PM statement to the House of Commons: 12 October 2026
Prime Minister Andy Burnham's statement to the House of Commons.
With permission Mr Speaker, I wish to make a statement on the United Nations General Assembly and related international events since the House last met.
Before I do, let me first welcome the new member for Holborn and St Pancras to her place. What a journey – from child refugee to Parliament. And what a country, Mr Speaker, that this story of hope could happen here. I know my Honourable Friend will enhance this House in so many ways and I look forward to working with her.
Mr Speaker, I took a clear message to the UN: that after a decade of turbulence, Britain is back and can be relied upon as a consistent and stable partner in an uncertain world, always upholding the shared values set out in the UN Charter.
Rejecting aggression wherever we see it, and always steadfast in our support for Ukraine, as I assure President Zelenskyy at our meeting in New York.
In the three weeks since that meeting, Russian strikes have intensified even further, with more attacks on civilians, on apartment blocks housing innocent families, on buses carrying innocent children.
When I spoke to President Zelenskyy on Saturday, he described the step change from Russia, including daylight attacks intended to break their will and ours. I can tell you, Mr Speaker, that will never happen.
In recent days, we have announced new funding to help them get through their fifth winter under Russian bombardment. And a new sanctions package so that over 90% of Russia’s oil producing capacity is now covered by UK sanctions.
On diesel, the quickest way to get it back onto world markets without rewarding the aggressor is an energy ceasefire, with both sides stopping their attacks.
I raised this with President Trump in New York. It is what Ukraine wants to see. And so I welcome President Trump’s announcement yesterday of a reciprocal energy ceasefire. President Zelenskyy has assured me Ukraine would immediately implement it when a start date is confirmed, and I will be discussing this further with him in the coming days.
Mr Speaker, NATO is a defensive alliance. We do not seek confrontation. But our resolve to defend our allies and ourselves is absolute. And I was clear in all of my meetings, including with the NATO Secretary General in Oxfordshire, that we will meet our NATO commitments in full.
We know Russia is conducting a campaign of hybrid attacks and sabotage across Europe. In Berlin last week, Chancellor Merz and I agreed a new partnership to tackle these hybrid threats.
We must be clear-eyed about attempts to destabilise our democracies. It is why in my speech to the UN General Assembly, I confirmed our commitment to establish a new National Centre for Information Defence – as recommended by the Foreign Affairs Select Committee.
More broadly, this is a moment to deepen collaboration with our partners, and it is why in Berlin I indicated Britain’s openness to Germany joining the Global Combat Air Programme alongside Italy and Japan.
In my meeting with President Trump, we discussed the situation in the Middle East. I confirmed Britain’s decision to send air defence and a Voyager aircraft to Saudi Arabia to provide air-to-air refuelling support. I can confirm today it has already completed 14 operational missions.
This support is needed to protect civilians. I condemn the appalling attacks on the King Khalid International Airport. We will continue to stand with Saudi Arabia against the Houthis.
Since UNGA, Mr Speaker, we have been in close contact with the US about protective security at our shared bases.
I want to thank our police and military personnel for their swift response. to the incidents at RAF Fairford and RAF Molesworth.
My right honourable friend the Home Secretary will update the House regarding the incident at RAF Fairford. But I can confirm our assessment that it is highly likely to have been coordinated in Iran, almost certainly directed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard.
We will not tolerate these threats on our soil. We will crack down on Iran’s use of criminal networks, using our full range of powers to target them and their funding streams. And we will bring further sanctions to restrict the capacity of Iran and the IRGC to do us harm.
In my meeting with the President, I also raised the Falkland Islands and the clear and declared will of the islanders to remain British. I emphasise this point in my speech to the General Assembly and that we will also always do whatever it takes to uphold their will.
Mr Speaker, in New York, I also had a positive meeting with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, about the forthcoming UK-EU summit.
I can confirm to the House today that it will take place in Brussels on the 20th November.
This summit presents an opportunity to make progress on two crucial issues, boosting UK growth and controlling illegal immigration.
On the table is a trade deal on food and drink products, a deal on emissions trading progress towards linking our energy systems, a new youth experience scheme and deeper cooperation on immigration.
The Summit will also be an opportunity to raise our concerns about Made in Europe and it is clear to me that there is an opportunity to make progress in all of these areas.
Together, these deals will add the equivalent of over 10 billion pounds per year to the UK economy by 2040, with the potential to add significantly more.
We should not turn our backs on this opportunity, Mr Speaker and I hope all sides of this House will get behind the government’s efforts to land a positive outcome.
It is a chance to cut costs and bureaucracy for sectors like farming.
At present, entire truckloads of plants or fresh produce can be destroyed because of a single missing stamp or a minor paperwork delay.
Fresh meat and fish spoil while waiting in trucks and tonnes of exports have to be written off.
Our largest food export, Scottish salmon, faces a 100% rate of document checks at the border, costing us around 100 million pounds in lost exports.
British burgers and other fresh meat products cannot be sold in the EU. Seed potatoes from Scotland and shellfish from Wales are banned.
This is having a real impact on businesses and the agreement on the table could reverse some of that damage.
For farmers and food producers, it will lift the burden that can reach 1,400 pounds on a single shipment.
For our small businesses, it means no more export health certificates, which can cost up to 200 pounds each time.
For households, it will ease the pressure on prices in the supermarket.
It could help lower energy costs for households and businesses alike. In Northern Ireland, the proposed energy deal could cut wholesale energy costs by 20%.
On immigration, we could link up our law enforcement efforts once again, sharing more data and criminal records of foreign nationals as well as faster electronic evidence from the phones of those behind the gangs.
Mr Speaker, it is in Britain’s interest to secure a deal along these lines, and I will work hard over the next 5 weeks to achieve it.
I believe our chances of doing so will be enhanced by being open to a discussion about our relationship with the EU in the longer term.
If we are serious about promoting growth, controlling immigration, upholding our values and security, it is a conversation we must have.
Sticking with the status quo is not good enough for Britain. Worse, it would be a major dereliction of duty to turn away.
We need to take a calm, clear-eyed, rational look at the world as it is today to consider what is best for our country.
Our immediate priority is securing a successful outcome at the summit, and I believe we should then set up a serious dialogue about the different options for our relationship in the long term.
At every stage, the British public will be the boss, and I am clear that public opinion currently supports a pragmatic approach like the one I am suggesting. But if we go into this further phase, we will proceed with care and complete transparency.
Mr Speaker, this is the leadership we need to draw a line on a decade of drift and division and take the country forward.
Beyond Europe, a confident Britain is ready to play our part on the global stage as we take up the presidency of the G20 in 2027.
I confirmed in New York that we will place AI centre stage in our presidency, capturing the incredible opportunities it presents while guarding against the risks.
Leading voices like the President of Microsoft are saying Britain is the world leader in AI safety. So, we are well placed to take on this role and work towards agreeing a single set of global principles and standards on AI as part of our G20 presidency year.
Mr Speaker, the message to the world is clear. Britain is back.
On so many fronts, we are playing our part and looking confidently to the future.
We are leading again so our country can hope again, and I commend this statement to the House.