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Tag: James Cleverly

  • James Cleverly – 2025 Speech to Conservative Party Conference

    James Cleverly – 2025 Speech to Conservative Party Conference

    The speech made by James Cleverly, the Shadow Housing Secretary, in Manchester on 6 October 2025.

    Owning your own home should not be a luxury.

    The Conservative Party is the party of aspiration.

    We are the party that believes in reward for hard work.

    So, when we see home ownership becoming a fantasy for many people, when a home of your own is an impossible dream, no matter how hard you work, we know we must act.

    And when Conservatives are in charge, we do act.

    Remember, it was the Conservatives who cleared the slums in the 1930s.

    Harold Macmillan built 300,000 homes a year in the 1950s.

    And Margaret Thatcher made home ownership a reality for millions of people with the Right to Buy in the 1980s.

    The point is, we don’t just have to look at the distant past.

    Since 2010, Conservatives have delivered 2.5 million homes, a million of those in the last Parliament alone.

    Last year, in the South East of England and the East of England, Conservative-run regions, about 2.5 new homes were built per thousand people.

    In London, run by Labour for the best part of a decade, 0.5 homes per thousand.

    And so, what do those figures mean for real people, for ordinary hard-working Londoners?

    In 1980, the average London home cost £25,000, about four times the average national salary.

    Today, the average London house costs over half a million pounds, and that is fifteen times the average salary.

    That is Sadiq Khan’s record of failure.

    We should not, and we cannot, and we must not accept it.

    But what did Angela Rayner do when she was Housing Secretary?

    She gave Sadiq Khan a free pass.

    She dropped the Government’s call-in for the London Plan.

    And she cut London’s housing target.

    And what was the result? A mere 5,000 private homes are forecast to be built across the whole of London this year, against a target of 88,000 homes.

    Rayner’s failure to deal with Khan’s failure ends up by dumping that housing shortfall on rural Britain.

    I’ve got a small confession to make, ladies and gentlemen.

    I was actually looking forward to holding Rayner to account.

    I was looking forward to going toe to toe with a real firebrand of the modern Left.

    Instead, I’m up against Steve Reed.

    Steve “I’m not Wikipedia” Reed.

    No, Steve, you’re not Wikipedia, Wikipedia can actually be useful.

    And let’s remind ourselves, ladies and gentlemen, Steve Reed is a man who has just spent the last year destroying family farms so that he can spend next year concreting over them.

    He wears a baseball cap that says “Build, Baby, Build”, but in reality, it’s “Block, Baby, Block”.

    Because he said no to new homes being built in his urban London constituency, where they are both needed and wanted.

    And that’s Labour all over, isn’t it?

    Slogans say one thing; their record shows something completely different.

    And as for the Labour Government’s pledge of 1.5 million homes built by the end of this Parliament, either they are lying about how many homes they are going to build, or they’re lying about how long this Parliament is going to last.

    And what about these fabled Labour new towns?

    Initially, they said they were going to build twelve of them.

    Then they said they only might start three during this Parliament, and that’s only if you count one spade in the ground as progress.

    For me, it’s like being promised a pony for Christmas and ending up with a goldfish.

    Now, when I drive through London, from my home in Essex, I see the Olympic Park, a brownfield site transformed into homes and businesses by Boris, a Conservative Mayor of London.

    I see Canary Wharf, derelict docks turned into homes and a world-class financial hub, by Heseltine and Thatcher, a Conservative Government.

    And that same story is true beyond London: Ben Houchen in Teesside, Paul Bristow in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Conservative Mayors rolling up their sleeves and getting stuff done.

    And look, I know London isn’t the only place that matters, we all understand that.

    But the UK’s biggest city does have a unique role to play.

    And the Labour Mayor of London has not, and will not, get a grip of the situation, which is why we need a Conservative Mayor of London who will.

    We need a Conservative Mayor to rewrite the London Plan, focus on delivery, and unlock tens of thousands of desperately needed homes in that city, near transport links, near the night-time economy, and near job opportunities.

    By prioritising brownfield sites and turning them into business and housing hubs, just like we did before in Canary Wharf and in the Olympic Park.

    Now, to get this done, we need to cut down the mountains of well-intentioned regulation.

    We have affordable housing targets so high they basically prevent anything from getting built.

    And I wonder if the Steve Reed now in charge of housing will look back at the Steve Reed who was in charge of environmental regulation and have a word with himself.

    Because we’ve made it too easy to say no to housing.

    And we need to find reasons to say yes to housing.

    We need to win the argument.

    We need to make people want to say yes.

    Now, just so you know where I’m coming from, I reject the false choice between low-rise sprawl into the green belt and soulless tower blocks.

    We can, and we should, build homes that are liveable, attractive, and welcomed by their neighbours.

    Because beauty in the built environment should not be the preserve of the wealthy, it should be for everyone.

    Building is important, of course it is.

    But we must also make better use of the homes we already have.

    I’m going to give you a scenario, and I expect a few of you will recognise it.

    In every town and city across the country, there are roads full of empty nesters.

    You know the kind of houses I mean, three, four, maybe even five-bedroom family houses, where the children have grown up and moved out, and now just one or two people are living there.

    I don’t want to force anybody to leave the home they love.

    But we should make it easy for older couples to downsize, without punishing them with ever more property tax.

    Because encouraging downsizing frees up a whole chain of homes, helping retirees, bigger families, smaller families, and first-time buyers all at the same time.

    And that, ladies and gentlemen, is just common sense.

    And that is what should underpin Conservative housing policy: common sense.

    Easing the burden of regulation, getting stuff built.

    Easing counterproductive taxation that stops homes being bought and sold.

    That is the Conservative answer.

    But compare that with Labour’s answer, even more taxes.

    They are hiking council tax by more than £11 billion over this Parliament, with more to come, through higher tax bands and new taxes on family homes.

    But we Conservatives know that you cannot tax your way to growth.

    Real growth comes not from the state, but from its citizens and the communities they build.

    Strong communities need a smaller state, and we know strong communities matter.

    Many of you in this hall today are councillors, and you are on the front line, working in and for your local communities.

    You are the manifestation of Conservative values that people actually see in their day-to-day lives.

    And I want to thank you.

    Because when I speak about Conservative leadership, and I try not to do that so much these days, I’m talking about Conservative leadership in town halls, county halls, and village halls.

    Conservative councillors who improve their high streets, who stand up for local businesses, who defend community pubs, local parks, and village greens.

    Who deliver leaflets late at night and early in the morning, whatever the weather.

    Whatever the political weather, and whilst you deliver, other parties let their communities down.

    Labour councils, taxes up, bins uncollected. Over-taxing, under-delivering.

    Liberal Democrats, hiking council tax to some of the highest levels in the country.

    And Reform? Well, being angry about stuff doesn’t get bins collected, or schools run better, or parks maintained, or old people cared for.

    Because being a keyboard warrior doesn’t prepare you to manage a multi-million-pound council budget.

    That is why they are failing and infighting wherever they get elected.

    So, let Reform chase the clicks and likes online, and let real Conservatives serve their communities.

    In our party, we understand the difference.

    But we must understand why so many people are angry.

    And rather than just reflect that anger back to them, we look to do something about it.

    Because that’s how you build policy, not just press releases.

    A party that is ready to govern, and communities built on unity, not division, that is us.

    And we also know that the scale of immigration has put unprecedented pressure on housing provision and on our neighbourhoods.

    That’s why, as Home Secretary, I took action to halve net migration.

    Because people are angry when they see an immigration system that gives houses to asylum seekers whilst local families wait for years.

    This madness has got to stop.

    That is why we brought in the Rwanda plan that Labour scrapped as soon as they entered office.

    That is why we have committed to leaving the ECHR so that we can prioritise the people of our country.

    That is why we must have stronger borders.

    That is why we must have a stronger economy.

    Because simply building more homes is not enough.

    We have got to cut immigration, and we have got to rebuild our communities too.

    The foundation stone for successful communities is the simple fact that we all play by the same rules, and that people who break those rules are punished, not rewarded.

    Where no group is above the law, and where the laws are universally applied.

    Communities where hard work is rewarded.

    Where pride in place, pride in country, is valued and praised, not vilified and mocked.

    A tradition of free speech, and yes, that does mean the right to offend.

    But the right to offend is not the same as a duty to offend.

    Because we do have a long-standing tradition of decency, politeness, and good manners.

    But we don’t need to turn that tradition into law, which is why blasphemy laws have no place in the United Kingdom.

    The cherished right of freedom of religion must be protected, and protected robustly, by all of us.

    Protected with the strength of the Jewish men and women who held that door shut at the synagogue on Yom Kippur, here in Manchester just last week.

    Because warm words or empty symbolism will do nothing to keep people safe.

    That is why, when I was Home Secretary, I overruled officials to ensure record funding to protect the security of Jewish communities.

    But we must do more to tackle the growing challenge of antisemitism in this country, much, much more, with the strength of our words and our actions.

    And as we see Labour councils bringing in anti-Israel boycotts and divestment in a cynical, sectarian attempt to win votes, we should recognise what it is and call it out for what it is.

    Labour is currently trying to jump on a patriotic bandwagon.

    Starmer is trying to wrap himself in the Union flag.

    But in reality, he is an emperor with no clothes.

    Labour is not fooling anyone.

    Did you see it at Labour Conference in Liverpool?

    You could see it on their faces.

    They were forced to wave the St George’s flag and the Union flag with gritted teeth, and Andy Burnham scuttling out via the back door.

    Starmer allegedly opposes division, but frankly, he can’t even unite his own party, let alone the country.

    It is his party that is pushing identity politics.

    It is their misplaced ideal of multiculturalism that leads to parallel cultures rather than integrated communities.

    The Conservatives have always been, and will always be, the party of patriotism.

    And more than that, we know the formula for success.

    Multi-ethnic communities, of course.

    Diverse religions within communities, yes.

    But an adherence to the norms, values, and laws of our country.

    That is how successful, integrated, sustainable communities are built.

    And that is what we should work towards, bringing society together across class, colour, and creed.

    That is how we build trust.

    That is how we build strong neighbourhoods.

    That is how we make Britain a home for everyone who is willing to play their part.

    I was chuffed when Kemi asked me to take on this role, because fixing our housing crisis and restoring pride in our communities are two of the biggest challenges we face.

    And the simple truth is, Labour does not want to fix these problems.

    And Reform cannot fix these problems.

    But we can, and we will.

    We will build more homes.

    We will build stronger communities.

    We will build stronger borders.

    We will build a stronger economy.

    And we will restore pride in this great country once again.

    Thank you.

  • James Cleverly – 2024 Speech on Border Security and Asylum

    James Cleverly – 2024 Speech on Border Security and Asylum

    The speech made by James Cleverley, the Shadow Home Security, in the House of Commons on 22 July 2024.

    Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I welcome you back to your place, on my first opportunity to do so. In my time as Home Secretary and, before that, Foreign Secretary, you were very kind about my minor indiscretions at the Dispatch Box, my late deployment of statements and my slight overruns. You have always been very kind to my family in sometimes quite trying circumstances, which I very much appreciate.

    I also take this opportunity to congratulate the right hon. Member for Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley (Yvette Cooper) on her appointment as Home Secretary. It is a challenging but incredibly rewarding job and, because the nation’s security is now very much in her and her Ministers’ hands, I genuinely wish her all success in everything she is looking to do.

    The right hon. Lady inherits a dedicated team of Home Office civil servants who will help her to keep the country safe and secure. They helped me when I was in her position and, although it is disorderly to recognise their presence, if I were to wave my hand vaguely in their direction, I might take the opportunity to thank my previous private office civil servants.

    My notes say that I want to thank the Home Secretary and her team for advance sight of her statement, but I will put a line through that.

    The Labour party, and indeed the Home Secretary, likes to talk tough on border security, but today’s statement, despite all the hyperbole and the made-up numbers, is basically an admission of what we knew all along, which is that the Labour party has scrapped the Rwanda partnership on ideological grounds, removing a deterrent that the National Crime Agency said we needed.

    The level of discourtesy directed towards the people and Government of Rwanda is quite breathtaking. To have them read about this decision in the papers before anyone from the UK Government had the good grace to formally notify them is an error, and no one in this House believes for a moment that this level of discourtesy would have happened had the partnership been with a European country.

    Labour has given an effective amnesty to thousands of asylum seekers who were banned under Conservative plans. Labour’s plans amount to doing less than the Conservatives were doing when we were in government, merely changing the signs above a few desks in the Home Office with its so-called border security command and returns unit. Before the election, the right hon. Lady said that she would create a returns unit, and now the narrative is that she will redeploy some staff—not increase the number of staff, but redeploy some staff—which shows that the returns function already exists.

    There is no safe third country to which to return people who cannot be returned home, so where will the right hon. Lady send people who come here from countries like Afghanistan, Iran and Syria? Has she started negotiating returns agreements with the Taliban, the ayatollahs of Iran or Assad in Syria? If she is not going to send to Rwanda anyone who arrives here on a small boat, to which local authorities will she send them? We were closing hotels when I was in government, so I wonder which local authorities will receive those asylum seekers. If not Rwanda, will it be Rochdale, Romford or Richmond? Most importantly, can the right hon. Lady now confirm that people who arrive here illegally in a small boat will be able to claim asylum? Finally, how long after the right hon. Lady briefed the media that she is scrapping the Rwanda partnership did she have the courtesy to speak directly with the Rwandan Government?

    It is because we now have no deterrent that nobody wants to head her new so-called border security command. Neil Basu, a former senior police officer for whom I have huge respect, was Labour’s No. 1 choice, and he has ruled himself out. We now learn that General Stuart Skeates, a highly respected former general in the British Army, who was, in large part, responsible for delivering the Albania deal, which cut small boat arrivals from that country by 90%, has resigned from his position as director general for strategic operations. To misquote Oscar Wilde, “to lose one border commander could be seen as a misfortune; to lose two looks like carelessness”—perhaps even incompetence. I notice that the new job advert—it is available online for those who are thinking of applying—for Labour’s border security command says that the role is not located in Kent, where the channel is, but is flexible from Belfast, Bristol, Cardiff, Durham, Glasgow, Liverpool or Manchester, none of which, the last time I checked, are anywhere near the English channel.

    The reality is that everybody knows, including the people smugglers, that the small boat problem is going to get worse—indeed, has already got worse under Labour—because there is no deterrent. People are being sold a lie when they are being smuggled into this country, across one of the busiest shipping lanes. We need to stop them. Too many lives have already been lost. Sadly, six more have been lost in the channel in the last few weeks, and our hearts go out to them and their loved ones. We disagree on many things, but we can agree that we need to put an end to this evil trade. Sadly, the initial decisions made by her Government have made the problem worse, not better.

    Yvette Cooper

    I welcome the shadow Home Secretary’s words about the dedication of Home Office officials and about the importance of work on national security. As he knows, when I was shadow Secretary of State, I always worked with him and supported him around national security issues. I know he will do the same and I welcome him to his shadow post. I presume what we heard was the first of the Conservative leadership contest speeches.

    I will respond to some of the things the shadow Home Secretary said. We need to be clear about what we have inherited from him and his party. Under his party, we have had the highest level of spring crossings ever. Gangs have been left to wreak havoc, not just along the French coast but across our border, through our country and back through Europe. Asylum support costs are set to rise to £30 billion to £40 billion over the next four years as a result of his and his party’s decisions.

    As for the idea of deterrence, I am sorry but four volunteers being sent to Rwanda is not a deterrent to anyone for anything at all. The idea that he would spend £10 billion on this fantasy, this fiction, this gimmick rather than ever do the hard graft—£700 million has already been spent on sending just four volunteers in two and a half years. We have often warned that, frankly, it would be cheaper to put them up in the Paris Ritz. As it turns out, it would have been cheaper to buy the Paris Ritz.

    As for the amnesty, I do not know if the right hon. Gentleman has ever understood the Illegal Migration Act 2023, which he voted for and he inherited from his predecessors. He asks if people who arrive illegally can claim asylum—that is exactly what happens under section 9 of that Act. They can all claim asylum, enter the asylum system and be entitled to asylum support. That is what happens in the system, which we have inherited, that he has presided over and run since he became Home Secretary. The problem is that people enter the asylum system but never leave. He did not bring in operational arrangements to try to take decisions properly. His Home Office effectively stopped taking the majority of asylum decisions in May. Perhaps he did not know that, but that is what happened in his Home Office. This party and this Government do not believe in amnesties. We think that the rules need to be respected and enforced. His party is the one that has given an effective amnesty to people who can end up staying in the asylum system forever. We believe that the rules should be enforced. The problem is that that is what the shadow Home Secretary believes too. He does not believe any of the stuff that he has just said. He is only saying it for his Tory leadership contest; he is just too weak to tell his party the truth. He thought that the whole policy on Rwanda was “batshit” and then he went out to bat for it. It is just not serious.

  • James Cleverly – 2024 Speech at the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners General Meeting

    James Cleverly – 2024 Speech at the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners General Meeting

    The speech made by James Cleverly, the Home Secretary, in the House of Commons on 7 February 2024.

    Thank you. I’m trying to work out whether the applause is for my attendance or for the announcement of the money.

    First of all, thank you all. It’s great to have the opportunity to speak to you all. I hope that those who know me, and some of you who have known me for quite some time, will have explained my credentials to those who’ve been maybe not known me for quite so long. I’m a big fan of the police and crime commissioner model. I was an advocate for it before it was cool. Back before it was legislation, and of course, I’ve come from my own background in police governance from the time that I was at City Hall in London.

    You are the voice of the local communities. When it comes to the governance of policing laws with our policing model, being of the community, for community from the community, having that golden thread of community accountability to the police forces that serve them, I think is incredibly important. And I also think it’s important that we maintain this pattern of dialogue, and that not only do I get to speak and you get to listen, which is of course always my favourite model of communication, but you also get to speak and I promise that I will listen.

    So the situation we find ourselves in the headlines can sometimes give the impression that we’re in uniquely dark and difficult times. But when we compare the situation with the end of September 2023, to the year ending December 2019, as we look back over those couple of years, we each have seen some really positive figures.

    So for example, hospital admissions, following an assault with a sharp object, which is the most objective measure of youth knife crime and violence, was down by 25%. And these are not figures you can fudge. That’s real. Homicides are down by 16%, neighbourhood crime down by 24%, 35% (fall) in domestic burglary, and an 18% fall in victim related crime. This is stuff that people in communities feel. This is what has an impact upon them. And those figures are heading in the right direction. But we will recognise that if you personally are a victim of crime, speaking about a general reduction is no solace, and that’s why it is so important that we cannot ever lose sight of the importance of the individual, of the victim, when we talk about those overall numbers.

    And I’m absolutely clear that the job of the Home Secretary, the job of the Home Office, I suspect, you will, at least in part agree with me on this, is about reassurance as well as the practicalities. It is really important that we ensure not only that people are safe, but that they also feel safe. Because, and I mentioned this, I think in the very first speech that I made as Home Secretary, because when people feel safe, they go out, they engage in their local communities, they volunteer, they live a fuller life than they would otherwise do. So of course trying to create an effect on people’s lives, but the fear of crime also has a corrosive effect. It limits people’s opportunity to live the best life they can lead.

    And that’s why I want to be able to look into the eyes of people around the country wherever they may be and know that they are feeling safe. I said so at the National Policing Board that I chaired recently, and this of course means as well as driving down those figures, it is about visible policing – and it is about the policing of visible crime crimes.

    High harm crimes are of course also incredibly important, but the public are also concerned about things like shoplifting. And sadly, in conversations I’ve had with members my own family and my friends, it’s still the case that far, far too many women and girls do not feel safe when they are out in the public domain and in a society such as ours, a modern society, that is unacceptable, and we absolutely have to prioritise the work that we do to address that.

    So I want to see major improvements in the quality of investigations. It’s a core function of policing. Because again, we know the far too many people report that the information that they provide to the police does not in their mind get appropriately acted on. So a key aim for this year for me is to increase the percentage of reported crimes that result in a successful outcome, because sadly on average only 8% of victim-based crime in England and Wales results in a successful outcome. Sadly, this has declined, and there is much, much, more to learn. And there is variation of course between forces, and fixing this I believe very strongly, more than anything else is central to build the general confidence of the public in policing.

    And so, back to basics is a bit of a cliché phrase from politicians. So, this is about going back to the core functions. Core policing, that core investigatory set of skills. Of course, that can be amplified, accelerated and supported with the use of cutting-edge technology, like retrospective and indeed live facial recognition software, which in the trials that I’ve seen the results of this had a dramatic effect, and we need to make sure all forces are operating at their full potential.

    And one of the reasons why I want to strengthen the role of PCCs, is that you, with your closest relationships and your intimate knowledge of the forces that you’re responsible for, are best placed at a local level, to drive forward a focus on that core policing functionality. And I know that you want to see increased safety and confidence in our neighbourhoods just as much as I do. This is, I don’t believe, me pushing you to do anything you don’t naturally want to do. And so we are looking for alliances and to get a commitment not just from the political level but of course from all the Chief Constables around the country to ensure that they pursue every reasonable line of enquiry, they attend home burglaries, they deliver on the commitments made by the Retail Crime Action Plan, all these things will be important steps in the right direction.

    And when I discussed this at the recent National Policing Board just last week, what I got was very, very supportive and very, very committed responses and it was great to hear that the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police was able to run through a list of results, which was in large part driven by that commitment to core policing. So I’m more confident than ever this is actually the right approach. And it’s also what the people we serve expect of us, it is what they want us to focus on. And so, in terms of tackling things like car theft, home theft, criminal damage, shoplifting, we do need to make sure we stay focused on the this and of course, the invisible crimes, those high harm crimes, are absolutely key, but those visible crimes – we must not lose sight of the impact they have on communities.

    When I first spoke my first public utterances as Home Secretary, I think of saying there is no such thing as minor crime – it’s a phrase that I despise and I think that implying that somehow there’s criminality which the police take less seriously or we take less seriously is something that we should avoid in all circumstances, for the reasons I said about the criminal behaviour that people see and feel most acutely in their communities.

    Now, I mentioned about the commitment I feel, particularly for women and girls, and it is incredibly important that alongside the tackling of that visible crime, that we dramatically improve the victims experience of the justice system for women and girls. You will be well aware of course of Operation Soteria, which is now being implemented in all 43 police forces in England and Wales. Government is ensuring that 2000 officers receive specialist training on the investigation of rape by April this year.

    And our actions are about supporting the actions you’re taking locally. To help improve the way that teams operate, are treated and to ensure that more rapists are arrested, prosecuted and put behind bars. His Majesty’s Inspectorate has found sadly victims are not regularly updated during the investigation at certain important points. And of course, this must change. The Victims’ Code of Practice will outline the minimum levels of support a victim of crime should expect from a local force and from their local Crown Prosecution Service. But that is a floor not a ceiling. That is the minimum, not what we should be aiming for.

    So everything that we do hinges on the broader confidence of the British public in the whole criminal justice system, and I’ve made the point that whilst the headline figures have come now, sadly, public confidence has not gone up. Part of that reason is because of a number of high profile and terrible failures in professional conduct by police officers, and for every headline grabbing incident, sadly, there are a number of others, less public, less high profile (incidents) where conduct has fallen short of what we expect. And inevitably, this has shaken, and certainly in some instances, shattered public confidence in policing.

    Again, I said when I was appointed that I will always seek to praise publicly, the people that keep us safe. But part of that contract is that I expect leaders in policing to do the right thing and demonstrate a commitment to reform – a deep seated commitment to reform and a complete commitment to professional standards.

    And that is why the government is giving police leaders enhanced tools, enhanced powers, but also an enhanced expectation that they do the right thing and lead their forces robustly. Once again, you as a group of people have a pivotal role in ensuring that police leaders hold their officers to account and that they in turn are held to account if they fail to do so. Just last week the families of Barnaby Webber, Grace O’Malley Kumar and Ian Coates visited the Prime Minister and had the chance to meet with him, and they raised serious questions about the events leading up to the tragic killings of their loved ones. It’s actually the right place to share that the Nottinghamshire police have referred themselves to the IOPC and I pay tribute to Caroline, the Nottinghamshire PCC, for commissioning a comprehensive College of Policing review into what happened.

    We have to be willing to learn painful lessons when situations like this occur. Part one of the Angiolini Inquiry is expected to report in the coming months and policing must absolutely take into consideration its findings, just as I will. I think I mentioned this again when I first spoke to you just up the road in my first week on the job, that one of the first roles I performed in the London Assembly whilst I was a member of the Metropolitan Police Authority as it was then, was on the professional standards committee. So I know first-hand just how critical it is to remove from the force those police officers whose integrity and behaviour are unacceptable.

    And I am still to this day committed that those unfit to wear the uniform must be removed, but that those who have proven to be innocent need to be swiftly exonerated. The government is delivering changes to the misconduct, vetting and performance system. So we’re helping police leaders grip this issue, giving them more control to act over those who fail vetting or fall short of requirements of required standards. And we know that in this room, that there are a group of people who are probably more angry about bad coppers than almost anybody else, outside those in uniform themselves, and equally I would suggest the only people perhaps who are more angry about bad coppers are good coppers. So we have to support the good coppers in doing the right thing. And that’s why we agreed to fund the development. We’ve agreed to fund the development of the system for policing, which provides forces with a timely alerting solution, so they can act speedily on any concerning intelligence about officers or police staff.

    And as I said, critical to public confidence is people seeing the police and seeing crime being dealt with; improving the visibility of police in a very targeted way, to deter criminals and ensure that communities feel confident. So I’m grateful to everyone who’s contributed to the autumn 2023 returns on visibility and especially to the APCC for coordinating the contributions. I wouldn’t say to the police chief, I expect them to give me hard evidence that they are prioritising the neighbourhood policing that is demanded of them.

    So with regard to hotspots and hotspot policing, I promised I would listen to you. We published an ambitious anti-social behaviour action plan in March 2023. The government pilot of antisocial behaviour hotspot responses has been, I’m pleased to say, a success, with additional patrolling, delivering on those promised outcomes. We’ve also provided GRIP funding to police forces in areas with the highest levels of serious violence. But coming back to the PCCs and given the overlap between ASB [antisocial behaviour] hotspots activity, and the GRIP serious violence fund, we will combine the 2 funding streams for a wider rollout to territorial forces across England and Wales in 2024 to 2025. In total funding available will be over £66 million, and each PCC area will receive at least £1 million each.

    Now, of course, I am sure that you will have been lobbied by your police officers, you will be lobbying me no doubt, about the police funding settlement in 2024 to 2025. We’ve listened to the forces about financial demands they face and giving police the resources they need to protect the public is of course a priority for us. And that’s why for the coming settlements for 2024 to 2025, the money available to PCCs will increase by up to £922.2 million, and there’s been an increase in the total settlement the more than 30% in cash terms since 2019 to 2020. And of course that is to support the uplift in police numbers.

    So having delivered a way to recruit 20,000 police officers: thank you very much for that. I look forward to working with you and your chief constables to ensure that those numbers are maintained. There are now 149,000 officers in England and Wales, higher than the pre-uplift peak of 2010. And of course the funding is there to stay, to maintain those office numbers, to ensure that they are on the beat, to ensure that they are supported.

    Finally, I wanted to say something directed towards you as a cohort, as well as the police forces that you work with. I said I’m a big fan of PCCs, of the PCC model, and I want to support you in that role. And as we discussed when I first stood up, I’m very much aware that you are increasingly visible high-profile individuals. And that is why I’m very, very happy to give additional money to help support your personal security, and to protect you in the role that you do. The security minister is continuing to work on cross government work to protect the security of all elected officials, including yourselves, and I’m very grateful for Katy Bourne who gave the APCCs engagement on this. I really hope it does make a difference; that additional million pounds of support is something that matters. I know it matters to you. And it matters because I want to protect your role and to protect you as individuals.

    So let’s continue working together. Let’s continue serving the people who elect us. Let’s make sure that we focus resources on the things that people care most about. And let’s ensure that when we look back on this forthcoming year, not only do we see an ongoing reduction in crime, we see an increase in the confidence of policing the country.

    Thank you very much.

  • James Cleverly – 2023 Statement at the Cairo Peace Summit

    James Cleverly – 2023 Statement at the Cairo Peace Summit

    The statement made by James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary, in Cairo on 21 October 2023.

    Thank you Mr President for convening this incredibly important meeting at this difficult time.

    I am sure we all share the revulsion at Hamas’s murderous acts of terrorism, the targeting of civilians, the murdering of children, the desecration of dead bodies. And I’m sure we are all distressed by the plight of Palestinian civilians in Gaza whose lives have been made harder, more painful and more dangerous because of the brutal attacks by Hamas on the 7th of October. And we all mourn the dead, both Israeli and Palestinian.

    This has been an issue which has long stimulated passions and we are now all seeing on social media and in our communities how divisive and polarising the current situation has become. So we have a duty, a duty to work together to prevent instability from engulfing the region and claiming yet more lives. We must work together to prevent the tragic situation in Gaza becoming a regional conflict because that is exactly what Hamas wants.

    We remind ourselves that just months ago the Negev summit was a moment of hope, hope for peaceful coexistence between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Hamas has long stood in direct opposition to that vision and we must therefore ensure that Hamas does not win. Rather, we must ensure the peaceful co-existence wins.

    The UK notes the thoughtful and calm words of President Abbas on behalf of the Palestinian people, and we are grateful to the governments who are seeking to intercede on behalf of those held hostage and those foreign nationals who are trapped in Gaza. And we are grateful for the work to ensure that the humanitarian aid, which many of us have partially funded, reaches those Gazans who are deeply in need.

    The UK is clear and has been consistently clear that Israel has the right to self-defence and the right to secure the release of those who were kidnapped on the 7th of October. And we are also clear that we must work and they must work to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza and that their actions are in accordance with international law. I have spoken directly to the Israeli government about their duty to respect international law and the importance of preserving civilian lives in Gaza. Despite the incredibly difficult circumstances, I have called for discipline and professionalism and restraint from the Israeli military.

    The situation currently unfolding is probably the most challenging situation that I have had to deal with in my professional, personal or political life. And I suspect that I am not alone.

    But I still believe in the power of diplomacy, and I still believe that we can work together to secure a future where Israelis and Palestinians live in peace.

  • James Cleverly – 2023 Statement on Hamas Attacks on Israel

    James Cleverly – 2023 Statement on Hamas Attacks on Israel

    The statement made by James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary, on 7 October 2023.

    The UK unequivocally condemns the horrific attacks by Hamas on Israeli civilians.

    The UK will always support Israel’s right to defend itself.

  • James Cleverly – 2023 Speech at Conservative Party Conference

    James Cleverly – 2023 Speech at Conservative Party Conference

    The speech made by James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary, in Manchester on 1 October 2023.

    It’s been a year since I’ve been appointed.

    And in that time, I have been on over sixty international visits,

    Have hosted over one hundred inward events,

    I have had over seven hundred meetings or calls with foreign representatives,

    I’ve also had the honour of accompanying His Majesty The King on two state visits.

    And my ministerial team has worked just as hard.

    And so, if you’re wondering where they are at the moment during this speech – they’re out in the wider world, promoting Britain on the world stage.

    And all those meetings, all those visits, all those calls, has allowed me to hear first-hand what the world thinks of us. As a result, my view of Britain’s standing in the world has never been clearer.

    People want to see us.

    People care about what we say.

    People admire what we stand for.

    But perhaps most importantly, people respect what we do.

    Far from being left on the sidelines, we remain right at the heart of things.

    And we should all be immensely proud of our country’s standing on the world stage.

    And let me explain why.

    And let me explain to the people who think Brexit has hindered us.

    Let me spell it out to the people who think our best years are behind us.

    Let me make it clear to those on the Labour benches who want to play politics and put our country down.

    This government, with Rishi Sunak at the helm, takes decisive measures and is prepared to take the tough, long-term decisions for the benefit of our country.

    And so, of course we send emergency rescue teams to Morocco, and to Turkey and Syria in response to those terrible earthquakes.

    And of course, we evacuate Brits caught up in the Sudan conflict.

    But we also sign Free Trade Agreements with countries around the globe,

    And we lead by example in our unrelenting support for Ukraine and call out Russia for its heinous crimes.

    And we sanction the brutal Iranian judges who target brave women campaigning for nothing more than their freedoms.

    We have consistently helped the worst-off in the world lift themselves out of poverty,

    We have consistently fought injustice wherever we see it,

    And we have consistently led the way in times of international crisis.

    Some people ask me when they talk to me, they say ‘James, that’s all well and good, but why does foreign affairs matter to the British people?

    How does it help the people of Braintree or Belfast, or Banchory or Bridgend?’.

    It helps because when we engage with our allies, old or new, we are safer, and we become more prosperous.

    The PM gets it. Our party gets it. You get it.

    Keir Starmer and his crowd don’t get it.

    And over the last few years, of course we have seen incredibly tough global circumstances.

    A global pandemic, and as my friend Grant just said, a brutal war on our own continent.

    But because this Prime Minister was prepared to take the tough long-term decisions that we needed.

    And we have thrived despite incredibly strong economic headwinds, powered by the pandemic and intensified by the war in Ukraine.

    And because of his long-term decisions our economy is back to pre-pandemic levels and Britain has recovered quicker form that pandemic than Europe’s biggest economies.

    Under this Prime Minister, we have made immense progress in very little time.

    Under Starmer, Labour are all talk,

    Under Sunak, we are about action.

    As I say, in the relatively time Rishi has been Prime Minister, let us look at what we have achieved.

    We agreed the Windsor Framework in February,

    We agreed the AUKUS deal in March,

    The Hiroshima Accord in May,

    The Atlantic Declaration in June,

    We’ve come to agreements with Europe that will grow our economy, stop the boats, and make us safer.

    Conference, we should all be proud of our country and incredibly proud of we achieved in this short period of time .

    And the Prime Minister’s leadership has allowed us to take full advantage of the bold decision we made in 2016.

    Let me give you a few facts and figures just to prove the point.

    Last year, service exports reached a record high.

    Exports of goods and services grew by over 20% in current prices and are likely to increase again this year.

    And we remain the second largest services exporter in the world – behind only the United States of America which, I may remind you, has five times as many people as us.

    And today, nearly 60% of UK exports go to non-EU countries – and that is up from 52% in 2010. And the long-term economic trend is clear.

    And it’s one we expect not just to continue but to intensify.

    And that’s why – because we are looking at the future, because we are facing forward – we recently concluded negotiations to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership – easier to say than you might believe.

    And, actually, it took me longer to say it than it did for us to join it.

    That’s because we are focused on building our friendships, our forces, and our relationships with the Indo-Pacific region.

    It’s why we are pushing to conclude a trade deal with India,

    an economy forecast to double in size by 2030, overtaking Japan and Germany as the world’s third largest economy.

    And it’s markets like these that are the future, and we recognise their value to us will grow enormously.

    And while we have a global outlook, Labour can hardly imagine a world beyond Brussels.

    The world has gotten used to engaging with a new, independent Britain –

    To engaging with a Britain that is free to forge its own destiny,

    Free to ratify its own law,

    And free to negotiate its own trade deals.

    And our newfound independence has enabled us to repeatedly get ahead of events.

    Whether that’s with the manufacturing of lifesaving vaccines, which then gave us the ability to lift out of lockdowns,

    Or whether it’s the sanctioning Russians involved in the illegal, brutal and disgusting conduct both domestically and abroad.

    And yes – I am especially proud of our record when it comes to the support of the people of Ukraine.

    We foresaw the extent and intensity of the price of the fight President Zelensky and his brave people faced in February 2022.

    And I consider it a personal privilege to have done what I can to maximise support for that courageous country.

    But never let anyone forget that for almost a decade now, every Conservative Prime Minister has backed Ukraine.

    From training Ukrainian troops after the initial invasion of Crimea in 2014, to standing up to Putin over the poisonings in Salisbury.

    From arming Ukrainians with the MLRS when Russia first initiated their full-scale invasion, to sanctioning Putin and his cronies who brutalise the Ukrainian people.

    And Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has continued this unwavering support.

    He was the first world leader to supply Ukraine with NATO tanks.

    The first leader to train fast jet fighter pilots.

    The first leader to supply long range missiles to support those fighting on the frontlines.

    And earlier this year, Rishi Sunak hosted the landmark Ukrainian Recovery Conference in London, where we secured billions in international funding so that Ukraine will be able to rebuild once they win this war.

    Whilst I occupy this great office, I have considered the many challenges we face as a nation and have contemplated the ways of making my department more effective at tackling those obstacles.

    For example, when it comes to stopping the boats, we have and will continue to coordinate and cooperate not just within government, but with our allies as well.

    We have collaborated with the governments of countries where these inhumane people-smuggling gangs are based.

    But I recognise that we need to keep going.

    Today, I have written to all of our ambassadors and high commissioners.

    I have instructed every ambassador, to do even more to work with the countries in which they represent the UK to help stop the abhorrent trafficking of human lives across the English Channel.

    Be in no doubt, our diplomats will redouble their efforts to bring about an end to this terrible, terrible injustice.

    Now, I’m incredibly proud of the diplomats I work alongside – I have no doubt that they are the best in the world.

    But I want to ensure that our diplomatic service is truly representative of the UK.

    And unsurprisingly, I believe that those who have served our nation on the battlefield can continue to contribute beyond their tours of duty.

    Which is why I have tasked my officials to carve out a space in our diplomatic service for veterans.

    And I look forward to working with Johnny Mercer, our Veterans Minister, to ensure that the men and women from our armed forces – who we know are among the best of us – to give them the opportunity to be the best of us representing the UK.

    And you’ll forgive me, but it does make me immensely proud to offer those who served our country with unparalleled distinction:

    The opportunity to serve once again.

    Speaking of service and pride, you will know that I served as the Chairman of this great party during the 2019 election.

    I remember the doomsters and gloomsters predicting another hung parliament, they predicted an outright Conservative loss or a modest Conservative gain.

    And those were the people whose amazing predictions predated the most significant electoral victory of recent times, and an 80-seat Conservative majority.

    And today, I see the same old politicians making the same old tired predictions.

    And when I look across the floor of the House of Commons, I see a group of spineless ditherers.

    Devoid of answers to any of the challenges the world faces or that our country faces.

    And yet, they are there – baying with disapproval at the tough but necessary decisions that governments have to make.

    And where, I ask myself, is leadership from their leader?

    Sir Keir can’t make up his mind on whether he supports leaving the EU or whether he supports remaining in the EU or rejoining the EU.

    He pledged to cut tuition fees to get elected as Labour leader, and then went back on his promise as soon as he became Labour leader.

    He resigned from Corbyn’s cabinet, then he rejoined Corbyn’s cabinet and campaigned to make Jeremy Corbyn Prime Minister.

    What we see is no clarity, no consistency, no policies, no plan – only the same old, tired, opportunistic politics.

    Keir Starmer’s Labour Party doesn’t stand for anything.

    And whilst Sir Keir and his comrades represent the tired politics of the past, the Prime Minister is prepared to do things differently.

    And why?

    Because the Conservative Party believes in Britain’s epic potential and the Labour Party is unwilling to take the tough decisions that will ensure the prosperity and the safety of this country for generations to come.

    Conference, I can think of nothing more counterproductive than handing over the keys of government to a group of political chancers and visionless ideologues.

    It is a scenario I refuse to entertain.

    Because a party that does not believe in Britain cannot be trusted to lead it.

    Only the Conservatives have a plan for the future.

    Only Conservatives will take the tough decisions that will keep us safe and keep us prosperous.

    Only the Conservatives will stand with pride on the world stage.

  • James Cleverly – 2023 Statement at the OSCE Reinforced Permanent Council

    James Cleverly – 2023 Statement at the OSCE Reinforced Permanent Council

    The statement made by James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary, on 26 September 2023.

    Thank you for convening this reinforced Permanent Council and for the strength of your leadership in these difficult circumstances. I welcome this discussion. The Euro-Atlantic region faces its greatest security challenge since 1945. The importance of the OSCE therefore cannot be overstated – not least as a forum to hold Russia to account and help Ukraine prevail. But it currently faces its greatest ever threat.

    Like any organisation, the OSCE needs strong leadership and adequate resources to function. You and your team along with Secretary General Helga Schmid and the institution heads have provided leadership. And our flexible approach has so far provided the resources. But Russia’s insistence on blocking progress on institutional matters puts all of those things at risk. If Russia feels isolated, it is because it has isolated itself through its illegal war and through its blatant disregard for civilized norms of behaviour.

    There is of course a way to fix this – Russia can change its approach, and we call on Russia to do so. Not to do so will imperil the existence of an organisation that has helped ensure peace and security for five decades. The organisation needs a budget, it needs effective leadership, and it needs a Chair.

    The UK is grateful for Estonia’s offer to Chair in 2024. Estonia should know that it has our full support, as well as the support of most other members. We are also grateful to the Chair and the staff for providing options for managing the budget. But our ultimate aim is a properly functioning OSCE, no matter by which means. If Estonia’s candidacy does not secure consensus, we will support another state willing to Chair in line with the Helsinki principles. These are not normal times so we are willing to consider unorthodox options. If no alternative exists, the UK will support North Macedonia’s serving again or continuing as Chair. We applaud the exemplary leadership shown by the current four leaders in the OSCE under extremely difficult circumstances. The chances of us finding a consensus on replacements at this moment frankly are minimal. Let them then continue their work into 2024.

    We should be here preparing for a Ministerial Council and discussing the important work the OSCE does for all our citizens. Instead, sadly, we are forced to focus on these procedural matters. So I ask those who would block progress, if you oppose Estonia’s candidacy, if you would block colleagues from remaining in post, if you would prevent agreement of an adequate budget – what then do you propose in its place? History will not judge those kindly those who undermine the important work of this organisation and its just causes.

    Thank you.

  • James Cleverly – 2023 Opening Remarks at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York

    James Cleverly – 2023 Opening Remarks at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York

    The speech made by James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary, in New York on 19 September 2023.

    Mike thank you very much and thank you for hosting me today and thank you all for coming.

    I was about to say I’ve done a bit of research but I don’t think it’s good starting a speech with an outright lie, so I’ll be a bit more honest. Members of my team have done a bit of research and I discover, because they’ve written it down here for me that the origins of the council lie in meetings between Brits and Americans in the aftermath of the First World War. And the conversation between our two countries has been a longstanding one and the work of this institution, the thinking about international relations is unsurprisingly as relevant today as it was back then.

    Those meetings occurred in one of those pivot points in history and as someone who I regard not only as an important interlocutor but increasingly someone that I regard as a friend, Tony Blinken reminded us in a speech that he gave last week, we too are living through a pivotal moment because we’re at the nexus of interconnected challenges.

    Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is not necessarily a trial of strength as the work that our two nations did through conflicts in the first and second world war but is absolutely a trial of our resolve – and the point that I have made, and the point that I will make here today and will continue to make is that the world is watching. Our resolve is being tested and we are being observed. You can applaud at any point you fancy.

    Now that is not of course the only area where our resolve is being tested.

    Our willingness to address issues such as climate change, how to deal with new technologies such as AI, all these things are testing our ingenuity and testing our resolve and today at the UN, this week at the UN we are reminded sadly that we are way behind schedule on the delivery against our Sustainable Development Goals.

    And after the economic dislocation of the pandemic and of the war in Ukraine, I think citizens here in the US, certainly in the UK and more widely across the world are asking their governments what are you doing about it, what are you doing to act on our behalf.

    Mike you’re a former US Trade Representative, a voice on the international stage and I suspect that you like me and indeed many of you in the room will understand that there is no real boundary between foreign policy and domestic policy and the idea that there is, is completely artificial but I think that it is now incumbent upon us that we pay more attention to the interrelationship between international policy and domestic policy.

    Last week, Tony Blinken spoke about having a fully integrated domestic and foreign policy.

    And my Prime Minister and the government he leads are also absolutely determined to address the principle concerns of our citizens, which they tell us loud and clear are about addressing illegal migration and economic growth. Those superficially appear to be domestic issues but of course as soon as you look at them in any kind of detail it becomes clear they can only be resolved through international engagement.

    So that is why we are intensifying collaboration with the countries on international illegal transit routes, migrant transit routes, as well as the countries from whom people are fleeing.

    We are working with international partners to break the business model of those evil people smugglers and we are deepening our economic ties with countries around the world to try and dissuade people from moving to try and remove the drivers of that migration. And I know that migration is an increasingly sensitive political issue here in the US and it is also a sensitive political issue in a number of other countries across Europe and beyond.

    What this reminds me of is the need to strengthen our traditional alliances and also to build additional ones. In terms of strengthening our pre-existing alliances I’m very pleased that Prime Minister Sunak and President Biden signed the Atlantic declaration earlier this year, it’s about reinforcing one of our strongest friendships in the world, it forms part of a continuum of close working relationship, it’s the first Atlantic charter signed by Prime Minister Churchill and President Roosevelt, whatever happened to those guys did they make it in the world? I don’t remember, but it is part of a longstanding friendship and it has reminded us once again in a time of conflict in the European continent how important our bilateral relationship is.

    Whilst we look at the horrors that are being perpetrated against the Ukrainian people by the Russian armed forces, we are reminded that once again at a time of need, the United States of America and the United Kingdom and others of course, have really stepped forward and are playing a leading part, once again in defending democracy and freedom.

    The US is the leading supplier of military aid to Ukraine and I pay tribute to your nation’s generosity. And the Ukrainians are making the most of their support. And I know sometimes there’s frustration with the pace of their counter-offensive, I’ve had military briefings, and whilst I don’t want to bore you with the details, the Russian occupying forces have spent a huge amount of time and effort fortifying the whole of that southern part of Ukraine, meaning that any advance would inevitably need to be both slow and methodical. But the support of the US, the support of the UK the support of other nations around the world, both NATO members and further afield has made a difference.

    It gave the Ukrainians a fighting chance at the beginning of this conflict. Those depth strike capabilities, those long range missiles that the UK and others are now providing are enabling the Ukrainians to target logistics hubs, communications hubs, command control hubs giving them the ability to methodically push back against Russia.

    Putin believed that he could outlast Ukraine and outlast Ukraine’s friends around the world. He was wrong. Because time is not on Russia’s side. Some brutal statistics.

    Russia has suffered many times more fatalities in combat in just over eighteen months than the Soviets did during their 10 years in Afghanistan. That level is unsustainable.

    As we saw Prigozhin and the Wagner Group with their attempted mutiny, cracks are appearing, and again I quote Tony Blinken, cracks are appearing in the Russian system and the longer this conflict persists the longer those cracks will work their way through the system. Putin is scared of a mass mobilisation.

    His circle of friends both in Russia and internationally is shrinking.

    Last year, only four countries defended Russia in a UN General Assembly vote on Ukraine.

    And whilst the world’s largest economies met last week in New Delhi, he was finalising his plans in a solitary summit with an impoverished dictator.

    That is the damage that Putin’s poor decision making has done to his own country.

    And so, the lesson I take from that is that we need to maintain our resolve. Putin’s calculation was that he could outlast us. We have to prove him wrong. And we have to prove him wrong not just to ensure that the conflict in Ukraine has a proper and good resolution where the Ukrainians get their country back, but because every current dictator and would be dictator and future potentate will look at how we respond to this challenge and they will factor that into their calculations about future actions.

    So we need to send the message loud and clear that we have the resolve, we have the strategic patience, that we will do the right thing until this is resolved. Because if we do not then we will invite further aggression which we will then inevitably have to deal with at some point in the future.

    Ukraine will not give up. The UK will not abandon them. And we will continue to advocate for the international community to lend them their support.

    Now, obviously Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is not the only issue that we have to discuss. There are many, many challenges on the world stage.

    I’ve recently returned from a trip to Beijing, where I spoke with the Chinese government about areas where we have deep, deep disagreements. For example, their treatment of the Uyghur Muslim minority in Xinjiang, their failure to abide by commitments freely entered into over Hong Kong, their aggressive posture across the Taiwan Strait.

    But, of course, I also engage with them on some of the issues that are important to all of us: the economic recovery, post conference, how we make sure that we benefit from AI, and that we address the challenges and potential dangers of that technology. And so we don’t have the luxury of dealing with only one challenge or one situation at a time. We have to look holistically. The United Kingdom has always been a globally focused country. We enjoy good working relationships with the United States, as I’ve already said, and our other friends in the Americas, our European friends and colleagues, but also we have enhanced our focus on the Indo Pacific region, where of course we have long standing friendships and we intend to enhance those.

    So to give myself some time to answer your questions, I will summarize by saying that the challenges the world presents us are legion. But we do have the opportunity to make positive progress. We do have the opportunity to get the Sustainable Development Goals back on track.

    It is going to mean that we work with our traditional friends and allies, but it also means that we have to give voice to the emerging powers in the world. The UK has encouraged an expansion of the United Nations Security Council for example, we believe that India, Brazil, Germany, Japan should have permanent membership, and Africa really deserves a louder voice on the world stage.

    We think there needs to be change, evolution, and modernization of the international financial system so that we can apply the really big bucks held in the private sector to some of the challenges that we need to address. My Prime Minister has recently announced to the G20 a $2 billion commitment from UK to the Green Climate Fund to reinforce the value that we place on the natural world and the future of our children.

    So there are plenty of things that we can discuss. I throw myself open to questions from the floor. You can ask me anything you like. There are three caveats. There are some things that I don’t know. You probably find that hard to believe, but nevertheless, it’s true. There are some things that I do know that I’m not going to tell you about. And other than that, I am quite willing to answer questions on any subject that either I’ve covered here that are maybe in your heads.

  • James Cleverly – 2023 Speech at the International Counter Terrorism Conference in Israel

    James Cleverly – 2023 Speech at the International Counter Terrorism Conference in Israel

    The speech made by James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary, in Israel on 12 September 2023.

    Thank you for that wonderful, wonderful introduction. After such a glowing introduction, I am tempted not to actually say anything and to go out on our high.

    Thank you very much for those kind words, Jonathan, of introduction and more importantly, thank you for inviting me to speak with you here today.

    The work that this summit is doing is incredibly important, not just your country, not just to the region, but of course, also to the United Kingdom, and by extension to the wider world, because countering terrorism, sadly, remains as much of a challenge today, as it did when this university first dedicated an institute to focus on it just before the turn of the century.

    Yesterday, those of you in the room joined countless others across the world remembering the tragic events of 9/11. It’s, in some ways, hard to believe that that was 22 years ago. But at that terrible time, almost 3000 people, Americans and of course, others lost their lives at the hands of a brutal, vicious, unprovoked terrorist attack, there were 67 British nationals who died on that day, and five Israelis were also amongst those who lost their lives.

    And it was one of those events, I am sure where all of us remember exactly what we were doing when we saw the news. I remember I was in the commercial world, I was in the publishing industry, and I sold advertising in the publishing industry. I worked on a big open plan, sales floor in Soho, full of energy, full of excitement and I came back from lunch and came up with lift, came out onto the sales floor. Silence, the sales floor was almost completely deserted.

    Our sales director had a glass walled office right in the centre of the sales floor, so that he could keep an eye on all the hard working salespeople during the day. His office was rammed with people all staring at the television and I remember going in and saying what’s going on? And someone’s saying, oh, there’s been this terrible accident, a plane has hit a tower block in New York. I said, what is it? Some light aircraft? Someone said no, the news says it’s a jetliner. Of course, with all the lack of information and self-confidence that someone of my age then could muster I said, that doesn’t happen. Commercial aircraft don’t fly into tower blocks or flight plans, that just doesn’t happen.

    And I was in the middle of a heated argument about how that doesn’t happen. When we all watched live, the second aircraft hit the second tower, and all of us fell silent, and I felt numb, and the feeling has never left me. And I think even at that point, before fully understanding the implications of what happened, I realised that that event, changed the world and changed it forever. It is seared into our collective consciousness and it was emblematic.

    It remains emblematic of the savage era of terrorism ranging from highly organised attacks at one end of the spectrum, through to what’s sometimes feel almost to be random acts of violence perpetrated by individuals who’ve been radicalised, whether online or in their communities, and every kind of threat in between.

    I was born and brought up in London and like all Londoners, I remember again, seared into my memory, exactly what I was doing, exactly where I was exactly, what I was thinking when I heard about London’s 7/7 bombing attacks where 52 innocent victims met their death at the hands of Islamist terrorists.

    Terrorists we know pursue a range of goals and they operate across the world and their terrible attacks have plagued the lives of people across this region. For decades.

    The sad truth is that violent attacks like this are nothing new to you and the people of this region. Only a few months ago, the UK and Israel were sadly united in grief following the horrific murder of British Israeli citizens Lucy, Maya and Rina Dee. I’ve had the opportunity to meet with Rabbi Dee on a number of occasions and his stoicism and strength is a genuine wonder to behold but as everybody here knows, that was sadly not an isolated incident.

    And over time, the threats we face have evolved. But so of course, has our response and by acting together, by acting internationally, we have been able to reduce, although sadly not eliminate, the threat of terrorism, and our collective work and cooperation has saved countless lives.

    Terrorist networks are more fragmented than they have been previously, most organised terrorist groups focus their activity now on whipping up discontent and anger, and grooming others to act on their behalf.

    They target individuals who are already present in countries and try to encourage them to act violently on their behalf. But even if the terrorists approach has changed, the fundamental challenge sadly remains the same.

    Terrorists still have capacity, serious capacity to do us harm and they are constantly looking for gaps in our defences that they can exploit. Their methods, of course, have changed, have mutated, but that twisted logic remains timeless, whether it be Daesh or Hamas, or extreme right wing terrorists or revolutionary Marxists.

    They all insist that their political goals matter more than the lives of their innocent victims. They as well as their stooges, accomplices and apologists insist that their anger justifies the spilling of other people’s blood. And that is, sadly, why they are so callous in their disregard for the sanctity of human life.

    That’s why their logic stands in direct, glaring opposition to our values and that is why the UK is unequivocal in condemning all acts of terrorism and we have stood by Israel’s side, in the face of attacks this year and in the past, and we will continue to do so in the future.

    In the UK, we have just proscribed the Wagner group whose attacks against the heroic people of Ukraine seek to advance Russia’s political cause, and whose brutal actions across the continent of Africa have caused widespread harm and horror there.

    We call upon the whole international community to hunt the terrorists down to bring them to justice and create a world where terrorists find no support. Because to tackle terrorism, we need the full range of tools. The strongest of those, the most fundamental of those, is strong relationships. One of the reasons I’m here this week is to celebrate and publicise and shout about the strong bilateral relationship that the UK has with Israel.

    Earlier this year, you celebrated the 75th anniversary of your most modern incarnation. Foreign Minister Cohen and I signed a bilateral roadmap to strengthen our close strategic partnership. I am delighted that we are now also negotiating an upgraded trade agreement and that our tech hub has facilitated hundreds of innovative partnerships.

    Some of you in this room I know are aware of this, many of you will not be aware that Israel supplies one in seven of all medicines used in my country’s National Health Service. So thank you for that as well.

    But I think nothing better illustrates our partnership than the work that we do together to keep our peoples safe. I was incredibly impressed just a few minutes ago, immediately prior to coming here to be shown Israel’s Iron Dome defence capabilities which have made such a vital contribution in saving lives.

    Developing and deploying such capabilities is one way that Israel has been able to defend ourselves but of course, as famous and as visible as that is, it is not the only part of Israel’s defence, which is quieter, more discreet, sometimes invisible.

    Intelligence officers, police officers, diplomats, those who are tackling illicit finance flows. Those who analyse and try and disrupt radicalization online all have an incredibly important role to play, often, unseen, but nevertheless, essential in much of this work.

    The majority of this work relies on close cooperation, both bilaterally between the UK and Israel, and also as part of a network of other partners. I pay tribute to all those striving in both our countries day in and day out to identify and stop those who would do us harm and undermine the democracies in which we both live.

    Sadly, it is not only terrorist groups which have this goal. These groups, as you well know, have enablers in the region.

    The Iranian regime has publicly and regularly called for the destruction of the State of Israel, something that the UK would never countenance. They transfer weapons around the region, they fund terrorist groups, such as Hamas, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. These groups that attempt to rain death and destruction on the people of Israel, they fire rockets into civilian areas, they target children, and civilian infrastructure, they stab and they shoot innocent people, of all faiths, of all nationalities, of all ethnicities. People who are doing nothing more than going about their daily lives in your extraordinary country.

    Iran refuses to take responsibility for their complicity in these attacks. But we in the UK, are under no illusion at all, about Iran’s malign role. Just as our strategic partnership means working together to stop terrorist groups, it must also be to counter Iran’s destabilising actions in the region.

    We must also be careful to avoid a counsel of despair because there have been so many wonderful, positive developments in this region. Last year, for example, in the Negev Summit, building on the 2020 Abraham Accords, we saw light and we saw positivity.

    Just this weekend, Israeli officials took their place at a UN meeting hosted in Saudi Arabia, alongside other delegations from around the world. I hope that the next steps in the normalising of Israel’s relationships with its neighbours will carry us even further forward and even further along the path to sustainable, long term peace in this region.

    We fully support the summit process, as well as all efforts to build regional architecture based on peaceful coexistence, greater understanding, and closer cooperation. We will work with all of those to build on what has been achieved so far, in pursuit of that sustainable peace. Because this will not only help us beat those terrorists that I spoke about, but it will also help us defend ourselves against the hidden backers of those terrorists.

    On that subject, we must be increasingly aware of the military cooperation between Iran and Russia, most clearly illustrated by Iran’s wholesale provision of Shahed drones, to the Russian military.

    That is why all those, like the UK that oppose Iran must do everything we can to help the Ukrainians as they defend themselves.

    As we try to enhance regional cooperation, we cannot ignore the Israel Palestinian conflict, you will know that I feel there is no justification, there can be no excuse for the targeting of civilians. But we do not need to share or endorse the twisted logic of terrorists to understand that a two state solution is the best, perhaps the only, route to a genuinely sustainable peace in the region.

    Tomorrow marks the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Oslo Accords. This year, we also celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday agreements. Both were moments of hope. Neither was straightforward or easy to negotiate. Both required courage, imagination, perseverance, and demanded all sides to show the same quality to deliver lasting peace.

    In Northern Ireland, the shadow of terrorism has not completely gone and the troubles were not the same as the situation here. But what that example does show me is that the first step is always the hardest. It is only by reconciling with those with whom reconciliation seemed unthinkable, can peace prevail. That first step would be for all sides, Israelis and Palestinians, to recommit and to demonstrate unequivocal support for a two state solution.

    It means that both sides must crack down on activities that flame violence and spread racism and hate. That’s why we come back here to the sanctity of human life and we do need to make sure that there is a respect for law.

    I know that is something which I’ve been able to discuss here with the Israeli ministers and I commend Israel’s taking of legal action against those settlers who have perpetrated violence. Of course, we will always stand by Israel’s right to self defence and the right to self defence belongs exclusively to Israel’s security forces who operate within the line of international law.

    You should know that I will make the same point when I meet with the leadership of the Palestinian Authority, and I will make it clear that rather than spreading disgusting, anti-Semitic tropes, and outrageous distortions of history, they should be clear in their denouncement of violence.

    They should be clear that there is no acceptance for brutality and terrorists. And they should be clear there is no excuse to target Israelis, particularly Israeli civilians, because that is the only way that peace is possible the only way for peace to be sustainable for Israelis and Palestinians to come together, and to work together, and to fulfil the aspirations and hope that underpin the Oslo Accords.

    I am not naive. I know that these are incredibly challenging goals, and that they are exceptionally difficult. But I’ve also seen this country firsthand. I’ve read much of this country’s history. And one of the things that has always amazed and impressed me about Israel is Israel’s ability to seemingly do the impossible to survive in the face of seemingly overwhelming odds.

    75 years of your continued existence is proof that this is a country that can do amazing things. You have stood as a beacon of liberal democracy in the Middle East. And you have proven to be a great friend, and a valued partner to the United Kingdom. That is why I am and will always be proud to be seen as a friend of Israel.

    My good wishes to this country are as sincere as they are heartfelt. Shana Tova.

  • James Cleverly – 2023 Speech to the International Crimea Platform Summit

    James Cleverly – 2023 Speech to the International Crimea Platform Summit

    The speech made by James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary, on 30 August 2023.

    Thank you, President Zelenskyy, for bringing us together for this important discussion.

    When you established the International Crimea Platform two years ago, the UK committed its support to this important initiative to strengthen the global response against Russia’s illegal annexation.

    Our commitment to that undertaking hasn’t just endured, it has increased.

    Two years ago, none of us imagined the challenges we would all now face.

    But we have risen to the occasion, no one more so than the Ukrainian people.

    We are more united, more determined and more emboldened than ever before.

    As Crimea is a crucial part of the focus on Ukraine, it is only right that it remains at the centre of our discussions.

    As with Russia’s wider presence in Ukraine, it is civilians who have had to bear the brunt in Crimea.

    Houses searched, arbitrary arrests, illegal conscription, continuous abductions and reports of torture have revealed Putin’s chilling indifference to human life.

    You don’t liberate a country by sending its children to re-educations camps abroad. You don’t free people by suppression, subjugation, and the curtailing of democracy.

    The moral contract between Kyiv and the Kremlin is stark.

    Ukraine offers democracy, Russia tyranny.

    Ukraine strives to protect human rights. Russia disregards them.

    Like our Ukrainian friends, the UK works tirelessly to promote and protect human rights in Crimea by supporting human rights defenders and the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission.

    Together, we will hold those responsible for human rights violations and abuses to account. Just as we will hold Putin to account for withdrawing from the Black Sea Grain Initiative – an act that deprives the world’s most vulnerable of desperately needed food and supplies.

    Be in no doubt, the UK and the international community will never recognise Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea, or any Ukrainian territory, and will stand with you for as long as it takes.

    Let me end by wishing Ukraine a happy Independence Day for tomorrow. Your defiance, your strength and your resilience are an inspiration to us all.