Tag: Keir Starmer

Biggest shake up to welfare system in a generation ‘to get Britain working’

UNIVERSAL CONDEMNATION OF LABOUR PLANS

Largest welfare reforms for a generation to help sick and disabled people who can and have the potential to work into jobs – backed by a £1 billion investment, unveiled by the Work & Pensions Secretary today

  • Work Capability Assessment to be scrapped and “right to try” work guarantee to be introduced in drive to tear down barriers to work
  • Changes will unlock work, boost employment, and tackle the broken benefits system to unlock growth as part of the government’s Plan for Change

Record £1 billion employment support measures have been announced ‘to help disabled and long-term sick people back into work’.

The new measures are designed to ensure a welfare system that is fit for purpose and available for future generations – opening up employment opportunities, boosting economic growth and tackling the spiralling benefits bill, while also ensuring those who cannot work get the support they need as part of the government’s Plan for Change.

This will end years of inaction, which has led to one in eight young people not currently in work, education or training and 2.8 million people economically inactive due to long term sickness – one of the highest rates in the G7. 

The number of people receiving one of the main types of health and disability benefit, Personal Independence Payments (PIP), has also risen rapidly and is becoming unsustainable. 

Since the pandemic, the number of working-age people receiving PIP has more than doubled from 15,300 to 35,100 a month. The number of young people (16-24) receiving PIP per month has also skyrocketed from 2,967 to 7,857 a month. Over the next five years, if no action is taken, the number of working age people claiming PIP is expected to increase from 2 million in 2021 to 4.3 million, costing £34.1 billion annually. 

All this has driven the spiralling health and disability benefits bill, forecast to reach £70 billion a year by the end of the decade, or more than £1 billion a week. This is equivalent to more than a third of the NHS budget, and more than three times as much as is spent on policing and keeping communities safe.

Speaking in Parliament today, Liz Kendall announced a sweeping package of reforms to overhaul the system, so it better supports those who need it while tearing down barriers to work including:

Ending reassessments for disabled people who will never be able to work and people with lifelong conditions to ensure they can live with dignity and security

Scrapping the controversial Work Capability Assessment to end the dysfunctional process that drives people into dependency – delivering on the government’s manifesto commitment to reform or replace it

Providing improved employment support backed by £1 billion – one of the biggest packages of employment support for sick and disabled people ever – including new tailored support conversations for people on health and disability benefits to break down barriers and unlock work

Legislating to protect those on health and disability benefits from reassessment or losing their payments if they take a chance on work. 

To ensure the welfare system is available for those with the greatest needs now and long into the future, the government has made bold decisions to improve its sustainability and protect those who need it most, including:

  • Reintroducing reassessments for people on incapacity benefits who have the capability to work to ensure they have the right support and aren’t indefinitely written off.
  • Targeting Personal Independence Payments for those with higher needs by changing the eligibility requirement to a minimum score of four on at least one of the daily living activities to receive the daily living element of the benefit, in addition to the existing eligibility criteria.
  • Rebalancing payment levels in Universal Credit to improve the Standard Allowance. Raising it above inflation by 2029/30, adding £775 annually in cash terms.
  • Consulting on delaying access to the health element of Universal Credit until someone is aged 22 and reinvesting savings into work support and training opportunities through the Youth Guarantee.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “We inherited a fundamentally broken welfare system from the previous government. It does not work for the people it is supposed to support, businesses who need workers or taxpayers who foot the bill.

“This government will always protect the most severely disabled people to live with dignity. But we’re not prepared to stand back and do nothing while millions of people – especially young people – who have potential to work and live independent lives, instead become trapped out of work and abandoned by the system. It would be morally bankrupt to let their life chances waste away. 

“When I talk about opportunity for all, I mean it. That’s why we are bringing forward the biggest changes to the welfare system in a generation and improving support for those who need it. Ensuring those who can work do work is not only right, but it will also improve living standards and drive growth, the number one priority in our Plan for Change.”

Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall said: “Our social security system must be there for all of us when we need it, now and into the future. That means helping people who can work to do so, protecting those most in need, and delivering respect and dignity for all. 

“Millions of people have been locked out of work, and we can do better for them. Disabled people and those with health conditions who can work deserve the same choices and chances as everyone else.

“That’s why we’re introducing the most far-reaching reforms in a generation, with £1 billion a year being invested in tailored support that can be adapted to meet their changing circumstances – including their changing health – while also scrapping the failed Work Capability Assessment.

“This will mean fairness for disabled people and those with long term health conditions, but also for the taxpayers who fund it as these measures bring down the benefits bill. 

“At the same time, we will ensure that our welfare system protects people. There will always be some people who cannot work because of their disability or health condition. Protecting people in need is a principle we will never compromise on.”

In her statement to Parliament, the Work and Pensions Secretary outlined the clear case for change to the welfare system and set out her commitment to ensuring that disabled people and those with a health condition have the same opportunities to work as anyone else.

In particular, she highlighted that the UK has one of the highest reported rates of working-age people out of work due to ill health in Western Europe and the UK is the only major economy whose employment rate hasn’t recovered since the pandemic – exacerbated by a broken NHS with millions of people on waiting lists. 

The government has already made huge progress to fix the NHS, including by hitting the manifesto commitment to deliver over two million extra elective care appointments seven months early, and bringing forward a wider programme for NHS reform through the rollout of community diagnostic centres and 10-year plan. The Health Secretary has also sent crack teams spearheaded by top clinicians into areas of high economic inactivity, and the latest data shows waiting lists in these areas have reduced at almost double the rate of the rest of the country. 

The reformed system will be built on a straightforward guarantee: any disabled person or person with a long-term health condition who is claiming out of work benefits will be able to access high quality, tailored help into a job. It will also mean that those who cannot work will always get the support they need. In Scotland and Wales, we will work closely with the devolved governments as we develop this package of support.

The reforms are based on five key principles:

Protecting disabled people who can’t and won’t ever be able to work and supporting them to live with dignity by:

  • Income Protection: Those currently in receipt of UC health will benefit from the increased standard allowance and will not be affected by plans to reduce UC health in future. 
  • Extra Financial Support: For people who receive the new rate of UC health in the future system, we are proposing a new premium for individuals with severe, life-long health conditions who will never be able to work. The details, eligibility criteria and rate of this premium will be set out in due course.
  • Ending Reassessments: Reassessments for disabled people and people with life-long conditions who will never be able to work will be scrapped.
  • Improving Safeguarding Practices: The government will look at how safeguarding practices for the most vulnerable can be improved and improve experiences with the system, working with stakeholders to identify areas for improvement. 

Delivering better and more tailored employment support to get more people off welfare and into work. This includes: 

  • £1 Billion employment package to deliver tailored support for disabled people and those with long-term conditions.
  • New Support Conversations to provide earlier opportunities for people with health conditions to discuss work goals and available help.
  • Investing in the Youth Guarantee by delaying access to UC health element until age 22 and reinvesting savings into work support and training for young people.

Stopping people from falling into long-term economic inactivity through early intervention and support by:

  • Access to Work Scheme: We will consult on improvements to help people start and stay in work with reasonable adjustments including aids, appliances and assistive technology. These would be the first substantive changes to Access to Work since its introduction in 1994
  • Unemployment Insurance: We will reform contributory benefits (ESA and JSA) into a single, non-means tested, time-limited benefit for those who have paid into the system to ensure people get the support they need to find a new job that makes the most of their skills, contributing to a dynamic and productive economy.

Restoring trust and fairness in the system by fixing the broken assessment process that drives people into dependency on welfare by:

  • Scrapping the WCA to end the labelling of people as either ‘can or can’t work’ and consulting on a new single assessment. Under the new system, any extra financial support for health conditions (including PIP, ESA or UC health) will be assessed via a new single assessment which will be based on the PIP assessment – considering on the impact of disability on daily living, not on capacity to work.
  • Increasing Face-to-Face Assessments for PIP and the WCA to improve the quality of assessment decision while ensuring we continue to meet the needs of those with who may require a different method of assessment.
  • Longer term reform of the PIP Assessment – In the long term we will set out broader reforms to the PIP assessment, and intend first to carry out a review involving experts and stakeholders to adapt and improve it.
  • Right to Try Guarantee: which will ensure someone trying work or on a pathway towards employment will never lead to an immediate reassessment or award review.
  • Restarting Mandatory Reassessments: We will reintroduce reassessments for incapacity benefits, with exceptions for those who will never work and those under special rules for end-of-life care. Reassessments have largely been switched off since 2021, leaving people stuck on benefits when they could be helped into work and to improve their quality of life.

Ensuring the system is financially sustainable to keep providing for those who need it most by:

  • Changing PIP Eligibility:  PIP will be targeted more on those with higher needs by requiring a minimum of four points on one daily living activity, in addition to the existing eligibility criteria.. DWP will work with DHSC to ensure that existing people who claim PIP who may no longer be entitled to the benefit following an award review under new eligibility rules have their health and eligible care needs met. The government is consulting on how best to achieve this.
  • Rebalancing Universal Credit: by improving the Standard Allowance to provide more adequate support. The government plans to raise the Standard Allowance above inflation by 2029/30, adding £775 in cash terms annually. This aims to avoid people having to choose between employment or adequate financial support. This change addresses the current issue where the health element rate is double that of the standard allowance, creating an incentive for people to prove they are unfit to work to claim the health element and access greater financial support.

Helen Barnard, director of policy at Trussell, said: “We’re deeply concerned by the cuts announced to disability payments today.

People at food banks have told us they are terrified of how they might survive. We welcome the positive proposals from the Department for Work and Pensions to boost the basic rate to Universal Credit and invest in employment support. However, we fear these steps will be undermined by a Treasury drive to make short-term savings.

“Huge cuts risk pushing more disabled people to the doors of food banks, and will have devastating consequences for us all. The UK government was elected on manifesto pledges to end the need for emergency food parcels. This isn’t what people voted for. 

“Disabled people are already three times more likely to face hunger, and three quarters of people at food banks are disabled or live with someone who is. Our social security system should be rooted in justice and compassion, able to be there for us all, especially when we need it most. 

“This isn’t a done deal. With at least a year before any cuts come into force, there’s still time for the Prime Minister and Chancellor to rethink and make good on today’s promise to restore trust and fairness in the social security system.”

The TUC said: ’11 General Secretaries of our trade union affiliates have written to the government to raise “profound concerns” about today’s welfare cuts targeted at disabled people. The labour movement must stand together with campaigners, charities & carers to resist”

#disabilitybenefit

Responding to today’s statement by Liz Kendall MP, Poverty Alliance policy & campaigns manager Ruth Boyle said: “People in the UK are desperate for a government that delivers a just and compassionate country.

“They want to see an end to deepening poverty, debt, destitution, and hunger in their communities. Many will be distressed, disappointed, scared, and angry at today’s announcements.

“The plans to cut the health element of Universal Credit are wrong and unjust. Cutting vital financial support to disabled people won’t help them into paid work – but it is likely to move them towards poverty.

“Equally unjust is the idea of making it virtually impossible for under-23s to get Universal Credit health support. The Government is punishing young people who aren’t fit for work simply because of their age.

“These changes are driven by a desire for financial cost savings, rather than helping people access the support they need. Positive proposals like personalised support to help people into work and a Right-to-Try will be undermined by cuts which force people into further and deeper poverty.

“Personal Independence Payments are a vital part of the social security system, and even though we have a replacement Adult Disability Payment in Scotland, there are still many people here who are on PIP.

“These social security benefits support people’s basic freedom – whether they are in work or not. They help cover some of the extra living costs that are forced on disabled people. The Government now plans to make it harder for them to get that vital support, denying them a full place in society, and undoubtedly pushing many towards debt and destitution.

“We urge the Scottish Government to maintain its commitment to justice and compassion, and to make sure the Adult Disability Payment still supports the freedom and rights of disabled people.

“It is shameful to try to balance the books on the backs of disabled people and households that are already struggling to keep their heads above water. Instead, the Government should do the responsible thing and use their tax powers to unlock our country’s wealth for investment in a strong social foundation.

“And they can scrap their self-imposed fiscal rules with a plan to help everyone build a better life for their households, and a better future for our country.”

Commenting on the Green Paper’s plans for social security reform announced by the government today (Tuesday), TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: “During 14 years of Tory failure, too many people were written off. Millions of workers have been left without proper support to move into work or progress in good jobs, and too many people with disabilities or ill health have not had access to the support they need. 

“But change must be done in the right way. While we welcome the decision not to freeze PIP, this package will still lead to significant cuts in entitlements for some disabled people. 

“As well as ensuring that those with the most severe disabilities are protected, we urge ministers to reconsider the scale of proposed cuts in disabled people’s incomes. 

“Disabled people who are unable to work must not be pushed further into hardship.”

Commenting on the Green Paper’s wider proposals, Paul added: “Action to boost access to quality employment programmes and ensure that Jobcentre work coaches can provide quality and meaningful support is welcome. As too are proposals to strengthen contributory benefits. 

“This needs to be accompanied by ongoing investment in the NHS, including mental health services. Better healthcare can transform lives. 

“The government’s plan to Make Work Pay is also crucial to driving up the quality of jobs in Britain and ensuring more people have access to decent work.”

Transport union, RMT has criticised Labour’s decision to cut welfare spending by up to £5bn by 2030.

Eddie Dempsey RMT general secretary said: “Welfare cuts target people who rely on support to survive, including disabled people, carers, the unemployed, and those in insecure work.

“For the past 40 years our economy has been marked by low investment, wage suppression and super-high profits.

“Our economy needs to be fundamentally restructured so we can invest in housing, infrastructure and services to create well paid jobs and provide an adequate safety net for those who fall on hard times.

“There is an enormous amount of wealth in this country and the Labour government should be using the economic levers at their disposal to capture it from the rich.

“Billions could be recouped by the treasury through levies on wealth, the closure of tax loopholes, and extracting excess corporate profits.

“RMT stands with all in our working-class communities, including the disabled and unemployed.”

OXFAM Scotland tweeted: ‘Just a reminder there’s no shortage of money in the UK, just a shortage of political will to go out & tax it.

‘While more people risk being locked into hardship/deeper poverty, the ballooning bank balances of the UK’s richest millionaires/billionaires get off virtually scot-free’

The Disability Policy Centre’s Interim Director of Research, Arun Veerappan, response to the Government’s release of the Green Paper this afternoon.

Green MSP slams Labour betrayal of disabled people and calls on MPs to fight back 

Scottish Green’s co-leader and MSP for Lothian region Lorna Slater is calling on Labour MPs to fight back on the inhumane cuts that the UK government are proposing to hit their fiscal targets. 

In the Westminster government’s latest controversial move, it has announced a package of changes expected to affect some of the UK’s most severely disabled people. The measures will deny benefits for thousands of people across the country. 

Lorna Slater MSP for Lothian region said:  “These cuts will make a cruel and dehumanising system even more brutal than it already is. They will spread pain and misery across every community.

“ This decision is immoral. You can’t cut £5 billion of support without causing real harm to disabled people.  

“ None of this is inevitable. Labour could choose to bring in a wealth tax that collects a fair and justified share from the richest people to invest in the services we all rely on.

“Labour are doubling down on the Tory idea that you can work your way out of disability. They are sending a cruel and dangerous message that only people who can boost our economy are worth supporting. They promised an end to austerity, but this goes even further than anything that the Tories ever dared.” 

“The fact that they are choosing to punish the people with the least tells us everything we need to know about Labour’s values. The millions of people who waited 14 long years to get rid of the Tories deserve so much better than this.” 

‘Cuts to benefits announced today have clearly been motivated by a desire to make short-term savings to meet arbitrary fiscal rules, says New Economics Foundation’s Head of Social Polict Tom Pollard.

‘They’re not going to help ill and disabled people, they’re only going to create more problems.’

Former Labour Party leader and now Independent MP Jeremy Corbyn said: “This is a seminal moment: a Labour government cutting disability benefits. Not just continuing Tory levels. Cutting.

“This comes after a week of speculation, itself an act of cruelty by a government toying with people’s dignity. These cuts are disgraceful – and will cost lives.”

Scope charity commented: “These plans will be catastrophic for disabled people’s living standards. Nearly half of families living in poverty already include someone who is disabled. Now the government is choosing to penalise some of the poorest people in our society.

“We welcome the investment in tailored, non-compulsory employment support. But ripping £5 billion out of the benefits system by 2030 will completely undermine this positive step.

“Countless disabled people, charities, MPs, and experts are urging the government to think again. And we’re not backing down. The consultation is likely to receive an overwhelming response. We urge the government to listen to disabled people and think again.

“Over the coming days, we’ll analyse all the details in the government’s plans. We’ll then share more information about what these changes mean and who could be affected as soon as we can. We’ll also share ways you can have your say in the consultation.

‘This is an especially worrying time for many disabled people. If you’re concerned about these changes, you can contact our helpline for advice and support.

Call us free on 0808 800 3333, or visit our website for more ways to get in touch:

https://scope.org.uk/helpline

‘If you need to talk to someone about how you’re feeling, day or night, Samaritans are here to help. Call 116 123 for free, or visit their website https://samaritans.org “

Money and Mental Health response to government welfare green paper

Today the government has published its welfare green paper, which outlines its proposals to reform the welfare system.

In particular, the green paper sets out plans to make it harder for people to qualify for Personal Independence Payments (PIP) — a benefit which people with disabilities and long-term ill-health can claim to help cover the extra costs associated with their disability, and which is not connected to work. In addition, people aged under 22 will not be able to qualify for the health top-up element of Universal Credit.

The government has also announced £1bn additional funding for personalised employment support to help people with disabilities move into work, and that people receiving benefits will be given a “right to try” work without losing their benefits entitlement.

Commenting on the proposals, Helen Undy, Chief Executive of the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, said: “PIP is an absolute lifeline for thousands of people with mental health problems.

“It can be the difference between being able to afford basic things like a phone to call your crisis team or help to clean your home, or living in disarray and increasing isolation. Making it harder to access will jeopardise people’s financial security and cause serious distress, which won’t set up people to go back into work and to thrive. 

“These changes will mean that needing help to wash or get dressed because of your mental health wouldn’t be enough to qualify for PIP. The government says it will ensure people with ‘genuine need’ aren’t affected, but we’re really concerned that these new reforms will take us further back to the days when people with mental health problems were treated as less worthy of help than those with physical health issues.

“The new ‘right to try’ a job without losing the benefits is welcome, as is the funding for personalised employment support for people with disabilities or health conditions. But introducing these measures alongside cuts to PIP and stopping young people from getting incapacity benefits will do more harm than good.

“It is a short sighted approach that will have a devastating impact on many people’s finances and mental health, and we urge the government to rethink these plans.”

Mikey Erhardt, Policy Officer at Disability Rights UK, said: “The minister stood up today and made clear that, after months of rumours, media speculation and spin, these reforms are not about supporting Disabled people into work, but making brutal and reckless cuts of £5 billion. That is up from £3 billion just a few weeks ago.

“The rise in claims is driven by the increase in the retirement age, record NHS waiting lists, inadequate education and mental health support for young Disabled people and a complete failure to tackle the disability employment and pay gaps. Yet  the government has decided to create a rhetorical smokescreen around the depth of cuts it’s going to make.

“The government intends to bar young Disabled people from receiving the Universal Credit health component until they are 22. That is alongside their promise to significantly increase assessments at scale without making the assessment process safer for those going through the system right now.

“These measures mark dangerous cuts for all Disabled people. Furthermore, altering the PIP award criteria will make it harder for those who need support to qualify.

“The minister’s assertion that 1000s more face-to-face assessments will be more accurate is laughable; we know that in-person assessment causes more stress and worry and often leads to inaccurate findings from assessors.

“Let’s be clear: there is nothing ambitious about cutting support from those who need it and that’s what today’s announcements were really about. Rising claims for personal independence payment reflect not a problem with Disabled people but rather reflect successive government’s failure to do even the bare minimum to create a more equitable society.”

Mental Health Foundation responded:

Responding to the Government’s proposed changes to welfare and work announced today, Carers Trust’s CEO, Kirsty McHugh, said: “In the midst of today’s announcements on welfare reform, we cannot lose sight of the nation’s carers. Two-thirds of carers have been forced to give up work or cut back on hours because of their caring role.

“Many would like to work if they were able to access flexible jobs and the right employment support – sadly this is rarely on offer. But for many carers, work isn’t an option – either because of the toll of their caring role or their own ill health.

“Proposals to tighten eligibility criteria for benefits will strike fear into the heart of many carers. Around half a million carers look after someone receiving Personal Independence Payments (PIP), and nearly 150,000 people rely on both PIP and Carer’s Allowance.

“Disabled people and their carers are already among the most vulnerable in our society and more likely to live in poverty. Reducing their access to a financial safety net could push them over the edge.

“Carers already prop up our ailing health and social care system and we cannot introduce welfare changes that leave carers again picking up the pieces. We therefore welcome the commitment in the Green Paper to consider the impact of these changes on carers.”

Ukraine: A crossroads in history, says Starmer

The Prime Minister’s remarks at yesterday’s International Leaders summit press conference in London:

Good afternoon. the first priority of this government – of any government – is the security and safety of the British people to defend the national interest, particularly in these volatile times.

That’s why, last week I announced the biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War.

That’s also why I met President Trump last week to strengthen our relationship with America – as indispensable partners in defence and security. 

And it’s why, this weekend, I have been hosting European leaders here in London to work together for the security of the United Kingdom, Ukraine and Europe as a whole.

Through my discussions over recent days we have agreed that the UK, France and others will work with Ukraine on a plan to stop the fighting, then we’ll discuss that plan with the United States and take it forward together. 

The purpose of today’s meeting was to unite our partners around this effort to strengthen Ukraine and to support a just and enduring peace for the good of all of us. 

Our starting point must be to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position now so that they can negotiate from a position of strength. 

And we are doubling down in our support.

Yesterday evening the UK signed a £2.2 billion loan to provide more military aid to Ukraine – backed, not by the British taxpayer, but by the profits from frozen Russian assets.

And today, I am announcing a new deal which allows Ukraine to use £1.6 billion of UK Export Finance to buy more than 5,000 air defence missiles which will be made in Belfast, creating jobs in our brilliant defence sector.

This will be vital for protecting critical infrastructure now and strengthening Ukraine in securing the peace, when it comes.

Because we have to learn from the mistakes of the past. We cannot accept a weak deal like Minsk, which Russia can breach with ease. Instead, any deal must be backed by strength. 

Every nation must contribute to that in the best way that it can. Bringing different capabilities and support to the table but all taking responsibility to act, all stepping up to their own share of the burden. 

So we agreed some important steps today. 

First, we will keep the military aid flowing and keep increasing the economic pressure on Russia to strengthen Ukraine now. 

Second, we agreed that any lasting peace must ensure Ukraine’s sovereignty and security. And Ukraine must be at the table. 

Third, in the event of a peace deal, we will keep boosting Ukraine’s own defensive capabilities to deter any future invasion. 

Fourth, we will go further to develop a “coalition of the willing” to defend a deal in Ukraine and to guarantee the peace.

Not every nation will feel able to contribute. But that can’t mean we sit back. Instead, those willing will intensify planning now – with real urgency.

The UK is prepared to back this with boots on the ground, and planes in the air, together with others. 

Europe must do the heavy lifting but to support peace on our continent. And to succeed, this effort must have strong US backing.

We’re working with the US on this point, after my meeting with President Trump last week. And let me be clear – we agree with the President on the urgent need for a durable peace. Now we need to deliver, together. 

Finally, we agreed that leaders will meet again very soon to keep the pace behind these actions and to keep working towards this shared plan.

We are at a crossroads in history today. This is not a moment for more talk – it is time to act. Time to step up and lead and to unite around a new plan for a just and enduring peace.

Thank you.

The Prime Minister will give more details to parliament this afternoon.

Securing Grangemouth’s future

First Minister writes to Scottish Labour Party Leader

Following news the UK Government will invest in Grangemouth’s future, First Minister John Swinney has written to Scottish Labour Party Leader Anas Sarwar inviting him to vote for the 2025-26 Scottish Budget in a “spirit of cooperation” and deliver investment worth almost £90 million to support jobs at the site.

The full text of the First Minister’s letter to Anas Sarwar: Scottish Budget Bill – Grangemouth Industrial Cluster: letter to Anas Sarwar – gov.scot:

To: Scottish Labour Party Leader Anas Sarwar

From: First Minister John Swinney

Dear Anas,

I welcome the response from the Prime Minister to my call last week for the UK Government to provide support for Grangemouth.

I know you share my concern that the decision to close the Grangemouth refinery is premature and fundamentally short sighted and the UK Government’s commitment to additional investment is a step in the right direction. We all have a responsibility to work collaboratively to secure Grangemouth’s long-term future, its workforce and Scotland’s transition to net zero.

My announcement last week that the Scottish Government will make a further £25 million available to enable businesses to bring forward investable propositions for Grangemouth, will be put to Parliament as an amendment at Stage 3 of the Budget Bill tomorrow.

This funding will be made immediately available from the beginning of the next financial year without requiring match-funding.

I hope that when the UK Government provide more details on the announced £200 million being available through the National Wealth Fund that this will also be available for timely deployment on a similar basis as the funding I have set out and that these funds align to best support a just transition for Grangemouth.

In that spirit of cooperation, I trust that you and Scottish Labour colleagues will now be in a position to vote for the Budget at Stage 3 tomorrow and work constructively to deliver the nearly £90 million investment for Grangemouth, supporting the jobs, livelihoods and businesses which depend on it.

Yours sincerely,

John Swinney

NEVER AGAIN

The Prime Minister visited Auschwitz on Friday, accompanied by his wife Victoria Starmer

Nothing could prepare me for the sheer horror of what I have seen in this place. It is utterly harrowing. The mounds of hair, the shoes, the suitcases, the names and details, everything that was so meticulously kept, except for human life.

As I stood by the train tracks at Birkenau, looking across that cold, vast expanse, I felt a sickness, an air of desolation, as I tried to comprehend the enormity of this barbarous, planned, industrialised murder: a million people killed here for one reason, simply because they were Jewish.

My visit today has also shown me more clearly than ever before, how this was not the evil deeds of a few bad individuals. It took a collective endeavour by thousands of ordinary people who each played their part in constructing this whole industry of death.

To build the tracks, drive the trains, extract the hair and teeth, conceive the method of mass murder – each stomach-churning step rooted in the hatred of difference. The lessons of this darkest of crimes are the ultimate warning to humanity of where prejudice can lead.

My wife was equally moved by what she saw today. It was her second visit, but no less harrowing than the first time she stepped through that gate and witnessed the depravity of what happened here. 

Time and again we condemn this hatred, and we boldly say “never again”. But where is never again, when we see the poison of antisemitism rising around the world in aftermath of October 7th? Where is never again, when the pulse of fear is beating in our own Jewish community, as people are despicably targeted once again for the very same reason, because they are Jewish.

The truth that I have seen here today will stay with me for the rest of my life. So too, will my determination to defend that truth, to fight the poison of antisemitism and hatred in all its forms, and to do everything I can to make “never again” mean what it says, and what it must truly mean: never again.

Winter Fuel Payment: Protecting the poorest ‘was a lie’

A Freedom of Information request made by financial journalist, broadcaster, and speaker PAUL LEWIS has revealed the likely impact of cuts to the Winter Fuel Payment.

Mr Lewis says the DWP response (below) that shows the Labour government knew:

* 1.6m disabled pensioners would lose winter fuel payment

* 780,000 of the poorest pensioners who were entitled still would not get it – so ‘protecting the poorest’ was a lie.

* 2.7m over-80s would lose £300.

FOI-Paul-LewisDownload

Hilary Benn: A new chapter in the UK-Ireland relationship

The Secretary of State signalled the new approach in a keynote speech at the annual British-Irish Association Conference in Oxfordshire

Thank you very much to Dominic and to all of you, for your kind invitation.

And my heartfelt thanks to you Micheál, not only for your warm and extremely wise words, but also for the way in which you have embraced the opportunity we now have for a genuine and lasting reset in the relationship between our two countries. 

It is a privilege for me to be here, for the first time since my appointment as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

I’ve only ever been to one other BIA conference, that was two years ago when I was a late substitute for my good friend Peter Kyle. I suspect it was my work as Chair of the Brexit Select Committee that made him think of me. 

And over many years Dominic, you and I have shared many views about the choices the then-Conservative government made about our departure from the European Union, and the consequences of that decision still reverberate – and will continue to do so. 

It was William Faulkner who once said: “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.”

But what a remarkable history the BIA has borne witness to, over these past 52 years, as this truly unique annual conference has continued to provide an opportunity for a very wide range of people to come together and reflect on the ties that bind our two countries together. 

Two countries that share so much… history, culture, ideas, politics and friendships. 

And it’s a story that runs like a thread through these islands and through the lives of so many of our families, including my own: on my side, it was an Ulster Scot from Fermanagh who made that journey that millions made across the Atlantic to Ohio which is where my mother came and, on my wife’s side, Irish Catholics from Cork, Mayo and Kilkenny including her grandfather who was born in your constituency.

Now the history of these islands has not been benign. Over the centuries there have been terrible wrongs, great violence, revolution, bitterness but in recent years – reconciliation.

And throughout all that time that thread has remained in place, and it has found new expression in ways that would truly have seemed unimaginable to us in the past.

I must be frank, The Good Friday Agreement was something I never believed that I would see in my lifetime. But I did. We did.

It ushered in an end to three decades of bloody violence, and its founding commitment was to self-determination and the principle of consent. 

Unionists and Nationalists sitting side by side in government. As you said Micheál, the seemingly impossible made possible.

And what happened on that Good Friday 26 years ago was, and remains, an inspiration to many around the world, precisely because it was a triumph of political courage and patient diplomacy over bitter sectarian fatalism. And of compromise over intransigence.

Mo Mowlam’s words during the negotiations still resonate today, she said: 

“Everybody is going to get something. No-one is going to get 100% of what they want. That is the nature of negotiation and accommodation”.

And all of those involved chose to do that in order to get something far more valuable. 

Today the UK and Irish Governments stand on the shoulders of those who negotiated the Agreement. We are the co-guarantors of it and all of us in these islands are its custodians.

The Good Friday Agreement, and the peace and prosperity it has brought to Northern Ireland, is in my view the greatest achievement of the last Labour Government which I had the privilege to serve. 

So let me be absolutely clear. This Labour Government’s commitment to the Good Friday Agreement – in letter and in spirit – is absolute. 

Our support for the European Convention on Human Rights, which underpins the Agreement, is unwavering. 

We will implement the Windsor Framework with pragmatic good faith, not least because we need to do so in order to negotiate a veterinary agreement with the European Union, but also in order to protect the open border on the island of Ireland.

The Prime Minister and the Taoiseach have agreed to hold annual summits as part of a renewed commitment to the strand 3 institutions.

And the Prime Minister and I – indeed the whole Government – will work with all parties and all communities in Northern Ireland to support reconciliation, equality, respect for human rights and parity of esteem. 

Now, the stability of Northern Ireland’s devolved government – a government that can work for all the people of Northern Ireland – is absolutely fundamental to making these things happen.

And I want to pay a warm and genuine tribute to the First and deputy First Ministers – to you Emma and to Michelle – and indeed to the whole Executive, for the positive start that you have made, the impression you have created and I warmly welcome the draft programme for government that was announced this week.

The Executive now has the foundation provided by that programme. It has a needs-based funding formula that was agreed with the previous government, and we are committed to putting in place a longer-term fiscal framework.

But like every government, difficult decisions need to be taken about how to balance the books and raise additional revenue, not least because there are deep-seated deep-seated challenges that Northern Ireland faces.

You highlighted one of those Emma yesterday in your wonderful contribution, the economic inactivity rate which is 27% of the working age population which is 5% higher than the UK as a whole.

The longest health service waiting lists in the UK, a third of patients waiting more than two years for treatment. And only 47% of A&E waits meeting the 4-hour target. 

I think all of us agree that can’t really continue. That is why we are absolutely committed as the government to working with the Executive as it seeks to transform Northern Ireland’s public services. 

It is also incumbent upon all of us to uphold the devolved institutions, to ensure they endure and that they act for all the people in Northern Ireland. 

Now I recognise that mandatory coalition is really difficult, imagine those of us with different political persuasions were having to cope with mandatory coalition in Westminster. But we all know that for over a third of the time since 1998, the institutions have not functioned fully. I don’t think this would be accepted anywhere else.

My feeling is surely the people of Northern Ireland and the political parties and all of us must recognise that what’s happened in the past cannot happen again and were it to occur, our two governments as co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement, working with all the parties, would need to find a new way forward. 

Turning to the economy, we should clearly look at the opportunities for the UK and Irish Governments to work collaboratively on projects to help improve growth in Northern Ireland including in its border regions. 

And, while being strong supporters of the Union, this Government and this Secretary of State see no contradiction in also being supporters of North-South cooperation. 

And in that context, I applaud you Micheál for your work in developing and taking forward the Shared Island Programme which you referred to and the Fund, which makes a valuable contribution in so many ways. And when it comes to the all-island economy, and I know this is up for some debate, my feelings are very simple, it is a fact it is a success.

And I don’t quite understand why there should be an argument about somehow denying its existence when so many businesses and livelihoods are sustained by it: the all-island dairy industry, big multinationals, like Lidl, McDonalds, Coca-Cola and so many small and medium-sized businesses which operate on an all-island basis.

On the Windsor Framework, let me be absolutely frank. There have been some very painful moments in the UK-Ireland relationship in recent years.

I bear too many scars from the approach of the previous UK government to our departure from the European Union, but this Government will ensure the smooth flow of goods within the UK internal market.

So, as I have said, we will implement the Windsor Framework in good faith while seeking the maximum pragmatism and proportionality. It is not without its challenges – I think that is probably the understatement of the year – but it is necessary because we do want to do more to improve our trading relationship with the EU, in particular to negotiate a sanitary and phyto-sanitary agreement with the European Union which really would help. I think everybody knows that.

And with a sustained period of stability, political and economic, the opportunities are enormous, not least because of the talent, ingenuity and enterprise that exists right across Northern Ireland, and the unique trading position that Northern Ireland enjoys – what a wonderful opportunity for foreign direct investment – all within the UK internal market.

As I have travelled around Northern Ireland, both in opposition and now in Government and seen some of the world class businesses operating in life sciences, high-tech engineering, making composite aircraft wings and the buses of the future – electric and hydrogen – services and film and television, education – I am struck that all these firms have seen something in Northern Ireland and its people. 

With continued political stability and optimism – and I’m the third speaker at the forum who will say I am an optimist. It is the only way, I don’t know how you can get up if you are not an optimist. We can help others to see the same thing and so encourage them also to invest in Northern Ireland’s future.

Now, the other rift in the relationship in recent years has been over ofcourse how we approach the terrible legacy of the Troubles.

I have met many families who lost loved ones in the most appalling circumstances. I have to be honest with you. I have found it very difficult to listen to their stories. To look them in the eye. To hear about the sheer brutality of the killings. The way some of them were treated afterwards. The search for answers, and the passing of the years without finding them. 

The abandonment by the previous Conservative Government of the Stormont House Agreement, and the unilateral approach taken in the Legacy Act, were wrong. From my first visit to the Wave Trauma Centre, and that had a profound impact on me, many of those families have told me about the deep hurt and upset and anger it has caused them. And it was legislation of course that was rejected by all of the Northern Ireland political parties and by the Irish Government.

It could never be the basis for reconciliation or progress on legacy.

And that is why the Prime Minister and I committed to repeal and replace the Legacy Act.

Now as you know earlier this year its central provision – the conditional immunity scheme – was ruled by the High Court in Belfast to be incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights.

In July, we wrote to the Northern Ireland Court of Appeal to withdraw the previous UK Government’s appeal on ECHR grounds.

I also set out to Parliament our commitment to reverse the Legacy Act’s ban on bringing civil litigation, to propose measures to allow – in the first instance – halted legacy inquests to continue, and to strengthen the Independent Commission on Reconciliation and Information Recovery. 

That body, which is being ably led by Sir Declan Morgan, was deemed by the court to be capable of conducting human rights compliant investigations. It was an important – and often overlooked – finding. 

But I believe that measures to strengthen the Commission, we talked about these yesterday when we met, are also necessary, and I am committed to working with you on this.

Because there is more we can do to address concerns about the Commission’s independence. To strengthen its powers. And to ensure there is the capacity for effective cooperation with the Gardaí over investigations. 

This is the work we have now begun – but its success in the end, all of this legislation will be judged by those families many of us have met, who have waited so long for answers. 

So we are now undertaking a period of consultation with victims and survivors, the Northern Ireland political parties, the Irish Government, veterans and others in seeking to find a practical way forward that can command support, the broadest support across communities in Northern Ireland and beyond. 

I recognise, I am not naïve, that this process will involve difficult conversations, and many stakeholders do, and will hold different views about the best way forward. 

But it is also clear that a resolution to addressing the legacy of Northern Ireland’s painful past will not be reached without a willingness, by all, to listen, to understand the perspectives of others, and in the spirit of Mo Mowlam’s wise words to compromise. 

I also want to acknowledge the dedicated service of the vast majority of police officers, members of the armed forces, and the security services who did so much during the Troubles to keep people in Northern Ireland safe. Also the work of the Police Service of Northern Ireland for their continuing efforts to do the same for communities right across Northern Ireland.

The scenes we saw last month in Belfast, in Derry/Londonderry and in many other parts of the UK, were shocking, there’s no other word for it and we must stand resolutely against senseless violence, intimidation and – let’s be blunt – racism.

I visited three business owners who had been attacked on that terrible day. I saw the Café that was burnt out. Three people that come to Northern Ireland to make their lives, to make it their home specifically targeted because of who they were. 

The Prime Minister and I had the opportunity three weeks ago to convey our thanks directly to some of the officers of the PSNI who were injured when standing up to that violence, when we visited the PSNI training college in Belfast. It was a great honour to be able to do so.

The similarities with the scenes we saw in Dublin last year are hard to ignore. 

The willingness of far-right thugs and online agitators to whip up hatred and spread misinformation online pose a shared threat, but I know it is a threat which I know our two governments, with the Executive, will continue to face down together.

There are other areas in which the UK and Irish Governments can do more.

Not only because it is in our mutual economic interest, but in these febrile and uncertain times, we have shared values, and a shared commitment to democracy and the rule of law.

And given our geography, and the ties of friendship and kinship that bind us, look at the opportunities.

Just to take one example, energy infrastructure, cooperation on energy resilience, climate – where are both blessed with huge potential for more renewable wind power – and investment in Northern Ireland by GB Energy, which in turn will support the Shared Electricity Market.

And given increasingly uncertain geopolitics of the world, and I agree with every word you said about the threat to the international order which created out of the actions of the second World War and which has stood us in reasonable good stead is being undermined by people and political forces, it also makes sense to collaborate further on security. 

The UK has a range of world-class capability and we will continue to work with Ireland as we together grapple with threats like cyber security, terrorism, organised crime and the threats posed by Russia and other states to the security of our nations.

On a much happier note, the UK-Ireland Euros in 2028 will allow us to celebrate our nations working together to put a once-in-a-generation footballing spectacle before a worldwide audience, although I must admit that at 5pm precisely this evening that co-operation will temporarily be suspended as Ireland take on England at the Aviva stadium.

So, in conclusion there is a lot for us to do.

Northern Ireland stands at a crossroads.

And the sense I get is that the vast majority of people just want to move forward to embrace a better future.

So let us be bold, let us get on with it and let us take inspiration from those who did make the impossible possible 26 years ago. 

Thank you very much.

The Prime Minister met Taoiseach Simon Harris at Farmleigh House in Dublin yesterday (7 September)

The Prime Minister met Taoiseach Simon Harris at Farmleigh House in Dublin yesterday (Saturday 7 September). 

The Prime Minister thanked the Taoiseach for his invitation, noting that this was the first visit of a UK Prime Minister to Ireland in five years. 

Both leaders shared their personal commitment to an ambitious reset of the UK and Ireland’s relationship. They noted the existing ties between our two countries, but agreed they wanted to go even further – in particular on trade and investment to help boost growth and deliver on behalf of the British and Irish people. 

In that vein, they agreed to host the first UK-Ireland summit in March next year, which will take forward co-operation in key areas of mutual interest such as security, climate, trade and culture. 

They both strongly condemned recent scenes of violent disorder in England and Ireland and agreed to deepen their collaboration on how we tackle the spread of the online misinformation which fuelled the thuggery. 

They also looked forward to watching the Republic of Ireland vs England Nations’ League football match in the evening. (England won 2 – 0).

‘Two great countries – brought closer together than ever before’

KEIR STARMER’s SPEECH IN BERLIN YESTERDAY

Thank you. And can I first express my sincere condolences for the shocking attack in Solingen last week. Our country knows what it’s like to suffer such senseless and despicable acts and our thoughts are with all the families affected by this terrible event. 

And Olaf – thank you. It’s fantastic to be with you here in Berlin. 

Not, alas, my first visit here as Prime Minister. Football, it turns out… 

Decided to visit it’s second home in Spain, this time. But anyway – it was still an incredible experience… 

And a showcase for the fantastic hospitality of this great nation.  

So thank you for hosting yet another episode in English footballing trauma! I’ve been through a lot.

Anyway – I’m delighted to be back at this moment of opportunity for our two countries. 

Olaf – on every occasion we’ve met, we’ve talked about our ambitions for the future. Our values of security, prosperity, respect and our shared determination to harness the power of government for the service of working people.

That is what we are doing today. 

A new UK-Germany Treaty. A once in a generation chance to deliver for working people in Britain and in Germany. 

A new agreement… A testament to the depth and potential of our relationship. 

With deeper links on science, technology, development, people, businesses, culture. 

A boost to our trading relations.

Germany – of course, already the UK’s second largest trading partner in the world. And through that – a chance to create jobs here and in the UK and deliver that most precious of goods, for both our countries … Economic growth. 

Let me be clear – growth is the number one mission of my Government.  

And what we understand, clearly is that building relationships with our partners – here in Germany and across Europe is vital to achieving it. 

That is what our agreement today represents – the chance that we have. 

We’ll also deepen cooperation on shared social challenges. For example, on illegal migration. Because we cannot smash the smuggling gangs who perpetrate this vile trade without the help of our partners.

And I’m really glad that we had substantive discussions today about how we tackle the smuggling gangs and agreed to develop a joint action plan to tackle illegal migration. 

So we will renew our commitment to the Calais Group – enhance our intelligence sharing on organised immigration crime. but also – increase collaboration on tackling climate change. 

An important goal for the planet, of course for greater energy security, but also – for tackling the drivers of challenges like illegal migration at source.

 And finally – at the heart of this Treaty will be a new Defence Agreement. An agreement that builds upon our already formidable defence co-operation but which expands that relationship to face the threats of a volatile world, together. 

That of course means a shared resolve to stand up for the security of our people and the wider European continent. 

And that begins with our unyielding support for Ukraine – we discussed that in some detail today. 

Because, as Europe’s largest contributors to Ukraine’s war efforts, and as the nations with the highest defence expenditure among European countries in NATO, we know only too well the debt we owe to the Ukrainian people who fight not just to defend themselves, but for all the people of Europe. 

So today – we reaffirmed our commitment to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes. We also share a common commitment to resolve the crisis in the Middle East, and agree on:

…Israel’s right to self-defence, in compliance with International Humanitarian Law… 

…the need for de-escalation across the region; and for restraint and caution to be exercised…

Unfettered humanitarian access into Gaza…

…agreement to a ceasefire and release of all hostages…

…and the importance of working together towards a political solution based on the creation of a Palestinian State alongside a safe and secure Israel.

The only way to provide long-term peace and security for both Israelis and Palestinians.

That of course – is not an easy goal. But it is one that we are committed to pursuing, together. 

Because – as today shows – Britain can advance its interests much more effectively when we stand with our friends and partners.

This Treaty is part of a wider reset – grounded in a new spirit of co-operation… with our shared understanding that this will be developed at pace and that we hope to have agreed it by the end of the year. 

A Britain reconnected… Resetting our relationships… Rediscovering our common interest…Delivering for working people. 

Britain and Germany already have an incredible relationship. We invest billions in each other’s countries. Thousands and thousands of jobs are supported through trade.

And every year, millions of people travel between our two countries; exchanging ideas, collaborating, creating and connecting.  But today – we build on that … A bright new future for UK-German relations.

Two great countries – brought closer together than ever before. The strongest strategic partners in Europe and on the world stage.

Thank you so much for hosting us here today.

First Minister to meet new Prime Minister in Scotland today

First Minister John Swinney will welcome new Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to Scotland today.

Speaking ahead of the meeting, the First Minister said: “I was really pleased to have the opportunity to speak to the Prime Minister on his first day in office and to congratulate him and wish him, and his family well.

“I look forward to welcoming the Prime Minister to Scotland where I hope to have constructive discussions with him on our shared priorities for the people of Scotland. This includes eradicating child poverty, growing the economy, prioritising net zero, and ensuring effective public services. 

“I welcome the Prime Minister’s commitment to forge a positive relationship between our governments and for our part, the Scottish Government is committed to working constructively with the UK Government to build a better Scotland.”

WHATEVER your political allegiances. the relationship between the two governments is crucial to the people of Scotland. I’d like to think it will be more constructive than it has been in the recent past – Ed.

Young climate activists protest at Labour MP’s Edinburgh office

Promise to continue every week ‘Until Bold Action Is Taken’

On Friday, local climate activists from Green New Deal Rising staged a ‘sit-out’ in front of Ian Murray MP’s HQ to demand bolder climate commitments from Labour ahead of the next General Election. 

Beginning at 11am on Friday, young climate activists in Edinburgh gathered outside Ian Murray MP’s constituency office in Causewayside, urging him to commit to doing more in the face of the Climate and Ecological Emergency.

The group criticised the Labour Party’s failure to adequately respond to repeated calls from young people for rapid decarbonisation, a just transition to a low emissions economy and investment in green jobs.

Ian Murray is MP for Edinburgh South and the Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland in Keir Starmer’s Shadow Cabinet.

This action follows similar protests every Friday since 14th July. This week, the activists staged a “birthday party” for Keir Starmer outside the office, putting up decorations, playing party songs and sharing around cake to mark the Labour leader’s birthday this week.

They spoke to Ian Murray’s constituents and members of the public about what the Labour party could be doing to tackle the climate emergency and social and economic injustice.

The protest was part of a national campaign by Green New Deal Rising pressuring the Labour Party to ‘Be Bold’ in their manifesto pledges ahead of the next UK General Election, which must be held before December 2024.

They are demanding that the Labour Party commit to passing legislation which expands public ownership, taxes wealth, delivers a green jobs guarantee and a living income, enacts a National Nature Service and make polluters pay globally, in the first 100 days after the election. 

Similar protests were also staged in cities across the UK targeting other members of the Shadow Cabinet.

Paris, 20, a member of Green New Deal Rising from Glasgow said: “We are seeing unprecedented heatwaves, droughts, wildfires, floods, crop failures, famines and falling living standards.

“Labour are refusing to put in place the bold and systemic solutions required to put an end to these crises, with the party having just ruled out wealth taxes and having reaffirmed their support for a set of dangerous and arbitrary fiscal rules that top economists have said are morally and fiscally irresponsible.

“So we are back outside Ian Murray’s office for the 8th week chatting with the public and throwing a birthday party for Keir Starmer celebrating what Labour could achieve if they grant our wishes of having a livable future through public ownership of essential services, a secure income for all, and a transformative Green New Deal.”

Keir Starmer announced Labour’s ‘Green Industrial Strategy’ earlier this year, but has already U-turned on a number of issues in response to fossil fuel lobbying, by refusing to block the Rosebank Oil Field if approved and delaying the timing of green investment.

Polls consistently show that the electorate are in favour of more action on environmental issues as well as public ownership.

Paris continued: “Our wishes are highly reflected in our interactions with the public who are concerned about the destruction of our planet and deteriorating living standards. Labour need to reject austerity economics and support our demands for a Green New Deal.”

The group say they will return to Ian Murray’s office again next Friday.

A FAILURE OF LEADERSHIP: Shameless Johnson battles to save his political life following scathing report

PM Boris Johnson made a statement on the long-awaited Sue Gray report in the House of Commons yesterday:

Mr Speaker, with permission I would like to make a statement.

First I want to express my deepest gratitude to Sue Gray, and all the people who have contributed to this report, which I have placed in the Library of this House and the government has published in full today, for everyone to read.

I will address its findings in this statement – but firstly I want to say: sorry. Sorry for the things we simply did not get right and sorry for the way that this matter has been handled. It is no use saying that this or that was within the rules. It is no use saying that people were working hard.

This pandemic was hard for everyone. We asked people across this country to make the most extraordinary sacrifices, not to meet loved ones, not to visit relatives before they died, and I understand the anger that people feel.

But, Mr Speaker, it is not enough to say sorry. This is a moment when we must look at ourselves in the mirror and we must learn. And while the Metropolitan Police must yet complete their investigation – and that means there are no details of specific events in Sue Gray’s report – I, of course, accept Sue Gray’s general findings in full, and above all her recommendation that we must learn from these events and act now.

With respect to the events under police investigation, she says – and I quote – “No conclusions should be drawn, or inferences made from this other than it is now for the police to consider the relevant material in relation to those incidents.”

But more broadly she finds that – “There is significant learning to be drawn from these events which must be addressed immediately across Government. This does not need to wait for the police investigations to be concluded.”

That is why we are making changes now to the way Downing Street and the Cabinet Office run so that we can get on with the job, the job that I was elected to do and that this government was elected to do.

First, it is time to sort out what Sue Gray rightly calls the “fragmented and complicated” leadership structures of Downing Street which she says have not evolved sufficiently to meet the demands of the expansion of Number ten.

And we will do that, including by creating an Office of the Prime Minister, with a Permanent Secretary to lead Number ten. Second, Mr Speaker, it is clear from Sue Gray’s report that it is time not just to review the Civil Service and Special Adviser codes of conduct wherever necessary to ensure they take account of Sue Gray’s recommendations but also to make sure those codes are properly enforced.

And third, I will be saying more in the coming days about the steps we will take to improve the Number ten operation and the work of the Cabinet Office to strengthen Cabinet Government and to improve the vital connection between Number ten and parliament.

Mr Speaker, I get it and I will fix it. And I want to say to the people of this country. I know what the issue is, it is whether this government can be trusted to deliver and I say yes we can be trusted yes we can be trusted to deliver.

We said we would deliver Brexit and we did. We are setting up freeports across the whole United Kingdom, I’ve been to one of them today, which is creating tens of thousands of new jobs Mr Speaker.

We said we would get this country through Covid and we did, we delivered the fastest vaccine roll out in Europe and the fastest booster programme of any major economy so that we have been able to restore people’s freedoms faster than any comparable economy and at the same time as we have been cutting crime by fourteen per cent and building 40 new hospitals and rolling out gigabit broadband, and delivering on all the other promises of that 2019 agenda so that we have the fastest economic growth in the G7.

We have shown that we can do things people thought were impossible and that we can deliver for the British people.

The reason we are coming out of Covid so fast is at least partly because we doubled the speed of the booster rollout and I can tell the House and this country, that we are going to bring the same energy and commitment to getting on with the job to delivering for the British people and to our mission to unite and level up across the country.

And I commend this Statement to the House.

Opposition leader Keir Starmer’s response:

Thank you, Mr Speaker.

I would like to thank Sue Gray for the diligence and professionalism with which she has carried out her work.

It is no fault of hers that she only been able to provide an update. And not yet the full report.

The Prime Minister repeatedly told the House that all guidance were followed at all time.

We now know that 12 cases, 12 cases, have reached the threshold for criminal investigation – which I remind the House means that there is evidence of serious and flagrant breaches of lockdown, including:

The party on 20 May 2020, which we know the PM attended, and the party on the 13 November 2020 in the PM’s flat. There can be no doubt the Prime Minister is now under criminal investigation.

The PM must keep his promise to publish Sue Gray’s report in full when it is available, but it is already clear that the report discloses the most damning conclusion possible.

Over the last two years the British public have been asked to make the most heart wrenching sacrifices.

A terrible collective trauma. Endured by all, enjoyed by none.

Funerals have been missed. Dying relatives unvisited.

Every family has been marked by what we’ve been through.

And revelations about the Prime Minister’s behaviour have forced us all to relive and rethink those darkest moments.

Many have been overcome by rage, grief, and even guilt.

Guilt – that because they stuck to the law they did not see their parents one last time.

Guilt – that because they didn’t bend the rules their children went months without seeing friends.

Guilt – that because they did as they were asked they didn’t go and visit lonely relatives.

But people shouldn’t feel guilty. They should feel pride in themselves and in their country. Because by abiding by those rules. They have saved the lives of people they will probably never meet.

They have shown the deep public spirit. And the love and respect for others that has always characterised this nation at its best.

Our national story about Covid is one of a people that stood up when it was tested. But that will forever be tainted by the behaviour of this Conservative Prime Minister.

By routinely breaking the rules he set, the Prime Minister took us all for fools. He held people’s sacrifice in contempt. He showed himself unfit for office.

His desperate denials since he was exposed have only made matters worse.

First, the Prime Minister said there were no parties. Then he said he was sickened and furious about the parties.

Then it turned out he was there. Rather than come clean, every step of the way he has offended the public’s intelligence.

Finally, he’s fallen back on his usual excuse – it’s everybody’s fault but his. They go, he stays.

Even now, he is hiding behind a police investigation into criminality in his home, and in his office. He gleefully treats what should be a mark of shame as a welcome shield.

But, Prime Minister, the British public aren’t fools.

They never believed a word of it. They think the Prime Minister should do the decent thing and resign.

Of course, he won’t. Because he is a man without shame.

And just as he has done throughout his life. He is damaging everyone and everything around him along the way.

His colleagues have spent weeks defending the indefensible.

Touring the TV studios parroting his absurd denials. Degrading themselves and their offices.

Fraying the bond of trust between the Government and the public, eroding our democracy and the rule of law.

Margaret Thatcher once said: ‘The first duty of Government is to uphold the law. If it tries to bob and weave and duck around that duty when it is inconvenient, then so will the governed.’

To govern this country is an honour. Not a birth-right. It’s an act of service to the British people. Not the keys to a court to parade to your friends.

It requires honesty. Integrity. And moral authority.

I cannot tell you how many times people have said to me that this Prime Minister’s lack of integrity is somehow “priced in”.

That his behaviour and character don’t matter. I have never accepted that. And I never will accept that.

Whatever your politics. Whatever party you vote for. Honesty and decency matter. Our great democracy depends on it. And cherishing and nurturing British democracy is what it means to be patriotic.

There are members opposite who know that. And they know the Prime Minister is incapable of it.

The question they must ask themselves is what are they going to do about it?

They can go on degrading themselves. Eroding trust in politics. And insulting the sacrifice of the British public.

They can heap their reputations, the reputation of their party, and the reputation of this country, on the bonfire that is his leadership.

Or they can spare the country from a Prime Minister totally unworthy of his responsibilities.

It is their duty to do so.

They know better than anyone how unsuitable he is for high office.

Many of them knew in their hearts that we would inevitably come to this moment.

And they know that as night follows day, continuing his leadership will mean further misconduct, cover-up, and deceit.

It is only they who can end this farce. The eyes of the country are upon them. They will be judged on the decisions they take now.

SUE GRAY’S INTERIM REPORT IN FULL:

Investigation_into_alleged_gatherings_on_government_premises_during_Covid_restrictions_-_Update-2Download

Searches for ‘Boris Resign’ soar 458% after Sue Gray report is released

Analysis of Google search data reveals that online searches for ‘Boris Resign’ exploded 458% in the UK on the 31st of January, hours after Sue Gray’s report was published on the Downing Street parties, held whilst lockdown restrictions were in place. 

A new finding by online tax calculator Income Tax UK reveals that online searches for ‘Boris Resign’ skyrocketed to almost five times the average volume in a matter of hours, an unprecedented spike in people Googling for the Prime Minister to leave his position in No.10.  

The report, published on Monday 31st January, detailed the breaches of lockdown rules by members of the government including the Prime Minister, resulting in calls for Boris Johnson to step down.

A spokesperson for Income Tax UK commented on the findings: “The Sue Gray report finds that events held by senior members of the government ‘shouldn’t have been allowed to take place’, leading Brits to question the leadership of those running the country. 

“These findings reveal the bitter taste that the public hold towards the actions of the Prime Minister and his cabinet, with the report prompting the highest rise in searches calling for the Prime Minister to resign in the last year. It will be fascinating to see if these searches will translate to votes in future elections.”