Tag: Downing Street

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 17 July 2024.

Border Security will be at the heart of the Government’s reset with Europe, the Prime Minister will tell world leaders at a major European summit tomorrow [Thursday 18 July].

The Prime Minister is set to tell the meeting of the European Political Community that he believes the magnitude of compounding challenges facing Europe cannot be solved alone, and that countries must work collectively to deliver solutions that rebalance the equation.

That will start with the UK taking a more active and greater convening role on the world stage, to strike genuine partnerships that have impact on people’s lives, he will say.

He will add that the UK’s reset on the global stage will be rooted in upholding democratic values and international law and ensuring the economic and financial security of working people.

Setting out his first steps to improve the livelihoods of hardworking people, the Prime Minister will announce the redeployment of more than 100 Home Office staff from the Migration and Economic Development Partnership (MEDP) and redeployment of them to a new rapid returns unit to take control of our borders.

The Prime Minister is also pledging to help lead the Europe-wide effort to combat organised immigration crime, and the people smuggling gangs trading in human lives, in co-operation with Europol, Frontex, and individual member states.

Irregular migration is a continent-wide problem, with more than 380,000 people believed to have entered the EU through irregular routes – an increase of 17% on the previous year. Around 41% of those arrivals are believed to have come in small boats across the Central Mediterranean, 26% on land through the Balkans, and 16% coming across the Eastern Mediterranean.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

We cannot let the challenges of the recent past define our relationships of the future. That is why European security will be at the forefront of this government’s foreign and defence priorities, and why I am focused on seizing this moment to renew our relationship with Europe.

The EPC will fire the starting gun on this government’s new approach to Europe, one that will not just benefit us now, but for generations to come, from dismantling the people smuggling webs trafficking people across Europe, to standing up to Putin’s barbaric actions in Ukraine and destabilising activity across Europe.

My government was elected with a mandate for change. I asked the British people to judge me by my actions, not words. This meeting of European leaders is an opportunity to push on and begin delivering on the people’s priorities. We will only be able to secure our borders, drive economic growth and defend our democracies if we work together.

Asylum decisions will be accelerated and, under the new fast-tracked system in the returns and enforcement unit, we will prioritise those who have no right to be in the UK and the greatest chance of being returned.

It comes after the government announced a Border Security Bill in the King’s Speech to tackle the criminal smuggling gangs, delivering on a key manifesto pledge. It will give the new Border Security Command counter terrorism-style powers to disrupt organised immigration crime and ensure smugglers can be prosecuted for preparatory offences such as supplying materials to facilitate organised immigration crime.

The new powers will build on the success of similar robust measures to counter terrorism and will include strengthening powers for law enforcement officers to investigate involvement in organised immigration crime.

The Home Secretary has already delivered a 50% uplift in NCA officers to be based in Europol with immediate effect and work is underway to further deepen our partnerships with Europol and its European Migrant Smuggling Centre.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:

Dangerous small boat crossings are undermining our border security and putting lives at risk. Criminal smuggling gangs are making millions out of small boat crossings.

We will work right across Europe to tackle this problem at source, going after those profiting from this awful trade and bringing them to justice.

The new Border Security Command will be a major step change in UK enforcement efforts to tackle organised immigration crime, drawing on substantial resource to work across Europe and beyond to disrupt trafficking networks and deliver justice.

At the same time, work is underway to transform the UK’s asylum system and accelerate decision-making, with a new returns and enforcement unit being set up in the Home Office to fast-track the removal of those with no right to be in the UK.

The EPC is the only pan European meeting of leaders, including the heads of the EU institutions, and for the first time at this EPC the leaders of NATO, the Council of Europe and the OSCE. The only European governments not invited are Russia and Belarus.

As well as focusing on the shared challenge of migration, the EPC will also convene leaders to discuss defending democracy and energy security through three working groups. The Prime Minister will attend the migration working group, alongside Italy, Albania, Germany, Malta, Denmark, Hungary, The Netherlands and Slovakia.

The Prime Minister is expected to host a number of bilaterals with key European leaders tomorrow, including Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. He is also expected to attend a meeting of the Moldova Group to underline Moldova’s sovereignty and democracy in the face of Russian interference.

Blenheim Palace is the birthplace of Churchill who stood up to a previous generation of aggression on European soil and was the inspiration for the Council of Europe which celebrates its 75th anniversary this year. The founding Treaty of London will be on show as the UK returns to its rightful place at the centre of European affairs.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 17 July 2024.

Following their meeting at Chequers on 17 July 2024, the Prime Minister and the Taoiseach issued the following joint statement.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Taoiseach Simon Harris discussed close relations between the United Kingdom and Ireland and agreed that the time was right for a reset of the partnership.

They noted that the ties which bind both countries span geography and history, family and business, politics and culture, and agreed to work together over the coming weeks to put in place arrangements to support, encourage and strengthen all aspects of relations.

As a first step towards rebuilding this unique partnership, the Prime Minister and Taoiseach committed to Annual Summits at which they will take stock of joint work to deepen and reinvigorate cooperation.

They discussed the Good Friday Agreement as co-guarantors and their shared commitment to its principles and institutions, and to furthering prosperity and reconciliation in Northern Ireland. They discussed legacy issues, working to support all communities and victims in Northern Ireland.

Their discussions also covered global issues including support to Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. They both agreed on the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages, and urgent action to address the humanitarian crisis. The Taoiseach welcomed the Prime Minister’s commitment to closer cooperation with the European Union.

The Prime Minister and Taoiseach agreed to meet again in Dublin on 7 September.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 17 July 2024.

The Prime Minister has appointed leads of a new ministerial taskforce to begin work on the Child Poverty Strategy.

The Prime Minister has today [Wednesday 17 July] appointed the Work & Pensions Secretary and the Education Secretary as the joint leads of a new ministerial taskforce to begin work on the Child Poverty Strategy.

A new Child Poverty Unit in the Cabinet Office – bringing together expert officials from across government as well as external experts – will report into the taskforce. The new unit will explore how we can use all the available levers we have across government to create an ambitious strategy.

Recognising the wide-ranging causes of child poverty, Secretaries of State from across government will take part in this work, with the first meeting set to take place in the coming weeks.

In the immediate term, the taskforce is expected to consider how we can use levers related to household income as well as employment, housing, children’s health, childcare and education to improve children’s experiences and chances at life.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

For too long children have been left behind, and no decisive action has been taken to address the root causes of poverty. This is completely unacceptable – no child should be left hungry, cold or have their future held back.

That’s why we’re prioritising work on an ambitious child poverty strategy and my ministers will leave no stone unturned to give every child the very best start at life.

To get this urgent work underway, the Work and Pensions Secretary has met with leading organisations this morning including Save the Children, Action for Children, Barnados, TUC, End Child Poverty Coalition, Resolution Foundation and UNICEF to invite their views on how they can shape the strategy.

Work & Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall said:

Too many children are growing up in poverty, blighting their lives now and damaging their future prospects.

Developing an ambitious strategy to tackle the problem is vital and urgent work which starts today.

We will turn the tide on rising poverty levels, so that every child no matter where they come from has the best start in life.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:

Tackling child poverty is at the heart of breaking down barriers to opportunity and improving the life chances for every child.

For too many children, living in poverty leaves them not ready to learn and robbed of opportunity. But child poverty reaches far beyond the school gates and alongside the Work and Pensions Secretary, I am determined to drive the work forward to support families and communities.

This is a shared mission across government and our Taskforce will work closely with parents, charities and civil organisations as part our ambitious strategy to remove the stain of child poverty from our country.”

Child poverty has gone up by 700,000 since 2010 with over four million children now growing up in a low-income family. This not only harms children’s lives now it damages their future prospects and holds back our economic potential as a country.

That’s why we’re committed to delivering an ambitious strategy to reduce child poverty, tackle the root causes, and give every child the best start at life.

Government ministers will continue to engage with leading organisations, charities, and campaigners in the coming weeks as we begin work to develop the strategy.

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

The Prime Minister spoke to His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan this afternoon.

The Prime Minister reflected on his first days in government and said he welcomed the opportunity to speak so soon to King Abdullah.

The relationship between the UK and Jordan was deep and historic, the leaders agreed.

Turning to the situation in Gaza, the leaders discussed the situation on the ground and the Prime Minister updated on the Foreign Secretary’s visit during the weekend and commended King Abdullah for his strong leadership in ensuring regional security.

Ensuring an immediate ceasefire is vital to ensure hostages get out and further aid can get into Gaza, the leaders agreed.

The leaders looked forward to meeting in person at the earliest opportunity.

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

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

The Prime Minister began by affirming his personal commitment to the relationship between the UK and Oman and looked forward to expanding UK-Oman ties across defence, security and economic prosperity.

Reflecting on the situation in the Middle East, the leaders agreed that regional security was paramount and agreed to work closely to ensure stability.

The leaders agreed to remain in contact and looked forward to meeting soon.

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

The Government will use its mandate for change to put economic growth at the heart of its legislative agenda as it prepares for The King’s Speech at the State Opening of Parliament on Wednesday 17 July.

The Government will use its mandate for change to put economic growth at the heart of its legislative agenda as it prepares for The King’s Speech at the State Opening of Parliament on Wednesday 17 July.

Departments are working on more than 35 bills to deliver an ambitious parliamentary session that will be built on a bedrock of economic security, to enable growth that will improve the prosperity of our country and the living standards of working people.

Legislation will include a bill to enforce tough new spending rules, designed to ensure economic growth, while avoiding the chaos which left families with spiralling bills and wreaked misery on people’s lives.

To ensure nobody can play fast and loose with the public finances ever again, this new bill will strengthen the role of the Office of Budget Responsibility, meaning significant fiscal announcements must be properly scrutinised and that taxpayers’ money is respected.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

Our work is urgent. There is no time to waste. We are hitting the ground running by bringing forward the laws we will need to rebuild our country for the long-term – and our ambitious, fully costed agenda is the downpayment on that change.

From energy, to planning, to unbreakable fiscal rules, my government is serious about delivering the stability that is going to turbo charge growth that will create wealth in every corner of the UK.

The task of national renewal will not be easy, and this is just the down payment on our plans for the next five years, but the legislation set out at the King’s Speech will build on the momentum of our first days in office and make a difference to the lives of working people.

His Majesty’s Most Gracious Speech will build on the momentum of the Government’s first week in office which saw the Prime Minister and his ministerial team roll up their sleeves and get to work. Legislation to enact announcements made this week, including the launch of a National Wealth Fund to drive investment into the UK, to a new Mission Control tasked with turbocharging UK to clean power by 2030, to opening the recruitment of a new border security command, show that the Government is getting on with the job.

The package of bills will focus on growing the economy through turbocharging building of houses and infrastructure, better transport, more jobs and securing clean energy – helping to make every part of the country better off.

As part of the Government’s plans to empower regions to deliver change for their communities, new legislation will also help to create wealth in every community and hand the power back to local leaders who know what is best for their areas.

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

More than 45 European leaders will converge on Oxfordshire next week to discuss some of the most pressing generational issues facing Europe.

The Prime Minister will welcome leaders from across the continent to Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill, for the European Political Community (EPC) meeting on Thursday [18 July].

Today’s threats are generationally challenging, and the Prime Minister is clear that the United Kingdom is always stronger when working in close collaboration with others. The UK government will use the summit to discuss closer collaboration to tackle illegal immigration and greater security cooperation with European counterparts to keep Britain safe.

For the first time at a meeting of the EPC, NATO, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Council of Europe will be in attendance, demonstrating the importance of unity in response to the arc of conflict and instability inside and near Europe’s borders that affects the UK and the continent’s interests equally.

The PM wants to rebuild relationships with key European partners so ahead of the summit, the Prime Minister will host the Irish Taoiseach, Simon Harris, for his first official inward visit since becoming Prime Minister. The Prime Minister will also hold a bilateral dinner with the French President in Blenheim Palace after the summit.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

Europe is at the forefront of some of the greatest challenges of our time.

Russia’s barbaric war continues to reverberate across our continent, while vile smuggling gangs traffic innocent people on perilous journeys that too often end in tragedy.

We cannot be spectators in this chapter of history. We must do more and go further, not just for the courageous Ukrainians on the frontlines, or those being trafficked from country-to-country, but so our future generations look back with pride at what our continent achieved together.

I said I would change the way the UK engages with our European partners, working collaboratively to drive forward progress on these generational challenges, and that work starts at the European Political Community meeting on Thursday.

The EPC meeting comes at a vital time Ukraine, as Russian aggression intensifies over the summer. The Prime Minister has been clear that the UK’s support for Ukraine is ironclad, and he will use the meeting as a platform to push for continued international military and financial support for Ukraine, ahead of what is expected to be a difficult winter.

There will be an opening plenary, followed by three roundtables on migration, energy and connectivity, and defending and securing democracy, before ending with a closing plenary.

Sustainability is at the heart of summit planning, with 80% of the fruits and vegetables being served to delegates coming from Blenheim’s gardens. Showcasing the best of British at Blenheim, attendees of the summit will enjoy Oxfordshire strawberries and cream, alongside more than 800 scones being served during afternoon tea.

Blenheim Palace, which was used by MI5 from 1940 to 1945 after their headquarters was damaged in the Blitz during the Second World War, has been transformed to accommodate more than 450 delegates.

This is the fourth EPC meeting since the grouping was founded in October 2022. Previous meetings, hosted in the Czech Republic, Moldova, and Spain, have been instrumental in uniting Europe to support Ukraine, forging cooperation on energy security and tackling the shared challenge of illegal migration.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 11 July 2024.

The Prime Minister met President Erdoğan of Turkey at the NATO summit this afternoon.

The Prime Minister welcomed the deep ties between the two countries, and the significant contribution that Turkish communities provide to the culture and economy of the UK. He said Turkey was a hugely important NATO ally, and that the UK wants to deepen the bilateral relationship.

The President discussed his aspiration to strengthen the bilateral relationship across trade, tourism, defence, counter-terrorism, energy and the economy.

They discussed Ukraine and welcomed the enhanced support provided by this NATO summit.

On the Middle East, the Prime Minister said he wanted to see an immediate ceasefire to let the hostages out and increase aid in.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 11 July 2024.

The Prime Minister met President Yoon of the Republic of Korea at the NATO summit today.

The President congratulated the Prime Minister on his election victory and thanked the UK once more for hosting him on an excellent State Visit last year.

Discussing current geopolitical challenges, they agreed that the Republic of Korea is a key NATO partner and we must continue to work closely together on defence, because Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific security are indivisible.

The two leaders remarked that the UK and the Republic of Korea share a strategically important partnership and agreed there are further opportunities to develop stronger ties between our countries – building on the Downing Street Accord signed in November.

They looked forward to deepening our relationship across a number of issues including even deeper cooperation on security and defence, as well as further collaboration on green energy, trade, and artificial intelligence.

The President finished by wishing England good luck in the final of the Euros on Sunday.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 11 July 2024.

The Prime Minister met President Biden at the White House yesterday evening.

The Prime Minister congratulated President Biden for hosting an excellent NATO summit so far. Both leaders agreed that in its 75th year, NATO is stronger and more united than ever.

They reflected on the importance of the NATO alliance and the special relationship in the context of current geopolitical challenges, including the ongoing war in Ukraine. They agreed we must continue to do whatever it takes to support Ukraine and ensure aggressors like Putin do not win.

Moving on to discuss the situation in Israel and Gaza, they discussed their shared ambition for an immediate ceasefire to get hostages out, get humanitarian aid in and make progress towards a two-state solution.

The President welcomed the Prime Minister’s recent comments on establishing closer relationships with our European counterparts, as well as the UK’s commitment to AUKUS. They reflected that at a time when we face growing challenges across the world, we are at our strongest when we unite and work together.