Tag: Press Release

  • PRESS RELEASE : UN Human Rights Council 63 – UK Statement for the Interactive Dialogue with the High Commissioner on the oral update on Ukraine [October 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : UN Human Rights Council 63 – UK Statement for the Interactive Dialogue with the High Commissioner on the oral update on Ukraine [October 2026]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 2 October 2026.

    UK Statement for the Interactive Dialogue with the High Commissioner on the oral update on Ukraine. Delivered by the UK’s Human Rights Ambassador, Eleanor Sanders.

    Mr Vice-President,

    The High Commissioner’s latest report sets out starkly the severity of sexual violence against Ukrainian prisoners of war. Sixty three percent of those interviewed reported conflict-related sexual violence at Russian hands. This included rape, genital mutilation, electric shocks and beatings to the genitals, and forced nudity – inflicted to strip prisoners of dignity and humiliate them before fellow captives and guards, sometimes over years.

    Beyond captivity, the report shows how Russia is using sexual violence as an instrument of control – a weapon to enforce its occupation, terrorise communities, and assert dominance over Ukrainian civilians.

    Chillingly, children have not been spared: the youngest documented rape survivor was four, and some women now bear children born of rape. These harms have profound and lasting consequences, underlining the need for child-sensitive, survivor-centred support and justice.

    These findings may only offer a glimpse into the true scale of the crimes being committed.

    Russia continues to refuse monitoring missions access to occupied territory, prisoners of war and detainees.

    Russia has passed laws that grant servicepersons near total immunity for crimes committed during military service.

    High Commissioner, based on the evidence available to your Office, to what extent can conflict-related sexual violence in Russian detention be understood as a systemic practice rather than a collection of individual crimes?

    Thank you.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Crackdown on chemicals used to make dangerous weapons [October 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Crackdown on chemicals used to make dangerous weapons [October 2026]

    The press release issued by the Home Office on 2 October 2026.

    New controls proposed for toxic substances, acting on recommendations made by the Southport Inquiry.

    Chemicals that could be used to make explosives and dangerous weapons – including those found in the Southport attacker’s home – will be tightly controlled under new proposals to boost national security. 

    Under the proposed changes, access to natural materials needed to produce the toxic substances ricin and abrin will be heavily restricted to reduce the risk of people using them to cause harm.  

    During searches of the Southport attack perpetrator’s home, police found evidence that he had bought castor beans online to make ricin, leading to his conviction under the Biological Weapons Act 1974.  

    In response, the government is proposing to add castor beans containing ricin and rosary peas containing abrin to the list of regulated poisons under UK law. This will make it a criminal offence to sell them to members of the public who do not hold a valid licence.

    This action comes as part of the government’s commitment to implement all the recommendations made in phase one of the Southport Inquiry, which recommended greater regulation was needed around the availability of castor beans.

    Ricin and abrin are already strictly controlled under UK law because of their extreme toxicity, but the seeds which can be used to produce these dangerous chemicals can be purchased for use in gardening and decoration.

    Security Minister, Dan Jarvis said: 

    Protecting the public is our first duty. While these substances can have legitimate uses, we must stop them from being weaponised by those who want to cause harm.

    We will close the gaps exposed by the Southport attack and tighten the law to stop these dangerous chemicals falling into the wrong hands.

    As part of the move, the government is also seeking to make it harder for people to access other dangerous poisons and chemicals which can be used to make explosives and pose risks to national security. 

    This would mean that it would be much harder for people to access these substances without having a licence and require shops and businesses to report any suspicious transactions. 

    The proposed changes come under the Poisons Act 1972, which controls poisons and explosives precursors, restricting the general public’s access to the most dangerous materials.  

    In certain circumstances, people can apply for a licence to buy and use a regulated substance if they have a genuine need for it and there is no safer alternative.

    The changes will be subject to a consultation which was launched yesterday. It seeks views from the public, industry and business to gauge how these changes would affect them.

  • PRESS RELEASE : The UK will defend universal rights without fear or favour – UK Statement at the UN Third Committee [October 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : The UK will defend universal rights without fear or favour – UK Statement at the UN Third Committee [October 2026]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 2 October 2026.

    Statement by Ambassador Sarah MacIntosh, UK Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Third Committee on Human Rights.

    Across the world, people are being denied their human rights through conflict, repression, discrimination, and the misuse of power and technology. 

    The principles that we defend in this Committee are not abstract. 

    They protect human dignity, support peaceful and inclusive societies, and help to prevent instability and conflict.

    At a time of growing pressure on human rights and on the multilateral system, we must

    turn our shared commitments into practical change for people.

    Yet the human rights landscape is becoming more dangerous. 

    Attacks on women, girls and LGBT+ people, and shrinking civic space are compounding the effects of conflict and authoritarian repression. 

    Our response must put human rights and the rule of law at its heart.

    In Gaza, basic humanitarian needs remain unmet. 

    All parties must uphold international law, protect civilians, and facilitate rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access. 

    We condemn abuses by Hamas and other non-state actors. 

    Hamas must decommission its weapons and its terror infrastructure and have no role in Gaza’s future governance. 

    We support full implementation of the 20-Point Plan. 

    And we remain committed to a credible political process towards a two-state solution.

    In the West Bank, settlement expansion, settler violence, and displacement are

    undermining that prospect for a two-state solution. 

    The UK has taken recent action to address this priority, including restrictions targeting settlement activity and those who support, facilitate, or profit from it. 

    We call on all parties to uphold international law, protect civilians, and facilitate humanitarian access.

    In Ukraine, five years into Russia’s full-scale invasion, the human cost continues to grow. 

    The United Nations’ independent monitoring and investigative mechanisms are essential. 

    Russian forces have attacked civilian infrastructure, tortured detainees and prisoners of war, and unlawfully deported and militarised Ukrainian children. 

    Russia must be held accountable, and Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity must be upheld.

    In Sudan, civilians face atrocity crimes, conflict-related sexual violence, displacement, and hunger. 

    The illegal flow of weapons and external support is sustaining that conflict. 

    All states must stop supporting the warring parties, respect international humanitarian law and use their influence to protect civilians, secure humanitarian access, and end the violence. 

    The UN Fact-Finding Mission must continue its vital work to preserve evidence and lay the foundations for accountability.

    In South Sudan, renewed political tensions, attacks on civilians, forced recruitment, sexual violence, and restrictions on political space threaten stability and risk a return to wider conflict. 

    Leaders must exercise restraint, pursue genuine, inclusive dialogue, and respect the commitments of the peace agreement.

    In Myanmar, we condemn human rights violations and abuses, particularly those committed by the military, including airstrikes on schools, hospitals, and places of worship. 

    We continue to support efforts to collect and preserve evidence so that perpetrators can be held to account.

    In Syria, we welcome the steps taken by the Syrian government to make progress on her

    political transition, including convening a new Parliament, and the steps taken

    to ensure accountability and transitional justice both for Assad-era crimes and recent incidents of sectarian violence. 

    We continue to encourage the Syrian Government to ensure an inclusive and representative political settlement that protects the rights of all Syrians, and holds those responsible for human rights abuses and violations to account. 

    This is essential for the long-term stability and prosperity of the Syrian people.

    In Afghanistan, Taliban decrees systematically exclude women and girls from education, work, and public life, restrict access to justice, and entrench discrimination against religious and ethnic minorities. 

    These policies are indefensible. 

    And the Taliban must reverse them.

    In Iran, thousands of peaceful protesters were killed by security forces in January. 

    Protesters have since been executed, and many more remain on death row.

    Reports of torture and ill-treatment, including of women, ethnic minorities, and religious communities, are deeply concerning. 

    Iran must end her violent suppression of dissent, establish a moratorium on executions, and cooperate with UN accountability mechanisms.

    Beyond conflict, governments are also using technology, law, and state power to silence dissent.

    In China, evidence of violations in Xinjiang and Tibet persists. 

    The Ethnic Unity Law risks entrenching restrictions on the rights and freedoms of ethnic minorities. 

    China should implement the recommendations of the 2022 assessment, release those arbitrarily detained, address reports of forced labour, and allow meaningful independent access to Tibet.

    In Hong Kong, recent convictions underscore how the National Security Law is being used to restrict political expression. 

    Earlier this year, Jimmy Lai was sentenced to 20 years in prison; we call for his release.

    Mr President, in these country contexts and elsewhere, civil society and human rights defenders turn commitments into change. 

    But they face intimidation, reprisals, and transnational repression, including for cooperating with the United Nations. 

    The United Kingdom unequivocally condemns such retaliation. 

    We are proud to support the Lighthouse Fund, providing protection for human rights defenders under threat.

    We will also continue to defend the rights of women and girls globally. 

    This includes tackling all forms of violence against women and girls and promoting comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights. 

    We will champion women’s economic empowerment and their full, equal, and meaningful participation in public life and in decisions on peace and security.

    Human rights are universal. 

    They apply equally to every person, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and other LGBT+ people. 

    No one should face violence, criminalisation, or exclusion because of who they are, or who they love, or how they express themselves.

    At a time of pressure on the UN human rights system, the answer is not to lower our ambition. 

    It is to focus the system where it adds unique value: through independent scrutiny, through credible evidence, through accountability, and through protection for those whose voices are silenced. 

    The United Kingdom will listen, act, and work with partners from every region. 

    And we will defend universal rights without fear or favour because defending human dignity is the surest way to build a safer and a fairer world.

  • PRESS RELEASE : New UK sanctions target Kremlin war chest, propagandists and torturers [October 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : New UK sanctions target Kremlin war chest, propagandists and torturers [October 2026]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 1 October 2026.

    The UK has announced a package of 31 sanctions against Russia as UK steps up economic pressure ahead of the winter.

    • New package of sanctions against Russia announced as UK steps up economic pressure ahead of the winter.
    • 31 new measures include sanctioning LNG shadow fleet vessels, Kremlin disinformation networks and perpetrators of civilian torture and child indoctrination. 
    • Action comes as Russia fired over 3,100 jet powered drones into Ukraine in September, outstripping its grim wartime record from August.  

    The UK has announced a package of sanctions designed to stem funding for Putin’s war chest, disrupt disinformation networks and go after those responsible for torturing Ukrainian civilians and deporting Ukrainian children.

    Following sham elections in Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine earlier this month, the UK is now taking firm action against people and entities found to have undermined Ukraine’s territorial integrity through human rights abuses.  

    They include eight people involved in the arbitrary detention, torture and ill-treatment of Ukrainian civilians. These abuses are part of a wider system of repression in Russia’s occupied territories, where enforced disappearance and denial of justice have also been used against Ukrainian civilians.

    A further seven individuals are being targeted for their role in the indoctrination and militarisation of Ukrainian children, including those deported by the Russian authorities. To date, an estimated 6,000 Ukrainian children have been forcibly relocated to a network of heinous so-called “re-education” camps.  

    Millions more Ukrainian children living under Russian occupation are subjected to Kremlin propaganda programmes. These include training in weapons handling and drone operation and are designed to strip children of their Ukrainian identity while preparing them to serve the very state attacking their homeland. 

    In addition, the Russian state is attempting to build a dangerous new ‘shadow fleet’ to circumvent sanctions and sustain revenues from its gas exports. Today’s package targets several vessels acquired to support that effort, including some that entered service as recently as July this year. By targeting these ships, the UK is increasing pressure on a sector the Russian state sees as critical to its future revenues. 

    Minister for Europe Lord Wood of Anfield said:

    We are targeting both the revenues that help sustain Russia’s aggression and perpetrators of horrendous crimes against Ukrainian civilians, including children. The UK will not flinch in our support for Ukraine.

    As part of the UK’s work with international partners to support their transition away from Russian energy, existing licensing arrangements have been extended to cover LNG, on a targeted and time-limited basis, to support the Republic of Korea’s and Japan’s energy security.

    Japan and the Republic of Korea are close partners of the UK that have shown leadership in their support for Ukraine. As a member of the Coalition of the Willing, Japan has pledged over $20 billion in financial, humanitarian and reconstruction assistance to Ukraine. In July 2026 the Republic of Korea also announced a new $100 million package of assistance for Ukraine. 

    The UK has led international efforts to crack down on Russia’s decrepit shadow fleet, sanctioning nearly 600 tankers used to evade Western sanctions and bankroll Putin’s war machine. In June, UK forces delivered another blow when they intercepted the shadow fleet vessel SMYRTOS, sending a clear message that those helping to fund Russia’s aggression cannot hide. International sanctions have already deprived Russia of nearly $500 billion in funding for its war effort and the UK will continue to keep up the pressure. 

    It comes as Russia continues to intensify its vicious air attacks on Ukraine, with drone and missile strikes in the last week killing at least 44 civilians and injuring a further 315, and follows the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary’s diplomatic push to support Ukraine at UNGA. 

    Russia has continued to wage a disinformation war across the world, utilising a network of faceless online bot farms and trolls to target democratic processes and spread disinformation.  

    As the Prime Minister made clear at the UN last week, the Kremlin spends around £1.3 billion each year on manipulating information – putting the security of Europe and the UK at stake. Today’s package includes seven individuals – including four Georgian nationals – involved in spreading pro-Kremlin disinformation, from legitimising Russia’s occupation of Ukrainian territory to serving in Russian-installed authorities in occupied South Ossetia,  

    Today’s measures demonstrate the UK’s determination, alongside partners, to hold those responsible for Russian state aggression against Ukraine to account, constrain the revenues sustaining its war and defend the security of Ukraine, the UK and Europe. While the UK does not seek confrontation with Russia, until Putin chooses to end his senseless and barbaric war, the UK’s support for Ukraine will remain unshakeable. 

    Notes to editors:

  • PRESS RELEASE : Toughest restrictions ever imposed on offenders on licence [October 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Toughest restrictions ever imposed on offenders on licence [October 2026]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 1 October 2026.

    Offenders leaving prison from today will be monitored under the toughest supervision in British history, as new powers to restrict their movements come into force.

    • World-first restriction zones will keep offenders in areas just a few miles wide
    • Bans from pubs, clubs, football matches and public events
    • A record number of offenders are being tagged, as Government rolls out biggest ever extension of tagging
    • Victim-focused approach to justice will see national helpline for victims and trauma-focused local support services

    Offenders leaving prison from today will be monitored under the toughest supervision in British history, as new powers to restrict their movements come into force.

    The new tough new rules that will mean the prison gate is no longer where punishment ends, creating a prison in the community to protect the public and victims.

    For the first time anywhere in the world, new restriction zones will tightly control the movements of the highest-risk sexual and violent offenders – confining many to an area just a few miles wide, keeping them away from those they have harmed and allowing victims to rebuild their lives without fear.

    The biggest ever expansion of electronic monitoring in British history is also being rolled out with a new presumption that offenders will be electronically tagged and monitored when they leave prison. New technology rolling out this year will give probation near-live access to tagging data, helping probation staff spot breaches and act quickly when offenders step out of line.

    Cracking down further still, offenders can also now be banned from pubs, clubs and public events like football matches to prevent disruption and harm to the community. From next year, the government is also launching random drug testing for thousands of offenders.

    Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Alex Norris, said:

    Today we are introducing the toughest ever range of tools to control prison leavers and better protect the public.

    We understand the anxiety victims face ahead of offenders release dates, but the greatest danger to victims would be prisons running out of cells for dangerous criminals which was the crisis this government inherited. 

    Our plan will make sure this never happens again by building 14,000 prison places while subjecting offenders to the toughest ever controls – leaving them nowhere to hide and under no doubt that we are watching them.

    This follows action by the Prime Minister and Lord Chancellor to block more of the most dangerous offenders from coming out of prison any earlier, including those serving time for manslaughter and death by drunk or dangerous driving.

    Criminals locked up for rape, and serious and historic child sex offences such as grooming will also stay locked up. When these offenders are finally released, they will be subject to the highest levels of contact and oversight, including being forced to live in secure accommodation with strict curfews.

    Under these changes, victims will be firmly at the front and centre of the justice system,  offered better practical and emotional support, thanks to a new helpline, operated by Victim Support, launching today. Local therapeutic support and victim advocacy will also be strengthened as part of an £18.9m cash injection, meaning victims can access the specialist help they need, when they need it.  

    The government is also investing an unprecedented £550 million towards victim support services as part of its mission to halve violence against women and girls. This comes on top of £500m to give domestic abuse victims and their children safe accommodation, placing domestic abuse specialists in 999 call centres, and rolling out Domestic Abuse Protection Orders to protect victims.

    Boosting victim protection comes after tis government inherited a prisons system in crisis. Adult male prisons are now at 98% capacity after more than decade of underinvestment when just 500 net spaces were added. That is why this government is fixing the broken prison system for good. This Government has delivered more than 3,300 prison places, part of a pledge to build 14,000 over the next five years.

    This record prison-building programme will put prisons on a sustainable footing, keep cells available for dangerous criminals and end the cycle of emergency release measures used before July 2024.

    From early next year, we will introduce a new power to deport some foreign criminals immediately after sentencing, blocking them from ever returning to the country, while keeping those in prison for the most serious crimes locked up for a substantial period before they are removed.

    Notes to editors:

    • We are investing a record £700 million investment in probation and community punishment, including £100 million to expand electronic monitoring and 1,300 additional probation staff to strengthen supervision and protect the public.
  • PRESS RELEASE : £2,000 boost for small businesses who take on young apprentices [October 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : £2,000 boost for small businesses who take on young apprentices [October 2026]

    The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 1 October 2026.

    Smaller businesses backing the next generation will receive £2,000 for every new young apprentice they take on, opening more doors for young people into skilled careers across the country.

    • Small and medium-sized businesses to receive £2,000 for every young person taken on as an apprentice 
    • Refreshed apprenticeships.gov.uk website to make it easier than ever for businesses to get help with hiring apprentices. 
    • Part of government’s wider drive to deliver 50,000 more youth apprenticeships as it continues to create opportunity for young people across the country

    Smaller businesses backing the next generation will receive £2,000 for every new young apprentice they take on, opening more doors for young people into skilled careers across the country. 

    Backed by the Federation of Small Businesses, the move will help non-levy paying employers, which are typically small- and medium-sized enterprises, to cover the costs of taking on a young person as an apprentice, building the talent pipeline they need to thrive and grow.  

    To make it as simple as possible for smaller businesses, they do not need to apply for the payment, and it will instead be passed onto them via their apprenticeship training provider. 

    Small and medium sized businesses are vital for driving growth in every postcode, and this payment will help them better support young people in their local area, enabling people to access a wider range of career opportunities that might otherwise have been out of reach. 

    As part of ongoing efforts to improve the apprenticeship system for apprentices and businesses a new and improved apprenticeships.gov.uk will serve as a one-stop shop for businesses looking for clear, practical guidance on hiring apprentices, from eligibility criteria through to funding and support.   

    Employers will be able to calculate how much funding support they are eligible for and hear from real businesses on their apprenticeship experiences, while young people can browse a range of opportunities by interest and access a step-by-step journey of how to apply for an apprenticeship. 

    Together, these measures are part of the government’s drive to fix the youth unemployment crisis and bring back hope. 

    This is backed by the government’s additional £2.5 billion investment in the Youth Guarantee and the Growth and Skills Levy, which will deliver almost one million opportunities including 50,000 more youth apprenticeships.  

    Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said:  

    To ensure every young person has the chance to earn and learn, we must support small- and medium-sized businesses to take on young people.

    That’s why we’re giving every small business hiring a young apprentice £2,000 – on top of the countless other benefits that young person will bring – and putting all the information a business needs in one place online.

    We promised 50,000 more youth apprenticeships, and we’re delivering on that promise, one hire at a time.

    Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:   

    The more a business invests in its workers, the more invested the workers are in the success of the business.

    This apprenticeship support is a fantastic opportunity for small businesses to get access to exceptional talent, and in return, gain the fresh energy, ideas and loyalty that come from investing in someone’s future.

    By putting the support and guidance they need all in one place, we’re making it easier than ever for small businesses to say ‘you’re hired’ to an apprentice.

    Craig Beaumont, Executive Director of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), said:  

    FSB campaigned for the return of a meaningful apprenticeship hiring incentive and we are pleased to see this come into effect. Taking on an apprentice comes with extra costs so financial support can make a real difference for small business owners.

    The new £2,000 incentive for non-levy paying employers will give small firms much-needed extra support to take on and train up more apprentices and help tackle the growing challenge of young people not in education, employment or training.

    It’s particularly positive that this funding can be stacked with other support worth up to £6,000, so could form a substantive package of up to £8,000 per apprentice. Combined with wider reforms to expand apprentice brokerage services to all the mayoralties, this is a good step towards helping more small firms invest in the next generation of workers.

    We’d encourage small business owners to make the most of this support.

    Rather than small businesses applying for the payment, eligible apprentices will be identified as they start their training and the hiring payment will be sent to the apprenticeship provider to pass onto employers. It will be paid in two instalments: £1,000 after the apprentice completes their first 90 days, and the second £1,000 after the one-year mark, or after 242 days for shorter apprenticeships and foundation apprenticeships. 

    The new support comes alongside an expansion of the Apprenticeship Brokerage pilot to all existing Mayors within a Strategic Authority across England. This expansion is recognition that Mayors can play a powerful role in convening employers, know their local skills needs and are best placed create the apprenticeships their communities need.  

    Backed by £100 million of additional funding across two years, the expansion doubles the number of areas that will be able to support young people into new opportunities and help them to take the first step into a rewarding and sustainable career in the local area. 

    Additional information

    Apprenticeship Hiring Payment:  

    Eligibility: 

    • A non-levy paying employer can get £2,000 to support their apprentice in the workplace if, at the start of their apprenticeship training, they are one of the following: 
    • 16 to 24 years old 
    • 15 years old (if the apprentice’s 16th birthday is between the last Friday of June and 31 August) 
    • And providing they started their job with the employer no more than 90 days before beginning their apprenticeship training. 
    • The employer can spend it on any costs related to their employment, for example their work equipment, travel costs or uniform. 

    How and when the employer will be paid 

    • The employer be paid in 2 instalments of £1,000. They do not need to apply to claim these payments. Their training provider will pass them on if they are eligible. 
    • They will get: 
    • the first payment of £1,000 – 90 days after the apprenticeship started 
    • the second payment of £1,000 – one year after the apprenticeship started, or after 242 days for a foundation apprenticeship 
    • Training providers must pay the employer within 30 working days of receiving the money from the government. 
    • The employer will only get paid if the apprentice is still employed by them when each payment is due. 
  • PRESS RELEASE : Call for bold new ideas to support disabled people and those with health conditions into work [October 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Call for bold new ideas to support disabled people and those with health conditions into work [October 2026]

    The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 1 October 2026.

    Businesses, charities and innovators can start bidding for a share of £60 million to help unlock work for the millions of people out of work with a disability or a health condition.

    • Organisations across the UK can now bid for a share of £60 million overall to test bold new ways of supporting disabled people and people with health conditions to enter, stay and progress in work.
    • Fund will back new and innovative ideas to break down barriers to employment, including AI-powered job-matching tools and digital therapies for mental health support, and is backed by the former John Lewis boss Sir Charlie Mayfield.
    • Expert panel – including Paralympian Tanni Grey-Thompson – to help design the fund and shortlist best ideas.
    • Comes as part of the Government’s £3.5 billion drive to transform support for disabled people and those with health conditions.

    Businesses, charities and innovators can start bidding for a share of £60 million to help unlock work for the millions of people out of work with a disability or a health condition.

    The Pathways to Work Innovation Fund – first announced in July – is a ‘call to action’ for the private, voluntary and public sectors to come forward with the most ambitious, creative ideas to help disabled people and those with health conditions get into and on at work.

    These ideas could include AI-powered job-matching tools, prosthetics, digital therapies for mental illness and innovative ways to support people with ill health and more. Applications will close on 26 October 2026.

    Almost 800 organisations took part in a recent agenda-setting first event as part of the programme – the first in a series of events taking place across the country to drive engagement among local business leaders who will play a key role in helping support people into work and drive growth in every postcode.

    The new approach comes alongside wider Government action to help the 2.8 million people out of work due to sickness into employment and fulfil their full potential, as part of reforms to the broken welfare system this government inherited, including:

    • Rebalancing Universal Credit to remove the perverse incentives that push people away from work.
    • Introducing a Right to Try Work Guarantee, giving everyone who can work the chance to do so without fear of losing their benefits.
    • Investing £3.5 billion in tailored employment support for sick or disabled people.
    • Increasing face-to-face assessments for health benefits.
    • Tackling fraud and error in the benefits system, saving £14.6 billion over this Parliament

    Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said:

    We want the best ideas from business, charities and disabled people themselves, to help us transform employment support and make sure no talent is left behind.

    These ideas will help us support disabled people in work, helping them to thrive and fulfil their full potential, tackle the disability employment gap and help businesses drive growth across every postcode.

    As part of his ambition to deliver technical solutions alongside Government action to tackle economic inactivity, the Work and Pensions Secretary chaired a tech roundtable in July where some organisations showcased their work, including:

    • Koalaa, which designs and manufactures comfortable, affordable prosthetics for all ages.
    • Ufi VocTech Trust, which funds platforms making vocational training and job onboarding accessible to neurodivergent people and those with learning or health conditions.

    An expert panel, including Paralympian Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, will help decide which bids should receive funding, making sure disabled people’s experiences shape the outcome.

    Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, Paralympian and Member of House of Lords, said:

    We know that with the right support, disabled people can and do thrive in the workplace. This is a real opportunity to back the bold, creative ideas that can make that happen, and I would urge businesses, charities and innovators across the country to come forward with their best thinking.

    Helping shape this Fund matters to me because finding and keeping work matters enormously, not just for individual wellbeing and independence, but for society as a whole.

    Potential bidders have been attending events across the country to hear directly from experts about the Fund, walking them through the application process and what’s needed to submit a strong bid. Members of the Fund’s Advisory Panel are also on hand throughout, offering their insight and expertise to those considering an application.

    Sir Charlie Mayfield, author of the Keep Britain Working Review and Co-Chair of the Keep Britain Working programme, said:

    Economic inactivity caused by health conditions costs our economy £212 billion a year.

    But this is fixable. We need ambitious, creative approaches to help disabled people and those with health conditions get into and stay in work.

    If you’re a business, a charity, or an innovator, this is your chance to bid for funding and test genuinely new ways of transforming employment support.

    Antony Walker, Deputy CEO, techUK said:

    techUK was delighted to host the Secretary of State to launch the Pathways to Work Innovation Fund.

    Our members are already developing innovative technologies that are breaking down barriers, helping disabled people and those with health conditions find work, stay in work and thrive.

    This £60 million investment can build on that success by speeding up the adoption of proven solutions. We look forward to working with DWP to make sure the Fund reaches the innovators, particularly the UK’s dynamic SMEs, who can make the biggest difference.

    Additional information

    The Pathways to Work Innovation Fund opened for bids on 28th September, with full details of how to apply available at Pathways to Work Innovation Fund: applicant bid pack – GOV.UK.

    The Fund is open to public, private and voluntary sector organisations across the UK.

    Companies showcased at the Fund’s launch included:

    • Big Health – digital therapeutics for common mental health conditions such as insomnia, anxiety and depression
    • Beam – an AI caseworker platform that has supported over 7,000 people with health conditions into work
    • Cogniss – a no-code platform that makes app development highly accessible and facilitates the creation of digital health and behaviour-change apps
    • Ally Labs – provides an array of services and technologies designed to support mental health and wellbeing
    • Ufi VocTech Trust – funds platforms that make vocational training and job onboarding accessible to neurodivergent individuals and those with learning disabilities or health conditions
    • Koalaa – designs and manufactures comfortable and affordable prosthetics for all ages
    • Blum Health – UK-based healthcare innovation, designing and scaling NHS-compliant software, AI solutions and patient engagement platforms
    • Radii Devices – a web-based platform supporting clinicians to provide optimal fitting prosthetics to disabled people

    Full list of expert panel members:

    • Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson – Paralympian and Member of the House of Lords
    • Andrew Greenway – Founder, Public Digital
    • Angela Matthews – Director, Business Disability Forum
    • Giles Barker – Workplace Disability Lead, Channel 4
    • Jon Sparkes – Chief Executive of Mencap
    • Mark Esho – Entrepreneur, founder and co-owner of Easy Internet Services Ltd and Easy Internet Solutions
    • Nabila Gardner – Director and Health and Wellbeing Coach of Ways of Wellbeing and member of the DWP Independent Disability Advisory Panel
    • Adam Whitworth – Professor at University of Strathclyde
    • Mark Hodgkinson – Chair, The Valuable 500 Foundation

    Additional advisers put forward by the Northern Ireland Executive and Welsh Government are being appointed and will be confirmed shortly.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Russia’s battlefield claims do not withstand examination – UK statement to the OSCE [September 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Russia’s battlefield claims do not withstand examination – UK statement to the OSCE [September 2026]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 30 September 2026.

    Colonel Joby Rimmer, UK Senior Military Advisor, challenges Russia’s claims of inevitable military success in Ukraine and calls for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire.

    Thank you, Mr Chair.

    At last week’s FSC, the Russian delegation attempted to present a picture of their inevitable military success in Ukraine. It was claimed that the Russian Armed Forces were “steadily advancing on all fronts”, they described Ukrainian operations and counterattacks as “futile”, and they portrayed Western military assistance as ineffective.

    Those claims do not withstand examination, and we feel they must be addressed in this Forum.

    Russia claimed to have taken more than 5,300 square kilometres and over 220 settlements during 2026, including more than 670 square kilometres and 27 settlements in September. Independent open-source analysis found nothing even close to those figures.

    Assessments are that Russia had secured only a fraction of the territory claimed, while Ukrainian counterattacks had liberated significant areas. The Institute for the Study of War says that Ukraine has liberated 85 square kilometres of territory during Operation VIVALDI alone.

    Interpreting selected tactical movements as “advancing on all fronts” is not a military assessment. There are absolutely no indicators of a decisive Russian breakthrough, or any sense that there has been any achievement of the objectives of the so-called “special military operation”.

    Russia has made localised gains, but minor tactical movements do not represent any sort of inevitable victory. Russian forces are not advancing everywhere. Ukraine has not collapsed, and the Ukrainian Armed Forces remain extremely capable of regaining territory, as the evidence shows on parts of the front.

    In the same presentation last week, Russia used images of “decimated” Western equipment to boast that military assistance to Ukraine had failed.

    I know all too well from personal experience that Western vehicles are not invulnerable. Some of them may have been destroyed, damaged or abandoned, but the loss of individual systems is inherent in high-intensity warfare, and it does not establish that those systems have been operationally ineffective.

    The appropriate comparison with the Russian Federation is cumulative and proportional. By May 2026, the open-source project ORYX had visually confirmed Russian losses of 4,390 main battle tanks, 6,429 infantry fighting vehicles, 730 armoured personnel carriers and over 2,000 other armoured vehicle variants.

    We have seen the defeat of thousands of Russian fighting vehicles, and these are documented losses, supported by photographic or video evidence, and therefore represent a minimum rather than a complete total. They cannot be reconciled with the unverified images of so-called effortless military progress presented by the Russian Federation last week.

    Russia’s own conduct contradicts its claims. It maintains that Western military assistance has failed, yet repeatedly demands that we cease providing it. The considerable effort that the Russian Armed Forces devote to locating these systems, disrupting their supply and striking defence-production facilities in Ukraine demonstrates the value of that assistance.

    In this Forum, Russia has threatened companies engaged in defence-industrial co-operation with Ukraine, but such threats will not deter us. We will continue to provide Ukraine with the support and equipment it needs to defend itself against Russia’s invasion.

    At the same time, we remain clear, and state clearly, that the United Kingdom does not seek escalation with Russia.

    Nor in last week’s presentation was there described a defeated or militarily paralysed Ukraine. Russia’s own account acknowledged Ukrainian attacks across occupied Ukrainian territory and deep inside Russia.

    Ukraine retains the ability to defend the front, conduct counterattacks and strike military and war-supporting targets at considerable range. More than four years after the Russian Federation’s illegal full-scale invasion, Ukraine’s Armed Forces remain operational.

    Ukraine’s defence industry continues to adapt, and its international defence partnerships are deepening. Russia has failed to capture all of the Ukrainian territory it now demands that Ukraine surrender.

    Well, there is another course available. Russia can stop sacrificing its personnel and equipment for diminishing military returns. Russia can agree to a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire, and can engage seriously in negotiations towards a just and lasting peace.

    And, Mr Chair, the choice facing the Kremlin is not between inevitable victory and negotiation. It is between continuing a costly and indecisive war, or choosing ceasefire, negotiation and peace.

    We call on the Russian Federation to make the right choice.

    Thank you, Mr Chair.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Government goes further to protect leaseholders [September 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Government goes further to protect leaseholders [September 2026]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Housing on 30 September 2026.

    Leaseholders will be given more rights and better protections under new rules, the government can confirm today.

    Under the current system, leaseholders and those living on freehold estates can be forced to pay fees in order to receive their landlord’s permission for simple requests like keeping a pet – with no certainty of the costs and no clear oversight of the process.    

    The government will legislate to give the Secretary of State powers to introduce caps on these fees that are genuinely reasonable and that landlords must follow.    

    These powers will also cover privately managed estates where homeowners can face similar charges for minor cosmetic changes to their properties.   

    As well as permission fees, the legislative changes will enable a clamp down on administrative fees, where landlords can charge for providing documents on request, or even for simply notifying them of a change in mortgage provider. 

    A public consultation will be launched on the scope of what should be capped and the amount for each item.   

    In addition, for the first time ever, the government intends to introduce independent regulation of property agents – giving leaseholders, tenants and homebuyers a route towards better rights and protections.  

    A regulator can set codes of practice, such as standards of conduct and proper complaint handling for those they regulate.  

    Property agents will be required to obtain a licence to do the job, as well as appropriate qualifications to operate. If they fall foul of the required standards, the regulator would have the power to take their licences away.  

    These measures will fundamentally rewire homeownership, whilst supporting over 5 million existing leaseholders and future homeowners, who will benefit from stronger control, powers and protections. The government is committed to bringing forward these changes as soon as possible and will set out more information in due course.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Nearly 50 arrests in people smuggling crackdown at Irish border [September 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Nearly 50 arrests in people smuggling crackdown at Irish border [September 2026]

    The press release issued by the Home Office on 29 September 2026.

    Week of action targets criminal gangs who illegally try to enter the UK from Ireland, comes alongside a wider 74% surge in organised immigration crime arrests.

    Immigration Enforcement has handed a blow to organised criminal gangs illegally smuggling people from Ireland to the UK, with 49 arrests across 3 days of targeted action at UK ports. 

    Between Tuesday 22 September and Thursday 24 September, law enforcement agencies patrolled a number of seaports, airports, roads and rail networks across Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales in a bid to catch those circumventing UK immigration laws. 

    Operation Comby, a multi-agency crackdown targeting individuals who have illegally passed from Ireland to the UK has led to the arrest of over 250 organised criminals and immigration offenders since the election – of which 113 have been removed. The operation has also seen the seizure of almost half a million pounds in cash. 

    It aims to stamp out abuse of the Common Travel Area (CTA) between the United Kingdom and Ireland. The CTA is a long-standing arrangement between the United Kingdom and Ireland which allows British and Irish citizens to move freely between each country. 

    This activity works alongside Immigration Enforcement’s Operation Gull which provides routine deployments across Northern Irish ports and airports, tackling everyday abuse of the CTA which has led to almost 1,000 arrests in the last year.

    Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Anna Turley said:

    We are bearing down on these organised criminal gangs who operate on wicked lies and deception.

    Individuals who think they can get round our laws will quickly find out that they will not be successful.

    This operation is a very clear example of Immigration Enforcement’s round the clock work disrupt these criminal gangs and remove those with no right to be in the UK.

    At Belfast International Airport, 2 Romanian women were arrested as illegal entrants to the UK, having travelled from Ireland to Northern Ireland without required permissions. Further checks identified them as possible victims of people trafficking. Intelligence was gained on the criminals who pushed them into the journey. One was detained for removal back to Romania and the other voluntarily returned back to Ireland. 

    Following intelligence sharing, Belfast Harbour Police stopped a vehicle at Belfast Port carrying 4 Romanian nationals. Searches of the vehicle found £130,000 worth of counterfeit Apple products. All 4 individuals were arrested and now face removal from the UK. 

    Director of Enforcement, Compliance and Crime, Eddy Montgomery, said:

    As part of our wider crackdown on abuse of the Common Travel Area, Operation Comby is delivering an intelligence-led approach to disrupting Organised Immigration Crime, targeting criminal networks that exploit these routes.

    Immigration crime can take many forms, but at the heart of what we do is protecting vulnerable people and ensuring the criminal gangs who exploit them are brought down.

    Between July 2024 and June 2026, Immigration Enforcement conducted almost 3,000 enforcement visits in Northern Ireland resulting in over 2,400 arrests.   

    Nearly 1,000 people have been subsequently returned, with almost 500 of these being to Ireland.   

    On top of this, the Home Secretary announced that she will double the Immigration Enforcement budget by 2028/29 and boost workforce numbers by 60%. This will see tens of thousands more raids, arrests, and removal of those with no right to be in the UK.  

    The government has already begun the work of restoring control and order to our borders. Since the election, over 80,000 immigration offenders and foreign criminals have been removed from the UK.