Tag: UK Government

New funds for local leaders to unlock jobs and boost innovation

Up to £20 million each available for local areas across the country to grow innovation

  • Local areas can now bid for support of up to £20 million each in government funding to grow existing regional science and tech expertise
  • Investment will back local leaders who know their regions best, unlocking discoveries and creating hundreds of jobs as part of record £86 billion R&D settlement
  • Builds on support already earmarked to local leaders in ten UK areas through Local Innovation Partnerships Fund – driving regional growth through Plan for Change

Local leaders across the country can now bid for support of up to £20 million each in a new competition, as the government backs regional expertise to deliver cutting-edge research that could save lives and create jobs (Monday 6 October).

Research funding body UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is inviting a broad range of local and regional partnerships to bid for government funding to support research and innovation projects in their area through the Local Innovation Partnerships Fund. The competition will back partnerships that can turn existing research breakthroughs into practical solutions that create jobs and improve people’s lives, supporting the government’s Plan for Change.

The fund is designed to help regions across the UK build on their existing strengths – whether that is developing technology that helps doctors diagnose diseases faster, creating cleaner transport solutions, or discovering innovations that spawn entirely new industries.

Local leaders, working alongside universities and businesses, are best placed to identify these regional opportunities and turn research breakthroughs into real-world solutions that benefit their communities.

Science and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said: “This fund is our Plan for Change in action. It empowers local leaders, researchers, and businesses with skin in the game to deliver transformational research that creates jobs and improves lives in their area.

“Ten regions already have our support and will be able to deliver game-changing innovations to benefit their communities.

“Now we’re extending this opportunity to the rest of the country, and I encourage partnerships everywhere to come forward, and show how they can unlock their local expertise to create tomorrow’s innovations.”

Consortiums of various forms are encouraged to apply, to ensure regions across the length and breadth of the UK are supported to develop new innovations and drive regional growth.

Ten regions across the UK have already received backing through the Local Innovation Partnerships Fund.

These include established innovation hubs in England such as Greater Manchester, West Midlands, and West Yorkshire, alongside Glasgow City Region in Scotland, Cardiff Capital Region in Wales, and an innovation corridor linking Belfast and Derry-Londonderry in Northern Ireland.

Each of these areas has been earmarked for at least £30 million to invest in their regional innovation strengths, from advanced manufacturing and life sciences to digital technologies and clean energy, ensuring every nation of the UK benefits from this major government investment in R&D.

This approach builds on the successful Innovation Accelerators programme, which has already brought in more than £140 million of private investment and created hundreds of jobs. Greater Manchester teams are helping detect heart and lung diseases more quickly and cheaply, while Glasgow researchers are working to spot signs of colon cancer earlier to save lives.

This shows how researchers, businesses and local leaders can work together to tackle the country’s biggest challenges while boosting local economies.

This funding forms part of the record £86 billion R&D settlement until 2030 and represents a key pillar of the government’s modern Industrial Strategy, supporting high-growth sectors in every region.

For areas ready to unlock their innovation potential, this competition offers a transformative opportunity to secure the partnerships and investment needed to drive growth and improve lives across the country.

Tracy Gilbert MP welcomes investment in community solar projects in Edinburgh North and Leith

Tracy Gilbert MP has welcomed significant UK-wide investment in community renewable energy projects, which will deliver tangible benefits for local communities in Scotland.

The Great British Energy initiative is backing a total of £4 million into the UK’s community energy sector, supporting 48 community energy projects across Scotland, including two major developments in Edinburgh North and Leith.

  • Granton Project CIC – Harnessing solar power for community growth, receiving £70,043.
  • Edinburgh Community Solar Co-op (Phase 3) – Developing local solar capacity, awarded £484,500.

Tracy Gilbert MP said: “These investments demonstrate the UK Government’s commitment to renewable energy and to supporting communities across the country. I am pleased that two of these are in my constituency in Edinburgh North and Leith, which is becoming a true renewables hub.

“The projects will not only generate clean energy but also empower local communities with long-term benefits. Initiatives like these are helping to build a greener, more sustainable future for everyone.”

The Great British Energy investment is part of a wider effort to drive community energy generation growth across Scotland and the UK, ensuring that local areas can take an active role in the renewable energy transition.

Edinburgh Community Solar Co-opEdinburgh Solar Co-op phase 3£484,500
Granton Project CICHarnessing solar power for community growth£70,043

‘Long-lasting peace must prevail’

FM marks second anniversary of 7 October attacks

First Minister John Swinney has said unity must prevail to ensure long-lasting peace is secured in the Middle East.  

His words come as the world prepares to remember all those who lost their lives during the 7 October 2023 attacks in Israel, and those who have died in the violence that has followed. 

Reflecting on the two-year anniversary, Mr Swinney said this year will be even more distressing for Scotland’s Jewish communities following the attacks at Heaton Park Synagogue in Manchester. 

First Minister John Swinney said: “As we mark the second anniversary of the heinous attacks, we must always remember that 7 October resulted in the worst single loss of Jewish life since the Holocaust.  

“Our Jewish communities remain extremely traumatised by these attacks – and the events that have followed – and I know that this year will be even more emotionally distressing after the horrific attack carried out at Heaton Park Synagogue in Manchester.

“It was an attack made all the more cruel for being perpetrated on the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur, and my thoughts remain with the victims and their families, and with Jewish communities across the United Kingdom.  

“As we mourn all those who have lost their lives since 7 October, we must stand united in defiance of violent division. We must respond to the devastating conflict occurring across the Middle East by showing that long lasting peace is the only solution.  

“We must see an immediate ceasefire, and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. It is the only way to stop death and displacement, violence and fear, unrest and division. Israelis and Palestinians must be allowed to live safely side by side, with long-lasting peace, prosperity, and security.  

“Events in the Middle East cannot ever justify antisemitism, prejudice or any acts of violence. All of Scotland’s communities must feel safe and protected.  

“Scotland’s diversity and our inclusive outlook is one of our greatest strengths. All of our communities are equally integral, valued and permanent parts of our national life – their members are our friends, our neighbours, our colleagues.  

“In remembering all those who lost their lives on 7 October and since, we do so in equal condemnation of all forms of terror and violence.”

Deputy Prime Minister, David Lammy, spoke at a vigil for the victims of the terrorist attack at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation in Crumpsall:

Friends, we must stand together today.

We must stand in grief, in solidarity and in defiance.  

Grief – for the innocent lives that were taken so cruelly.

Senseless murders carried out on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish year.

Grief that causes so much pain, so much suffering.

Today our hearts, our thoughts, our prayers must be with the families of those who were killed. 

And of course with this Jewish community, both here in Manchester at the Heaton Park Synagogue and right across our nation.    

And as the Member of Parliament for Tottenham, I know that suffering in Crumpsall is the same as the pain and the worry on the frightened faces in my own constituency, in Stamford Hill. 

In that sense the London and Manchester communities are twin communities, grieving as one. 

And, us, the whole nation – with them. 

That’s why we stand in solidarity – with the Jewish people.

Because an attack like this is never felt alone.  

Wherever they are in our country, Jewish people, our friends, our neighbours, our loved ones, are terrified by the events of yesterday.

Of becoming targets, victims of antisemitic hate, simply for who they are. 

But I know this about Britain’s Jewish community: 

A community I have known all of my life.  

You are strong, you are resilient, you will never be cowed.  

And I want you to know today, that your country, those of all colours, all faiths and none, stand with you.  

We stand with you against terrorism. 

We stand with you against those who think bombs and blasts will break us. 

And we stand against all those who would minimise, coddle or obfuscate on anti-Jewish hate. 

We know terrorism in this country. We know it in this city, we saw it at the Arena.

And now we have seen it in Heaton Park. 

We all know terrorism. We all feel terrorism. I lost my childhood best friend, James Adams who was blown to smithereens on the 7/7 bombings. 

And I vow to you, every Christian, Muslim, Jew, every Mancunian, every Brit, we will never stop fighting it. 

That’s why we stand in defiance of those terrorists who seek to divide us.

Who want to pit neighbour against neighbour, to weaken the bonds that bind us together.

As one nation, one people, one United Kingdom, we cannot, we must not let them divide us.  

On days like today, we must show who we really are, not what they want us to believe.

But Britain’s true nature: A tolerant nation, built on mutual respect, common understanding, where people live not in fear, but in freedom.

That is who we are, that is who we will always be and it cannot be eroded by violence.

It cannot be erased by vile acts such as those carried out here yesterday.  

I want to close with this thought: When I have lost loved ones in the past, Jewish friends have often used a phrase to comfort me: ‘May their memory be a blessing.’ 

Nothing will ever take away the pain of what happened here.   

But how we respond now, how we stand together, yes, in grief and in solidarity, but also in defiance and a shared mission: Against terror, in the name of us all.

That response honours those we have lost.

May their memory be a blessing. 

Not just to their families, not just to the Jewish community, but to our entire nation.  

Always.  

And for those that are considering marching over the weekend: 

I ask them to reflect with all human dignity, grace and understanding, to stop and to stand back. 

UK to reform asylum offer to reduce the pull factor for small boat crossings

Migrants granted asylum in the UK will no longer be automatically given settlement and family reunion rights, under ‘landmark policy changes’ outlined by the Prime Minister

  • Changes to the leave granted to asylum seekers in the UK will mean they are no longer automatically given settlement and family reunion rights, balancing protection against persecution with controlling our borders
  • Will make the system fairer, in line with our European allies and reduce incentives for asylum seekers travelling illegally to the UK, bypassing other safe countries
  • Came as Prime Minister ‘drives forward progress on tackling illegal migration’ at Thursday’s EPC Summit in Copenhagen

Migrants granted asylum in the UK will no longer be automatically given settlement and family reunion rights, under landmark policy changes outlined by the Prime Minister today (Thursday 2 October).

In her forthcoming asylum policy reform, the Home Secretary will introduce a fundamental change to the rights provided to those granted asylum in the UK, looking to end automatic family reunion rights and altering the requirements for long-term settlement in the UK.

The Prime Minister announced the reforms ahead of his attendance at the European Political Community Summit in Copenhagen, where he co-chaired a roundtable with leaders on innovative approaches to tackling illegal migration.

The fundamental reforms will be the basis of a fairer system where – as the Home Secretary indicated in her speech to Conference – the route to settlement should be longer, and be earned via contribution to the country. They are also aimed at addressing the pull factors driving high levels of illegal migration to the UK.  

The latest step in unpicking the business model of criminal people smugglers and securing our border under the Plan for Change, it builds on progress in recent weeks to show those who come here illegally that the UK is not a soft touch. This follows the first small boat migrant returns to France under the UK-France Treaty and the government unveiling plans to crack down on illegal working through digital ID. 

The changes will bring an end to the unfair system that sees those crossing the channel in a small boat having greater rights to settlement and family reunion than those who arrive through proper legal routes and even British citizens. 

In line with ‘our values as a tolerant and fair minded country’, genuine refugees will not be returned to their home country – and will be entitled to a package of core protection should they receive a positive decision – but they will face a new, longer route to settlement requiring them to contribute, replacing the current 5 years, and they will not have the automatic right to family reunion.

Full detail of the reforms will be set out in an Asylum Policy Statement set to be unveiled later in the Autumn.  

The asylum core protection announcement builds on plans set out by the Home Secretary earlier this week for a series of further conditions that migrants will have to meet before gaining indefinite leave to remain (settlement) in this country.  

This includes being in work, making a certain level of National Insurance contributions, not taking any benefits payments, learning English to a high standard, having a spotless criminal record, and giving back by, for example, working in your local community. 

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “I believe that if you want to come to the UK, you should contribute to our society. That is the tolerant and fair approach to migration that our communities are built on, but the current system is not fit for purpose. 

“That is why we’re making fundamental changes to what those granted asylum are afforded in the UK. Settlement must be earned by contributing to our country, not by paying a people smuggler to cross the channel in a boat. 

“The UK will continue to play its role in welcoming genuine refugees fleeing persecution. But we must also address the pull factors driving dangerous and illegal small boats crossings. There will be no golden ticket to settling in the UK, people will have to earn it.”

The Prime Minister is set to discuss the changes, as well as other ways European countries can work together to tackle the shared challenge of illegal migration, at the EPC Summit.  

In a meeting with Danish Prime Minister Mette Fredriksen, the leaders are set to announce a new partnership backed by up to £3 million to tackle the causes of migration upstream in Western Balkan countries, including by encouraging people to stay in the region and take up jobs there. 

Having boosted international cooperation with key partners, the PM will also take the opportunity to reflect on progress made to date to disrupt and deter people smuggling upstream, and discuss how to go further, including through reform of implementation of the ECHR.

This will include the fact the UK is contributing up to £5.75 million under Italy’s Rome Process to tackle migration upstream in key African source and transit companies, reducing movements of migrants towards Europe and supporting the voluntary return of people to countries of origin.

The UK and Germany will deepen collaboration between their respective justice systems to combat migrant smuggling by strengthening law enforcement efforts to bring migrant smuggler networks to justice.

This will include a focus on efforts to seize and disrupt the supply of dangerous small boats equipment and prosecute smugglers, taking full advantage of Germany’s law change to criminalise facilitation of irregular migration to the UK, expected before the end the year.

Local tech ready for take-off as 14 projects supporting businesses and jobs unveiled

Communities set to benefit from better jobs and more opportunities in tech as 14 government-backed projects to support local tech sectors across the UK are unveiled

  • Government’s £1 million Regional Tech Booster programme gets underway to support tech businesses and founders, and grow local tech ecosystems
  • The projects across Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and England will boost tech growth, and create more jobs and opportunities for people and communities outside London
  • A series of investment events will also take place, connecting UK tech brilliance with investors, with the first in Bristol and Leeds

The projects – funded under the government’s Regional Tech Booster programme – will provide businesses and entrepreneurs with targeted training, expert guidance, help to build networks, and support to scale their operations from within their communities.

This is to ensure that the jobs and benefits of a thriving tech sector are available to people right across the UK, not just in London, as part of the government’s Plan for Change.

These projects launch right off the back of UK-wide opportunities opening up for tech following the recent announcement of another AI Growth Zone, this time in the North East, and a suite of major tech investments across the UK, following the UK US Tech Prosperity Deal.

Regional Tech Booster projects will include a support scheme for early-stage gaming startups in Scotland, create pathways from further education to entrepreneurship in Lancashire, unlock growth for tech businesses ready to scale in Yorkshire, launch an AI innovation challenge in Wales, and accelerate the growth of the advanced connectivity technology industry in Suffolk.

Alongside the localised focus, some of the projects will also support greater diversity within the sector, with a focus on underrepresented founders. One in Northern Ireland will focus on boosting AI adoption amongst founders, and a West Midlands project will help underrepresented founders build up the networks and support they need to succeed in tech.

This comes as government’s commitment to promoting diversity in tech takes a leap forward, following the Tech Secretary’s announcement of an advisory group to be established to champion diversity across the sector and tech policy development.

Government is partnering with UK Tech Cluster Group to deliver the £1 million Regional Tech Booster programme, ensuring local expertise is driving the work on the ground in these communities.

The programme also includes a series of investment events, through a National Investment Corridors initiative, with the first 2 taking place in Bristol and Leeds later this year. The National Investment Corridors will put local tech centre-stage, boosting investment into the UK’s tech talent from beyond the capital.

Tech for Growth Minister, Kanishka Narayan MP said: “We want UK tech to grow and succeed from any and every corner of the country.

“It’s a no-brainer that supporting projects like these, and encouraging more investment across the UK, will catalyse our tech brilliance to boost economic growth and opportunities for communities nationwide.”

Dr David Dunn, UKTCG lead on Catalyst Pilot Projects said: “The sheer volume of strong applications we received shows there is a huge desire to grow tech ecosystems across the whole of the UK.

“As the projects are delivered, we are excited to share learning across other ecosystems – it is this multiplier effect of knowledge transfer that really makes the Regional Tech Booster initiative valuable.”

The Regional Tech Booster programme will also include workshops on tech ecosystem planning and sharing best practice for ecosystem development with authorities across the country.

Further Regional Tech Booster programme details, including investment event dates and venues, will be available via delivery partners, UK Tech Cluster Group, as they are confirmed.

New Towns Taskforce recommends locations for the next generation of new towns in England

The UK government has confirmed it will progress work on the next generation of new towns across England, following publication of an independent report that recommends 12 locations as potential new towns.

The government is determined to begin building in at least three new towns in this Parliament and is prepared to progress work on a far larger range of locations if it proves possible. 

The government yesterday published an initial response to the report in which it welcomes all 12 recommended locations and its wider recommendations on delivery and implementation. The government response also states that at this stage sites at Tempsford, Crews Hill and Leeds South Bank look most promising.

A New Towns Unit will also be established by the government to progress development on new towns. The Unit will work with all departments and their agencies to ensure new towns are a test bed for innovation and to unblock barriers to delivery. 

The New Towns Taskforce, led by Sir Michael Lyons, was commissioned by the government to explore different approaches to large-scale development. In its report, the taskforce has recommended a mixture of large-scale communities including urban extensions, urban regeneration, and standalone greenfield sites should be built.

It says each new town should have at least 10,000 homes with an ambition for a minimum of 40% affordable housing and half of which will be for social rent. The Taskforce has also set out a range of recommendations for delivery, including the importance of accountable delivery bodies who are able to provide long term certainty for communities in new towns.

A Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) will be undertaken to understand the environmental implications of developing new towns. No final decisions on locations will be made until this assessment concludes and preferred locations could change as a result of the process.  

The government will be looking for assurance that any location can be effectively and efficiently delivered in partnership with local communities, has a clear economic purpose, and will support economic growth. Different delivery vehicles will also be tested to learn lessons for how future large settlements are delivered and to contribute to a wider transformation of housing supply. 

The government will publish the draft proposals and final SEA for consultation in Spring, before confirming the locations that will be progressed as new towns soon after. This will be alongside a full government response to the New Towns Taskforce’s report.

The 12 recommended locations are:

  • A standalone settlement in Adlington, Cheshire East; to serve the growing industries in Greater Manchester and Cheshire, as identified in the government’s Industrial Strategy. 
  • A corridor of connected development in South Gloucestershire, across Brabazon and the West Innovation Arc; building in one of the highest productivity areas in the country with a high value research, advanced engineering and technology economy. 
  • An expanded development bringing together Chase Park and Crews Hill in Enfield; delivering green development and helping address London’s acute housing need. 
  • Redevelopment of the former airbase at Heyford Park in Cherwell; connecting to Oxford and building on the existing progress and commitment to high-quality placemaking; referencing the area’s past and supporting its future in innovative technology industries. 
  • Urban development in Leeds; catalysing on the city’s existing economic prospects and capturing the benefits of the governments £2.1 billion local transport funding allocation for the Combined Authority by delivering well-connected, high-quality homes in the South Bank to support the city centre. 
  • Inner-city development and densification in Manchester, Victoria North; supporting continued growth and attracting high-skilled workers to service the city’s diverse industries. 
  • A standalone settlement in Marlcombe, East Devon; strengthening the region’s labour supply and supporting the Exeter and East Devon Enterprise Zone. 
  • A ‘Renewed Town’ in Milton Keynes; reinvigorating the city centre and expanding to the north and east whilst reshaping the way people travel, by delivering a Mass Rapid Transit system. 
  • Densified development in Plymouth; evolving Britain’s Ocean City and capitalising on the government’s £4.4 billion investment in HMNB Devonport, Western Europe’s largest naval base. 
  • A new settlement in Tempsford, Central Bedfordshire; to maximise the benefits of East West Rail by building a well-connected new town in the heart of the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor. 
  • The creation of a riverside settlement in Thamesmead, Greenwich; unlocking inaccessible land in the city and improving connectivity if the proposed extension of the Docklands Light Railway can be delivered to enable the development. 
  • Expanded development at Worcestershire Parkway, Wychavon; accelerating delivery around the existing train station to help meet regional housing need and act as a model for sustainable, carbon neutral development.

Responding to the government’s New Towns announcement, countryside charity CPRE’s Chief Executive, Roger Mortlock, said: “‘CPRE recognises that well-designed new towns with proper infrastructure have a role to play. Yet with growing pressure on our finite land, all development, including new towns, should follow a brownfield-first approach, led by targets.

“Too many of these sites will needlessly see great swathes of countryside and the Green Belt lost to development while the list of brownfield sites grows. 

‘Many rural communities on this list are already faced with a huge hike in housing numbers following the government’s recalculation of the formula, unrelated to local housing need or demand. Faced with a new town, housing targets in these areas should be radically reduced to reflect the huge changes to their communities that a new town will bring. 

‘The focus in the Taskforce’s report on urban regeneration, a new approach to housing density and affordable housing is welcome, but the definition of affordable needs rethinking and matching to local incomes if it is to tackle the housing crisis.  

‘There is a massive opportunity to rethink how we build new places, faced with the climate and nature crises, that still needs more emphasis. Putting nature at the heart of these communities is not the icing on the cake; it should be the starting point.’ 

The New Towns Taskforce report and the government’s initial response can be read here.

Green Freeport boost for Highlands

£25 million UK Government investment in Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport unlocked

The Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport has reached a historic milestone in establishing the Highlands a major international hub for the offshore wind and renewable energy sector.

A memorandum of understanding creating a formal framework for co-operation and responsibilities was signed by the UK Government, Scottish Government, Highland Council and Inverness and Cromarty Green Freeport on Thursday. Crucially, the signing unlocks £25 million of UK Government capital funding.

The Green Freeport will support skills growth in the Highlands. Over the next 25 years, it is poised to create more than 11,000 long-term jobs and a workforce equipped with future-ready skills. It will attract over £6.5b of investment to build a legacy for future generations.

Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander said: “This is a pivotal moment in the UK Government’s mission to boost economic growth in all parts of the UK.

“The Inverness and Cromarty Green Freeport will transform the economy of the Highlands, as well as playing a key role in our clean energy future.

“Supported by £25m of UK Government investment, and a range of UK Government tax incentives, this important collaboration between governments and local partners will deliver thousands of high-quality jobs and attract billions in investment.”

The signing took place at Aurora Energy Services’ recently opened £1.2m training facility in Inverness on Thursday.

The new centre will train more than 2,000 workers for the renewables sector every year and will become a valuable part of the supply chain needed to deliver the Freeport’s ambition.

New digital ID scheme to be rolled out across UK

  • Prime Minister announces plans for free digital ID for those living in the UK
  • Will curb the prospect of work for illegal migrants, a significant factor driving small boat crossings
  • Scheme will also make it easier for the public to access the services they are entitled to

A new digital ID scheme will help combat illegal working while making it easier for the vast majority of people to use vital government services. Digital ID will be mandatory for Right to Work checks by the end of the Parliament.

The scheme will be available to all UK citizens and legal residents, saving time by ending the need for complicated identity checks which often rely on copies of paper records. 

Instead, the roll-out will in time make it simpler to apply for services like driving licences, childcare and welfare, while streamlining access to tax records. The new digital ID will be held on people’s phones, just as millions already use the NHS App or contactless mobile payments.

There will be no requirement for individuals to carry their ID or be asked to produce it – but digital ID will be mandatory as a means of proving your Right to Work.

This will stop those with no right to be here from being able to find work, curbing their prospect of earning money, one of the key “pull factors” for people who come to the UK illegally.

It will send a clear message that if you come here illegally, you will not be able to work, deterring people from making these dangerous journeys.

This initiative builds on the government’s crackdown on illegal working and its mission to control borders as part of the Plan for Change. Under this government, illegal working arrests have soared by 50%, and new legislation is being brought forward to help stop illegal working in the gig economy.

The proposals also follow the government’s success in deporting the first illegal migrants under the landmark UK-France returns deal last week.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “I know working people are worried about the level of illegal migration into this country. A secure border and controlled migration are reasonable demands, and this government is listening and delivering.

“Digital ID is an enormous opportunity for the UK. It will make it tougher to work illegally in this country, making our borders more secure. And it will also offer ordinary citizens countless benefits, like being able to prove your identity to access key services swiftly – rather than hunting around for an old utility bill.

“We are doing the hard graft to deliver a fairer Britain for those who want to see change, not division. That is at the heart of our Plan for Change, which is focused on delivering for those who want to see their communities thrive again.”

The plan will combat criminal gangs who promise access to the UK labour market in order to profit from dangerous, illegal channel crossings.

A new streamlined digital system to check Right to Work will simplify the process, drive up compliance, crack down on forged documents and create intelligence data on businesses that are conducting checks to help the Home Office take action on employers who are hiring illegally. 

Building on the work already underway to roll out a GOV.UK digital wallet, the digital ID will sit on people’s phones, alongside the digital driving licence which the government has already announced plans to introduce.

The government will listen to a range of views on how the service will be delivered, as part of a public consultation to be launched later this year.

In designing the digital ID scheme, the government will ensure that it works for those who aren’t able to use a smartphone, with inclusion at the heart of its design. The public consultation will engage with groups who aren’t as experienced with the digital world, like the homeless and older people, learning from other countries that have done this well. 

The scheme will be rolled out alongside an outreach programme, including face-to-face support for citizens who are struggling to access the scheme. 

This will result in a service that takes the best aspects of the digital identification systems that are already up and running around the world:

  • In Australia, citizens can access a range of private services, from banking to buying alcohol, with their digital identification, reducing the need for multiple separate accounts and pieces of paper.
  • In Estonia, digital ID has revolutionised parents’ lives by enabling access to child benefits, health records and applications for nursery places seamlessly, never having to provide the same information twice.
  • In Denmark, students can use their national digital ID to log in and automatically retrieve education records and qualifications in job and university applications.
  • And in India, the government has saved around US $10 billion annually by reducing fraud and leakages in welfare schemes.

The new plans will offer significant benefits for reducing identity theft and preserving privacy, with security at its core.

Digital ID limits personal details being shared unnecessarily, by only sharing the relevant information for the specific scenario in question. It will also use state-of-the-art encryption and user authentication to ensure data is held and accessed securely.

Starmer backs “true patriots” to lead UK renewal with £5bn investment

New powers let residents reclaim beloved assets and drive patriotic renewal, ‘street by street’ – delivering on the Plan for Change

  • Millions to benefit as communities revive high streets, parks and public spaces
  • Up to £5 billion Pride in Place programme puts local people across 339 neighbourhoods in the driving seat of national renewal, as government chooses unity over division
  • New powers let residents reclaim beloved assets and drive patriotic renewal, street by street – delivering on the Plan for Change

Neighbours and families across the UK will lead the revival of their communities, as the Prime Minister launches a landmark £5 billion Pride in Place programme — backing the ‘true patriots who build their communities up, and choosing unity over division’. 

As part of the fund, 169 areas will receive £2 million every year for a decade, giving long-overlooked communities the certainty and control they need to plan for the future. A further 95 areas will receive an immediate £1.5 million to upgrade public spaces with new green spaces, play areas and sports and leisure facilities.  

From Bootle to Bridgwater, local people will decide how funding is spent — reviving high streets, restoring parks, and breathing new life into pubs, leisure centres and community halls. This is renewal in action, led by the people who know their neighbourhoods best. 

Communities will also gain new powers to seize boarded-up shops, block nuisance businesses, and buy beloved local assets before they close – restoring pride and unity to every corner of the country.  

Yesterday’s announcement is part of the government’s Plan for Change, a decade-long mission to back the people who make their communities thrive. It sits alongside wider work to deliver cleaner, safer streets, create opportunities on every doorstep, and build the homes, roads and GP surgeries people need to thrive. 

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “For too long, people have watched their towns and streets decline – powerless to stop boarded-up shops and neglected parks. That ends now.  

“We’re investing in the UK’s future, by backing the true patriots that build our communities up in neighbourhoods across every corner of the country. Because it’s people who bring pride, hope and life to our communities. 

“This is a huge investment, but what matters most is who decides how it’s spent: the neighbours, volunteers and parents who know their communities best – the people with real skin in the game. 

“We’re choosing renewal over decline, unity over division. This is our Plan for Change in action – giving power and pride back to the people who make Britain great.” 

Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Steve Reed said: “Building pride in place starts with people, not politics. Local people know what they want to see in their neighbourhoods – and they don’t need government to dictate it.  

“This plan will spark an historic grassroots movement that will restore local people’s power, boost national pride and help people get on in life across the UK as part of our Plan for Change.” 

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves said: “We’re giving local people the power to transform their hometowns. Giving them more control of how money is spent where they live so that together we can invest in Britain’s renewal and build an economy that rewards working people. 

“This £5 billion investment doesn’t just reverse decades of underinvestment in our public infrastructure – it cuts through the bureaucracy by giving local people the power to deliver the change they want to see.” 

This announcement significantly scales up the work already underway in 75 areas, helping communities regenerate and restore local pride. 

The up to £5 billion package includes an additional £3.5 billion to roll out the programme to 169 more areas, each receiving up to £20 million over ten years. 

Separately, 95 areas receive a share of £150 million capital funding to improve public spaces, parks and high streets. 

Local people in the existing 75 areas are already shaping their communities, every project is the result of local people’s ideas and priorities—chosen by the community, for the community. It’s the people who know best what their area needs, and their voices are shaping the future of their towns and cities. 

£292 million Pride in Place investment for Scottish neighbourhoods

Scottish Local Authorities backed by Scotland Office to revitalise communities as part of our Plan for Change, with spending decisions in the hands of local people

Local communities are at the heart of Scottish life – and the Scotland Office is backing them with millions of pounds to improve the opportunities and environment for people across the country, the Prime Minister announced yesterday.

The Pride in Place programme will see up to £280 million shared among 12 Scottish local authorities to precisely target areas which can benefit most from funding being made available for a wide range of regeneration projects. Across the UK 169 of the most-in-need communities will benefit.

This includes revitalising high streets and town centres, preserving local heritage, providing housing, creating jobs, boosting productivity and skills, improving health and well-being, creating new transport links, providing education and opportunity and improving safety and security.

And a Pride in Place Impact Fund will see eight local authorities share £12 million to fund the types of changes people have said they want to see. These could include new green spaces, play areas and town centre revitalisation to sports and leisure facilities and the improvement and ownership of key community assets.

Across the UK a total of 95 areas will receive this capital funding.

Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander said yesterday: “The UK Government is committed to delivering a decade of national renewal for Scotland. Through the Pride in Place programmes we’re announcing today, the UK Government will provide 14 places in Scotland with up to £20 million over 10 years and eight Scottish local authorities with £1.5 million over two years.

“We are providing almost £300 million new direct investment to local authority areas to revitalise local communities.

“The UK Government will be working with local partners to deliver economic growth and l see these improvements made to communities up and down Scotland making them even greater places to live, work and play.”

Communities ‘to seize control over high streets and restore pride’

Local communities will be handed new powers to revitalise their high streets and restore pride in their towns

  • Communities will be handed unprecedented new powers to seize boarded shops, save derelict pubs and block gambling and vape shops on their high street. 
  • Prime Minister to announce “Pride in Place” Programme with historic funding to invest in over 330 of our most overlooked communities. 
  • The measures form the largest transfer of power from Whitehall to communities in history through the Plan for Change.

People will be given the power to revitalise their neglected high streets, create new spaces for young people and take back control of derelict pubs, to breathe new life into neglected communities up and down the country. 

Communities will be handed new powers to seize boarded up shops, save their treasured local pubs or libraries and clean up the eyesores in their area.  

Local people will finally have the powers to put things right after years of decline – an inheritance the government is determined to fix through the Plan for Change.   

This is about choosing a future where communities are empowered to come together, rather than be divided, and where renewal is chosen over decline. 
Prime Minister Keir Starmer will unveil the Pride in Place programme – an unprecedented programme backed by record funding – that lets local people call the shots on where and how money is spent in their communities, restoring local pride and helping them reclaim their streets.  

For far too long, communities have been dictated to rather than in control of their own destiny. This week marks a new way of governing. By choosing renewal over decline, this government is delivering lasting change working people will feel.

Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Steve Reed said: “When people step out of their front doors, they know their communities are struggling. They see shuttered pubs, fading high streets and their local areas in decline.  

“Yes, communities have been stretched – but they haven’t given up. They’re working hard to make things better, and we’re backing them.  

“The Government is putting power into their hands so local people decide how best to restore pride in their neighbourhoods, not us in Westminster.  

“That’s what real patriotism looks like: building up our communities and choosing renewal over division.”

The nationwide Pride in Place programme – which will be unveiled by the Prime Minister today (Thursday, 25 September) – will deliver a record investment and support over 330 communities in total.

It will tackle deep-rooted deprivation and regional inequality through wide-ranging action, including:

  • Community Right to Buy: handing local people the power to buy beloved assets, helping them turn around derelict pubs, create new parks and regenerate treasured spaces in the heart of their communities.  
  • Compulsory Purchase powers: allowing communities in England to acquire assets and eyesores like boarded up shops and derelict abandoned businesses, allowing new local start-ups to thrive. For larger sites – like disused department stores or abandoned office blocks – it could even see new health centres opening up, or local housing to help reach our target of 1.5 million homes. 
  • Power to block unwanted shops: empowering councils in England to say no to new betting shops, vapes stores and fake barbers.  
  • Giving residents the power: we will only approve spending if community groups, local organisations and social clubs have been included in decisions on how the money should be spent – putting real power in local hands and giving them a proper say over their community.

The Westminster government is looking at new powers that would give communities more control over where betting shops can open, and how many there can be in one area.

This is about giving people a say over their high street, particularly where there are high numbers of these types of shop already, not blocking these shops altogether.  

They are also looking at accelerating ways communities can take ownership of empty shops – helping to give them a greater say over what’s on their high streets, so they don’t just end up with rows of vape shops, gambling shops and barbers. The government is already bringing in new laws to crack down on dodgy vape shops through the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. 

The Labour government will only approve spending if Pride in Place Boards have genuinely engaged their communities, so that community groups, local organisations and social clubs have been included in decisions on how the money should be spent. 

We (the UK Government) are announcing a raft of new powers and programmes to empower communities across the UK. Please note that some powers and programmes will not apply in every nation of the UK.  

The Pride in Place funding will be delivered in England, Scotland and Wales, with corresponding funding provided to Northern Ireland.

The government will be working closely with the Scottish and Welsh Governments to design specific programmes which put the principles of the strategy of community engagement at the centre.

Further detail on Northern Ireland, including support for Belfast, will follow.