Tag: Press Release

PRESS RELEASE : Leaking church roofs to be fixed and heritage buildings revitalised as applications open for £48 million of heritage funding [May 2026]
The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 20 May 2026.

Three heritage funds have opened for Expressions of Interest, including the new £92 million Places of Worship Fund, as well as the second rounds of the Heritage at Risk Capital Fund and Heritage Revival Fund.
- Places of Worship Renewal Fund offers up to £23 million this year; Heritage at Risk Capital Fund up to £15 million; and Heritage Revival Fund up to £10 million
- Part of the wider £1.5 billion Arts Everywhere Fund, these investments will be targeted at areas of high deprivation, which face the greatest fundraising challenges
Heritage sites are set to benefit from a share of £48 million to fund everything from transformation projects to urgent masonry or stained glass window repairs.

Three heritage funding schemes have opened for applications, aimed at the 14,000 listed places of worship in England as well as the most at-risk heritage sites in our villages, towns and cities. The schemes will support communities in areas of the greatest need to repair, rejuvenate or transform their heritage buildings to meet the needs of local communities today.

Many places of worship and heritage sites fulfil wide roles in modern communities, from providing services like food banks and warm spaces, to providing affordable housing or workspaces for local entrepreneurs. Returning faith and heritage buildings to prime condition is part of the Government’s mission to increase pride in local communities.

Baroness Twycross announced the launch of these heritage funds during a visit to Grimsby Minster and the Sir Moses Montefiore Synagogue, where she met the volunteers who help care for the sites.

Heritage Minister Baroness Twycross said:

Across our country, thousand-year-old Norman church towers sit at the heart of communities, with brick mills and other former industrial buildings all too often needing significant repair to bring them back to their former glory and create community assets for the future. So many of these heritage sites are cared for by volunteers or community groups and our significant heritage funding schemes are designed to back their ambitions.

Our listed places of worship and heritage sites make vital contributions to local communities, particularly in areas of the greatest need. This targeted funding is an important step in keeping the roofs water-tight and doors wide open at churches, and for bringing historic buildings back into use for the communities who care for them.

Places of Worship Renewal Fund

Offering up to £23 million this year, the new Places of Worship Renewal Fund will support a range of small to large projects, from urgent structural repairs to physical access improvements and the installation of new facilities to expand community use. A further £69 million will be made available across the course of this parliament.

Listed places of worship across the country have reported falling behind on structural repairs and maintenance, with those in areas of high deprivation facing overwhelming challenges to fundraising for the capital costs of building works. The Places of Worship Renewal Fund targets those areas of the greatest need, helping remove previously insurmountable financial barriers to crucial repairs with upfront capital grants. It is open to listed places of worship serving all faiths.

The new funding scheme brings listed places of worship in line with the funding opportunities that other heritage buildings enjoy, with confirmation of the scheme for the next four years providing much-needed certainty to the church sector. The scheme will be delivered by Historic England, who have well developed relationships across the sector and can draw on their depth of experience to support communities and volunteers with projects of all sizes.

Heritage at Risk Capital Fund

A second round of the Heritage at Risk Capital Fund has opened for Expressions of Interest, backing projects that ensure heritage buildings are fit for the future and continue to tell our national story in communities across the country. The fund prioritises projects that restore heritage sites serving disadvantaged communities and which demonstrate strong local benefits, from job creation to cultural events.

Up to £15 million in funding is available to at-risk heritage sites this year, as part of a total £75 million Heritage at Risk Capital Fund.

Heritage Revival Fund

The Heritage Revival Fund has also opened applications to its second round, with funding doubling to £10 million per year. The fund – worth £45 million in total – helps communities to rescue and repurpose neglected historic buildings and transform them to meet modern needs, focusing on regenerating historic buildings in town centre locations to create new arts and culture venues, workspaces, affordable housing, and more.

Emma Squire and Claudia Kenyatta, Co-CEOs of Historic England said:

Places of worship and historic buildings are at the heart of communities across England. They connect people to their local history and identity, while providing spaces that support wellbeing, pride and social connection. Through the Places of Worship Renewal Fund and the Heritage at Risk Capital Fund, this investment will direct support to the places where it is needed most, helping to repair and secure the future of some of our most valued heritage. By protecting these buildings and supporting their sustainable reuse, we can help communities unlock their potential for generations to come.

Matthew Mckeague, Chief Executive of the Architectural Heritage Fund said:

Over the past year, the Heritage Revival Fund has helped unlock the potential of social enterprises and charities throughout England to take on and transform neglected heritage assets into thriving new spaces. Thanks to our renewed partnership with DCMS and Historic England, we are thrilled to now be able to extend the reach of this work through the expanded programme, which will enable us to support many more exciting community-led schemes across the country over the next few years.

The Bishop of Lynn, Dr Jane Steen, the Church of England’s joint lead bishop for buildings, said:

Our church buildings are national treasures for the common good, both for their spiritual, cultural and historical significance and the vital practical help they provide communities across the country.

The majority of fundraising for the maintenance and repair of church buildings is done locally by thousands of wonderful volunteers. The Places of Worship Renewal Fund has a vital part to play alongside this local fundraising, and other funders who support churches.

We welcome the launch of the Fund and we look forward to working closely with Historic England, in helping encourage eligible churches to make full use of the scheme.

Notes to editors:
- Historic England will distribute the Places of Worship Renewal Fund and the Heritage at Risk Capital Fund. The Architectural Heritage Fund will distribute the Heritage Revival Fund in partnership with Historic England.
- Applicants can submit expressions of interest to the Places of Worship Renewal Fund through Historic England’s website.
- The first round of the Heritage at Risk Capital Fund backed 37 projects across the country, helping transform vulnerable heritage locations into vibrant community spaces. Projects have included:
  - Health Hydro Turkish Baths, Swindon – Support for roof repairs at the rare Victorian-era Turkish baths is delivering a climate-resilient and environmentally enhanced roof structure. The reopened baths will offer affordable and inclusive programmes that respond to community needs, whilst bringing a culturally significant leisure facility back into use.
  - Greenhouse Centre, London – Funding for the final phases of transforming a shuttered 200 year-old space into a new sports hub in central London. The hub’s aim will be to provide coaching and mentoring to young people facing poverty.
  - Salford Lads Club, Manchester – Capital grants helping the essential repairs at the historic community club in Salford. The funding will support roof slate replacements and masonry repairs to ensure the sustainability of this iconic community building, famously linked to The Smiths.
- Images connected to the Places of Worship Renewal Fund and Heritage at Risk Capital Fund can be found on Historic England’s image gallery.
- Applicants can submit expressions of interest to the Heritage at Risk Capital Fund through Historic England’s website.
- The first round of the Heritage Revival Fund backed ten projects with capital grants to directly facilitate their transformative ambitions, as well as fifty-six projects with viability and development grants to formulate plans to reinvent their roles within communities. This includes:
  - Northumberland Hall, Alnwick – Capital funding has supported early works to get started on the restoration of the hall. It will become the new home of the volunteer-led Bailiffgate Museum & Gallery, facilitating new gallery spaces, meeting rooms, reinterpreted exhibitions of their collection, as well as spaces for local artists to exhibit and sell their work.
  - Kingsley Hall, Bristol – This Grade II*-listed former town house is being restored and transformed into a safe space for marginalised young people and the local community by charity 1625 Independent People. The project will create training spaces, a social enterprise café, and nine new affordable homes for young homeless people.
  - St John’s Church, Great Yarmouth – Restoration is underway to convert the Grade-II listed former church into a multi-use cultural and community hub, providing training and engagement, especially for unemployed young people. Once restored it will provide a space for workshops, training, exhibitions, screenings, events, music, rehearsals, artist residencies, learning and engagement.
- Images for the Heritage Revival Fund are supplied by the Architectural Heritage Fund.
- Applicants can submit expressions of interest to the Heritage Revival Fund through the Architectural Heritage Fund’s website.
- Heritage is a devolved matter. The Places of Worship Renewal Fund, Heritage at Risk Capital Fund and Heritage Revival Fund are open to listed places of worship and heritage sites in England. The Devolved Governments receive Barnett consequentials proportionate to overall departmental settlements, with decisions on the allocation of this funding for the Devolved Governments to take.
May 20, 2026
PRESS RELEASE: The United Kingdom strongly condemns the attack on the Barakah nuclear facility in the United Arab Emirates – UK statement at the UN Security Council [May 2026]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 19 May 2026.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Chargé d’Affaires to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on the Middle East.

I thank Director General Grossi for his briefing. And I welcome the participation of the permanent representative of the UAE in our meeting today.

Let me also take this opportunity to thank Dr Grossi and staff at the International Atomic Energy Agency for their professionalism and dedication in delivering essential work on nuclear safety, security, and safeguards, often in the most challenging circumstances.

The United Kingdom condemns this attack on the Barakah nuclear facility in the United Arab Emirates, in the strongest terms.

This was a reckless attack which could have had severe consequences for nuclear safety and for regional security.

We welcome reports that radiation levels remain normal and that no injuries have been reported.

We call on all parties to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, and to apply, respect, and uphold international law, including the UN Charter and international humanitarian law.

Such actions risk further escalation at a time of heightened tensions.

President, looking to the wider region, we welcome action from the Council, led by the Gulf, to address increased tensions and instability.

Resolution 2817 is clear. Iran must cease all attacks, including in the Strait of Hormuz.

These attacks continue to threaten global security and prosperity, increase economic pressure on the most vulnerable, and put civilian lives in danger.

The United Kingdom stands firmly alongside the UAE and all our partners in the region in support of their sovereignty, security, and protection of critical national infrastructure.

We will continue to pursue all diplomatic efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, including here in the Security Council while providing practical support to help defend our friends in the Gulf.

Colleagues, the situation in the Middle East remains fragile.

We all want to see a de-escalation of tensions in the region.

Together, we must do all we can to support and sustain the ceasefire.

We call on Iran to engage meaningfully in negotiations, and to move towards lasting and sustainable peace.

May 20, 2026
PRESS RELEASE : Government backing future British ‘defence unicorns’ as new contracts awarded to drive innovation [May 2026]
The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 19 May 2026.

Thirteen British businesses have been awarded contracts of up to £4 million to work with the Ministry of Defence to boost rapid procurement and deliver cutting-edge technology for the UK Armed Forces.
- Thirteen British tech companies sign contracts with defence to develop cutting-edge systems.
- Companies from across England, Wales and Scotland set to receive contracts worth up to £4 million for quantum sensing and autonomous systems to secure communications, space manufacturing and synthetic training.
- Part of new scheme to grow next billion-pound British ‘defence unicorns’ and boost to British businesses, jobs and UK Armed Forces readiness.
The new scheme gives accelerated contracts to small, innovative British companies who have done limited or no previous business with the Ministry of Defence.

More than half of winning firms are new to defence, with contracts awarded to companies from across England, Wales and Scotland, less than four months since the new ‘defence unicorn’ fund was announced.

The thirteen innovative British companies have been awarded contracts to develop cutting-edge technology for the UK’s Armed Forces as part of the Government’s work to open up new routes for small and growing businesses into the defence sector and deliver on the government’s Industrial Strategy.

The announcement comes as the Defence Secretary John Healey MP addresses the Good Growth Foundation today (Tuesday), arguing that Britain’s record defence investment must come with a back British pledge to boost UK jobs and innovation. He will tell the audience that today’s contracts are just the start of that approach.

The contracts – the largest worth £4 million – have been awarded through Commercial X, the Ministry of Defence’s accelerated contracting vehicle, as part of the government’s search for Britain’s next defence unicorn.

The contracts underline the Government’s focus on moving at pace, getting contracts to innovative British businesses faster than traditional procurement routes allow, and getting innovative new kit into the hands of UK Armed Forces.

The contracts support jobs in communities across Britain including Devon, Edinburgh, Newport in Wales and West Yorkshire. All the companies were founded after 2011, and the vast majority started in the last six years.

Defence Secretary John Healey MP said:

This government is backing British innovators and entrepreneurs, doing things differently to deliver for our forces.

These are contracts, not words or promises, and they mean that thirteen British companies, many of them new to defence, are receiving real investment to develop the technology our Armed Forces need. This is defence delivering growth right across the country.

These companies may be small, but they all have the potential to become billion-pound FTSE 100 firms.

Director of The Good Growth Foundation (GGF) Praful Nargund said:

Our research shows that to build a defence settlement that lasts, the public needs to see the benefits of defence spending brought home to the UK. Pounds spent on defence must do double duty, protecting both our national security and our economic security.

Today’s announcements are a step towards bringing defence home: backing the British Innovators who will build our sovereign capability, keep the returns here, and create the defence industry Britain needs for a more dangerous world.

SMEs have the potential to be the heart of innovation in Britain, and it is only by backing SMEs that you build the domestic supply chain resilience that sovereign capability depends upon. Yet too often they are locked out of defence contracts, and defence investment flows overseas rather than building resilience in Britain. By backing our innovators, giving them the contacts and capitals to grow, we can create the conditions to build Britain’s next defence unicorn.

Chris Isaac CEO and Founder, SpaceAM said:

Game changer! In just five weeks.. six new staff, our first commercial labs operational, top London VCs lining up to invest, and the ability to scale at pace with confidence. That’s what this Unicorn Fund has delivered.

Phil Bottomley, CEO, Avenue3 said:

As an SME, this level of investment is transformative. It allows us to grow sustainably, create high-value jobs, and continue delivering complex engineering programmes at pace. It’s a strong signal of the role that smaller, specialist companies like Avenue3 can play in supporting national priorities while driving local economic growth.

The winning companies span a wide range of cutting-edge capability areas, from quantum sensing and autonomous systems to secure communications, space manufacturing and synthetic training. Together they represent the breadth and depth of British defence innovation – from established businesses scaling up to newer firms entering the sector for the first time.

The thirteen contracts are with:
- The RC Den Ltd (London)
- Aquark Technologies Ltd (Hampshire)
- Aether Aerospace Ltd (Newport, Wales)
- SpaceAM Ltd (London)
- Avenue 3 Ltd (West Yorkshire)
- Nereus Medical Ltd (Devon)
- Kraken Technology Group (Hampshire)
- Flowcopter Ltd (Edinburgh)
- Helyx Secure Information Systems Limited (Buckinghamshire)
- EP90Group Ltd (Winfrith Newburgh, England)
- Ritson Reid Ltd (Berkshire)
- SimCentric Limited (Oxfordshire)
- Spectra Group (UK) Ltd (London)
The awards are part of the government’s commitment to make Britain the best place to start and grow a defence business. Backed by the MOD’s commitment to increase defence spending with small and medium-sized enterprises by 50% through to May 2028 – an additional £2.5 billion, bringing total SME spend to £7.5 billion – the fund forms part of a wider package of reforms to open defence up to the next generation of British innovators.

This Government is backing UK Armed Forces with the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War – hitting 2.6% of GDP from 2027.

Commercial X, a specialist function within the UK Ministry of Defence designed to accelerate the procurement of digital technologies and ground-breaking innovations, led the search for winning companies, assessed applicants against the requirements of the UK Armed Forces across a range of technology and capability themes, including AI and machine learning, robotics and autonomy, and precision capabilities.

The contracts provide winning companies with a foundation to attract further private investment, helping them scale rapidly and realise their full potential. The fund sits alongside the MOD’s new Office of Small Business Growth, which provides a single point of access for SMEs looking to work with defence, as well as the recently held Dragons’ Den-style event connecting defence innovators with private investors.
May 20, 2026
PRESS RELEASE : Fairer taxes for high-value homes [May 2026]
The press release issued by HM Treasury on 20 May 2026.

The government has launched a consultation on the details of the new High Value Council Tax Surcharge, to make the system fairer for households.
- Government launches next step in reforms that will tackle historic unfairness and see high value properties pay their fair share
- New surcharge on the top 1% of most valuable properties will put money into communities and local services across the country.
- First announced at Budget 2025, the reforms will rebalance the system which has been unchanged since 1992.
The government has launched a consultation today (May 19) on the details of the new High Value Council Tax Surcharge to make the system fairer for households across the country.

The move, announced at Budget 2025, will ensure those with the 1% most valuable properties pay their fair share – helping to fund vital local government services and implementing a significant reform to improve fairness within England’s property tax system.

Council tax has remained untouched for decades and has not been readjusted as property values increase. That means that under this flawed system, a multimillion pound mansion could be paying less council tax than a small family home.

Today the government is setting out the details for the new charge on owners of residential property in England worth £2 million and above to address this unfairness. The consultation also outlines how properties will be identified, valued and placed in a band for the surcharge.

Dan Tomlinson, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, said:

“A £10 million mansion in Mayfair should not be paying less council tax than an ordinary family home in Darlington or Blackpool.

“This change tackles historic unfairness, so that those with the most valuable properties pay their fair share, helping to rebalance the system and putting money back into communities up and down the country.”

Revaluations of properties worth more than £2 million will be carried out every five years, with the next revaluation being held in 2033, ensuring that the tax remains fair and up to date with house prices.

The consultation also sets out proposals for taxpayers to review the valuation of their property. The charge, which will affect less than 1% of properties, will come in from April 2028 and is expected to raise around £430 million per year to support funding for local government services.

Further information

The consultation launched today will run for eight weeks and taxpayers, local government, tax experts, legal professionals and those in the property industry are encouraged to respond.

The consultation will specifically seek views on:

·       the design of the tax surcharge

·       proposed scope of the tax surcharge

·       a deferral mechanism, to support those who cannot pay

·       the billing process

·       the proposed appeals process

·       administration and enforcement mechanisms
May 20, 2026
PRESS RELEASE : Sexual predator Adam Leddra’s sentence increased after Solicitor General intervenes [May 2026]

The press release issued by the Attorney General’s Office on 19 May 2026.

Adam Leddra, from Fatfield in Washington, had his sentence increased to four years after the Solicitor General Ellie Reeves KC MP referred his case to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

The court heard that Leddra met his victim on social media in June 2012 when she was 15 years old and he was 19.

Leddra began grooming the teenager online before he sexually abused the victim on several occasions.

He coerced the teenager through emotional blackmail to share indecent images and Leddra gave the victim a sexually transmitted infection.

When police arrested Leddra, he said he did not remember the victim, while denying he sexually abused her or coerced her into sexual acts.

The court heard that Leddra had previous cautions for possessing indecent images of a child and was jailed for 20 months in 2014 for similar offences against two other girls.

The victim provided impact statements to the courts where the teenager said she had suffered post-traumatic stress disorder and that Leddra took advantage of her vulnerability and difficult home life.

The Solicitor General Ellie Reeves KC MP said:

Adam Leddra is a dangerous sexual predator. He knew his victim was only a teenager but completely disregarded her age, preying on her vulnerabilities to unleash some of the most horrific sexual abuse.

I welcome the court’s decision to increase his prison sentence and protect any more victims from harm. I want to commend the victim’s bravery for coming forward to help bring this perpetrator to justice.

On 23 December 2025 at Newcastle Crown Court, Adam Leddra was sentenced to two years and nine months’ imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual activity with a child, and two counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Leddra also received a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and an indefinite restraining order.

On Tuesday 19 May 2026, the Court of Appeal increased Adam Leddra’s sentence to four years.

May 20, 2026
PRESS RELEASE : President Putin continues to choose deadly violence because he is desperate – UK statement at the UN Security Council [May 2026]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 19 May 2026.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Chargé d’Affaires to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine.

This Council exists to uphold international peace and security.

Yet we meet again because the actions of a permanent member over the last two weeks have made one thing clear: Russia has no interest in peace.

Despite repeated global calls for a ceasefire, President Putin has continued his deadly attacks on Ukraine, accepting a ceasefire only when it suited him: a pause long enough to protect his Victory Day parade.

The moment the parade ended, the killing resumed. 24 people killed by a single strike on a block of apartments. Russia is lashing out in desperation. A state that needs a spectacle to mask its insecurity, and missiles to silence diplomacy, is not acting from confidence. It is acting from fear. Fear that Ukraine will endure and Russia’s aggression will fail.

This disregard for life extends to those trying to save it. As we’ve heard today, last week, a clearly marked UN vehicle on a humanitarian mission in Kherson was struck twice by drones, endangering humanitarians delivering vital aid. This is not an isolated incident. OCHA reports over 50 incidents affecting humanitarian personnel and operations so far this year. These attacks are straining a response on which millions rely.

President Putin continues to choose deadly violence because he is desperate. Russia has killed over 150 civilians this month alone. His objectives remain unmet after over four years, and conditions at home continue to deteriorate. Russia’s economy is increasingly subsumed by defence spending. Yet he continues, despite clear evidence that Ukraine is resisting effectively and imposing significant costs.

As the Council marks Protection of Civilians week, we remind Russia of their obligations under international law. We echo the Secretary General’s call for a comprehensive ceasefire, and a just and lasting peace.

But peace begins with truth: this war could end the moment Russia stops its invasion.

President Putin cannot achieve his goals by military means.

Russia is losing more soldiers than it is recruiting.

And at the rate it is seizing territory, it would take decades to achieve its war aims.

So he is desperate to convince us all that Russia’s victory is inevitable. That our support is a lost cause. But no one is falling for it. Europe’s support is here to stay.

May 20, 2026
PRESS RELEASE : UK to host European IDAHOT+ Forum 2027 [May 2026]
The press release issued by the Office for Equality and Opportunity on 19 May 2026.

UK to serve as host nation for the European International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT+) Forum in London in May 2027.
- London is set to become the global stage for progress on LGBT+ rights, with the UK announced as next host of the European International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT+) Forum in 2027.
- Lord Collins of Highbury, government spokesperson for equalities, is in Copenhagen for this year’s forum and is scheduled to formally accept the UK as next year’s host nation.
- The UK announces a funding package of £21 million to advance global LGBT+ rights through civil society partnerships.
For the first time, the UK, in partnership with the Council of Europe, will serve as the host nation for the European IDAHOT+ Forum in London in May 2027. The forum will convene governments, civil society organisations, policymakers, and advocates from across Europe, turning London into a focal point for international co-operation and progress on LGBT+ equality.

Breaking down barriers to opportunity is a key priority for this government, and hosting the forum in London will strengthen the UK’s position as a leading international voice for equality, inclusion, and opportunity for all across Europe and beyond.

The UK has been a consistent and active participant in the European IDAHOT+ Forum since the forum’s inception in 2013, reflecting a long-standing commitment to advancing LGBT+ equality. Representatives from the UK government, including the Minister for Equalities, are attending this year’s forum in Copenhagen, Denmark.

In addition to being selected as next year’s host nation, the government has today announced funding to advance international LGBT+ equality. By combining this funding with diplomatic action, the programme aims to establish human-rights-compliant legal frameworks and resilient local movements globally to ensure that LGBT+ people everywhere can live lives that are equal, safe, and free.

Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) Minister for Multilateral and Human Rights, Chris Elmore MP, said:

This investment reaffirms the UK’s commitment to defending the human rights and freedoms of all people, including those who are LGBT+.

We will continue to work in partnership – using our diplomatic influence and development expertise – to help ensure that everyone, everywhere can live their lives without fear of violence, persecution or discrimination.

Lord Collins of Highbury, government spokesperson for equalities, said:

As I attend this year’s forum in Copenhagen, I welcome the growing momentum behind LGBT+ equality. The UK is proud to build on that momentum by unveiling a new funding package to support civil society partnerships and advance LGBT+ equality worldwide.

Alongside this new funding, hosting next year’s European IDAHOT+ Forum represents a major opportunity for the UK. It will bring together the continent’s expertise, lived experience, and leadership to drive action at scale and reflects our commitment to international leadership on LGBT+ equality.

We look forward to welcoming our international partners to next year’s event in London.

The government has made substantial progress in improving the welfare and safety of LGBT+ individuals across the UK. This has been demonstrated through making anti-LGBT+ hate crimes an aggravated offence under the Crime and Policing Act, providing £0.5 million funding for specialist LGBT+ domestic abuse services, and continuing work to implement a full, trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices.

Notes to editors

The European IDAHOT+ Forum is one of the major European annual events that brings together member states of the Council of Europe, government representatives, policy makers, experts, and academics, as well as representatives from national and international organisations. As the main state-organised European LGBT+ conference, it primarily aims to promote co-operation between governments but also between governments and civil society organisations.

The UK’s £21 million funding commitment is designed to address the root causes of violence, persecution and exclusion faced by LGBT+ people globally. This approach aligns with the UK Strategic Framework on International LGBT+ Rights (2026 to 2029). The amount is £21 million over 3 years (2026 to 2029) – £19.5 million ODA (official development assistance), and £1.5 million non‑ODA.
May 20, 2026
PRESS RELEASE : Record funding to tackle grooming gangs and child sex abuse [May 2026]

The press release issued by the Home Office on 19 May 2026.

The Home Office has announced £100 million to fight child sex offences and protect victims and survivors, including £38 million for Operation Beaconport.

A historic £100 million will drive a crackdown on child sexual abuse, including tracking down vile grooming gang members, protecting victims and bringing offenders to justice. Perpetrators who thought they got away with horrific grooming gang offences will be held to account as closed cases are reopened.

Operation Beaconport will receive a tenfold cash injection, building on the £4 million the operation received when it launched last autumn. £38 million has been set aside for the National Crime Agency (NCA) and operational partners to reopen and investigate cases and put more offenders behind bars. It is focused on furthering critical work to protect victims wherever abuse takes place – in our communities, families, online and institutions.

Police forces in England and Wales will also have greater access to pioneering artificial intelligence (AI) technology to weed out and bring predators to justice more rapidly. To support this, the Tackling Organised Exploitation Programme, led by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), will receive £9.3 million this year.

This includes a suite of advanced, AI-enabled intelligence tools, ensuring all forces, regardless of size or local resources, can use cutting-edge technology to pursue offenders faster and better safeguard victims.

This enables officers to analyse large datasets, translate foreign-language material in seconds, and identify patterns and relationships between suspects. By reducing manual processes and unifying access to proven tools, the programme focuses on accelerating investigations and creates a more consistent, intelligence-led national response.

£11.7 million will also back the Undercover Child Abuse Online Network, which targets predators in the darkest corners of the internet and stops abuse before it happens. The network tracks and identifies offenders, intervenes early and drives arrests and prosecutions. Their work helped safeguard 1,748 children between April 2024 and 2025, with 1,797 arrests also made.

Today’s funding sits alongside the Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs, which seeks to root out past failures wherever they occurred. It is laser‑focused on grooming gangs and will explicitly examine the role of ethnicity, religion and culture of the offenders and the response of institutions.

Shabana Mahmood, Home Secretary, said:

The grooming gangs scandal is one of the darkest moments in our country’s history – where the most vulnerable people were abused and exploited at the hands of evil child rapists.

There will be no hiding place for the predatory monsters who committed unimaginable crimes of child sexual abuse and exploitation. We will track down these vile rapists and put them behind bars.

Last year, the police delivered record levels of enforcement – with 10,693 prosecutions and 8,681 convictions for child sexual offences. This investment increase means forces can take this vital work even further, reach more victims and stop more offenders in their tracks.

A further £8.9 million will go towards a key part of the NCA’s work targeting the highest-risk offenders like Jamie Beckett who was sentenced to 23 years after he sexually abused 7 vulnerable children by offering cash for medical appointments in exchange for indecent images.

NCA investigators were able to bring him to justice through an investigation which traced complex digital and financial trails. Increased NCA funding will enable even faster and stronger investigations to bring more high‑harm predators like Beckett to justice.

NCA Director of Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Investigations Jav Oomer said:

We welcome the continued Home Office funding to support the NCA’s vital work in tackling the highest harm offenders, whether they operate in our communities or online, and will use the full force of our capabilities to protect children.

We continue to see the increasing complexity and severity of CSA offending, with offenders becoming more technologically sophisticated, but also producing more severe and more sadistic material.

NCA co-ordinated efforts across UK policing result in almost 1,000 arrests and 1,200 children being safeguarded each and every month.

Adult survivors who, as children, experienced sexual abuse will also be supported through £3.2 million of funding to help rebuild their lives through the National Support for Adult Survivors.

The grooming gangs scandal is one of the darkest moments in this country’s history, where the most vulnerable were abused at the hands of evil child rapists and let down by a system meant to protect them.

That is why part of the Operation Beaconport funding will strengthen how police forces investigate these crimes, ensuring a consistent response wherever abuse is reported and better, trauma‑informed support for victims.

The remaining spend will be spread across a series of vital work through law enforcement and partner agencies to address child sexual exploitation and violence against women and girls.

Chief Constable Becky Riggs, National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Child Protection and Abuse Investigation said:

Protecting children and young people and supporting all victims and survivors of abuse and exploitation must be at the heart of everything we do. This investment is a significant step forward in ensuring that anyone who has experienced these crimes is met with a response that is compassionate, consistent and trauma informed.

No single agency can tackle child abuse and exploitation alone. The strength of this approach lies in the way policing and law enforcement are working together with partners across government and specialist services to build a truly whole-system response.

By bringing together expertise, intelligence, and support services, we are better equipped to prevent harm, safeguard victims and survivors, and pursue those responsible for these crimes in all their forms.

The additional investment in advanced technology, through the Tackling Organised Exploitation Programme, will transform the pace at which we can identify and disrupt offenders. By enabling us to analyse large volumes of digital material more quickly and effectively, we can act faster to protect those at risk and bring perpetrators to justice sooner.

Above all, this funding helps ensure that all victims and survivors are seen, heard, and supported – whether their experiences are recent or non‑recent, online or offline. It strengthens our collective ability to respond with care, consistency, and determination, as we continue to improve how we disrupt these devastating crimes.

Gabrielle Shaw, Chief Executive, National Association for People Abused in Childhood, said:

This funding is a positive and necessary step towards improving the national response to child sexual abuse and exploitation. Meaningful investment in preventing abuse and supporting survivors is essential if victims and survivors are to receive the protection, care and justice they deserve.

As a thematic co-lead for victim and survivor engagement within the CSE taskforce, NAPAC is heartened by the collaborative approach that government, policing and the third sector are taking to deliver better outcomes for survivors. There is still a long way to go, but progress is being made at a national level.

May 20, 2026
PRESS RELEASE : Transport Secretary ends ‘era of neglect’ on HS2 with thorough reset [May 2026]
The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 19 May 2026.

Transport Secretary sets out new HS2 costs and timelines after a full review, taking control of the project to cut waste, speed up delivery and save billions.
- Transport Secretary announces new delivery timeframes and costs for HS2 after years of mismanagement
- new plans could save billions in cost and years in construction time while delivering services at same speed as Japanese bullet trains
- construction milestones hit ahead of schedule and back office roles slashed under reset, as analysis reveals it could cost as much to cancel the project as to complete it
The Transport Secretary today (19 May 2026) declared an end to an ‘era of neglect’ on High Speed Two (HS2) as she set out plans to reset the project, delivering the railway as quickly as possible and at the lowest reasonable cost.

Following years of mismanagement, the Transport Secretary has convened the team that delivered the Elizabeth Line and set out new costs and timeframes for the project, including efforts to cut construction costs and get passengers on trains sooner.

The government announced today the project is now expected to cost between £87.7 and £102.7 billion, with two thirds of the increase due to works being missed from the scope of the original project plan, underestimation by previous governments, inefficient delivery – and the remaining third due to inflation.

The government has also confirmed HS2 will run at 320 km/h (200 mph), aligning with speeds across Europe and Japanese Bullet trains. In previous plans, HS2 trains were set to run at 360 km/h (225 mph) but with no existing track to test trains at that speed in Great Britain, adding to spiralling costs and build time.

The change in speed could deliver savings of up to £2.5 billion and at least a year in delivery time, so communities can start to benefit sooner.

The first trains are now expected to start between Old Oak Common in west London and Birmingham Curzon Street between 2036 and 2039. An estimate of the full scheme from London Euston to Curzon Street and a connection to the West Coast Main Line, is between 2040 and 2043.

HS2 Ltd Mark Wild’s ongoing reset has borne fruit – with 6 major construction milestones reached earlier than planned in the last year – as well as eliminating 300 bureaucratic roles, and scrutinising contracts to ensure taxpayers get value for money.

The government is committed to delivering HS2 in full between Birmingham and London, with a new assessment revealing it could cost as much to cancel the project as it would to complete it, while delivering none of the benefits.

Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, said:

Taxpayers, passengers and communities along the route have been let down by years of mismanagement on HS2.

I share their anger about the waste and mess, but I am proud that this government has worked with HS2’s new senior team to get this project off life support and on the road to recovery.

We will get the job done but we will also take every opportunity to save time and money in the process, getting a grip on delivery, controlling costs, and stripping out the complexity that’s plagued the project in the past.

We can and must build big infrastructure projects in Britain. But we also need competent people in charge of them. This is the same team that delivered the Elizabeth Line. We have done it before, we will do it again.

Delivering HS2 will mean more trains on the West Coast Main Line corridor, and more reliable and faster journeys, saving passengers around 30 minutes between London and Birmingham compared with current services, and doubling peak long-distance, fast rail capacity between the capital and West Midlands.

The new ranges come as the government publishes in full a comprehensive report by Sir Stephen Lovegrove into the Civil Service’s role in HS2’s execution to date. The government will respond to Sir Stephen’s recommendations after thorough consideration of the findings.

HS2 will deliver houses, jobs and growth. Recent forecasts show it is already contributing £20 billion to the economy over the next decade around its station sites and depot in the West Midlands and west London, plus 63,000 new homes and over 49,000 new jobs in these areas.

Commercial development at Euston is estimated to add £41 billion to the economy over the next 3 decades and support 34,000 new jobs, with high-tech tunnelling machines now working under Londoners’ feet to make HS2 to Euston a reality. Over 6,100 contracts have been awarded to UK businesses, with more than half of these to small and medium-size enterprises.

CEO Mark Wild and Chair Mike Brown have started to turn HS2 Ltd around and have delivered 6 major construction milestones ahead of schedule over the last 12 months, including:
- the sliding of a road bridge for the A46 over the HS2 line of route in April 2025
- the installation of beams and overbridges near Calvert in Buckinghamshire in August 2025
- the completion of boring the 3.5-mile Bromford tunnel in Birmingham in October 2025
Mark Wild, Chief Executive of HS2 Ltd, said:

I recognise this will be unwelcome news for local communities and taxpayers, and I share in their disappointment that it will take longer and cost more to bring HS2 into service.

Resetting HS2 was the only way to regain control of the project. We have turned a corner in the last 12 months with significantly improved levels of productivity, helping us to deliver major milestones ahead of schedule. We’re also progressing with plans to bring HS2 into line with other high-speed railways in Europe – further reducing the project’s complexity without compromising on benefits.

Better journeys, more capacity on the network, and economic growth are all vital to the country’s future prosperity, and that’s exactly what we will deliver. Driven by the hard work of 31,000 people on the ground, HS2 is finally getting back on track.

The HS2 reset is fully funded within the Department for Transport’s current Spending Review settlement, with no additional borrowing. Funding beyond 2029-30 will be set at future Spending Reviews and will be underpinned by the government’s non-negotiable fiscal rules.
May 19, 2026
PRESS RELEASE : New high street unit set up in nationwide blitz on dodgy shops [May 2026]

The press release issued by the Home Office on 19 May 2026.

Organised crime gangs will be hit with raids, shop closures, and cash seizures in a £30 million crackdown on dodgy high street shops.

Organised crime gangs operating across Britain’s high streets will be hit with a major police offensive in a new nationwide crackdown on dodgy shops.

Rogue barber shops, vape stores, mini-marts and sweet shops linked to organised crime will face raids, closures and cash seizures under a new £30 million crackdown targeting money laundering, tax evasion, and illegal working over 3 years.

£20 million of funding will go towards an enhanced law enforcement response, including establishing a new multi-agency co-ordination cell based out of the National Crime Agency (NCA).

Police officers will also be uplifted across forces in hotspot regions. Altogether, 75 new police officers will be recruited across the NCA, Greater Manchester Police, West Midlands Police and a joint Kent Police and Essex Police Unit, to build intelligence at a national level and increase the number of dedicated officers tackling organised crime on the ground.

Trading Standards will also be backed with £6 million in new funding to bolster the response to sham businesses in at-risk local authorities. New officer training will be rolled out to identify suspicious businesses, strengthen business compliance, and boost enforcement.

A new High Street Organised Crime Unit has also been established to bring together government departments, policing partners, and Trading Standards. Together, the additional funding and new unit builds on strong enforcement action such as Operation Machinize, to boost the national and local response to targeting criminal networks operating in plain sight on Britain’s high streets.

Overseen by the Security Minister, Dan Jarvis, the unit will be responsible for identifying what more is needed – from stronger powers to better co-ordination – to stop this criminal activity from happening in the first place.

A rapid review of local responders’ powers is underway to explore how these can be strengthened, starting with a consultation on extending the duration of closure orders, where appropriate, to shut criminal businesses down for longer.

Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, said:

Criminal gangs have exploited our high streets to launder their dirty money and undercut honest businesses.

We are hitting back with a nationwide crackdown to shut these fronts down, seize dirty cash and drive organised crime off our high streets and put bosses behind bars.

It comes as the NCA estimate at least £12 billion of criminal cash is generated in the UK each year, with £1 billion laundered through high street businesses like mini-marts, barber shops, vape stores and sweet shops. Some businesses are also connected to the sale of fake goods, tax evasion, illegal working, and illegal drug supply.

Thousands of businesses are expected to be raided, hundreds of arrests made and millions in cash seized as a national intensification campaign will be put on permanent footing annually to drive co-ordinated enforcement across the country.

Sal Melki, Deputy Director of Illicit Finance at the National Crime Agency, said:

For the past 18 months, the NCA, in conjunction with policing partners, has led Operation Machinize, the largest operation against economic crime on our high streets. By bringing together policing, HMRC, Immigration Enforcement, Trading Standards, and other partners in a co-ordinated approach, over 950 people have been arrested and over £10 million worth of criminal value seized.

This criminal activity makes our communities less safe and less prosperous. It undermines legitimate business, deprives public services of tax revenues, and fuels a range of predicate offences such as the drugs trade, illicit goods, trafficking, and organised immigration crime.

We will not stop and having the support of the High Street Organised Crime Unit to grow the Machinize partnership will enable us to target and disrupt more high harm offenders. The HSOCU will be key to a whole of government response, where enforcement action is backed up with the laws, policies and powers required at all levels to get this criminal element out of our high streets.

Lord Bichard, Chair, National Trading Standards, said:

Organised high street crime, including the illegal sale of tobacco and counterfeit goods, is damaging communities across the country. These criminal networks undercut honest businesses, draw money away from local economies and expose consumers to unregulated and potentially unsafe products. They are also often linked to wider offending, including money laundering, exploitation, and violence.

The creation of a new High Street Organised Crime Unit will help drive a co-ordinated national response while strengthening local enforcement capability through additional support and funding for Trading Standards, police and partner agencies on the ground, who will work together to disrupt organised offenders, protect the public and support honest businesses that play by the rules.

The latest Operation Machinize in November saw 2,734 premises visited and raided, 924 individuals arrested, over £13 million of suspected criminal proceeds seized or restrained, and more than £2.7 million worth of illicit commodities destroyed. It builds on the £300 million in criminal assets recovered by law enforcement last year, with money invested back to the front lines to support agencies leading the fight against crime.

The new National Police Service will go further by bringing together the National Crime Agency, Counter Terrorism Policing, and regional organised crime units’ capabilities to strengthen the response to serious and organised crime.

Deputy Commissioner Nik Adams, City of London Police and National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Financial Investigation and Asset Recovery, said:

Our high streets should be places where legitimate businesses can grow, not places where organised criminals hide behind shopfronts.

This task force will harness the efforts of the National Crime Agency, national economic crime leads, local community policing, specialist officers and partners to target the businesses being used to launder criminal money, recover criminal assets and protect legitimate traders.

Operation Machinize has shown that the most effective response comes when neighbourhood officers, financial investigators and national agencies work as one team. Local officers understand their communities and can identify suspicious activity, while financial investigators, the City of London Police as national lead force, and the NCA help connect that activity to the organised crime groups and the money flows behind it.

The message to organised criminals is clear. If criminal cash is being pushed through high street businesses, policing and our partners will act. Through the High Street Organised Crime Unit, we will use intelligence, asset recovery and financial investigation to turn local disruption into lasting national impact.

Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said:

The new High Street Organised Crime Unit will be welcome news for people across the country. Illegitimate businesses and retail theft are major issues and too often linked to criminal gang activity. Stolen goods are commonly funnelled through illicit supply chains and resold through unscrupulous businesses, helping fund further criminality. This harms businesses, puts colleagues at risk, and pushes up prices for honest shoppers.

Tackling it requires prioritisation from police and government, and co-ordination and intelligence sharing between retailers, law enforcement, and local partners. We look forward to working together to deliver real progress.

Association of Convenience Stores Chief Executive Ed Woodall said:

Local shops tell us that rogue traders on high streets are causing massive damage to their businesses and the wider community, so we strongly welcome this Government action to back responsible retailers and crack down on the organised crime gangs that are fuelling the illicit trade.

John Herriman, Chief Executive of the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, (CTSI), said:

CTSI welcomes the introduction of the High Street Organised Crime Unit, which will bring together partner agencies – including Trading Standards – to tackle organised criminality on our high streets. The proliferation of so called “dodgy shops” puts consumers at significant risk and undermines the legitimate businesses who drive economic growth across the UK. The new unit will bring a much-needed focus to help clamp down on a blight on our high streets and communities.

May 19, 2026