UKPOL.CO.UK

Tag: Speeches

  • David Lammy – 2024 Statement Following the Release of Vladimir Kara-Murza and Paul Whelan

    David Lammy – 2024 Statement Following the Release of Vladimir Kara-Murza and Paul Whelan

    The statement made by David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, on 1 August 2024.

    I strongly welcome the news that Russia has released a number of prisoners today, and am particularly relieved that British nationals Vladimir Kara-Murza and Paul Whelan will soon be reunited with their families.

    Mr Kara-Murza is a dedicated opponent of Putin’s regime. He should never have been in prison in the first place: the Russian authorities imprisoned him in life-threatening conditions because he courageously told the truth about the war in Ukraine. I pay tribute to his family’s courage in the face of such hardship and hope to speak to him soon.

    Paul Whelan and his family have also experienced an unimaginable ordeal. I look forward to speaking to him as he returns home to his family in the United States after over 5 years in detention.

  • Lisa Nandy – 2024 Speech at the Science and Industry Museum

    Lisa Nandy – 2024 Speech at the Science and Industry Museum

    The speech made by Lisa Nandy, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester on 31 August 2024.

    From the England Football Team to our grassroots coaches, so many of you have told a different story and you have been a light on the hill in times of darkness.

    And you’ve reminded us that there is a better country out there.

    A few years ago I sat down with Danny Boyle, who hails from just down the road in Radcliffe. He says he’s from Bury, but he’s actually from Radcliffe.

    And I asked him how a country that could unite so decisively around the inspiring and inclusive story of the 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony could descend so quickly into anger and polarisation and division.

    I asked him where has that country had gone.

    And he said simply, that it is still there. But it is waiting for someone to give voice to it again.

    And that is my firm belief that this country, as George Orwell said, lies beneath the surface.

    And it will be heard. Not out of some technocratic notion of fulfilling quotas, getting out of London, but because that voice has a spirit and energy our country desperately needs to hear.

    We are meeting here for a reason.

    Because this museum celebrates the industry, innovation, and enterprise of our people. The growing economy our country needs again. The contribution that regions like ours have made to our economy, our country and to the world.

    But most of all it tells the story of all the parts of our nation.

    It’s the story of the ordinary extraordinary people who contribute to the growth of our country, past and present. Who quietly in every community go out and build things that last and constantly, through their hard work, rewrite our national story.

    I spent many, many happy times here in this museum as a kid.

    And in turn have spent many happy times here with my little boy in recent years. Although he does want to know when the train section’s reopening.

    He has grown up knowing, as my generation did, that this is his museum, his

    inheritance – he belongs here, and this inheritance belongs to him.

    This museum, like so many of your institutions, help to shape and define us as we shape and define them. We pass them down from one generation to the next. And we neglect them at our cost.

    This museum is testament to the spirit of the city that has always believed in itself. And empowered the next generation to believe in itself anew; often despite the odds.

    It was just down the road in Salford that Engels wrote ‘The Condition of the Working Class’ in a city that was the driving force of the industrial revolution.

    That spirit lives on in my favourite museum – the People’s History Museum. It’s funded by the councils of Greater Manchester, and there’s a reason that we do. These are the councils who have always understood that the history of ordinary people and the ideas that drove them can not just help us not just to interpret the past, but can help us navigate the future.

    That museum reminds us that change doesn’t come easily. It took the battle of

    Peterloo to enfranchise the men who were building our country – and far too long before our women won that right too. But today I see that spirit at work right here amongst the amazing Mancunian women like Erinma Bell who leads the battle against the violence that scars a generation and shames our country and is a priority for our Government.

    This was the city that gave the world the first free library – the Central Reference Library – which stands as a shining testament to how much the mothers and fathers of this city not only believed in our people, but cherished our culture.

    And I grew up here in the aftermath of the Moss Side Riots and so it is in my DNA that never again can we be allowed to write off a generation of young people. It was that belief that led me into my first job at the youth homelessness charity Centrepoint – where I learnt everything I know about politics from those brave young people – and I feel them walking alongside me as we create a new generation of OnSide Youth Zones – from Wigan to Bolton – and show this generation that they matter to us again.

    From Granada TV and its pioneering journalism, whether the campaign to free the Birmingham Six to the persistent approach to telling the story of Hillsborough and achieving justice for the 96 – to today’s Manchester Evening News that has defied the odds to become one of the most groundbreaking papers in the country and reminds us all why local and regional papers matter so much.

    As the late great Tony Wilson said, “this is Manchester – we do things differently here”.

    That drive, that creativity, that inclusion, that willingness to do things differently. That is the spirit of our new Government.

    I hope you can see and feel it already through the curriculum review we’ve initiated to put creative and sports opportunities back at the heart of a richer, larger life for every single child.

    I hope you can see it through our investment in grassroots sport and our determination that the legacy of the Paris Olympics and Euro 2024 is measured not just in trophies and medals but in choices and chances for every child wherever they live and whatever their background.

    Through our partnerships with our mayors, councils, businesses and charities, we’re putting rocket boosters under our growing industries – film and theatre, TV, fashion, video games, heritage and tourism – to take the brakes off the economy, create opportunity for every child and to export our incredible talent across the world.

    And through my drive to ensure the public appointments that we make truly reflect our country in all its glorious diversity. Not to fulfil a quota, but to ensure that our government draws on the creative might of all of our people.

    This is the spirit this city has always embodied.

    And this is the country that we can be.

    When we turn to face the nation again in five years’ time, it is our ambition that we will face a self-confident country, at ease with itself, where all of our people see themselves in the story we tell ourselves about ourselves as a nation – their contribution seen and valued.

    And that work will be the privilege of my life.

    But it’s work that belongs neither to me nor to this Government but to each of us. Equal citizens, ordinary people, but each one of us with an extraordinary contribution to make.

    I will not pretend it is easy.

    But growing up here, with my background taught me that whatever people say – we can move mountains.

    And when I said I wanted to do this – our first national event in Manchester – they said you wouldn’t come.

    But you did.

    And my message to each and every one of you is that if you share that belief in our country. If you have that zest to make change. If you want to challenge us and are willing to be challenged in turn.

    Then I promise you. That we will walk alongside you. We will have your back. And we will give voice to the country many of us have believed in all our lifetime but never quite yet seen.

    As the great Mancunian band Take That once said:

    “We’ve come so far. And we hope for more.”

    The next chapter in our country’s story is about to be written. What it looks like – is up to us.

  • Alan Strickland – 2024 Maiden Speech on the Economy, Welfare and Public Services

    Alan Strickland – 2024 Maiden Speech on the Economy, Welfare and Public Services

    The maiden speech made by Alan Strickland, the Labour MP for Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor, in the House of Commons on 22 July 2024.

    I congratulate the hon. Member for West Suffolk (Nick Timothy) on his maiden speech, and all those who have spoken for the first time in the House today.

    It is an honour for me to make my maiden speech as the first Member of Parliament for the Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor constituency. I pay tribute to those who came before me. The former Sedgefield constituency makes up the majority of the new seat. In addition, we have taken Spennymoor and Tudhoe wards from Bishop Auckland, and Coxhoe ward from City of Durham. I wish to put on record my thanks and pay tribute to Paul Howell and Dehenna Davison for their public service, and to my hon. Friend the Member for City of Durham (Mary Kelly Foy) for her continuing dedication to her constituents.

    Unlike some former Members of this House, I am not fluent in Latin, but I am assured that the motto of my hometown translates as “Not the Least, but the Greatest we seek.” This has not only served as a powerful statement of intent for the new town of Aycliffe since 1947, but captures the shared spirit of the towns and villages across this new constituency—varied in history, but united in a desire to get on, to do well, to strive for a better future. My own family’s story is testament to this spirit of aspiration that has long defined the working people of our country.

    Several generations ago, both sides of my family were drawn from mining villages across England to the Durham coalfields because of their reputation for good wages and reliable work. In turn, my grandparents moved from pit villages to Aycliffe new town, home for two years to the late Lord Beveridge, in search of modern housing and better jobs for their children. My parents’ generation then worked hard to give us the opportunities that they never had, including higher education, the chance to work across the country and across the world and personal freedoms to flourish. This ethos—that each generation raises the next, that background be no barrier, and that opportunity be distributed as widely as talent—is the driving force in families in my constituency and a lodestar for this Government.

    But making that a reality requires strong economic growth across our country. We must back the industries of the future, such as Hitachi Rail in my constituency, which manufactures world-class, green trains, and employs 700 highly skilled workers and another 1,500 in the supply chain. I thank a former Member of this House, Phil Wilson, for his tireless campaign, alongside The Northern Echo, which led to the plant being located in the area some years ago. I am also grateful for the public commitments made by my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister, the Chancellor and the Transport Secretary to support Hitachi’s future. I look forward to working with them to secure those jobs and expand high-tech manufacturing more widely. That includes the innovative work at Sedgefield’s NETPark. This Durham University spin-off hub develops innovative products in satellite technology, drug development and biological weapon detection, which are then exported around the globe. The creation of jobs in the industries of the future is particularly important in a constituency with former mining communities, where ongoing economic development is badly needed.

    I do not want the House to think that my constituency is all work and no play. We are famous for the Sedgefield ball game—a historic Shrove Tuesday tradition not for the faint-hearted. We are home to excellent football clubs, including Newton Aycliffe, where my parents served on the committee, and Spennymoor Town. Spennymoor itself typifies our rich cultural history, with a heritage trail dedicated to Norman Cornish, one of the pitmen painters, who learned his craft alongside his mining in the Spennymoor settlement.

    Some of the best brass bands in the country can also been found in the constituency. They not only keep alive the cultural traditions of our past, but provide excellent, high-quality music education for new generations of young people today. We are also home to incredible local produce, including artisan chocolate made in Coxhoe, and award-winning real ale brewed at the Surtees Arms in Ferryhill—I have personally quality-assured the latter on several occasions. On the topic of ale, my predecessor Tony Blair was noted for hosting world leaders in pubs across the constituency. I have yet to find a pub without a photo of the former Prime Minister and his closest NATO allies, but my diligent search continues.

    Finally, I am proud of our thriving community organisations. The Ladder Centre does invaluable work to support residents, and the Cornforth Partnership is a lifeline for those looking to get back into work. Just as Durham coal powered our economy in the past, so constituencies such as mine can power our modern economy, with high-tech, green manufacturing and research.

    Let me return to where I began—“Not the Least, but the Greatest we seek.” Mr Deputy Speaker, in this House, let us commit ourselves to seek the greatest—the very best—for our constituents, for our communities and for our great nation. I look forward to seeing the economic measures in the King’s Speech start to spread wealth, growth and opportunity to every corner of this United Kingdom, including the people of Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor.

  • Nick Timothy – 2024 Maiden Speech on the Economy, Welfare and Public Services

    Nick Timothy – 2024 Maiden Speech on the Economy, Welfare and Public Services

    The maiden speech made by Nick Timothy, the Conservative MP for West Suffolk, in the House of Commons on 22 July 2024.

    I congratulate the other new Members on their excellent maiden speeches, in particular the hon. Member for Hartlepool (Mr Brash), where I know his predecessor, Lord Mandelson, recommends the mushy peas.

    It is an honour to be called to speak for the first time. I pay tribute to the last MP for West Suffolk, Matt Hancock, who oversaw the delivery of the covid vaccines, a vital achievement for our country. Less well known is that Matt once rode in, and won, the Blue Square Cavalry Charge horserace in Newmarket, a feat that required him not only to be propelled forward by a thoroughbred horse at 30 miles per hour, but to train for three months and lose 2 stone. For all these reasons, not least the dubiousness of the idea that I have 2 stone to lose, I can assure the House that I will not be stepping into my predecessor’s stirrups.

    Newmarket is the best-known town in my constituency. It is most famous for horseracing, an international success story that brings thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions of pounds to the local economy every year. From Charles I to Charles III, racing gives West Suffolk its long connection to royalty, but unfortunately ours is not an unblemished record, for Newmarket was once the home of Oliver Cromwell’s new model army. Old Ironsides championed free expression yet persecuted his enemies. He attacked aristocratic privilege and patronage, but handed power to his cronies. Censorious, joyless and puritanical—it is like he wrote the Labour manifesto.

    Fortunately, we have left those days of self-denial behind, and from the Star in Lidgate to the Queen’s Head in Hawkedon, the Affleck Arms in Dalham to the White Horse in Withersfield, and many others, we have some of the best pubs in Britain. And we have plenty more besides: beautiful villages, vibrant towns and farms that feed the country; Anglo-Saxon settlements and ancient churches; rolling countryside and big Suffolk skies; dense forest and the world-famous gallops; businesses doing everything from seed drills to particle engineering; charities such as Reach in Haverhill and the day centres in Brandon and Newmarket; Highpoint prison near Stradishall; the airbases at Lakenheath and Mildenhall; and public servants working for their communities every day.

    I look forward to championing them all and addressing our challenges too, including dealing with flooding in Clare, Cavendish and elsewhere, and fighting the appalling decision to approve the Sunnica solar and battery farm, due to be built on high-quality agricultural land. In Brandon, lorry traffic is a problem. We need the Ely and Haughley junctions sorted to get freight on to the railways. In Mildenhall, where 1,300 new homes are coming, we need a relief road. We are not against new house building in West Suffolk—we have had 3,000 new homes built in the last five years—but we need attractive family homes in the right places. We need services and infrastructure to keep pace. We need to get tougher with the developers and reform the construction market. We need to drastically cut immigration, not just for the economic and cultural reasons that should by now be obvious, but to limit new demand for housing.

    Our largest town, Haverhill, has doubled in size in only 30 years, to almost 30,000 residents. It has an incredible community spirit, but the town centre is struggling. We need a new start for our high streets, and I will fight for a railway linking Haverhill to Cambridge. The development of Cambridge looms large for us, but I want us to embrace the opportunities, not just fear the risks. If we get it right, we have the chance to get better infrastructure, new investment and more jobs. That is why I wanted to speak in today’s debate.

    From potholes to public sector pay, the thread that runs through all our challenges is an inconvenient truth. While it is plainly incorrect to claim that the new Government have the worst economic inheritance since the war—[Interruption.] It is incorrect, but we are less prosperous than we often tend to assume. This is not a question of party politics, but of the decline and failure of our country’s long-established economic model. Put simply: we do not make, do or sell enough of what the world needs.

    Our £33 billion trade deficit—1.2% of GDP—means we sell off valuable assets and build up external debt to limit the current account deficit. We end up with less control over our economy, and more exposed to global risks and shocks. From low pay to regional inequality, poor productivity to the funding of public services, all the things we worry about are symptoms of this wider problem.

    We need to question economic theory, challenge Treasury orthodoxy and think beyond the intellectual limits of ideological liberalism. Theories like comparative advantage have led us to offshore industry and grow dependent on hostile states, like China. But international trade is neither free nor fair, and net zero cannot mean sacrificing our prosperity and security. Being a services superpower is a great advantage, but alone it is not enough. We need a serious strategy to reindustrialise, narrow the trade deficit and rebalance the economy. We need to change and, in the months and years ahead, I look forward to debating how we do so.

  • David Lammy – 2024 Speech at ASEAN Foreign Minister’s Meeting in Laos

    David Lammy – 2024 Speech at ASEAN Foreign Minister’s Meeting in Laos

    The speech made by David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, in Laos on 26 July 2024.

    Thank you, Your Excellency Dato Erywan, for your kind words and all your work as UK Country Coordinator. And thank you, Deputy Prime Minister Saleumxay Kommasith, for hosting us in your beautiful country.

    As Foreign Secretary, I have a clear mission: reconnecting Britain with the world. Joining you at the end of only my third week in office shows my long-term commitment to this relationship.

    Britain’s new government recognises that the world is changing rapidly. That we are all stronger when we work together. And that in the Indo-Pacific in particular, ASEAN has a distinct and important voice, working to affirm ASEAN’s centrality for over 50 years.

    So I am delighted that Britain is now ASEAN’s 11th Dialogue Partner. We have made good progress on over 80% of our Plan of Action commitments, and we are showing a genuine spirit of partnership together.

    Take health. COVID sharply illustrated how interconnected the world has become. Today, UK experts have been involved in drafting the ASEAN One Health Plan. And I just launched a new Health Security Partnership Programme, so that together, we can prevent, detect and address health threats of the future.

    Our first joint statement shows our desire to take that spirit of partnership further.

    Let me highlight 3 areas where I see potential to do more.

    First, security. You founded ASEAN during the Cold War. Today, geopolitical rivalry is again on the rise. From Ukraine to Gaza, there are more active conflicts than at any time since 1945. We cannot treat these conflicts in isolation – prosperity and stability in the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific are indivisible.

    And so Britain is committed to working with you to promote peace and security in this region and beyond. By supporting ASEAN’s Five Point Consensus on Myanmar. And seeking to join the ASEAN Regional Forum and ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus.

    Second, economic growth. Our trading relationship is worth almost £50 billion.

    The UK is a top 10 investor in southeast Asia and the region’s third largest partner in financial services. If ASEAN were a single nation – and don’t worry, I recognise this disguises the great diversity of your membership – you would be Britain’s eighth biggest trading partner.

    We can deepen those ties, creating economic opportunities for all.

    Third, climate. Our new government is determined to be back at the forefront of climate action. We will take more action at home, and deepen partnerships abroad, including through our planned ASEAN-UK Green Transition Fund.

    Together, we need to seize the opportunities of the clean energy transition.

    It’s vital to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals – one of your priorities in the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, and to building more resilient economies on a liveable planet.

    Today is about dialogue. So I want to hear your priorities.

    Our goal must be to become even more closely connected. So that we can meet the challenges of this rapidly changing world.

  • John Healey – 2024 Speech at the RUSI Land Warfare Conference

    John Healey – 2024 Speech at the RUSI Land Warfare Conference

    The speech made by John Healey, the Secretary of State for Defence, at Church House, Westminster, on 22 July 2024.

    Thank you for inviting me. I have to say this is a really huge pleasure to join you here and a real honour to do so as the new Secretary of State for Defence for this country.

    So, thank you to RUSI for what is a rich programme over the two days but particularly thank you for letting me join you.

    Last week I visited the Permanent Joint Headquarters to get a briefing on some of the current really critical work that has been going on there. And General Charlie Stickland ran me through what he called his ‘three Rs’.

    Now, I know I am quoting a Royal Marine to an Army audience but hang on it is the joint headquarters.

    Reassurance. Reality. Request.

    I’m always keen to learn. And as a politician I’m always keen to pick other people’s good ideas and try and use them for myself so I’m going to take that to structure my argument, not just a speech, for you today. And I’m going to add to this rule of three Rs to add one of my own: responsibility.

    Let me begin where General Charlie did last week, with reassurance.

    And in some ways, this is my most important point to you.

    This new Government stands steadfast behind the British Army. Behind our wider armed forces and behind all those out of uniform who also make such an important contribution to the defence of this country.

    Many roles, One Defence.

    And in the British Army, you’re essential to our national defence, and to our national resilience. We’re proud of you professionalism, we’re proud of your dedication to service, and your work is central to keeping Britain secure at home and strong abroad.

    Working alongside the RAF to provide life-saving aid to Gaza, training more than 40,000 Ukrainians. Commemorating the D-Day, those heroes who gave their lives to stop the Nazis overrunning Europe. And building ties now with our allies, through exercises like Steadfast Defender in NATO.

    You will have this new Government’s fullest support to do your job, defending Britain and deterring threats.

    Because we know as a government that is our most important first duty – to keep the country safe and to protect our citizens.

    That’s why, at the recent NATO summit in Washington the Prime Minister and I confirmed this Government’s unshakeable commitment to NATO and the UK’s nuclear deterrent.

    And we confirmed also our total commitment to raising defence spending to 2.5% of GDP.

    It’s why the Prime Minister last week launched the first-of-its-kind Strategic Defence Review.

    And it’s why we announced legislation in our first King’s Speech legislation to create a new independent Armed Forces Commissioner to improve service life.

    Reassurance.

    Let me introduce my extra ‘R’ at this point: Responsibility.

    At that NATO summit, in week one, as a new government, we wanted to demonstrate that we were getting on with the job, to serve the country.

    I was struck by how the other nations there looked at us and noted two particular things.

    The first, that in our British system, there is a decisive change of power after an election – unlike many other countries.

    And second, they looked at us and noted that our British government now has a strong mandate promising stability, again, unlike many other countries who are approaching their own elections or facing uncertainty in their governing coalitions.

    This is an important responsibility for us now as a nation. A responsibility in our relations with allies, and of course it is also an opportunity.

    So, as a government, we do have a mandate for change.

    To restore public service to politics.

    To re-earn public trust in Government.

    And to reduce the politics, the partisan politics in national security.

    Because no political party has the monopoly on defence, or pride in our military.

    We in the Labour Party have deep roots in defending this country. And deep respect for those who serve in uniform.

    The scale of the challenges we face requires a national, unified response.

    That’s why the Prime Minister has been clear that a change of government means no change in our commitment to Ukraine.

    It’s why I’ve already offered the Shadow Defence Secretary access to intelligence briefings and will I do so to other relevant members of Parliament.

    And that’s why the Strategic Defence Review will brief and will welcome contributions from other political parties and from across the defence community.

    Because I want to forge Britain’s defence strategy, not just the defence strategy for this new Labour Government.

    Reassurance, responsibility.

    Moving on to the General’s next R which is reality.

    And as I look around this room, you know better than anyone else, these are really serious times.

    We face rapidly increasing global threats.

    I became Shadow Defence Secretary back in 2020. That was before the fall of Kabul, that was before the crisis in the Middle East, it was before Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

    And in the face of this insecure world, the British Army has done and continues to do incredible things.

    And I know during the months and the years that I’ll serve in this post I’ll continue to be inspired by the things you do.

    Vital work. Unique responsibilities. And underpinning it, your historic roots, and traditions.

    I respect that as I do for the other Services.

    The whole country is proud of what you do.

    And as this world becomes more dangerous, we will rely more heavily on your bravery and on your professionalism.

    And the principle of One Defence also becomes increasingly more important.

    The days when we could indulge in inter-service rivalry are over.

    We must be to fit to fight – not fight amongst ourselves.

    So, I really want to see the old rivalries left behind. I really want with you to establish a new era for UK defence.

    Because we know all three services face very serious challenges.

    Hollowed-out forces, procurement waste, low morale. A recruitment and retention crisis.

    And veterans who can’t access the services they deserve.

    And I have to tell you, two weeks into this Government, we now also see that these problems are much worse than we thought.

    But we are getting on with the job, we are getting on with the job with urgency.

    Backing Ukraine, launching our Defence Review, reconnecting with allies.

    We’re doing this with an absolute commitment to improving the service life for those in our Armed Forces.

    With a “NATO first” defence strategy, because Britain is always stronger when we work with others. And of course, facing up to the reality of Putin’s continuing war in Ukraine and his wider aggression.

    So, on my second day in this job, as Jonathan said, I was in Odesa, I spent the afternoon with President Zelenskyy and his team.

    We held our bilateral talks, we celebrated Ukraine’s Navy Day and he and I visited together injured servicemen in a military hospital.

    And again, you in this room know this better than anyone else, the Ukrainians are fighting with huge courage, the military and civilians alike.

    But despite the losses, despite the Ukrainian’s fight, Russia is far from a spent force; and if Putin wins, he will not stop at Ukraine.

    And this war now is at a critical moment.

    So, we are speeding up delivery of aid already pledged by the previous government.

    Stepping up support with a new package of ammunition, anti-armour missiles, de-mining vehicles and artillery guns.

    And we’re confirming £3 billion a year for Ukraine this year and for each of the years ahead, for as long as it takes.

    And finally on Friday, I signed, when President Zelenskyy was in Downing Street, a new Defence Industrial Support Treaty which will be the framework through which we and others can leverage export finance and investment finance to help Ukraine.

    So, the scale of the challenge we face is vast. And that’s why to take this on we need to be at our best.

    And that brings me to the final R which is request.

    We launched our Defence Review last week. I described it earlier as the first of its kind for the UK, because it is externally led, and led by the former Secretary General of NATO George Robertson.

    It will consider the threats that we face, the capabilities that we needed, the state of our armed forces and the resources available to do the job.

    And my ask or request of you today is this. It’s for the Army to play its fullest part in this review. It’s the chance to think afresh, it’s the chance to contribute the ideas needed in that review.

    Because this is a review that will be done with, not to defence.

    It will be done with the Army, not about it.

    It’s a review that our troops want, our public deserves and our country needs.

    And your input in making this a success will be vital.

    Why vital? Well, because Ukraine is showing us how the nature of war is changing more rapidly.

    How the distance between domains is diminishing rapidly. How the imperative to operate as an integrated force is increasing, and as the threats posed to the UK are increasingly interdependent, reinforcing and converging.

    And, as Jack Watling at RUSI who has done so much to organise this conference has argued: We must urgently re-establish credible deterrence to keep these threats in check.

    That means looking at firepower, it means looking at enablement, it means looking at readiness, it means looking at resilience.

    It means looking at the things that don’t present good photo opportunities for a Defence Secretary or a defence minister.

    It means the things that matter in getting results, in being more ready to fight, in being stronger, to be able to fight if we need to fight but deter to avoid that fight in the first place.

    It also means deeper interoperability with our allies.

    And it means industry must also play an integral role alongside the military too.

    And these will be at the heart of the matters that the Defence Review considers.

    It’s fair to say the Army does, and as far as we can see, will always operate as part of a joint forces, fighting not only on the land but from the land

    Boosting combined deterrence and operations.

    We already have Forward Land Forces permanently deployed in eastern Europe to ensure greater security on the Russian border.

    This year we will provide a Land Component for the Allied Reaction Force, providing NATO with a rapid response to crises when needed.

    And from the year beyond, 2026, the United Kingdom will lead NATO’s Special Operations Task Force, and provide a crucial contribution to NATO’s Unconventional Warfare capability.

    And then the greatest opportunity of all, to lead within the alliance is through our offer of a multi-domain Corps as one of SACEUR’s Strategic Reserve Corps.

    Big challenges, big responsibilities, big opportunities for the Army as part of One Defence and a stronger alliance for the future.

    Now this is just our third week in office. We’re a government getting on with the job.

    But my ambition is to see that Defence is not just integral to the future security of Britain but central also to the future success of Britain.

    You, our land forces are essential to that work.

    Together, we can and will make Britain more secure at home and strong abroad.

  • Liz Kendall – 2024 Speech on Getting Britain Working

    Liz Kendall – 2024 Speech on Getting Britain Working

    The speech made by Liz Kendall, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in Barnsley on 23 July 2024.

    INTRODUCTION

    It really is brilliant to be here in Barnsley as you launch your pioneering report on “Pathways to work”.

    You identify tackling economic inactivity as a critical challenge and opportunity, for your town and our country.

    You call for a national ambition

    …. to build a more inclusive economy

    … where people have a right to work

    … and the expectation they’ll be helped to do so.

    You say achieving this will require a radically new approach

    .. not only across Government but by employers, the NHS, Mayors, councils, charities, colleges, communities, and by citizens themselves.

    I am here today to say loudly and clearly.

    That’s precisely what this Government will deliver.

    GETTING BRITAIN WORKING AND GROWING

    In the first two weeks in Government, Chancellor Rachel Reeves and the Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, have taken immediate action to get our economy growing again.

    Overhauling the planning system.

    Launching the National Wealth Fund.

    Creating Skills England.

    And, with the support of my department, unlocking pension investment too.

    Growth is the number one priority of this Government.

    Because it is the only sustainable way that we will improve people’s living standards and rebuild our vital public services.

    Our plan to Get Britain Working is central to this goal.

    DWP is the HR department of the Government’s growth mission.

    But in order to realise that, we need fundamental reform.

    So a department for welfare becomes a genuine department for work.

    Driven by the liberating potential of good work for individuals.

    And by the pursuit of full and fulfilling employment in every corner of our land.

    MY BELIEF IN WORK

    But before I say more about our reforms, I want to say something more personal.

    I have always believed the benefits of work go far beyond a pay slip.

    Having a job and providing for yourself and your family gives millions of people across Britain dignity and self-respect.

    Work can bring pride. Fulfilment. Relationships and connections.

    A sense of purpose. Value. And control.

    Good work is good for mental health.

    And – for millions of women – work can bring freedom, equality and independence too.

    Many of us have to take time away from work. Sometimes because we want to, often because we have to.

    To study, bring up a family or care for a loved one. Or because of ill health, or disability.

    Valuable contributions to our society come in many different shapes and forms.

    People have been denied the chance and the right to participate in the world of work.

    They’ve been excluded.

    Then labelled, and blamed for the position they’re in.

    If this is what has happened to you, my message today is:

    We hear you.

    We are on your side.

    And we will work day and night to put this right.

    BRITAIN ISN’T WORKING

    Employment is down, unemployment is up, and our workforce is shrinking.

    Britain isn’t working, in three damaging ways.

    First, we’ve seen record numbers of people – 2.8 million of our fellow citizens – excluded from the workforce due to long-term sickness.

    A similar number are actually in work with health problems, often at risk of falling out.

    The last Parliament saw the biggest increase in economic inactivity in 40 years.

    Many of these ‘hidden unemployed’ are over 50, struggling with bad hips, knees and joints – something I have experienced myself. The majority are women, often caring for elderly or disabled relatives at the same time.

    Spiralling economic inactivity is bad for individuals, many of whom want to work – as your report clearly shows.

    It’s bad for employers, who are desperate to recruit.

    And it is bad for our public finances too.

    The OBR says spending on sickness and disability benefits is set to increase by £30 billion over the forecast period.

    Imagine what a fraction of that money could do instead.

    The second problem we face is that far too many people are stuck in low paid, poor quality work.

    Only 1 in 6 low paid workers only ever fully escapes into better paid work. Many are in insecure jobs, with unpredictable working patterns.

    The result is too many people are in poverty despite being in work. Too many people lack power or control over their lives. And it leads to stagnant productivity, which is holding our economy back.

    The third major problem is that nearly 1 million young people – a staggering 1 in 8 – are now not in education, employment or training.

    That is up 90,000 in over the last year alone.

    Young people struggling with poor mental health and lacking basic qualifications face the greatest disadvantages.

    Each and every one should have their whole future ahead of them.

    Now these three challenges are all far worse in parts of the Midlands and the North.

    And they show the scale of the challenge this new Government must now confront.

    WHY BRITAIN ISNT WORKING

    So why have we ended up here?

    The causes of the problems we face are complex. In part they reflect the impact of economic, social and demographic forces affecting our country.

    But I am convinced that the [previous] approach has harmed people’s capacity to cope and thrive in the face of the challenges we have in future.

    The fundamental problem is that the current system – of DWP, Jobcentres and other employment support – is almost entirely designed to address the problems of yesterday, not today, tomorrow and beyond.

    We must – and we will – do everything to keep unemployment low.

    But the most urgent challenges today are different.

    They are about how we deal with spiralling inactivity, driven by the fact we are an older, sicker nation.

    They’re about how to ensure all young people get the education, skills and job opportunities they need to kick start their careers.

    And they are about how we enable people – whatever their age – to have decent pay and the chance to build a career. And to benefit from good work that gives them the chance to thrive.

    DWP was focused almost entirely on the benefits system. And specifically on implementing Universal Credit.

    JobcentrePlus a benefit monitoring service, not a public employment service – which was its original aim.

    Nowhere near enough attention to the wider issues – like health, skills, childcare, transport – that play such a huge role in determining whether you get work, stay in work and get on in your work.

    The result is a system that is too siloed and too centralised.

    Which fails to properly join-up health, work and skills.

    And we aren’t rooted in local economies or driven by local needs.

    As today’s report rightly concludes: “People who are economically inactive are not one single group. There will be a few who may act fraudulently. Others who say they cannot work, who could … but the vast majority … face a complex range of barriers … which stop them from getting what both they and policy makers want: a pathway into paid employment.”

    Now I believe in personal responsibility. Under this Government there will be obligations to engage with support, look for work and to take jobs when they are offered.

    As there have been since the original Beveridge report was put in practice.

    But I am in politics to solve problems. Not score cheap points or grab empty headlines that do nothing to tackle the real problems in people’s lives.

    OUR PLAN

    This new Government will be driven by the evidence and by the facts.

    As our new Prime Minister says…

    No more politics by performance.

    No more sticking plaster solutions.

    But a serious Government with a serious plan for a decade of national renewal.

    This starts with a new focus and fundamental reform of the DWP.

    Put simply, under my political leadership the DWP will shift from being a department for welfare to being the department for work.

    And to make this real, let me set out the actions and reforms I am setting in train.

    NEW GOALS

    First, new goals.

    As Keir Starmer said during the election campaign, this Government has a bold, long-term ambition to get an 80% employment rate.

    Currently, that would mean over 2 million more people in work.

    Growth boosted by tens of billions of pounds a year.

    And a multi-billion a year boost to the public finances too.

    We will pursue this ambition alongside our wider economic goals to raise productivity and living standards and to improve the quality of work – as part of the Government’s growth mission.

    And our employment support system will change the outcomes we seek to achieve – higher engagement, higher employment, and higher earnings too.

    My Department will support local areas to make a success of this new approach, starting by devolving new powers over employment support to catalyse action and change.

    Because the man – or even woman – in Whitehall will never know what’s best for Barnsley, Blackpool, or Birmingham.

    DELIVERING THE GOVERNMENT’S GROWTH MISSION

    To drive these changes forward and deliver on our manifesto commitments, we will produce a White Paper to Get Britain Working Soon.

    This will support the other steps we are taking across Government.

    Creating more good jobs in clean energy and through our Modern Industrial Strategy.

    Making work pay and improving the quality of work, through the New Deal for Working People.

    NEW REFORMS

    Alongside these new goals there will be fundamental reform…in three connected parts:

    First, a major overhaul of our Jobcentres.

    Only 1 in 5 people who are looking for work say they use a Jobcentre, and as Alan said only 1 in 6 employers who need staff use them to recruit.

    This actually drops to 1 in 10 for SMEs – the lifeblood of our economy.

    This must change.

    So we will create a new jobs and careers service, bringing together Jobcentre Plus and the National Careers Service focusing on helping people.

    This service will be focused on helping people get into work and get on at work, not only on monitoring and managing benefit claims.

    It will mobilise the potential for new technologies and AI to better help people who are looking for work, or wanting to develop their careers.

    And it will enhance and improve support for employers too which your report says is critical.

    Second we will establish a new youth guarantee to offer training, an apprenticeship, or help to find work for all young people aged 18 to 21.

    And today, I can confirm that we will empower Mayors and local areas to take the lead in driving down economic inactivity and driving up economic opportunity – taking inspiration from the brilliant report we are here to launch today.

    Devolving powers from central Government is key to enabling areas to deliver ambitious new Local Growth Plans. And as part of this we will give local places the responsibility and resources to design a joined-up health, work and skills offer that’s right for local people.

    Our aim is nothing less than a fundamental shift in the balance of power and resources to local areas  … so that our Mayors, local councils, the NHS, businesses, colleges and the voluntary sector can work together to deliver real employment opportunities for local people.

    To drive these changes forward and deliver on our manifesto commitments, we will produce a White Paper to Get Britain Working soon.

    This will support the other steps we are taking across Government.

    Creating more good jobs in clean energy and through our Modern Industrial Strategy.

    Making work pay and improving the quality of work, through the New Deal for Working People.

    Cutting NHS waiting times, improving mental health support particularly for young people, and transforming skills and childcare  … so we tackle the root causes of worklessness and fix the foundations of work, not simply paper over the cracks.

    And we are committed to working across Whitehall to tackle these complex problems, which is what our new mission-driven government is all about.

    NEW ROLE FOR DWP

    Now let us be honest, these new goals and reforms I have set out will require the department I lead to make a different contribution in the years ahead.

    Under my leadership, the DWP will continue to be a major provider of employment support, through the national jobs and careers service.

    But we will also need to be:

    …a driver of innovation, experimentation, and learning, to develop new solutions to complex problems and build the evidence base, just as your pilot seeks to achieve.

    …a capacity builder, working alongside local areas to create the conditions for success, such as – and this is essential –  sharing and unlocking data.

    …and a guardian and champion of quality, outcomes, and user voice and value for money.

    This is hugely challenging but exciting agenda for radical public service reform.

    And to help drive our work, I can announce today that I will be establishing a new Labour Market Advisory Board.

    A group of leading labour market experts to provide me and the department with insight, ideas, and challenges as we deliver a fundamentally new approach.

    I am absolutely delighted that Professor Paul Gregg, former Director of the Centre for Analysis of Social Policy at the University of Bath has agreed to lead this new Advisory Board and we will be announcing further members shortly.

    CONCLUSION

    I am under no illusions about how big a change this will be.

    It can’t happen overnight.

    But we can and we will roll up our sleeves and make a start.

    So if you’re a young person with a mental health problem, or lacking basic skills, we will help you reach your potential.

    If you are disabled and want to work, you will get the respect and support you need.

    If you’re a mum, or caring for an elderly relative, we will be  there with practical help  so you can balance your work and family life.

    If you’re an employer who needs to recruit, or wants help to keep staff in work, we will support you and we will back you to find your next star employee.

    Together, that is what we will deliver.

    To get Britain growing again.

    Get Britain building again.

    And to get Britain working again.

    Thank you.

  • Bridget Phillipson – 2024 Speech at the Embassy Education Conference

    Bridget Phillipson – 2024 Speech at the Embassy Education Conference

    The speech made by Bridget Phillipson, the Secretary of State for Education, at the Embassy Education Conference held on 23 July 2024.

    Thank you very much. I am delighted to be here with you today. Thanks so much for the invitation.

    In my first weeks as secretary of state in this new government I have been resetting relationships across the length and breadth of education.

    I want to refresh old partnerships and grow new ones, not just at home but around the world too.

    By joining forces in education, we can build new bridges between our nations.

    And I want to set the record straight on international students. I know there’s been some mixed messaging from governments in the past, from our predecessors most of all.

    And for too long international students have been treated as political footballs, not valued guests.

    Their fees welcomed, but their presence resented.

    Exploited for cheap headlines, not cherished for all they bring to our communities.

    This government will take a different approach and we will speak clearly.

    Be in no doubt: international students are welcome in the UK.

    This new government values their contribution – to our universities, to our communities, to our country.

    I want Britain to welcome those who want to come to these shores to study, and meet the requirements to do so.

    Now this is part of a wider sea change here in the UK.

    Under this new government, education is once again at the forefront of national life.

    Under this new government, universities are a public good, not a political battleground.

    Under this new government, opportunity is for everyone.

    And our international partnerships are central to this drive to spread opportunity far and wide.

    The more we work together, the more progress we will see in the world – partners in the push for better.

    Closed systems that only look inward quickly run out of ideas. Creativity crumbles, innovation dies, the same thoughts spin round and round and collapse in on themselves.

    But through our international partners, we can reach out across the world and bring back a freshness of thought that breathes new life into our society.

    That includes our universities, and it includes international students.

    How could it not?

    These people are brave. They move to a new culture, far away from their homes and their families.

    They take a leap of faith, hoping to develop new skills and chase new horizons. And I am enormously proud that so many want to take that leap here in the UK.

    And we will do everything we can to help them succeed.

    That’s why we offer the opportunity to remain in the UK on a graduate visa for 2 years after their studies end – or 3 for PhDs – to work, to live, and to contribute.

    While this government is committed to managing migration carefully, international students will always be welcome in this country.

    The UK wouldn’t be the same without them.

    Arts, music, culture, sport, food, language, humour – international students drive dynamism on so many levels.

    And of course, their contribution to the British economy is substantial. Each international student adds about £100,000 to our national prosperity.

    This impact is not just a national statistic. It’s felt in towns and cities right across country.

    I’ve seen it in Sunderland, where I have the privilege to serve as a member of parliament. The city is home to almost 5,000 international students.

    Many come from China, flying across the world to study at the University of Sunderland. I welcome their presence and I value their contribution.

    And students from all nations add to the city’s buzz.

    More footfall on our highstreets.

    More laughter in our pubs.

    More conversation in our cafes.

    International students contribute so much to my home city, so much to our country.  And they get so much in return. The UK is a fantastic place to come and study.

    Every student who steps off the plane in Manchester or arrives on the Eurostar in London is a vote of confidence in our universities.

    Students come because they know they will receive a world class education. They come because they know it sets them up for success.

    Many go on to positions of power. Above the desks of leaders around the world sit certificates from British universities.

    They, and hopefully many of you, will know the joy of living abroad, the excitement of discovering a new culture, a new perspective, perhaps even a new weather system …

    While students may not come to the UK for our weather system, they do come for our rich and varied culture.

    They know this is a country that sparks genius, that has birthed innovation to the rest of the world.

    What better place to study science than the land of Charles Darwin, Ada Lovelace, Alan Turing?

    What better place to study English than the land of William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Zadie Smith?

    And what better place to study music than the land of John Lennon, Stormzy, Adele?

    Students benefit from coming to the UK, and we benefit from them being here.

    But I don’t see this as a hard-nosed transactional relationship. It’s not just about GDP, balance sheets or export receipts.

    No. My passion is for an open, global Britain – one that welcomes new ideas.

    One that looks outward in optimism, not inward in exclusion.

    In my university days I made some wonderful friends who came from around the world.

    They broadened my horizons, challenged my views, and pushed me to be better.

    Students come and build bonds with their classmates – and friendships between students become friendships between countries.

    That’s what education is all about.

    A force for good in people’s lives, a force for good in our world.

    A generation of young people who have studied abroad and cultivated friendships with people from different cultures – those ties make the world a safer, more vibrant place.

    This new government is mission-led. And I am leading on the mission to break down the barriers to opportunity.

    I am determined to make Britain the international home of opportunity.

    So I want genuine partnerships with countries across the world in higher education and beyond.

    We already have deep education partnerships with countless countries around the globe, and I want to build more.

    From our closest neighbours, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, to major regional powers, India, Nigeria, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, important allies, the US and Australia, to world leading systems like Singapore and Japan, and many others.

    Whether that’s through British international schools abroad, or cross-border collaboration on skills training.

    School trips and scholarships, exchange programmes and language learning, policy conversations that span the early years to learners with special educational needs.

    And I want our universities to work with their international partners to deliver courses across borders.

    Education must be at the forefront of tackling the major global challenges of our time.

    Artificial intelligence, climate change, poverty, misinformation, polarisation, war and instability.

    Education puts us on the path to freedom.

    Intellectual freedom. Economic freedom. Social freedom. Cultural freedom.

    Through education, we can enlarge and expand those freedoms, we can show that government is a power not just for administration but for transformation.

    The answer is partnership. And the answer is education.

    As I close, I want to extend an invitation to all your education ministers to attend the education world forum here in London next year from the 18th to the 21st of May.

    You can expect a rich exchange of ideas, visits to schools, colleges and universities, and enlightening keynote speakers.

    This is a time of change here in Britain. A new age of hope. A new era of optimism for our country.

    A place where once again education and opportunity are the foundations of a better society.

    A place where our universities are nurseries of global friendships, as well as places of economic growth.

    A place where new ideas are prized.

    I want to work with all of you to deliver opportunity for all – not just here at home, but across the world too.

    Thank you.

  • Peter Kyle – 2024 Speech at the Farnborough International Air Show

    Peter Kyle – 2024 Speech at the Farnborough International Air Show

    The speech made by Peter Kyle, the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, at Farnborough International Air Show on 22 July 2024.

    Good morning.

    It’s great to be here.

    Thank you, Paul, for the kind introduction, and thank you all for being here this morning and crowding around, it’s great to see you all.

    This is my first speech as Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology.

    And I would like to start by telling you why I have chosen Farnborough to make my first speech.

    The first reason is one that I have got from meeting so many people who are working, innovating and driving the space sector.

    The second, personal reason – when I was appointed into the Shadow Secretary of State role by Keir Starmer, now the Prime Minister, back in September, I was keen as possible to get up and meet people who are working in the space sector. And something I’ve noticed straight away, whether it was in aviation, aeronautics, or in space, everyone single person I have met is dedicated to the sector in which you are working, that you go way beyond what I have seen in many other sectors. In innovations in other sectors, I think people, they test, they try, they try and find investment, but when it’s [inaudible] they don’t come together after a certain period, they move on and find another approach.

    But the sheer doggedness, the sheer passion, that I have seen in every single company, every single university research lab, and every aspect of space, it is a sector like no other.

    It is a sector who are so incredibly passionate about the sector, about their innovations, about their contribution to it but also passionate about the possibilities that space has. It’s infectious.

    And I have been infected by their enthusiasm and drive.

    The second reason is something that is personal, and quite interesting for me today because so many people have already said to me ‘Is this your first Farnborough?’.

    This is my fourth Farnborough and the other 3 have always been out there, not on the Monday, but the other days of the week where the public are invited and I’ve sat with my dad and my partner at the time. My partner worked for a commercial airliner and my dad was a Royal Navy aircraft mechanic in the 1960s where he worked in [inaudible] fighter jets of the day.

    So my entire upbringing has been with my dad telling stories on the deck; battling in the most extreme circumstances, keeping our aircraft of the day, fighter jets, in the sky, and when they crash landed, picking up the pieces, and trying to repair some of the aircraft of the day in extreme circumstances.

    Coming here with my dad and my partner for 3 Farnborough’s, sitting out there with one yabbering in my ear with every single detail of civil aviation and the other one being able to tell me the things in the sky by the sound of the engine, gives you an insight into the kind of family life and background I had running up to this moment in time.

    But now we are here, and that spirit of innovation I told you about that I detected from people who are driving from the centre, and that was represented by people around me and in my personal life, I think we bring into the mission-led approach, this government.

    None of the 5 missions of this government, that are going to drive the national renewal over a decade, that we have come into power on, can happen if we stick to the tried and tested.

    To find the bold solutions to the problems that have dogged our country for decades, and the solutions we will face in the decades to come, we must do things differently.

    In other words, we need to innovate.

    I am sure that the irony of a minister standing here and talking to you about national missions, for those of you working in the space sector, will not be lost. I promise not to labour the analogy.

    But I do stand here today because there is no better example than the space sector that explains what we are trying to do as a government.

    Opportunity

    Today, the UK’s space sector is growing 4 times faster than the overall UK economy.

    Its workforce is twice as productive as the British average.

    To create opportunities for companies to start, scale and succeed in the UK, to create the good jobs that bring prosperity to communities up and down our country, these sectors need to learn from space and space needs to lead the way.

    Delivery

    If we want to deliver better public services and better lives for the people up and down our country, then the answer is simply the same.

    • Understanding the effects of our changing climate.
    • Providing rural communities with internet access.
    • Keeping our armed forces safe and aircraft in constant contact.

    These are not just opportunities, they are obligations and none of them can be fulfilled without space.

    Security

    The first obligation for any government, of course, is to keep our country safe.

    Today, space-based services like satellite communications and remote sensing are the cornerstones of our national security.

    Without them, the systems that keep Britain safe will grind to a halt.

    Secure financial transactions that rely on timestamps that are accurate to the millisecond.

    Emergency services that depend on precise GPS data to find the people who need their help.

    In an increasingly unstable world, space will matter more than ever.

    And, as orbits become more congested – and contested – we must work with our NATO allies to protect our people.

    Discovery

    So, to anyone who asks – does space matter?

    These are my 3 principles – security, delivery and opportunity – they provide the beginnings of the answer.

    And yet none of them can quite capture what is so unique about space.

    No metric of growth or productivity can distil what is so breath-taking about the images taken by the James Webb telescope.

    Or the pioneering spirit that will propel the Rosalind Franklin rover to Mars.

    And it would be just as hard to measure the sense of pride I feel knowing that it was the contributions of British scientists that made these missions possible.

    To that trio, then, I would add a fourth – discovery.

    New solutions to new problems

    Because the value of human knowledge is never solely defined by its ability to solve our current crises.

    The astronauts on board Apollo 7 could never have predicted the ways that companies like Space Forge in Cardiff could exploit the cold and uncontaminated properties of microgravity to find new cures to Alzheimer’s and cancer, to 3D print organs for transplant patients or manufacture the semiconductors that will power the digital revolution that is unfolding today.

    The century to come will bring new problems.

    And as we search for new solutions, we simply cannot predict the ways that each discovery in space might matter.

    We can only prepare by supporting the scientists and businesses with the boldness and brilliance to make them better.

    Later today [22 July 2023], I’ll be meeting one of those people – I’ve already met Rosemary Coogan, who became our third ever astronaut earlier this year.

    A strategic partnership with business

    Looking ahead, I will be guided by these 4 principles – discovery and delivery, security and opportunity.

    But I cannot chart a course for success in space alone.

    No mission can succeed without a strong team, united around a common goal.

    Working closely with our international partners, including the European Space Agency, I want to forge a strategic partnership with businesses, researchers, and investors.

    A meaningful relationship anchored not in the short-term solutions and shorter funding cycles, but in certainty and stability. Because businesses don’t want a new strategy every 6 months. I’ve heard this repeatedly day in, day out.

    They need a clear signal from a government that isn’t afraid to make hard choices about where to focus our efforts. Because we know that we cannot do everything.

    But that makes it all the more important to invest in those technologies where we really can lead the world. I know that this strategic partnership will take time to build. But that work starts here today.

    National Space Innovation Programme

    So, here in Farnborough, I am announcing £33 million in funding for innovative businesses from the UK Space Agency’s National Space Innovation Programme (NSIP).

    From the smallest start-ups to global giants, the recipients of the fund aren’t just creating cutting edge technologies, they want to use that technology to build a better future for Britain.

    In Cambridge, SuperSharp are designing a heat-detecting telescope to gather the data that we will need to tackle the climate crisis.

    In Hereford, ETL Systems are building ground equipment that links satellites to 5G and 6G mobile networks, transforming connectivity.

    In Harwell, Orbit Fab and Lunasa are working on refuelling and docking technologies that will extend the lifespan of satellites and preserve our space environment for future generations.

    Later this week, I’ll be travelling up to Glasgow to meet one of the winners myself.

    Spire Global are developing technology to supply unique weather forecasting data to global weather prediction centres.

    And their success in Scotland embodies the phenomenal potential of our science and tech economy.

    Once the shipbuilding capital of the world, Glasgow now makes more satellites than anywhere in Europe.

    Someday soon, the phrase ‘Clyde Built’ – used in previous generations to describe the incredible ships built on the banks of the Clyde – will be used for small satellites, too.

    Travel fifty miles East through the Central Belt, and you will find a unique combination of world-class universities and innovation centres that are cementing Edinburgh’s reputation as a ‘space data capital.’

    Fly north to the Shetland Islands, as I soon will do, and before long you’ll get to SaxaVord. In Autumn, that space port will host the first ever vertical satellite launch in Europe, putting Britain on the map in an increasingly competitive global market.

    Conclusion

    In all of these places, a better future for Britain is coming into view.

    Here in Farnborough, you can see that future very clearly indeed.

    People with decades of experience in aerospace and oil and gas are using their expertise to build the industries of tomorrow and create prosperity for their communities.

    Talented researchers in world-leading universities are developing technologies to tackle some of our toughest problems.

    Innovative start-ups and spinouts are taking those solutions out of the lab and into our lives.

    I will be a champion for those people. Those researchers. And those businesses too. Because we have an extraordinary opportunity here.

    Together, we can grow our economy and create good jobs for the future for our people.

    We can deliver the public services they deserve.

    And we can protect our country in an increasingly volatile world.

    If change is our mission.

    Then this is right here is where we start.

    Thank you.

  • Keir Starmer – 2024 Remarks at the Farnborough Airshow

    Keir Starmer – 2024 Remarks at the Farnborough Airshow

    The comments made by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, at the Farnborough Airshow on 22 July 2024.

    Good morning, everyone.

    It’s really good to see so many of you here. Many people that I’ve met before and had intense discussions with before about the important work that you do, that has informed my thinking and informs the thinking of the Labour government – which is why you see some of those measures reflected in the King’s Speech of last week.

    So I am absolutely delighted to be able to be here again with you, but this time no longer as Leader of the Opposition. This time as Prime Minister – and please take that, in the beginning of week three in government, as a real statement of intent. It’s intended to be, and that is why we’ve got so many senior ministers here during the course of the show.

    Now look, as you all know, better than most – we live in a dangerous, volatile and increasingly insecure world.

    And that makes events like this, and the role that you play…

    Ever more important for the defence and security of our country.

    And as you may have seen, I have spent quite a lot of time at summits in the last week or two…

    At NATO and the European Political Community…

    And on Friday I had the pleasure of meeting the leader of Ukraine, President Zelenskyy, who came into Downing Street.

    And at those meetings, whether it’s NATO, whether it’s the EPC, or whether it’s seeing President Zelenskyy as I did on Friday, it always gives me great comfort,

    To know that Britain is at the cutting edge of defence and aerospace manufacturing…

    So thank you not only for being here today…

    But also for everything that you do for the security of our country.

    Now we are just beginning week three of government.

    The work of change has begun.

    The patient rebuilding of our country has started.

    And we’ve launched our Strategic Defence Review.

    We’ve taken the brakes off Britain with a plan for wealth creation in every community.

    Planning reform – to get Britain building again. Something many of us in the room have discussed with you on many occasions.

    And we’re getting started on a new Industrial Strategy. Again, a concept that came very much from you to us in terms of the sort of way in which you want the partnership between government and your sector to work.

    They are all signals of our intent…

    To deliver high living standards for working people…

    Economic security and national security.

    But of course we know that national renewal is not going to happen overnight.

    We are fixing the very foundation of our country…

    And that is long and patient work.

    But – I can announce another step along that road today…

    Another marker of the future…

    With the launch of a new organisation that we hope will transform, not just how we train our young people and adults…

    But also the relationship between business and the education system.

    A plan to make sure that we are training young people, not just for any business…

    But for the businesses that exist in their community.

    The skills you and they need…

    To take each other forward.

    So I am delighted that today we’re launching Skills England…

    And appointing Richard Pennycook as the interim chair.

    And I’m excited for the work that we can do together.

    I’ve just met this morning some fantastic apprentices.

    Bright, energic, intelligent…

    An absolute credit to Airbus and Rolls Royce.

    Now I’ve met the apprentices in both Airbus and Rolls Royce many times before – almost all of my speeches in the last two or three years have featured examples of the work that they are doing.

    And it was brilliant to meet them here again this morning. Some of them were from a group that I met just a few months ago in Derby. So to review that, one of them was just two weeks into her apprenticeship. And so they were an incredible reminder of the talent that we have going forward.

    And I was allowed to speak to them without anybody else listening in because I wanted to hear directly from them. And ask them, as I always do, what inspired them to do it, what gave them that spark.

    And then towards the end of the time I had with them this morning, I said, “what do you want me to think about? Because this is a government of service, you’re entitled to have your say. What do you want me to think about as the Prime Minister heading a new government?”

    And after a few moments, they were pretty clear in their collective view that they wanted me and the government to think about the value of apprentices, and to make sure that that was valued alongside the other things that so many young people do.

    And that was them to me, and for all of you, I think you’d be very proud that that was their first thought. That was what they wanted me to think about as I go home from here.

    And so they are a reminder of the incredible talent that we do have in this country.

    Young people, with drive, ambition and hopes of a better future.

    But we do have also to be honest…

    All too often young people in our country have been let down.

    Not given access to the right opportunities or training in their community.

    And that has created an overreliance in our economy on higher and higher levels of migration.

    Now – I don’t for a second want to demean any of that…

    I do not criticise business who hire overseas workers…

    And I certainly don’t diminish the contribution that migration makes…

    To our economy, to our public services and of course to our communities.

    Migration is part of our national story – it always has been and always will be.

    And yet – if you stand back…

    As a system, it cannot be right that some people don’t get to feel the pride of making a contribution…

    The dignity of work…

    Just because we can’t find a way of creating a coherent skills system. That can’t be right.

    So – I have to say – we won’t be content just to pull the easy lever of importing skills…

    We are turning the page on that.

    But I want to be clear as well…

    We are going to make sure that there are highly motivated, ambitious, talented young people…

    Who want to work in your business.

    That is our long-term ambition.

    We’re going to fire up the training of more UK workers…

    And match peoples’ aspirations – which I know are there…

    With more opportunity.

    And in doing this we will drive growth.

    Because if there is one thing we know that will drive innovation and accelerate productivity…

    It’s having the skilled workers you need to grow your business.

    So from the get go…

    Skills England will work with the Migration Advisory Committee…

    We will identify current and future skills gaps…

    Put in place plans to address those gaps…

    And reduce our long-term reliance on overseas workers.

    We will also identify the training on which the Growth and Skills Levy can be spent…

    Something that I’ve spent many hours discussing with many people in this room.

    You told me it was not flexible enough, didn’t work well enough for you.

    Well we will change that with the Growth and Skills Levy, giving you more flexibility to spend funds on the training that you think is really necessary.

    And Skills England will also bring together central and local government…

    Training providers and unions…

    Working together in broader partnership with business.

    And this is key.

    I said on the steps of Downing Street, two weeks ago Thursday, that I wanted to govern for the whole country…

    And part of that is making sure we all understand each others’ needs…

    That we move beyond old antagonisms…

    And work for the common cause of national renewal.

    A partnership.

    So today with the launch of Skills England…

    We’re putting that partnership into action…

    Now we listened to you during the campaign and over the last few years…

    We listened to you when we were developing our Plan for Growth…

    And that informs it, some of your fingerprints are on our plan and I hope that they reflect the conversations that we’ve had. And we will carry on listening…

    Because that’s how a partnership works.

    We are making demands. We want growth. We want you to power up that growth.

    But you equally can say to us in order for that to work, this is the framework you need to put into place.

    That is how a partnership works, when both sides understand what their part is, but recognise they’re not the same part – government and business do different things.

    And that’s why we’ll have our new Industrial Strategy…

    On the Strategic Defence Review…

    And on much, much more.

    Together, I do believe we can deliver that growth and security.

    Fix the foundations…

    Put our economy on a stable footing…

    And create a coherent skills system.

    And everyone here has a vital part to play in this mission on growth…

    You already do an incredible amount…

    And I believe that with a government of service on your side…

    We can do even more.

    And in that spirit, it really is a huge honour, so early in this government, to open the Airshow, and to hope that you all have a productive time which I’m sure that you will.

    Use it obviously intensely in the time that we’ve got here together.

    Please keep talking and impressing on us the things that are important to you.

    Thank you so much for allowing me to make these remarks. Thank you so much for being here. Thank you so much for your huge contribution to our country.

    Thank you.