Tag: Downing Street

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

The Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke to Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this afternoon.

He reaffirmed the UK’s continued support for Israel’s right to defend its people against Hamas’ terror and ensure its long-term security.

The Prime Minister said the UK was deeply concerned about the loss of civilian life in Gaza and the potentially devastating humanitarian impact of a military incursion into Rafah. He reiterated that the immediate priority must be negotiating a humanitarian pause to allow the safe release of hostages and to facilitate considerably more aid going to Gaza, leading to a longer-term sustainable ceasefire. For there to be lasting peace, Israel’s security must be assured.

The Prime Minister highlighted the scale of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and urged Israel to fully open the Kerem Shalom crossing and allow the maritime delivery of international aid through Ashdod port, which the UK stood ready to support on.

He noted the importance of continuing to abide by International Humanitarian Law and protecting civilian infrastructure like hospitals and shelters. The Prime Minister said more must be done to ease restrictions on humanitarian supplies and ensure the UN and aid agencies can reach civilians in need throughout Gaza.

The Prime Minister updated on his recent meeting with the families of British hostages held by Hamas and they discussed urgent ongoing efforts to bring hostages safely home, as well as steps to ensure any remaining British nationals who wish to leave Gaza are able to do so.

Turning to wider issues, the Prime Minister said it was vital to avoid inflaming tensions and undermining security in the West Bank. In the longer term, the UK continued to believe a viable two state solution was the best means to achieve lasting peace and stability for both Israelis and Palestinians. They agreed that Hamas can have no role in the future governance of Gaza.

The leaders also discussed regional issues, and the Prime Minister set out how the UK is supporting efforts to de-escalate the situation on Israel’s northern border with Lebanon and avoid further conflict or threats to Israeli citizens.

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

The Prime Minister hosted His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan for a meeting at Downing Street this afternoon (15 February).

He welcomed the opportunity to meet with King Abdullah again and reiterated the high value the United Kingdom places on our historic partnership and Jordan’s vital regional role.

The leaders discussed the crisis in Gaza and agreed it was critical as a first step to secure an immediate humanitarian pause, to get hostages out and considerably more aid in. The UK ultimately wanted to see a sustainable ceasefire – which would require Hamas to no longer be in charge in Gaza and Israel’s security to be assured.

The Prime Minister welcomed Jordan’s innovative efforts to deliver life-saving aid to Gaza by land and air, and he set out the UK’s work to unblock aid access and alleviate the humanitarian crisis. The UK was deeply concerned about the humanitarian impact of any offensive on civilians sheltering in Rafah.

They also discussed the importance of de-escalating tensions in the West Bank and bolstering the role of the Palestinian Authority to deliver security and prosperity. The Prime Minister highlighted steps the UK has taken to support stability in the West Bank, including sanctioning extremist settlers.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 14 February 2024.

The Prime Minister began by welcoming new members of the 2024 Business Council and said he was determined to continue his work to make the UK the best place to start, grow, and invest in businesses.

He explained how – in the face of geopolitical headwinds – the economy has turned a corner and is moving in the right direction. He noted that inflation has more than halved from 11.1% to 4%, mortgage rates are coming down, and the economy is forecast to grow.

The new Council, with members including FTSE and SME companies from across the UK, discussed the impact of the current macroeconomic climate on business operations. Members noted the impact of global factors on business – such as the war in Ukraine and recent attacks in the Red Sea – but pointed to positive indicators, such as customers feeling the benefit of tax cuts on their expendable income, and optimism about longer term growth.

The discussion went on to explore how the UK Government can best support growth and innovation across the economy, discussing the success of full expensing – which is the biggest business tax cut in modern British history. Members were positive about the UK’s strong consumer confidence, which is at a 2-year high. The Council discussed how cuts to National Insurance will boost spending power, which is likely to improve confidence further.

The Prime Minister closed the meeting by thanking attendees for their time and encouraged them to feed in their views and ideas so the Government can continue supporting businesses to invest and grow, boosting the economy and delivering opportunities across the UK for British people.

The press release issued by the 10 Downing Street on 9 February 2024.

The King has been pleased to approve that Michael Tomlinson KC MP be sworn of His Majesty’s most Honourable Privy Council.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 9 February 2024.

The King has been graciously pleased to signify His intention of conferring the following Peerages of the United Kingdom for Life.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 9 February 2024.

The King has been pleased to approve the following appointment:

• Donald Cameron MSP as a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Scotland Office.
• His Majesty has been pleased to confer a peerage of the United Kingdom for Life on Donald Cameron.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 5 February 2024.

The Prime Minister and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar met at Parliament Buildings, Stormont, today.

The Prime Minister began by congratulating the Ireland rugby team for their emphatic win against France in the Six Nations on Friday.

The Prime Minister turned to the day’s events and thanked the Taoiseach for the Irish Government’s support for the UK Government efforts to see restoration of devolution in Northern Ireland. This had been a challenging time, but patience had proved key to a deal. Now that the institutions were up and running again, he wanted to see all three strands functioning equally well. The sense of relief and optimism from people in Northern Ireland had been very striking and made it all worthwhile.

The leaders reiterated their shared view that a stable, effective and successful Northern Ireland benefitted the UK-Irish relationship immensely. They looked forward to remaining in close contact.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 5 February 2024.

The King has been pleased to appoint Mr Lindsay William Tulloch QPM DL as His Lord-Lieutenant for Shetland, to succeed Mr Robert Walter Hunter CVO following his retirement on 3rd April 2024.

Background

Mr Tulloch was born and educated in Shetland. On leaving High School he obtained a vocational apprenticeship in carpentry and joinery. He remained in the building industry for 4 years before joining the police service in 1992. During 30 years in the police service, Mr Tulloch served across the Highland and Islands area. He was Senior Investigating Officer on a number of serious and high profile criminal investigations, rising through the ranks, serving for six years as Police Area Commander for Shetland, and finally as Superintendent within the Highland and Islands Division of Police Scotland.

In January 2020, Mr Tulloch was awarded the Queens Police Medal by Her Majesty the Queen and he is currently a Deputy Lord-Lieutenant for Shetland.

Mr Tulloch retired from the Police Service in June 2022 and now lives with his wife on the island of Bressay, Shetland. They have one daughter. He is involved in many local charities and has a keen interest in local history, culture and genealogy.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 2 February 2024.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak held a call with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni earlier today.

The Prime Minister spoke to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni this morning.

They discussed ongoing UK – Italy collaboration to tackle criminal people smuggling gangs and deal with illegal migration.

The Prime Minister noted the passage of the Italy-Albania agreement, and leaders agreed to continue working closely together to develop innovative partnerships across Europe and with countries along the migration route.

The Prime Minister welcomed the agreement of a new European Union funding package for Ukraine, following the UK’s commitment of £2.5 billion in military assistance last month, stressing the importance of maintaining international support for Ukraine’s defence against Russian aggression.

They also discussed wider UK-Italy defence and security cooperation, including the successful Global Combat Air Programme to develop next-generation fighter jets.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 1 February 2024.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke to the Sultan of Oman, His Majesty Haitham bin Tarik al Said, this morning.

He welcomed the long friendship between the UK and Oman, stretching back centuries, and committed to continue deepening that partnership in areas including trade, defence and security.

The leaders discussed the ongoing Houthi attacks against commercial shipping in the Red Sea, agreeing that it was vital for international security and stability to deescalate tensions in the region.

The Prime Minister stressed that military action was a last resort in the face of intolerable threats to global shipping, and followed consistent international warnings. The UK continued to urge the Houthis to end their reckless attacks.

The Prime Minister also raised the UK’s position on the devastating conflict in Gaza. He said the immediate priority was agreeing a humanitarian pause to allow more aid to be delivered across Gaza and to secure the release of all hostages.

The UK was pushing for more routes to be opened to bring far greater quantities of aid into the suffering civilian population, including maritime routes.

He reiterated the UK’s support for progress towards a viable two state solution, where Palestinians and Israelis can live in dignity and security. That would require Israel’s security to be guaranteed, Hamas no longer in charge in Gaza, and a bolstered Palestinian Authority. The leaders agreed on the importance of international cooperation to reach a sustainable long-term settlement to the crisis.

The Prime Minister closed the call by reaffirming his personal commitment to building on the long UK-Oman relationship, and the leaders looked forward to working closely together in the future.