Tag: Keir Starmer

The comments made by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, at 10 Downing Street, London on 4 June 2025.

Can I just welcome everyone to Downing Street and to this room in particular. This is the Cabinet Room. This is the room where the Prime Minister sits in this chair, opposite the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and all the Cabinet members—including Bridget, who’s obviously responsible for education—and we sit here and make the big decisions of the day.

We do it every week, on a Tuesday morning, but we also do it when we need to make big decisions.

This building, this room, this table, these chairs—they’ve been used by Prime Ministers for decades.

You’re sitting around the Cabinet table where decisions were made about the First World War, the Second World War, and many other world events in recent years.

It’s not just a piece of history—it’s a place where leaders for many, many decades have made big decisions for our country.

It’s because one of the things Lewis and I talked about when we thought about the idea of getting something together like this was having young people in a position where they could use their voices and be heard.

And I thought there’s no better place than around the Cabinet table.

You’re sitting where people have made big decisions about the country, you’re here to influence big decisions about the country.

Some of you will want to talk more than others, but it’s important that we hear the voices of young people and really listen to them.

Because the danger if we don’t is – particularly if you’re a politician – that you make assumptions about what people think. Making decisions based on what you think they’re feeling. And that’s why having this opportunity to hear from you is so important.

I want to thank Lewis—this was his idea, this is his legacy. He’s inspired generations and is now using that influence on this project and is designed to make a real difference in the lives of young people across the country.

I think we need to acknowledge we’re in a really challenging time for young people. A lot of children left school at the beginning of the COVID pandemic and haven’t gone back to school. The achievement gap between the richest and poorest is back to levels we haven’t seen since 2011. That’s shocking. Because I like to think we’re a country that always moves forwards. Always taking a step in the right direction. So when things start going backwards we know we have a real problem.

That’s why I’m really pleased we’re going to publish a best practice framework—to encourage students to enjoy learning, achieve their potential, and have confidence.

I’ve got a 16-year-old son and a 14-year-old daughter. My wife and I agreed: the two things that matters most to instil in them are that they’re happy and confident. And the best schools and teachers believe in their students. They set high expectations but also give the support that people need.

We’ve got what’s called an ‘Opportunity Mission’ which is part of what we want to achieve in government. Bridget is leading on this. It includes things like rolling out free breakfast clubs which are really important in schools, so that all children can come in and start the day with the opportunity for something to eat. Better access to mental health support which is desperately needed in schools. Getting more teachers into classrooms, and teachers in key subjects, supporting students back into school. And a big increase in the schools budget which has been much overdue.

All of that really matters because I was genuinely shocked when Bridget and I were discussing how we took on this work to learn that how far people go in their lives is still more likely to be determined by the income or salary of their parents than their own talent. That’s terrible. We’ve got to turn that around.

To some extent this is personal for me because I was lucky, I went through school, went off to university, became a lawyer, Chief Prosecutor, a politician and now I sit here.

But my brother had a different story to tell. He really struggled at school—and had difficulties learning, not because of a learning difficulty, but because then in his time he was pushed to one side and treated as someone who would never learn.

He struggled a lot as a result of that. You might think someone who sits here as Prime Minister has no idea what it’s like to struggle at school but I know from my own brother what it was like, and how much resilience and personal courage he had to have.

That shaped his life, and shaped my life as well.

As I said to some of you earlier, sometimes politics is about big decisions, policies, data analysis, and speeches.

But most of the time, it’s about who do you have in your mind’s eye when you make a decision?

Do you really know who you’re talking about?

Do you know the impact you have on their lives?

Are you thinking about them when you make those decisions?

That’s why I think it’s so important we’re having this session now because I will take away from this what you’ve said around this table.

I will take away the work that Lewis is doing. The importance of your discussions—whether in this advisory or elsewhere—so that we have got you in our mind’s eye when we make decisions about what to do. So let’s get on with it.

The question we really want to discuss in this session is how can we make sure all young people are supported to succeed at school?

Thank you for the work you’re doing.

Thank you for using your influence to make this happen.

I’m really proud to be able to sit here and support you.

Thank you.

The remarks made by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, on 19 May 2025.

Ladies and gentlemen – Britain is back on the world stage.

Working with our partners. Doing deals that will grow our economy and putting more money in the pockets of working people.

In the last two weeks alone, we’ve delivered trade deals with India and the US. That means: jobs saved, jobs created, more growth and a huge vote of confidence in this country.

It shows that – as global instability is rising, the decisions we have taken to stabilise the economy and lead the way internationally have made Britain a place where people want to do business once again.

And from that position of strength – today we have struck this landmark deal with the EU – a new partnership between an independent Britain and our allies in Europe.

This is the first UK-EU summit, that marks a new stage in our relationship. And this deal, is a win-win. It delivers what the British public voted for last year.

It gives us unprecedented access to the EU market – the best of any country outside the EU or EFTA.

All while sticking to our red lines in our manifesto about. Not rejoining the single market, no rejoining the customs union and no return to freedom of movement.

This deal is good for both sides – and let me set out why it is good for Britain. We’ve struck an SPS deal to make food and agriculture trade with the EU cheaper and easier.

Slashing red tape and bureaucracy. That will mean lower food prices at the checkout.

More choice on our supermarket shelves – and more money in people’s pockets.

It will boost British exporters because, once again after a long absence, we’ll be able to sell great British burgers, shellfish and other products into the EU.

We’ve also struck a new Defence and Security Partnership to strengthen our cooperation and strengthen our security – which is vital in this dangerous new era.

And it will open the door to working with the EU’s new defence fund – providing new opportunities for our defence industry, supporting British jobs and livelihoods.

We are also increasing our co-operation on emissions trading. Saving UK businesses from having to pay £800 million in EU carbon taxes. Once again: supporting British businesses, backing British jobs.

Next, we are increasing our cooperation on energy to drive down bills in the long term.

The agreement negotiated by the last government left us with more disconnected with our closest neighbours despite being physically connected to the European grid by our undersea cables.

Today’s deal will see us work to bring these systems together again – benefitting bill payers and boosting our renewables industry in the North Sea.

Today’s deal is also good for British steel, protecting our steel exports from new EU tariffs. Saving the industry £25 million each year. Another example of this government backing our steel sector to the hilt.

We’ve reached a deal today on fish, protecting our access, rights and fishing areas with no increase in the amount that EU vessels can catch in British waters.

Our fishing industry will also benefit from the new SPS agreement which slashes costs and red tape for our exports into the European market. And we already sell 70% of our seafood into that market so it’s really significant. It is also opening the gates to sending shellfish back into the EU.

And I can announce today that we’re investing £360 million into our fishing industry – to help them take advantage of this deal.

We have acted today to strengthen our borders. The previous deal left a huge gap in our ability to work together to tackle illegal migration.

So this deal closes that gap so that we can work across the migration routes to end the migration crisis and smash the criminal gangs.

We are boosting our cooperation on law enforcement. Combating terrorism and serious organised crime with better sharing of intelligence and data – including facial imaging, for the first time.

Today’s deal will also help British holidaymakers as we are confirming that they will able to use e-Gates when they travel to Europe – ending those huge queues at passport control.

And I call on all EU members states to help make this a reality without delay.

Finally – we have agreed today cooperate on a youth experience scheme to allow our young people to travel and work freely in Europe. And I’m clear – this will come with all the appropriate time-limits, caps and visa requirements.

So – it’s a long list – and it just shows how much we have achieved here today – real benefits for the British people.

Because, it’s time to look forward. It’s time to move on from the stale old debates and political fights to focus on delivering common sense, practical solutions which get the best for the British people.

We’re ready to work with all our partners.

If it means we can improve people’s lives here at home.

And that’s what this deal is all about: facing out to the world once again in the great tradition of this nation. Building the relationships we choose, with the partners we choose and closing deals in the national interest.

The comments made by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, on 12 May 2025.

[This text is from the civil service and so has the political text redacted]

Good morning.

Today, we publish a White Paper on immigration, a strategy that is absolutely central to my Plan for Change. This strategy will finally take back control of our borders and close the book on a squalid chapter for our politics, our economy, and our country.

“Take back control.” Everyone knows that slogan and what it meant for immigration, or at least that’s what people thought. Because what followed from the previous Government, starting with the people who used that slogan, was the complete opposite. Between 2019 and 2023, even as they were going around our country telling people, with a straight face, they would get immigration down, net migration quadrupled. Until in 2023, it reached nearly 1 million, which is about the population of Birmingham, our second largest city. That’s not control – it’s chaos.

And look, they must answer for themselves, but I don’t think you can do something like that by accident. It was a choice. A choice made even as they told you, told the country, they were doing the opposite. A one-nation experiment in open borders conducted on a country that voted for control. Well, no more. Today, this [political content redacted] Government is shutting down the lab. The experiment is over. We will deliver what you have asked for – time and again – and we will take back control of our borders.

And let me tell you why. Because I know, on a day like today, people who like politics will try to make this all about politics, about this or that strategy, targeting these voters, responding to that party. No. I am doing this because it is right, because it is fair, and because it is what I believe in.

Let me put it this way: Nations depend on rules – fair rules. Sometimes they’re written down, often they’re not, but either way, they give shape to our values. They guide us towards our rights, of course, but also our responsibilities, the obligations we owe to one another. Now, in a diverse nation like ours, and I celebrate that, these rules become even more important. Without them, we risk becoming an island of strangers, not a nation that walks forward together.

So when you have an immigration system that seems almost designed to permit abuse, that encourages some businesses to bring in lower-paid workers rather than invest in our young people, or simply one that is sold by politicians to the British people on an entirely false premise, then you’re not championing growth, you’re not championing justice, or however else people defend the status quo. You’re actually contributing to the forces that are slowly pulling our country apart.

So yes, I believe in this. I believe we need to reduce immigration significantly. That’s why some of the policies in this White Paper go back nearly three years, [political content redacted]. It’s about fairness.

Migration is part of Britain’s national story. We talked last week about the great rebuilding of this country after the war; migrants were part of that, and they make a massive contribution today. You will never hear me denigrate that. But when people come to our country, they should also commit to integration, to learning our language, and our system should actively distinguish between those that do and those that don’t. I think that’s fair.

Equally, Britain must compete for the best talent in the world in science, in technology, in healthcare. You cannot simply pull up a drawbridge, let nobody in, and think that is an economy that would work. That would hurt the pay packets of working people – without question. But at the same time, we do have to ask why parts of our economy seem almost addicted to importing cheap labour rather than investing in the skills of people who are here and want a good job in their community. Sectors like engineering, where visas have rocketed while apprenticeships have plummeted. Is that fair to Britain? Is it fair to young people weighing up their future to miss out on those apprenticeships, to see colleges in their community almost entirely dedicated to one-year courses for overseas students? No, I don’t think it is. And truth be told, I don’t think anyone does. And yet that is the Britain this broken system has created.

So, as this White Paper sets out, every area of the immigration system – work, family, and study – will be tightened up so we have more control. Skill requirements raised to degree level. English language requirements across all routes – including for dependents. The time it takes to acquire settled status extended from five years to ten. And enforcement tougher than ever because fair rules must be followed.

Now, make no mistake – this plan means migration will fall. That’s a promise. But I want to be very clear on this. If we do need to take further steps, if we do need to do more to release pressure on housing and our public services, then mark my words – we will. But it’s not just about numbers. Because the chaos of the previous government also changed the nature of immigration in this country. Fewer people who make a strong economic contribution, more who work in parts of our economy that put downward pressure on wages. So perhaps the biggest shift in this White Paper is that we will finally honour what “take back control” meant and begin to choose who comes here so that migration works for our national interest.

You know, this is where the whole debate is skewed, as if some people think controlling immigration is reigning in a sort of natural freedom rather than a basic and reasonable responsibility of government to make choices that work for a nation’s economy. For years, this seems to have muddled our thinking, but let me be clear – it ends now. We will create a migration system that is controlled, selective, and fair. A clean break with the past that links access to visas directly to investment in homegrown skills so that if a business wants to bring people in from abroad, they must first invest in Britain. But also, so settlement becomes a privilege that is earned, not a right, easier if you make a contribution, if you work, pay in, and help rebuild our country.

Now, some people may even be against that, but I think for the vast majority of people in this country, that is what they have long wanted to see. An immigration system that is fair, that works for our national interest, and that restores common sense and control to our borders. That is what this White Paper will deliver: lower net migration, higher skills, backing British workers, the start of repairing our social contract, which the chaos and cynicism of the last government did so much to undermine.

Thank you.