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  • Kanishka Narayan – 2026 Speech on AI

    Kanishka Narayan – 2026 Speech on AI

    The speech made by Kanishka Narayan, the Minister for AI and Online Safety, at the Founders Forum on 10 February 2026.

    Thank you, Carolyn, the Tech Nation, London AI Founders and Merantix teams. 

    When I said I wanted to share our AI vision and delivery news with our founders… 

    …I knew I wanted to do it at the heart of Britain’s AI community. 

     Within a year, you have created that here, at the London AI Hub. Thank you for doing so and thank you for opening its doors tonight. 

    Historical heritage

    175 years ago, London’s makers similarly opened up their doors. 

    During the Great Exhibition of 1851, the world came to London and saw the first wave of mass-produced consumer goods. 

    Most of it was what textile designer and social activist William Morris called ”shoddy”— cheap, poorly made, and “ugly”.  

    Critics of these goods argued it was designed by machines to mimic hand-made luxury, except without the soul. 

    But Morris didn’t reject the machine. Along with the Arts and Crafts movement, he demanded that the machine be the servant of the craftsman. 

    They built the Kelmscott Press, treating the “technology” of printing as a way to create the most beautiful books in history.  

    They challenged the decline in printing… 

    …ushered in a new aesthetic… 

    …exerted greater agency… 

    …and inspired the Private Press movement. 

    This fork of 1851 is perhaps one of the most significant moments in the history of design. 

    It put to humans a central question:  

    Does the machine exist to serve what is beautiful about the world, or to replace it with dull mimicry detached from our humanity?  

    For Morris, that question of aesthetic was grounded in the question of agency:  

    Is technology wielded by humans, or is the beauty of our life injured by our 

    service to machines? 

    175 years on, I believe we face Morris’ question again.  

    Indeed, I believe it to be the central question today for both our startups and our politics. 

    Faced with Grok stripping human dignity… 

    …do we wield agency, or does technology? 

    With model releases now separated by months, , how do British startups build with agency, to real needs that persist? With model releases now separated by months, how do British startups build with agency, to real needs that persist?  

    In fear of AI’s jobs impact, can we enhance human labour or are we bystanders in its erosion? 

    My primary purpose tonight is to tell you a simple vision:  

    This government will wield agency over technology to serve the power of our labour… 

    …the need of our economy… 

    …the joy of our aesthetic…  

    … and the depth of our British values. 

    The context for founders

    Today, British tech’s challenge is this: before we can steer the wheel, we need to get to the front of the bus. We need greater British technology ownership before we can demand deeper British technology influence. 

    In my maiden speech , I talked about the shock that no working-age person in this country had seen a start-up go to the FTSE top ten. In the US, 8 out of 10 had. 

    The last decade and a half failed to exercise British agency. 

    In the most fruitful period for technology businesses, Britain did not get a seat on the bus. 

    Part of that is because previous governments made us into burdened Britons… 

    …carrying greater risk in our frozen wages…  

    …our flat pensions…  

    …our eroded public services…  

    …not the buccaneering Britons we had been and must be again.  

    Already, we have begun to break glass on our frozen heritage of curious adventure. 

    Our changes to Enterprise Management Incentives now make Britain pretty much the best tax system in the world to chase curiosity as a startup tech employee…. 

    …Our pension reforms, our ramp up in BBB scaleup capital deployment, mean British buccaneering will finally get the rocket booster of British bucks…. 

    …Our changes to research funding – a focus on curiosity-driven research, backed with funding to commercialise – mean returning to our heritage of moonshot invention and industrial application together.  

    And to fire up our imagination for adventure, we have some of our best tech leaders banging the drum for startups… 

    …whether that be Tom Blomfield as our AI Ambassador for British startups and scale ups, talent and investment or Katie Gallagher, our AI Sector Champion for Digital and Tech. 

    Above all, we have put fiscal credibility and financial responsibility back at the heart of government. 

    I came into politics after a career advising FTSE firms and investing in our startups, because I believed in a clear economic mission: Keir Starmer’s commitment to restoring stability and trust in the public finances.  

    Because markets punish uncertainty without hesitation. 

    We saw that in the chaos of the Truss era – capital pulled back, confidence evaporated, a risk premium priced into everything. 

    Many have since forgotten that this is not some abstract Treasury concern: it is the basis of a young families’ mortgage…  

    …of local councils’ finances in managing potholes… 

    …parks, our public spaces… 

    …the basis of dignity for millions of borrowers in this country… 

    …and of growth and prosperity, across this country.  

    It is the stability that marked 2025 as the year financial credibility returned, the year the UK startup economy roared back to life. 

    Investment is flowing again.  

    Founders are building with confidence.  

    The pipeline from idea to scale is wide open once more. 

    Last year, UK startups and scale-ups raised around $24 billion in venture capital, nearly 35 per cent up on the year before, one of the strongest performances on record.  

    UK AI startups alone raised almost $8 billion, roughly a third of all venture capital invested into British tech. 

    And the UK is once again Europe’s startup engine, producing more unicorns than France and Germany combined. 

    Celebrating success

    But let me be candid.  

    Our lost opportunity was not just down to those who didn’t take risk… 

    …it was down to us failing to value those who did.  

    Somewhere in our history, we let ourselves be captured by that most vicious guard of conservative privilege: the tall poppy syndrome. 

    We forgot that the root of the tall poppy tale, thousands of years old, wasn’t some egalitarian impulse; it was, in fact, the most egregiously privileged advice of King Tarquin Superbus to his son: that the path to elite control for kings ran through the total destruction of common merit and talent. 

    We can course correct from that fork of fake British mythology.So when people say to me today: we don’t celebrate those who have taken risk and succeeded. I say back: we have agency on this question, so why don’t we start today? 

    Now is the time to recognise the innovators that are shaping the future, right here in the UK.  

    The entrepreneurial spirit of Arm’s pioneering founders created a world-leading semiconductor firm that is spear-heading the development of transformative new technologies, including AI.  

    This would not have been possible without each of those twelve individuals… 

    …Jamie Urquhart, Mike Muller, Tudor Brown, Lee Smith, John Biggs, Harry Oldham, Dave Howard, Pete Harrod, Harry Meekings, Al Thomas, Andy Merritt, and David Seal.  

    It’s time that we recognise their contribution to innovation, and the contribution of founders across the UK’s technology stack.  

    Cleo’s Barney Hussey-Yeo is driving financial services transformation.  

    Quantinuum’s Ilyas Khan is accelerating quantum computing to unlock the technology’s full potential. 

    ElevenLabs’s Mati Staniszewski and Piotr Dabkowski are stretching the boundaries of voice generation to supercharge translation, transcription and agentic capabilities. 

    The risks that these founders took are driving growth and prosperity in the UK.  

    I want to continue recognising these achievements, and so each year I will showcase the innovative founders who are transforming the UK for the better.  

    And as I do so, I’m committed to ensuring we celebrate the full breadth of that talent.  

    The UK remains the largest hub for female-founded innovation in Europe, as recognised by the 2025 Female Innovation Index… 

    …Yet we know that our technology ecosystem still skews heavily male.  

    The Secretary of State and I are determined to change that… 

    …That is why we launched the Women in Tech Taskforce in December- to address the barriers that prevent women from starting tech businesses, entering the sector, or progressing once they’re in.  If women started and scaled new businesses at the same rate as men, our economy could see a £250 billion boost. 

    So we will champion the game-changing work that is being done by the women who are blazing the way in tech leadership. 

    Women like Starling Bank’s Anne Boden, PensionBee’s Romi Savova, and Resi’s Alex Depledge, who is also serving this country as an Entrepreneurship Advisor to the UK’s first female Chancellor. 

    This is the talent that will cement the UK as a global tech leader. 

    And we should be aiming this high. My ambition, within the next 5 years, is to name a trillion-dollar founder from our shores. 

    Some may say that setting out this target in such terms is its own risk… 

    …to them I say that government is embracing the mentality that has been so successful for our ambitious founders.  

    Opportunity dispersed

    Yet, even when we have fixed our relationship with risk, we have a choice to make. 

    We could have fixed it for elites. 

    We could have spared tall poppies Tarquin’s cull. 

    That was the pattern of the SaaS and smartphone revolutions, the trend of frontier tech in the last 2 decades: let elites build, let the rest benefit.  

    That cannot be the trend of the next 2 decades.  

    AI’s opportunity is too spread to encourage that narrow vision: it’s not just concentrated code, but diffuse physics, that will determine AI’s impact.  

    Crucially, Britain’s strength is a separate trend: British tech has done best when we have spread opportunity. 

    There is a reason that our largest UK-listed tech company started in 1981 when a local printing firm owner asked a university student to automate his quotes and accounting.  

    The automation worked so well, they decided to quit printing and start selling. Plotting their startup at the Rose and Crown pub, they saw a herb poster on the wall: having ditched calling their company Parsley Systems, Rosemary Systems and Basil Systems, they landed on the startup’s name: Sage Systems. 

    Over 4 decades on, that green herb is Britain’s pride, our largest UK-listed tech company, still headquartered in Newcastle.  

    The Sage effect in Newcastle…  

    …the ARM effect in Cambridge…  

    …the Admiral Group effect in South Wales… 

    …the Deepmind effect in King’s Cross… 

    …the Skyscanner effect in Scotland…  

    …the THG effect in Manchester.  

    Each of these is the effect of remarkable founding teams, and each is in turn the cause of huge lifts in opportunity in their places. 

    That is why we have announced not just ~£28 billion in AI Growth Zone infrastructure in my first 4 months in this role, but we have announced it in deep areas of strength: 

    …5,000 jobs in the North East… 

    …over 8,000 jobs in North and South Wales… 

    …over 3,000 jobs in Lanarkshire.  

    In this tech revolution, Britain is proving that opportunity spread is opportunity scaled. 

    It is why we are announcing £27 million for TechLocal, spreading skills training and better job placements in tech right across our country… 

    …It is why I whizzed around every nation, 6 cities in just over 24 hours, to see our Regional Tech Boosters building startup communities like this one in each nation of the United Kingdom… 

    …It is why this government has thrown open the doors of opportunity.  

    Harold Wilson did it with the Open University; with that Wilsonian sense of scale, our programme to support AI skills is now targeting 10 million workers – almost a third of our workforce – skilled in AI by 2030. 

    British agency 

    In all this, we have to remember that the opportunity of tech is not just in who builds, but in what we build. 

    That is especially so because Britain has a history of building things that expand agency, extending what we can each do. 

    When Britain set joint stock ownership, we extended the agency of entrepreneurs scaling risk by widening the scope of who could share in that risk; 

    When a Briton submitted the first proposal for a World Wide Web, we extended the agency of people sharing knowledge on an open internet. 

    When Britain led with open data, and with data platforms such as UK Biobank, we extended the agency of citizen engagement and frontier research alike. 

    When tech was starting to become opaque, the reserve of a few, it was Britain that put capability back into people’s hands.  

    Raspberry Pi, born in Cambridge and manufactured in Wales, was designed to be cheap, hackable and understandable. It restored agency — to students, hobbyists, engineers and schools alike.  

    In doing so it made a fully programmable general-purpose computer that gives a student in Nairobi, São Paulo or Manchester the chance to learn on the same platform, with the same tools.  

    In keeping with that British tradition, of tech that extends human agency, I will reaffirm today what we have felt deeply in government: Britain will be the home of global open source AI talent. 

    We have fellowships, with Alan Turing Institute and Meta, to back open source talent in government. We have tools – including via the UK AI Security Institute (AISI) – that build open source infrastructure. 

     The UK, through AISI , has developed the world’s most widely used government-backed evaluation tools. Inspect, InspectSandbox, InspectCyber, and our latest release, ControlArena, are now being used by governments, companies, and academics around the world.  

    These open tools lower the barrier to high‑quality evaluation and make safety science accessible at scale. 

    AI Infrastructure

    If we do this – restore agency in taking risk, in succeeding, in building across our country– we will have done a huge service. 

    We will have also done it by restoring another sort of agency: the agency of the state, our collective vehicle for progress. 

    Perhaps, to some of you, the words agency and state don’t obviously go together. 

    But the reality is that the history of the British state is not one of passivity – those are just the Conservative aberrations, the Reform allegations – the history of the British state is one of agency. 

    Alongside the agency of our modern health service, the foundation for our life sciences sector, we have a proud history of Harold Wilson’s technological agency. In Callaghan’s government, another undersold story of state agency.  

    For it was “a Labour government that backed the creation of Inmos in 1978 with £50 million to establish a UK semiconductor industry. 

    Housed in Bristol and Newport, Inmos went on to make a moonshot product – the revolutionary Transputer, designed for parallel computing decades before multi-core processors became industry standard. 

    Inmos didn’t ultimately survive, sold too early by Thatcher.  

    But the original Inmos facility in Wales then became the seed for Wales’ world-leading compound semiconductor cluster, offering a lifeline to a community amidst declining steel jobs, now offering us the chance at global leadership in that critical industry. 

    When I visited the cluster, I saw an exceptional set of apprenticeships for young women, breaking every stereotype of what British tech could be.  

    Where the last decade of SaaS meant SWE jobs in SWE cities only, that hardware cluster flipped the conventional chains that tie class to earnings, restoring craft, pride in human labour, good pay for a good factory job in a high-tech sector. 

    Workers at Inmos didn’t just seed Wales’ semis cluster.  

    A handful left to join another fledgling British startup.  

    In 1981, British startup Acorn Computers won the hardware contract for BBC Micro, the BBC’s computer literacy programme.  

    Within years, Acorn joined forces to spin out a small, asset-light chip design startup in a turkey barn in Cambridgeshire.  

    Shortening the Acorn RISC Machine, they called the company ARM.  

    Today, the legacy of Inmos, with the boost of the BBC’s procurement, is the world’s premier chip design IP firm, valued at over $100 billion. 

    We are picking up where Labour’s semiconductor legacy left us, and we are spreading it across each part of our startup economy. 

    I am, therefore, delighted to announce today Fractile, is confirming £100 million of new investment in its UK headquarters over the next 3 years, underlining its commitment to building advanced AI hardware capability in Britain.  

    The investment will expand its London and Bristol sites, create a new UK industrial hardware engineering facility, and grow its UK-based team to develop and optimise next-generation system.  

    A British AI inference chip startup, rooted in Inmos and ARM’s legacy, now relentlessly chasing the future. 

    Conclusion

    When you all similarly chase the future, you will find in Britain a government in the service of startup Britain. 

    I mean that in practice, not just in slogan.  

    And because Andy Grove was right – what matters is high output management, not loud  politics. 

    You will have a government that will measure its output in public, with a new AI Opportunities Action Plan dashboard… 

    …A government acting as an investment amplifier, driving tens of billions of investments in tech ventures. Establishing a standalone Sovereign AI unit that will operate at market pace, equipped with £500 million, investing into high-potential British AI start-ups… 

    …A government acting to secure British national security with our National Security Strategic Investment Fund (NSSIF)… 

     …And a government here to celebrate your remarkable achievements: ~$24 billion raised in venture in 2025, the best tech ecosystem outside of California… 

    …A government making sure you have the compute to turn AI ideas into economic opportunity.  

    In just the time I have been in post, we have secured over £68 billon in AI infrastructure and research investment; underpinned by significant planning and energy reforms. We are putting over £1 billon of public compute, the AI Research Resource (AIRR), in the service of British startups and research… 

    …When you have built with capital and compute, you will have a government willing to be a first-class customer, putting enterprise sales cycles to shame. With novel chips, we will do so with a £100 million Advance Market Commitment… 

    …In our recent planning and education AI procurements, a government willing to accelerate procurement processes… 

    …A government that knows community – the collective force of our talent – is the biggest determinant of our success. With a dedicated AI stream for global talent, reimbursing visa fees and accelerating visa process, alongside a domestic obsession with support for British kids training in AI… 

    …And, finally, a government that knows the central question for us is one of culture: a culture of relentless agency, shared opportunity and extended human ability, so we meet Morris’ challenge and put machines in service, once again, of British agency.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Ministers kick off review to safeguard radio’s future [February 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Ministers kick off review to safeguard radio’s future [February 2026]

    The press release issued by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport on 12 February 2026.

    Review will examine digital shifts, market trends and emerging technologies including use of AI.

    • Government is committed to helping UK radio to thrive and retain status as most trusted form of media, amid changing listener habits
    • Nearly 75% of UK radio listening now happens on digital or online platforms, and the government will work with key industry partners to help manage this transition

    Radio listeners across the UK stand to benefit as the government launches a review of the UK’s radio industry to ensure it continues to flourish as audiences increasingly shift to digital platforms.

    Radio remains the most trusted form of media in the UK, with more than 85% of UK adults tuning in every week. From national and international headlines to crucial local updates, radio stations provide timely, reliable content that reflects the diverse fabric of the UK’s communities. They offer companionship and social connection to millions of people. 

    However, the way people listen is rapidly changing. Almost 75% of UK radio listening now takes place on digital or online platforms, rather than FM and AM. To help the industry navigate this shift, the government will work with key partners, including the BBC and commercial radio, to examine changes in listener behaviour and audio markets in recent years, and make recommendations on the future distribution of radio services.

    The review will consider:

    • Whether there should be a managed transition away from FM in the 2030s and, if so, over what timescale;
    • The potential impact of a decision on the future of Digital Terrestrial TV (DTT) on radio distribution;
    • The role of emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), and the benefits and challenges they pose to the industry.

    A previous Radio and Audio Review in 2021 concluded that FM should continue until at least 2030, but recommended that in 2026 government and industry revisit a potential analogue switch-off. There has been broad support across the industry for this further review.

    The launch of this new review coincides with World Radio Day tomorrow (13 February), which this year focuses on ‘Radio and AI’, and how the technology could offer more personalised listener experiences and support fact-checking.

    Media Minister Ian Murray said:

    In the midst of the media revolution, radio remains a powerful and popular medium that holds a special place in people’s lives. It provides company for the isolated, entertainment to millions of people on their daily commute, and helps circulate vital news and information across the country.

    However, we also know that listening habits are changing as even more people access radio via digital and online platforms, whether at home or in the car. The use of AI as a tool is only going to keep increasing in the coming years and this will impact how radio is made and consumed.

    That is why it is so important that we carry out this review. We need to make sure that the UK radio industry has the right support to thrive long into the future.

    Radiocentre’s CEO Matt Payton said:

    Radio remains extremely popular, yet listening habits continue to change driven by new technology and innovation. Whether audiences are listening on smart speakers, a radio set or in a connected car, it’s vital to ensure that distribution and access to radio is secure for the future. We look forward to working together with government and industry to address this challenge.

    The BBC’s Director of BBC Sounds Jonathan Wall said: 

    We all have a common objective to secure and protect the future of radio for our listeners and welcome the opportunity to work together with our colleagues in commercial radio and across the industry during the Radio Review.

    Notes to Editors

    • The review’s Terms of Reference are to:
    1. Investigate future scenarios for the consumption of UK radio and audio content on all platforms into the 2030s, taking into account likely models of future listener behaviour, market trends, and technical developments. 
    2. Consider the impact of these scenarios on current and future distribution strategies for the UK radio industry and on the future availability of UK radio services for listeners on all platforms. 
    3. Make recommendations – based as far as possible on a cross-industry consensus – on the future distribution of radio services and provide advice to government on ways of strengthening the long-term viability of UK radio until the early 2040s.
    • The Radio Review will conclude in autumn 2026 with a report to the government.
    • This report will inform further policy development and the latter stages of the ongoing BBC Charter Review.
    • The most recent Rajar figures published on 5 February 2026 reported that 74.6% of all UK radio listening was via a digital platform.
    • The Steering Board for the 2026 Radio Review will be confirmed in due course.
    • This follows the recent uplift to the Community Radio Fund, which DCMS has increased to over £1 million to support nearly 50 radio stations across the UK, as announced by Ofcom on Tuesday.
  • PRESS RELEASE : Correcting Russia’s false claims about the OSCE – UK statement to the OSCE [February 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Correcting Russia’s false claims about the OSCE – UK statement to the OSCE [February 2026]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 12 February 2026.

    Ambassador Holland rejects Russia’s false claims about the OSCE, stressing that it is Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, refusal to engage with OSCE mechanisms and continued detention of OSCE staff that undermine the organisation. The UK remains ready for meaningful dialogue at the OSCE, but this should be based on facts and law.

    Thank you, Mr Chair. And thank you for the briefing this morning.

    Last week, ahead of the visit by the Chairperson-in-office and Secretary General, the Russian Federation released a statement claiming that Western participating States had destroyed the OSCE by drifting away from its founding principles. This is not correct. One participating State has been responsible for repeated and serious violations of those principles, and that State is Russia.

    The Helsinki Final Act and the wider body of OSCE commitments are clear. States must refrain from the threat or use of force, respect sovereignty and territorial integrity, and settle disputes through peaceful means. Russia’s annexation of Crimea, the full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing attacks that have severely impacted civilians and critical infrastructure show a clear disregard for these commitments. It should be obvious to say, but to accuse others of abandoning the OSCE’s principles while pursuing a war of aggression is hypocrisy.

    Russia has also suggested that it has been pushed out of the OSCE framework. This is also not supported by events. In the lead up to the full-scale invasion, participating States made full use of the Vienna Document mechanisms to try to reduce risks and to seek transparency. For instance, participating States enacted the Renewed European Security Dialogue and the Early Warning Mechanism to engage Russia before its full‑scale invasion of Ukraine. The fact is that Russia has repeatedly refused to engage, avoided meetings and spread false narratives. It has continued to deny access to the temporarily occupied territories, undermining OSCE mandated functions including monitoring the humanitarian situation. This is not a failure by the OSCE. It is a refusal by Russia to take part in good faith.

    Today, participating States, including the UK, continue to raise Russia’s actions in Ukraine every week in this Council and in the Forum for Security Cooperation. We are critical of the invasion and the conduct of it but we look for meaningful dialogue based on facts and law. Russia has so far not responded in that spirit. Instead, it has repeated propaganda, made accusations without evidence and used language that does not reflect the standards expected in this organisation.

    One example stands out: three OSCE staff members remain in Russian detention. Vadym Golda, Maksym Petrov and Dmytro Shabanov were detained in April 2022 while carrying out their official duties under a mandate agreed by all participating States. They have now spent nearly four years in detention. A State that imprisons its own OSCE colleagues cannot claim to defend its principles.

    Russia has also dismissed as illegitimate the OSCE mechanisms that it agreed to in the past but now finds uncomfortable, including the Moscow Mechanism. These tools were created by consensus. Their purpose is to allow the OSCE to respond when a participating State seriously violates our shared commitments. Rejecting them now does not change their validity or purpose.

    Mr Chair, the OSCE may face challenges, but the cause is not the behaviour of those who uphold its principles. The cause is the behaviour of one participating State that has chosen to break them. The way forward is also clear. Russia should end its aggression, respect international law, and release the detained OSCE staff members.

    The UK will continue to stand with Ukraine and support the principles of territorial integrity, sovereignty and the peaceful settlement of disputes. These remain the foundation of this Organisation.

    Thank you.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Tougher rules on political interference to keep UK elections secure [February 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Tougher rules on political interference to keep UK elections secure [February 2026]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 12 February 2026.

    Foreign actors will no longer be able to use their money to interfere in the UK’s elections, as part of the biggest expansion of democratic participation in a generation

    • New rules, set out in the Representation of the People Bill introduced today, will provide greater transparency and security around political donations, alongside extending voting rights in all UK elections to 16- and 17-year-olds
    • Sweeping measures will create a fair, secure and inclusive democracy, while delivering on government manifesto commitments
    • Small number of local authorities to test new flexible ways to make voting simpler, including opening up polling booths in train stations or supermarkets

    Foreign actors will no longer be able to use their money to interfere in the UK’s elections, as part of the biggest expansion of democratic participation in a generation being delivered through the Representation of the People Bill – introduced to Parliament today.

    Landmark changes to boost transparency and accountability in politics will begin being put into law through a wide package of political finance reforms – including strengthened rules on company donations, new “Know Your Donor” guidance, and tighter requirements for unincorporated associations.

    The measures will reinforce the government’s zero-tolerance approach to foreign interference in UK democracy, with growing international threats highlighting the needs for action.

    Recent cases – including former MEP Nathan Gill, and Christine Lee, the UK-based lawyer, identified as working covertly on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party – underline the need for strong action.

    The reforms will mean companies making political donations will be required to show that they have a genuine connection to the UK. This includes demonstrating that they are headquartered in the UK, majority owned or controlled by UK electors or citizens and have generated sufficient revenue to cover the donation – closing down foreign actors’ ability to use shell companies to influence UK politics.

    The Bill will also extend voting rights in all UK elections to 1.7 million 16 and 17 year olds, delivering a manifesto commitment and keeping the government on track to introduce sweeping changes before the next General Election.

    Steve Reed, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, said:  

    “The Representation of the People Bill will protect our democracy against foreign interference and give young people the right to vote. 

    “Growing threats from abroad mean we must make changes to keep our elections secure.    

    “We won’t let hostile foreign states use dirty money to buy our elections. We are keeping British democracy safe for British people.”

    These reforms will end the status quo, where a new company registered today, owned by anyone, funded from anywhere, without even a single day of trade, can donate and have influence in UK politics.    

    The reforms will also be informed by the findings of the Rycroft Review, which is exploring how we can go even further to tackle illicit money entering our politics from abroad, including cryptocurrencies.  

    As outlined in the Strategy for modern and secure elections published in 2025, the reforms will also allow the Electoral Commission to take action and enforce heavier fines of up to £500,000 on those who breach political finance rules – strengthening the foundations of UK democracy.    

    Samantha Dixon, Minister for Democracy, said:  

    “I know from speaking to so many passionate young people just how keen they are to get involved in our democracy. With democracy taught as part of the national curriculum – millions of young people will have the knowledge and confidence to take part in our democratic process for the first time.  

    “This landmark Bill will make their voices heard, while cracking down on those who wish to intimidate people taking part in our democracy and subvert our elections with illicit foreign money.” 

    Alongside the Bill, several councils in England will test two new flexible voting options at the local elections in May 2026 – such as polling stations in supermarkets and train stations. By giving voters more choice about where and when they can vote, these changes aim to remove practical barriers that prevent people from taking part.

    These seismic reforms will empower millions of younger people to make their voices heard, helping to create fairer and more inclusive elections.  Votes at 16 will bring UK-wide elections in line with Scotland and Wales, bringing in the biggest change to UK democracy in a generation.

    Further reforms will crack down on harassment and intimidation and make rules around voter ID fairer and more accessible.  

    Additional measures include:  

    • Much-needed measures to protect candidates, campaigners, and electoral staff from abuse and intimidation, deterring people from taking part in public life. The harassment faced by elected representatives has risen to shocking levels in recent years, with women and minority ethnic representatives facing a disproportionate amount of that abuse.
    • This Bill is giving courts the power to impose tougher sentences for offences involving electoral intimidation, as well as removing the requirement for candidates acting as their own election agents to publish their home address. These new measures play an important part in the programme of work being driven forward by the Defending Democracy Taskforce, tackling the harassment of elected representatives.
    • The Bill also commits to explore new technologies and the harnessing of existing digital and data capabilities across Government to deliver improvements in voter registration. This will address the gap of some 7-8 million eligible people who are either unregistered or incorrectly registered to vote.

    ENDS 

    Notes to editors:  

    • The reforms in the Bill will be delivered during the lifetime of this Parliament and the government is aiming for these to be in place for the next UK Parliamentary general election.   
    • Separately, the Government is partnering with local authorities to pilot two flexible voting options at local elections in May 2026, that will be evaluated before further steps are considered. Further details to be set out in the coming weeks.
    • Teaching about democracy and elections already forms a central part of the national curriculum for citizenship at key stages 3 and 4 and can be taught as a non-statutory topic in primary schools. 
    • We are going further by implementing the changes to citizenship proposed by the Curriculum and Assessment Review and making citizenship compulsory in primary school
    • Our new curriculum will ensure every child can identify misinformation and disinformation from a young age, and learn about law, rights, democracy and government from primary school.
    • As part of the Strategy, we will also work with the Electoral Commission, the devolved governments and civil society to consider what additional measures can support schools, colleges, and youth groups to roll out further practical voter and civic education. 
    • Evidence from the Scottish independence referendum suggests that lowering the voting age leads to high levels of turnout and engagement amongst young people, strengthening the culture of participation from an early age.
    • The Bill’s introduction follows extensive engagement with younger people.
    • Eligible Irish companies making political donations to parties in Northern Ireland will be subject to equivalent checks.
    • In November the Security Minister told MPs that he will coordinate a new Counter Political Interference and Espionage Action Plan to disrupt and deter spying: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/action-to-disrupt-and-deter-threats-to-uk-as-mi5-issues-spy-alert

    Harriet Andrews, Director of the award-winning democratic education organisation The Politics Project, said:

    “We welcome the move by the government to extend the vote to 16 and 17-year-olds. There’s a perception that this age group doesn’t care about politics, but after more than ten years supporting young people to engage in democracy, we know they care deeply about the issues that shape their futures.

    “As young people prepare to go to the polls, it’s vital that they’re supported by high-quality democratic education. We’re ready to help the next generation of voters build the skills and confidence to cast their first votes.”

    Laura Lock, deputy chief executive of the Association of Electoral Administrators, said:

    “The big change of votes at 16 will bring welcome harmonisation to the age of attainment for all elections across the UK, but seemingly smaller changes will also make a huge difference year-round. This is especially true for the postal voting system which, as we saw in 2024, doesn’t always meet electors’ expectations.

    “While we regret it is necessary at all, including electoral staff in measures to combat abuse and harassment is an important step. Intimidation of any kind around elections is unacceptable and threatens our democracy.”

  • PRESS RELEASE : UK announces urgent new air defence package for Ukraine worth over half a billion pounds [February 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : UK announces urgent new air defence package for Ukraine worth over half a billion pounds [February 2026]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 12 February 2026.

    New half a billion pound package of air defence for Ukraine, including £150 million for NATO PURL, and additional 1,000 UK-manufactured missiles.

    The UK has announced it will urgently provide new air defence missiles and systems worth over £500 million to protect Ukraine from Putin’s brutal attacks on energy sites and homes, as the Defence Secretary co-chairs the 33rd meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group today (12th February 2026) at the NATO headquarters in Brussels.

    The Defence Secretary will confirm that the UK will for the first time provide £150 million to the NATO Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative, which ensures the rapid delivery of air defence interceptors to defend Ukraine’s skies.

    The PURL initiative sees NATO coordinating the purchase of world-class defence equipment from the United States for the defence of Ukraine. 

    At the same time, the UK is set to deliver an additional 1,000 Lightweight Multirole Missiles (LMMs), manufactured in Belfast, that will be critical to defending Ukrainian infrastructure and cities from Russia’s escalating drone and missile attacks.

    This £390 million deal builds on the deepening collaboration between UK and Ukrainian industry to transfer production and support of Rapid Ranger launchers and command and control vehicles to Ukraine. 

    The coming months will also see the UK deliver an additional 1,200 air defence missiles and 200,000 rounds of artillery ammunition for Ukraine’s defenders through the Air Defence Consortium (ADC). 

    Defence Secretary John Healey MP said:

    As we approach the fifth year of Putin’s full scale invasion, the UK and our allies are more committed than ever to supporting Ukraine.

    I’m proud of the UK’s continued leadership and pleased to confirm a new half a billion pound package of air defence, including £150 million for PURL, to help Ukrainians defend against Putin’s relentless drone and missile attacks.

    The UDCG meeting of 50 nations will be co-chaired by the UK and the German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, and attended by Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles. 

    Ukraine’s supporters will discuss the country’s key military needs for 2026, share battlefield insights, plan equipment deliveries, and identify the gaps that need to be addressed.  

    The UK stepped up to co-lead the Ukraine Defence Contact Group with Germany, as well as the Coalition of the Willing with France, last year. Both the Prime Minister and Defence Secretary have been clear that the UK’s national security – the foundation of the Government’s Plan for Change – starts in Ukraine.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Every child caught with a knife to get tailored support [February 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Every child caught with a knife to get tailored support [February 2026]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 11 February 2026.

    Every child caught carrying a knife in England and Wales will be given a mandatory targeted plan to stop them reoffending and protect the public.

    • Every child caught carrying a knife in England and Wales will be given a mandatory targeted plan to stop them reoffending
    • £320 million invested into Youth Justice Services to turn young people away from a life of crime
    • Delivers on Government’s commitment to halve knife crime within a decade and make streets safer as part of its Plan for Change

    Children will be given earlier, more targeted support to steer them away from crime under plans to drive down knife carrying among young people, the Deputy Prime Minister has announced today.

    The action, led jointly by the Ministry of Justice and the Home Office, reflects the Government’s determination to halve knife crime in a decade and confront youth violence with a strong, coordinated national response.

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

    Meeting a manifesto pledge, police will refer every child knife possession case to Youth Justice Services – locally-led teams spanning health, education and community services tasked with mandating targeted action to help each child. 

    These specialised plans will address the root causes of a child’s offending, including potential exploitation by criminal gangs and childhood trauma, and could be forced to attend mentoring to stay in education or social skills training to boost employability. This will give children the foundations they need to turn their backs on crime and keep our streets safe.  

    These plans will be mandatory, with no child able to avoid the getting the support they need. Youth Justice services will intensively monitor the child’s progress and if they do not engage with their plan or are judged to still be of risk to the public, the police will immediately be informed and further action taken. Failure to engage will have serious consequences, such as possible criminal charges and time behind bars. The plans will be monitored and implemented, as will the young person’s progress, reassuring the public that they are going to have an impact.

    Deputy Prime Minister, David Lammy said:

    Every life lost to knife crime is an unmitigated tragedy. With early targeted action, we can put children on the right path to a positive future and stop them falling into a toxic cycle of reoffending.  

    Our reforms will give local services the security they need to help more young people and make our streets safer for everyone.

    The plans announced today will be backed up with a first of its kind three-year wider funding package for Youth Justice Services, worth over £320 million, giving them more certainty to invest in the future, and roll out longer-term programmes to help even more young people.  

    Evidence demonstrates that prevention schemes can have a real difference in helping young people turn their lives away from crime, with more than 90% of children who engaged with the government’s Turnaround programme avoiding future police cautions or court.

    To continue this work, the government has also confirmed that the Turnaround programme will have guaranteed multi-year funding, including over £15 million this year. This will give the programme the stability to support even more children and stop them ever committing crime.

    The Government will also invest a further £5 million into regional partnerships to speed up community alternatives to custodial remand. Currently, around 40 per cent of children in custody are on remand, with more than 60 per cent later not receiving a custodial sentence – unnecessarily impacting their lives and futures. 

    The Home Office is also working closely with policing leaders to ensure that these interventions are supported by strong enforcement and rapid action when knives are found on our streets, strengthening the wider national effort to reduce youth violence.

    Policing Minister, Sarah Jones said:

    Carrying a knife will now trigger an immediate, mandatory intervention — no excuses.

    This guidance makes sure every child is referred straight to a Youth Justice Services team and is given the support needed to change course.

    As Policing Minister, I am working with forces across England and Wales to ensure officers have the full backing of the Home Office to crack down on knife possession, act quickly when knives are found, and prevent violence before it happens.

    We’re acting fast to stop violence before it starts and keep our streets safe.

    Pooja Kanda, knife crime campaigner and mother of victim Ronan Kanda said:

    This is a great initiative from the government and is exactly what we need: a proper plan. We must not let youths who are caught with a knife be left isolated, with no support and crying out for help. I believe this plan would have stopped my son’s attacker from re-offending and eventually taking my son’s life. We must guide young people away from using knives. I am fully behind this initiative, and the government’s overall mission to halve knife crime in a decade.

    Patrick Green, CEO of The Ben Kinsella Trust said:

    It is vital that responses to serious youth violence are adequately resourced and recognise the realities that many vulnerable children and young people face. We welcome the focus on earlier, coordinated support for children and young people found carrying knives, and the commitment to timely, tailored interventions that prioritise safeguarding and rehabilitation over further criminalisation.

    Too often, children and young people are drawn into serious violence by entrenched vulnerabilities and systemic pressures such as fear, trauma, and criminal exploitation. A sustained focus on early intervention and prevention is essential and represents an important step towards tackling the root causes of knife crime.

    Today’s announcement is the latest step in the Government’s pledge to halve knife crime in the next decade, building on our wider work including taking thousands of knives off our streets and our County Lines Programme which saw record numbers of gang leaders charged last year. This complements broader Home Office‑led efforts to tackle the online sale of knives and coordinate national enforcement through the knife crime coordination centre.

    It also marks the first stage of the most significant overhaul of youth justice in a generation, making sure it is modern and better responds to children’s needs. This work comes alongside the first steps of fundamental reforms to the Youth Justice Board, following a government-wide efficiency review, which will see it take a renewed focus on supporting frontline workers.

    Further information

    • This Government have set an ambitious but essential target: to halve knife crime over this decade. We are already making tangible progress, since the start of this Parliament: 
    • Knife crime has fallen by 8%, meaning 4,229 fewer offences. 
    • Knife homicides are down by 27%. 
    • Hospital admissions for stabbings have fallen by 11%.
    • We have banned dangerous weapons such as ninja swords and zombie style machetes. 
    • And we have taken nearly 60,000 knives off our streets.
  • PRESS RELEASE : Hong Kongers offered new lives as UK expands safe and legal routes [February 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Hong Kongers offered new lives as UK expands safe and legal routes [February 2026]

    The press release issued by the Home Office on 9 February 2026.

    Government expands Hong Kong British National (Overseas) route.

    Thousands more Hong Kongers will be able to build new lives in Britain as the government strengthens safe and legal routes to the UK.

    Adult children of British National (Overseas) status holders who were under 18 at the time of Hong Kong’s 1997 handover to China will now be eligible to apply for the route independently of their parents. 

    Their partners and children will also be able to move to the UK under the expanded route. It is estimated 26,000 people will arrive in the UK over the next 5 years.

    The expansion honours the UK’s historic commitment to the people of Hong Kong and comes amid continuing deterioration of rights and freedoms in the territory. 

    Today’s sentencing of Jimmy Lai, a British citizen, for 20 years, shows how the Beijing-imposed National Security Law has criminalised dissent, prompting many to leave the territory. The Prime Minister raised Mr Lai’s case directly with President Xi during his visit, opening up discussion of the UK’s most acute concerns directly with the Chinese government, at the highest levels. Now that the sentencing has happened, the government will rapidly engage further on Mr Lai’s case.

    In November, the Home Secretary further affirmed her commitment to Hong Kongers by confirming they will retain a 5-year pathway to permanent UK settlement – compared to a new standard baseline of 10 years’ residence for most other migrants.

    As part of the most sweeping reforms to the asylum system in a generation, the government has announced plans to create new humanitarian routes for those genuinely fleeing war and persecution. The capped routes will offer safe and legal alternatives to dangerous small boat crossings to people around the world and be established once order has been restored to Britain’s borders.

    Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said:  

    This country will always honour its historic commitment to the people of Hong Kong.

    We are proud to have already provided a safe haven to almost 170,000 Hong Kongers since 2021. In the face of the continued deterioration of rights and freedoms, we are now expanding eligibility so more families can build new lives here.

    While we must restore order and control to our borders, the British people will always welcome those in genuine need of sanctuary.

    Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said:

    Though Hong Kong’s rights and freedoms continue to erode, this government’s support for its people remains steadfast, and that’s why we are ensuring that young people who missed out on resettlement protection because of their age will now be covered.

    Since the BN(O) route was launched, over 230,000 people have been granted a visa and almost 170,000 have moved to the UK.

    The route’s expansion closes a gap in eligibility that has led to unfair outcomes within families, with some children able to resettle and others not.

    In September, the government extended the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme by another year. The UK has offered a safe place to live for 310,000 Ukrainians and their families while the war with Russia continues.

    Since 2021, the UK has also welcomed over 37,000 Afghans and their families, including over 12,000 who supported British troops during operations in the country.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Government reforms welfare system to support people into work [February 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Government reforms welfare system to support people into work [February 2026]

    The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 9 February 2026.

    Welfare reforms designed to rebalance the benefits system and support more people into work move forward today, as Universal Credit legislation is laid in Parliament (Monday 9 February).

    The system inherited from the previous Government means people receiving Universal Credit for health reasons are paid more than twice as much as a single person looking for work and aren’t given the support to move closer to – or into – jobs.

    The reforms – coming into force in April – will tackle these perverse incentives by introducing a lower Universal Credit health element rate of £217.26 per month for new claimants, compared to the higher rate of £429.80.

    Those with the most severe, lifelong conditions, those nearing end of life, and all existing Universal Credit health claimants will continue to receive the higher rate.

    To give people the support they’ve long been denied, this Government is investing over £3.5 billion in employment support by the end of the decade, ensuring everyone affected by the changes to Universal Credit will be offered personalised help to access the skills they need to progress, move into good, secure jobs, and boost their living standards – building a growing workforce and a growing economy for the future.

    And as part of the Government’s focus on tackling the cost of living, the changes will also see almost four million households on the standard rate of Universal Credit receive the first sustained above-inflation increase to the benefit .

    The boost is worth around £295 extra this year in cash terms for a single person aged 25 or over, rising to £760 by the end of the decade, and means those who are searching for and in work will have more money in their pocket as they look to get into and on at work.

    Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said:

    The benefits system we inherited was rigged with the wrong incentives and wrote people off instead of backing them. We are changing this.

    These reforms put more money in the pockets of working people on Universal Credit, while ensuring those who can work get the support they need to do so.

    By boosting the standard allowance and investing in proper employment support, we’re building a welfare system that rewards work and offers people a route to a better future.

    Over 1,000 Pathways to Work advisers are now based in Jobcentres across England, Wales and Scotland, offering personalised help to people on health-related benefits with no requirement to work – many of whom had no support before.

    Tens of thousands have already taken up this support, with 65,000 people expected to benefit this financial year, and the Government is on track to meet its promise that everyone affected by these Universal Credit reforms will be offered personalised help.

    Among those who have benefitted is Hayden, who has severe nerve damage in his legs following an accident, and spends hours each morning building up strength just to walk. He had always dreamed of becoming a personal trainer but couldn’t afford the course. With support from his Pathways to Work adviser — including help finding a suitable course and funding for equipment- Hayden begins his PT qualification at the start of February.

    Hayden said:

    My Pathways to Work adviser saw my potential, not my limitations.

    They found me the right course, and made sure I had everything I needed to succeed. I’m now training to become a Personal Trainer – something I never thought possible.

    This support has genuinely transformed my future.

    It comes alongside a wider support offer that meets sick or disabled people where they are. WorkWell is now rolling out across England supporting up to 250,000 more people, while Connect to Work will provide personalised help for 300,000 people over the next five years.

    With 2.8 million people currently out of work due to long-term sickness, these measures are central to the government’s Plan for Change to break down barriers to opportunity and get Britain working.

    By supporting more people into work and reducing the health element for new claimants, the reforms are set to save taxpayers £950 million by 2030/31 – delivering fairness for working people and taxpayers alike.

    Additional information:

    • The Regulations implement provisions set out in the Universal Credit Act 2025.
    • Existing claimants will continue to receive the higher LCWRA rate, as well as those meeting the Severe Conditions Criteria or subject to Special Rules for End of Life, no matter when they claim.
    • The higher LCWRA rate is set to increase from £423.27 in 2025/56 to £429.80 in 2026/27.
    • The boost is worth around £295 extra this year in cash terms or around £110 above inflation for a single person aged 25 or over, rising to £760 in cash terms by the end of the decade or around £250 above inflation.
    • A customer currently receiving the LCWRA rate receives more than double the amount of a single customer receiving just the Universal Credit Standard Allowance.
  • Yvette Cooper – 2026 Statement on Sentencing of Jimmy Lai

    Yvette Cooper – 2026 Statement on Sentencing of Jimmy Lai

    The statement made by Yvette Cooper, the Foreign Secretary, on 9 February 2026.

    British National Jimmy Lai was today sentenced to 20 years in prison in Hong Kong for exercising his right to freedom of expression, following a politically motivated prosecution. Beijing’s National Security Law was imposed on Hong Kong to silence China’s critics.

    For the 78-year-old, this is tantamount to a life sentence. I remain deeply concerned for Mr Lai’s health, and I again call on the Hong Kong authorities to end his appalling ordeal and release him on humanitarian grounds, so that he may be reunited with his family.

    The Prime Minister raised Mr Lai’s case directly with President Xi during his visit. That has opened up discussion of our most acute concerns directly with the Chinese government, at the highest levels. Following today’s sentencing we will rapidly engage further on Mr Lai’s case.

    We stand with the people of Hong Kong, and will always honour the historical commitments made under the legally binding Sino-British Joint Declaration. China must do the same.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Government vows to “unlock opportunities for young people across the country” ahead of National Apprenticeship Week [February 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Government vows to “unlock opportunities for young people across the country” ahead of National Apprenticeship Week [February 2026]

    The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 8 February 2026.

    Young people across the country are to benefit from a clearer path into apprenticeships, as the Prime Minister vows to “unlock opportunities for young people across the country” ahead of National Apprenticeship Week.

    • New pilots to match ‘near miss’ applicants with similar apprenticeship opportunities in their area set to be rolled out later this year.
    • Comes alongside new online platform to give young people clear, accessible information about apprenticeships and career outcomes.
    • Overhaul to skills system comes as Government looks to put apprenticeships on a level footing with university degrees.

    Young people across the country are to benefit from a clearer path into apprenticeships, as the Prime Minister vows to “unlock opportunities for young people across the country” ahead of National Apprenticeship Week.

    The government is set to pilot a university clearance-style system where ‘near miss’ applicants who don’t secure their top choice apprenticeship will be re-directed to similar opportunities in their area.

    Delivered in partnership with employers and Mayoral Strategic Authorities who know their skills needs best, this pilot will test how we can re-direct young people to other suitable employers and apprenticeships on their doorstep if they were unsuccessful in their initial applications.

    An online platform will bring together information on apprenticeships in one place for young people, many of whom are keen to explore the apprenticeship route but don’t know where to start.

    The platform will include new data showing actual earnings and how apprentices have progressed after completing their training, helping young people compare options and understand which apprenticeships lead to lasting careers.

    This will mean employers – particularly small and medium-sized businesses – gain access to a stronger pipeline of motivated young talent, helping to close skills gaps

    Backed by the Growth and Skills Levy, these measures will help deliver 50,000 more apprenticeships for young people, forming a key step toward the Government’s ambition for two thirds of young people to reach higher-level learning or take up a high-quality apprenticeship.

    The government has already made progress in getting more people into apprenticeships with 353,500 apprenticeship starts in the first year of this government – 13,920 more than the year before (2023/24).

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

    Apprenticeships give young people real experience, real prospects, and a real route into good careers.

    But for too long young people have been held back from the opportunities they need to get on in life because of outdated assumptions about how to make it into a successful career.

    We’re unlocking opportunities for young people across the country by making it easier and faster to get the skills that matter, so more young people can build a secure life for themselves.

    This sits alongside plans announced yesterday to fast‑track apprenticeships, which will dramatically speed up how new courses are created, to keep pace with the industries powering the UK’s growth — from clean energy and advanced manufacturing to digital tech and modern construction.

    It also comes as Centrica today announces 500 new apprenticeships in 2026, helping to equip Britain’s next generation of engineers with the skills needed to drive the energy transition.

    As part of the two-year programme, apprentices at Centrica will benefit from hands-on training in the latest low-carbon technologies—including heat pumps, EV chargers, solar panels and battery storage.

    With access to four of Centrica’s existing award-winning academies plus the new state of the art £35 million Net Zero Training Academy in Lutterworth, Leicestershire, opening in May, they’ll gain real-world experience in full-size eco houses and advanced research labs—learning the skills needed to deliver the homes of tomorrow.

    Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said:

    Apprenticeships offer young people the opportunity to earn and learn and are a proven route into good jobs, but too many young people don’t know enough about them.

    We’re changing that. Clearer information, better support, and real opportunities to help more young people get into jobs of the future and for those who miss out and will help employers find the talent they need.

    And we’re giving those who miss out on their top choice apprenticeship a second chance by matching them with another opportunity in their area – this is good for them and good for businesses.

    The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said:

    It’s vital that we provide opportunities for people to develop the skills employers need, helping them into good jobs and in turn growing the economy. Apprenticeships are a key part of this, providing routes into a wide range of sectors and enabling people to learn on the job while earning money.

    This new clearing-style service will give young people all the information they need on how to apply for apprenticeships and offer pathways into other opportunities if they miss out on their top choice. With this improved support, more young people will be able to access high quality apprenticeships and in turn lasting careers, helping to close skills gaps and boost our economy.

    This week, ministers across government are expected go on visits across the country to champion reforms to boost apprenticeships, back British industry and equip young people with the skills needed to seize the opportunities created by the government’s unprecedented investment in transport, energy, and housing infrastructure projects.

    On Monday, the Work and Pensions Secretary will join apprentices and employers at the TfL Apprenticeships Fair, ahead of the first under‑20 train drivers beginning training this spring.

    In Bristol, the Employment Minister Diana Johnson will meet young jobseekers and providers at a regional jobs fair, showcasing the growing opportunities across the West of England.

    Later in the week, the Minister for Climate will meet apprentices at the Nuclear Skills Academy in Derby, while clean energy careers will be highlighted at the Clean Energy Jobs Fair at Barnsley College, where employers including Octopus and ITM Power will demonstrate new pathways into the energy workforce of the future.

    The Department for Work an Pensions and Ministry of Defence are also expected to announce a first of its kind partnership to create direct routes from Jobcentre Plus into Armed Forces careers.

    The partnership will highlight the transferable skills the Armed Forces provide, from engineering, cyber and logistics— bringing the MoD and DWP closer together in supporting young people into high‑skill, high‑paying careers.

    Too many people currently lack the skills to get into work or progress once in it. With the jobs market evolving faster than ever, the Government is determined to put that right — building a skills and apprenticeship system that supports young people and employers.

    The government has already launched a wider drive to boost the opportunities available to young people across the country, including an £820 million investment in the Youth Guarantee and creating 350,000 new training and workplaces and over 360 youth hubs across Great Britain.

    By working with businesses, colleges, universities and local leaders — and guided by the Industrial Strategy — the Government will deliver the step‑change needed to prepare the workforce for the future and unlock opportunity across every region.

    Yiannis Koursis OBE, CEO, The Bedford College Group, said:

    The world of apprenticeships is indeed complex. It requires the individual to have received effective and impartial Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance, to know what is on offer, what the differences are between going to College and/or University or undertaking an apprenticeship, what the pay is and how it works, and where to go to access it. The changes will help simplify the system, increase access, and, more importantly, offer chances to more young and adult people to gain meaningful employment in key sectors by matching them with local opportunities. The result will be people not missing out, businesses will get a more organised pipeline of productive candidates, and we get closer to the Government target of 10% of people undertaking higher technical courses or apprenticeships by 2040”.

    David Hughes, Chief Executive, Association of Colleges, said:

    Apprenticeships are a fantastic route to the world of work for our young people, and colleges across the country work hand-in-hand with employers to design and run courses which are exciting and purposeful for learners. We know that there are far more young people who want to start an apprenticeship than jobs available, so we welcome any activity that makes it easier to join up that demand from young people with employers wanting to offer apprenticeships.

    Linda Dean, Chief Commercial and People Officer at Blackpool and The Fylde College, said:

    Apprenticeships are a critical and fast-growing route into skilled employment, but the system has not always been easy for young people or business to navigate.

    A clearer, more joined-up approach – with better online information on pay, progression and outcomes, and a clearing style route for near-miss applicants – should remove significant barriers. Anything that will help more young people to secure the right opportunity for them, and more businesses to access a wider pool of talent is to be supported and celebrated.

    Cllr Tom Hunt, Chair of the LGA’s Inclusive Growth Committee, said:

    With their unique connection to local employers and residents, councils will be crucial partners with mayoral strategic authorities in the successful delivery of this new apprenticeship pilot initiative, which will enable areas to better target support.

    This unique connection exists in all councils across England, and we are keen to work with Government to ensure this is extended quickly to all areas across the country.

    Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said:

    Apprenticeships change lives. They give young people a route into good jobs, real skills and they build confidence – without having to choose between learning and earning.

    This reform is about opening doors that too often stay shut. If a young person is good enough, motivated enough and just misses out first time, the system should help them find another opportunity nearby – not leave them stuck or starting again.

    Breaking down these barriers and bringing local leaders into the process puts apprenticeships where they belong – on a par with university and at the heart of opportunity in our region and beyond. I want every young person to be able to live, learn and earn here in the West Midlands.