Tag: Speeches

Liz Truss – 2022 Email to Conservative Party Members on Becoming Prime Minister

The email sent by Liz Truss to Conservative Party members on 6 September 2022.

Good afternoon.

I have just accepted Her Majesty The Queen’s kind invitation to form a new government.

Let me pay tribute to my predecessor.

Boris Johnson delivered Brexit, the Covid vaccine, and stood up to Russian aggression.

History will see him as a hugely consequential Prime Minister.

I am honoured to take on this responsibility at a vital time for our country.

What makes Britain great is our fundamental belief in freedom, in enterprise, and in fair play.

Our people have shown grit, courage, and determination time and time again.

We now face severe global headwinds caused by Russia’s appalling war in Ukraine and the aftermath of Covid.

Now is the time to tackle the issues that are holding Britain back.

We need to build roads, homes, and broadband faster.

We need more investment and great jobs in every town and city across our country.

We need to reduce the burden on families and help people get on in life.

I know we have what it takes to tackle those challenges.

Of course, it won’t be easy. But we can do it.

We will transform Britain into an aspiration nation with high-paying jobs, safe streets and where everyone everywhere have the opportunities they deserve.

I will take action this day, and action every day, to make it happen.

United with our allies, we will stand up for freedom and democracy around the world – recognising we cannot have security at home without security abroad.

As Prime Minister, I will pursue three early priorities.

Firstly, I will get Britain working again.

I have a bold plan to grow the economy through tax cuts and reform.

I will cut taxes to reward hard work and boost business-led growth and investment.

I will drive reform in my mission to get Britain working, building, and growing.

We will get spades in the ground to make sure people are not facing unaffordable energy bills and we will also make sure that we are building hospitals, schools, roads, and broadband.

Secondly, I will deal hands-on with the energy crisis caused by Putin’s war.

I will take action this week to deal with energy bills and to secure our future energy supply.

Thirdly, I will make sure people can get the doctors’ appointments and NHS services they need. We will put our health service on a firm footing.

By delivering on the economy, energy, and the NHS, we will put our nation on the path to long-term success.

We should not be daunted by the challenges we face.

As strong as the storm may be, I know the British people are stronger.

Our country was built by people who get things done.

We have huge reserves of talent, of energy, and of determination.

I am confident that together we can ride out the storm, we can rebuild our economy, and become the modern, brilliant Britain that I know we can be.

This is our vital mission to ensure opportunity and prosperity for all people and future generations. I am determined to deliver. Thank you.

Liz Truss
Prime Minister

Leader of the Conservative & Unionist Party

07/09/2022
Jeremy Quin – 2022 Bearskins Clarification Statement

The statement made by Jeremy Quin, the Minister for Defence Procurement, in the House of Commons on 5 September 2022.

On 11 July in a debate in Westminster Hall on bearskins, I referred to data on potential faux fur products that had previously been shared with the Department, but I also stated that the Ministry of Defence had not received recent results data. Whilst my statement was in line with advice I had received, further work has revealed that this was not correct, and I wish to correct the record.

In May 2022 a letter was sent to the Prime Minister by PETA, copying Defence Ministers, enclosing a report against two of the five initial criteria that faux fur would have to meet in order for further work to be done to consider it as a replacement for the guardsmen’s caps. This was passed to officials in the Ministry of Defence, who responded on 15 June 2022 requesting that the report should be sent by the organisation that had conducted the tests direct to our partner, Leidos. We understand an email containing the report was sent but was blocked by Leidos’s spam filters and deleted. Subsequent to the debate, the email was re-sent, copying the MOD. After the MOD forwarded a copy to Leidos it was safely received.

To date, the Ministry of Defence has not seen a set of verifiable data that demonstrates a single sample of faux fur meets the five criteria. We are aware of testing that was carried out in December 2020 by an accredited testing house against three of the criteria, although the material only passed one of those tests: water penetration. As I have explained, we are also aware of further testing, conducted in April 2022. The MOD does not believe from the information we have seen that the organisation that conducted those tests is accredited by either the UK Accreditation Service or the International Laboratory Accreditation Co-operation. In order to consider taking any proposed product forward, we need test results that have been conducted by an independent and accredited testing house.

Consequently, we have not to date seen evidence that a suitable faux fur product exists to be considered as an alternative.

Currently, the foot guards’ ceremonial caps are sourced exclusively from Canada, which is a regulated market and a declared party to the convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora. A CITES permit is required for the export of pelts from Canada to the United Kingdom. Canadian and international laws provide strict trade regulations to protect against unlawful trade in black bears, both within Canada and internationally. No bears are hunted to order for the Ministry of Defence; pelts are a product of legal and licensed hunting authorised in Canada by provincial and territorial Governments with the goal of long-term population sustainability.

07/09/2022
Jacob Rees-Mogg – 2022 Statement on the Launch of the Public Sector Fraud Authority

The statement made by Jacob Rees-Mogg, the then Minister for Brexit Opportunities, in the House of Commons on 5 September 2022.

Further to the written statement dated 7 July, I am writing to update the House that the Public Sector Fraud Authority launched on 3 August 2022.

The Chancellor’s spring statement, issued on 23 March 2022, provided £25 million of funding to establish the PSFA, which brings together experts from across sectors in an integrated way with the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury. Staffed by counter-fraud experts and backed by leading data analytics tools and techniques, it will put a greater focus on performance and outcomes. It will also build deeper and broader expert-led services to support Departments and public bodies to reduce the impact of fraud. The functions and services of the PSFA will be built over the next two years.

The authority has launched with a target of detecting and preventing £180 million of fraud in its first year and will work with Government Departments and public bodies to agree longer-term targets by December.

The PSFA will modernise the Government’s counter-fraud response by:

Agreeing ambitious counter-fraud plans for departments and public bodies and reviewing progress;

Regularly and directly briefing Cabinet Ministers including HM Treasury and Cabinet Office on the latest fraud landscape;

Providing expert support to Departments and public bodies about the fraud risks and threats they face, then helping to design defences against them and test their effectiveness;

Building a new national counter-fraud data analytics service that will provide advanced data capabilities—such as social network analysis—to surface, fight and prevent fraud against taxpayers; and

Enhancing the use of fraud intelligence across the public sector, and with other sectors, to combat specific threats.

Ahead of a permanently appointed chief executive officer of the authority, it is led by interim chief executive officer Mark Cheeseman OBE, an internationally recognised expert in public sector fraud who led the creation of the Government’s counter-fraud profession and the establishment of the international public sector fraud forum.

The PSFA will be supported by a cross-sector advisory panel that will provide expert advice and help shape the strategic approach to public sector fraud prevention and reduction. The chair of the advisory panel will be announced in September.

07/09/2022
Michael Ellis – 2022 Infected Blood – Interim Compensation

The statement made by Michael Ellis, the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, in the House of Commons on 5 September 2022.

The infected blood inquiry has heard first-hand details of the terrible suffering experienced by the victims of infected blood over many years, and the urgent need to address the financial uncertainty faced by many.

This Government commissioned Sir Robert Francis QC to produce an independent study with options for a workable and fair framework of compensation for those infected and affected by the tragedy. A copy of Sir Robert’s report is in the Library of this House.

Following Sir Robert’s detailed evidence given to the inquiry in July, the chair of the infected blood inquiry, Sir Brian Langstaff, delivered an interim report to the Government. In accordance with section 26 of the Inquiries Act 2005, a copy of Sir Brian’s interim report has been laid before Parliament. In his report, Sir Brian made the following recommendations:

“(1) An interim payment should be paid, without delay, to all those infected and all bereaved partners currently registered on UK infected blood support schemes, and those who register between now and the inception of any future scheme;

(2) The amount should be no less than £100,000, as recommended by Sir Robert Francis QC.”

On 16 August, I wrote to Sir Brian to confirm that the Government have accepted his recommendation in full and that we will be making an interim payment of £100,000, by the end of October, to all infected beneficiaries and bereaved partners registered with the four national support schemes. The date of effect of the recommendation is 29 July 2022, the date that Sir Brian delivered his report. Any infected person or bereaved partner registered with one of the four schemes operating in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland on that date will be eligible to receive the payments. Sir Brian’s recommendation —which this Government accept—was careful not to exclude any eligible person who, for whatever reason, may have not registered themselves with their relevant national support scheme. Should they do so in future, before the inception of any future scheme, they will also be eligible for such a payment, subject to successful application to the scheme.

The intention is that payments will be tax-free and will not affect any financial benefits support an individual is receiving. In advance of the payments, the four support schemes will write to beneficiaries, confirming tax exemptions and benefit disregards, and provide practical details about how the payments will be made. The UK Government will provide the funding to ensure that those eligible, wherever they are living in the United Kingdom, will receive the payment.

As recognised by Sir Robert Francis and Sir Brian Langstaff, this group of victims is the immediate priority for the Government because we recognise that, tragically, many of these individuals will not see the conclusion of the inquiry.

However, I am mindful that there will be people deeply affected by this tragedy who will not benefit from these payments. Sir Robert’s detailed compensation framework study makes carefully considered recommendations about the further scope of compensation, including that carers and bereaved relatives—a cohort of affected people not currently supported by financial support schemes—should be compensated. In his interim report, Sir Brian makes specific reference to bereaved parents and children but notes the complexities in determining the approach to their compensation.

To those individuals and others who are out of scope of these payments, I would like to emphasise that the interim payments the Government have announced are the start of the process and not the end. Sir Robert’s study has been warmly welcomed by the inquiry and, without prejudging the findings of the independent inquiry, I fully expect his wider recommendations to inform the inquiry’s final report when it is published in mid-2023. Until that time, the Government will continue work in consideration of the broader recommendations in the compensation framework study so that we are ready to respond promptly when the inquiry concludes its work.

07/09/2022
Kwasi Kwarteng – 2022 Statement on Bulb Energy and the Bounce Back Loan Scheme

The statement made by Kwasi Kwarteng, the then Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 5 September 2022.

Today I will lay before Parliament a departmental minute describing a number of contingent liabilities arising from the issuance of letters of credit for the energy administrators acting in the special administration regime for Bulb Energy Limited (“Bulb”). These letters of credit replace previous ones provided, announced within past written ministerial statements, which soon expire.

It is normal practice when a Government Department proposes to undertake a contingent liability of £300,000 and above, for which there is no specific statutory authority, for the Department concerned to present Parliament with a minute giving particulars of the liability created and explaining the circumstances.

I have ensured that Parliament has been afforded the full 14-sitting-day notification period to allow the proper scrutiny of these new contingent liabilities.

Bulb entered the energy supply company special administration regime on 24 November 2021. Energy administrators were appointed by court to achieve the statutory objective of continuing energy supplies at the lowest reasonable practicable cost until such time as it becomes unnecessary for the special administration to remain in force for that purpose.

My Department has agreed to provide a facility to the energy administrators, with letters of credit issued, with my approval, to guarantee such contract, code, licence, or other document obligations of the company consistent with the special administration’s statutory objective. I will update the House if any letters of credit are drawn against.

The legal basis for a letter of credit is section 165 of the Energy Act 2004, as applied and modified by section 96 of the Energy Act 2011.

HM Treasury has approved the arrangements in principle.

Publication of latest bounce back loan scheme and lender performance data

Today the Government provide an update on the performance of the bounce back loan scheme (BBLS), which was designed to provide rapid access to finance for small businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The data in this release includes specific information on the value of loans marked as suspected fraud, and claims made and settled by individual lenders who are accredited for the scheme.

This data release is part of the Government’s ongoing commitment to transparency in relation to BBLS. The Government will continue to provide updates at regular intervals. This update will be published on the BEIS website to allow members to further scrutinise the data.

The data in this publication is as at 31 July 2022, unless otherwise stated. The data comes from information submitted to the British Business Bank’s (the Bank’s) scheme portal by accredited scheme lenders.

As of 31 July 2022, businesses have drawn a total of £46.6 billion through BBLS. The first evaluation of BBLS, published in June 2022, found that up to 500,000 businesses could have permanently ceased trading in 2020 in the absence of the scheme.

It is unfortunate that some have taken the decision to take advantage of this vital intervention by defrauding the scheme for their own financial gain. The Government have always been clear that anyone who sought to do so is at risk of prosecution.

Checks were put in place from the outset to reduce the risk of fraudulent applications being successful. Lenders are the first line of defence, and were required to make or maintain know-your-customer and anti-money laundering checks and use a reputable fraud bureau to screen applicants against potential or known fraudsters. Lenders reported preventing over £2.2 billion-worth of fraudulent applications as a result of these checks.

The Government remain focused on working with the Bank, lenders and law enforcement agencies to tackle fraud in the scheme. This work is supported by the Public Sector Fraud Authority, who have led the development of a sophisticated analytics programme to better understand the level and types of fraud committed against the scheme.

We are working with enforcement bodies including the National Investigation Service (NATIS) and the Insolvency Service to investigate instances of fraud, recover fraudulent loans and penalise fraudsters. Since September 2020, NATIS has opened 273 investigations into BBLS fraud, with a total value of £160 million. Some 78 suspects have been dealt with to date, with 49 arrests made. Meanwhile, Insolvency Service activity on BBLS fraud has so far resulted in 242 director disqualifications, 101 bankruptcy restrictions and 1 criminal prosecution. This enforcement activity is in addition to recovery work being undertaken by lenders as part of their obligations under the BBLS guarantee agreement.

At spring statement 2022, the Government announced an additional £48.8 million of funding over three years to tackle public sector fraud. This included further investment of £13.2 million in NATIS, effectively doubling their capacity to investigate BBLS fraud, and £10.9 million to enhance the Bank’s counter-fraud and assurance work programme.

Headline figures

£28.3 billion: the outstanding balance of total drawn loans making payments on schedule

£4.7 billion: the amount that has been fully repaid by borrowers

£3.2 billion: the outstanding balance of loans in arrears that haven’t yet progressed to defaulted

£1.4 billion: the outstanding balance of loans defaulted that haven’t yet progressed to claimed

£2.6 billion: the outstanding balance of loans claimed that haven’t yet progressed to settled

£1.2 billion: the total settled amount (the amount paid out to lenders under the BBLS guarantee agreement)

£1.1 billion: the total drawn value flagged by lenders as suspected fraud

Notes:

The values stated above will not add up to the total drawn values as set out in column 1 of table 3 (Detailed loan status by lender). That is because the above figures do not take account of events which can reduce outstanding balances—for example: partial repayments of a loan, certain recoveries received in respect of a loan, and amounts written off loans by lenders.

To aid the reader’s understanding of the data, the terms used in this publication are defined at the end.

All businesses remain responsible for repaying their loans under BBLS and are fully liable for the debt.

It is important to recognise that it is still relatively early in the life of the scheme, and therefore it is too soon to definitively assess the performance of the BBLS scheme as a whole. Data being collected from accredited scheme lenders is subject to refinement, addition, and correction over time. Please see “Limitations and further considerations” for further background.

07/09/2022
Liz Truss – 2022 Text of Email to Conservative Party Members

The text of email from Liz Truss to Conservative Party members on 7 September 2022.

I am immensely grateful for everyone’s support throughout the leadership campaign and since I was elected on Monday. Whether you voted for me or not, I can assure you I will deliver for you as Leader of our Party and as your Prime Minister.

You are the backbone of the Conservative Party. While often the unsung heroes, it is the tireless efforts of our members that have delivered four consecutive General Election victories, and I know, that with your support, we will win again.

Our country faces immense challenges. Covid and Putin’s war in Ukraine mean the issues facing us today are stark, and there is a lot of work to be done over the next two years.

Together with my new Cabinet, I will work tirelessly to deliver, deliver, deliver for the British people.

We will begin work immediately to deliver a bold, Conservative plan for Britain – with three key early priorities.

Rapid action on energy bills to help people through the months ahead, while tackling the root cause of the energy crisis.

Growing the economy in a Conservative way by cutting taxes and slashing red tape.

And putting our NHS on a firm footing for the future so it works for patients.

Together we will get through these tough times and unleash the full potential of our great country.

And with your support, we will win again in 2024 and stop the Anti-Growth Coalition of Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the SNP getting their hands on the keys to Downing Street.

Yours sincerely,

Liz Truss
Prime Minister

Leader of the Conservative & Unionist Party

07/09/2022
Liz Truss – 2022 Cabinet Following Appointment as Prime Minister
The first Liz Truss Cabinet, announced on 6 September 2022.

The Queen has been pleased to approve the following appointments:
- The Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss MP as Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service, and Minister for the Union
- The Rt Hon Dr Thérèse Coffey MP as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. She will also be Deputy Prime Minister
- The Rt Hon Kwasi Kwarteng MP as Chancellor of the Exchequer
- The Rt Hon James Cleverly MP as Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs
- The Rt Hon Suella Braverman QC MP as Secretary of State for the Home Department
- Wendy Morton MP as Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Chief Whip). She will attend Cabinet
- The Rt Hon Ben Wallace MP has been re-appointed as Secretary of State for Defence
- The Rt Hon Brandon Lewis CBE MP as Lord Chancellor, and Secretary of State for Justice
- The Rt Hon Nadhim Zahawi MP as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Minister for Intergovernmental Relations and Minister for Equalities
- The Rt Hon Penny Mordaunt MP as Lord President of the Council, and Leader of the House of Commons
- Lord True CBE as Lord Privy Seal, and Leader of the House of Lords
- The Rt Hon Jake Berry MP as Minister without Portfolio
- The Rt Hon Alok Sharma MP has been re-appointed as COP26 President
- The Rt Hon Jacob Rees-Mogg MP as Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
- The Rt Hon Simon Clarke MP as Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
- Kemi Badenoch MP as Secretary of State for International Trade and President of the Board of Trade
- Chloe Smith MP as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
- The Rt Hon Kit Malthouse MP as Secretary of State for Education
- Ranil Jayawardena MP as Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
- The Rt Hon Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP as Secretary of State for Transport
- The Rt Hon Michelle Donelan MP as Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
- The Rt Hon Chris Heaton-Harris MP as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
- The Rt Hon Alister Jack MP has been re-appointed as Secretary of State for Scotland
- The Rt Hon Sir Robert Buckland KBE QC MP has been re-appointed as Secretary of State for Wales
- Chris Philp MP as Chief Secretary to the Treasury. He will attend Cabinet
- Rt Hon Michael Ellis QC MP as Attorney General. He will attend Cabinet
- Edward Argar MP as Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office. He will attend Cabinet
- Vicky Ford MP as a Minister of State (Minister for Development) in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. She will attend Cabinet
- Tom Tugendhat MBE MP as a Minister of State (Minister for Security) in the Home Department. He will attend Cabinet
- James Heappey MP has been re-appointed as a Minister of State in the Ministry of Defence. He will be Minister for the Armed Forces and Veterans and will attend Cabinet.
- Graham Stuart MP as a Minister of State (Minister for Climate) in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. He will attend Cabinet.
07/09/2022
Steve Barclay – 2022 Statement on Urgent and Emergency Care

The statement made by Steve Barclay, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, in the House of Commons on 5 September 2022.

Mr Deputy Speaker, with permission, I’d like to make a statement on our support for urgent and emergency care.

I know that this is an issue that has been of great concern to honourable members and I wanted to update the House – at the earliest opportunity – on the work that we’ve been doing over the summer.

Bed occupancy rates have broadly remained at winter-type levels with COVID-19 cases in July still high, at 1 in 25 testing positive – that compares with 1 in 60 currently.

This is without the decrease in occupancy that we would normally see after winter ends and ambulance wait times have also continued to reflect the pressures of last winter, although I am pleased, Mr Deputy Speaker to see recent improvements. For example the West Midlands today is meeting their category 2 time of less than 18 minutes.

Mr Deputy Speaker, I’d like to update the House on the nationwide package of measures that we are putting in place to improve the experience for patients and colleagues alike.

First, Mr Deputy Speaker, we have boosted the resources available to those on the frontline.

We’ve put in an extra £150 million of funding to help trusts deal with ambulance pressures this year and on top of this, we’ve agreed a £30 million contract with St John Ambulance so that they can provide national surge capacity of at least 5,000 hours per month.

We’re also increasing the numbers of colleagues on the frontline.

We’ve boosted national 999 call handler numbers to nearly 2,300, about 350 more than September last year and we have plans to increase this number further to 2,500 by December, supported by a major national recruitment campaign.

By the end of the year, we’ll have also increased 111 call handler numbers to 4,800.

As well as this, we have a plan to train and deploy even more paramedics and Health Education England has been mandated to train 3,000 paramedic graduates nationally each year – double the number of graduates that were accepted in 2016.

Second, Mr Deputy Speaker, we are putting an intense focus on the issue of delayed discharge – which is the cause of so many of the problems that we have seen in urgent and emergency care, and I think that’s recognised across the House.

This is where patients are medically fit to be discharged but remain in hospital, taking up beds that could otherwise be used for those being admitted.

Delayed discharge means longer waits in A&E, lengthier ambulance handover times and the risk of patients deteriorating if they remain in hospital beds too long – particularly the frail elderly.

The most recent figures, from the end of July, show that the number of these patients is just over 13,000 – similar numbers to the winter months.

We’ve been working closely with trusts where delayed discharge rates are highest, putting in place intensive on-the-ground support.

More broadly, our National Discharge Taskforce is looking across the whole of health and social care to see where we can put in place best practice and improve patient flow through our hospitals. And as part of that of work, we’ve also selected discharge frontrunners who will be tasked with testing radical solutions to improve hospital discharge – and we’re looking at which of these proposals we can roll out across the wider system and launch at speed.

This, of course, is not just an issue for the NHS.

We have an integrated system for health and care and must look at the system in the round, and all the opportunities where we can make a difference.

For instance, patients can be delayed as they are waiting for social care to become available and here too, we have taken additional steps over the summer.

We have launched an international recruitment taskforce to boost the care workforce and address issues in capacity.

And on top of this, we’ll be focusing the Better Care Fund, which allows integrated care boards and local authorities to pool budgets, to reduce delayed discharge.

And in addition, we are looking at how we can draw on the huge advances in technology that we’ve seen during the pandemic and unlock the value of the data that we hold in health and care and that includes through the Federated Data Platform.

Finally, Mr Deputy Speaker, we know from experience that the winter will be a time of intense pressure for urgent and emergency care.

The NHS has set out its plans to add the equivalent of 7,000 additional beds this winter, through a combination of extra physical beds and the virtual wards which played such an important role in our fight against COVID-19.

Another powerful weapon this winter will be our vaccination programmes.

Last winter, we saw the impact that booster programmes can have on hospital admissions, if people come forward when they get the call.

This year’s programmes gives us another chance to protect the most vulnerable and reduce demands on the NHS.

Our autumn booster programmes for COVID-19 and flu are now getting under way and will be offered to a wider cohort of the population, including those over 50, with the first jabs going in arms this week, as care home residents, staff and the housebound become the first to receive their COVID-19 jabs. And over the summer, we became the first country in the world to approve a dual-strain COVID-19 vaccine, that targets both the original strain of the virus and the Omicron variant.

And indeed this weekend, the MHRA approved another dual-strain vaccine, from Pfizer, and I’m pleased to confirm that we will be deploying that as well, along with the Moderna dual-strain vaccine as part of our COVID-19 vaccination programme, and in line with the advice of the independent experts at the JCVI.

Whether it’s for COVID-19 or flu, I’d urge anyone who’s eligible to get protected as soon as you are invited by the NHS, not just to protect yourself and those around you but to ease the pressure on the NHS this winter.

Today, I have also laid before the House a written ministerial statement on the work that we’ve been doing over the summer and I just wanted to draw the House’s attention to one particular feature within that written ministerial statement that has garnered interest in the House in the past.

In November 2021 the government announced that it would make £50 million available in funding for research into motor neurone disease over 5 years.

Following work over the summer between the Department of Health and Social Care and BEIS, through the National Institute for Health Research and UKRI, to support researchers to access funding in a streamlined and coordinated way, we’re pleased to confirm that this funding has now been ringfenced.

The Department of Health and Social Care and BEIS welcome the opportunity to support the MND scientific community of researchers as they come together through a network and link through a virtual institute.

I commend this statement to the House.

06/09/2022
Liz Truss – 2022 First Speech as Prime Minister

The speech made by Liz Truss, the Prime Minister, on 6 September 2022.

Good afternoon,

I have just accepted Her Majesty The Queen’s kind invitation to form a new government.

Let me pay tribute to my predecessor.

Boris Johnson delivered Brexit, the Covid vaccine, and stood up to Russian aggression.

History will see him as a hugely consequential Prime Minister.

I’m honoured to take on this responsibility at a vital time for our country.

What makes the United Kingdom great is our fundamental belief in freedom, in enterprise, and in fair play.

Our people have shown grit, courage and determination time and time again.

We now face severe global headwinds caused by Russia’s appalling war in Ukraine and the aftermath of Covid.

Now is the time to tackle the issues that are holding Britain back.

We need to build roads, homes and broadband faster.

We need more investment and great jobs in every town and city across our country.

We need to reduce the burden on families and help people get on in life.

I know that we have what it takes to tackle those challenges.

Of course, it won’t be easy. But we can do it.

We will transform Britain into an aspiration nation…with high-paying jobs, safe streets and where everyone everywhere has the opportunities they deserve.

I will take action this day, and action every day, to make it happen.

United with our allies, we will stand up for freedom and democracy around the world – recognising that we can’t have security at home without having security abroad.

As Prime Minister, I will pursue three early priorities.

Firstly, I will get Britain working again.

I have a bold plan to grow the economy through tax cuts and reform.

I will cut taxes to reward hard work and boost business-led growth and investment.

I will drive reform in my mission to get the United Kingdom working, building, and growing.

We will get spades in the ground to make sure people are not facing unaffordable energy bills and we will also make sure, that we are building hospitals, schools, roads, and broadband.

Secondly, I will deal hands-on with the energy crisis caused by Putin’s war.

I will take action this week to deal with energy bills and to secure our future energy supply.

Thirdly, I will make sure that people can get doctors’ appointments and the NHS services they need. We will put our health service on a firm footing.

By delivering on the economy, on energy, and on the NHS, we will put our nation on the path to long-term success.

We shouldn’t be daunted by the challenges we face.

As strong as the storm may be, I know that the British people are stronger.

Our country was built by people who get things done.

We have huge reserves of talent, of energy, and determination.

I am confident that together we can:

Ride out the storm,

We can rebuild our economy,

And we can become the modern brilliant Britain that I know we can be.

This is our vital mission to ensure opportunity and prosperity for all people and future generations. I am determined to deliver. Thank you.

06/09/2022
Boris Johnson – 2022 Final Speech as Prime Minister

The speech made by Boris Johnson, the outgoing Prime Minister, on 6 September 2022.

Well this is it folks

thanks to all of you for coming out so early this morning

In only a couple of hours from now I will be in Balmoral to see Her Majesty The Queen

and the torch will finally be passed to a new Conservative leader

the baton will be handed over in what has unexpectedly turned out to be a relay race

they changed the rules half-way through but never mind that now

and through that lacquered black door a new Prime Minister will shortly go to meet a fantastic group of public servants

the people who got Brexit done

the people who delivered the fastest vaccine roll out in Europe

and never forget – 70 per cent of the entire population got a dose within 6 months, faster than any comparable country

that is government for you – that’s this conservative government

the people who organised those prompt early supplies of weapons to the heroic Ukrainian armed forces,

an action that may very well have helped change the course of the biggest European war for 80 years

And because of the speed and urgency of what you did – everybody involved in this government

to get this economy moving again from July last year in spite of all opposition, all the naysayers

we have and will continue to have that economic strength

to give people the cash they need to get through this energy crisis that has been caused by Putin’s vicious war

And I know that Liz Truss and this compassionate Conservative government will do everything we can to get people through this crisis

And this country will endure it and we will win

and if Putin thinks that he can succeed by blackmailing or bullying the British people then he is utterly deluded

and the reason we will have those funds now and in the future is because we Conservatives understand the vital symmetry between government action

and free market capitalist private sector enterprise

we are delivering on those huge manifesto commitments

making streets safer – neighbourhood crime down 38 per cent in the last three years

13,790 more police on the streets

building more hospitals – and yes we will have 50,000 more nurses by the end of this parliament and 40 more hospitals by the end of the decade

putting record funding into our schools and into teachers’ pay

giving everyone over 18 a lifetime skills guarantee so they can keep upskilling throughout their lives

3 new high speed rail lines including northern powerhouse rail

colossal road programmes from the Pennines to Cornwall,

the roll-out of gigabit broadband up over the last three years, since you were kind enough to elect me, up from 7 per cent of our country’s premises having gigabit broadband to 70 per cent today.

And we are of course providing the short and the long term solutions for our energy needs

and not just using more of our own domestic hydrocarbons but going up by 2030 to 50 GW of wind power, that is half this country’s energy electricity needs from offshore wind

alone, a new nuclear reactor every year

and looking at what is happening in this country, the changes that are taking place,

that is why the private sector is investing more venture capital investment than China itself

more billion pound tech companies sprouting here than in France, Germany and Israel combined

and as a result unemployment as I leave office, down to lows not seen since I was about ten years old and bouncing around on a space hopper

and on the subject of bouncing around and future careers

let me say that I am now like one of those booster rockets that has fulfilled its function

and I will now be gently re-entering the atmosphere and splashing down invisibly in some remote and obscure corner of the pacific

And like Cincinnatus I am returning to my plough

and I will be offering this government nothing but the most fervent support

this is a tough time for the economy

this is a tough time for families up and down the country

we can and we will get through it and we will come out stronger the other side but I say to my fellow Conservatives it is time for the politics to be over folks

and it’s time for us all to get behind Liz Truss and her programme

and deliver for the people of this country

because that is what the people of this country want, that’s what they need and that’s what they deserve

I am proud to have discharged the promises I made my party when you were kind enough to choose me,

winning the biggest majority since 1987 and the biggest share of the vote since 1979.

delivering Brexit

delivering our manifesto commitments – including social care

helping people up and down the country

ensuring that Britain is once again standing tall in the world

speaking with clarity and authority

from Ukraine to the AUKUS pact with America and Australia

because we are one whole and entire United Kingdom whose diplomats, security services and armed forces are so globally admired

and as I leave I believe our union is so strong that those who want to break it up, will keep trying but they will never ever succeed

thank you to everyone behind me in this building for looking after me and my family over the last three years so well including Dilyn, the dog

and if Dilyn and Larry can put behind them their occasional difficulties, then so can the Conservative party

and above all thanks to you, the British people, to the voters for giving me the chance to serve

all of you who worked so tirelessly together to beat covid to put us where we are today

Together we have laid foundations that will stand the test of time

whether by taking back control of our laws or putting in vital new infrastructure

great solid masonry on which we will continue to build together

paving the path of prosperity now & for future generations

and I will be supporting Liz Truss and our new government every step of the way.

Thank you all very much.

06/09/2022