UK will provide $2bn to the Green Climate Fund – the biggest single funding commitment the UK has made to help the world tackle climate change
UK will provide $2bn to the Green Climate Fund – the biggest single funding commitment the UK has made to help the world tackle climate change.
Uplift makes a significant contribution towards the UK’s pledge to spend £11.6bn on international climate finance, cementing our global climate leadership.
UK continues to show global climate leadership, having cut emissions faster than any other G7 country.
As a gathering of G20 leaders in India concludes today (Sunday), the Prime Minister has announced the UK’s biggest single financial contribution to helping the world’s most vulnerable people adapt to and mitigate the impact of climate change.
The UK will contribute £1.62 billion ($2 billion) to the Green Climate Fund (GCF), which was established by 194 countries following the Copenhagen Accord at COP15. The GCF is the largest global fund dedicated to supporting developing countries to reduce global emissions and helping communities adapt to the effects of climate change.
Today’s pledge represents a 12.7% increase on the UK’s previous contribution to the GCF for the period of 2020-2023, which was itself a doubling of our initial funding to establish the fund in 2014.
At the G20 Summit the Prime Minister has called on leaders to work together ahead of the COP28 Summit this December to both reduce their countries’ own carbon emissions and support vulnerable economies to deal with the consequences of climate change.
Addressing G20 leaders, the Prime Minister said: “The UK is stepping up and delivering on our climate commitments, both by decarbonising our own economy and supporting the world’s most vulnerable to deal with the impact of climate change.
“This is the kind of leadership that the world rightly expects from G20 countries. And this government will continue to lead by example in making the UK, and the world, more prosperous and secure.”
The UK has led international efforts to help developing countries tackle climate change, including by pledging to spend £11.6 billion on international climate finance between 2021 and 2026.
Today’s announcement marks a major contribution towards this commitment and follows the Prime Minister’s announcement at COP27 that the UK would triple our funding for climate adaptation.
Since 2011 UK climate aid spending has helped over 95 million people cope with the effects of climate change and reduced or avoided over 68 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.
This goes hand in hand with the UK’s domestic leadership transitioning to clean forms of energy. The UK has cut emissions faster than any other G7 country, with low carbon sources now accounting for more than half of our electricity.
We saw renewables generate a record 47.84% of UK electricity in the first three months of 2023 and output from wind, solar and hydro reached a record high last year. Last year, we saw the biggest increase ever in the installation of offshore wind capacity, with the UK home to the four largest working wind farms in the world.
Alongside this uplift in the UK’s contribution to the GCF, which is expected to again make us one of the largest donors to the fund, the UK Government will continue to stress the importance of the GCF delivering results with even greater speed, demonstrating value for money in all of its activities.
This includes asking the GCF to further improve its delivery for those countries most vulnerable to climate change, particularly Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States.
Society’s most depraved killers will face life behind bars with no chance of being released, under tough plans announced by the Prime Minister.
Making sure that life means life, judges will be required to hand down mandatory whole life orders to the monsters who commit the most horrific types of murder.
In the latest move to protect the public from the most dangerous offenders, this will place a legal expectation on judges to hand down whole life orders, except in extremely limited circumstances.
By putting this on a legal footing, judges will have greater confidence to hand out whole life orders without a risk of challenge in the Courts of Appeal.
This will mean the depraved killers who carry out vile crimes will be in no doubt that they will be in prison for the rest of their lives.
For the first time, whole life orders will also be the default sentence for any sexually motivated murders. This could have been applied in the recent tragic cases of Zara Aleena and Sabina Nessa, putting their horrific killers in prison for their whole lives.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: I have shared the public’s horror at the cruelty of crimes we have seen recently. People rightly expect that in the most serious cases, there should be a guarantee that life will mean life. They expect honesty in sentencing.
“By bringing in mandatory whole life orders for the heinous criminals who commit the most horrific types of murder, we will make sure they never walk free.”
Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Alex Chalk KC, said: “A whole life order will now be the expectation for murderers where the killing involves sexual or sadistic conduct.
“This important law change will ensure that the worst of the worst can now expect to spend the rest of their lives in prison.”
The announcement builds on the UK Government’s work to cut crime and build stronger communities, with violent crime down by 46 percent since 2010 and neighbourhood crime by 51 percent.
Since 2019, over 20,000 new police officers have been recruited and 100,000 knives taken off our streets. The Government has also launched a new Anti-Social Behaviour Plan to clamp down on crimes that can terrorise communities for good.
The Westminster Government is also making sure the worst offenders face the toughest possible punishment for their crimes.
Serious violent and sexual offenders now serve at least two-thirds of their sentence behind bars, ending halfway release, and the average custodial sentence length is longer across the board meaning that criminals are spending more time in prison.
The Government has also ended the automatic early release of terrorists through the Terrorist Offenders Act 2020 and introduced a 14-year minimum jail term for the most dangerous terrorist offenders through the Counter Terrorism and Sentencing Act 2021.
The Government is also committed to looking at changing the law to make sure that people who commit the most horrific crimes face their victims in court and hear first-hand the impact that their crimes have had on them and their families and loved ones.
The Government will legislate for the changes announced today in due course.
No comment yet from the Scottish legal establishment.
Community heroes, Ukrainian families and youth groups gathered in Downing Street yesterday for a special Coronation lunch
Lunch was held in Downing Street with food from across the UK
Community heroes, Ukrainians forced to flee their homes and youth groups attended
Over 50,000 Coronation Big Lunches were held in the UK and across the globe
Community heroes, Ukrainian families and youth groups gathered in Downing Street yesterday for a special Coronation lunch hosted by the Prime Minister and Mrs Murty.
The event is taking place as part of The Big Lunch, a nationwide initiative to bring neighbours and communities together to celebrate the Coronation.
Over 50,000 Big Lunch street parties took place in the UK and in countries across the globe.
Downing Street was adorned with bunting featuring the official Coronation emblem and the Union Flag. Crockery will be donated by Emma Bridgewater – the award-winning ceramics company based in Stroke-on-Trent – including a limited edition King Charles III teapot.
Recipients of the Points of Light Award – volunteers that have made an outstanding contribution to their community – attended the event.
They include Zoe and Andy Clark-Coates who set up Saying Goodbye a charity that supports thousands of people who have lost a child during pregnancy, at birth or infancy – and Navjot Sawhney whose hand-cranked washing machine is benefitting over 1,000 families without access to an electric machine in underdeveloped countries or refugee camps.
Also joining was Laura Ashurst from Stokesley in North Yorkshire. A three-time breast cancer survivor, Laura has campaigned for fifteen years to improve the lives of the 35,000 women across the UK with secondary breast cancer.
Attendees enjoyed food sourced from across the UK, including Loch Duart salmon from Sutherland in North West Scotland and soda farl from Northern Ireland.
Beef came from Gloucestershire in South West England and ice cream has been sourced from Chilly Cow, a company based in Ruthin, Wales.
Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s war on Ukraine and their UK-based sponsors also joined the event. They included Olga Breslavska who travelled to the UK as part of the Homes for Ukraine scheme and is currently studying an intensive English course. Caroline Quill – a Homes for Ukraine sponsor – has been instrumental in matching 250 families across East Sussex and Kent and will also join the lunch.
Young people from organisations such as UK Youth and the National Association of Boys and Girls Clubs also marked the occasion.
The Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, said: “Come rain or shine, thousands of friends and neighbours are coming together this weekend to put up the bunting, pour the tea and cut the cake at street parties and community events across the UK.
“I am proud to welcome Ukrainians forced to flee their homes and some incredible community heroes to Downing Street for our very own Coronation lunch to celebrate this historic moment.
“In England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland – and across our Overseas Territories and the wider Commonwealth – people are marking this momentous occasion in the spirit of unity and hope for the future”.
The Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has ‘issued words’ to mark the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on 6 May 2023:
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: The Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla will be a moment of extraordinary national pride.
Together with friends from across the Commonwealth and beyond, we will celebrate the enduring nature of our great monarchy: its constancy, devotion to duty, and service to others.
No other country could put on such a dazzling display – the processions, the pageantry, the ceremonies, and street parties.
But this is not just a spectacle.
It’s a proud expression of our history, culture, and traditions.
A vivid demonstration of the modern character of our country.
And a cherished ritual through which a new era is born.
In the Abbey where monarchs have been crowned for almost a thousand years, representatives of every faith will play a central role for the first time.
And in a fitting tribute to the spirit of service that will define the Carolean Age, people across our country will help their communities with thousands of acts of kindness.
So let’s celebrate this weekend with pride in who we are and what we stand for. Let’s look to the future with hope and optimism.
And let’s make new memories, so we can tell our grandchildren of the day we came together to sing: God Save The King.
Scottish Secretary Alister Jack on the Coronation of His Majesty The King Charles III and The Queen Consort:
Huge congratulations to King Charles III and Queen Camilla, ahead of their Coronation later today.
I hope everyone has the chance to come together with friends and family to celebrate what is an incredibly important moment for the whole of the United Kingdom.
Have a fantastic long weekend and please join me in wishing the King and Queen a long and happy reign.
God save the King.
Scotland marks Coronation day
Street parties, gun salutes and charity events to celebrate historic occasion
Events will take place across Scotland to mark the Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
There will be gun salutes at Edinburgh and Stirling Castles as well as ceilidhs, street parties and charity events. Big screens will also show the ceremony at locations including Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh and Glasgow Cathedral.
The First Minister, the Lord Advocate and the Permanent Secretary will attend the event at Westminster Abbey.
The King will be presented with the Honours of Scotland at a separate Scottish Service of Dedication and Thanksgiving, which will take place at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh later this year.
First Minister Humza Yousaf – an avowed republican – said: “I will attend the Coronation ceremony as First Minister, on behalf of the Scottish people – and many people across the country will also take part in the celebrations by watching the ceremony on big screens, hosting street parties or taking part in charity or volunteering.
“I look forward to participating in the ceremony when His Majesty is presented with the Honours of Scotland at a Service at St Giles’ Cathedral later this year.
“The King’s longstanding connection to Scotland is well known – through his patronage of many Scottish charities and institutions, including the Prince’s Foundation.
“Queen Camilla has also built strong ties with communities over many years, including through her role as Chancellor of the University of Aberdeen.
“I know many people in Scotland will want to send their best wishes to King Charles III and Queen Camilla on this historic occasion.”
The Royal Standard will fly over St Andrew’s House in Edinburgh for the Coronation weekend.
Further details of the service at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh which will take place later this year, including viewing opportunities for the public, will be issued in the coming weeks.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made a speech at Queen’s University in Belfast on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement
The Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement will always be remembered as one of the most extraordinary political achievements of our lifetimes.
Because step by step, faltering at first, people on all sides began to do things that were once unthinkable, in the search for peace.
But you don’t need me to tell you that because many of you in this room created it.
It is humbling to be with you today.
And with the people of Northern Ireland, who have endured so much.
After three long decades where violence and terror were part of everyday life…
…a generation has grown up in a place that is vastly more peaceful, more prosperous, and more at ease with itself.
Of course, we meet here today in circumstances that are far from perfect.
But my argument today is this: the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement remains the best and only foundation for peace and prosperity.
And if we can take inspiration and instruction from the way peace was achieved 25 years ago… we can fulfil the true promise enshrined in that Agreement.
The promise of: Stable devolved government. A prosperous economy. And a more united society.
That’s the future for Northern Ireland we must build.
Now to do that, we must first ask why.
Why did peace talks succeed in 1998 when so many failed before?
I believe that’s because people on all sides showed courage, imagination, and perseverance.
First, those who worked for peace had the personal courage to keep going in spite of daily threats to them and their families.
And the political courage to take risks in pursuit of a higher goal.
John Hume, over his entire career, never relented in his insistence on non-violence.
David Trimble took enormous risks to do what he thought was right for the union.
And they were rightly honoured as the preeminent architects of peace, with a joint Nobel peace prize.
Gerry Adams and Martin McGuiness persuaded Republicans to join a constitutional, power-sharing Assembly.
And, encouraged by the intensive efforts of Mo Mowlam, the leaders of loyalism also lent their weight behind the deal.
Female leaders from the Women for Peace and the Women’s Coalition worked so hard for peace.
And Bertie Ahern showed the wisdom and statecraft to see the historic opportunity.
At a critical moment, he recognised unionist concerns over the proposed North-South arrangements and stepped back.
Trimble himself, in his last public appearance, at this university, just weeks before he passed away…
… embraced his old counterpart and thanked Bertie for giving him the space to act.
These acts of courage were more powerful than a thousand bombs and bullets.
Because there is nothing glamorous about violence.
There is nothing glorious about terror.
Squalid acts are always justified with some false dream about what they will achieve.
But they have never worked – and they never will.
Instead, let us glorify moderation; romanticise respect; and make heroes of those with the courage to reject absolutes, not kill for them.
Second, making peace required leaps of imagination.
To conceive of a system for sharing power between traditions.
To design an agreement with three strands of equal importance…
To enshrine the principle of consent – so that Northern Ireland remains a part of the United Kingdom for as long as its people wish…
…while protecting the aspirations of those who seek a different future through peaceful means.
And for the first time…
…the people of North and South were both given the opportunity to support this deal…
…and they did so, in overwhelming majorities.
And let us never forget the crucial work after 1998 to build a broader consensus – helped by the leadership of Dr Ian Paisley.
Third, the peace took extraordinary perseverance.
In the aftermath of the Shankill bomb and Greysteel massacre in 1993, many thought the peace process was over…
…but just two months later John Major and Albert Reynolds delivered the Downing Street Declaration.
George Mitchell persuaded all parties to sign up to the principles of democracy and non-violence, without which the talks could not have begun.
In the difficult final hours, President Clinton’s timely interventions helped get the deal done.
And whenever people walked away, Tony Blair sought to bring them back…
…always committed, always attuned to the concerns of all parts of the community.
Together with Bertie Ahern, he showed us what’s possible when the UK and Irish governments work together…
…a partnership I know will continue alongside my friend, Leo Varadkar.
And in the spirit of perseverance, it’s also fitting to recognise the contribution of the security forces.
Like my predecessors, I acknowledge that at times they made mistakes.
But we must also recognise their bravery, suffering, and sacrifice – and that of the police.
Without their courageous service, there would have been no peace process at all.
They created the conditions that ultimately allowed their own presence on the streets to be reduced or entirely withdrawn.
So: courage, imagination, and perseverance. hose qualities brought an imperfect but enduring peace to a place taught to believe no such peace was possible.
So to all those who led us to that peace… including those here in this hall and those no longer with us… …let us take this moment to say to you: Thank you.
For those of us, like me, who inherit this extraordinary, even intimidating legacy…
…our challenge today is to fulfil the promise of the work that you began.
To honour your legacy, we need to create a more stable devolved government in Northern Ireland.
And that means getting the institutions up and running.
I believe there are two tasks.
First, to remove the biggest block to the institutions returning.
That’s why, when I came into office, I made it a priority to fix the Northern Ireland Protocol.
And we were deeply conscious of the lessons of history as we did so.
That’s why our aims were to:
Balance and respect the aspirations of all parts of the community.
Protect the relationships between East and West as much as North and South.
And persist through careful, detailed negotiation.
And I pay tribute to Ursula von der Leyen who I am so pleased to see here today.
The Windsor Framework is a breakthrough moment.
It solves practical problems and, crucially, strengthens Northern Ireland’s place in our Union and our UK internal market.
It gives the Assembly significant new powers – ready for when it sits again.
And I am confident we can build broad support for it across all communities.
So I share people’s frustration that the institutions are not back up and running.
But that points to our second task.
We must keep working to persuade all parts of the community that returning to the institutions is the best path.
And we will do that.
We will talk, we will listen, we will try to persuade – and we will not give up.
And I want to speak directly for a moment to the representatives of unionism…
…who include many diverse voices and whose concerns with the Protocol we have focused on addressing.
I urge you to work with us to get Stormont up and running again.
That’s the right thing to do on its own terms.
And I’m convinced that it’s also the right thing to do for our union.
I am a proud unionist.
We believe passionately that Northern Ireland is stronger within the UK…
…and the UK is stronger with Northern Ireland within it.
But we must also build support beyond those of us who already identify as unionists.
To do that, we have to show that devolved government within the United Kingdom works for Northern Ireland.
The fact that the institutions have been down for nine of the last 25 years should be a source of profound concern.
Over the long term that will not bolster the cause of unionism – I believe that deeply.
So we need to get the institutions up and running – and keep them up and running.
And let me also say to those who would seek to reform the institutions right now: I understand your frustrations.
But history reminds us that nothing in Northern Ireland has ever been achieved by trying to get round one community or another.
So any conversation about reform can only begin once the institutions are up and running again…
…and if it attracts widespread consent.
The Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement left us an extraordinary and precious legacy.
When we look back in 25 years from now…
…surely we should aspire for our legacy to be nothing less than this:
That the institutions have been up and running for every single year.
Because our focus must be on the future.
Getting the institutions back up and running is our most pressing challenge to honour your legacy.
But that’s only the beginning.
Together we must fulfil the true promise of the 1998 Agreement.
That future enshrined in the very words of the text – of “sustained economic growth”, and where we tackle the problems of “a divided society”.
I will give everything to help deliver that vision.
Because I talked earlier about learning the lessons from history.
One thing I took from George Mitchell is the idea that the agreement itself is only 20% of the task – the rest is delivery.
Once the Agreement was done, people asked of Tony Blair: Would he walk away?
He didn’t.
And neither will I.
Because there is work to be done.
So let me tell you what I’m going to do.
First, economic growth.
Progress has been remarkable – in April 1998, Northern Ireland had the highest unemployment rate in the UK.
Today – it’s the second lowest.
But we need to do more.
In 25 years, when we look back, I want to see that Northern Ireland has changed.
From an economy too reliant on the public sector…
To a thriving, dynamic economy built around the power and innovation of private enterprise.
I talk a lot about the idea of levelling up.
About making sure young people feel they can fulfil their dreams and aspirations in the place they call home.
That idea has particular resonance here in Northern Ireland.
And we won’t achieve it without a cascade of new investment – to create jobs and opportunity.
That journey has already begun.
Last week, President Biden came – and told the world to invest here.
He didn’t say that out of sentimentality.
He said it because he can see the opportunity for American businesses.
And because of the enormous potential of this place.
The potential of the people – resilient, ingenious, determined.
The potential of your businesses…
…with world-class strengths in cyber, life sciences, financial services, and the creative industries.
And one of Europe’s most thriving start-up scenes.
I know that journey to prosperity won’t be easy – and we aren’t there yet.
But this is my commitment to you:
I will use the full force of the UK Government…
…to help you make this one of the best places in the world…
…to start and grow a business, create jobs…
…train and learn new skills…
…and attract investment.
And just as we want to look back on a more prosperous, dynamic economy…
…so in 25 years, I also want us to look back on a more integrated and contented society.
Of course, we cannot simply wish away those social realities that have been present for decades.
The tragic loss of Lyra McKee and the attack on DCI John Caldwell remind us how far we still have to go.
But people are already voting with their feet in the choices they make for their children’s education and their social and sporting lives.
A growing body of the electorate does not define themselves solely as Unionist or Nationalist, British or Irish.
A growing portion of people sample life in a different part of these islands but still return.
And a growing number of local communities are signalling that their patience with thuggery is over.
But there’s yet more to do.
In 25 years’, should not the poisonous grip of the paramilitaries… those gangsters and drug dealers who wrap themselves in the fake cloak of legitimacy… be broken once and for all?
In 25 years’, should not a fragment of a peace wall be nothing more than a stop on the tourist trail?
In 25 years’, should integrated education not be the norm rather than the exception?
Of course, we won’t build that better future overnight. And it won’t be easy.
Every time I visit Northern Ireland, I feel more optimistic and hopeful.
Because to paraphrase the late David Trimble…
…there may be hills ahead of us, but there are mountains behind.
I want to close by reflecting on an extraordinary story.
Just weeks before the agreement, two lifelong friends, Damien Trainor and Philip Allen, were murdered at Poyntzpass.
One was a Protestant, the other Catholic.
The people who murdered them may have hoped to sow chaos and division and derail the peace talks.
They failed.
Because the story of this remarkable friendship inspired one of the most decisive breakthroughs of the whole peace process…
…the agreement to share power between equal first and deputy first ministers, in a co-premiership, with one from each community.
As Mark Durkan, the SDLP’s lead negotiator, said at the time: “The stories of Philip and Damien’s special friendship… could be a parable for the sort of society that we might create if we could reach agreement”.
And he was right.
That is the promise of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will welcome President Biden to Belfast this week
Prime Minister will take part in a number of events to commemorate the anniversary of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement in the coming days.
He will welcome President Biden to Belfast on Tuesday – the President’s first visit to Northern Ireland since taking office.
The UK will host a Northern Ireland Investment Summit later this year to encourage inward investment and growth.
The Prime Minister will welcome President Biden to Belfast this week as the people of Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK prepare to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement.
President Biden will arrive in the UK on Tuesday evening, where the Prime Minister will meet him off Air Force One. The President will then undertake a programme of engagements including a meeting with the Prime Minister.
On Wednesday 19th April the Prime Minister will travel to Belfast again to address Queen’s University’s ‘Agreement 25’ conference and host a special Gala Dinner to commemorate the anniversary.
Monday marks a quarter of a century since the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement was signed, transforming the political and economic of Northern Ireland, and serving as a framework for peace and prosperity.
The United States greatly supported the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement process and has played a pivotal role in boosting prosperity in Northern Ireland over the last 25 years. The Prime Minister will use President Biden’s visit and his engagements with business leaders and others in Belfast to celebrate Northern Ireland’s successes and encourage further long-term investment.
The United States is one of the largest sources of foreign investment into Northern Ireland, putting £1.5 billion into its economy over the last decade and creating 13,000 jobs. This includes tech giants such as Microsoft establishing themselves there. Around 1,000 US-owned businesses operate in Northern Ireland and in 2022 businesses in Northern Ireland exported goods worth over £1 billion to the United States.
In the last few months the economic links between the US and Northern Ireland have grown further, with companies like semiconductor manufacturer Wolfspeed announcing a major R&D partnership with Queen’s University Belfast. Wolfspeed is based in North Carolina, a US state the UK signed a state-level trade agreement with in July last year.
As part of the Prime Minister’s ambition to bring more inward investment into Northern Ireland’s thriving economy, he will announce that the UK will host a Northern Ireland Investment Summit in September this year.
The Summit will connect international investors with Northern Ireland businesses, showcasing the best of what Northern Ireland has to offer. The Summit will profile Northern Ireland’s innovation and technological strengths, with a special focus on financial & professional services, life & health sciences, technology, green manufacturing and the creative services.
Bolstered by its place within the UK, Northern Ireland has a diverse and thriving economy. Northern Ireland received almost £20bn in inward investment in 2020, with companies from around the world recognising its growth potential, talent and expertise. Belfast is the biggest hub for technology companies in the UK after London and Northern Ireland is home to more than 100 cyber security companies.
The UK Government is also supporting growth in Northern Ireland through investment in infrastructure and education to foster Northern Irish talent and expertise. The UK Government provides around £15 billion a year to Northern Ireland and through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund we are providing new community and neighbourhood infrastructure and improving facilities for families in every council in Northern Ireland.
The Prime Minister said: “The Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement was an incredible moment in our nation’s history. It was a powerfully rare example of people doing the previously unthinkable to create a better future for Northern Ireland.
“It is that promise of a better future that we offered to everyone in Northern Ireland that I will be thinking of first and foremost over the coming days. It is my responsibility as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to ensure we are making good on that promise.
“Northern Ireland – like the rest of the UK – is teeming with opportunities, talent and ingenuity. The biggest thing we can do to improve people’s standard of living and secure a prosperous and thriving Northern Ireland, is economic growth. That’s something I’m relentlessly focused on delivering.”
The Northern Ireland Investment Summit will be led by the Department for Business and Trade in partnership with the Northern Ireland Office and Invest Northern Ireland. It will take place on 12th and 13th September 2023 in Belfast.
The event is a key part of the UK’s overall programme to mark the remarkable progress in Northern Ireland over the last quarter century and will support our vision for a prosperous 25 years ahead.
Laws include legal duty on the Home Secretary to remove anyone who enters the UK illegally
Earlier this year the Prime Minister made stopping the boats one of his 5 promises to the British people. The ‘Stop the Boats’ – or Illegal Migration – Bill will fulfil that promise by ending illegal entry as a route to asylum in the UK.
This will remove the incentive for people to risk their lives through these dangerous and unnecessary journeys and pull the rug from under the criminal gangs profiting from this misery once and for all.
People who arrive in the UK illegally will instead be detained and swiftly removed to their home country if safe, or another safe third country, such as Rwanda, where they will be supported to rebuild their lives.
Anyone illegally entering the UK will be prevented from accessing the UK’s world-leading modern slavery support or abusing these laws to block their removal. Any other challenges or human rights claims can also only be heard after removal, remotely.
By ending illegal immigration as a route to asylum, stopping the boats and taking back control of our borders the Bill will ensure the UK can better support people coming through fair, safe and legal routes.
The UK will always be a compassionate country, as demonstrated by the nation opening its hearts and homes to those from fleeing from Afghanistan and Ukraine, and under this Bill, Parliament will set an annual cap on the number of refugees settled via safe and legal routes, taking into account local authority capacity for housing, public services and the support communities rightly expect.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman said: “The British people rightly expect us to solve this crisis and that’s what myself and the Prime Minister fully intend to do. We must stop the boats.
“It is completely unfair that people who travel through a string of safe countries then come to the UK illegally and abuse our asylum laws to avoid removal.
“It has to stop. By bringing in new laws, I am making it absolutely clear that the only route to the UK is a safe and legal route. If you come here illegally, you won’t be able to claim asylum or build a life here.
“You will not be allowed to stay. You will be returned home if safe, or to a safe third country like Rwanda. It’s the only way to prevent people risking their lives and paying criminals thousands of pounds to get here.”
The Bill, introduced to Parliament yesterday (7 March 2023), will mean anyone who enters the UK illegally and who has passed through a safe country will be legally required to be removed and the Home Secretary will have the power to enforce it.
Migrants may be detained for 28 days with no recourse for bail or judicial review, and then for as long as there is a reasonable prospect of removal.
In exceptional circumstances if there is a risk that someone would suffer a real risk of serious and irreversible harm when they are relocated to that specific safe third country, they would not be removed until it was safe to do so. Even in these cases you will have a maximum 45 days to remain in the UK before your appeal is exhausted.
The annual number settled via safe and legal routes will be kept under review, and if there is a humanitarian crisis within the world that requires a response, then the UK will step up and offer sanctuary to those in need, as we have done for tens of thousands of Ukrainians and Afghans.
The Bill forms part of the action the UK Government is taking to stop small boat crossings and illegal migration as a whole. This includes:
an agreement with Albania that recognises their status as a safe country
a new dedicated unit to speed up the processing of Albanian cases – since the announcement in December we have returned over 3000 illegal migrants, including over 500 Albanians
ending the legacy backlog of asylum claims by the end of 2023 – we have already doubled decision makers and we will double the number again and we are changing the system to make it more productive
reducing the use of hotels, with the government currently spending £6.2 million a day, by moving asylum seekers to cheaper alternative accommodation
established the Small Boats Operational Command in December, enabling us from January to protect the resources of our Immigration Enforcement teams – as a direct result of this change, we have been able to significantly increase the numbers of immigration enforcement visits undertaken, deliver a 50% uplift in enforcement visits per month and have seen a corresponding increase in arrests
doubling the funding for Operation Invigor, which brings together the NCA, Home Office Intelligence and UK policing to disrupt organised crime groups who are smuggling people from source countries to the beaches of northern France
our joint work with France saw nearly 33,000 Channel crossings prevented in 2022, compared to just over 23,000 in 2021 – since the UK-France Joint Intelligence Cell (JIC) was established in July 2020, 59 organised criminal groups involved in small boats crossings
clamping down on people smugglers, with over 350 arrests made since the Nationality and Borders Act became law
welcoming current collaboration with the French to tackle illegal migration, which includes agreeing further action at the UK/FR Leaders’ Summit
Summary of Bill measures:
Duty to make arrangements for removal – the Home Secretary will have a legal duty to remove people who have entered the UK illegally.
Detention and bail – strengthening detention powers so people can only apply for bail from the Courts (First-tier Tribunal) after 28 days (although habeus corpus will remain).
Unaccompanied children – minors who come to the UK illegally will not be removed to a safe third country until adulthood, except in limited circumstances.
Entry, citizenship and settlement – people who come to the UK illegally will be prevented from settling in the country and will face a permanent ban from returning.
Asylum – people who come here illegally will have their asylum claims deemed inadmissible and considered in a safe third country.
Modern slavery – modern slavery referrals for those who come to the UK illegally will be disqualified under public order grounds under the terms of the international anti-trafficking treaty, ECAT.
Legal proceedings – limiting the circumstances in which legal challenges will prevent someone from being removed from the UK. Most legal challenges will be considered when someone has been successfully removed from the UK.
Expanding the list of countries that are considered safe in law – this will make it unquestionably clear when someone doesn’t need our protection because they are obviously not at risk of persecution in their home country.
Annual number of people using safe and legal routes – committing to resettling a specific number of refugees in the UK every year.
Today we are introducing new legislation to keep my promise to you – to stop the boats.
My policy is very simple, it is this country—and your government—who should decide who comes here, not criminal gangs.
The first step is understanding the nature—and scale—of what we are dealing with.
The number of people entering the UK illegally in small boats has more than quadrupled in the last two years.
Those illegally crossing the Channel are not directly fleeing a war-torn country… or persecution… or an imminent threat to life.
They have travelled through safe, European countries.
They are paying people smugglers huge sums to make this dangerous, and sometimes tragic, journey.
The reason that criminal gangs continue to bring small boats over here is because they know that our system can be exploited…
….that once here…illegal migrants can make a multitude of asylum, modern slavery and spurious human rights claims to frustrate their removal.
And the risk remains that those individuals just disappear into the black economy.
That is the reality we must deal with…
And with 100 million people displaced around the world…
….if we do not deal with it now, the situation will just get worse and worse.
People must know that if they come here illegally it will result in their detention and swift removal.
Once this happens – and they know it will happen – they will not come, and the boats will stop.
That is why today we are introducing legislation to make clear that if you come here illegally you can’t claim asylum…
…you can’t benefit from our modern slavery protections…
….you can’t make spurious human rights claims
…and you can’t stay.
We will detain those who come here illegally and then remove them in weeks, either to their own country if it is safe to do so, or to a safe third country like Rwanda.
And once you are removed, you will be banned—as you are in America and Australia—from ever re-entering our country.
This is how we will break the business model of the people smugglers; this is how we will take back control of our borders.
Now, this Bill provides the legal framework needed to deliver this in a way that no other legislation has done before.
This is tough but it is necessary and it is fair.
This legislation will be retrospective.
If you come on a small boat today, the measures in this bill will apply to you.
And this is just part of what we are doing.
I’ve always been clear this is a complex problem that can’t be solved overnight and will require us to use every tool at our disposal.
That’s why I’ve already secured the largest ever small boats deal with France.
And patrols on French beaches are already up 40 per cent.
I also promised progress on enforcement and we’ve increased raids on illegal working by 50 per cent.
I’ve also negotiated a new deal with Albania, which accounted for a third of all small boats arrivals.
And that’s already delivering. We’ve returned 500 illegal migrants to Albania and we are seeing far fewer come as a result.
This shows that there is nothing inevitable about illegal migration.
Deterrence works, and with will and determination, the government can get on top of it—and we will.
Now, this will always be a compassionate and generous country.
It is something that we’re all rightly proud of.
Just look at how we have welcomed Ukrainians, Syrians from refugee camps, and embraced Hong Kongers fleeing the Chinese clampdown.
But the current situation is neither moral nor sustainable. It cannot go on.
It’s completely unfair on the British people…
….who have opened their homes to genuine refugees…
….but are now having to spend nearly £6 million a day to put up illegal migrants in hotels.
It’s unfair on the people who have come to this country legally to see others skipping the queue.
And it’s devastatingly unfair on those who most need our help but can’t get it as our asylum system is being overwhelmed by those travelling illegally across the Channel.
If we can’t stop the boats, our ability to help genuine refugees in future will be constrained.
Full control of our borders will allow us to decide who to help, and to provide safe and legal routes for those most in need.
I understand there will be debate about the toughness of these measures… all I can say is that we have tried it every other way… and it has not worked.
So I say again: my policy is very simple, it is this country—and your government—who should decide who comes here, not criminal gangs.
And I will do whatever is necessary to achieve that.
The Windsor Framework, agreed by the Prime Minister and European Commission President, replaces the old Northern Ireland Protocol, providing a new legal and UK constitutional framework.
Fundamentally rewriting the Treaty with new ‘Stormont Brake’ means UK can veto new EU goods laws if they are not supported by both communities in Northern Ireland
New green lane removes any sense of a border in Irish Sea
Northern Ireland to benefit from same VAT, food and drink and medicines as the rest of the UK
A new way forward for a prosperous, stable future for Northern Ireland has been set out, rewriting the Treaty to fix the practical problems for the people and businesses of Northern Ireland, protects Northern Ireland’s place within our Union, and restores the balance of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement in all its dimensions.
The Windsor Framework, agreed by the Prime Minister and European Commission President yesterday, replaces the old Northern Ireland Protocol, dealing with the issues it has created and providing a new legal and UK constitutional framework.
It delivers free-flowing trade in goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland by removing any sense of the border in the Irish Sea for goods staying within the UK. These goods will travel as normal through a new green lane without red tape or unnecessary checks, with the only checks remaining designed to prevent smuggling or crime.
It protects Northern Ireland’s place in our Union, replacing swathes of EU laws with UK laws and ensuring the people of Northern Ireland can benefit from the same tax policies, food and drink, medicines, and parcels as the rest of the UK.
It puts the people of Northern Ireland in charge with active democratic consent. The Agreement rewrites the Treaty text with a new Stormont Brake that means the UK can veto new EU goods laws if they are not supported by both communities in Northern Ireland, which goes far beyond previous agreements or discussions on the old Protocol.
At Monday’s press conference, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “Today’s agreement is written in the language of laws and treaties. But really, it’s about much more than that.
“It’s about stability in Northern Ireland. It’s about real people and real businesses. It’s about showing that our Union, that has lasted for centuries, can and will endure.
“And it’s about breaking down the barriers between us. Setting aside the arguments that have for too long, divided us. And remembering the fellow feeling that defines us: This family of nations – this United Kingdom.”
The Windsor Framework delivers free-flowing movement of goods between Northern Ireland and Great Britain and removes any sense of a border in the Irish Sea within the UK:
A new green lane (the UK internal market scheme) means traders moving goods destined for Northern Ireland will be freed of unnecessary paperwork, checks and duties, using only ordinary commercial information rather than burdensome customs bureaucracy or complex certification requirements for agrifood. The same type of standard commercial information used when moving goods from Birmingham to the Isle of Wight will be used Birmingham to Belfast. All goods destined for the EU will use the red lane.
All requirements have been scrapped for trade from Northern Ireland to Great Britain on a permanent basis, including the requirement for export declarations.
The green lane will be expanded to include food retailers such as supermarkets and hospitality businesses, significantly reducing SPS checks and costly paperwork, and ensuring choice for consumers on supermarket shelves. A single supermarket truck who previously had to provide 500 certificates can now instead make a straightforward commitment that goods will stay in Northern Ireland. Retailers will mark goods as “not for EU”, with a phased rollout of this requirement to give them time to adjust.
Chilled meats like sausages, which were banned under the old Protocol, can move freely into Northern Ireland like other retail food products.
Parcels from people or businesses in Great Britain can now be sent to friends, family, and consumers in Northern Ireland as they are today, without customs declarations, processes or extra costs under the old Protocol. Parcels sent business to business will travel via the green lane.
The Windsor Framework protects Northern Ireland’s place in the Union:
The same medicines, in the same packs, with the same labels, will be available across the UK, without the need for barcode scanning requirements under the old Protocol. The UK will license all medicines for all UK citizens, including novel medicines like cancer drugs, rather than the European Medicines Agency under the old Protocol. NI’s healthcare industry will have full access to both UK and EU markets, supporting jobs and investment through a dual regulatory regime.
Pets can also now travel freely with their owners across the UK, without expensive health treatments like rabies or documentation from a vet. Pet owners in Northern Ireland won’t have to do a thing when travelling to GB. Where they’re not moving on to Ireland or the rest of the EU, GB owners with microchipped pets can either easily sign up for a lifetime travel document for their pet, available online and electronically in a matter of minutes, or an equally seamless process built into the booking processfor a flight or ferry.
Previously banned iconic plants like English oak trees and seed potatoes will once again move easily within the UK without the bureaucratic checks and costly certification under the old Protocol and instead use a similar process to the Plant Passport scheme that already exists in Great Britain. This will end restrictions that hampered consumer choice and damaged business whilst protecting the long-standing single epidemiological area on the island of Ireland.
The legal text of the Treaty has been amended, so that critical VAT and excisechanges will apply to the whole of the UK. This means that zero-rates of VAT on energy saving materials like solar panels and alcohol duty reforms will now apply in Northern Ireland.
The UK Government can continue to provide generous and targeted subsidiesacross the UK. The ‘reach-back’ risks under the old Protocol have been addressed with new stringent tests, so there are now almost no circumstances in which the Protocol applies to UK subsidies, providing certainty for businesses to trade and invest in Northern Ireland. We expect more than 98% of Northern Ireland subsidies to be unaffected in practice.
The Windsor Framework safeguards sovereignty and fixes the democratic deficit by putting the people of Northern Ireland in charge:
The new Stormont Brake means the democratically elected Northern Ireland Assembly can oppose new EU goods rules that would have significant and lasting effects on everyday lives in Northern Ireland. They will do so on the same basis as the ‘petition of concern’ mechanism in the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement, needing the support of 30 members from at least two parties. The Stormont Brake has been introduced by fundamentally rewriting the Treaty and goes significantly further than the ‘all or nothing vote’ under the old Protocol every four years at most.
Over 1,700 of EU law have been removed, and with it ECJ interpretation and oversight in areas like VAT, medicines, and food safety – so the UK Government can decide and UK courts can interpret. The minimal set of EU rules – less than 3% – apply to preserve the privileged, unrestricted access for Northern Ireland businesses to the whole of the EU Single Market and avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland.
The agreement concludes months of intensive discussions between the UK and EU to address real world issues and needs of the people of Northern Ireland.
Providing reassurance for the future, the UK and EU have agreed to work together to anticipate and deal with any other issues that may emerge and have made a joint declaration to resolve issues through dialogue, rather than formal dispute proceedings.
Alongside ‘The Windsor Framework: a new way forward’, the Government has published the full range of legal texts that underpin the Windsor Framework. These solutions put arrangements in Northern Ireland on an entirely new footing, with far-reaching changes to the old Protocol to provide lasting certainty and stability for citizens and businesses in Northern Ireland.
To give businesses and individuals time to prepare, the implementation of the agreement will be phased in, with some of the new arrangements for goods, agrifood, pets and plant movements introduced later this year and the remainder in 2024. In the meantime, the current temporary standstill arrangements will continue to apply.
The UK Government will no longer proceed with the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, as the UK and EU have come to a negotiated agreement. Similarly, the agreement will mean the EU withdrawing all of the legal actions it has launched against the UK.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak makes a speech on the Windsor Framework:
Good afternoon.
All our thoughts are with Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell and his family after last week’s abhorrent shooting in Omagh.
A man of extraordinary courage, his first thought was to protect the children he had been coaching.
President Von der Leyen and I stand united with the people and leaders of all communities across Northern Ireland.
Those trying to drag us back to the past will never succeed.
This afternoon, I welcomed President Von der Leyen to Windsor to continue our discussions about the Northern Ireland Protocol.
I’m pleased to report that we have now made a decisive breakthrough.
Together, we have changed the original Protocol and are today announcing the new Windsor Framework.
Today’s agreement:
Delivers smooth flowing trade within the whole United Kingdom.
Protects Northern Ireland’s place in our Union.
And safeguards sovereignty for the people of Northern Ireland.
These negotiations have not always been easy, but I’d like to pay an enormous personal tribute to Ursula for her vision in recognising the possibility of a new way forward.
And to my colleagues the Foreign and Northern Ireland Secretaries for their steadfast leadership.
The United Kingdom and the European Union may have had our differences in the past, but we are allies, trading partners, and friends … something that we’ve seen clearly in the past year as we joined with others, to support Ukraine.
This is the beginning of a new chapter in our relationship.
For a quarter of a century the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement has endured because at its heart is respect for the aspirations and identities of all communities.
Today’s agreement is about preserving that delicate balance and charting a new way forward for the people of Northern Ireland.
I am standing here today because I believe that we have found ways to end the uncertainty and challenge for the people of Northern Ireland.
We have taken three big steps forward.
First, today’s agreement delivers the smooth flow of trade within the United Kingdom.
Goods destined for Northern Ireland will travel through a new Green Lane, with a separate Red Lane for goods at risk of moving onto the EU.
In the Green Lane, burdensome customs bureaucracy will be scrapped.
It means food retailers like supermarkets, restaurants and wholesalers will no longer need hundreds of certificates for every lorry.
And we will end the situation where food made to UK rules could not be sent to and sold in Northern Ireland.
This means that if food is available on the supermarket shelves in Great Britain … then it will be available on supermarket shelves in Northern Ireland.
And unlike the Protocol, today’s agreement means people sending parcels to friends and family or doing their shopping online, will have to complete no customs paperwork.
This means we have removed any sense of a border in the Irish Sea.
Second, we have protected Northern Ireland’s place in the Union.
We’ve amended the legal text of the Protocol to ensure we can make critical VAT and excise changes for the whole of the UK…
…for example on alcohol duty, meaning our reforms to cut the cost of a pint in the pub will now apply in Northern Ireland.
The same quintessentially British products like trees, plants, and seed potatoes – will again be available in Northern Ireland’s garden centres.
Onerous requirements on pet travel have been removed.
And today’s agreement also delivers a landmark settlement on medicines.
From now on, drugs approved for use by the UK’s medicines regulator… will be automatically available in every pharmacy and hospital in Northern Ireland.
Third, today’s agreement safeguards sovereignty for the people of Northern Ireland.
The only EU law that applies in Northern Ireland under the Framework … is the minimum necessary to avoid a hard border with Ireland and allow Northern Irish businesses to continue accessing the EU market.
But I know that many people in Northern Ireland are also worried about being subject to changes to EU goods laws.
To address that, today’s agreement introduces a new Stormont Brake.
Many had called for Stormont to have a say over these laws.
But the Stormont Brake goes further and means that Stormont can in fact stop them from applying in Northern Ireland.
This will establish a clear process through which the democratically elected Assembly can pull an emergency brake … for changes to EU goods rules that would have significant, and lasting effects on everyday lives. If the brake is pulled, the UK government will have a veto.
This gives the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland a powerful new safeguard, based on cross community consent.
I believe the Windsor Framework marks a turning point for the people of Northern Ireland.
It fixes the practical problems they face.
It preserves the balance of the Belfast Good Friday Agreement.
Of course, parties will want to consider the agreement in detail, a process that will need time and care.
Today’s agreement is written in the language of laws and treaties.
But really, it’s about much more than that.
It’s about stability in Northern Ireland.
It’s about real people and real businesses.
It’s about showing that our Union, that has lasted for centuries, can and will endure.
And it’s about breaking down the barriers between us.
Setting aside the arguments that for too long, have divided us.
And remembering the fellow feeling that defines us: This family of nations – this United Kingdom.
President Zelenskyy arrives in the UK today to meet the Prime Minister and visit Ukrainian troops.
Comes as the Prime Minister announces plans to expand training for the Armed Forces of Ukraine to sea and air, including fighter jet pilots and marines, as part of long-term investment in their military.
UK also accelerates military equipment to Ukraine in a bid to give Ukrainian forces the upper hand on the battlefield and limit Russia’s ability to target civilian infrastructure.
President Zelenskyy will visit the UK today to meet Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and address parliament as the UK steps up its delivery of lethal aid into the country, and prepares to train fighter jet pilots and marines.
The leaders will discuss a two-pronged approach to UK support for Ukraine, starting with an immediate surge of military equipment to the country to help counter Russia’s spring offensive, and reinforced by long-term support.
The Prime Minister will also offer the UK’s backing to President Zelenskyy’s plans to work towards a just and lasting peace for Ukraine.
As part of today’s talks, the Prime Minister will offer to bolster the UK’s training offer for Ukrainian troops, including expanding it to fighter jet pilots to ensure Ukraine can defend its skies well into the future.
The training will ensure pilots are able to fly sophisticated NATO-standard fighter jets in the future. As part of that long-term capability investment, the UK will work with Ukraine and international allies to coordinate collective support to meet Ukraine’s defensive needs.
He will also offer to begin an immediate training programme for marines.
That training will be in addition to the recruit training programme already running in the UK, which has seen 10,000 Ukrainian troops brought to battle readiness in the last six months, and which will upskill a further 20,000 Ukrainian soldiers this year. The UK will continue to work with the Ukrainian Armed Forces and international community to scale the programme up in 2023.
Just last week, Ukrainian troops arrived in the UK to learn how to command Challenger 2 tanks, following the Prime Minister’s decision to send the main battle tanks to Ukraine.
The Prime Minister will also offer to provide Ukraine with longer range capabilities. This will disrupt Russia’s ability to continually target Ukraine’s civilian and critical national infrastructure and help relieve pressure on Ukraine’s frontlines.
The President and his team will also meet defence and security chiefs, including the Chief of Defence Staff and Chief of the Air Staff, to discuss the details of the training programme.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “President Zelenskyy’s visit to the UK is a testament to his country’s courage, determination and fight, and a testament to the unbreakable friendship between our two countries.
“Since 2014, the UK has provided vital training to Ukrainian forces, allowing them to defend their country, protect their sovereignty and fight for their territory.
“I am proud that today we will expand that training from soldiers to marines and fighter jet pilots, ensuring Ukraine has a military able to defend its interests well into the future. It also underlines our commitment to not just provide military equipment for the short term, but a long-term pledge to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine for years to come.”
The UK will also announce further sanctions today in response to Russia’s continued bombardment of Ukraine, including the targeting of those who have helped Putin build his personal wealth, and companies who are profiting from the Kremlin’s war machine.
‘Making government deliver for the British people’
To ensure the whole of government is geared up to deliver for the British people, the Prime Minister, with the approval of His Majesty The King, has today created four new departments.
The changes will ensure the right skills and teams are focussed on the Prime Minister’s five promises: to halve inflation, grow the economy, reduce debt, cut waiting lists and stop the boats.
A new Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, has been tasked with securing our long-term energy supply, bringing down bills and halving inflation.
The move recognises the significant impact rising prices have had on households across the country as a result of Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine, and the need to secure more energy from domestic nuclear and renewable sources as we seize the opportunities of net zero.
A dedicated Department for Science, Innovation and Technology will drive the innovation that will deliver improved public services, create new and better-paid jobs and grow the economy.
Having a single department focussed on turning scientific and technical innovations into practical, appliable solutions to the challenges we face will help make sure the UK is the most innovative economy in the world.
A combined Department for Business and Trade will support growth by backing British businesses at home and abroad, promoting investment and championing free trade.
Finally, a re-focused Department for Culture, Media and Sport will recognise the importance of these industries to our economy and build on the UK’s position as a global leader in the creative arts.
His Majesty The King has been pleased to approve the following appointments:
Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP as Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
Rt Hon Michelle Donelan MP as Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
Rt Hon Kemi Badenoch MP as Secretary of State for Business and Trade. She remains as President of the Board of Trade, and Minister for Women and Equalities
Rt Hon Lucy Frazer KC MP as Secretary of State for Culture, Media, and Sport
Rt Hon Greg Hands MP as Minister without Portfolio in the Cabinet Office.
