Tag: Speeches

  • Stephen Kinnock – 2026 Comments on Becoming Welsh Secretary

    Stephen Kinnock – 2026 Comments on Becoming Welsh Secretary

    The comments made by Stephen Kinnock on 22 July 2026 after becoming the new Secretary of State for Wales.

    It is the privilege of my life to be appointed Welsh Secretary, and to serve the people of Wales as part of Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s new Cabinet. 

    Wales succeeds when we all pull in the same direction, and I will work across all levels of government to deliver the best possible outcomes for our communities as a dynamic and confident country in a dynamic and strong United Kingdom.

    As Welsh Secretary I will ensure that the Wales Office will continue to champion Wales within the UK Government and that the needs of the Welsh people are prioritised. 

    This is about building a strong Wales within a strong United Kingdom where everyone has the opportunity to reach their full potential with good growth in every Welsh postcode and where communities are in control and supported by government at every level.

    I am truly honoured to be taking on this role at such a pivotal time for Wales and for the UK, and I am clear that there is no limit to what we can achieve by working together.

  • Wes Streeting – 2026 Apology over Letting Prisoners out Early Comments

    Wes Streeting – 2026 Apology over Letting Prisoners out Early Comments

    The comments made by Wes Streeting on 21 July 2026.

    I hope everyone can see there was no ill intent behind this ribbing of the new Justice Secretary – it was a reference to an old May/Clarke joke.

    But I appreciate these are very serious issues and am sorry for any offence inadvertently caused by this moment of levity.

  • Hilary Benn – 2026 Resignation Comments

    Hilary Benn – 2026 Resignation Comments

    The comments made by Hilary Benn, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, on 20 July 2026.

    It has been a great privilege to serve as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and to work with the many wonderful people I have met over the last 2 years.

    I wish my successor all the very best in working with the Executive to protect stability, continuing to generate growth and investment and in taking forward the Troubles Bill which is so important for so many families.

    The Prime Minister will have my full support from the backbenches.

  • James Cleverly – 2026 Comments on Andy Burnham’s Opening Statement

    James Cleverly – 2026 Comments on Andy Burnham’s Opening Statement

    The comments made by James Cleverly, the Shadow Housing Secretary, on 20 July 2026.

    In his speech in Downing Street, Burnham promised he would ‘go through that door behind me and issue my first instruction to end rough sleeping in our country’.

    But there is precious little detail on how this will be paid for. Burnham must come clean on what other MHCLG (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government) programmes have been salami-sliced to fill the gap.

    In Manchester, Burnham promised to end rough sleeping, but failed because he didn’t do the hard work necessary. Now, again, he is making pledges without any plan for delivery.

    If he is really serious about government, he should lay out proposals cut welfare, fund defence and get Britain working again.

  • David Lammy – 2026 Statement after Being Dismissed

    David Lammy – 2026 Statement after Being Dismissed

    The statement made by David Lammy after being dismissed as Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Justice on 20 July 2026.

    It has been the greatest privilege of my life, coming from humble beginnings in Tottenham, to serve in government as Keir Starmer’s Foreign Secretary, Justice Secretary and Britain’s first Black Deputy Prime Minister.

    I am immensely proud of what we achieved, in Opposition and in Government.

    I would have been proud to continue serving in Cabinet. But a new Prime Minister is entitled to build his own team, and I wish Andy Burnham and the new Cabinet every success.

    I will continue to serve the great people of Tottenham, support this Labour government from the backbenches and do everything I can to help defeat Reform again at the next general election.

  • Rachel Reeves – 2026 Resignation Statement

    Rachel Reeves – 2026 Resignation Statement

    The statement made by Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on 20 July 2026.

    It has been the privilege of my life to serve as the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The economy today is stronger, fairer and more resilient because of the choices we have taken as a Labour Government over the past two years.

    Stability restored, investment delivered and reform to our economy under way. I said when I was appointed Chancellor that I would judge my time in office if the lives ordinary working class people have been improved.

    I’m proud to say that they have. And to every young woman and girl let my time in office show there should be no ceilings on your ambitions, your hopes or your dreams. I wish the very best of luck to my successor, Andy and his cabinet.

    You have my full support, and I will continue to play my part in helping this Labour government deliver the change the country needs.

  • Donald Tusk – 2026 Comments on Andy Burnham Becoming Prime Minister

    Donald Tusk – 2026 Comments on Andy Burnham Becoming Prime Minister

    The comments made by Donald Tusk, the Prime Minister of Poland, on 20 July 2026.

    Congratulations, Prime Minister Andy Burnham. Wishing you lots of strength and success in your new role. Poland and the United Kingdom are close friends and allies. I look forward to working together with you for a safer and stronger Europe

  • Andy Burnham – 2026 First Speech as Prime Minister

    Andy Burnham – 2026 First Speech as Prime Minister

    The speech made by Andy Burnham, the Prime Minister, on 20 July 2026.

    I have just come from Buckingham Palace, where I have accepted His Majesty the King’s invitation to form a government.

    In doing so, I am acutely conscious that I am the sixth person in the last ten years to walk up this street, the seventh Prime Minister since 2016.

    Making this a moment for reflection and new resolution.

    It requires my generation of politicians to raise our game, and rise to the new challenge.

    Britain needs to show the world that we can regain our stability once again, and that is our challenge, to make politics work, to make it work better.

    I know people at home are fed up with politics. I hear you. And I want to be honest with you. We have not been good enough, and we need to be better.

    We will be.

    We will make this moment a circuit breaker for Britain, bringing forward the biggest changes in the last forty years.

    A new political model and a new economic model.

    In the 1980s, Britain took some wrong turns. Political power was centralised, economic power privatised, large parts of the country de-industrialised, and they still haven’t recovered.

    Many feel as though they’re still in decline, and they don’t have the ability to turn things around.

    And that’s why we will change politics, to make it more collaborative, more about problem solving than point scoring.

    We will take power out of here and carry it into every postcode in the land so that they can do more.

    And in doing more, build a new economy where we put life’s essentials back under stronger public control to make them affordable to you again.

    Re-industrialising Britain, using public procurement to back British industry.

    Later this year, I will bring forward a new plan for Britain, a 10-year plan, laying out a path from where we are now to where I believe we all want Britain to be, wherever we’re coming from, whatever party we support.

    But I can do something to give people some breathing space now, some help with the cost of living.

    And I will set out some of those measures starting tomorrow, including how we pay for them.

    We will help more young people into work by changing the education system and giving them more support, more mental health support.

    And we will build more council homes.

    That is the fair and sustainable way to bring the welfare bill down, to meet our fiscal rules, and to honour our commitments on defence to our international partners.

    We will help people to live well, building a more preventative state, investing in people’s success, rather than paying for failure.

    And that work starts now.

    I will soon go through that door behind me and issue my first instruction: to end rough sleeping in our country.

    It’s about putting the right values and the right standards at the heart of government.

    I will put the care of people at the heart of everything I do.

    I will give this my all, and I ask you all to pull with me.

    Let’s build a new national sense of unity, of common purpose and positivity.

    Let us make this the moment when Britain starts to believe again.

    The moment we bring back hope.

    Thank you very much everybody.

  • Keir Starmer – 2026 Final Speech as Prime Minister

    Keir Starmer – 2026 Final Speech as Prime Minister

    The speech made by Keir Starmer at 10 Downing Street on 20 July 2026.

    Today I am here to offer my resignation and close the book on my time as Prime Minister. My work is done.

    In six and a half years, I took our party from a historic defeat in 2019, changed it so it was fit to face the country and won a landslide general election victory in 2024.

    Since then, it has been the privilege of my life to serve you and this great country as Prime Minister. I am confident that Britain is now stronger and fairer than it was two years ago.

    Our economy is stronger. Our public services are on the up, with the biggest fall in waiting times for 17 years. Children are being lifted out of poverty every single day. Immigration is down significantly. Our defence and security are on a far stronger footing. And our international reputation is greatly enhanced.

    Yet the thing I will always take away with me, the most humbling aspect of this job, is the front row seat you get to witness the greatest things of this country in action. To see, every day, immeasurable acts of resolve, grit, decency and compassion. From people who serve our country, whether that’s in their regimental colours, NHS scrubs, or simply the millions of people in their communities who volunteer their time and their effort to the ground beneath their feet.

    We face a world now where our enemies will stop at nothing to divide us because of our values, our freedom, our decency, and frankly, because of our unflinching resolve towards the brave people of Ukraine. And so under this attack, it is vital that we remember the greatness of the Britain all around us. That while we debate how to fix our problems, there is something we inherit from our country and our character that can give us confidence that we can change our country for the better; that we can create a Britain where every child can go as far as their talent will take them. And we can unite different people under our common flag if we don’t succumb to that division.

    So, as I now pass the baton to Andy Burnham, I wish him every success. He has my full support.

    And finally, I want to thank once again my family, Vic and our children, my team, all the staff here and across the Labour Party, everyone at Number 10 and across the civil service, and everyone who has supported our efforts along the way.

    For all the focus on individuals, politics will always be a team sport. And the changes we’ve delivered for our country and our party belong to everyone who has fought for them. I thank them again today.

    And I thank the British people for the opportunity to serve. I go with good grace, I go with a smile, and I go proud of everything that we have achieved. Thank you very much.

  • Kemi Badenoch – 2026 Letter to Andy Burnham

    Kemi Badenoch – 2026 Letter to Andy Burnham

    The letter sent by Kemi Badenoch, the Leader of the Opposition, to Andy Burnham, the incoming Prime Minister, on 20 July 2026.

    Dear Andy,

    Congratulations on your appointment as Leader of the Labour Party. Later today you will take over as our Prime Minister. In the interest of our country, I wish you every success.

    As you know, however, it is my job as Leader of the Opposition to hold you to account, and I will never shirk from doing so. You will enter office without having set out a clear plan on any of the issues facing our country. You have refused calls to come to Parliament for questions from MPs, and you have not submitted yourself to serious media scrutiny. This is not a promising start.

    Economically you will have a challenging inheritance from your predecessor. Borrowing, inflation and unemployment have all risen since the 2024 election. Britain faces an unsustainably high tax burden which is hurting families and businesses. The benefits bill is on course to hit £110 billion a year by 2030, the Jobs Tax has created a youth unemployment crisis, and we are borrowing so much that the debt interest alone is more than we spend on defence. The Defence Investment Plan is inadequate to meet the challenges we face and unfunded to the tune of £6 billion.

    I know you have instructed officials to develop a ‘July package’ of announcements. But it’s crucial that you set out how you will pay for each announcement at the same time. Given taxes are already too high, and we are already borrowing far too much, you must commit to making spending cuts and to addressing our debt burden.

    You must not repeat the mistakes of Keir Starmer’s premiership which failed because he refused to stand up to his left-wing Labour backbenchers and their endless demands for tax rises to pay for more welfare. As the Welfare Secretary himself said: every meeting he had with Labour MPs was about who they could tax more to pay for more benefits. Britain cannot go on like this without becoming a welfare state with a country attached.

    I made multiple offers to work together with Keir Starmer in the national interest to bring down the benefits bill. Sadly, he refused these every time. We both know that Labour backbenchers will not vote to cut benefits, so I make the same offer to you. Meet with me, and if we reach agreement on a plan to bring down the benefits bill, 118 Conservative MPs will vote for it on a three-line whip.

    Turning to taxes, I was disappointed by your recent comments that there was room for movement on tax and that you might ask people ‘for a little more’ in tax. I urge you to rule out any new tax rises now, otherwise we will face a damaging summer of speculation, affecting business investment, home owners and family finances.

    Another area where you can make an immediate difference is energy. Ed Miliband has been a disaster for Britain: a one man deindustrialisation machine, destroying thousands of jobs which rely on the North Sea. I welcome the media reports that you intend to grant licences for the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields. As I heard in Aberdeen on Thursday, just two pieces of paper stand in the way of Jackdaw and Rosebank which alone could secure £4 billion of tax revenues by 2034. But you must not stop there. You should overturn the destructive ban on new oil and gas licences which amounts to unilateral energy disarmament. Getting Britain drilling will be good for our energy security, good for our national security and good for our financial security.

    We need common sense policies to get Britain working again. That means cheaper energy, lower taxes, cutting welfare, and stronger borders. Where we support your agenda, I will say so. But I will always stand against the instincts of Labour MPs for higher taxes and more spending.