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Tag: Speeches

  • Lucy Frazer – 2023 Speech at the Connected Futures Conference

    Lucy Frazer – 2023 Speech at the Connected Futures Conference

    The speech made by Lucy Frazer, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, in London on 12 October 2023.

    Thank you to the Youth Futures Foundation for inviting me to be part of this Connected Futures Conference.

    Days like today are a real opportunity to explore how we best go about supporting disadvantaged young people into education, employment and training.

    I’m pleased to be able to share with you some of what we’re doing in Government to help our young people achieve their potential.

    Changing young people’s lives and giving them the best start in life is the reason I entered into politics.

    Because, as all of you in this room will know, how we help and support young people can make a phenomenal difference.

    Every bit of support we give, makes a difference to an individual and I wanted to start with a story of a girl, called Shamza.

    Earlier this year I took part in a roundtable with young people who had taken part in a national citizens service programme.

    Around the table was a group of young adults, inspiring young people who were confident and engaged with their communities.

    This hadn’t always been the case.

    Many of them were disadvantaged, a significant proportion were carers.

    Amongst them was an inspiring young woman called Shamza.

    Shamza told me that she came to the UK 3 years ago and when she came she didn’t speak any English.

    But despite this obstacle, she carried with her a dream of one day working for the police.

    She signed up to the NCS, she’s now fluent in English and last month she started her journey into the police as an apprentice.

    She grasped the opportunities that came with the NCS programme and used that programme as a springboard to start her new life in the UK.

    Her story is one that speaks to the power of youth services and what they should be about – opening doors for young people and creating chances where they didn’t previously exist.

    And that’s why this kind of event is so important.

    Because it brings together all of you.

    Think tanks. Local Government. National Government. Businesses. Delivery partners.

    From Blackpool FC Community Trust, the British Chambers of Commerce and the University of Central Lancashire to KPMG, PWC and Virgin.

    The huge range of organisations we have here today reflects the fact that young people are not just the responsibility of governments – we all have a role to play.

    And while you may all be here from different organisations, you all have one thing in common: you are invested in the future of our young people.

    You share our ambition of giving young people the tools they need to realise their untapped potential.

    As a Government, we recognise how important all of your organisations are, and we’re grateful for everything you’re doing collectively to improve outcomes for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

    YFF, in particular, has used Dormant Assets Funding to really unpick and find solutions to some of the challenges facing young people today.

    And – by bringing together the youth sector, local authorities, schools, parents, and the private sector – your focus on building the evidence base is already helping to make a difference to how we help more young people from disadvantaged backgrounds into education, into employment and into training.

    And I know that the Connected Futures Programme is exactly about this sort of work.

    Fostering local partnerships to address challenges, to share best practice and to drive greater quality of youth provision at a local level.

    Now, as many of you may know, this is one of the areas of my portfolio I am most passionate about – investing in maximising the potential of young people across the country.

    I believe that we should ensure that every young person should have more opportunities than their parents.

    And to achieve that I think every young person needs someone to talk to, something to do, and somewhere to go.

    It’s an issue I’ve been passionate about throughout my time in Government.

    When I was on the education select committee, when I was a justice minister responsible for youth justice and now as Secretary of State with some responsibility for youth policy.

    I’d like to just touch on why these 3 things are so important and measures I have recently announced that build on them.

    When it comes to giving young people someone to talk to, I know millions of young people across the country were just as lucky as I was.

    Many have parents and grandparents to lead them on their journey.

    Some people find teachers.

    So last month, we announced our plan to work with the Youth Futures Foundation to support young people at risk of falling out of education, employment or training after 18.

    So, through the £15 million Building Futures programme, funded by the Dormant Assets Scheme, as many as 5,000 young people aged 14 to 16, will be offered intensive mentoring and wraparound support.

    We have high hopes this programme will provide a leg up to those young people who need it most, with personalised guidance, career coaching, and mental health support, and at the same time, it will help really build up the evidence base for what works.

    And I know YFF will be setting out details later in the year on the structure of the programme and the locations for support.

    Secondly, turning to somewhere to go;

    We know that young people don’t want to hang around the streets and fall into the wrong crowd.

    We know that giving them somewhere to go where they can socialise, make new friends, develop new skills, and become more rounded individuals makes a massive difference.

    And that aim is at the heart of our Youth Investment Fund, where 87 organisations across the country have already received Youth Investment Fund grants with over 200 more to come so we can provide more safe spaces for young people.

    At the same time, we’re continuing to deliver the Million Hours Fund, which we run in partnership with the National Lottery Community Fund.

    The fund is injecting £22 million directly to youth organisations in wards across England that are identified as having high rates of anti-social behaviour.

    Each ward will then be able to provide additional hours of any youth activity that is ‘open to all’.

    And finally, young people need something to do.

    We’ve teamed up with a number of the expert organisations in this area to launch programmes tailored to reach different groups.

    To begin with, we’ve extended the Adventures Away from Home Fund.

    Through this Fund we are providing bursaries for around 7,500 young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, across England, to access outdoor trips.

    I’ve been fortunate to see first hand how much of a difference these projects and trips can make to people’s lives in igniting their passions.

    I recently visited the Avon Tyrrell outdoor learning centre in the New Forest and had a brilliant conversation with one of their Senior Outdoor Instructors, Jake.

    Jake entered the outdoor industry through an apprenticeship with Avon Tyrrell, after attending a Prince’s Trust residential work placement trip to the outdoor centre.

    He told me about how that work placement, and that experience, made him fall in love with the outdoors and instilled in him a determination to help other young people discover that same love.

    On top of this scheme my Department, with the Youth Endowment Fund and Youth Futures Foundation is going to be launching a new Summer Jobs Programme for up to 2,600 young people, across England.

    To make sure this programme is really targeted where it’s needed most, we’ll be working with local agencies, for example, pupil referral units, local authorities to ensure it reaches those most at risk of becoming involved in youth violence and crime.

    These young people will be offered employment placements for up to six weeks, helping them to not only have something engaging to do, but to improve their life chances on the other side of the placement and help them choose the right path in life.

    As well as both of these schemes, we’re supporting the UK Year of Service, alongside the National Citizen Service Trust.

    The UK Year of Service is about helping those young people who are ready to take their first step into work, but who need some additional support to take it.

    This programme is going to provide meaningful 9 to 12 months work placements to at least 100 young people, across the United Kingdom with the aim of setting them on a positive path towards long-term employment, education or training.

    Once the placements are available later this year, young people will be able to apply directly to roles that inspire them and that they can contribute to the most.

    All these programmes offer something slightly different, but all of them will give young people more of the ‘something to do’ in future.

    We want to give more, more Jake’s and more Shamza’s the chance to thrive.

    And I believe, taken together, we’ve been able to make a huge amount of progress in a relatively short amount of time.

    But I know, and all of you know, that there is a long way to go.

    I’m confident that all of you here today and all of us in Government share the same purpose and are pulling in the same direction.

    You recognise the value of youth services and the sense of belonging they create among young people.

    It is this sense of belonging and the social networks that come with these experiences and these programmes that is vital to improving the life prospects of young people in all parts of the country.

    I am looking forward to working with you all to give young people a fair shot at maximising their potential, now and in the years ahead.

  • Suella Braverman – 2023 Speech to the Police Federation

    Suella Braverman – 2023 Speech to the Police Federation

    The speech made by Suella Braverman, the Home Secretary, to the Police Federation on 11 October 2023.

    It is an honour to join you today.

    Let me start by saying there is no greater privilege as Home Secretary than working with the heroic men and women of our police.

    And it is always deeply sobering – and moving – to hear the roll call of officers who have fallen in the line of duty in the past year.

    Words cannot do justice to the debt we owe them, nor to how keenly we feel for their colleagues and loved ones.

    And as Steve mentioned, I have personally been incredibly moved by attending the National Police Memorial Day in Cardiff only a few weeks ago, and also hosting the nominees for the Police Bravery Awards in Downing Street in London earlier this year.

    Those heroes will be forever cherished.

    I support your campaign for a medal for heroes. There is a consensus across government that this needs to happen – and I hope we will be able to announce something very soon.

    It’s my job to enable you to do your jobs. That’s why my colleague the Policing Minister Chris Philp and I have taken the scissors to red tape. We listened when you said that you were spending too much time filling in forms.  And I’m pleased to be working with the NPCC on reforming the rules.

    By changing the rules around how crime is recorded, we could free up around 443,000 hours that could be put to better use.

    There was no need to record two crimes when dealing with stalking, harassment, and controlling or coercive behaviour.

    Nor to record Section 5 Public Order crimes when, on too many occasions, officers arrived only to find an empty street and no disorder.

    It was right for bureaucratic reasons – and in the cause of free speech – to ensure that a malicious communication crime will be recorded only if a criminal threshold has clearly been reached, and not just when someone claims to be offended.

    Now, I’m not fighting my campaign against political correctness in policing only for the sake of the law-abiding majority who want to see officers patrolling the streets, not policing pronouns on Twitter.

    I also know that that’s what the majority of you signed up for, too.

    Recruiting more than 20,000 additional officers and having a record number of officers in England and Wales is just the start.

    But you need clarity from political leaders and I could not be clearer: I believe in the Peelian Principles of policing, I believe in investigating every crime, and I believe in keeping the public safe by catching criminals.

    Anything that distracts from this is unwelcome – whether that’s enforcing non-existent blasphemy laws, unnecessarily recording a non-crime hate incident or joining in with political demonstrations.

    Now, I understand that you as officers must make difficult operational decisions. But the public expects more than just a crime number.

    They want to see the police taking visible action in communities and thoroughly investigating crime.

    I am therefore delighted that the police have agreed to follow all reasonable lines of enquiry for all crime types.

    And when I visited Greater Manchester Police, I saw how Chief Constable Steve Watson transformed that force by following that approach.

    So I expect to see significant improvements in the way police approach crimes like phone theft, car theft, shoplifting, and criminal damage – in order to solve more crimes and restore public confidence in local policing.

    Crime investigations should not be screened out solely on the basis that they are perceived as “minor” and all crimes merit investigation where there is a reasonable line of enquiry to follow up.

    I’m also pleased that the police have all committed to attending the scene of every domestic burglary.

    It’s a terrible crime which causes misery and fear for victims.

    Nor must we ignore the havoc wreaked by anti-social behaviour, and the government’s action plan takes the fight to perpetrators, including through the dispensation of immediate justice.

    And I was pleased to visit Essex police and Derbyshire police to see the rollout of some of the pilots.

    Neighbourhood policing is the bedrock of keeping the public safe and making sure they feel safe too.

    We must never forget that the fear of crime inhibits people hugely and diminishes the ability of communities to flourish.

    So we need to continue to build trust between the police and the public. It is crucial that the police are accessible and accountable to communities.

    I am grateful to PCCs and Chief Constables throughout England and Wales for sharing with me their plans to improve confidence in local policing and police visibility, and I will digest all this and look forward to receiving the results of these plans next March.

    We also listened when you said that officers were having to spend too much time taking responsibility for people suffering mental health crises.

    Make no mistake, mental health care really matters. This is about getting the right professionals to undertake the right tasks.

    July saw the announcement of the new National Partnership Agreement, which will see a ‘Right Care, Right Person’ model rolled out throughout England – having been thoroughly achieved in Humberside.

    Humberside Police estimate that this system has saved them over 1,400 hours per month of police time, and similar results across the English forces could save around one million hours.

    The police will only be expected to attend mental health incidents if there is a real and immediate risk of serious harm or where there may be criminal activity.

    Because, the truth is anyone suffering a mental health crisis needs the right support in the most appropriate setting. That is not a police cell.

    Meanwhile, the Public Order Act has given the police greater powers and legal clarity for combatting disruptive protests, which have caused such chaos and eaten up so much police time and money.

    Now, I will always back tried and tested ways of driving down crime.

    We have trialled serious violence reduction orders, which allow the police to stop and search those with convictions for knife crime, to see if they are carrying a weapon.

    Earlier this year, I saw for myself how well this is working in Merseyside.

    And this government has made it easier than ever before for the police to make legitimate use of their stop and search powers.

    At the same time, we have made the use of such powers more transparent and accountable.

    And so, following a consultation earlier this year, the government will introduce a ban on certain types of large knives such as zombie-style knives and machetes. We will legislate when parliamentary time allows.

    And from a personal perspective, having met knife crime campaigners in several forces, for example in Hertfordshire, I have seen the impact that knife legislation can have on saving lives.

    Now technology is vital to enable you to achieve operational success.

    Whether it is in Kent, where they are pioneering the use of technology to support domestic abuse victims, or in South Wales police through the use of facial recognition technology.

    And I want to ensure that you have the best technology available.

    Taser is a valuable tool for the police, and I have received a request from police leaders to approve a new Taser device, the T10, for use in the UK.

    I want you to have the very best kit available, and so I hope to be able to approve the T10 after testing by scientists next year.

    My officials will also continue to review markets to identify any new suppliers and ensure the best technology and the best value for money.

    Now since March 2010, neighbourhood crime including burglary, robbery, and vehicle-related thefts are down by 51 per cent and violent crime down by 46 per cent.

    So we, collectively, are making real progress in tackling high-harm crimes, and I thank you for your work. But there are always tragic reminders that a life can be snatched away in an instant.

    So as part of the government’s commitment to tackle homicide, I will work with the police this winter to put particular focus on the prevention of homicides involving men aged over 25 killed in public.

    Because, too often we have heard about a group of friends on a night out over Christmas ending in tragedy, with an argument escalating into a one-punch homicide.

    We are investing in the police’s national communications campaign to raise awareness of the danger of this appalling phenomenon and in local police-led activity to make pubs, other licensed premises, and the night-time economy safer this winter.

    Now another atrocious crime is rape. Getting police officers with the right skills is critical in the effort to progress and effectively manage cases.

    Operation Soteria has highlighted the importance of specialist knowledge.

    The National Operating Model is now being implemented by all police forces in England and Wales. This innovative approach has brought about real change in the pioneering force, Avon and Somerset.

    It has given officers better tools to improve their decision-making processes, and I have heard first-hand from those supporting victims locally how Chief Constable Sarah Crew’s force is ensuring victims’ needs and rights are front and centre.

    2,000 police investigators will receive new specialist training in rape and sexual offences by next April. And it will be compulsory for all new recruits to undertake rape and sexual offences training.

    Rape is one of those crimes that make your job incredibly demanding emotionally and psychologically.

    It cannot be repeated often enough that you do a job that makes unique – and enormous – demands upon you, and I am determined that government does all it can to support you.

    The Police Covenant is this country’s promise to you and to your families that we will do right by you. Its creation was a vital step, but it is only a starting point. Supporting police officers is an ongoing project that requires constant vigilance, and I promise that I will always listen to you very carefully.

    We are grateful to the Federation for your support of the National Policing Board, championing police welfare and other frontline issues.

    Police Treatment Centres play a vital role in providing essential help to those of you who suffer physical or mental injury as a result of your service.

    The Federation has raised concerns with the way Police Treatment Centres are being funded, and we have asked the National Police Wellbeing Service to conduct a review of the PTCs, to understand the demand on this service and how to best support and utilise it.

    It is perfectly understandable that you are worried about levels of fatigue in policing and its effect on your wellbeing.

    Long, irregular, and uncertain hours doing an exceptionally demanding job are inevitably challenging – but that doesn’t mean we should just accept that it will take a terrible toll.

    Police officers are so admirable precisely because you are human beings and not robots.

    I am interested in the Phase 2 of the fatigue project, led by the National Police Wellbeing Service in partnership with Liverpool John Moores University.

    It will be incredibly helpful to see the results, with 10 to 12 forces due to take part.

    I am very grateful to the volunteers – officers from a number of ‘high-fatigue’ front line roles, such as investigators, response, and firearm teams.

    The government is funding this project as part of the Police Covenant. It uses the latest biometric technology anonymously to capture fatigue levels and deliver an expert-led, 120-day programme to support officers with fatigue recovery.

    It is a unique research project, not just in UK policing, but in the world, and we are already seeing significant improvements in those involved in the study, with improved sleep, reduced fatigue, and better recovery.

    Likewise, as part of our Police Covenant, next month will see the launch of the first national family support package through Oscar Kilo, the National Police Wellbeing Service.

    It includes a range of advice and practical tips for family health, nutrition, and sleep – as well as a book that helps to explain to children what policing is all about.

    I am very grateful to the Police Federation for your input into this work.

    The demands placed on police officers are unique. That’s why the support for you must be bespoke.

    Mental health matters just as much as physical health.

    Indeed, mental ill health can, tragically, claim lives – as some of you know all too well.

    And I am very pleased to be able to announce that we will provide additional funding to set up a 24/7 Mental Health Crisis Support Line for current and former members of the police workforce.

    There are employee assistance programmes in a number of forces, with telephone counselling available, but there is no national 24 hour, 7 day a week suicide prevention line. That needs to change.

    Fire and Ambulance have recently established their own 24/7 crisis lines. The police need and deserve no less.

    So as I said at the Conservative Party Conference earlier this month, I want to ensure that when police are called upon to use force or conduct pursuits in the line of duty, officers are able to use their powers with legal certainty and clarity.

    That is why I have announced a review, to report to me by the end of the year, to ensure that the legal and operational frameworks in which they operate are robust and command the confidence of officers and the public.

    I want you to know that I have heard your concerns that you are not being treated fairly, and that processes overlap and take too long.

    Steve, you mentioned pay.

    I was very pleased that we were able to give police officers a 7 per cent pay rise.

    We are in a tough economic climate but prioritising a rise for some of the most selfless, outstanding professionals among us was absolutely right.

    Decent police officers suffer hugely when a minority fall short of the standards required, and in recent years, some have fallen spectacularly short.

    The culture in policing does need significantly to improve. That is one of the areas of focus of Part 2 of the Angiolini Inquiry. The National Centre for Police Leadership, being developed by the College of Policing, is another big step forward.

    Now, I know that every responsible police officer accepts that they must be held accountable for their actions.

    It was right to take action to make it easier for chief constables to remove officers who are not up to the job, right for the public and right for the majority of officers who do the job bravely and well – and who need to able to rely on their colleagues.

    Nor does our duty to you end when you leave the force. The last thing I want is for you to be left adrift.

    In order to help you transition out of policing when the time is right for you and your family, the College of Policing has developed a leavers toolkit, to be launched later this year.

    It will provide practical support such as training and guidance on CV writing and interview skills.

    That said, your chiefs have the option to bring back officers after you have retired, under the NPCC Retire and rejoin guidance.

    Leveraging talent and expertise back into our police force is highly desirable. I encourage all chiefs to think carefully about the balance of their workforce and make sure they are making use of this option to retain the experience and skills the force needs.

    You have chosen a job that is never easy. But it is also immensely worthwhile. Indeed, it is essential – the consequences of not having a world-class police force are too terrible to contemplate.

    And so my final message is a simple one: thank you so much for everything that you do.

  • Charlotte Nichols – 2023 Speech on Israel and Gaza

    Charlotte Nichols – 2023 Speech on Israel and Gaza

    The speech made by Charlotte Nichols, the Labour MP for Warrington North, in the House of Commons on 16 October 2023.

    Mr Speaker,

    “No stone can remain unturned in finding a political solution.”

    Those are not my words, but those of the Israeli and Arab mothers’ collective Woman Wage Peace, echoed in recent days by survivors from Kibbutz Be’eri, the family of those murdered at Netiv Ha’Asara, organisations such as B’Tselem, Omdim Ben Yachad, and thousands of peace activists and ordinary Israelis who are desperately praying for the cycle of violence to end and a lasting peace to be secured. What will the Government be doing to heed that call and mobilise international actors to find the political solution, however far away it feels right now, so that there may be a way out of the nightmare that Hamas has unleashed for all in Israel, Palestine and the wider region for good?

    The Prime Minister

    We must provide an alternative to the vision of violence, fear and terror presented by Hamas, and that is what the United Kingdom will do, standing with Israel but also working together with its people and our allies across the region—all of those who remain committed to a vision of a more peaceful, more integrated, more secure and more prosperous middle east. That is what we will work towards.

  • Stephen Crabb – 2023 Speech on Israel and Gaza

    Stephen Crabb – 2023 Speech on Israel and Gaza

    The speech made by Stephen Crabb, the Conservative MP for Preseli Pembrokeshire, in the House of Commons on 16 October 2023.

    May I thank you, Mr Speaker, for the step that you took at the beginning of last week in lighting up this Palace in the colours of blue and white as an act of solidarity with the Israeli victims of Hamas terrorism? I know that it was appreciated by those British families mourning loved ones who were slain in that action as well as by families living with unimaginable fear right now because they have family members who have been taken hostage in Gaza. Some of those family members are with us in the Gallery.

    Does the Prime Minister agree that after the acts of barbarism by Hamas, there is no going back to the situation before where, right under the noses of the international community, Hamas were allowed to rearm time and again? They were allowed to misappropriate aid into terrorist infrastructure, building those tunnels, amassing armaments and hiding them behind civilian families. Does he agree that the international community must take a stand and not allow the Gaza strip to go back to becoming a terrorist statelet?

    The Prime Minister

    First, I thank my right hon. Friend for everything he does to support the Jewish community here and overseas. I agree that no country can or would tolerate the slaughter of its citizens and simply return to the conditions that allowed that to take place. Israel has the right—indeed, the obligation—to defend itself and to ensure that this never happens again.

  • Richard Burgon – 2023 Speech on Israel and Gaza

    Richard Burgon – 2023 Speech on Israel and Gaza

    The speech made by Richard Burgon, the Labour MP for Leeds East, in the House of Commons on 16 October 2023.

    The massacre of Israeli civilians was a heinous act of terrorism that we all utterly condemn and the hostages must be released immediately. In the words of the United Nations Secretary-General,

    “the horrific acts by Hamas do not justify responding with collective punishment of the Palestinian people.”

    But that is what we are seeing in Gaza, with civilian areas bombed and food, electricity, water and medicines all cut off. Such collective punishment is a war crime under the Geneva conventions, so will the Prime Minister take this opportunity to make it clear to the Israeli Government that this collective punishment of Palestinian civilians must end immediately?

    The Prime Minister

    I would say gently to the hon. Gentleman that I actually believe that we should support absolutely Israel’s right to defend itself and to go after Hamas, recognising that it faces a vicious enemy that embeds itself behind civilians. Of course, Israel will act within international humanitarian law—and, as a friend, we will continue to call on Israel to take every precaution in avoiding harming citizens—but we must acknowledge always that the responsibility for what is happening here is with Hamas and Hamas alone.

  • Nadhim Zahawi – 2023 Speech on Israel and Gaza

    Nadhim Zahawi – 2023 Speech on Israel and Gaza

    The speech made by Nadhim Zahawi, the former Chancellor of the Exchequer, in the House of Commons on 16 October 2023.

    I want to add my voice to all those who stand with Israel and her inalienable right to defend herself against an unspeakable crime. As someone born in the middle east, as a father and as a human, it was too painful to watch. Israel has to take the necessary steps to root out this evil virus of fundamentalism that has so clearly infested those in Hamas and, of course, destroy it. Just as we stood together against ISIS, we will stand together again. My request to my right hon. Friend is that, when this has been done, the UK encourages Israel to set out for all to see the positive actions it will take to change the reality in Gaza once and for all. Gaza and the world will need Israel to show her best self after this war.

    The Prime Minister

    I thank my right hon. Friend for his powerful statement and also agree with him, We must think about the future, and in spite of this awful tragedy, we cannot lose sight of the better future that we all want to strive for. Indeed, in my conversations with leaders we have already been thinking about that, and it is something I raised with the Prime Minister of Israel as well. We all want that better future for the Israeli and Palestinian people, and hopefully out of this tragedy we will find a way to move closer towards it.

  • Christian Wakeford – 2023 Speech on Israel and Gaza

    Christian Wakeford – 2023 Speech on Israel and Gaza

    The speech made by Christian Wakeford, the Labour MP for Bury South, in the House of Commons on 16 October 2023.

    On Saturday, I went to shul and sat next to a constituent whose cousin is one of the hostages. My thoughts and prayers go out not only to him, but to all families and hostages currently detained.

    While conflict escalates in the middle east, we see the effects on the streets here in Britain. I welcome the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition standing behind Israel’s right to defend itself and the £3 million increase in funding for the Community Security Trust. However, unfortunately, in the past week we have seen an increase of around 500% in antisemitic incidents and an 850% increase in suspicious behaviours, and even this weekend glorification of Hamas and genocidal chants on the streets of our cities, in some cases mere feet away from police officers. Will the Prime Minister join me in applauding the efforts of the CST in keeping the Jewish community safe, but also commit to ensuring that anyone found to be preaching this hate speech on our streets faces the full extent of the law?

    The Prime Minister

    I can give the hon. Gentleman that assurance. I met the CST and police chiefs last week, in Downing Street, not just to provide extra funding, but to reiterate that there is zero tolerance in the United Kingdom for antisemitism. It is tragic that we have seen a significant increase in incidents over the past week, but those who perpetrate these crimes will be met with the full force of the law.

  • Alicia Kearns – 2023 Speech on Israel and Gaza

    Alicia Kearns – 2023 Speech on Israel and Gaza

    The speech made by Alicia Kearns, the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, in the House of Commons on 16 October 2023.

    Saturday’s terror attack on Israel constituted crimes against humanity—crimes so heinous that they violated our understanding of the depths of human depravity. That depravity continues today, as innocents remain held hostage by Hamas terrorists and their patrons, the state of Iran.

    Israel has a legitimate right to self-defence and to defeat Hamas. We can support Israel and grieve with its people while recognising that how a counter-terrorism operation is conducted matters. It matters because Israel’s actions as a rule-of-law nation, and our words as its friend, shape our ability to be a legitimate arbiter in future conflicts and to have the right to call out abusers such as Russia. It matters because although there is an imperative to defeat Hamas in the immediate term in order to secure Israel’s future, how they are defeated will shape the region’s future, and because the people of Gaza are not Hamas—1.2 million children bear no collective guilt for Hamas’s terror.

    So today I repeat my call for the creation of a special envoy for the middle east peace process. Will my right hon. Friend tell the House more about what actions are being taken to prevent conflict and loss of life on the west bank and in East Jerusalem? When will we finally proscribe the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps?

    The Prime Minister

    With regard specifically to the west bank, this is something about which I spoke to Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the Palestinian Authority this morning. I also spoke yesterday to His Majesty the King of Jordan. We discussed the measures that are necessary and the support the UK can provide to ensure the strong stability of the west bank. No one wants to see the situation escalate. I assure my hon. Friend that we are in active dialogue with both partners to see how we can help bring that stability to the west bank. Indeed, it is something I will also continue to discuss with Prime Minister Netanyahu. It is important that the west bank remains calm, and that is what we will help to bring about.

  • Ed Davey – 2023 Speech on Israel and Gaza

    Ed Davey – 2023 Speech on Israel and Gaza

    The speech made by Ed Davey, the Leader of the Liberal Democrats, in the House of Commons on 16 October 2023.

    The scale of Hamas’s terrorist attacks has been utterly horrifying and the atrocities they have committed are truly sickening. We stand with the people of Israel and with the Jewish community, who are grieving and afraid. We call for the unconditional release of all hostages and urge the Government finally to proscribe as a terrorist organisation the funders of Hamas: Iran’s revolutionary guard.

    Israel unquestionably has the right to defend itself and its citizens. That means targeting Hamas, not innocent civilians, in line with international law. I am concerned about the forced evacuation of hospitals in Gaza, which means death for innocent Palestinians who will not survive being taken off life support. The World Health Organisation has said that this may be a breach of international humanitarian law, so will the Prime Minister set out what advice he has received on the matter?

    The Prime Minister

    Unlike Hamas, the Israeli President has said that the Israeli armed forces will operate in accordance with international law. Israel’s attempt to minimise civilian casualties by warning people to leave northern Gaza has been further complicated by Hamas terrorists telling the local population not to leave and instead using them as human shields. We will continue to urge Israel, as I have done when I have spoken to Prime Minister Netanyahu, that while it exercises its absolute right to defend itself and ensure that such attacks can never happen again, it should take every possible precaution to minimise the impact on civilians.

  • Theresa May – 2023 Speech on Israel and Gaza

    Theresa May – 2023 Speech on Israel and Gaza

    The speech made by Theresa May, the former Prime Minister, in the House of Commons on 16 October 2023.

    The attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists was barbaric. Terrorists must be defeated, whoever they are and wherever they are. I commend my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary for the stance that the Government have taken in support of the Jewish community here in the UK, and in support of Israel and its right to defend itself. I welcome the Prime Minister’s statement that action must be taken in line with international humanitarian law, but will he give a commitment today that the Government will leave no stone unturned in their efforts to prevent regional escalation of the conflict? In doing so, will he reflect on the role of Iran?

    The Prime Minister

    I can give my right hon. Friend that reassurance. It is not only something that we have discussed extensively with partners in the region, but why last week I deployed surveillance aircraft and assets to the Mediterranean, and they are already engaged in ensuring that arms shipments do not find their way to people such as those in Hezbollah, and that Iran does not see this as an opportunity to escalate the conflict. The support that we have put into the region has already been welcomed by our partners, who share our aim to ensure that action is constrained to dealing with Hamas and what they have done. No one wants to see any escalation. Again, that is something that Prime Minister Netanyahu and I discussed, and he very much agrees that his objective is to deal with Hamas and not to see the conflict spread more widely.