Workers directly impacted by the cessation of refining at Grangemouth are to receive additional targeted support to help them transition into new jobs.
INEOS O&P employees who were part of shared services for Grangemouth oil refinery and are directly affected by its closure will be able to receive support from Forth Valley College to develop skills for emerging sectors.
The intervention builds on what was put in place earlier this year for refinery workers. That has already enabled more than 300 Petroineos workers made redundant to access careers advice and training and brings the total projected investment from the Scottish and UK Governments up to £2 million.
Workers have been offered a wide range of training opportunities, including renewable energy upskilling courses and wind turbine engineering courses, paid for and supported by the UK and Scottish Governments. This will provide them with the vital skills needed to secure new jobs, including in the clean energy sector – which currently supports more than 47,000 jobs in Scotland.
The move supports a key action in the Scottish Government’s Grangemouth Industrial Just Transition Plan – which seeks to position the area as a global leader in green energy and sustainable manufacturing.
Climate Action and Energy Secretary Gillian Martin said: “It is vital that we do what we can as a government to support and promote local opportunities and growth in the Grangemouth area.
“As Scotland’s leading industrial cluster, Grangemouth has long played a vital role to our economy and bringing energy security to the country and it is only right it continues to help lead the way in our journey to net zero through new, green energy opportunities.
“This funding will help affected workers move into sectors such as offshore and onshore wind, hydrogen and carbon capture.”
UK Minister for Energy Michael Shanks said: “We want to ensure workers directly affected by the closure of Grangemouth refinery get the tailored support they are entitled to, with over 300 already receiving advice and training to help them into new employment opportunities.
“This training guarantee will equip this highly skilled workforce to transfer their experience into new sectors as Scotland continues to lead the way in the UK’s clean energy future, alongside our ongoing work to secure long-term industrial future at the Grangemouth site.”
Unite Scottish Secretary Derek Thomson said: “The additional support for Grangemouth based workers will deliver targeted assistance for those facing redundancy due to the closure of the oil refinery.
“The investment by the Scottish and UK governments for retraining will provide INEOS workers with some reassurance that they are not being left behind.
“It will help support them for new job opportunities in the wider energy sector. Unite will continue to do all we can to encourage government, public bodies and companies to deliver a Just Transition for Grangemouth workers and this investment is a step forward in that campaign.”
A recent Strathclyde University study found that Scotland’s renewable energy industry and its supply chain supported more than 47,000 jobs and supported £15.5 billion of output in 2022.
A new independent body will be set up to speed up decision making on asylum appeal cases
Asylum appeals will be overhauled and speeded up to clear the backlog, accelerate returns and end hotel use under some of the most significant changes to the asylum system in decades.
As part of efforts to fix the broken asylum system the government inherited and end the use of asylum hotels, a new independent body to deal with asylum appeals made up of independent professional adjudicators, will be established to hear cases more quickly.
The proposals, driven jointly by the Home Office and Ministry of Justice, will reduce the number of asylum appeal cases in the system by ensuring cases awaiting decision can be heard faster, in turn reducing the backlog and creating a more efficient system. They are driven by serious concerns among Ministers that existing measures including increased investment in court sitting days are not delivering the pace of change needed to clear the asylum appeal backlog.
The new body will be fully independent of government with safeguards to ensure high standards and is expected to use the expertise of independent professionally trained adjudicators focusing particularly on asylum appeals, and will allow capacity to be surged so cases can be cleared. It will have statutory powers to prioritise cases from those in asylum accommodation and foreign national offenders.
Currently, there is a backlog of 106,000 cases waiting to be heard by the First-Tier Tribunal, including at least 51,000 asylum appeals. Wait times are increasing, with an average wait time of 53 weeks.
As initial asylum decisions have accelerated, court delays over appeals are now the biggest cause of pressure in the asylum accommodation system which is costing the taxpayer billions of pounds each year.
Doubling of asylum decisions since the election means that the number of asylum seekers waiting for an initial decision has gone down 24% in the space of 12 months and is falling further. However, the number of failed asylum seekers now waiting in the appeal system has increased substantially as most failed asylum seekers then appeal and decisions even on a first appeal can take more than a year to be made.
To relieve pressure on the system, the government has provided funding to increase the number of sitting days in the First-tier Tribunal, with the aim of ensuring it operates at maximum capacity. However, the tribunal cannot keep up with fluctuating and increasing demand, so an alternative approach is needed that can provide wider and more flexible capacity.
Ministers are also introducing a new legal requirement for a 24-week timeframe for the First Tier Tribunal to determine asylum appeals by those receiving asylum accommodation support and appeals by foreign offenders.
But the current tribunal system is still failing to keep up with the particular requirements to clear the asylum system so that failed asylum seekers can be returned as swiftly as possible. Nor can it accommodate a fast track system for safe countries.
The government will set out further details of their plans to fast-track cases in the asylum system this autumn.
Lessons are also being learned from other European countries who have faster appeal systems including countries which run independent appeal bodies rather than absorbing appeals entirely into the main courts and judicial systems.
Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper MP, said: “We inherited an asylum system in complete chaos with a soaring backlog of asylum cases and a broken appeals system with thousands of people in the system for years on end. That is why we are taking practical steps to fix the foundations and restore control and order to the system.
“We are determined to substantially reduce the number of people in the asylum system as part of our plan to end asylum hotels. Already since the election we have reduced the backlog of people waiting for initial decisions by 24% and increased failed asylum returns by 30%.
“But we cannot carry on with these completely unacceptable delays in appeals as a result of the system we have inherited which mean that failed asylum seekers stay in the system for years on end at huge cost to the taxpayer. Overhauling the appeals system so that it is swift, fair and independent, with high standards in place, is a central part of our Plan for Change.”
Since taking office, this government has taken immediate action to fix the asylum system to start exiting hotels and surging returns of more than 35,000 people with no right to be here, including more than 5,000 foreign national offenders.
At its peak under the last government over 400 asylum hotels were open in summer 2023, costing almost £9 million a day. There are now just over 200 and better use of the hotels of the ones we must use have helped cut asylum costs by 11%.
The government has surged asylum decision-making capacity, delivering over 31,000 initial decisions to people per quarter – triple the average under the previous government.
The case backlog is down 18%, with the number of people waiting decisions down by 24% and we’ve achieved the third-highest quarterly decision rate since records began in 2002.
The Immigration White Paper announced in May also details plans to introduce legislation that tightens the application of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights on such appeals.
Extension supports UK’s objective of supporting Ukraine to defend itself from Russian attack, while developing its Armed Forces to deter Putin in future
UK MARKS UKRAINIAN INDEPENDENCE DAY
Ukrainian soldiers will receive a further boost from the British military’s expert training, as the Government announces the extension of the UK’s world-leading training programme on Ukrainian Independence Day.
The UK is stepping up and evolving its training support to ensure Ukraine’s Armed Forces are in the strongest possible position as they resist ongoing Russian attacks, and to deter any further Russian aggression under a future peace deal by supporting the regeneration of Ukraine’s forces. Supporting Ukraine’s defence supports the UK’s own national security and helps counter the economic disruption caused by Putin’s illegal invasion.
Training support and military equipment from the UK has helped give Ukraine a crucial boost on the frontline, with Russia continuing to lose far more vehicles and equipment to damage or destruction than Ukraine.
The extension of Operation INTERFLEX to at least the end of 2026 was announced by the Defence Secretary amid Ukrainian celebrations today, marking 34 years since declaring independence from the Soviet Union.
More than 50,000 Ukrainian recruits have been trained on British soil so far, with the UK leading 13 other nations providing support to the INTERFLEX programme as one of the biggest schemes of its kind in the world.
The UK is also adapting INTERFLEX training to best suit Ukraine’s evolving military requirements, with a gradual shift from prioritising shorter courses centred on basic combat skills training, to a greater focus on leadership and instructor training.
Two additional courses are now being delivered alongside the basic infantry course. One teaches soldiers how to be in command at a platoon and section leader level and the other is an instructor training course.
Working closely with Ukraine means the UK Armed Forces can learn valuable insights and techniques from the battlefield, helping to improve skills and tactics. Support for Ukraine has also seen closer industrial collaboration, benefiting British businesses and supporting the government’s Plan for Change.
The news comes as events take place across the UK today to celebrate Ukrainian Independence Day and highlight the historic relationship that Britain and Ukraine have built. Nearly 2,000 Ukrainian recruits, British military personnel, and other attendees are set to celebrate at one of the INTERFLEX training sites in England.
Defence Secretary John Healey MP said: “The UK is united for Ukraine. We will continue to step up our support alongside allies, so that Ukraine can defend today and deter tomorrow.
“In the face of ongoing Russian attacks, we must put Ukraine’s Armed Forces in the strongest possible position. And as the push for peace continues, we must make the Ukrainians into the strongest possible deterrent to secure that future peace.
“On this special day for the freedom and democracy of the Ukrainian people, we are ramping up and evolving our world-leading training support that has given more than 50,000 Ukrainians vital combat skills.
“This matters to Ukraine and it matters to Britain. A secure Ukraine is a secure Europe. From learning lessons from the battlefield to strengthen our own Armed Forces, to deepening our military industrial collaboration supporting jobs across the nation, Britain and Ukraine are growing closer than ever before.”
INTERFLEX training began as a 5-week course to provide basic combat training to recruits, but following continued feedback and dialogue with Ukraine’s Armed Forces, has since become a 7-week course and offers alternative courses specifically designed to boost leadership and command skills for personnel, with new courses introduced, tailored according to seniority of trainees.
Training a new generation of Ukrainian instructors is one of the most effective methods to strengthen Ukraine’s security both now and in the long-term, increasing skills and capacity to expand its own training programmes. It will help Ukraine continue to regenerate its military capabilities, which would act as the strongest deterrent against further attacks from Putin under any peace deal.
New survey results of Ukrainian recruits who have completed training under Operation INTERFLEX from January to August 2025 revealed that 83% of those on leadership courses said they felt more able to make their troops under their command survivable at the end of their leadership training. The data also revealed that 93% of leadership trainees felt more confident they can make troops under their command more lethal at the end of their training.
Recent open-source reporting indicates that support from the UK and other nations has helped Ukraine achieve remarkable results on the battlefield, with more than 4,000 Russian battle tanks having been reported destroyed since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, compared with around 1,250 in Ukraine’s case. Reporting suggests that Russia has lost more than double the number of armoured vehicles compared to Ukraine.
Artem, a Ukrainian soldier currently training on Operation INTERFLEX’s Platoon and Company Sergeants Course said: “I am very grateful to the UK for supporting the people of Ukraine in their struggle for independence and identity as a nation.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to take such courses, for the high level of professionalism of the instructors, their dedication to their work, and for their ability to organise both group training and find an individual approach for each of us.
“Instructors ensure that classes are conducted in conditions as close to real-life as possible, whether it be in trenches, in a forested area, or in an urban area.
I learned how important it is to be prepared for coordinated actions in conditions of increased danger, how to properly coordinate personnel during defence, and planning offensive actions. I learnt how to survive in conditions of minimal support and improve first aid skills.”
Work on a potential peace deal between Ukraine and Russia has deepened in recent weeks under US leadership, with the Prime Minister flying out to Washington last week to meet with President Trump and President Zelenskyy alongside other European leaders. The Chief of the Defence Staff also held meetings on the Coalition of the Willing with other NATO chiefs.
The Coalition of the Willing – led by the UK and France – has developed plans for a multinational military force that could be deployed to Ukraine to provide support in the event of a peace deal. Several planning meetings in recent months have involved more than 200 military planners and input from around 30 countries.
The UK remains fully committed to securing a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and are engaging with key allies in support of this effort, which is why £4.5bn is being spent on military support to Ukraine this year, the largest amount provided to date.
In March, the Prime Minister announced a historic £1.6 billion deal to provide more than five thousand air defence missiles for Ukraine – creating 200 new jobs and supporting a further 700.
The UK will also invest a record £350m this year to increase the supply of drones to Ukraine from a target of 10,000 in 2024 to 100,000 in 2025.
@ScotGovFM First Minister @JohnSwinney and Social Justice Secretary @S_A_Somerville attended a ceremony at Edinburgh’s City Chambers to mark Ukrainian Independence Day.
@ScotGov will continue to support Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity while assisting Ukrainian communities in Scotland.
Judges given new powers to punish offenders with bans that curtail freedom
Mandatory drug testing expanded to keep offenders on straight-and-narrow
Part of the Government’s Plan for Change to make sure punishment cuts crime and keep streets safe
Criminals will be barred from pubs, concerts and sports matches under new sentencing powers unveiled by the UK Government today (Sunday 24 August) as part of its Plan for Change.
Judges will be able to curtail offenders’ freedoms with driving limits, travel bans and restriction zones confining them into specific areas.
The changes will toughen up community punishments to deter reoffending and force offenders back onto the straight-and-narrow.
As part of the Government’s work to do everything in its power to keep Britain safe, offenders coming out of prison and supervised by the Probation Service will also face similar restrictions and an expanded mandatory drug testing regime.
In future, criminals without known drug habits will face this scrutiny, not just those with a history of substance misuse.
Offenders who break the rules face being brought back to court or hauled back to prison as punishment depending on the sentence they are serving.
Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, said: “Widening the range of punishments available to judges is part of our Plan for Change to cut crime and make streets safer.
“When criminals break society’s rules, they must be punished. Those serving their sentences in the community must have their freedom restricted there too.
“These new punishments should remind all offenders that, under this Government, crime does not pay.
“Rightly, the public expect the government to do everything in its power to keep Britain safe, and that’s what we’re doing.”
Currently, judges are able to give out limited bans for specific crimes, for example football bans for crimes committed inside a stadium on match day, to prevent further antisocial behaviour.
The Government will change the law shortly so such bans can be handed down as a form of punishment for any offence in any circumstance.
It will form part of wider reforms to sentencing to ensure punishments cut crime and prisons never again run out of places for dangerous offenders.
Over 2,400 prison places have opened since July 2024 with the Government investing £7 billion to create a total of 14,000 as the prison population increases.
Investment in the Probation Service will also receive a huge boost with an increase of up to £700 million by 2028/29, up from the annual budget of around £1.6 billion today.
This week it was revealed the number of Probation Officers has increased by seven per cent in the last 12 months, with trainee probation officer numbers also seeing a surge of 15 per cent. This follows the Government’s commitment to recruit a further 1,300 this year, in addition to the 1,000 trainee probation officers recruited last year.
New technology, including artificial intelligence, will lighten the administrative burden and free up time for probation staff to increase supervision of the most dangerous offenders and keep the public safe.
Child Benefit will be stripped from tens of thousands of people who have moved abroad in a major clampdown expected to save £350 million
A new specialist team is expected to stop over £350 million in Child Benefit fraud and error over the next five years.
The move follows a successful pilot where just 15 investigators stopped around £17 million in wrongful payments in under 12 months.
Thousands of people who left the UK but carried on claiming Child Benefit have already been removed from the system.
Child Benefit will be stripped from tens of thousands of people who have moved abroad in a major clampdown expected to save £350 million over the next five years.
A new specialist team will use international travel data to track if claimants have gone overseas, so are no longer entitled to the payments.
The move follows a successful pilot which has already removed 2,600 people from the system who had left the UK but continued to claim Child Benefit.
A team of just 15 investigators successfully prevented around £17 million being incorrectly paid out in under 12 months.
The government is rapidly expanding this highly effective unit as part of the Plan for Change. The new team will have over 200 people from next month, sending a clear warning to those trying to scam the system.
Cabinet Office Minister Georgia Gould said: “This government is putting a stop to people claiming benefits when they aren’t eligible to do so.
“From September, we’ll have ten times as many investigators saving hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayer’s money.
“If you’re claiming benefits you’re not entitled to, your time is up.”
Child Benefit is paid to over 6.9 million families, supporting 11.9 million children. It is one of the most widely accessed forms of benefit in the UK and is administered by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).
If a claimant is outside the UK for more than eight weeks, Child Benefit payments may stop unless there are exceptional circumstances. Claimants must inform HMRC if they are outside the UK for this length of time or longer.
The pilot was carried out by the Public Sector Fraud Authority, the Home Office and HMRC. Under the Digital Economy Act, they matched a random sample of 200,000 Child Benefit records with international travel data.
Where the data suggested a claimant had left the country, specialist investigators from HMRC stepped in to perform their own checks before deciding whether benefits were being claimed incorrectly. The pilot was concluded in under 12 months and delivered savings of over one million pounds per investigator.
Alongside tougher checks, this renewed drive will raise awareness of the rules, recognising that some errors are genuine mistakes. Every case is reviewed by a human investigator and HMRC will reach out directly to families as part of any investigation to resolve matters swiftly.
This crackdown on fraud and error ‘protects hardworking families who play by the rules and ensures every pound of taxpayer money goes where it should’.
Scotland Office Minister Kirsty McNeill in Tokyo to champion Scottish produce
Boosting trade and investment between Scotland and Japan are top of the agenda as UK Government Minister Kirsty McNeill embarks on a three day visit to Osaka and Tokyo.
The Scotland Office Minister will meet with business leaders and politicians to promote Brand Scotland’s iconic goods and services and encourage Japanese inward investment as part of the UK Government’s Plan for Change to boost the economy and put more money in the pockets of working Scots.
While at the Osaka Expo 2025, Minister McNeill will join the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Indo-Pacific Minister Catherine West in meeting leading Japanese life sciences firms for a discussion around opportunities in the UK market following publication of the Life Sciences Sector Plan.
Scotland is one of the largest health and life science clusters in Europe, employing more than 41,000 people across 770 organisations and generating more than £10 billion annually for the Scottish economy.
More broadly the Expo – Japan’s biggest international event of the decade, with more than 150 countries taking part and 28 million visitors expected over its six-month span (running from mid-April to mid-October) – provides an opportunity for the UK to strengthen relationships with like-minded partners across fields from defence and security to sustainability and energy transition.
Minister Kirsty McNeill said: “Brand Scotland is about selling the best of Scotland to the world and encouraging inward investment to create jobs and opportunities for Scots.
“Scottish companies already export £484 million of goods and £475 million of services annually to Japan and there is scope for so much more. The UK-Japan partnership is closer than it has been for decades, with intensified cooperation across the entire breadth of UK economic growth and security interests, including defence, digital, cyber, science and innovation and trade and investment.
“Trade missions such as this help foster even greater collaboration and I look forward to promoting the very best of Scotland in Japan and embedding Scottish produce, such as seafood, in Japanese gastronomy.
“The UK Government is doing everything it can to help Scottish businesses make the most of opportunities overseas as part of our Plan for Change to grow our economy and put more money in people’s pockets.”
Minister Catherine West said: “The UK-Japan relationship is the closest it has been in decades, from trade to security and defence. As the Emperor said, we are friends like no other.
“And there is no better advert for the UK than taking part in Expo 2025. It’s a chance to show our strengths in areas like science and tech and invite Japan and the world to ‘Come Build the Future’.”
At the Expo, both Ministers will also meet with Lord Mendoza, a member of the UK Soft Power Council’s Europe Committee, to discuss how Scotland’s soft power strengths can be fully utilised.
Then in Tokyo, Minister McNeill will attend the Japan International Seafood & Technology Expo where she will meet with Seafood Scotland which is taking a delegation of businesses to the show for a tenth year.
Japan is among the UK’s top export locations for products like mackerel and is a growing market for a range of other British products. Scottish mackerel now accounts for around 20% of all imported mackerel into Japan, up from just 2% in 2019.
The Expo is an important opportunity to help the Scottish seafood sector as it begins to re-establish Scottish salmon in the Japanese market, after many recent years of Norwegian dominance.
Donna Fordyce, CEO, Seafood Scotland said: “We are delighted to have the support of the Scotland Office, the Minister, and Brand Scotland in showcasing the very best of our seafood on the world stage.
“Japan is an important market for Scotland’s premium catch, and this mission provides a valuable platform for our producers to connect with influential buyers, chefs, and media. Together, we are championing the quality, provenance, and sustainability that make Scottish seafood stand out.”
Adam Wing, Head of Trade Marketing (UK, Middle East & Asia), Seafood Scotland said: “Over the past decade, we have worked hard to establish and grow Scottish seafood exports to Japan, building strong relationships with buyers, chefs, and industry partners.
“This year marks our 10th visit to the Japan International Seafood & Technology Expo, and we’re proud to celebrate this milestone with the Minister alongside our delegation of seven exceptional Scottish seafood companies.
“We look forward to strengthening these ties and unlocking new opportunities for our world-class mackerel, salmon, and premium shellfish.”
While in Tokyo Minister McNeill will also meet with Sumitomo Electric to discuss progress in the construction of its £350 million subsea cable factory at the port of Nigg in the Scottish Highlands.
The factory – due to be completed in mid-2026 – will contribute significantly towards the UK’s capability to deliver renewable energy to UK consumers. The project is creating around.150 jobs.
And she will meet Eurus Energy to hear about its offshore wind project currently under development in Scotland. The Pentland Floating Offshore Wind Farm will be located 7.5km off the coast of Dounreay in Caithness. The project’s operational lifespan will be up to 25 years, and it will generate enough green electricity to power up to 70,000 homes.
The Minister will also visit Venture Café, Tokyo, where she will announce the opening of a Venture Cafe in Edinburgh in November.
Venture Cafés are hubs which provide a space for entrepreneurs all over the world to come together and innovate.
Mike Jackson, Head of Venture Café UK, said: We are delighted to welcome Minister McNeill to Venture Café in Tokyo and we are grateful for the support of the Scotland Office as we prepare to open our new cafe in Edinburgh, as part of our Activation Partnership with the Advanced Research + Invention Agency’s (ARIA).
“In a world dominated by digital connections, the real magic still happens when people meet in person, especially when they do so regularly.
“That’s what Venture Café is all about. Edinburgh has always been a hub of innovation and is now powering ahead in areas such as AI by being the future home of the new national supercomputer. We’re here to help innovators of all kinds to come together, collaborate and turn the best ideas into reality.”
And Minister McNeill will provide some remarks at a UK music trade mission reception at the British Residence in Tokyo to promote creative industries in the UK.
The Minister will also meet the current His Majesty’s Ambassador to Japan, Julia Longbottom, and New Zealand’s ambassador to Japan, Hamish Cooper, who is being posted as High Commissioner to the UK as his next appointment.
Change to benefits payment date for millions of people will help them with their financial planning and providing peace of mind for those on low incomes.
It comes ahead of the new school year, which will allow families and carers to plan their spending with confidence, knowing their support is already in place.
This proactive measure demonstrates the Government’s commitment through its Plan for Change to raising living standards, breaking down barriers to opportunity and ensuring growth is felt by everyone, everywhere.
Applies across the entire United Kingdom (Scotland follows the same principle despite different bank holiday arrangements).
Millions of people will receive their essential financial support before the August bank holiday weekend, as the Government has confirmed that benefit payments will be brought forward to Friday 22 August.
The early payment arrangement will apply to all major benefits including Universal Credit, Child Benefit, State Pension, Personal Independence Payment, Attendance Allowance, Carer’s Allowance, and Disability Living Allowance, ensuring that payments originally scheduled for the weekend of 23-25 August reach recipients on time.
This proactive measure will provide financial certainty for families as they prepare for the new school year, allowing parents and carers to plan their spending with confidence knowing their support is already in place during what can be an expensive time for households.
Minister for Social Security and Disability Sir Stephen Timms said: “We know how much families rely on these payments, and by bringing them forward ahead of the bank holiday we’re ensuring no one has to worry about whether their support will be there when they need it most.
“This is especially important ahead of the new school year – no family should have to choose between buying school supplies and putting food on the table.
“This is what our Plan for Change is all about – putting working families and the most vulnerable first and ensuring every family has the security they need to plan for the future.”
The early payment policy ensures recipients receive their funds before banks and government offices close for the holiday weekend, maintaining the continuity of support that millions depend upon.
PRIME MINISTER KEIR STARMER ISSUED A STATEMENT ON THE UKRAINE SITUATION YESTERDAY:
President Trump’s efforts have brought us closer than ever before to ending Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine. His leadership in pursuit of an end to the killing should be commended.
While progress has been made, the next step must be further talks involving President Zelenskyy. The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without him.
This morning, I spoke to President Zelenskyy, President Trump and other European partners, and we all stand ready to support this next phase.
I welcome the openness of the United States, alongside Europe, to provide robust security guarantees to Ukraine as part of any deal. This is important progress and will be crucial in deterring Putin from coming back for more.
In the meantime, until he stops his barbaric assault, we will keep tightening the screws on his war machine with even more sanctions, which have already had a punishing impact on the Russian economy and its people.
Our unwavering support for Ukraine will continue as long as it takes.
KEIR STARMER WAS ALSO A SIGNATORY TO A STATEMENT ISSUED BY THE ‘COALITION OF THE WILLING EUROPEAN LEADERS:
Statement by President Macron, Prime Minister Meloni, Chancellor Merz, Prime Minister Starmer, President Stubb, Prime Minister Tusk, President Costa, President von der Leyen:
Early this morning, President Trump debriefed us and President Zelenskyy following his meeting with the Russian President in Alaska on 15 August 2025.
Leaders welcomed President Trump’s efforts to stop the killing in Ukraine, end Russia’s war of aggression, and achieve just and lasting peace.
As President Trump said ‘there’s no deal until there’s a deal’. As envisioned by President Trump, the next step must now be further talks including President Zelenskyy, whom he will meet soon.
We are also ready to work with President Trump and President Zelenskyy towards a trilateral summit with European support.
We are clear that Ukraine must have ironclad security guarantees to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity. We welcome President Trump’s statement that the US is prepared to give security guarantees.
The Coalition of the Willing is ready to play an active role. No limitations should be placed on Ukraine’s armed forces or on its cooperation with third countries. Russia cannot have a veto against Ukraine‘s pathway to EU and NATO.
It will be up to Ukraine to make decisions on its territory. International borders must not be changed by force.
Our support to Ukraine will continue. We are determined to do more to keep Ukraine strong in order to achieve an end to the fighting and a just and lasting peace.
As long as the killing in Ukraine continues, we stand ready to uphold the pressure on Russia. We will continue to strengthen sanctions and wider economic measures to put pressure on Russia’s war economy until there is a just and lasting peace.
Ukraine can count on our unwavering solidarity as we work towards a peace that safeguards Ukraine’s and Europe’s vital security interests.
UKRAINE’S leader Volodymyr Zelensky travels to Washington tomorrow for talks with the US President Donald Trump.
Patients who use social media to plan cosmetic procedures will now access more reliable information thanks to a ‘landmark new initiative’
New online campaign to give people clear, reliable advice before travelling overseas for cosmetic or medical treatments.
It aims to raise awareness of the risks, protect patients and reduce costs for the NHS of fixing botched procedures.
Part of wider government initiative to improve safety of cosmetic treatments.
Patients who use social media to help plan cosmetic procedures will now be able to access more reliable trustworthy information thanks to a landmark new initiative between the government and TikTok.
More people are using social media apps like TikTok to research potentially risky operations – like hair transplants and dental work – abroad as they are often cheaper or more readily available than in the UK but are often presented with slick marketing campaigns that do not highlight the dangers of the surgery.
To help keep these patients informed, TikTok and the government have partnered with medical influencers, like Midwife Marley and Doc Tally to create content to show the risks, help carry out thorough research and provides advice on how to make trips as safe as possible.
The Foreign Office will also provide more detailed travel advice for those seeking to travel abroad for ‘tweakments.’
Health Minister Karin Smyth said: “Too many people are being left with life-altering injuries after going abroad for medical procedures, without access to proper advice or safeguards.
“Often drawn in by deals too good to be true and promoted by influencers – some of whom have never been to the practice in question.
“By partnering with TikTok, we’re helping people make safer, more informed choices before they go under the knife – wherever that may be.
“Through our Plan for Change, we’re determined to protect patients, ease pressure on the NHS and make sure taxpayers are not left paying the price when things go wrong.”
The campaign warns that when it comes to cosmetic surgery abroad, the lowest price can come at the highest cost.
It urges people to think beyond the slick brochures and marketing, and to consider clinical standards, complication risks, and language barriers.
It will urge potential patients to speak to a UK doctor, take out travel insurance, and steer clear of package holidays that bundle in procedures. The medics will provide a check list to go through before considering booking a procedure abroad: research thoroughly, check the clinic’s regulation and the surgeon’s credentials, know the full cost, understand the aftercare, and ask the vital question – if it goes wrong, who will fix it?
The online campaign is part of wider government efforts to curb medical tourism. Work is underway to stop events in the UK that promote procedures abroad and the government is working with other countries to improve patient care from initial consultations to post-surgery recovery.
The government is looking at additional ways of protecting patients who go abroad for these types of procedures, while ensuring the NHS is not left to pick up the tab of botched or harmful work.
The move follows the announcement last week to crack down on dodgy cosmetic practitioners in England. The new regulations will mean the highest risk procedures, such as non-surgical Brazilian Butt Lifts (BBLs), can only be carried out by qualified, specialised healthcare professionals, registered with the Care Quality Commission. The measures also include developing a licensing scheme for lower risk procedures like Botox and fillers, alongside introducing minimum age restrictions.
Minister Doughty, Minister of State for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories: “Our aim is to explain the risks and help British people understand the actions they can take to keep themselves safe when abroad.
“If you choose to travel abroad for medical treatment, it is vital you do your research and are fully aware of the risks involved.
“We urge anyone considering a medical procedure abroad to review our travel advice, relevant guidance from the NHS and other professional bodies, and research foreign providers thoroughly to ensure they meet the highest standard of care.
“Informed choices today can help avoid serious complications tomorrow.”
Ali Law, Director of Public Policy, Northern Europe said: “At TikTok we are committed to providing our community with information from trusted sources when searching for topics related to physical and mental health.
“We’re pleased to work with the government on this new initiative to improve the safety of people going abroad for treatment and we will continue to promote credible content through our Clinician Creator Council made of NHS practitioners.”
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development office has also updated its online travel advice advising people on how to stay safe when traveling abroad for medical or cosmetic reasons.
This work will help improve patient safety and reduce costs for the NHS by reducing the number of people needing medical support when things go wrong, providing greater value for the taxpayer and reducing pressure on staff.
Illegal workers arrested in nationwide enforcement surge as part of government’s drive to crack down on immigration crime
Hundreds of arrests have been made across the UK following a week-long crackdown on riders working illegally for delivery firms.
Under Operation Equalize, the Home Office’s Immigration Enforcement teams launched a nationwide intensification week of activity targeting illegal working hotspots, with a focus on the gig economy and migrants working as delivery riders.
Between 20 and 27 July 2025, a total of 1,780 individuals were stopped and spoken to, leading to 280 arrests for illegal working activity.
As a direct result of this operation, 53 individuals are now having their asylum support reviewed, which could result in their support being suspended or withdrawn.
This follows warnings from ministers last month that anyone caught flagrantly abusing the immigration system could face having their asylum support ceased, such as entitlement to accommodation or payments. Those caught working illegally face removal from the UK.
The results come as the Home Office confirms today (9 August) that Immigration Enforcement teams will receive a £5 million funding boost to ramp up illegal working intensification activity even further.
The cash injection, to be drawn from the £100 million investment for border security announced earlier this week, will contribute to a major surge in enforcement visits over the coming months.
It will allow officers to revisit and re-attend illegal working hotspots more frequently and increase enforcement teams’ intelligence gathering capabilities to support frontline enforcement activity.
The results of Operation Equalize come just weeks after the Home Office announced a new agreement with top food delivery firms that will see Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat receive new information concerning the location of asylum hotels to help better target people working illegally.
Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Dame Angela Eagle said: Illegal working undermines our border security and we’re cracking down hard on it.
“That’s why we have intensified our enforcement activity right across the UK to crack down on those who think they can evade immigration and employment laws in the UK.
“This government is making sure rules are respected and enforced – this operation is just one example of our relentless efforts to bear down on organised immigration crime at every level in our communities.”
In addition to the arrests made as part of Operation Equalize, 51 businesses, including car washes, restaurants and retail premises, were issued with Civil Penalty Referral Notices. This could see them face hefty fines if they are found to have employed illegal workers and failed to conduct relevant pre-employment checks.
The operation was also supported by police forces across the UK, with officers seizing 71 vehicles throughout the week, including 58 e-bikes, as well as £8,000 in cash under the Proceeds of Crime Act and around £460,000 in illicit cigarettes.
During one Operation Equalize visit on Tuesday 22 July, officers in West London arrested 7 Indian nationals in Hillingdon, with 5 detained as a result.
Meanwhile, Immigration Enforcement Officers made 3 arrests in Dumfries, Scotland during a joint operation with police and Trading Standards on tobacco control.
And on Friday 25 July, 5 e-bikes were seized by police in Birmingham city centre where Immigration Officers arrested 2 riders of Bangladeshi and Ethiopian nationality for illegal working offences.
280 people have been arrested across the UK in a week-long crackdown on illegal delivery riders.
This comes as we announce a £5 million funding boost for Immigration Enforcement teams to ramp up illegal working enforcement even more. pic.twitter.com/7mgudpmIJj
Eddy Montgomery, Director of Enforcement, Compliance and Crime at the Home Office, said: “We continue to intensify our activity against those who think they can get away with working illegally.
“My teams have been taking action around the clock, all across the country and I thank them for their hard work, co-operation and skill in dealing with this challenging issue.
“I welcome the additional funding which will allow us to strengthen our enforcement efforts against illegal working further, to ensure those fuelling it are caught.”
The government is also tightening the law by making it a legal requirement for all companies, including the gig economy, to check that anyone working for them has the legal right to do so.
This will end the abuse of flexible working arrangements. The new measures will be introduced through the landmark Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill.
These measures form a key part of a whole system approach to tackling illegal migration from every angle, by removing the false promise of jobs used by smuggling gangs to sell spaces on small boats.
Just this week, the Home Office announced the latest step towards dismantling the criminal trade in small boat crossings as the UK-France treaty to target illegal crossings came into force. The groundbreaking agreement means anyone entering the UK on a small boat can be detained immediately on arrival and returned to France by the UK government, with detentions having already begun.
On top of this, a wider £100 million investment in border security, confirmed earlier this week, will drive a major new crackdown by funding up to 300 extra National Crime Agency Officers and state of the art technology to smash the networks putting lives at risk in the Channel.
Since coming into power a year ago, the government has also returned 35,000 people with no right to be in the UK, including failed asylum seekers, immigration and foreign national offenders. Since the election, there are now fewer asylum hotels open, saving millions of taxpayers’ money.
