Tag: Downing Street

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 16 July 2025.

The Prime Minister will launch the Civil Society Covenant – a new way of working that puts people at the heart of government.

• Charities, faith groups, social enterprises and impact investors recognised as essential partners in tackling the country’s biggest challenges and deliver on the Plan for Change
• Ministers and community leaders gather at a national summit to show how collaboration is already delivering – and will go further.

The Prime Minister will join community leaders, campaigners, and charities from across the UK to launch the Civil Society Covenant – a new approach that listens, learns and delivers alongside those on the frontline.

In his keynote speech, the Prime Minister will reflect on a promise made 18 months ago in opposition: to work in genuine partnership with civil society in the national interest. Since taking office, that promise has become reality – resetting the relationship between government and the people working every day to make their communities stronger.

At its core, the Covenant is about delivering real change for working people – strengthening public services, creating safe communities, and providing new opportunities for communities to thrive. It gives civil society a home at the heart of government and recognises that national renewal can’t be delivered from Westminster alone.

The summit brings together leaders from charities, faith organisations, philanthropists, social investors and grassroots groups to focus on the UK’s most urgent issues – from healthcare access to tackling violence against women and girls. These are challenges that disproportionately affect working families, and the Covenant ensures their voices are heard and their needs are met.

It will show how civil society leadership, backed by government support, is already delivering results. As seen by:

• Tackling domestic abuse: The Drive Project, a third-sector initiative, has seen percentages of perpetrators using physical abuse cut by 82%. The government is investing £53 million to expand the programme across England and Wales, working to tackle the behaviour of perpetrators and protect victims.
• Supporting vulnerable children and families: Newly launched £500 million Better Futures Fund will support up to 200,000 children and families through early intervention. This is being matched by local and philanthropic investment.
• Transparent immigration: Over 10 million people have transitioned to a digital immigration status, supported by 72 local organisations helping vulnerable communities. This system strengthens border security, reduces fraud, and ensures only those with the right to be here can access services.
• Building the workforce we need: A new Labour Market Evidence Group is helping reduce reliance on overseas recruitment by boosting domestic skills and training.

This is about rebalancing power and responsibility,” the Prime Minister will say.

Not the top-down approach of the state working alone. Not the transactional approach of markets left to their own devices. But a new way forward – where government and civil society work side by side to deliver real change.

The Civil Society Covenant has been shaped by over 1,200 organisations since it was first announced in October 2024. From national charities, trade unions and local campaigners, it sets out how government and communities will work together to deliver lasting change.

Ahead of speaking at the Summit later today, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said:

The Civil Society Covenant is about delivering real results for working people. It marks a shift from a government that kept civil society at arm’s length to one that actively partners with it, on equal footing.

Our charities, volunteers, and social enterprises are embedded in the communities they serve and trusted by the people they support. That makes them the perfect partners for shaping the change we need.

By working together, we’ll improve public services, make them more responsive and rooted in local needs, and ensure that every community benefits as part of our Plan for Change.

The summit will spotlight how this partnership works in practice. Following the Prime Minister’s keynote, mission-led sessions will include:

• Jess Phillips, Minister for Safeguarding, and Alex Davies-Jones, Minister for Victims and Violence Against Women and Girls, chairing a Safer Streets panel with campaigners.
• Bridget Phillipson, Education Secretary, outlining how civil society will support the Opportunity Mission.
• Darren Jones, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, talking about how a mission-driven government can work in partnership with impact investors and philanthropists
• They will be joined by civil society leaders delivering change across the country, in areas such as early years support, health and violence against women and girls.

The Covenant will play a key role in delivering the government’s Plan for Change—supporting the opportunity mission by breaking down barriers for young people, helping to build an NHS fit for the future, and ensuring that no community is left behind.

As part of the Summit, the government will also announce:

• A new Joint Civil Society Covenant Council to drive delivery. The Joint Council will set direction and provide strategic oversight for implementation of the Covenant. It will have cross-sector membership comprising senior leaders from civil society and senior representatives from government departments to provide a key forum for driving progress in the reset of the relationship between government and civil society.
• A Local Covenant Partnerships programme to support collaboration between civil society, councils and public services in communities that need it most.

ENDS

Additional quotes:

Sarah Elliott & Jane Ide, CEO’s of National Council for Voluntary Organisations & Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations on behalf of the Civil Society Advisory Group said:

The challenges our country face can only be tackled by working together. The launch of the Civil Society Covenant is a key step forward in building a more collaborative and sustainable relationship between civil society and the UK government, while recognising our sector’s independence. Real and lasting change requires a partnership that is equal, honest and fair, with an intention to put lived experience at the heart of policy decision making.

The Civil Society Covenant sets out solid principles for how we work together. Now the test is putting them into practice, both nationally and locally. As organisations rooted in communities across the UK, we’ll hold ourselves and the government accountable, speaking up on behalf of the people and communities we represent and working together to ensure meaningful and lasting impact.

Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations Chief Executive Anna Fowlie, said:

SCVO welcomes the publication of the UK Government’s Civil Society Covenant, which recognises the independence of, and the vital role played by, voluntary organisations in our communities, society, and democracy.

Today is a starting point. The words on the page must now be made real—and that requires sustained effort, open dialogue, and, crucially, a genuine commitment to a partnership of equals.

We welcome the Covenant’s recognition of the different contexts in which the voluntary sector operates across the UK—and, importantly, its commitment to respect and complement these.

Wales Council for Voluntary Action, Chief Executive Lindsay Cordery-Bruce said:

We welcome the Civil Society Covenant as a first step towards building a stronger, more respectful relationship between civil society and UK Government.

We’re pleased to have been part of shaping this new approach, and welcome its alignment with the strong partnership structures we already have in place in Wales. The real test will now be in its implementation.

We look forward to working together to ensure the Covenant is embedded in day-to-day practice and delivers meaningful improvements in how government and the sector work in partnership across the UK.

Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action, Celine McStravick said:

We warmly welcome the launch of the Civil Society Covenant as an important step in recognising the vital role civil society plays across the UK. In a devolved context like Northern Ireland, where community voices are central to local progress and peacebuilding, this commitment to partnership is especially significant.

We look forward to ensuring the Covenant is embedded alongside our own partnership structures in Northern Ireland, and supports communities here to thrive.

Notes to editors:

• More information will be available at the Civil Society Covenant Hub on GOV.UK.
• The summit is supported by Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales and Pro Bono Economics. More information will be available at the Civil Society Covenant Hub on GOV.UK.
• The Covenant is intended to complement and respect existing governance and partnership arrangements in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, working alongside the distinct frameworks in each nation. The UK government will continue to work in partnership with civil society organisations in all four parts of the UK.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 15 July 2025.

Vulnerable young people who are at risk of being drawn into gangs, violence or knife crime will be given the help they need when the first Young Futures Hubs get up and running later this year.

Vulnerable young people who are at risk of being drawn into gangs, violence or knife crime will be given the help they need when the first Young Futures Hubs get up and running later this year.

Sitting at the heart of the Government’s Plan for Change, these hubs will help create opportunity for all and keep our streets safe. They will bring together vital local services in the local community, providing support ranging from well-being and mental health to careers advice.

The hubs will help all teenagers thrive, in particular, those who face being dragged into criminal gangs or young people at risk of mental health challenges.

Backed by a £2m cash injection eight hubs will launch this year, targeted in areas with high levels of knife crime and antisocial behaviour and offer a lifeline to vulnerable young people. It is expected that 50 Young Future Hubs will be launched over the next four years.

The Prime Minister set out these plans while attending a summit hosted by His Majesty The King at St James’s Palace and attended by Idris Elba OBE to discuss youth opportunity. Members of the Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime, set up at Downing Street last year, also attended the event.

The event was an opportunity to discuss what more must be done to offer community-led support to young people, in particular those who are vulnerable, stopping them from taking the wrong path.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

“My government was elected on a pledge to tackle knife crime, and we have hit the ground running by banning dangerous weapons and bringing in laws to clamp down on illegal online sales.

“We are determined to do more to prevent vulnerable young people from turning to violence in the first place and open greater opportunities. As part of the Plan for Change, we will open up Young Futures Hubs across to country to stop teenagers from being dragged into crime and find a better future.”

To make sure young people get the help they need, before getting caught up in criminal activity, the Government will also pilot new multi-agency Prevention Partnership Panels to proactively identify and refer vulnerable teenagers – who may currently be falling through the net – to a range of different support services much earlier, including the Young Futures Hubs. More than twenty panels will be up and running in the coming months, across the areas of the country that collectively account for more than 80% knife crime, with many more to follow.

This is the latest measure taken by the government to cut knife crime and keep our streets safe, part of its Plan for Change.

Since coming into office last year, the Government has brought forward the strongest controls on dangerous knives, implementing bans on zombie-style knives and ninja swords and announced plans to toughen up online sales, including sanctions for tech executives who fail to remove illegal knife crime content from their platforms.

In September, the Prime Minister also launched the Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime, bringing together campaign groups, families of people who have tragically lost their lives to knife crime, young people who have been impacted and community leaders.

The Prime Minister will reconvene this group later in the year to update on the progress the Government has made during its first year in office.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper:

“Knife crime devastates families and communities across the country, and too many young lives have already been lost. That’s why we’ve set out an unprecedented mission to halve knife crime in a decade and why we are working tirelessly with our coalition to tackle the scourge of serious violence on our streets.

“We are bringing in some of the toughest measures to date, curbing access to weapons being sold online and getting them off the streets, but we also need to make sure that the right prevention structures are in place to stop young people being drawn into violent crime in the first place.

“Today’s Youth Opportunities Summit is a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when government, communities, and campaigners come together with a shared purpose.”

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said:

“Too many young people are being let down – left without the support they need when they should be building bright futures. Young Futures Hubs will help change that, providing mental health support, mentoring, careers guidance, and activities that help young people thrive, ensuring no one is left behind.

“This is our Plan for Change in action – clearing barriers to opportunity while creating safer streets. With our National Youth Strategy coming later this year, we’re putting young people back in the driving seat of their own futures, offering the support they deserve with the opportunities they need.”

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 14 July 2025.

The Prime Minister welcomed the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Petr Fiala, to Downing Street this afternoon.

The leaders began by reflecting on the close relationship between the two countries, including across defence, trade and energy security.

Both agreed that there were plenty of opportunities to be even more ambitious, which was emphasised by the signing of a civil nuclear memorandum of understanding today.

The agreement would allow both countries to harness the potential of nuclear power and the related technology to drive prosperity, energy security and highly skilled jobs, the leaders agreed.

The Prime Minister also thanked Prime Minister Fiala for the Czech Republic’s strong support for Ukraine in the face of ongoing Russian aggression, and the leaders reflected on the strength of solidarity for Ukraine through the Coalition of the Willing.

Both looked forward to speaking again soon.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 10 July 2025.

Declaration on Modernising UK-French Defence and Security Cooperation.

The UK and France, as Europe’s only nuclear powers and leading militaries, share a unique responsibility for European and international defence and security. Our two nations represent nearly 40% of the defence budget of European Allies, and more than 50% of European spending on research and technology.

Since the Chequers Declaration in 1995, successive generations of leaders have recognised the intertwined nature of our vital interests, affirming that a threat to one would represent a threat against the other. In 2010, through the Lancaster House Treaties, our nations formalised this shared cooperation to address the challenges of that era: expeditionary warfare and counterterrorism.

Fifteen years later, the threats we face have changed fundamentally with state-on-state conflict rising globally and, since Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, the return of full-scale war to Europe. We have a shared responsibility to strengthen Euro-Atlantic security and recall, in this regard, the critical deterrence that NATO provides. We reaffirm the importance of intensifying our efforts in support of NATO and acting jointly within it.  We also recognise the value of a stronger and more capable European defence that contributes positively to transatlantic and global security and is complementary to, and interoperable with, NATO. In this regard, we underline that the European Union remains a unique and essential partner for NATO. We also welcome the progress we have made on the UK-EU Security Defence Partnership in bringing together our shared interests in protecting the continent.

The UK and France share the same understanding of the threats we face. The return of conventional warfighting at scale in Europe and beyond, strategic competition on the global stage, combined with hostile state activity, rapid expansion in hybrid warfare and disinformation, create a febrile and dangerous international order. States are increasingly using hybrid tactics against us, either directly or using proxies, to undermine our national security and our democracies.

The UK and France are willing and able to act together, decisively, to protect our shared interests, allies, partners in Europe and beyond, values and, fundamentally, our democratic way of life. We must be ready and willing to oppose our adversaries across the full spectrum of national security, requiring a new, whole of society and government approach. We are resolved to deepen and expand our partnership to jointly deter and respond to the heightened challenge these evolving threats pose including cyber, sabotage, espionage, malign use of artificial intelligence and foreign information manipulation and interference. This can only be achieved by the further integration of our Military, National Security, Diplomatic, Intelligence and Economic levers.

It is in this context that we, as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and President of the French Republic, have decided to reboot, modernise and build upon our bilateral defence and security relationship, including under the Lancaster House Treaties, in order to effect a generational shift in both our bilateral cooperation and our joint contribution to the defence of Europe, its citizens and of its interests. Today, we have declared our intent to carry out a series of ambitious projects and new areas of collaboration that will underpin our defence and security relationship for the next fifteen years and beyond.

1. Deepening our longstanding and resolute commitment to cooperation between our independent nuclear deterrents by:

a. Setting out our contribution to the defence of European partners and NATO Allies, and stating that whilst our nuclear forces are independent, they can be coordinated, as set out in the Northwood Declaration;

b. Enhancing mutual understanding of respective nuclear deterrence policies, doctrine and plans, and strengthening our ability to make coordinated decisions in peace time and in crisis;

c. Expanding cooperation on nuclear research (as initiated since 2010) including by making greater use of the facilities in each other’s countries;

d. Coordinating more closely to uphold and reinforce the international non-proliferation architecture; and

e. Establishing a UK-France Nuclear Steering Group to provide political direction for this cooperation, led by the Presidency of the French Republic and the Cabinet Office to coordinate across policy, capability and operations.

2. Launch the Combined Joint Force – overhauling the existing Combined Joint Expeditionary Force to refocus it on the Euro-Atlantic and warfighting at scale to deter, placing it on an operational footing for the first time by endeavouring to:

a. Significantly increase the declared Combined Joint Force (CJF) capacity, up to fivefold, ensuring the ability to plan and command Combined Corps Capability (the highest level of fielded forces in our armies). This Corp can provide the Land component of a broader joint force combining all military functions, as part of NATO or bilaterally. The CJF will facilitate the deployment of a force fully interoperable with NATO and available as the Alliance’s Strategic Reserve; this is a critical step towards the UK and France providing two fully interoperable Strategic Reserve Corps to NATO, enabled by the CJF.

b. Adopt new missions, enabling the CJF to conduct activity in the Euro-Atlantic to deter our adversaries and reassure our Allies and partners, while also being prepared to compete with our adversaries further afield if needed.

c. Establish a mechanism to share, coordinate and synchronise military activity and the deployment of UK and French forces globally, ensuring we are providing the most effective deterrence posture.

d. Establish a dedicated cell to operationalise the CJF, overseeing military strategic coordination and planning through to operational coordination.

e. Maintain the ability for the CJF to integrate additional allies and partners under UK-French leadership and to ensure the CJF is complementary to NATO.

f. Use the CJF structures to underpin the Coalition of the Willing for Ukraine. The force will provide the joint planning framework to cohere the Coalition, ensure joint operational and strategic messaging. It will provide Coalition leadership and command and control for the planning and operational deployment of the Coalition covering all five domains, preparing for the operational deployment of the CJF in the event of a ceasefire – which can be supported by allies.

3. Embark upon an ‘Entente Industrielle’ to enhance capability and industrial co-operation, bringing our defence industries and militaries closer than ever before to strengthen NATO, by endeavouring to:

a. Launch the development phase of the Future Cruise and Anti-Ship Weapon (FC/ASW) programme to provide the next generation of long-range, highly survivable Deep Strike Missiles.

b. Jointly develop the next generation of beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles for our fighter jets, while also extending the Meteor capability, launching a joint study with industry to inform our future development of its successor.

c. Acquire new SCALP & Storm Shadow missiles, following their successful use by Ukraine, upgrading UK and French production lines to bolster national stockpiles to deter our adversaries.

d. Establish a new, joint Complex Weapons Portfolio Office, embedded with OCCAR, through which we will deliver our joint projects within OCCAR, starting with SCALP & Storm Shadow acquisition and also working closely with MBDA to identify the opportunities from our investments and to reduce duplication, working closely with MBDA, starting with studies on Air Dominance and Cooperative Strike future capabilities.

e. Focus greater efforts on integrated air and missile defence (IAMD) in our capability relationship, including (but not limited to) C-UAS and counter-hypersonic capabilities, drawing especially from the Aster family increments, including potentially SAMP/T NG and CAMM.

f. Continue to work closely on current and future long range strike capabilities through the European Long Range Strike Approach (ELSA initiative). Along with our ELSA allies (amongst them Germany), we will remain open to expanding this cooperation to extended-range deep strike capability should military requirements and industrial capacity align. We will be carefully examining, with our defence industries, the capability opportunities this presents.

g Develop a Directed Energy Weapons partnership, sharing information, collaborating on research and projects of shared interest, and exploring industry collaboration on radiofrequency weapons.

h. Collaborate on developing algorithms for synchronised missile and drone strikes using artificial intelligence and machine learning, to build our future interoperability.

i. Explore a combat air interoperability roadmap, including potential collaboration on armaments, to support the connectivity and interoperability of our current and future combat air forces and their contribution to European and NATO air superiority.

j. Commit to align standards for weapons safety and testing, to bring operational benefits and save time and money in our joint programmes.

k. Work closely together on wider export campaigns for UK-French capabilities and establishing a new joint team, with an initial focus on supporting the export of A400M (including through the set up of a NATO High Visibility Project) and identifying further concrete areas for joint export promotion.

l. Recognising the importance of improving European defence industrial resilience, the UK and France will enhance reciprocal market access in defence and security.

4.  Develop new cooperation in every domain to enhance military interoperability and support NATO, driven by annual meetings of our Joint Chiefs. This will include:

a. Developing a new Bilateral Vision Statement between the armies and committing to enduring support to NATO through the CJF. This represents operational interoperability at the highest level of fielded forces in our armies, enhancing British and French joint commitments and opportunities offered through the Forward Land Forces in Estonia.

b. Driving naval interoperability in support of warfighting, notably on information, data and communications, leveraging the opportunities of next generation digital architectures, deepening cooperation on maritime air defence, and continuing to coordinate Carrier Strike Group activity. Additionally, expanding cooperation on global maritime domain awareness to better deter maritime hybrid threats, including to critical undersea infrastructure and sanctions circumvention by the Russian Shadow Fleet, with an initial focus on the Channel and the Atlantic. Finally, facilitating mutual access support facilities for naval aircraft and warships.

c. Increasing the complexity of combined Air Defence exercises, cooperating on responses to High-Altitude threats, enhancing cooperation in the development of Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS) capabilities, particularly in the integration of Command And Control (C2) systems. Pursuing a joint ambition to develop the A400M into a multi-mission platform, incorporating C2, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) and potential strike capabilities. Aiming to synchronise fast jet pilot training to enhance interoperability and efficiency.

d. Enabling interoperability across the space domain, including satellite communications capabilities, developing cooperation and potential joint capability in space control, space-based ISR systems, and Low Earth Orbit satellites. We will jointly spearhead closer operational space coordination and deliver space support to bolster Euro-Atlantic security operations.

e. Sharing best practice in Cyber, with the UK providing support to the French establishment of a Cyber Training Academy, and France supporting the establishment of the UK’s new Cyber & Electromagnetic Command. Jointly galvanising wider NATO Cyber exercise activity, whilst fusing UK-French operational cooperation to act amongst Allies as European leaders in the domain.

5. Reinforce the UK-France integrated defence and security partnership to deter and respond to the full spectrum of threats, by endeavouring to:

a. Work together to make the fullest possible use of the UK-EU Security and Defence Partnership. Noting the shared UK and EU commitment to explore possible mutual involvement in respective defence initiatives, including within the Security Action For Europe (SAFE) instrument, in accordance with the respective legal frameworks, the UK and France will explore possibilities for mutually beneficial enhanced cooperation.

b. Strengthen our defence and security policy coordination and cooperation on key areas for Euro-Atlantic security (Ukraine, NATO, the future of Euro-Atlantic security) and reasserting the unique contribution of our bilateral partnership to European and global security.

c. Exploit areas of policy dialogue and cooperation in countering hybrid threats, Space, Cyber and AI – including through fostering links between national agencies, exchanging doctrines and responsible practices.

d. Launch a new Global Maritime Security Dialogue to cohere our strategic approaches to deterring threats to our shared maritime interests.

e. Establishing a dialogue on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief to build on our existing frameworks and scope future mutual assistance arrangements.

f. Coordinate and align resources to enhance regional resilience, including on maritime security, in the Indo-Pacific in the medium-term and, in accordance with our respective international obligations, provide for reciprocal base access to facilities, including Réunion Island, New Caledonia and French Polynesia.

g. Bring together our intelligence, law enforcement and policy expertise across the overt and covert environments to deter, counter and respond to the full range of hybrid threats including physical threats to people, sabotage and foreign interference, including Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI), cyber and espionage.  Jointly pursuing attributions and coordinating on sanctions, as well as exploring how we can further lead joint operational efforts to combat the hybrid threats. We will continue our cooperation in NATO, G7 and other multilateral forums.

h. Further strengthen our cooperation to counter FIMI, to raise the costs for states seeking to undermine our security and democratic institutions. We will pursue the interoperability of our systems to analyse FIMI and increase efforts to jointly respond to it, including through exposure, sanctions and strategic communication. We will continue working together to build collective responses to FIMI in multilateral fora.

i. Build on the UK-French Pall Mall Process and the Paris Call for Trust and Security in Cyberspace, to tackle the threat posed by the proliferation of commercial cyber intrusion capabilities and address the shared challenges we face in cyberspace, and increase the cost to our adversaries through deterrence, sanctions and attributions.

j. Engage in regular technical exchanges and proactively exploring joint research opportunities to harness the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence and emerging technologies, while addressing associated national security challenges. The UK and France are uniquely placed to lead international efforts and response capabilities.

k. Jointly maximise our impact against the highest-threat terrorist groups. Internationally, we will deepen our cooperation with Syria, and will look to enhance our coordination against the expanding terrorist threat in sub-Saharan Africa and central Asia. Domestically, we will build resilience against terrorist threats to critical infrastructure, including transport connections between our countries.

6. Enhance communications and institutional exchanges across our two systems, as an enabler to our strengthened partnership across the entirety of defence and national security, by endeavouring to:

a. Develop a new joint UK-France cross government secure communication system.

b. Expand people and training links between the UK and French Militaries, optimising our networks of exchange and liaison officers, with a focus on junior officer exchanges, to develop a shared strategic culture in the next generation of military leaders across all three services.

c. Continue to enable the constant exchange of national security and defence personnel and their families, to constantly deepen and forge our relationship for future generations and to ensure our Armed Forces have the conditions they need to perform effectively, and that they, and their family members, do not experience disadvantages as a result of their service. This might include reciprocal access to rights to work and related facilitations for defence personnel and their household members serving in each other’s countries.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 10 July 2025.

Statement by the United Kingdom and the French Republic on Nuclear Policy and Cooperation – July 2025.

The President of the French Republic and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom reaffirm their longstanding and resolute commitment to nuclear cooperation. There is no greater demonstration of the strength and importance of our bilateral relationship than our willingness to work together in this most sensitive area. In this regard, we commend the important achievements since 2010.

Our nuclear weapons exist to deter the most extreme threats to the security of our nations and our vital interests.Our nuclear forces are independent, but can be coordinated and contribute significantly to the overall security of the Alliance, and to the peace and stability of the Euro Atlantic area.

As we have explicitly stated since 1995, we do not see situations arising in which the vital interests of either France or the United Kingdom could be threatened without the vital interest of the other also being threatened. France and the United Kingdom agree that there is no extreme threat to Europe that would not prompt a response by our two nations.

France and the United Kingdom have therefore decided to deepen their nuclear cooperation and coordination. A UK-France Nuclear Steering Group will be established to provide political direction for this work. It will be led by the Presidency of the French Republic and the Cabinet Office and will coordinate across nuclear policy, capabilities and operations.

The United Kingdom and France reaffirm their full support for the Treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and for our obligations under the treaty. We will coordinate ever more closely to uphold and reinforce the international non-proliferation architecture.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 10 July 2025.

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the President of the French Republic met today in Downing Street for the 37th UK-France Summit.

The United Kingdom and France share a commitment to peace, democracy, the rule of law, the rules-based international order, and human rights. In an international context in which these values are increasingly jeopardised, France and the United Kingdom share a responsibility to stand up for these aims and values, as major European countries, permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, major world economies, and open democracies. Our relationship and cooperation are fundamental.

Our two countries share a unique friendship, an intertwined history and profound connections between our people, businesses, and communities. As we open a new chapter in our bilateral and European ties, also building on the outcome of the first EU-UK Summit held in May 2025, we want to make our people safer and more secure, champion fair and lasting peace worldwide, deepen our defence and security collaboration, support competitiveness and growth for our economies, providing jobs, and prosperity to our countries.

Foreign Policy/Global Issues

We reaffirm our determination to ensure Russia does not prevail in its illegal war of aggression, as well as our commitment to lasting support to Ukraine, including security assurances that safeguard its independence and sovereignty. Today we convened the Coalition of the Willing bringing together more than thirty nations committed to Ukraine’s long-term security. We welcomed the development of mature operational plans to deploy a reassurance force once hostilities have ceased, and to help secure Ukraine’s skies and seas and regenerate Ukraine’s armed forces. We have agreed to launch a Counter-Shadow Fleet Partnership to crack down on dangerous Russian-backed vessels in the Channel, reduce Russian oil revenues via these vessels, and safeguard our maritime security. Alongside this, we commit to seeking a lowering of the crude oil price cap, further depriving Russia of the oil revenues it uses to fund its barbaric war. We will strengthen our joint efforts to prevent the supplying of dual-use components and weapons to Russia by third countries’ entities. We reiterate our readiness to step up pressure on Russia as it refuses to commit to peace. We are committed to defending democracy and stability in the wider European neighbourhood and have agreed to work together on new support to strengthen resilience in the Western Balkans and Moldova. We welcome the conclusion of the negotiations on a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and urge the parties to sign this agreement as soon as possible

We reaffirm our determination that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon. We will continue our cooperation, including in the E3 format with Germany, working with the US to ensure a robust deal on Iran’s nuclear programme that takes into account our shared security interests. We will continue to advocate for the resumption of Iran’s full cooperation with the IAEA. We are committed to addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, pushing for an immediate ceasefire, and the release of all remaining hostages. We reaffirm our commitment to recognising a Palestinian state, as a contribution to a peace process. We will work together to support its development and the realisation of a Two-State Solution. We are also stepping up our coordination on security and humanitarian challenges in support of wider regional stability in Syria and Lebanon.

Beyond Europe, we share a responsibility and resolve to defend our values and interests. As demonstrated by the actions of Russia’s enablers, our security is inextricably linked to the Indo-Pacific. We will strengthen our coordination and work together for a free, open, and sovereign Indo-Pacific through new joint maritime security training, reciprocal base access, and joint support to regional organisations. We will launch a Global Maritime Security Dialogue. We jointly reaffirm our commitment to peace and stability in the Korean peninsula, in the South and East China Seas, and in the Taiwan Strait, where we call for the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues. We will keep coordinating efforts and initiatives to address peace and security challenges in Africa and their humanitarian consequences, in particular regarding Sudan and the Great Lakes.

We will continue to act through the European Political Community to respond to common security challenges, including irregular migration, and promoting stability and democratic resilience, competitive and economic growth throughout the continent.

We share a commitment to strengthening the multilateral system and working together for reform across the three pillars of the UN. We have today agreed to expand our cooperation on humanitarian disaster preparation and responses, and to coordinate our work on global issues such as climate change, poverty and promotion of sexual and reproductive health rights. We support the next phase of the International Advisory Panel on Biodiversity Credits by each committing seed funding to unlock philanthropic finance and sustainable nature-positive outcomes.

Defence And Security

The return of conventional warfighting at scale in Europe, combined with hostile state actors, hybrid warfare and disinformation, requires a new, whole of society and government approach. As Europe’s two nuclear powers and leading militaries, we share responsibility for the continent’s defence and security. We are united in the face of profound security threats and challenges, in particular the immediate and pressing threat posed by Russia to Euro-Atlantic security.

Today we announced Lancaster House 2.0 to modernise our cooperation. Through this we agree to deepen and broaden our unique defence and security partnership enshrined in the 2010 Lancaster House Treaties, a core pillar of security in Europe, complementing our cooperation in NATO and reinforcing Europe’s contribution to it, as well as the UK-EU Security and Defence Partnership.

Deepening our longstanding and resolute commitment to cooperation of our independent nuclear deterrents, we have agreed to set out, in a specific statement, our contribution to the defence of European partners and NATO allies, and that whilst our nuclear forces are independent, they can be coordinated. We have decided to establish a UK-France Nuclear Steering Group that will coordinate policy, capability and operation.

We will launch the Combined Joint Force, to build a shared capability of sufficient scale for warfighting, and ready to operate in all domains, including space and cyber, in the defence of Europe. This evolution of the existing Combined Joint Expeditionary Force will continue to be at the forefront of Coalition of the Willing planning. We have also agreed the path for new military capability projects, including the next generation of our Deep Strike and Air-to-Air missiles.

We will deepen our cooperation on cyber issues, tackling the proliferation and irresponsible use of commercial hacking capabilities. We will address emerging threats, including in the hybrid domain, whilst harnessing the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence and emerging technologies. We will maximise our impact against the highest-threat terrorist groups including deepening our counter-terrorism cooperation in Syria.

We are committed to redoubling our collaboration to ensure the Euro-Atlantic security architecture remains fit for purpose, with European allies both shouldering their existing obligations and fully involved in shaping any new arrangements. We will intensify our cooperation with Germany and other partners to this end.

Irregular Migration

The cruelty of organised gangs who smuggle individuals across the Channel at great risk to life blights both our societies. Today, we announce a strengthening of our cooperation to tackle illegal Channel crossings, focused on reducing the risk to life at sea, breaking the criminal gang networks through law enforcement cooperation, and working upstream to tackle the root causes and smuggling networks.

We continue to work together on novel and innovative approaches to intercept boats, exemplified by the ongoing French Maritime Review supporting enhanced Maritime co-operation, to ensure we adapt as the criminal gangs change their approach. We seek to use all the tools at our disposal, including both existing and new sanctions, to tackle people smuggling, trafficking, and organised immigration crime. In parallel, the United Kingdom is intensifying its efforts to reform its domestic asylum system, deliver on increasing returns and tackle illegal working.

France and the UK have agreed to trial a pilot to deter illegal journeys across Europe to the UK and dangerous small boat crossings while saving lives, as an innovative approach to break the business model of organised gangs. It will provide for the readmission of migrants directly to France after an illegal journey by small boat to the United Kingdom and will also offer a reciprocal legal route to the UK for migrants in France, with a principle of equivalence between the number of readmissions to France and the number of legal admissions to the UK. The agreement will be finalised and signed subject to completing prior legal scrutiny in full transparency and understanding with the Commission and EU Member states as this initiative is related to an EU external border, and implemented within a few weeks, subject to the above processes, with real-time monitoring. We are pursuing an ambitious approach that complements wider European cooperation on irregular migration, including working together to prevent irregular Channel crossings within the Common Understanding agreed at the UK-EU Summit on 19 May.

In this context, building on the Sandhurst Agreement, the United Kingdom reaffirms its commitment to fund Maritime action, increased law enforcement response onshore and inland, alongside new joint upstream working to tackle the issue at source and in transit, through the existing financial agreement through to March 2026, and through the finalisation of a new three year cycle (2026-2029) as soon as possible.

Growth

We will ensure continued cooperation and leadership on economic sectors of the future, leading to more growth, skills, and high-quality jobs for our people. This collaboration will make us stronger, remove barriers, and boost our collective resilience and cooperation on economic security, including on critical minerals. We will lead Europe on safely harnessing AI to the benefit of our people and economies, partnering our supercomputers and incubators, and combining the forces of our world-leading universities and research.

We are committed to protecting our Critical National Infrastructure that underpins our thriving economies. Satellite connectivity is strategically important to Europe’s security and resilience and the UK’s investment in the Eutelsat Group is a demonstration of our commitment to this important technology, alongside the French Government and other existing shareholders. The UK will thus join, prorated to its current stake, the capital increase led by the French State and other existing shareholders of Eutelsat announced on June 19 – taking the total amount of capital raised to €1.5 billion. In the context of European Space Projects, we welcome UK suppliers bidding for supply chain commercial contracts when conditions are met. We will also work towards a resilient terrestrial alternative to Global Navigation Satellite Systems.

Together, we will lead the way for Europe’s transition to net zero, creating the green jobs of the future and securing affordable energy supplies for our people. Today we reassert our resolve to diversify civil nuclear supply chains from Russia, upskill our nuclear workforces, and manage a responsible nuclear legacy. We welcome the confirmation by EDF of a 12.5% stake in Sizewell C post Financial Close and the proposed issuance of a €6 billion/£5 billion debt guarantee facility to Sizewell C from Bpifrance Assurance export.

Today, we have agreed that our regulators will move forward in assessing interconnection projects under proportionately-agreed cost and revenue sharing arrangements between beneficiaries, aiming at delivering 1GW further interconnection by 2035. The delivery of further interconnection will be considered in line with national strategic plans. We will continue to work together on key technologies, including offshore wind, carbon capture, usage and storage, and hydrogen.

We agree to deepen our collaboration on transport, particularly across the Channel, seeking ways to support decarbonisation, protect maritime workers’ pay and conditions, and support growth in the international rail sector. We also welcome the newly-adopted full bilateral framework on the Channel Tunnel, supporting the continued flow of passengers and goods.

People-to-People

We are delighted to announce an exceptional cultural partnership with the unprecedented loan of the Bayeux Tapestry to the UK, for an exhibition in the British Museum between September 2026 and July 2027, and the loan of the Sutton Hoo Treasures among other masterpieces from the British Museum, for exhibitions in the Museums of Rouen and Caen, recalling the deep historical ties between our two countries. This exchange will feature as part of the 2027 European Year of the Normans which will celebrate the millennium of William the Conqueror, through cooperation, cultural and educational activities that will recall the strength of our links, past, present, and future. We will celebrate artistic, educational, and community-driven activity through events and initiatives that will support our creative industries. We will also work together to celebrate the 2027 Grand Départ of the Tour de France from the UK.

We welcome the decision by the French government to facilitate the recognition by local authorities of UK blue badges throughout France for disabled drivers. We will expand connections between UK and French schools, supported by an extension of the arrangements we have made to facilitate school trips in both directions. We will maintain our working relationships on the introduction of the Schengen Entry/Exit System (EES) within the agreed EU framework and timetable to assure security and fluidity across our common border crossing points. Finally, we welcome further constructive exchanges between our Parliaments.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 1 July 2025.

The Prime Minister welcomed the President of Kenya, William Ruto, to Downing Street today.

The leaders began by celebrating the new UK-Kenya Strategic Partnership, which will see both countries work together to drive economic growth and strengthen regional security.

Turning to migration, the Prime Minister and President welcomed a new UK-Kenya security agreement to disrupt organised immigration crime and human trafficking in Kenya to prevent onward migration to Europe.

On trade and investment, the leaders discussed the Nairobi Railway City project, which has been inspired by London’s Kings Cross and will enable opportunities for UK businesses, driving growth and delivering on our Plan for Change.

The Prime Minister and President agreed on the need for peace and stability in the region.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 25 June 2025.

The UK will boost Ukraine’s air defence with 350 missiles using funds from seized Russian assets, helping to protect Ukrainians from Putin’s attacks.

The UK will boost Ukraine’s air defence with 350 missiles using funds from seized Russian assets, helping to protect Ukrainians from Putin’s attacks.

The ASRAAM missiles can be fired using the RAVEN Ground Based Air Defence System supplied by the UK to Ukraine, with five more RAVEN systems due for imminent delivery, bringing the total to 13.

Initially used as air-to-air missiles fired from fighter jets, RAF engineers adapted ASRAAM in just three months to be launched from the back of a UK designed and built truck, working with a British defence industry team from MBDA UK, based in Bolton.

The UK, together with allies, is stepping up its support for Ukraine – providing £4.5 billion of military support this year – more than ever before.  This support is vital to European security but is also supporting economic growth across the UK, supporting the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change and delivering a defence dividend across the UK.

The missiles will be funded using £70m worth of interest generated from seized Russian assets under the Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA) scheme.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

“Russia, not Ukraine, should pay the price for Putin’s barbaric and illegal war, so it is only right we use the proceeds from sanctioned Russian assets to ensure Ukraine has the air defence it needs.

“The security of Ukraine is vital to the security of the UK and the Euro-Atlantic area, and our support will never waiver.

“My message to President Putin is clear: Russia needs to stop its indiscriminate attacks on innocent Ukrainian people and return to the negotiating table.”

It comes as the Prime Minister, Defence Secretary and Foreign Secretary join NATO leaders for the Alliance’s annual summit in the Hague, where they will meet counterparts to discuss de-escalation efforts in the Middle East, as well as further military support for Ukraine.

Defence Secretary John Healey MP said:

“Ukrainians are continuing to fight with huge courage – civilians and military alike. I am committed to ensuring Ukraine has the support they need to put them in the strongest possible position to secure peace.

“Russia’s indiscriminate missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities show that Putin is not serious about peace, and it’s right that we use funds from seized Russian assets to help Ukraine defend itself from this onslaught.

“These air defence missiles will save Ukrainian lives, using equipment developed jointly by British military engineers and our defence industry – showing how we are delivering on our Strategic Defence Review’s commitment to learn lessons from Ukraine.”

In March, the Prime Minister announced a historic £1.6 billion deal to provide more than five thousand air defence missiles for Ukraine – creating 200 new jobs and supporting a further 700. Defence supports more than 434,000 skilled jobs in the UK.

The UK will also invest a record £350m this year to increase the supply of drones to Ukraine from a target of 10,000 in 2024 to 100,000 in 2025.

The UK has sent around 400 different capabilities to Ukraine, with a £150 million package including drones, tanks and air defence systems announced on 12 February 2025, a £225 million package including drones, boats and munitions announced on 19 December 2024, and 650 lightweight multirole missiles announced on 6 September 2024.

The UK is absolutely committed to securing a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and are engaging with key allies in support of this effort.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 24 June 2025.

The Prime Minister spoke to the French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the NATO Summit in The Hague this evening.

The leaders reflected on the volatile situation in the Middle East. Now was the time for diplomacy and for Iran to come to the negotiating table, they agreed.

Turning to Ukraine, the leaders discussed the need to apply more pressure on the Kremlin, including through further sanctions.

Discussing Gaza, the Prime Minister reiterated that the situation was intolerable and all sides needed to work towards an urgent ceasefire.

The leaders looked forward to speaking again this evening.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 24 June 2025.

The Prime Minister met Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof in The Hague today.

The Prime Minister began by thanking Prime Minister Schoof for his hospitality, adding that he was delighted to return to the city.

Discussing the significant investment pledge made at this year’s summit, the Prime Minister said it was vital the next generation was able to enjoy the same peace and security that Allies had today.

The leaders also discussed the situation in the Middle East and agreed now was the time for diplomacy to prevail.

On Ukraine, the leaders underscored the need to secure a just and lasting peace, and to step up support through shared industrial capability and defence innovation.

The leaders looked forward to speaking again later today.