Tag: Downing Street

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 4 May 2026.

Leaders from across society are being brought together in Downing Street this morning to drive forward progress on tackling antisemitism in all its forms.

• The Prime Minister is convening leaders from across society in Downing Street this morning to call for action on all forms of antisemitism
• Opening the event, he will call for everyone to stand up and play their part in eradicating hatred
• Influential representatives from business, civil society, health, culture, higher education and policing will take part in individual roundtable discussions with members of the Jewish community, hosted by Ministers

Leaders from across society are being brought together in Downing Street this morning to drive forward progress on tackling antisemitism in all its forms.

The Government has been taking action to protect Jewish communities and tackle antisemitism since coming into power. Following the despicable antisemitic terrorist attack in London last week, a spate of serious arson attacks in recent weeks, and the terrorist attack in Heaton Park in October, the Government is committed to accelerating a whole of society response to antisemitism.

The Prime Minister is convening the event, which will be attended by leaders from the business, civil society, health, culture, higher education and policing sectors, where he will ask attendees to reflect on the forms antisemitism takes in their sector, the work they are already doing to tackle it and how they can go further at pace. Each sector will spend the morning in an individual roundtable meeting, chaired by a Minister.

Opening the event, the Prime Minister is expected to say that every part of society needs to stand up together and refuse to platform hatred or turn a blind eye to extremism.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer will say:

Last week’s terrorist attack in Golders Green was utterly appalling. But it was not an isolated incident. It is part of a pattern of rising antisemitism that has left our Jewish communities feeling frightened, angry, and asking whether this country, their home, is safe for them.

These disgusting attacks are being made against British Jews. But, make no mistake, this crisis – it is a crisis for all of us. It is a test of our values. Values that are not guaranteed, but are earned. Every single day, through our actions.

So, it is not enough to simply say we stand with Jewish communities. We must show it. And that responsibility lies with each and every one of us. That is what today is about. Because only by working together, can we eradicate antisemitism from every corner of society.

The Prime Minister will also convene Ministers this afternoon for a Middle East Response Committee meeting focused on the domestic security implications of the conflict in the Middle East, in particular the heightened threat to Jewish communities in light of recent attacks.

Today’s event builds on commitments made in recent days to accelerate work to confront extremism, protect the Jewish community and strengthen cohesion.

This includes announcing an additional £25 million in funding to increase police patrols, enhance security at synagogues, schools and community centres, and place specialist and plain-clothes officers in communities to prevent serious harm before it occurs. It brings the total funding to £58 million this year – the largest investment a Government has made in protecting Jewish communities in history.

The Government will also fast-track legislation to counter the malign actions against the Jewish community from state actors and strengthening the response of our justice system by working to speed up sentencing for antisemitic offences. A further £7 million investment will also tackle antisemitism in schools, colleges and universities.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 4 May 2026.

The Prime Minister met the Prime Minister of Czechia Andrej Babiš today.

The leaders began by reflecting on the UK’s ambitions for a closer relationship with the European Union to deliver security and prosperity for both sides. 

In the current context, a stronger, more united Europe was key, the Prime Minister added. 

The leaders also discussed the need to continue close collaboration on illegal migration. 

Turning to wider geopolitical issues, the leaders reiterated the need to secure a just and lasting peace to end the war in Ukraine. The Prime Minister also thanked Prime Minister Babiš for Czechia’s ongoing supply of ammunition to Ukraine. 

On the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, the Prime Minister underlined the importance of ensuring the normalisation of shipping in the region to ensure the free flow of trade.

The leaders looked forward to speaking again soon.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 4 May 2026.

Building on the European Political Community Summit (EPC) in Copenhagen last year, European leaders reaffirmed critical lines of effort on upstream migration in Armenia.

On the occasion of the European Political Community (EPC) summit in Yerevan, the leaders of Albania, Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom reaffirmed their commitment to working together to tackle illegal migration.

At the Copenhagen EPC summit, leaders identified several critical lines of effort in pursuit of a ‘whole of route’ approach to tackling illegal migration. They underlined the need to take action against smugglers, ensure domestic and international frameworks are robust, accelerate returns, forge new partnerships, manage upstream migration effectively, and tackle the instrumentalisation of migration, among other issues. Critically, they also agreed on the need to support one another in these efforts.

This year, in the face of significant displacement across Sudan, the Horn of Africa and wider Middle East, these priorities remain as vital as ever and, also on the basis of the lessons learned from the 2015 migration crisis and to avoid a similar situation in the future, leaders agreed on how best to prepare and coordinate efforts.

They agreed on the importance of:

● Surveillance and monitoring: ensuring up-to-date information and monitoring is shared to best support preparedness and a coordinated response.

● Humanitarian assistance: identifying opportunities for targeted interventions to help those in need, and deter flows from source.

● Working with international organisations: partnering with, and supporting the work of key agencies and bodies like UNHCR, the IOM and the Council of Europe.

● Security: maintaining a core focus on security, protection and the effective integrity of both land and maritime borders.

● Targeting organised immigration crime: deploying targeted interventions against people smugglers and human traffickers as well as their supply chains, including through the use of sanctions.

● Governance: ensuring frameworks – both domestic and international – are safeguarded from abuse, so they can meet the demands of the day and so assistance can be targeted to those in need.

● Returns: ensuring robust agreements are in place to both deter migrant movements from source and transit countries and alleviate domestic pressure, including through new approaches.

● A systems-wide response: using all of the above levers, policies and diplomatic tools, to coordinate international efforts and protect the integrity of our borders.

Significant progress has been made across last year’s statement, including new measures, partnerships and successes in the disruption of smuggling activity continent-wide.

Leaders agreed to continue the focus on the most pressing global migration issues, and on opportunities for future cooperation, including at the next EPC Summit in Ireland.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 4 May 2026.

The Prime Minister met Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan in Yerevan this afternoon.

The Prime Minister began by thanking Prime Minister Pashinyan for hosting the European Political Community summit.

He commended the significant steps Armenia had taken to secure peace in the region and thanked Prime Minister Pashinyan for his leadership on the issue.

The Prime Minister underlined the UK’s support for Armenia’s resilience through counter-disinformation, cyber security and supporting an independent judiciary and media industry.

As part of discussions, the leaders agreed a new UK-Armenia Strategic Partnership to strengthen cooperation on defence and security, economic growth and democratic resilience.

The leaders looked forward to staying in touch.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 4 May 2026.

Joint statement following a meeting between the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

At the European Political Community summit in Armenia today we met to discuss our joint commitment to improving the relationship between the UK and EU to deliver for consumers, businesses and collective European security. 

We also reflected on the UK’s plan to participate in the EU’s €90 billion / £78 billion loan for Ukraine, and agreed it would be a major step forward in the UK- EU defence industrial relationship.

We underlined our unwavering support for the Ukrainian people and applauded their resilience and courage in recent weeks and months.  

We also agreed to commence negotiations on UK participation in the European Innovation Council Fund, including the Scaleup Europe Fund, which will provide support for promising high-growth tech businesses to scale up and support UK and EU ambitions to keep the most promising innovators in Europe.

We looked ahead to the UK-EU summit and agreed on the importance of being ambitious in what we could achieve together for the benefit of both sides.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 4 May 2026.

The Prime Minister met the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, and NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, at the European Political Community Summit earlier today. 

The leaders reflected on their recent diplomatic discussions, including on the situation in Ukraine.  

On the situation in the Middle East and the need for an end to the war in Iran, the leaders agreed on the need to reopen of the Strait of Hormuz to restore freedom of navigation and the free flow of global trade. 

They discussed European support already positioned in the region to reinforce security, and welcomed the close coordination between European allies.

They looked forward to speaking again soon.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 4 May 2026.

The Prime Minister joined leaders from Ukraine, France, Italy, Poland, Canada, Norway, Finland, NATO, the European Commission and the European Council for a meeting on Ukraine this morning.

The Prime Minister opened the meeting by acknowledging the consistent strength and extraordinary efforts of Ukraine’s frontline to regain territory in recent weeks. 

The leaders discussed the European Union’s £78 billion loan to Ukraine, and the Prime Minister underlined the opportunity the UK’s involvement would bring for both Ukraine and European security. 

Reflecting on peace negotiations, the leaders reiterated their support for Ukraine and agreed it was vital economic pressure was maintained on Russia.

Building on Ukraine’s drone expertise, the group also discussed opportunities to accelerate defence industrial cooperation to provide new technologies to enhance long term security in Europe. 

The leaders looked forward to speaking again soon.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 3 May 2026.

The Prime Minister met President Volodymyr Zelenskyy this afternoon, ahead of the European Political Community summit in Yerevan.

The Prime Minister paid tribute to President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people for their remarkable courage and strength in the face of Russia’s ongoing attacks. 

The leaders discussed Ukraine’s momentum on the battlefield, and the President updated on the latest from the frontline.

Both agreed on the importance of stepping up defence industrial collaboration with European partners to defend Ukraine for as long as it takes.

The leaders also reiterated the need to prepare and protect Ukraine’s energy infrastructure ahead of next winter to boost the country’s resilience to Russia’s ongoing barbaric attacks. 

Turning to negotiations, the leaders discussed Ukraine’s efforts to secure a durable peace and underlined the importance of maintaining and accelerating sanctions to force Russia to the negotiating table.

The leaders looked forward to speaking again tomorrow.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 22 April 2026.

Today, France and the United Kingdom convened 51 countries for an international summit on the Strait of Hormuz. The meeting underlined the determination of the international community to support freedom of navigation, to stand up for international law, and to protect global economic stability and energy security.

We expressed our strong support for a comprehensive diplomatic settlement to the conflict through negotiations. Diplomacy must prevail.

The UK, France, and all our partners, will draw on our collective diplomatic, economic and military capabilities to support freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

First, we called for the unconditional, unrestricted, and immediate re-opening of the Strait of Hormuz. The right of transit passage without restrictions or tolls is the bedrock of international trade. Freedom of navigation means navigation must be free. We therefore welcome the announcement today that the Strait will re-open and underline that this must endure. The disruption to global energy security, supply chains, and economic and financial stability must end, for the benefit of communities right across the world, in particular for the poorest and most vulnerable. We committed to coordinating our economic responses and to avoid protectionist actions.

Second, we confirmed our support for the vital work of the International Maritime Organisation to ensure the safety of seafarers and vessels. We will continue to work with the shipping industry to ensure that they can resume operations as soon as conditions permit, including through engagement with shipping operators, insurers, and industry bodies.

Third, France and the United Kingdom confirmed that they are establishing an independent and strictly defensive multinational mission to protect merchant vessels, reassure commercial shipping operators, and conduct mine clearance operations as soon as conditions permit following a sustainable ceasefire agreement.

The international mission will be strictly defensive, and will operate in full accordance with international law and in consultation with relevant states. We are grateful to those nations that have indicated their readiness to contribute in compliance with their constitutional procedures, whether through military assets, logistical support, financial contributions or political solidarity, and call on all countries with an interest in the free flow of global trade to express their support for this initiative.

The UK and France will jointly take forward this initiative, including coordinating military planning with contributing nations. The UK will host the next Leaders meeting in this format.

Following publication, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, Denmark, Estonia, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Portugal, Somalia, Cyprus, Poland, Belgium, Italy, Canada, Bahrain, North Macedonia, Latvia, Greece, Iceland, Australia, Montenegro, Lithuania, Romania, the Republic of Korea, Bulgaria, Djibouti, Czechia, Croatia, Iraq and Albania confirmed they also joined this joint leaders’ statement.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 22 April 2026.

The Prime Minister welcomed the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, to Downing Street today.

The Prime Minister reiterated his personal commitment, and that of the government, to the Council of Europe and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Both leaders noted the utmost importance of the rule of law, democracy, and human rights to today’s global stability.

On the shared challenge of illegal migration, the Prime Minister highlighted the importance of showing that the ECHR reflects modern challenges and that it works for people with genuine concerns about border security. 

The Secretary General provided an update on the Council of Europe’s work to pursue accountability for the atrocities perpetrated in Ukraine and he thanked the UK government for its strong support in this area. 

They looked forward to speaking again soon.