UK-wide plans for public to celebrate Platinum Jubilee

  • More than 70,000 ‘Big Lunches’ and events planned across the country
  • Activities for children released including Colour a Corgi

Big screens will be set up outdoors in London, Edinburgh and Cardiff so thousands of people can come together to celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June.

Screens broadcasting the events will be placed in The Mall in London, Edinburgh’s Princes Street Gardens and in Cardiff’s Bute Park.

From street parties and ‘Big Jubilee Lunches’ happening across the UK, to London’s Trooping the Colour, Service of Thanksgiving, concert and pageant, the nation and commonwealth will come together over four days to mark The Queen’s 70-year reign.

The screens are organised by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) which today is launching an activity pack for children to help them learn about The Queen’s reign, including articles about how the country has changed in the last seven decades, opportunities to colour in a corgi or crown and bunting to decorate for street parties.

More than 70,000 Big Jubilee Lunches are planned in the four UK nations over the weekend, with an expected ten million people set to sit down with their neighbours on Sunday 5 June, to celebrate Her Majesty’s momentous jubilee.

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said:

In less than a month we will come together as a nation and Commonwealth to mark Her Majesty The Queen’s 70-year reign. No other British monarch has reached this milestone and we will celebrate it with tradition, pomp and circumstance.

I hope that people and communities across the country will come together to pay tribute to Her Majesty – whether that be to watch on big screens or toasting Her Majesty at a Big Jubilee Lunch with their neighbours or coming together in their local village hall.

In London, screens broadcasting the BBC’s live feed will be placed down The Mall and in St James’s Park for members of the public to watch the events taking place across the Bank Holiday weekend.

In Edinburgh, screens will be placed in Princes Street Gardens with thousands able to host picnics and watch the celebrations with a backdrop of Edinburgh Castle and entertainment provided by the Royal Marines and local performers.

The Welsh Capital is also inviting families to bring their Jubilee Picnic and enjoy an afternoon in Bute Park. The beautiful Grade I listed park in the heart of Cardiff’s city centre will provide the perfect venue for an afternoon of Jubilee celebrations as families are invited to enjoy the Jubilee Pageant on a large screen along with entertainment from the bandstand.

In Northern Ireland, a design competition will see primary school children create a ‘snapshot of Northern Ireland’, with the winning entry to be manufactured into a rug by leading company Ulster Carpets and sent to Her Majesty the Queen. In addition, The Queen and other members of the Royal Family will receive Northern Ireland Platinum Jubilee Hampers showcasing over 50 top quality local food and drink producers, and representing the appreciation of the people of Northern Ireland for Her Majesty’s dedicated service.

Events taking place in London will be broadcast on TV networks BBC, Sky and ITV. In a further move to mark the occasion, the BBC is offering local communities a special one-off TV Licence dispensation so they can screen it on a big screen they organise themselves.

The plans will allow those celebrating with events arranged in town halls, community centres and streets to show live programmes throughout the weekend without needing to purchase a licence.

UK Government Minister for Scotland Iain Stewart said:

Watching the celebrations on the big screens the UK Government is setting up around the country is a great way for people to really get involved and soak up the atmosphere of this fabulous occasion.

We’re looking forward to a great family-focused event in Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh where people can bring a picnic, enjoy the weekend’s festivities and raise a glass to Her Majesty to mark her 70-year reign.

Welsh Secretary Simon Hart said:

The Jubilee is going to be a fantastic occasion and I know people up and down Wales will be celebrating with family or community events.

Whether you are watching events on the big screen at Bute Park, at a picnic in Colwyn Bay or at the carnival in Welshpool I hope as many people as possible take the opportunity to get involved in this incredible milestone in UK history.

NIO Minister of State Conor Burns said:

It’s fantastic to see the array of events planned to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee across the UK.

Through the NIO’s Platinum Jubilee Hamper and the rug competition, we are proud to highlight Northern Ireland food, drink and manufacturing expertise while creating these special gifts which I hope Her Majesty The Queen and the Royal Family will enjoy.

BBC Director-General Tim Davie says:

I am delighted we are helping to bring people together to celebrate The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and I’m looking forward to seeing our coverage on big screens up and down the UK, as we mark this wonderful occasion.

Further info

The Platinum Jubilee Bank Holiday weekend begins on Thursday 2 June with Trooping the Colour, which sees more than 1,500 soldiers and musicians, around 240 horses and the Irish Guards mascot, Turlough Mor the Irish Wolfhound, coming together for the traditional Queen’s birthday parade.

Around 7,000 members of the public will watch the ceremony as they return to Horse Guards Parade for the first time since the pandemic. Beacons will be lit throughout the UK and the Commonwealth in the evening.

On Friday 3 June, a Service of Thanksgiving for The Queen’s 70-year reign will be held at St Paul’s Cathedral. The service will include Bible readings, anthems, prayers and congregational hymns to express thanks for Her Majesty’s reign, faith and service.

Great Paul, the largest church bell in the country, will be rung. The bell, which was made in 1882, fell silent due to a broken mechanism in the 1970s. Following its restoration in 2021, this will be the first royal occasion in which Great Paul has been rung. The ringing of Great Paul will be followed by a peal of bells to celebrate.

On Saturday 4 June, a number of stars will take part in the Platinum Party at the Palace. Hosted by Kirsty Young and Roman Kemp, the celebration will see famous faces from the world of entertainment brought together to perform for a night of musical tributes to celebrate the Jubilee. 22,000 people will attend the event including 10,000 allocated in a public ballot and 5,000 tickets for key workers.

The celebrations will conclude on Sunday 5 June with the Platinum Jubilee Pageant. Thousands of performers from across the country and Commonwealth will process down The Mall to tell the story of The Queen’s 70-year reign in a spectacular procession. Artists and the communities they work with will interpret different chapters of Her life.

The pageant will feature a giant dragon puppet the size of a double decker bus, corgis, acrobats, unicorns, dancers and circus acts. The grand finale will feature 150 ‘national treasures’ including Ed Sheeran who, along with members of the viewing public invited to become part of the performance, will gather and pay tribute to The Queen.

Across the country, millions will sit down to a Big Jubilee Lunch on Sunday afternoon with more than 200,000 local events – including screenings, street parties and lunches – planned. Big lunches take place in communities across the UK every year as people come together in celebration to share lunch. Each year they raise more than £8 million for local charities.

More than 8.5 million took part in the Big Jubilee Lunch for the Diamond Jubilee in 2012.

From back garden barbecues to full-blown street parties, there are events planned in neighbourhoods and communities right across the UK and it’s not too late to knock on a neighbour’s door and join the nation in celebration. Big Jubilee Lunch themes being planned include red, white and blue and dancing through the decades with a world record attempt for the longest street party and the biggest Big Jubilee Lunch.

Across the Commonwealth and the rest of the world, more than 600 Big Jubilee Lunches are planned in more than 70 countries – from Greenland to New Zealand.

Notes to editors:

You can find bunting, colour a corgi and colour a crown as well as recipes on the DCMS Platinum Jubilee website, including more than 3,000 local events: www.platinumjubilee.gov.uk

Big screens will be placed in The Mall and St James’s Park in London and in Cardiff and Edinburgh for Trooping, the Platinum Party at the Palace and for Pageant.

The big screen locations in London are not ticketed but capacity is limited.

There will be other locations to watch the events locally. Around 60 local sites can be found on DCMS’s Events Map

In London the screens will be provided as below:

Saturday 4th June – Platinum Party at the Palace

  • St James’s Park
  • The Mall

Sunday 5th June – The Platinum Jubilee Pageant

  • St James’s Park
  • The Mall
  • Whitehall

There are no screens provided for St Paul’s.

The public are encouraged to check the TFL website before making plans to travel to London as routes are expected to be very busy. ​​




Government suspends engagement with the NUS over antisemitism

The Government will temporarily disengage with the National Union of Students (NUS) following recent antisemitism allegations.

The NUS will be removed from all Department for Education groups and replaced with alternative student representation, such as from the Office for Student’s student panel or from individual student unions, to ensure all students’ views are reflected fairly in conversations about higher education. The Department for Education is asking arm’s length bodies, including the Office for Students, to take similar action.

The Department for Education has also confirmed that the NUS will not receive any government funding. The Minister for Higher and Further Education, Michelle Donelan, has also written to Civica, the electoral body that had oversight of the NUS election for the NUS President asking for more information on how the electoral process was carried out.

The allegations of antisemitism, which have been well-documented and span several years, have prompted a feeling of insecurity amongst Jewish students across the country and a worry systemic antisemitism within the organisation is not being properly addressed.

Although the NUS has shown a willingness to respond to concerns expressed by ministers, including beginning to kickstart a process of independent investigations, this will need to lead to substantive action. This decision to disengage from the NUS will be kept under review as the organisation demonstrates it has suitably addressed these issues.

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said:

I am seriously concerned to hear of so many reports of alleged antisemitism linked to the NUS.

Jewish students need to have confidence that this is a body that represents them, and we need to be sure that the student bodies that we engage with are speaking fairly for all students, which is why we are disengaging with the NUS until the issues have been addressed.

From the NUS’s initial response to our concerns, I am confident that they are keen to take action and welcome further updates from them. Antisemitism has no place in our society and we will stamp it out, wherever it occurs.

Higher and Further Education Minister Michelle Donelan said:

I am horrified by the thought of Jewish students feeling ostracised by an organisation which should be a voice for their community and an advocate of equality for all students.

Although this was a decision that the Department did not take lightly, we have been clear that antisemitism must be stamped out of the sector and are treating these allegations with the utmost seriousness.

Whilst our door is not closed to the NUS, our message could not be simpler. We need decisive and effective action in response to these repeated allegations of antisemitic behaviour. We are glad that the NUS has started to respond and are ready to work with them again when sufficient action has been taken.

This action follows a series of interventions from the department to tackle antisemitism on campus. Earlier this year, Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi and Minister Donelan hosted an antisemitism summit which brought together vice chancellors, university representatives and Jewish rights groups to discuss measures and commitments that can be taken to ensure Jewish students and staff feel safe in higher education.

This builds on the drive to encourage more higher education providers to sign up to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism and, in 2021, more than triple the number of universities have done this – up to 95 from 28 in 2020.

International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA)

The IHRA is a leading international organisation focused on eradicating antisemitism in public life and educating about the holocaust.

Their definition of antisemitism is as follows:

Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.




Minister welcomes ambitious regeneration projects in Derby, following Levelling Up regional Cabinet

  • Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Steve Barclay visited Derby’s Market Hall and Becketwell developments.
  • Derbyshire is a recipient of £70million from the flagship Levelling Up Fund.
  • Minister also met with veterans and staff at the Derby War Memorial Village, which provides housing for members of the local community.

Derby has been hailed as a shining example of the Government’s levelling up agenda by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Steve Barclay, who visited the city yesterday to see how regeneration plans are taking place.

The visit took place after yesterday’s regional cabinet meeting in Stoke-On-Trent, which discussed the Government’s levelling up agenda. Ministers visited the West of England, Midlands and Wales to hear from communities and businesses on how new legislation will help them prosper.

The Minister met with local leaders at the Derby Market Hall, which is in the process of being redeveloped, and the Becketwell regeneration project, which will comprise of a new public square, 259 apartments and a 3,500 capacity performance venue. The projects will contribute to the vibrancy of the city’s historic heart.

Derbyshire has received £70million from the Levelling Up Fund and today the Minister toured St Peters and Cathedral Quarter, which has received £15million from the Future High Streets fund to regenerate the prominent public space Market Hall and Eastern Gateway.

Mr Barclay also visited the War Memorial Village, which maintains high-quality housing for disabled veterans and former emergency services staff. There, he met with veterans, volunteers and staff to find out more about how the village continues to adapt and support the wider community.

The War Memorial Village Derby was created in 1949, after a local fundraising drive led by the local Rotary Club aimed to provide affordable accommodation for military veterans who had been disabled in the conflict.

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Steve Barclay said:

Derby is a city of real vibrancy and it was fantastic to see the ambitious regeneration projects taking place across the city centre.

The redevelopment of the Market Hall is really starting to take shape and the £15 million Future High Streets funding will help develop other parts of the St Peter’s Quarter.

Levelling up is a central part of the Government’s ambition because we want to ensure people and communities up and down the country are able to thrive, so it was great to see how Derby has been able to access funding that will drive inward investment into the city centre and create opportunity for people.

Leader of Derby City Council Cllr Chris Poulter said:

We were delighted to welcome the Minister to Derby and show him the great strides we are making to rejuvenate and Level Up the city centre.

The minister was able to see first-hand the challenges and opportunities we face in Derby and the essential role Levelling Up can play in the city.

During his visit to the War Memorial Village, Mr Barclay also met with seven-year-old Finley Skinner, who has raised over £2,000 for veterans through a series of charity events.

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Steve Barclay said:

Finley Skinner is a credit to his family and to the fantastic city of Derby as a whole. His fundraising efforts for military veterans have been outstanding and it was wonderful to hear him talk about his poppy making, 3k run and his plans to raise even more money in the months ahead.

I want to make the UK the best place in the world to be a veteran and that means ensuring we do all we can to have the best support services in place for those who have sacrificed so much to keep us all safe.

The work in Derby and in particular the War Memorial Village is a great example of what can be achieved when local authorities join forces with volunteers and the wider community to drive life-changing projects forward.




Foreign Office statement on construction in the West Bank: 13 May 2022

Press release

A Foreign Office statement on the construction of settlements in the occupied West Bank.

A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said:

The UK is concerned by the Government of Israel’s decision to advance the construction of over 4000 new settlement buildings across the occupied West Bank. The UK’s position is that settlements are illegal under international law. We urge Israel to reverse this decision.

ENDS

Published 13 May 2022




Foreign Secretary’s statement on the death of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates

Press release

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss’s statement on the death of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates.

UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said:

It was with great sadness that I heard of the death of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Abu Dhabi.

He served the United Arab Emirates for many years with dedication. His contribution to regional stability, his personal commitment to global development and his work to bridge gaps between nations in the interests of peace and stability will long be remembered.

I would like to offer my sincere condolences to the United Arab Emirates and its people at this sad time.

Published 13 May 2022