Tag: Downing Street

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 1 January 2023.

The King has been pleased to approve the following appointments:

• Viscount Younger of Leckie as a Parliamentary under Secretary of State at the Department for Work and Pensions (previously a Lord in Waiting (Lords Whip));
• Lord Evans of Rainow as a Lord in Waiting (Lords Whip).

This follows the departure from government of Baroness Stedman–Scott OBE DL.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 23 December 2022.

PM called dedicated diplomats, military personnel and childcare providers to personally wish them a Merry Christmas and thank them for their work.

The Prime Minister surprised public servants working across the world this Christmas, calling them to personally thank them for their sacrifice and dedication in an unprecedented year of global challenge.

Alongside the FCDO Permanent Under-Secretary, Sir Philip Barton, and First Sea Lord Admiral Ben Key, the Prime Minister made surprise calls to diplomats in Pakistan, Somalia and Ukraine, as well as a Royal Navy ship sailing in Antarctica. He told them the work of diplomats and armed forces this year, against a backdrop of such global instability, demonstrated the very best of the United Kingdom overseas.

And closer to home, the Prime Minister surprised Chris Mitchell who runs Smart Play, an award-winning government-funded Holiday Activities and Food programme in Barnet. The PM heard first-hand how Chris and the team are supporting vulnerable children across the area with fun activities and nutritious meals throughout the school holidays.

Speaking to diplomat Nic Guffog, who is based in Mogadishu, the Prime Minister heard how the dedicated foreign office staffer had been using her breather breaks and flights from the UK back to Somalia to bring in Christmas decorations for the UK’s diplomatic compound in Mogadishu. She told the Prime Minister how staff in Mogadishu were living in containers under the threat of terror attacks, and would spend Christmas supporting efforts to counter the threat posed by Al-Shabaab and helping the Somalian government deal with the hunger crisis facing the country.

Nic, who looks after the embassy compound in East Africa, said the order for Christmas dinner had to be placed in the spring, and had recently arrived by container ship. This year’s celebrations were particularly special for the embassy after a Covid outbreak last year meant staff couldn’t sit together in the compound on Christmas Day. Nic hoped to add festive cheer this year with handmade Santa stockings and Christmas jumpers, despite the 40C heat, she added.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

Whether you are working in Mogadishu or Milton Keynes this Christmas, I want you to know that I am personally grateful for your sacrifice. This year has been an extraordinary year for so many reasons, but most of all, it’s been a year in which the true spirit and resilience of the United Kingdom has been on show, from the support given to our Ukrainian friends, to the work being done to ensure essential aid reaches the most vulnerable overseas.

And closer to home, those who have checked on friends and neighbours, volunteers, public servants and essential service staff all working over Christmas – I am truly humbled by your dedication and I know your selflessness this festive season will spread cheer across the country.

The Prime Minister also spoke to Sherwan Asif, from Pakistan, who has worked for the British High Commission in Islamabad for more than 12 years, and was at the forefront of the United Kingdom’s response to the devastating floods that ravaged the country in June. Sherwan identified areas in critical need and ensured UK funding reached the most vulnerable.

The Prime Minister also called Svita Yavorska, who has spent the year working for the UK’s embassy in Ukraine from Kyiv, Warsaw and now Lviv.  Svita told the Prime Minister how she had to flee to Poland following Russia’s barbaric invasion of Ukraine, before setting up the Embassy’s temporary base in Poland. Svita also volunteered translating for refugees pouring over the border into Poland, and helping them secure new homes. Svita has since returned to Lviv, Ukraine, to help set up a new UK base in the city. She is also working closely with humanitarian partners to get vital UK aid into the country. The Prime Minister told Svita how grateful he was for her hard work, and said the UK would continue to stand with Ukraine for as long as it took.

Finally, the Prime Minister spoke to some of the crew of HMS Protector, which is currently deployed off the coast of the South Sandwich islands, updating navigational charts using the latest sonar technology, monitoring the retreat of glaciers and ice shelves, and supporting the British Antarctic Survey scientists by delivering vital supplies and fixing any engineering issues.

The Prime Minister heard how the shipmates are experiencing 20 hours of sunlight a day, and had seen whales, penguins and endangered turtles during their deployment, as well as surveying underwater volcanos, and losing 7-1 to members of the Monserrat national football team during a friendly game on shore.

Asking about their Christmas plans, the sailors told the Prime Minister they had planned a number of celebrations between keeping watch on the ship, including a fancy dress party and Christmas dinner for the ship’s company.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 22 December 2022.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke to European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen this afternoon.

The leaders agreed that the UK and the EU would remain steadfast in our military economic and diplomatic support for Ukraine and in countering Russian aggression.

They looked forward to working closely together in 2023 in the G7, under the Japanese presidency, and the G20, under the Indian presidency.

On the Northern Ireland Protocol, they agreed on the importance of working together to agree a solution.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 22 December 2022.

Sir Laurie Magnus CBE has been appointed as the Prime Minister’s new Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests.

The Independent Adviser performs an important role, rooted in the Ministerial Code, as a source of impartial advice on the proper management of Ministers’ private interests and on adherence to the Code itself.

The Code has also today been re-issued, with the inclusion of a new Foreword by the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister has been clear that he expects the Government to have integrity, professionalism and accountability at every level. Sir Laurie will carry out the role in line with the established Terms of Reference, published in May 2022, which set out the core functions of the role as:

• Advising Ministers on their private interests, including overseeing the publication of the List of Ministers’ Interests
• Investigating alleged breaches of the Ministerial Code
• Providing advice on amendments to the Ministerial Code to the Prime Minister
• Providing ad hoc advice, at the request of a Minister, in relation to the Ministerial Code

Sir Laurie Magnus was appointed as the Prime Minister’s Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests on 22 December 2022.

Sir Laurie is Chairman of Historic England (formerly known as English Heritage), having been appointed in September 2013 to lead its relaunch under the Historic England brand name and the transfer of management of its properties to a new charity, the English Heritage Trust. This role is a regulated public appointment, overseen by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. He was previously Deputy Chairman of the National Trust from 2005 to 2013.

Sir Laurie will bring to the role of Independent Adviser over 40 years’ experience in the financial services sector, with particularly relevant professional experience of audit, compliance and corporate governance. He holds a number of advisory and non-executive roles within the finance sector, drawing on this expertise.

In the not for profit sector, Sir Laurie was until recently Chairman of the Windsor Leadership Trust, an independent charity providing experiential leadership programmes for senior leaders across all sectors of society, and Deputy Chairman of the Benefact Trust, providing charitable financial support to churches and Christian charities in the UK and Ireland. Sir Laurie also served as a member of the Board of the Culture Recovery Fund, established by Government to provide financial support to the culture and heritage sectors during the COVID pandemic.

Sir Laurie is also a member of Historic England’s Business and Finance Committee, Remuneration and Appointments Committee, and is a member of the English Heritage Board of Trustees.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 20 December 2022.

The King has approved that Mr Christopher “Kif” Hancock be appointed a Church Commissioner for five years effective from 1 January 2023, in succession to Mr Duncan Owen who resigns on 31 December 2022.

Background

Christopher “Kif” Hancock is a partner and CIO International at Brown Advisory. He is a highly credible and experienced capital allocator and Chair of Brown’s International Investment Committee. His professional experience includes time living and working in Europe, Asia and North America with both for-profit and non-profit organisations. Since joining Brown in 2008, Kif has obtained considerable knowledge of working with and advising both institutional and private clients (including international experience) and a strong track record of capital allocation across equities, alternatives, and fixed-income investments. He is an American but he and his family have been residents in England for many years.

Kif is a Committed Christian and volunteers for his local churches in London and Oxfordshire (St. Michael’s Chester Square and St Andrew’s Church, Kingham).

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 19 December 2022.

– Prime Minister thanks troops for service and dedication in unprecedented year of global instability following the invasion of Ukraine

– Sees first-hand the important work of UK forces as part of NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence on its eastern flank

– Pays tribute to Armed Forces personnel who are spending Christmas abroad without their families, telling them their service will not go unnoticed this festive season

The Prime Minister has today paid tribute to the professionalism and bravery of UK Armed Forces in an unprecedented year of global instability.

Addressing military personnel in Tapa, Estonia, he told British troops their service and dedication would not go unnoticed this Christmas, and their selfless commitment was instrumental to keeping the UK and our allies safe.

Around 6000 marines, soldiers, sailors, and aviators will be deployed across the world this Christmas, serving on 33 military operations in 28 countries. They will be supported by dedicated merchant sailors from the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and civilian staff.

More than 1000 of those Armed Forces will be on Op Cabrit across Estonia and Poland, including the King’s Royal Hussars, from Catterick Garrison in the Prime Minister’s constituency in North Yorkshire.

The Prime Minister thanked those troops personally today, and, alongside Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, served Christmas lunch to NATO forces. He also shared mince pies with UK military personnel after dinner, hearing first-hand about their experience as part of NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence across the Baltics.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

This year, we have seen a full-scale war return to our continent, and I am immensely proud of the selfless dedication and bravery of our Armed Forces who responded to that threat to keep the UK and our allies safe.

As thousands of our military personnel prepare to spend Christmas on deployment, I know that this year of all years we will not take their sacrifice, or the sacrifice of their loved ones, for granted.

Christmas, after all, is a time for peace, and as alongside our allies, we’ll continue to support our Ukrainian and European friends in pursuit of a return of that peace.

This year, partly in response to the invasion of Ukraine, more than 12000 UK military personnel have been deployed across Europe, from Cyprus in the Mediterranean to Norway within the Arctic Circle, across land, sea and air.

In Estonia, the UK temporarily doubled its footprint in response to rising tensions, underlining our commitment to NATO and wider European security. We have since bolstered the lethality of the deployment with multiple rocket launch systems and short range air defence, allowing force numbers to be reduced and redeployed in other areas of the world.

The UK’s contribution to European security has not just been on land in 2022, with the Royal Navy deploying on nine different operations across Europe, involving 31 ships and submarines, six Naval Air Squadrons and 1750 Royal Marines.

And the UK played a leading role in protecting European skies, with around 1900 UK military flights patrolling,  gathering intelligence and providing essential transport and resilience across the region this year.

From January 2023, UK Apache and Chinook helicopters will deploy to Estonia. This additional surge capability into Estonia will include an aviation task force of three CH47 helicopters, followed by a deployment of four AH64 and two Wildcat Helicopters.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 19 December 2022.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak held talks with Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas today, following the JEF Summit in Riga.

Speaking on the plane from Latvia to Estonia, the Prime Minister underlined the UK’s commitment to Estonia’s security as its NATO framework nation and said he was pleased we had been able to increase the lethality of the battlegroup that remained in Tapa, which sent a strong deterrence message to Russia.

Turning to the trade and technology relationship, the Prime Minister said he was delighted to be able to sign the agreement of a Tech Partnership between the UK and Estonia today. It was important like-minded, technologically advanced countries like the UK and Estonia continued to strengthen cooperation in technology fields, he added.

The leaders both looked forward to visiting troops in Tapa together this afternoon.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 19 December 2022.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 19 December 2022.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 16 December 2022.

The King has approved the nomination of The Reverend Canon Dr Jonathan Martin Gainsborough, to the Suffragan See of Kingston, in the Diocese of Southwark.

The King has approved the nomination of The Reverend Canon Dr Jonathan Martin Gainsborough, Chaplain to the Bishop of Bristol, in the Diocese of Bristol, to the Suffragan See of Kingston, in the Diocese of Southwark, in succession to The Right Reverend Dr Richard Cheetham following his retirement.

Background

Martin was educated at the University of Bristol and The School of Oriental and African Studies and trained for ministry on the Southern Theological Education and Training Scheme. He served his title at St Luke’s, Barton Hill, in the Diocese of Bristol and was ordained Priest in 2011.

In 2013, Martin was appointed Priest-in-Charge at St Luke’s and in 2016 he became Canon Theologian at Bristol Cathedral. During this time, Martin was also Professor of Development Politics at the University of Bristol.

Martin took up his current role as Chaplain to the Bishop of Bristol in 2019.