Tag: Downing Street

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 1 March 2026.

Joint E3 Leaders’ Statement on Iran.

E3 leaders are appalled by the indiscriminate and disproportionate missile attacks launched by Iran against countries in the region, including those who were not involved in initial US and Israeli military operations. Iran’s reckless attacks have targeted our close allies and are threatening our service personnel and our civilians across the region.

We call on Iran to stop these reckless attacks immediately. We will take steps to defend our interests and those of our allies in the region, potentially through enabling necessary and proportionate defensive action to destroy Iran’s capability to fire missiles and drones at their source.

We have agreed to work together with the US and allies in the region on this matter.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 1 March 2026.

Summary of the UK Government legal position: The legality of defensive action in respect of Iranian regional attacks.

The UK condemns in the strongest terms the Iranian regime’s reckless and ongoing indiscriminate attacks against countries in the region. Such actions demand a united response to restore peace and security and prevent further escalation of the conflict.

As well as defending itself and its position in the region, the UK is acting in the collective self-defence of regional allies who have requested support.  The UK and its allies are permitted under international law to use or support force in such circumstances where acting in self-defence is the only feasible means to deal with an ongoing armed attack and where the force used is necessary and proportionate.

Accordingly, the UK has military assets flying in the region to intercept drones or missiles targeting countries not previously involved in the conflict.  In addition, the UK has responded to a US request which will facilitate specific and limited defensive action against missile facilities in Iran which were involved in launching strikes at regional allies.

The UK’s actions and related support to its allies is solely focussed on ending the threat of air and missile attacks against regional allies unlawfully attacked by Iran and who have not been involved in hostilities from the outset.  It does not signal the UK having any wider involvement in the broader ongoing conflict between the US, Israel and Iran.  

The UK remains of the view that a negotiated solution should be supported, and that further escalation into a wider regional conflict should be avoided.

The Government will notify the United Nations Security Council of relevant actions taken under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 1 March 2026.

The Prime Minister spoke to the Sultan of Oman, His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik al Said, this afternoon.

He expressed the UK’s support of Oman in the face of Iran’s widespread and uncontrolled retaliation. They shared their concern about the safety of civilians and the rising number of injured people as a result of the strikes.

He reiterated that the UK has had planes in the sky since yesterday as part of the coordinated defensive response to protect our partners in the region, and would continue to offer our support.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 1 March 2026.

The Prime Minister spoke to the President of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, earlier today.

They discussed the deeply concerning impact of Iran’s indiscriminate strike action in the region, which has hit airports, ports and infrastructure – harming innocent people as a result.

The Prime Minister underscored his full support for the security of Cyprus and the Sovereign Base Areas.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 24 February 2026.

Marking four years since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the leaders of the Coalition of the Willing met to express their solidarity with President Zelenskyy and the people of Ukraine. The leaders offered their full and sustained support as Ukraine fights for its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to defend Europe’s freedom.

At the invitation of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, President Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Friedrich Merz, over thirty leaders joined the virtual meeting. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was joined in person by leaders of Nordic Baltic countries, the EU, and Croatia in Kyiv.

The leaders reiterated their unwavering commitment to working together to achieve a just and lasting peace, in accordance with the principles of the UN Charter. They reaffirmed that international borders must not be changed by force.

The leaders welcomed US ongoing efforts on peace negotiations, which must involve all relevant parties, when their interests are at stake.

They urged Russia to engage in the discussions in a meaningful way, and to agree to a full, unconditional ceasefire. They reaffirmed the role that the Coalition of the Willing would play in providing multi-layered security guarantees – as agreed at their meeting in Paris in January 2026 – including through the Multi National Force for Ukraine, with the support of the United States.

They reaffirmed their commitment to ramp up economic pressure on Russia including through additional sanctions and by targeting the Russian Shadow Fleet and oil trading networks, the Russian Military Industrial Complex and disrupting Russia’s financial networks.

The leaders condemned Russia’s relentless appalling assault on Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure, and the dire humanitarian consequences during the bitter winter months. They committed to provide further assistance to Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, including through the ongoing provision of air defence. They welcomed recent mobilisation by partners of critical energy infrastructure equipment for Ukraine, including more than half a billion euros of new pledges made to the Ukraine Energy Support Fund so far this year.

The leaders noted the grim toll that Russia has paid for minimal gains on the battlefield, suffering almost half a million casualties last year alone. They welcomed recent successful Ukrainian counter-attacks to reclaim territory, and committed to continue to sustain military as well as fiscal support, including through the EU’s €90 billion loan and bilateral contributions.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 15 February 2026.

The Government will give parents and carers greater clarity and support as the Prime Minister announces immediate action to make the online world safer for children.

• PM announces new powers to act within months to keep children safe amid rapid technology changes
• New action will ensure no platform gets a free pass – as government today will close loopholes that put children at risk, and lays the groundwork for further, faster action
• PM leads new crackdown on AI chatbots to protect people from illegal content

The Government will give parents and carers greater clarity and support as the Prime Minister announces immediate action to make the online world safer for children.

Speaking to parents and young people later today [Monday 16 February], the Prime Minister will make clear this government will act at pace to keep kids safe online as they navigate a digital world that did not exist a generation ago, and one that is shaped by powerful platforms, addictive design and fast-moving technologies.

The new measures announced today include crackdown on vile illegal content created by AI. The government will move fast to shut a legal loophole and force all AI chatbot providers to abide by illegal content duties in the Online Safety Act or face the consequences of breaking the law. This will ensure the Act keeps up with rapidly evolving harms.

This follows government action to call out abhorrent non-consensual intimate images being shared on Grok, which subsequently led to the function being removed.

The Prime Minister will also make clear today that his government is taking new legal powers to lay the groundwork for immediate action following its consultation on children’s wellbeing online. The Government is committed to following the evidence, and these powers will mean we can act fast on its findings within months, rather than waiting years for new primary legislation every time technology evolves.

That means being able to act quickly on measures like setting a minimum age limit for social media and restricting features like infinite scrolling that are harmful, in line with the consultation. The law is crystal clear: the distribution of nude images of children is already illegal. But the government will also consult on how best to ensure tech companies can safeguard children from sending or receiving such images in the first place.

The consultation will also confront the full range of risks children face online. This includes examining restrictions on children’s use of AI chatbots, as well as options to age restrict or limit children’s VPN use where it undermines safety protections and changing the age of digital consent. We will also strengthen protections for families facing the most devastating circumstances, by ensuring that vital data following a child’s death is preserved before it can be deleted, except in cases where online activity is clearly not relevant to the death.

This marks a clear shift in how the UK approaches child online safety, meaning the UK can continue to be a world leader in keeping children safe online.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

“As a dad of two teenagers, I know the challenges and the worries that parents face making sure their kids are safe online.

“Technology is moving really fast, and the law has got to keep up. With my government, Britain will be a leader not a follower when it comes to online safety.

“The action we took on Grok sent a clear message that no platform gets a free pass. 

“Today we are closing loopholes that put children at risk, and laying the groundwork for further action.

“We are acting to protect children’s wellbeing and help parents to navigate the minefield of social media.”

Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said:

“I know that parents across the country want us to act urgently to keep their children safe online. That’s why I stood up to Grok and Elon Musk when they flouted British laws and British values. 

“We will not wait to take the action families need, so we will tighten the rules on AI chatbots and we are laying the ground so we can act at pace on the results of the consultation on young people and social media.

“We are determined to give children the childhood they deserve and to prepare them for the future at time of rapid technological change.”

The children’s digital wellbeing consultation will launch next month and will be guided by what parents and children say they need now, not in several years’ time.

Ministers are already engaging with parents, young people and civil society groups, and the message has been consistent and clear that parents want support and fast.

To help parents immediately, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has launched the ‘You Won’t Know until You Ask’ campaign. It offers practical guidance on safety settings, conversation prompts parents can use with their children, and age‑appropriate advice on dealing with harmful content, including misogynistic material and ragebait.

Chris Sherwood, NSPCC CEO, said:

“We welcome the Prime Minister’s promise to act quickly and decisively to hold tech companies to account and make the online world safer for children. The status quo can’t continue, and without real change the pressure for an under‑16 social media ban will only increase.

“Much of what is being proposed mirrors what we have been pressing for: proper age‑limit enforcement, an end to addictive design, and stronger action from platforms, devices, and AI tools to stop harmful content at the source. Delivered swiftly, these measures would offer far better protection than a blanket ban.

“We also strongly support putting children’s voices at the centre of this debate. They understand both the benefits and risks of being online and – after their insights have been overlooked in discussions so far – their experiences must now help guide the decisions made in the months ahead.

“We need urgent action and an ambitious agenda if the Government is going to take on tech bosses and make a difference for children and young people.”

Andy Burrows, Chief Executive of Molly Rose Foundation, said:

“Parents are right to demand urgent action on online safety, and we strongly welcome the Government’s ambition to move quickly and decisively to tackle appalling and preventable harm. 

“This announcement should reassure parents that change is on the way. It means that children and families could see much needed safety improvements within months, including action against high-risk AI Chatbots and new measures to prevent girls from being coerced into sending nude photos.  

“This a welcome downpayment but the Prime Minister must now go further. Sir Keir Starmer should commit to a new Online Safety Act that strengthens regulation and that makes clear that product safety and children’s wellbeing is the cost of doing business in the UK.”

Notes to editors:

• New powers, to be tabled in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, will enable the Government to act at speed to introduce targeted actions off the back of the upcoming children’s digital wellbeing consultation.
• Government intends to table an amendment to the C&P Bill to give effect to the measures around preservation of child social media data.
• Action will be guided by the outcomes of the consultation with parents and children, set to launch next month, and subject to an affirmative vote on the floor of the House of Commons, giving MPs a clear say on the proposals.
• Government is tabling an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill to allow the government to require chatbots not currently in scope of the Online Safety Act to protect their users from illegal content.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 14 February 2026.

The Prime Minister met the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, at the Munich Security Conference this afternoon.

Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to continue work that will bolster our collective defences in the face of growing threats to European security. 

They agreed that Europe needs to step up and work towards becoming a more European NATO, while protecting our strong transatlantic ties. 

The Prime Minister shared his high ambition for the future UK-EU partnership. He set out his desire for further integration across the economy, defence and technology – in the interests of greater security, stronger growth and higher living standards for the British people. There is no question where the national interest lies and I will always fight for what’s best for the United Kingdom, he added. 

They committed to take forward further work ahead of the next UK-EU summit. They also agreed to double down on the existing negotiations to agree a food and drink deal which could lower prices, an emissions trading scheme which could lower bills, and a youth experience scheme to give our young people more opportunities to work and travel abroad.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 14 February 2026.

Europe must shift from overdependence on the United States and towards a more European NATO, underpinned by deeper links between the UK and the EU, the Prime Minister will say today.

Europe must shift from overdependence on the United States and towards a more European NATO, underpinned by deeper links between the UK and the EU, the Prime Minister will say today [Saturday 14 February].

In a speech at the Munich Security Conference, he will argue that in the face of the looming threat from Russia, the UK’s future prosperity and security rest on closer defence and security ties with Europe, and vice versa.

The Prime Minister is expected to say:

We are not the Britain of the Brexit years anymore. Because we know that, in dangerous times, we would not take control by turning inward – we would surrender it. And I won’t let that happen.

There is no British security without Europe, and no European security without Britain. That is the lesson of history – and it is today’s reality too.

[…]

He will say that the US remains an indispensable ally, and they have made an unparalleled contribution to European security. But as their own national security posture evolves, Europe must shift from overdependence to interdependence – forging a new path towards sovereign deterrence and hard power.

He will add:

I’m talking about a vision of European security and greater European autonomy, that does not herald US withdrawal but answers the call for more burden sharing in full, and remakes the ties that have served us so well.

Arguing that Europe’s fragmented defence industrial base has contributed to gaps and duplication – he will say that leaders must focus on collective effort to build a stronger, more integrated defence capability, backed by historic increases in spending.

British companies already account for over a quarter of the continent’s defence industrial base. They are a job-creating, community-building machine, employing around 239,000 people across the UK –

We want to bring our leadership in defence, tech and AI together with Europe – to multiply our strengths and build a shared industrial base across Europe which can turbocharge our defence production.

[…]

As I see it – Europe is a sleeping giant. Our economies dwarf Russia’s, ten times over. 

We have huge defence capabilities. Yet, too often, all of this has added up to less than the sum of its parts. 

Across Europe, fragmented industrial planning and long, drawn out procurement mechanisms have led to gaps in some areas – and massive duplication in others. 

To meet the threats we face, the UK defence budget is rising to record levels – delivering the biggest boost to defence spending since the Cold War, totalling £270 billion this parliament alone. In his speech, the Prime Minister will also signal the UK’s willingness to participate in innovative joint solutions alongside European partners to accelerate new defence investment and ensure spending increases are used to their full potential.  

He will also point to the UK’s existing bilateral co-operation – including our £10 billion deal with Norway to supply their Navy with frigates, our £8 billion Typhoon deal with Turkey, and ongoing collaboration with Germany, Italy and France to deliver next generation long-range missiles  – as a signal for what could be achieved by joint work on a greater scale, all while delivering jobs and growth at home.

He will add:

We must level with the public and build consent for the decisions we will have to take to keep us all safe. 

Because, if we don’t, the peddlers of easy answers on the extreme left and the extreme right are ready. They will offer their solutions instead.

It’s striking that the different ends of the spectrum share so much. Soft on Russia and weak on NATO – if not outright opposed. 

And determined to sacrifice the longstanding relationships that we want and need to build, on the altar of their ideology. 

The future they offer is one of division and then capitulation. The lamps would go out across Europe once again. But we will not let that happen.

If we want to repair our social fabric, if we believe in our values, in democracy, liberty, the rule of law, then this is the moment to stand up and fight for them, and prove that they are worth fighting for.

That’s why we must work together and show that by taking responsibility for our own security. In a volatile world, we help our people look forward not with fear, but with determination – and hope.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 13 February 2026.

The Prime Minister met German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron at the Munich Security Conference this afternoon.

Addressing the scale of the challenge facing Europe, they reaffirmed their commitment to continue working together, alongside other partners, to enhance our collective defence and security.

They agreed that Europe needs to step up and do more to share the burden while protecting the enduring strength of the Euro-Atlantic partnership.

We must take advantage of our huge defence capability in order to bolster our shared security and deliver for people at home, the Prime Minister added.

They confirmed their enduring support for Ukraine, especially in the face of Russia’s horrific recent attacks, and the ongoing work to secure a just and lasting peace.

They looked forward to further discussions in Munich this weekend.

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

Sir Chris Wormald to stand down as Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service.

The Prime Minister and the Cabinet Secretary have agreed that Sir Chris Wormald will stand down as the Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service by mutual agreement from today (12 February). 

Sir Chris Wormald, said: 

It has been an honour and a privilege to serve as a civil servant for the past 35 years, and a particular distinction to lead the Service as Cabinet Secretary. I want to place on record my sincere thanks to the extraordinary civil servants, public servants, ministers, and advisers I have worked with. Our country is fortunate to have such dedicated individuals devoted to public service, and I wish them every success for the future.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer, said: 

I am very grateful to Sir Chris for his long and distinguished career of public service, spanning more than 35 years, and for the support that he has given me over the past year. I have agreed with him that he will step down as Cabinet Secretary today. I wish him the very best for the future.

For an interim period, the responsibilities of the Cabinet Secretary will be shared by Catherine Little CB, Permanent Secretary at the Cabinet Office, Dame Antonia Romeo, Permanent Secretary at the Home Office and James Bowler CB, Permanent Secretary at His Majesty’s Treasury. 

The Prime Minister will appoint a new Cabinet Secretary shortly. The appointment process will be agreed by the First Civil Service Commissioner.