Tag: Downing Street

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 2 July 2026.

The Prime Minister met His Majesty Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik Al Said of Oman in Downing Street this afternoon.

The Prime Minister reiterated his solidarity with Oman and all our partners in the region, as well as his gratitude for Oman’s mediation efforts which contributed to the deal between the US and Iran.

They discussed efforts to restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and provide shipping with the reassurance needed to transit through the Strait. The Prime Minister recognised that Oman’s support was vital, and they agreed to continue to work closely.

They agreed to stay in touch.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 2 July 2026.

Pubs and bars will be able to stay open until 5am on Monday morning so England fans can come together to watch the World Cup last-16 match against Mexico.

• Pubs and bars across England and Wales will be able to stay open until 5am for Sunday night’s England v Mexico match 
• Removes red tape for pubs and bars wanting to boost revenues and allow fans to come together to support the team 
• Follows extensions already in place for all of England’s knock-out matches 

Pubs and bars will be able to stay open until 5am on Monday morning so England fans can come together to watch the World Cup last-16 match against Mexico. 

In a boost for pubs, bars and football fans across the country, alcohol licensing hours will be extended for Sunday night’s match which kicks off at 1am. 

This change removes the need for individual premises in England and Wales to apply for extended hours, delivering a welcome boost to the hospitality sector. 

The Home Secretary has the legislative power to extend licensing hours on occasions of “exceptional international, national or local significance”. This follows extensions already granted for England’s knock-out games that kicked off up until 22.00. 

Communities Secretary Steve Reed is writing to council leaders informing them of these changes, and thanking them for playing their part in approving Temporary Event Notices throughout the tournament – ensuring supporters can properly roar on the Three Lions down the pub.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

“Football might be coming home but we’re making sure fans don’t have to. 

“Pubs staying open till the final whistle is good news for supporters and good news for the pubs and venues that bring our communities together. 
“The whole country will be backing the team. Come on England!”

Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), said: 

“This is fantastic news and will be hugely welcomed by operators. The government has listened to the overwhelming public support for England and recognised the challenges facing pubs and licensed premises across the country. 

“This pragmatic approach allows venues to focus on what matters most – bringing communities together to support the national team. Major sporting occasions like this deliver a significant boost to hospitality businesses while creating an atmosphere that unites the country. 

“As England heads into one of the biggest games of the tournament, let’s get behind the team, support our local venues, and give the country something positive to celebrate. We hope this weekend marks not only a memorable occasion for England on the pitch, but also a much-needed boost for our hospitality sector and the communities it serves.” 

Emma McClarkin, CEO of the British Beer and Pub Association, said:  

“Pubs and fans will be over the moon about this decision, because we all know the best place to watch the match is down the local. 

“This tournament is hugely important for our sector, so we’re delighted the government listened to our concerns and acted so quickly. Now we can carry on being the home of live sport and welcoming fans through the door.” 

Kate Nicholls, Chair of UKHospitality, said:

“England’s march towards World Cup glory is something millions of fans want to support.

“This very welcome announcement from the government allows those that want to enjoy the game in pubs and other hospitality venues to get together to cheer on our Three Lions.”

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 30 June 2026.

Britain’s Armed Forces will be ready and equipped to fight the wars of today and the future following a landmark £15 billion investment to fund key equipment and technology, announced today.

• Additional funding to strengthen military readiness and accelerate the drone transformation, boost future fighter jets and strengthen the UK’s nuclear deterrent.
• Defence Investment Plan will also create nearly 60,000 extra direct and indirect UK industry jobs by the end of the decade, taking forecasted defence spending related jobs supported in the UK to more than half a million.
• Nearly £300 billion in funding over next four years to transform the UK military with cutting edge equipment.

Britain’s Armed Forces will be ready and equipped to fight the wars of today and the future following a landmark £15 billion investment to fund key equipment and technology, announced today.  

The Prime Minister announced during a major speech at Malloy Aeronautics this morning that the Defence Investment Plan will be backed by £298 billion of investment across the next four years, including £15bn of additional spending on top of last year’s Spending Review.

It will see an increase in defence funding from £54 billion a year under the previous government to almost £80 billion a year by 2029, and will see the UK’s defence spending increase to 2.7% of GDP.

This means the proportion of GDP spent on defence will now be higher than at any time during the last thirty years by the end of this decade, and puts the UK on track to meet NATO’s defence spending targets by 2035.

The major spending uplift will also create nearly 60,000 extra direct and indirect UK industry jobs by the end of the decade, taking forecasted defence spending-related jobs supported in the UK to more than half a million. 

The Defence Investment Plan set to be published later today will implement the vision set in the Strategic Defence Review, seeing the Armed Forces adapt for the wars of today and tomorrow by investing in new equipment and embracing new technology, such as drones, autonomy and AI.  

Key funding includes:

• More than £8 billion in the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) over the next four years, progressing the programme which will build a next-generation stealth fighter jet for the Royal Air Force, alongside our close allies Japan and Italy.    
• More than £63 billion over the next four years to strengthen the UK’s nuclear deterrent and to fund Dreadnought and SSN-AUKUS submarines, a new warhead, and other crucial nuclear work. Additionally, we will also purchase 12 F35As and join NATO’s nuclear mission.  
• Including elements of the above nuclear investment in the first four years, £26 billion over the next decade in Project Royal Oak – the biggest naval base upgrade for over 45 years, including multi-billion-pound upgrades at Faslane, Portsmouth and Devonport.  
• Over £5 billion for the next four years to fund a drone transformation for our Armed Forces. As part of this, £650 million will deliver inexpensive expendable autonomous systems including drones and uncrewed ground vehicles to rapidly enhance the lethality of the Army, Commando Force and Special Forces.   
• Nearly £2 billion to integrate our Armed Forces through a new Digital Targeting Web. This will enable faster decision-making and speed in destroying identified targets and will be underpinned by world leading AI and software.
• £790 million over the next four years to enhance protection of the UK homeland and overseas bases from air, drone and missile threats. This will revolutionise command and control and buy new radars and sensors. We will also invest in Directed Energy Weapons, upgrade Sea Viper for our Type 45 destroyers, expand counter drone systems, and build a new Integrated Air, Space and Missile Defence Operations Centre.   
• £11 billion on munitions and weapons to increase UK stockpiles and ensure our Armed Forces have the right mix of capabilities to defeat targets, including long-range strike weapons, low-cost cruise missiles and one-way effectors. By 2030, we will have built at least six new energetics factories and increased our national munitions production capacity. 
• £900 million investment to drive efficiency and reform procurement, including a £500 million Transformation Fund to deliver productivity improving investments in AI and workforce transformation, as well as an initial £400m contribution to setting up the Multilateral Defence Mechanism.     
• £100 million for the Prime Minister’s Rapid AI Delivery Taskforce (RAID) to accelerate the deployment of AI-enabled capabilities into the hands of our Armed Forces.

On top of this, the government is investing £115 million to raise the UK’s defences against the threats from AI, including using AI to improve our biosecurity and mitigate risks posed by autonomous AI agents.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:   

This record investment puts the security of the British public first, transforming our Armed Forces and giving them the funding and equipment they need to fight and defend our nation.

The world is a more dangerous and volatile place, so it is only right we are boosting the number of troops on the ground, rebuilding ammunition stockpiles and investing in cutting edge technology to ensure we outpace our adversaries for generations to come.

Every pound in this plan will work twice, delivering economic growth and opportunity for the British people, and supporting more than half a million jobs by the end of the decade, as well as reinforcing our national security.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said:

I have boosted defence spending to the highest level since the Cold War – and today’s Defence Investment Plan goes further still, committing almost £300 billion over this Parliament to transform our Armed Forces. That’s more money, spent more effectively, to keep the country safe and back British industry, jobs and growth.

Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis MBE MP said:

I know first-hand the importance of our Armed Forces having the kit and technology they need to do the difficult job we ask of them.

I have secured more money and made different choices for defence. We will invest £298 billion over the next four years. That includes an additional £15 billion, of which most is extra day-to-day spending for training and improving availability of ships and aircraft to increase our war-fighting readiness. 

By choosing to embrace new technology, I am equipping our forces with the autonomous systems which will give them the edge. 

This extra money and these choices send a clear signal to our allies and our adversaries alike: Britain is stepping up on security.

Chief of the Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton said:

This plan sets out how and where we will invest in defence over the coming years to deliver the Strategic Defence Review and build the integrated force the nation needs.

It also reflects both the importance of national defence and the vital contribution our Armed Forces make every day to keeping the country safe.

Reinforcing today’s additional investment, the Prime Minister also announced this morning a new £50 billion defence export facility established by UK Export Finance to support British defence firms to win contracts across the globe. This will support British defence companies of all sizes and strengthen the UK’s competitiveness in a rapidly growing market. 

The Defence Investment Plan continues this Government’s delivery of the Strategic Defence Review’s vision for UK defence.  

GCAP is a groundbreaking collaboration between the UK, Japan and Italy to develop a sixth-generation stealth fighter aircraft, which already supports 4,500 jobs across the UK. The work is deepening our defence, industrial, and technology collaboration with our partners in both the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic regions.  

The Defence Investment Plan will include significant funding to renew and maintain the UK’s nuclear deterrent, the ultimate guarantor of our security, also declared to the defence of NATO.

Over the next four years, £20 billion more will be invested into the Defence Nuclear Enterprise, compared to the previous four years. It demonstrates the government’s commitment to fund the nuclear “triple lock” building four Dreadnought submarines in Barrow, sustaining the nuclear deterrent, and delivering future upgrades, including the replacement warhead.    

This investment will be underpinned by a commitment to drive out waste and inefficiency, including tackling £250 million fraud and error, and accelerating investment in AI and procurement reform.

The Government has set out details of how the Defence Investment Plan will be funded through reprioritising public spending, acting within our fiscal rules and without taking resources away from day-to-day spending on frontline services.

This approach will allow the country to continue renewing and rebuilding and ensure that the Armed Forces have the resources they need to meet this new era of threat.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 29 June 2026.

The Prime Minister hosted the NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at Downing Street today. 

The leaders began by discussing the publication of the Defence Investment Plan. The Prime Minister set out how his plan would focus on readiness and autonomous capability, ensuring British forces would have the equipment they need to keep the UK and its NATO Allies safe.  

The leaders then reflected on their recent diplomatic meetings, including at the G7, the E5 in Berlin and the Secretary General’s visit to the US. They discussed the strong international support for Ukraine and looked ahead to the outcomes of the upcoming NATO Summit in Ankara. 

Ukraine would form a key part of European security long into the future, with the strongest armed forces in Europe, the leaders agreed. 

On the Strait of Hormuz, the Prime Minister and Secretary General discussed the need to ensure the safe passage of global shipping and the Prime Minister updated on the UK’s military assets in the region to support a multi-national mission when the conditions allowed. 

They both looked forward to speaking again soon.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 29 June 2026.

The Prime Minister hosted a roundtable discussion this morning with hospitality organisations working to support those facing barriers to employment, training and education, setting out the government’s ambition to ensure every young person can fulfil their potential regardless of background.

He set out the government’s focus on technical education and skills, arguing that university should not be seen as the only route to success. He outlined plans to increase participation in high-level skills training, expand technical excellence colleges and prioritise youth apprenticeships to meet the needs of the economy of the future.

The Prime Minister also set out the government’s wider approach to supporting young people, including action to tackle child poverty through breakfast clubs, expanded childcare and lifting the two-child benefit limit, alongside the Youth Guarantee and a new £3,000 incentive for businesses to recruit young people who have been out of work for six months.

He invited participants to share first-hand experiences of existing schemes and how they could be improved.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 25 June 2026.

The Prime Minister welcomed the Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley for a meeting in Downing Street today, during London Climate Action Week. 

The Prime Minister thanked Prime Minister Mottley for her international leadership on climate action, welcoming efforts by the UK and Barbados to tackle super pollutants.

The leaders also discussed initiatives for combatting organised crime and enhancing regional security in the Caribbean.

They looked forward to the UK and Barbados continuing to deepen work together through the Commonwealth, including on trade and business opportunities.

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

E5 Leaders’ Statement.

Against the backdrop of the current threats and challenges to the security environment, leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Poland and United Kingdom met today in Berlin. The Secretary General of NATO joined the meeting from Washington.

Leaders affirmed their unwavering commitment to Euro-Atlantic security and the transatlantic bond, recognising the vital role the US continues to play in the Alliance. They agreed to collectively work towards a successful NATO summit in Ankara hosted by President Erdogan on 7-8 July 2026.

They expressed their strong determination to build a stronger Europe in a stronger NATO and to pursue their respective defence industrial endeavors in the closest possible cooperation.

Leaders decided to move forward in five specific areas:

1. European Leadership and Burden Sharing: Leaders are committed to a stronger European role within NATO with Europe taking greater responsibility for our shared transatlantic security, coordinating closely with the US. Leaders welcome the significant progress made by Allies towards implementing The Hague Defence Investment Pledge and agree to jointly develop avenues to strengthen European contributions to Allied capabilities.
2. Collective Security: Leaders agree to proactively strengthen the Alliance’s deterrence and defence posture and increase contributions to NATO’s deterrence activities in order to respond to and deter the most significant and direct threat from Russia and the most direct asymmetric threat of terrorism to Euro-Atlantic security, in line with our 360-degree approach. Leaders reaffirm their fundamental commitment and determination to the security of the Euro-Atlantic area and their determination to act timely together should this be threatened.
3. Defense Industrial Cooperation: Leaders recognise the importance of closer defence industrial cooperation to deliver NATO’s capabilities, warfighting readiness and resilience essential for deterrence and defence at the necessary speed, scale and value. Leaders will further strengthen the defence industrial cooperation, with a focus on air defence, unmanned systems, AI, and other capabilities including long-range firepower. They agree to accelerate their commitment to European joint development and procurement of deep precision strike capabilities. In addition to strengthening European industrial efforts, leaders emphasised the importance of harnessing emerging technologies underpinned by financial mechanisms to unlock capital and investment. This includes extending existing instruments to close critical capability gaps and increase interoperability.
4. Support for Ukraine: Leaders are committed to further substantially support Ukraine in its defence against Russian aggression, including through sanctions and economic pressure on Russia as well as support for the resilience of Ukraine’s energy sector. They support pledges in military support at the NATO Summit and intensified co-operation with Ukraine through NATO initiatives, including JATEC and NSATU. They reiterate their commitment to deepening NATO’s partnership with Ukraine, bringing Ukraine closer to the Alliance and recognizing the vital contribution Ukraine makes to Euro-Atlantic security. Leaders are aligned regarding the conditions for a just and lasting peace and support proposals for direct dialogue between Ukraine and Russia – with active US and European participation.
5. United on Iran: Leaders welcomed the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding, secured under the leadership of President Trump with the support of mediating countries, and agreed this is a moment of opportunity to restore regional stability and stabilise the global economy. Leaders reiterated their commitment to supporting implementation of the MoU as part of urgent and comprehensive follow-up that delivers lasting peace. Leaders underlined that Iran must never have a nuclear weapon. Leaders reaffirmed the importance of unconditional and unrestricted freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. They confirmed their commitment to participate in the UK-France led Multinational Military Mission as soon as conditions allow and in accordance with their respective constitutional requirements. It could play an important role in reassuring the shipping industry and re-opening the Strait including through verification of demining.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 17 June 2026.

G7 leaders’ statement on geopolitical issues.

Ukraine

We, the Leaders of the G7, stand united in our unwavering support for Ukraine in defending its freedom, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. We reaffirm our solidarity with the Ukrainian population suffering from attacks on their critical infrastructure and cultural heritage. We commend Ukraine for its resilience and progress on the battlefield in recent months and emphasize there is now a new momentum.

To support and accelerate this new momentum, we agree to increase the delivery of air defence capacities, additional systems and interceptors, and long-range capabilities. We are also ready to consider extending to Ukraine the benefit of licenses to allow for an increase in Ukraine’s military production.

We stress the importance of energy resilience, on the basis of the needs and priorities expressed by Ukrainian authorities. We agree to provide further support to get the country through next winter.

We commit to increase the pressure on the Russian war economy. In this context, we will strengthen our sanctions, including those on the oil and gas sectors. We consider this the right moment to proceed with additional measures, as President Trump has delivered a deal that we support in reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

Middle East

We recognize the breakthrough and the opportunity that currently exist in the Middle East.

We welcome the announcement of a deal between the United States and Iran, secured under the strong leadership of President Trump, with the support of mediating countries, which provides an historic opportunity to prevent Iran from acquiring any nuclear weapon and tackling the threats related to its regional and ballistic activities. We support and are ready to contribute to its implementation.

We reaffirm that the right of transit passage without restrictions or tolls is the bedrock of international trade. We agree that the multinational, independent, and defensive initiative led by France and the UK can play an important role to facilitate the resumption of maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz by protecting merchant vessels, reassuring commercial shipping operators, and supporting verification that all mines are removed.

We strongly support a robust and comprehensive diplomatic follow-on agreement to the Memorandum of Understanding secured by President Trump that can bring peace and security for all in the region. We underline the need for the negotiation to this end to address the threats posed by Iran in the region and beyond and ensure that they never obtain a nuclear weapon. We agree that such a negotiation would benefit from the contributions from relevant regional and international partners, including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). We reaffirm that Iran will never obtain a nuclear weapon.

In Lebanon, we support, through an immediate robust ceasefire, the Lebanese leadership’s efforts to achieve the disarmament of Hezbollah and the monopoly of arms, and to protect Lebanon’s territorial integrity and sovereignty with the appropriate international security guarantees.

In Gaza, we will accelerate humanitarian and reconstruction efforts and the swift implementation of relevant political and security measures. We call for ending violence in the West Bank.

We commit to accelerate the diversification of energy supply routes in order to reduce global vulnerability to the Strait of Hormuz and to increase our energy stocks. We welcome the potential for Canada to deliver significant additional capacity to global markets in coming years.

Indo-Pacific

We highlight the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific based on the rule of law. We reaffirm our opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo, in particular by force or coercion, in the East and South China Seas and across the Taiwan Strait, which should only be resolved peacefully through dialogue.

We express deep concern about North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs and reaffirm our commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions. We urge North Korea to resolve the abductions issue immediately. We reiterate the need to jointly address North Korea’s cryptocurrency thefts and cybercrimes.

We welcome the Global Convergence for Growth Summit convened by President Macron on June 11th 2026, with the participation of China. We reaffirm our common interest in converging with other large economies on the causes of large and persistent global imbalances and on the need to address them. We will continue these efforts within the G20 under the United States’ host year and in other relevant fora.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 17 June 2026.

The United Kingdom has imposed its largest ever penalty for a breach of Russian financial sanctions since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

• UK travel technology firm fined more than £1 million for breaching UK financial sanctions against Russia.
• Sabre Global Technologies Limited made funds and economic resources available to a designated Russian airline for seven months in 2022, and tested alternative payment routes to get around UK sanctions.
• Third penalty issued under OFSI’s new settlement policy, as the UK continues ironclad support of Ukraine.

The £1 million fine has been levied against a technology firm – Sabre Global Technologies Limited (SGTL) – that repeatedly breached UK financial sanctions.  

The action by the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) – part of HM Treasury – underlines the UK’s increasingly robust enforcement of the Russia sanctions regime in support of Ukraine and sends clear compliance lessons to industry.

The penalty is also the first issued by OFSI for a circumvention offence, and comes as the UK steps up enforcement action on those seeking to evade our sanctions regime. 

SGTL, which provides travel technology services, continued to provide Russian carrier Ural Airlines access to its Global Distribution System service for seven months after it was designated by the UK in May 2022. SGTL was notified of the designation on the day it took effect.

After payments to its UK bank were blocked for sanctions concerns, SGTL explored alternative ways of receiving payments from Ural Airlines.

This included asking Ural Airlines to send a test payment to a non-UK SGTL bank account, intending for future settlements to be routed through this account. This amounted to circumvention of UK sanctions.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

Those who seek to evade our sanctions regime and support Putin’s cronies should be in no doubt, we will come after you.

It is vital we support Ukraine and continue to ramp up pressure on Russia, as every pound flowing into Putin’s war chest is being used to fuel conflict in Europe and undermine our security.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves said:

Our support for Ukraine is ironclad.

This largest ever penalty for breaches of financial sanctions since Russia’s 2022 illegal invasion sends a clear message – we will take decisive action against those who break UK financial sanctions and help fund Russia’s war machine.

The UK alone has sanctioned more than 3300 individuals, businesses and ships under the Russia sanctions regime.

This latest action follows sanctions packages in May which targeted the infrastructure underpinning Russia’s war economy, including crypto exchanges and maritime services.

SGTL has been fined a total of £1,000,920.59 for breaches of the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 17 June 2026.

Leaders’ declaration on tackling migrant smuggling.

We, the Leaders of the G7, reaffirm our enduring efforts to prevent and counter the smuggling of migrants. Taking stock of the G7 Leaders’ statements adopted in Apulia in 2024 and Kananaskis in 2025, we renew our commitment to preventing, countering and dismantling organised criminal networks that profit from the smuggling of migrants, the trafficking in persons and other related crimes, as well as to disrupting the business models of organised criminal enterprises. Partner countries of the G7, Kenya and the Republic of Korea, also support this declaration.

Migrant smuggling and human trafficking constitute serious transnational crimes that erode the sovereign right of States to control their borders and expose smuggled and trafficked persons to life-threatening risks. We are committed to tackling organised illegal migration. We remain committed to fight against all forms of abuse and exploitation of migrants, ensuring protection of the most vulnerable, including refugees and forcibly displaced persons.

Accordingly, we task our relevant Ministers to continue taking robust action to further deliver on the G7 Action Plan to Prevent and Counter the Smuggling of Migrants.

We recognise ongoing work to adopt targeted sanctions and other restrictive measures against individuals and entities involved in migrant smuggling, including online, where consistent with our legal systems. In that regard, we recall our determination, expressed under the Canadian presidency, to intensify our cooperation with online platforms and relevant actors for them to detect, prevent and remove online content used to conduct smuggling operations.

We will also deepen cooperation with countries of origin and transit to dismantle smuggling and trafficking networks, and to prevent organised illegal migration by strengthening our efforts to build stability in order to enable all individuals to live and thrive in their own countries, safeguarding their safety, rights and dignity, including through improved economic conditions.

We note the obligations on States to accept return of their own nationals and to enhance processes to ensure timely, safe, lawful and dignified return of those with no legal right to stay in our territories. Respectful of national competences, we take note of new lawful approaches explored by some members with third countries to strengthen migration management.

This declaration reflects the outcome of the discussion between G7 members, benefiting from productive exchanges of views with partner countries.