
RACHEL REEVES: 'I have never accepted that decline is Britain's inevitable path'
One year on from the general election and this government's task remains clear: to invest in Britain's renewal so we can rebuild our country's security, its health, and the economy.
We have already made great strides towards achieving this. We have delivered the biggest uplift in defence spending since the Cold War that will not only help towards keeping our country safe from new global threats but will protect and create tens of thousands of good jobs across our industrial heartlands.
The decisions we took at the Autumn Budget last year mean we can keep our commitment to putting the NHS back on its feet, with record investment that is going towards cutting hospital waiting lists.
And we are investing in our country's economic future, with more than £100billion of new capital investment in homes, transport, and energy.
I do not accept - and have never accepted - that decline is Britain's inevitable path. Instead, this government is taking the right choices today to build a brighter and more secure future.
No project reflects this Government's ambitions more than our commitment to Sizewell C. For years, politicians have talked about investing in cleaner, cheaper energy. We are getting on and delivering it.
At the spending review last month, I announced an initial multi-billion-pound investment to fund Sizewell C, so we can power the equivalent of around six million homes with clean, homegrown energy that we control.
Today, we have struck a deal with EDF, Centrica, La Caisse, and Amber Infrastructure. It is the biggest investment in clean and homegrown energy this century, and learning the lessons of the past, represents a saving of around 20% when compared with Hinkley Point C.
These deals mean construction can get underway, thousands of jobs will be created, and millions of people will benefit from cheaper, cleaner power, putting more money in their pockets each month.
But this deal is not just proof this Government is getting things done, it shows the huge confidence companies at home and overseas have in investing in Britain's future.
Since the election, we have seen announcements of over £100billion of private sector investment. From Universal's investment in a new theme park in Bedford to Oracle's investment in cutting-edge cloud infrastructure here in the UK.
And the reforms I announced last week in the City to free financial services from red tape have been welcomed by HSBC, Royal London, the CBI and others as opening the door for future investment and making us even more competitive on the world stage. We promised change at the election, and we are delivering that change.
We have put a stop to the dither and delay. We have ended the previous government's commitment to decline, with a plan for national renewal - and we are just getting started.

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Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Migrant camp Labour vowed to shut will be expanded
An asylum camp on a former RAF base which Labour promised to shut is to be expanded to take more migrants in the face of a summer surge in Channel crossings. The Home Office announced the number of migrants housed on Wethersfield RAF base near Braintree, Essex will be increased by 445 from the current limit of 800 to 1,225 as a contingency. Sir Keir Starmer pledged in July, just before the election, that he believed Wethersfield 'needs to close' as Labour sought to move asylum seekers off large sites and out of hotels. The two other major sites identified by the Tories – the Bibby Stockholm barge and RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire – have both been abandoned and will be shut by Labour as accommodation for asylum seekers. However, the Home Office is facing a continued surge in migrants crossing the Channel with more than 24,000 having reached the UK so far this year, up 45 per cent on last year. In an updated statement, the Home Office said Wethersfield regular occupancy was now just under 800 but there were 445 contingency bed spaces 'which can be brought into use to help manage short-term pressures across the wider asylum accommodation estate.' 'If called upon, the contingency bed spaces will only be utilised on a temporary basis until such time as the wider accommodation estate is able to manage demand, and the number accommodated at Wethersfield will be reduced back down to 800 bed spaces as soon as possible thereafter,' it said. 'Any increase in inflow onto the site to use contingency bed spaces will be gradual (increasing the maximum inflow from the normal 60 per week to 100 per week) and subject to the same rigorous procedures and reviews as for regular occupancy inflow.' MDP Wethersfield in Essex is just 30 miles from the scene of confrontations over migrants being housed at a hotel in Epping and has been home to hundreds of single male asylum seekers since July 2023. The Tories, Essex Police and Crime Commissioner Roger Hirst and Epping district council have urged the Home Office to close the Bell Hotel and move the migrants out. A further protest by around 1,000 people is expected at the hotel on Thursday. The Epping protests were triggered when Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, a 38-year-old asylum seeker from Ethiopia, was charged with the sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl. Mr Kebatu denied the charge when he appeared at Chelmsford magistrates' court on July 17. 'Failed to reduce small boat crossings' Shadow Housing Secretary James Cleverly, whose constituency covers Wethersfield, urged ministers to shut it. 'I was never happy that asylum seekers were held at Wethersfield and while Home Secretary, secured a cap on the numbers of asylum seekers at there. I remain opposed to any increase,' he said. 'Starmer said the site needs to close, but is now increasing numbers. He and Cooper are doing this because they scrapped the Rwanda plan and failed to reduce small boat crossings. The first half of the year has the highest number of arrivals numbers on record. 'I will keep pushing the Government to reverse this decision and close the site as soon as possible.' Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel, a local MP who has also campaigned against the use of the site as an asylum camp, said: 'In opposition Labour said they'd close this site down but now they are expanding it because of their stark failure to get to grips with illegal migration. 'Keir Starmer and Yvette Cooper opposed every new law I advanced to deal with dangerous people smuggling gangs, including life sentences, and they scrapped my Rwanda partnership, which would have meant illegal migrants being sent there rather than Wethersfield and hotels. 'Labour's dishonesty, incompetence and lack of transparency is making this situation worse and encouraging more illegal migrants to come to Britain.'


Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Whose side are you on? As Manchester Airport thug who attacked female cops is found GUILTY, top Tories accuse 'shameful' Labour ministers of failing to fully support police when fight footage first emerged
Senior Tories have demanded apologies from Labour ministers over a lack of support for police officers brutally attacked at Manchester Airport. Chris Philp attacked the home secretary for questioning police standards after a female officer had her nose broken in the melee last July. And Robert Jenrick blasted leader of the House of Commons Lucy Powell for raising concerns about police conduct in Parliament over the shocking brawl. One of two brothers who brawled with officers before claiming to the court he was the victim of police brutality has now been convicted of assaulting two female cops and a male passenger. Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 20, was found guilty of attacking PC Lydia Ward and PC Ellie Cook in the car park pay station of Terminal 2 on July 23 last year. He was also found guilty of headbutting holidaymaker Abdulkareem Ismaeil. Shortly after the fight, footage emerged which the court head was allegedly of PC Zachary Marsden kicking Amaaz in the head – it prompted anti-police protests with a number of prominent Labour politicians voicing concern about police conduct. But there was a fierce backlash when leaked CCTV also subsequently shown to the court appeared to show a violent unprovoked assault to which PC Marsden and two female colleagues had been subjected just seconds earlier. Before all the leaked footage which was subsequently seen in court provided a fuller picture of what transpired, Labour MP for Rochdale Paul Waugh criticised the police, saying: 'Our police face a very difficult job every day in keeping us all safe, but they themselves know that they have to expect the highest standards of conduct in their duties.' Leader of the House of Commons Lucy Powell, herself the Labour MP for Manchester Central, said she would pass his comments on to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and added: 'Clearly the footage is incredibly disturbing and there's understandably a lot of concern, particularly in his constituency because it was his constituent affected.' And Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said she understood 'the widespread distress' the footage had caused, and said she had spoken to police about the 'urgent steps' they were taking. She had added that it was 'essential' police had the trust of communities, and the public 'rightly expect high standards from those in charge of keeping us safe'. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said Ms Cooper's comments at the time showed she had been more interested in criticising the police than standing up for brave officers injured in the line of duty. 'A female officer had her nose broken by this vile thug, and the Home Secretary had nothing to say about that when it happened,' he said. 'Instead, her statement referred to the importance of the 'trust of communities' and questioned police standards. 'It is shameful that Yvette Cooper's statement did not include any mention of the police officers who were attacked at Manchester airport last year even though it has been reported that she was aware they had been injured when she made it.' Constable Lydia Ward, who jurors heard is heavily pregnant, told of being 'terrified' after coming under attack - as footage of her injuries were was shown to a court And shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick said many were too quick to judge the police before they knew the full story. 'Those Labour politicians' who he claimed had rushed to judgement 'before awaiting the full facts should be ashamed,' he said. 'The cabinet minister, Lucy Powell, mistakenly raised concerns in the House of Commons. She should issue a full public apology. 'Police officers do a difficult job. They don't always get it right. But if we're to fight crime and make our country safe again, the police need to know we've got their backs when they tackle violent offenders.' Ms Cooper said she had always offered strong support to police officers who face appalling situations every day. 'I have spoken with Greater Manchester Police about this incident to ensure the officers get the support they need because it is important that they do,' she said. 'At the time, Greater Manchester Police referred that case to make sure it was fully investigated, and it was. It has been investigated properly by the CPS, who bought charges and to make sure that all the circumstances were investigated.' Jurors at Liverpool Crown Court could not reach majority verdicts on either Amaaz or his elder brother Muhammed Amaad, 26, for assault causing actual bodily harm on PC Zachary Marsden. The Crown Prosecution Service will now seek a retrial of both brothers in relation to the allegations that Amaaz and Amaad assaulted PC Marsden causing actual bodily harm, Paul Greaney KC told the court.


Times
an hour ago
- Times
Inheritance tax shake-up threatens food security, say farmers
Rachel Reeves's inheritance tax reforms will put food security at risk and will force farmers to drop nature-friendly practices, the government's own survey has found. Polling by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) found that confidence in ministers among farmers had dropped by 11 per cent in the year since Labour came to power. Many of them cited the overhaul of inheritance tax as a threat to their way of life. Farmers told the government they were 'feeling let down', that there was a 'lack of trust' and a 'need for transparency'. The report said: 'There was a sense that it would take a long time to rebuild this trust and, overall, a feeling of dissatisfaction with current policy.' It found that farmers felt food security would be put at risk 'due to farms closing because of policies such as making some farm businesses subject to inheritance tax'. Farmers also feared the changes would make their business 'unviable' and they would be less likely to invest in their farms because it could push them over the limit to pay the levy 'as they felt that it would be lost rather than staying in the family'. 'A few said that due to changes to inheritance tax they would drop nature friendly farming practices and 'extract as much value' from their farms as possible before selling up and retiring to live off the proceeds,' it said. The chancellor cut the amount of inheritance tax relief available to family farms in her October budget. Under current plans, a 20 per cent inheritance tax will be levied on agricultural assets worth more than £1 million for the first time from April next year. Ministers argue that other tax exemptions mean a couple would be able to pass on a family farm worth up to £3 million tax-free to their children, but critics say some family farms could still be hit. • Jeremy Clarkson: Farmers are the new miners, pawns in a political game The poll found that 54 per cent of farmers were 'not at all confident' that their relationship with ministers would develop positively in the future, which is the highest proportion since the question was first asked. Last year 45 per cent said they were not at all confident. Mo Metcalf-Fisher, of the Countryside Alliance, said: 'Many farmers feel incredibly anxious about their livelihoods, largely as a result of October's budget. 'Any instability in the sector is a much wider problem for the UK, not just for our food security but the wider economy. The government must urgently reset its relationship with the countryside and farming sector and find a way forward before we lose more family farms.' Data released earlier this week showed a record number of farms have been forced to shut this year. In total 6,365 agriculture, forestry and fishing businesses closed over the past year, according to the Office for National Statistics. The figure is the highest since quarterly data was first published in 2017. Daniel Zeichner, the food security and rural affairs minister, said: 'Our dedication to British farming and food security is unwavering, allocating a record £11.8 billion to sustainable farming and food production over this parliament, and we have appointed former NFU [National Farmers' Union] president Baroness Minette Batters to recommend further reforms to boost farmers profits. 'The findings today show the strong momentum behind nature-friendly farming, backed by the high level of uptake in the latest round of capital grants. Environmental land management schemes are the best tools to support the sector's transition to sustainable food production and profitability.' A Treasury spokesman said: 'Most estates claiming agricultural and business property reliefs will be unaffected by the changes. The latest data shows that 40 per cent of agricultural property relief — worth £219 million — was directed to just 117 estates. The money raised will go towards public services we all rely on every day instead.'