in Nicosia, one of Europe’s fastest-growing centres for tech start-ups. Here, AI innovators are building the technologies of tomorrow, in the shadow of Byzantine churches. Cyprus captures what is best about Europe, our ability to combine tradition with innovation and to draw strength from our history as we shape the future. It is a fitting place to begin this new Presidency.

    Dear Nikos,

    You said recently that Cyprus is committed to a Europe that is ‘United in purpose and grounded in solidarity.’ Those words ring so true. We see it in the leadership Cyprus has shown across this region. I saw it first-hand with you, dear Nikos, during our visit to the port of Larnaca, witnessing Cyprus’s vital role in delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza. We see it in the bravery of Cypriot firefighters, literally running towards the flames to save lives and homes. And with the creation of a regional firefighting hub, Cyprus will play an even larger role in the years ahead. We see it in your experience as a frontline Member State. And we see it clearly in the central priority of your Presidency – to build a more secure and more independent Europe.

    That responsibility begins in Ukraine. Because Ukraine’s security is Europe’s security. Together, we will work to deliver a just and lasting peace. And yesterday’s meeting in Paris was a very significant step in this direction. And we will continue to advance Ukraine’s and Moldova’s path towards our European Union – because a free and prosperous Ukraine and a united and prosperous Moldova belong in the EU.

    We also know that only a more competitive Union can be a more independent Union. And I look forward to working with you to deliver that competitiveness. By cutting the unnecessary red tape that holds our businesses back. By completing our Single Market and bringing down barriers between our economies. And by advancing our Savings and Investment Union, to unlock the investment needed to finance Europe’s future. This Presidency marks a new moment of responsibility for Cyprus. And I have no doubt that you will once again rise to the challenge.

    Ladies and gentlemen,

    We meet in a country where the promise of reunification awaits to be fulfilled. Few places in the European Union understand as clearly what it means to live with the consequences of division – and, at the same time, to refuse to let division define the future. That is why it is so fitting that Cyprus assumes the EU Presidency at this moment. The European Union itself was born from conflict. Our Union is not perfect, but it is a promise: that cooperation is stronger than confrontation, that law is stronger than force. Principles that apply not only to our European Union, but equally to Greenland. Cyprus brings to its Presidency a unique moral authority. As a country at the crossroads of continents, cultures, and crises, Cyprus understands the strategic importance of peace and stability in our neighbourhood; the urgency of security in an uncertain world; and the enduring value of international law.

    For the European Union, a comprehensive, fair and lasting settlement for Cyprus remains an absolute priority. That is why I appointed former Commissioner Johannes Hahn as EU Envoy for Cyprus. And it is why we will do all we can to ensure that the UN-led process succeeds, so that 2026 can bring renewed momentum towards a reunified Cyprus.

    Dear friends,

    It was on this island that Zeno of Citium, the founder of Stoicism, was born. A philosophy grounded in wisdom, justice, and courage. Stoicism teaches us not to fear challenges, but to meet them with clarity and resolve. To turn challenge into opportunity. To turn adversity into strength. That is what Cyprus has done, time and again, throughout the ages. And it is what Europe must do now, together. I look forward to working closely with you in the months ahead.

    Congratulations to the Cypriot Council Presidency.

    Thank you. And long live Europe.