Tag: Downing Street

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 16 December 2024.

The Prime Minister has appointed The Lord Evans of Weardale KCB DL to be the Chairman of the Crown Nominations Commission for Canterbury. The Crown Nominations Commission is the Church of England committee that nominates the candidate to be the next Archbishop of Canterbury to succeed the Most Reverend and Right Honourable Justin Welby.  Archbishop Welby has announced that he will complete his duties on 6th January 2025.

Notes for Editors

Jonathan Evans has been a Crossbench member of the House of Lords since 2014. Until October 2023 he was Chair of the Committee on Standards in Public Life. He is currently Chair of the HALO Trust, the anti-landmine charity, and of the Public Interest Committee at KPMG UK. He is a former Director-General of the Security Service, MI5. He is an active and communicant member of his local parish church.

The Church of England’s standing orders state that the Chair of the Crown Nominations Commission for Canterbury is appointed by the Prime Minister and must be an actual communicant lay [i.e. not ordained] member of the Church of England.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 16 December 2024.

An Estonian tech start up manufacturing low-cost air defence missiles is expected to open a new UK headquarters, delivering on the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change.

An Estonian tech start up manufacturing low-cost air defence missiles is expected to open a new UK headquarters, delivering on the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change.

Defence company Frankenburg Technologies is planning to open a new office in London initially employing upwards of 50 people, in a boost for the UK defence sector.

Specialising in the manufacture of low-cost air defence missiles, the rapidly growing company already collaborates closely with the UK defence industry, sourcing a significant portion of its subsystems locally.

The Prime Minister will meet the founder of the business, Taavi Madiberk, as part of a business breakfast in Tallinn tomorrow morning [17 December 2024].

Delivering on his Plan for Change to boost jobs across the UK and put money back in the pockets of hardworking people, the Prime Minister will meet business leaders from major Estonian players and market disruptors, including Bolt, Nortal, Starship Technologies, Cachet, Skeleton Tech, Frankenburg Technologies, Salv, LHV Group, Pipedrive and Veriff.

Frankenburg Technologies, which already has a footprint in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Ukraine, will invest €50 million into the UK for research and development into low-cost rocket motors.

It comes after the Business Secretary last week held a roundtable as part of this Government’s ‘pro-growth, pro-business’ approach to realise the economic potential of the defence sector and change perceptions of it among investors – which is essential to kickstarting economic growth and provide greater investment across the UK.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

Frankenburg Technologies’ vote of confidence in the UK is another signal that our plan is working, which is why I am focused on how we can continue to make the UK a magnet for foreign investment, greater growth and innovation.

Estonia is an incubator of innovation, while the UK is a launchpad for global growth, and I believe closer collaboration between our countries will deliver for hardworking British people for years to come.

Supporting more than 400,000 jobs up and down the country, the UK defence industry is vital to my Plan for Change, both underpinning our foundation of security and driving growth.

The tech start up is another example of how the rapid development and procurement of low-cost military equipment is supporting Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s barbaric invasion and transforming the European defence industry. The company’s mission is to develop missile systems that are ten times more affordable and a hundred times faster to produce.

The UK defence industry is a major driver of growth in the UK, supporting 1 in 60 jobs through 434,000 good, well-paid roles across the country.

Estonia is renowned as a tech start-up hub, with the largest number of unicorns and highest level of venture capital investment per a head in Europe.

Many of the companies the Prime Minister will meet tomorrow, such as Wise, LHV, Pipedrive, Nortal, Bolt and Starship Technologies have shown how expanding to the UK is an important step in these companies’ path to global growth.

Following breakfast with Estonian business leaders, the Prime Minister will attend the Joint Expeditionary Force summit, joining leaders from the Nordics and Baltics to discuss support for Ukraine, the sustained threat posed by Russia and wider European security.

He is then expected to visit British forces serving in the region to deter malign Russian threats.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 15 December 2024.

• Ambitious new Green Industrial Partnership will see enhanced cooperation across a range of sectors, including future clean energy innovations.
• Potential to create thousands of new, skilled jobs in the UK, including by seizing on cross-border carbon capture opportunities under the North Sea.
• Follows groundbreaking new deal to build the UK’s first carbon capture projects in the North East.

The UK and Norway are set to launch a new Green Industrial Partnership today (16 December) to combine their world-leading capabilities on clean energy, drive economic growth and deliver on the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change.

As one of the UK’s most important and longstanding energy partners, with Norway being the single biggest supplier of gas after the UK Continental Shelf, the new agreement – which the two countries have a joint ambition to sign in spring 2025 – will support our aim to secure home-grown energy, protect billpayers, and put us on track to make Britian a clean energy superpower by 2030.

The Prime Minister will visit a cross-border carbon transport and storage facility in Norway to see how the benefits of such projects for the UK will reignite industrial heartlands, create jobs, and turbocharge growth for decades to come.

It comes days after the Government signed first carbon capture usage and storage (CCUS) contracts in the UK. BP, and Norwegian company Equinor are playing a major role in the first projects, called the Northern Endurance Partnership and the Net Zero Teesside. The projects will deliver thousands of skilled jobs to the region, and Net Zero Teesside will provide up to 1 million homes with clean power from 2028.

In a further example of Norwegian and UK collaboration, today’s announcement also comes as pioneering floating offshore windfarm Green Volt announces it has awarded front-end engineering and design contracts to progress the project.

Based off the Northeast coast of Scotland, it is the first major commercial floating wind development in Europe, and a joint venture between Norwegian Vårgrønn and UK firm Flotation Energy.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

“This Green Industrial Partnership will allow us to seize the opportunities from a new era of clean energy, driving investment into the UK and boosting jobs both now and in the future.

“It will harness the UK’s unique potential to become a world-leader in carbon capture – from the North Sea to the coastal south – reigniting industrial heartlands and delivering on our Plan for Change.

“Our partnership with Norway will make the UK more energy secure, ensuring we are never again exposed to international energy price spikes and the whims of dictators like Putin.”

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said:

“We need cooperation, knowledge and innovation to better equip us to face the future. The partnership with the UK will be important to facilitate more green jobs both in Norway and the UK, and for advancing the green transition.

“We work closely with the UK in a wide range of areas. We have cooperated in the field of carbon capture and storage for more than 20 years, and further strengthening our cooperation with the UK will help us to cut emissions and create green jobs.

“It is important to show our partners what Norway can bring to the table in our joint efforts to achieve our common goals.”

Alongside the new Green Industrial Partnership, the two countries have committed to initiate work to identify gaps and challenges to the development of our common North Sea as a hub for carbon storage and to develop a bilateral agreement or arrangement on cross-border transport of CO2 under the London Protocol.

Today’s announcement follows urgent action already taken to deliver on the mission since July, including lifting the onshore wind ban, establishing Great British Energy, consenting almost 2 GW of nationally significant solar, delivering a record-breaking renewables auction, and kickstarting carbon capture and hydrogen industries. In October, Britain also became the first industrialised nation to end its 150-year usage of coal to produce power.

It also comes as Norway’s Statkraft broke ground on the Swansea Greener Grid Park in Swansea just days before the Prime Minister’s visit, which will use low carbon technology to improve grid stability and reduce the need to use fossil fuel power plants.

The £70 million investment is one of a pipeline of similar grid stability schemes to be developed in the UK, and Statkraft has already to date delivered two. The company has already invested £1.4 billion in renewable energy infrastructure in the UK.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 13 December 2024.

The Prime Minister joined a virtual meeting of G7 Leaders this afternoon.

Discussing the unfolding situation in Syria, the Prime Minister said that the fall of Assad’s brutal regime should be welcomed, but we must be mindful about what comes next. The priority should be the safety of the Syrian people while supporting a political transition which leads to credible, inclusive, and non-sectarian governance on behalf of all Syrians.

All leaders agreed that Syria’s territorial integrity, independence and sovereignty must be respected throughout the transition process and in future.

Turning to Ukraine, the Prime Minister said that with Putin showing no sign of relenting, it is vital that we bolster our support to put them in the best possible position for the future.

He called on fellow G7 leaders to continue maximising Putin’s pain by increasing military support to the Ukrainians and ramping up economic pressure, including via further sanctions where possible.

All leaders agreed the unity of the G7 will be critical during a volatile time in the world, and that as like-minded allies, we must work together to ensure international stability and security.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 12 December 2024.

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Keir Starmer and the President of the European Council António Costa met in Downing Street this afternoon.

In their first meeting, the two leaders affirmed the intention to strengthen the relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union, agreeing on the vital importance of closer collaboration between like-minded partners at an increasingly volatile time for the world.

The President invited the Prime Minister to attend a session of the informal meeting of the EU leaders in Brussels on 3 February. The Prime Minister was pleased to accept the invitation and looked forward to discussing enhanced strategic co-operation with the EU, notably on defence.

The two leaders also discussed current geopolitical challenges. They reiterated their unwavering commitment to providing continued political, financial, economic, humanitarian, military and diplomatic support to Ukraine and its people for as long as it takes and as intensely as needed.

They also discussed the situation and the latest developments in the Middle East. Turning to Syria, they agreed on the importance of ensuring a peaceful transition towards long-term political stability following the fall of Assad’s brutal regime.

They reaffirmed that the Withdrawal Agreement, including the Windsor Framework and the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, are the foundation of relations between the UK and EU, and restated their joint commitment to the full and faithful implementation of those agreements.

They also looked ahead to the first EU-UK Summit in early 2025, agreeing this would provide an important opportunity to make further progress on key areas to deliver tangible benefits for the people of the UK and the EU.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 12 December 2024.

The King has approved the nomination of The Reverend Canon Esther Tamisa Prior, Vicar of St John the Baptist Egham and Honorary Canon at Guildford Cathedral, for appointment as Suffragan Bishop of Aston in the Diocese of Birmingham, in succession to The Right Reverend Anne Hollinghurst following her resignation and appointment as Principal of the Queens Foundation.

Background

Esther was educated at the University of Zimbabwe and trained for ministry at Trinity College, Bristol. She was ordained priest in 2004 and served her title at Redland Parish Church in the Diocese of Bristol, and St John’s, Deptford, in the Diocese of Southwark.

In 2008, Esther was appointed Associate Minister at St Matthew’s, Borstal, additionally serving as Chaplain at Blackheath Bluecoat Church of England School until 2009 and as Prison Chaplain for Cookham Wood from 2010. Esther was appointed Team Vicar at St John, Cove, in the Diocese of Guildford, in 2011 and in 2018 took up her current role as Vicar of St John the Baptist, Egham.

Esther is married to Matt, who is also ordained, and they have two teenaged children.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 28 November 2024.

The Prime Minister spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy this morning.

The Prime Minister began by reiterating the UK’s steadfast support for Ukraine. The leaders discussed the egregious Russian missile strike in the early hours of this morning, which had deprived more than a million people of heat, light and electricity.

Russia’s systematic attacks on Ukraine’s energy sector was depraved, the Prime Minister said.

Both leaders underlined the importance of putting Ukraine in the best possible position ahead of another challenging winter of conflict.

The leaders also discussed Ukraine’s long-term future, and how investment in the country’s security today would support Europe’s broader security for generations to come.

They looked forward to speaking again soon.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 27 November 2024.

The King has approved the nomination of Reverend Canon David Bull, Team Rector of Great Marlow with Marlow Bottom, Little Marlow and Bisham, in the Diocese of Oxford, as Suffragan Bishop of Buckingham in the Diocese of Oxford in succession to Bishop Alan Wilson following his sudden death.

Background

Dave was educated at Worcester College Oxford and trained for ministry at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. He served his title at St. Mary’s Reigate, in the Diocese of Southwark, and was ordained priest in 2009.

In 2012, Dave took up his current role as Team Rector and was additionally appointed Area Dean of Wycombe in 2016.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 27 November 2024.

The King has approved the nomination of The Reverend Canon Mary Gregory, Canon Residentiary for Arts and Reconciliation at Coventry Cathedral, for nomination to the Suffragan See of Reading, in the Diocese of Oxford, in succession to Bishop Olivia Graham, following her retirement.

Background

Mary was educated at Birmingham University and St John’s College, Durham and trained for ministry at Cranmer Hall, Durham. She served her title at St Lawrence, Hatfield, in the Diocese of Sheffield and in 2006, was ordained priest. From 2008, Mary served as Rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd, Kirk Sandall and Edenthorpe and from 2013, she was additionally appointed Dean of Women’s Ministry.

In 2015, Mary was appointed Team Rector of the Flagstaff Family of Churches, in the Diocese of Leicester, also serving as Diocesan Rural Mission Enabler from 2020. Mary has served in her current role as Canon Residentiary for Arts and Reconciliation at Coventry Cathedral since 2022.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 19 November 2024.

The Prime Minister has officially launched the UK-led Global Clean Power Alliance today, in a major boost for the world’s clean energy transition.

Brazil, Australia, Barbados, Canada, Chile, Colombia, France, Germany, Morocco, Norway, Tanzania, the African Union are the first countries to sign up to its first mission. The United States and the European Union will also partner with the UK on the initiative.

At the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, the Prime Minister and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva confirmed the new partnership, saying that it will speed up the global drive for clean power by uniting developed and developing countries across the north and south.

The alliance of countries will work together and share expertise with the goal of meeting the COP28 commitments to triple renewable energy and double energy efficiency.

The Global Clean Power Alliance will have ‘Missions’ to address the most critical energy transition challenges. The first of these is the Finance Mission, which will be published today and co-chaired by Brazil, will harness the political leadership needed to unlock private finance on a huge scale, so that no developing country is left behind.

It commits to supporting countries to build investment platforms and providing the assistance needed to get clean finance flowing.

The UK is leading the way on the green energy transition. One of the Prime Minister’s missions is to make Britain a clean energy superpower – making the British people better off by investing in clean homegrown power to end national exposure to fossil fuel markets and the dictators who control them.

The UK has already seen £34.8 billion of private investment into homegrown clean energy industries since July – unlocking thousands of jobs and making the British people better off.

There are already around 640,000 people employed in green jobs across the UK – a rise of 20% from 2020 to 2022, growing at a rate 4 times faster than overall UK employment.

The UK’s success highlights the potential for the global transition, as well as marking the return to responsible global leadership on the biggest challenges of our time.

Since taking office in July, the government has also lifted the de facto ban on onshore wind, pledged to end new oil and gas licences and launched the new national clean power company GB Energy.

Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, said:

The UK is already leading the way in the clean power transition – we’ve phased out coal power, lifted the ban on onshore wind and launched GB Energy – but we will not stop there.

We want our clean energy ambitions to go global, so it is fantastic news that multiple other countries are now on board with the UK-led Global Clean Power Alliance.

I will restore the UK’s role as a climate leader on the world stage – and this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make sure we face up to the climate crisis head-on, while delivering more jobs, growth and prosperity for people across the entire planet.

Energy Secretary, Ed Miliband, said:

Speeding up the global clean energy transition is in Britain’s national interest – it is the route to the jobs of the future, energy security and tackling the climate crisis.

The UK is back in the business of climate leadership and that means working more closely with other countries to get off the fossil fuel rollercoaster and unlock the rewards of cheap, secure and clean power at home and abroad.

Brazil signing up to our finance mission is a huge vote of confidence ahead of the crucial COP30 summit in Belem next year, sending a strong message to the world that together we can accelerate the clean energy revolution.

Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, said:

The climate crisis is the greatest challenge the world faces and tackling it is essential for Britain’s national security, energy security and economic growth.

Britain is back leading from the front on climate change at home and abroad. Working with allies and partners, the Global Clean Power Alliance will turbocharge the rollout of clean power worldwide and support our mission to become a clean energy superpower.

Our partnership with Brazil, who will co-lead the first GCPA Mission on Finance, will scale up clean energy investment and help meet our climate goals.