The Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke to Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday.
He reaffirmed the UK’s continued support for Israel’s right to defend its people against Hamas’ terror and ensure its long-term security.
The Prime Minister said the UK was deeply concerned about the loss of civilian life in Gaza and the potentially devastating humanitarian impact of a military incursion into Rafah.
He reiterated that the immediate priority must be negotiating a humanitarian pause to allow the safe release of hostages and to facilitate considerably more aid going to Gaza, leading to a longer-term sustainable ceasefire. For there to be lasting peace, Israel’s security must be assured.
The Prime Minister highlighted the scale of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and urged Israel to fully open the Kerem Shalom crossing and allow the maritime delivery of international aid through Ashdod port, which the UK stood ready to support on.
He noted the importance of continuing to abide by International Humanitarian Law and protecting civilian infrastructure like hospitals and shelters. The Prime Minister said more must be done to ease restrictions on humanitarian supplies and ensure the UN and aid agencies can reach civilians in need throughout Gaza.
The Prime Minister updated on his recent meeting with the families of British hostages held by Hamas and they discussed urgent ongoing efforts to bring hostages safely home, as well as steps to ensure any remaining British nationals who wish to leave Gaza are able to do l’so.
Turning to wider issues, the Prime Minister said it was vital to avoid inflaming tensions and undermining security in the West Bank. In the longer term, the UK continued to believe a viable two state solution was the best means to achieve lasting peace and stability for both Israelis and Palestinians.
They agreed that Hamas can have no role in the future governance of Gaza.
The leaders also discussed regional issues, and the Prime Minister set out how the UK is supporting efforts to de-escalate the situation on Israel’s northern border with Lebanon and avoid further conflict or threats to Israeli citizens.
WILL the conversation have any influence at all on Israel’s campaign in Gaza? Don’t hold your breath …
The Prime Minister’s remarks at a joint press conference with President Zelenskyy yesterday:
Volodymyr, thank you for the very kind honour you’ve just bestowed on me and for inviting me here today.
It is an honour to stand with you and to send a message on behalf of the United Kingdom and indeed your allies around the world: Ukraine is not alone. And Ukraine will never be alone.
Putin might think he can outlast us – but he is wrong. We stand with you today, tomorrow, and for as long as it takes.
Because this war is about Ukraine’s right to defend itself and determine your own future.
And the Ukrainian people’s historic choice to be an independent democracy at the heart of Europe.
Your quest for freedom has inspired and moved the British people. And for the free nations of the world, aid to Ukraine is also an investment in our own collective security.
Because if Putin wins in Ukraine, he will not stop there. And our opponents around the world believe that we have neither the patience nor resources for long wars.
So waver now, and we embolden not just Putin but his allies in North Korea, Iran, and elsewhere.
That’s why the United Kingdom – and the free world – will continue to stand with Ukraine as we have since the very beginning of this war.
Judge our commitment to Ukraine’s freedom not by our words, but by our actions.
The UK was the first to train Ukrainian troops.
First in Europe to provide lethal weapons.
First to commit western battle tanks.
First to provide long-range weapons.
But we need to do more. Our actions right now will determine the path of the war.
So, far from our resolve faltering, the United Kingdom is announcing today the biggest single package of defence aid to Ukraine since the war began, worth £2.5bn.
This will include:
More air defence equipment…
More anti-tank weapons…
More long-range missiles…
Thousands of rounds more ammunition and artillery shells…
Training for thousands more Ukrainian servicemen and women.
And £200m to build thousands more drones…
…the single largest package of drones given to Ukraine by any nation.
In total, since the war began, the UK will have provided almost £12bn of aid to Ukraine.
And I’m proud that today, President Zelensky and I have signed a new security agreement that will form the core of a partnership between our two countries that will last a hundred years or more.
This is the first in a series of new, bilateral security assurances promised to Ukraine by 30 countries at last year’s Vilnius Summit.
And it says that if Russia ever invades Ukraine again the UK will come to your aid with swift and sustained security assistance.
We will provide modern equipment across land, sea, and sky.
Sanction Russia’s economy
And work closely with allies to do so.
You will not have to ask.
You will not have to argue for what you need.
The UK will be there from the first moment to the last.
And of course, we continue to support Ukraine’s journey to NATO membership.
You belong in NATO and NATO will be stronger with you.
I pay tribute to all those whose significant efforts made today’s agreement happen…
…from the Office of the President, to the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Defence, and many others besides.
President Zelensky and his team serve not only their country but the cause of peace and justice.
The UK Parliament applauded your courage, resilience, and sincere love of for your country.
Even at a time of war, you are reforming Ukraine for the better.
And with your leadership, Ukraine will prevail.
Volodymyr, the UK stands with you.
I believe this is the greatest moment in the history of our relationship.
It extends security guarantees from the UK to Ukraine that are unprecedented.
It defines our future as allies, working together for the security of Europe.
And it says that Ukraine’s place is, without doubt, among the free nations of the world.
Be in no doubt: We are not walking away.
Ours is the unbreakable alliance. The nezlamni allianz.
And just as we stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine so those same principles guide our actions around the world.
Let me say a brief word about the situation in the Red Sea. Overnight, the Royal Air Force carried out strikes against two Houthi military facilities in Yemen.
I want to be very clear that these were limited strikes, carefully targeted at launch sites for drones and ballistic missiles.
Over recent months, the Houthi militia have repeatedly attacked commercial ships in the Red Sea… risking innocent lives and causing huge economic disruption.
In December, we launched Operation Prosperity Guardian with our allies to bolster maritime security.
On 3 January, 14 counties issued a clear warning that attacks must cease.
On 10 January, the UN Security Council passed a resolution condemning the attacks… and highlighting the right of nations to defend their vessels and preserve the freedom of navigation.
Yet the attacks have continued.
British and American warships have been targeted.
That’s why we’ve taken this further, limited action today… in self defence, consistent with the UN Charter.
In the face of this aggression, we will always stand up for the rule of law.
Thank you.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s speech at Ukraine’s Parliament, the Verkhovna Rada
Mr President, Mr Prime Minister, Mr Chairman, Honourable Members of the Rada, I come from the world’s oldest Parliament to address the world’s bravest.And it is an honour to do so.
Every Parliamentarian serving in a democratically elected chamber treasures the ideal of freedom.
Your courage is defending it.
Even as the enemy came within 20 kilometres of this Chamber…
…with many of you personally targeted…
…you refused to be daunted.
You continued to sit and do your duty – as you have throughout this war.
Because this is where you express the sovereignty and independence…
…for which your people are prepared to sacrifice everything.
This is where you are keeping alive the cause of democracy…
…in defiance of the gravest threat we have faced this century.
So on behalf of Britain and all your allies:
Thank you.
Slava Ukraini.
President Zelensky, you are an inspiration, and, Volodymyr, I am proud to call you a friend.
President John F Kennedy said of the great Winston Churchill that he:
“Mobilised the English language and sent it into battle.”
Volodymyr, you have done the same…
…and English isn’t even your first language!
No leader this century has done more to unite liberal democracies in the defence of our values.
Thank you.
Above all, let me pay tribute to the people of Ukraine.
I first came to Ukraine ten years ago, in the year of the Maidan protests.
I remember the sense of nervous hope…
…as Ukraine looked towards a future as a sovereign European democracy.
And in each of my visits since this war began…
…even amidst all the rubble and destruction…
…the people I’ve met are more determined than ever to realise that dream.
The soldiers who even now fight to the last breath for every inch of ground.
The pilots making stunning blows against Russia’s Black Sea fleet.
The gunners beating impossible odds to defend your skies.
The engineers who defeated darkness during the most difficult winter in your history.
And the ordinary people of Ukraine, who have endured…
…more than anyone should ever have to bear.
Rockets and bombs deliberately aimed at homes and hospitals, shelters, and schools.
Torture, rape, children kidnapped.
You have met this depravity with bravery and defiance.
With your unique, unbreakable Ukrainian spirit.
And all of us in the free world, salute you.
We meet today at a difficult moment in the struggle for Ukraine’s freedom.
As always during conflict, there will be difficult moments.
But we must prepare for this to be a long war.
But I believe there is hope for us in the echoes of Britain’s own history.
If 1940 was our finest hour…
….and Ukraine’s was two years ago as you resisted the Russian invasion…
…then perhaps today is more like 1942.
That was a point in the middle of the war…
…when progress on the battlefield was hard…
…the defence industry was under severe strain…
…and populations were becoming weary.
It must have been hard to see the light ahead.
But they stood firm.
And although they did not know it then…
…for all the setbacks and difficulties that still lay before them…
…that was the moment the tide began to turn, and victory became assured.
I believe that the same will be true of this moment.
In the end, history tells us that democracies who endure will always prevail.
Putin cannot understand…
…that while you can kill individuals and destroy buildings…
…no army can ever defeat the will of a free people.
And that is why Ukraine will win.
Think of what you have already achieved.
Putin believed he could subjugate Ukraine by force in a matter of weeks.
Instead, with every rocket he fires the Ukrainian people become ever more determined…
…and their sense of nationhood becomes stronger still.
Russia’s military vastly outnumbers Ukrainian forces.
Yet you have already regained half of the occupied territory.
You have held the East, reopened vital shipping lanes to help feed the world…
…and increasingly made Crimea a vulnerability for Russia, not a strength.
These victories show: Russia can be beaten in its war of aggression.
It’s on track to lose nearly half a million men.
Putin has faced an attempted coup…
…been indicted as an international war criminal…
… presides over an economy severely weakened by sanctions…
…and has succeeded in persuading countries across Europe…
…to significantly increase their defence spending.
He is now reduced to begging Iran and North Korea for weapons…
…and desperately sacrificing hundreds of thousands more men…
…in the hope that Ukraine will yield, or its friends might walk away.
Well, Ukraine will not yield.
And the United Kingdom will never walk away.
From the very beginning…
…the British people spontaneously flew the Ukrainian flag – and I tell you that it flies still.
They felt moved to show solidarity with people they’ve never met…
In a country most have never visited…
Because of our shared faith in freedom, fairness and democracy.
We welcomed Ukrainian refugees with open hearts.
We trained tens of thousands of their Ukrainian comrades in arms.
we led the way in delivering…
Helicopters, ships, tanks, and armoured vehicles…
Air defences and electronic weapons systems…
Planeloads of anti-tank missiles like the NLAWs and Javelins…
Storm Shadows to reach behind enemy lines and defend against aggression in the Black Sea.
Humanitarian and economic support.
And the strongest set of sanctions ever to debilitate Russia’s economy.
I’m proud that we’ve provided over £9bn of support so far.
But I want to go further still.
Today, President Zelensky and I agreed a new partnership between our two countries…
…designed to last a hundred years or more.
Our partnership is about defence and security.
It is about the unique ties between our people and cultures.
It will build back a better and brighter future for Ukraine.
To attract new investment in jobs and homes…
To fund English language training for the Ukrainian people…
…as you make English the language of business and diplomacy.
And it will hold Russia accountable for their war crimes.
Because Russia must pay to rebuild what they have destroyed.
Perhaps above all, it will support Ukraine to complete the historic journey you have chosen…
…to becoming a free, independent democracy at the heart of Europe.
Ours is the unbreakable alliance:
The nezlamni allianz.
First, we will help you win the war.
Russia thinks that they will outlast us; that our resolve is faltering.
It is not.
In each of the last two years, we sent you £2.3bn of military aid.
This year, we are going to increase that…
…with the biggest single defence package so far…
…worth £2.5bn.
This package will include:
More air defence equipment, more anti-tank weapons, more long-range missiles…
Thousands of rounds more ammunition and artillery shells…
And training for thousands more soldiers…
Now in total, the UK will have provided almost £12bn of aid to Ukraine.
So be in no doubt:
We are not walking away.
Putin will never outlast us.
We are here for Ukraine –as long as it takes.
But the best way to make sure Ukraine has the weapons it needs…
…is to help Ukraine to produce those weapons themselves.
So our second action is to work with you to massively increase defence industrial production.
I believe this will be a source of huge economic strength and value for Ukraine in the future.
So even as the UK donates more equipment…
…we will help make you the armoury of the free world.
British companies like BAE Systems and AMS are already supporting your armed forces from within Ukraine.
And we will go further.
Starting today with £200m to manufacture thousands of new drones…
…both here in Ukraine and in the UK.
This is the single largest package of drones given to Ukraine by any nation.
Thirdly, today’s agreement supports your historic choice to join NATO.
Because I believe that Ukraine’s rightful place is in NATO.
But this isn’t just about how NATO benefits Ukraine.
It’s about how Ukraine benefits NATO.
Your understanding of modern war comes not from a textbook but the battlefield.
Your armed forces are experienced, innovative, and brave.
Ukraine belongs in NATO and NATO will be stronger with Ukraine.
Last year’s Vilnius Summit made important steps towards membership.
And I want us to be even more ambitious at the Washington Summit this June.
And we made you a solemn promise…
…along with 30 other countries…
…to provide new, bilateral security assurances.
Today, the UK is the first to deliver on that promise.
President Zelensky and I have just signed a new security agreement.
If Russia ever again invades Ukraine, the UK will come to your aid with swift and sustained security assistance.
We will provide modern equipment across land, sea, and sky…
Sanction Russia’s economy…
And work closely with allies to do so.
You will not have to ask.
You will not have to argue for what you need.
The UK will be there from the first moment to the last.
I believe this is the greatest moment in the history of our relationship.
With unprecedented security guarantees…
…it defines our future as allies, working together for the security of Europe…
…and sitting side by side among the free countries of the world.
In the words of the great Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko…
…you have broken your heavy chains and joined…
The family of the free
Because in the end, this is about even more than security.
It is about Ukraine’s right as an independent nation to determine your own future.
And it is about the right of all nations – enshrined in the UN Charter – to determine their own future.
As Churchill said, there are two kinds of nationalism:
“The craze for supreme domination by weight or force” – which he called “a danger and a vice”.
Or the nationalism that comes from “love of country and readiness to die for country…
…love of tradition and culture…
…and the gradual building up…of a social entity dignified by nationhood”.
He called this: “the first of virtues”.
I can think of no better description of the two sides of this war.
Or a better description of the battle that will define our age.
Because while this war may have begun in the deluded mind…
…of a man in thrall to the mirage of a long-dead empire…
…if Putin wins in Ukraine, he will not stop here.
That’s why President Biden, the EU, allies in NATO, the G7 and beyond…
…have seen the century-defining importance of this fight and they have rallied to your cause.
And we cannot – and will not – falter now.
Because aid to Ukraine is an investment in our own collective security.
Only a Ukrainian victory will deter Putin from attacking others in the future…
…and prove our enemies wrong…
…when they say that democracies have neither the patience nor resources for long wars.
This is the choice before us.
These are the stakes.
Waver now – and we embolden not just Putin, but his allies in North Korea, Iran, and elsewhere.
Or rally to Ukraine’s side and defend our common cause…
…of democracy over dictatorship, freedom over tyranny, the rule of law over anarchy.
That is what you are fighting for.
And to echo Churchill:
We must give you the tools – and I know that you will finish the job.
Let me conclude with this final thought.
On one of the earliest days of the invasion…
In the darkness just before the dawn…
As Russian bombs fell on Kyiv…
President Zelensky stood outside the House with Chimaeras…
…and sent a simple, defiant message to the world:
Miy tut.
We are here.
Today, as the world asks will your allies waver…
Will our resolve weaken…
Will our belief in your success falter…
My reply is the same:
Miy tut.
We are here.
As a symbol of our nezlamni allianz…
…I bring you today the United Kingdom’s flag…
…signed by our country’s entire Cabinet…
…to stand here until the day of your victory and beyond…
Happy New Year, everyone. I hope you had a great Christmas.
We can look back on a pretty momentous year. We’ve delivered record funding for the NHS and social care. Schools in England are surging up the global league tables.
We’re getting the economy growing. We’ve cut inflation in half. We’ve delivered the biggest business tax cut in modern British history.
And in just the last few weeks, we’ve seen an incredible £60 billion of investment into the UK. So my New Year’s resolution is to keep driving forward. In six days’ time, we’ll deliver a tax cut for 27 million people, worth on average £450.
Inflation is set to fall further, cutting the cost of living for everyone. And we’re not stopping there.
We’re going further to grow our economy by reducing debt, cutting taxes, and rewarding hard work, building secure supplies of energy here at home, backing British business and delivering world class education. And we’re taking decisive action to stop the boats and break the business model of the criminal gangs.
From our incredible armed forces and NHS staff who take care of all of us. To our tech experts, scientists and innovators who are putting our economy at the global cutting edge.
We should look forward full of pride and optimism for what we can do together to build a brighter future for everyone. That’s what I’m determined to do, and I wish you all a very happy 2024.
On global Human Rights Day, 75+ groups from across the UK issue an open letter to the Prime Minister and political leaders, urging them to protect universal human rights in the UK.
On the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the British Institute of Human Rights (BIHR) have coordinated an open letter to the Prime Minister and political leaders signed by 75+ organisations from across the UK.
Published today on 10th December 2023, global Human Rights Day, the letter highlights the United Nations’ call for a “movement of shared humanity” – a sentiment reflected by the breadth of organisations that have signed it.
Grassroots groups, local charities, international organisations, professional bodies, advocates and lawyers all working in different fields and for different causes have come together to call on the UK Government to reaffirm the commitment to universal human rights, honouring the fundamental principle that human rights are for everyone.
As well as celebrating the incredible mobilisation of civil society to speak up against the UK Government’s unprincipled and unworkable Rights Removal Bill, which was ultimately scrapped this year, the letter highlights the impact that human rights have in the “small places close to home” – a phrase coined by UDHR architect Eleanor Roosevelt. It reflects on the role of the UDHR in inspiring the European Convention on Human Rights and ultimately the UK’s own Human Rights Act.
Together, the organisations tell politicians: “Anchored by common fundamental values that reach beyond divides, the UDHR makes it clear that universal human rights are part of what it means to be human, and not gifts granted by the state.”
Speaking on the release of the open letter, BIHR’s CEO, Sanchita Hosali, said: “Global Human Rights Day should be a time for us all in the UK to reflect on the promise of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, agreed across nations in the aftermath of World War II 75 years ago to protect the equal dignity of each of us.
“Whether in our schools or workplaces, in community centres or housing offices, at police stations and courts, in hospitals and care homes, social work departments and Government offices, our universal human rights, shared by each and every one of us should be respected and protected by those in power.
“Sadly, here at home political debate is characterised by hostility to people’s human rights and a government intent on removing its accountability to us all. Having seen off the very real risk from the Government to scrap our Human Rights Act in favour of a Rights Removal Bill, groups from across the UK have joined together to call on our Prime Minister and political leaders to do better.
“Yet just days ago we see the Government seeking to set down in law the removal of human rights protections for a whole group of people seeking safety in it’s latest Rwanda Bill. As we mark the 75th anniversary of the UDHR, the Government must move beyond the popularist, often dog whistle politicking around human rights, and commit to realising the vision of universal human rights as a global blueprint for international, national, and local laws and policies.”
The Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made a speech on illegal migration yesterday (7 December 2023):
Today the government has introduced the toughest anti-illegal immigration law ever.I know it will upset some people and you will hear a lot of criticism about it. It’s right to explain why I have decided to do this.
I’m the child of immigrants … I understand why some people take the risk of getting into unsafe dinghies to cross open waters…
…it’s because the United Kingdom is an incredible country… it offers opportunity, hope and safety.
But the difference is: my family came here… legally.
Like most immigrants, they integrated into local communities…
…worked hard to provide for their family
…built lives and businesses, found friends and neighbours…
… and most of all… they were really proud to become British.
That feeling of pride… it cascades down the generations and grows… and that’s why you see so many children of immigrants sitting around the Cabinet table.
But it’s not a given… illegal immigration undermines not just our border controls… it undermines the very fairness that is so central to our national character.
We play by the rules. We put in our fair share. We wait our turn.
Now if some people can just cut all that out… you’ve not just lost control of your borders… you’ve fatally undermined the very fairness upon which trust in our system is based.
That’s why this legislation is necessary.
To deliver an effective deterrent to those who wish to come here illegally…
…to restore people’s trust that the system is fair…
… and ultimately: to stop the boats.
And so, our Bill today fundamentally addresses the Supreme Court’s concerns over the safety of Rwanda.
I did not agree with their judgement, but I respect it.
That is why I have spent the last three weeks working tirelessly to respond to their concerns…
…and to guarantee Rwanda’s safety in a new legally binding international treaty.
The Supreme Court were clear that they were making a judgement about Rwanda at a specific moment 18 months ago…and that the problems could be remedied.
Today we are confirming that they have been…
…and that unequivocally, Rwanda is a safe country.
And today’s Bill also ends the merry-go-round of legal challenges that have blocked our policy for too long.
We simply cannot have a situation where our ability to control our borders…
…and stop people taking perilous journeys across the channel…
…is held up in endless litigation in our courts.
So this Bill gives Parliament the chance to put Rwanda’s safety beyond question in the eyes of this country’s law.
Parliament is sovereign. It should be able to make decisions that cannot be undone in the courts.
And it was never the intention of international human rights laws…
…to stop a sovereign Parliament removing illegal migrants to a country that is considered safe in both parliamentary statute and international law.
So the Bill does include what are known as “notwithstanding” clauses.
These mean that our domestic courts will no longer be able to use any domestic or international law…
…including the Human Rights Act…
…to stop us removing illegal migrants.
Let me just go through the ways individual illegal migrants try and stay.
Claiming asylum – that’s now blocked.
Abuse of our Modern Slavery rules – blocked.
The idea that Rwanda isn’t safe – blocked.
The risk of being sent on to some other country – blocked.
And spurious Human Rights claims – you’d better believe we’ve blocked those too…
…because we’re completely disapplying all the relevant sections of the Human Rights Act.
And not only have we blocked all these ways illegal migrants will try and stay…
…we’ve also blocked their ability to try and stay by bringing a Judicial Review on any of those grounds.
That means that this Bill blocks every single reason that has ever been used to prevent flights to Rwanda from taking off.
The only, extremely narrow exception will be if you can prove with credible and compelling evidence…
….that you specifically have a real and imminent risk of serious and irreversible harm.
We have to recognise that as a matter of law – and if we didn’t, we’d undermine the treaty we’ve just signed with Rwanda.
As the Rwandans themselves have made clear…
…if we go any further the entire scheme will collapse.
And there’s no point having a Bill with nowhere to send people to.
But I am telling you now, we have set the bar so high…
…that it will be vanishingly rare for anyone to meet it.
And once you have been removed, you’ll be banned for life from travelling to the UK, settling here, or becoming a citizen.
But, of course, even with this new law here at home…
…we could still face challenges from the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
So let me repeat what I said two weeks ago –
I will not allow a foreign court to block these flights.
If the Strasbourg Court chooses to intervene against the express wishes of our sovereign Parliament…
…I will do what is necessary to get flights off.
And today’s new law already makes clear that the decision on whether to comply with interim measures issued by the European Court…
…is a decision for British government Ministers – and British government Ministers alone.
Because it is your government – not criminal gangs, or indeed foreign courts –who decides who comes here and who stays in our country.
Now of course, our Rwanda policy is just one part of our wider strategy to stop the boats.
And that strategy is working.
I’ve been Prime Minister for just over a year now and for the first time, small boat arrivals here are down by a third….
…even as illegal crossings of the Mediterranean have soared by 80 per cent.
Let me just repeat that: small boat arrivals here are down by a third.
To help achieve that, we’ve signed returns and co-operation agreements with France, Bulgaria, Turkey, Italy, and Georgia.
Illegal working raids are up by nearly 70 per cent.
50 hotels are being returned to their local communities and we are housing people in a new barge and in former military sites.
The initial asylum backlog is down from 92,000 to less than 20,000.
We’ve returned over 22,000 illegal migrants.
And as our deal with Albania shows – deterrence works.
Last year, a third of all those arriving in small boats were Albanian.
This year we have returned 5,000 people and cut those arrivals by 90 per cent.
And Albanian arrivals have far more recourse to the courts than anyone under this new legislation.
That’s why I’m so confident that this Bill will work.
Lord Sumption, the former Supreme Court Judge, believes this Bill will work.
We will get flights off the ground.
We will deter illegal migrants from coming here.
And we will, finally, stop the boats.
AN EXPENSIVE BUSINESS
The UK has given Rwanda a further £100m this year as part of its deal to relocate asylum seekers there.
The payment was made in April, the Home Office’s top civil servant Sir Matthew Rycroft said in a letter to MPs, after £140m had already been paid to Rwanda.
THE LETTER READS:
07 December 2023
Migration and Economic Development Partnership Funding
Dear Dame Diana and Dame Meg,
At the evidence sessions on 29th November and 4th December respectively, you and your Committees asked me about payments the UK Government had made to the Government of Rwanda for the purposes of the Migration and Economic Development Partnership.
As I said then, the total the UK Government paid in the financial year 2022-23 was £140m. This comprised an initial investment of £120 million through an Economic Transformation and Integration Fund (ETIF) which is for the economic development and growth of Rwanda. A separate payment of £20 million was also paid in this timeframe to support initial set up costs for the relocation of individuals.
I set out why Ministers had decided to announce payments in the 2023-24 financial year in our Annual Reporting and Accounts next summer, for reasons of balancing the public interest. I fully recognise the public interest in transparency and accountability of public authorities for expenditure and the broad public interest in furthering public understanding of the issues with which public authorities deal. However, this must also be balanced against public interests which work the other way. For example, you will recognise the importance of respecting commercial confidence and the maintenance of confidence between international partners.
Since then, Ministers have agreed that I can disclose now the payments so far in the 2023-24 financial year. There has been one payment of £100m, paid in April this year as part of the Economic Transformation and Integration Fund mentioned above. The UK Government has not paid any more to the Government of Rwanda thus far. This was entirely separate to the Treaty – The Government of Rwanda did not ask for any payment in order for a Treaty to be signed, nor was any offered. Any additional funds will be announced in our Annual Report and Accounts in the usual way.
In the 2024-25 financial year, we anticipate another payment of £50m as part of the ETIF as agreed with Government of Rwanda when the Migration and Economic Development Partnership was signed.
All of these payments are covered by the Ministerial Direction of 16th April 2022. Given the public interest, this letter will be published on GOV.UK.
FIRST MINISTER CALLS FOR RECOGNITION OF STATE OF PALESTINE
MSPs have voted in favour of an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas, following a debate in the Scottish Parliament.
Opening the debate, First Minister Humza Yousaf said the chamber was unified in resolute condemnation of Hamas’ abhorrent terrorist attacks and the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza.
This followed a letter sent by the First Minister to the Prime Minister and Sir Keir Starmer this morning, calling for the UK to officially recognise the State of Palestine in order to break the political impasse that has condemned Israelis and Palestinians to successive cycles of violence.
The First Minister said: “In Scotland, the Muslim and Jewish communities have enjoyed decades of friendship, decades of shared humanity and faith. Nowhere is that more evident than in East Renfrewshire, home of Scotland’s largest Jewish community, and a significant Muslim population too, who have lived side-by-side in harmony for many years.
“But we cannot be complacent. We must all be proactive in rooting out any hint of Islamophobia or antisemitism wherever it occurs. Presiding Officer, even though it feels impossible to look past the current horrors of war, we must ensure that this perpetual cycle of violence that we see occur far too often finally ends, once and for all, in a peaceful resolution.
“To that end, there must be a renewed, and serious international effort towards a two-state solution. Israeli and Palestinian states that can co-exist in safety, security and with equal rights for each of its citizens.
“Unfortunately, the world has not kept its promise to the Palestinian people. They have not been given a free sovereign state, along the 1967 borders, as they were promised. Quite the opposite.
“The continued expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank is not only illegal but works against a peaceful resolution. So it is simply not enough anymore to pay lip-service to a two-state solution, we must take steps to turn that into a reality.
“To that end, I have written to the Prime Minister, and to Sir Keir Starmer, and urged them to immediately take steps to ensure the UK recognises the State of Palestine. It is only with full recognition of Palestine, as a State in its own right, that we can truly move forward towards a two-state solution.
“To conclude, Presiding Officer, to prevent further deaths, the bombs, the rockets – they must stop. The Scottish Government continues to call for an immediate ceasefire, for the safe release of all hostages, for an end to the killing of innocent civilians in Gaza, for an end to the siege of Gaza, and for all parties to abide by international law.
“The UK government and the international community must use their influence to prevent the further loss of innocent life. Every child the world over deserves to grow old. The children of Gaza and Israel deserve nothing less. It is our moral obligation to act. Let us hope even in these, the darkest of times, that humanity prevails.”
First Minister Humza Yousaf has written to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak calling for the United Kingdom to officially recognise the State of Palestine to break the political impasse that has condemned Israelis and the Palestinians to successive cycles of violence.
The FM’s appeal came on the day Scotland’s MSPs voted in favour of ceasefire in Palestine.
The letter, sent ahead of a debate on the situation in the Middle East in the Scottish Parliament yesterday, has also been sent to the Leader of the Opposition in the UK Parliament Sir Keir Starmer.
The First Minister later opened the Holyrood debate on a Government motion which condemned the Hamas atrocities on 7 October, called for the release of the hostages and for all parties to agree to an immediate ceasefire.
‘Someone needs to be honest: your plan is not working, we have endured record election defeats, your resets have failed and we are running out of time. You need to change course urgently’ – Braverman letter to PM Rishi Sunak
IN FULL: Suella Braverman’s scathing letter to PM following her sacking:
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made an oral statement to the House of Commons yesterday on the latest situation in Israel and Gaza:
Mr Speaker, last week I visited the Middle East, bringing a message of solidarity with the region against terror and against the further spread of conflict.
I met with the leaders of Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority to coordinate our response to the crisis before us but also to renew the better vision of the future that Hamas is trying to destroy.
I travelled first to Israel. It is a nation in mourning. But, Mr Speaker, it is also a nation under attack.
The violence against Israel did not end on the 7th of October. Hundreds of rockets are launched at their towns and cities every day. And Hamas still holds around 200 hostages, including British citizens.
In Jerusalem I met some of the relatives – who are suffering unbearable torment. Their pain will stay with me for the rest of my days. I am doing everything in my power – and working with all of our partners – to get their loved ones home.
So in my meetings with Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Herzog I told them once again that we stand resolutely with Israel in defending itself against terror.
And I stressed again the need to act in line with international humanitarian law and take every possible step to avoid harming civilians. It was a message delivered by a close friend and ally.
I say it again, we stand with Israel.
Mr Speaker, I recognise that the Palestinian people are suffering terribly. Over 4,000 Palestinians have been killed in this conflict. They are also the victims of Hamas, who embed themselves in the civilian population.
Too many lives have already been lost. And the humanitarian crisis is growing.
I went to the region to address these issues directly.
In Riyadh then Cairo, I met individually with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman from Saudi Arabia, the Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, President Sisi in Egypt and President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority.
This is further to my meeting with the King of Jordan last week and calls with other leaders and my Rt Hon Friend the Foreign Secretary’s extensive travel in the region.
Mr Speaker, there are three abiding messages from these conversations. The first is that we must continue working together to get more humanitarian support into Gaza. The whole House will welcome the limited opening of the Rafah crossing.
It is important progress, and testament to the power of diplomacy. But it is not enough. We need a constant stream of aid pouring in, bringing the water, food, medicine and fuel that is so desperately needed. So we will keep up the diplomatic pressure.
We have already committed £10 million of extra support to help civilians in Gaza.
And Mr Speaker, I can announce today that we are going further. We are providing an additional £20 million of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza – more than doubling our previous support to the Palestinian people.
There are major logistical and political challenges to delivering this aid – which I discussed with President Sisi. My Rt Hon Friend the Development Minister is leading an effort to ensure the maximum amount of aid is prepositioned, with UK support, ready to deliver.
We’re also working intensively to ensure that British nationals trapped in Gaza are able to leave through the Rafah crossing when it properly reopens.
The second message, Mr Speaker, is that this is not a time for hyperbole and simplistic solutions. It is a time for quiet and dogged diplomacy that recognises the hard realities on the ground and delivers help now. And we have an important role to play.
In all of my meetings, people were clear that they value Britain’s engagement. The UK’s voice matters.
We have deep ties across the region – ties of defence, trade and investment, but also of history. President Abbas pointed to that history. Not the British mandate in Palestine or the Balfour declaration but the UK’s efforts over decades to support the two-state solution.
And that brings me to my third point, Mr Speaker. Growing attacks by Hezbollah on Israel’s northern border, rising tensions on the West Bank and missiles and drones launched from Yemen show that some are seeking escalation.
So we need to invest more deeply in regional stability and in the two-state solution.
Last night I spoke to the leaders of the US, Germany, France, Italy and Canada. We are all determined to prevent escalation. That’s why I am deploying RAF and Royal Navy assets monitoring threats to regional security and supporting humanitarian efforts.
Mr Speaker, our support for a two-state solution is highly valued across the region. But it can’t just be a clichéd talking point to roll out at times like this.
The truth is that in recent years energy has moved into other avenues like the Abraham Accords and normalisation talks with Saudi Arabia. We support those steps absolutely, and believe they can bolster wider efforts.
But we must never lose sight of how essential the two-state solution is. So we’ll work together with our international partners to bring renewed energy and creativity to this effort.
It will rely on establishing more effective governance for Palestinian territories in Gaza and the West Bank. It will also mean challenging actions that undercut legitimate aspirations for Palestinian statehood.
Mr Speaker, Hamas care more about their paymasters in Iran than the children they hide behind. So let me be clear, there is no scenario where Hamas can be allowed to control Gaza or any part of the Palestinian Territories. Hamas is not only a threat to Israel but to many others in the region.
All the leaders I met agree that this is a watershed moment – it’s time to set the region on a better path.
Mr Speaker, I also want to say a word about the tone of the debate.
When things are so delicate, we all have a responsibility to take additional care in the language we use and to operate on the basis of facts alone.
The reaction to the horrific explosion at the al-Ahli Arab hospital was a case in point. As I indicated last week, we have taken care to look at all the evidence currently available. Mr Speaker, I can now share our assessment with the House.
On the basis of the deep knowledge and analysis of our intelligence and weapons experts the British government judges that the explosion was likely caused by a missile – or part of one – that was launched from within Gaza towards Israel.
The misreporting of this incident had a negative effect in the region – including on a vital US diplomatic effort – and on tensions here at home. We need to learn the lessons and ensure that in future there is no rush to judgment.
Mr Speaker, we have seen hate on our streets again this weekend. We all stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people – that is the message I brought to President Abbas – but we will never tolerate antisemitism in our country.
Calls for Jihad on our streets are not only a threat to the Jewish community, but to our democratic values. And we expect the police to take all necessary action to tackle extremism head on.
Mr Speaker, this a moment for great care and caution – but also for moral clarity. Hope and humanity must win out against the scourge of terrorism and aggression.
The 7 October attack was driven by hatred. But it was also driven by Hamas’s fear that a new equilibrium might be emerging in the Middle East, one that would leave old divisions behind and offer hope of a better, more secure, more prosperous way forward.
It is the same motivation that drives Putin’s war on Ukraine: the fear of Ukraine’s emergence as a modern, thriving democracy and the desire to pull it back into some imperialist fantasy of the past.
Putin will fail. And so will Hamas.
We must keep alive that vision of a better future, against those who seek to destroy it. Together with our partners, that is what we will do.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak yesterday made an oral statement to the House of Commons on the latest situation in Israel and Gaza
Mr Speaker, the attacks in Israel last weekend shocked the world. Over 1,400 people murdered, one by one. Over 3,500 wounded. Almost 200 taken hostage.
The elderly men, women, children, babies in arms – murdered, mutilated, burned alive. We should call it by its name: it was a pogrom.
Mr Speaker, the families of some of the missing are in the public gallery today.
We called for the immediate release of all hostages.
And I say to them. We stand with you. We stand with Israel.
The murdered and the missing come from over 30 countries – including the United Kingdom.
The terrible nature of these attacks means it is proving difficult to identify many of the deceased.
But with a heavy heart, I can inform the House that at least 6 British citizens were killed. A further 10 are missing, some of whom are feared to be among the dead.
We are working with Israel to establish the facts as quickly as possible, and we are supporting the families who are suffering unimaginable pain.
We are also helping British citizens who want to leave Israel.
We have organised 8 flights so far, bringing out over 500 people, with more flights leaving today.
We are working with neighbouring countries on land evacuations for our citizens in Gaza and the West Bank.
I have spoken specifically to President Sisi about supporting civilians to leave Gaza via the Rafah border crossing – which at present remains closed.
And we have a Border Force team in Egypt working with our Embassy to help citizens when they are able to cross.
I will come back to the grave humanitarian situation in Gaza for a moment.
But first, Mr Speaker I want to address the British Jewish community directly. As I said at Finchley United Synagogue last week and a Jewish school I visited this morning – we stand with you, now and always.
This atrocity was an existential strike at the very idea of Israel as a safe homeland of the Jewish people.
I understand why it has shaken you to your core.
And I am sickened that antisemitic incidents have increased since the attacks.
We are doing everything we can to protect you.
We are providing an additional £3 million for the Community Security Trust to protect schools, synagogues, and other Jewish community buildings.
And we are working with the police to ensure that hate crime and the glorification of terror is met with the full force of the law.
I know the whole house will support this – and join me in saying unequivocally: We stand with the Jewish community.
Mr Speaker, I also recognise that this is a moment of great anguish for British Muslim communities, who are also appalled by Hamas’ actions but fearful of the response.We must listen to these concerns with the same attentiveness.
Hamas is using innocent Palestinian people as human shields – with the tragic loss of more than 2,600 Palestinian lives, including many children.
We mourn the loss of every innocent life – civilians of every faith, every nationality who has been killed.
And so let’s say it plainly: we stand with British Muslim communities too.
Mr Speaker, Israel was founded not just as a homeland for the Jewish people, but as a guarantor of their security.
To ensure that what happened to the Jewish people in the Holocaust could never happen again.
Through its strength and resilience Israel gradually achieved some of that longed for security.
Despite the strategic threats on their borders, including Hezbollah in the north, with Iran at their back.
They normalised relations with the UAE and Bahrain through the Abraham Accords and moved towards normalising ties with Saudi Arabia.
Steps that not long ago were thought unthinkable.
One reason why this attack is so shocking is that it is a fundamental challenge to any idea of coexistence.
Which is an essential precursor to peace and stability in the region.
Mr Speaker, the question is: how should we respond?
I believe we must support, absolutely, Israel’s right to defend itself. To go after Hamas, take back the hostages, deter further incursions, and strengthen its security for the long term.
But this must be done in line with international humanitarian law but also recognising that they face a vicious enemy that embeds itself behind civilians.
As a friend, we will continue to call on Israel to take every possible precaution to avoid harming civilians.
I repeat President Biden’s words – as democracies “we are stronger and more secure when we act according to the rule of law.” Humanity. Law. Decency. Respect for human life.That’s what sets us apart from the mindless violence of the terrorist.
Mr Speaker, there are three specific areas where the UK is helping to shape events.
First, we are working to prevent escalation and further threats against Israel.
On Friday, RAF surveillance aircraft began patrols to track threats to regional security.
I have deployed a Royal Navy task group to the eastern Mediterranean – including RFA Lyme Bay and RFA Argus, 3 Merlin helicopters and a company of Royal Marines. Ready both to interdict arms and support the humanitarian response. And we are bolstering our forces in Cyprus and across the region.
Let me be clear, we are not engaging in fighting or an offensive in Gaza. But we are increasing our presence to prevent broader regional instability at this dangerous moment.
Second, Mr Speaker, I’m proud that we are a longstanding and significant provider of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people. And I can announce today that we are increasing our aid by a third, with an additional £10 million of support.
An acute humanitarian crisis is unfolding, to which we must respond. We must support the Palestinian people – because they’re victims of Hamas too.
Like our allies, we believe that Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people, or their legitimate aspirations to live with equal measures of security, freedom, justice, opportunity and dignity.
Hamas simply does not stand for the future that Palestinians want.
And they seek to put the Palestinian people in harm’s way.
So we must ensure humanitarian support urgently reaches civilians in Gaza. This requires Egypt and Israel to allow in the aid that is so badly needed.
We also need to keep the situation in the West Bank in the forefront of our minds at this moment of heightened sensitivity.
Earlier today, I spoke to Mahmoud Abbas, the leader of the Palestinian Authority, to express our support for his efforts to provide stability.
Third, we will use all the tools of British diplomacy to sustain the prospects of peace and stability in the region.
Ultimately, that requires security for Israelis and Palestinians and a two-state solution. So we’re increasing our regional engagement.
I have spoken to Prime Minister Netanyahu twice in the last week, along with the United States, France, Germany, Italy and others.
My Right Honourable Friend the Foreign Secretary was the first to visit Israel after the attacks.
I met with His Majesty the King of Jordan yesterday – a long-time voice of reason and moderation.
I have spoken today with the leaders of Turkey and previously Egypt … and will speak to others in the coming days.
Our partners in the region have asked us to play a role in preventing further escalation. That is what we will do.
However hard it is, we need to ask the tough questions about how we can revive the long-term prospects for a two-state solution, for normalisation and regional stability.
Not least because that is precisely what Hamas has been trying to kill.
In conclusion, Mr Speaker, unequivocally backing Israel’s right to defend itself.
Stepping forward with humanitarian support.
Working to protect civilians from harm. And straining every sinew to keep the flame of peace and stability alive. That is our objective.
It is the right approach for the region. It is the right approach for Britain.
