HM Government

Fatal man overboard from scallop dredger King Challenger while south-west of Scalloway, Shetland Islands.

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Thank you very much Lloyd [Dorfman] for that kind introduction. It’s a pleasure to be here tonight.

And when I walked around and said hello I was struck by how kind and welcoming everybody was, so thank you.

I must say, this venue has seen some very distinguished guests in its time.

Did you know that our Queen had ice skating lessons here as a child?

And, it was once used as a concert space for the Beatles, and for a time it was the home of British boxing.

A huge thank you to you Gerald [Ronson] as the Community Security Trust would not be the success it is without you and your determination. Thanks also to David Delew and to the staff of CST. And in particular, I want to pay tribute to the thousands of volunteers for their amazing commitment to keep the community safe – some of whom are outside, protecting us all on this cold, wet evening.

Since CST was established in 1994, the charity has fought hate and prejudice. It is a valued and trusted government partner which administers over £13 million of government grants for security guards and equipment at hundreds of Jewish schools, synagogues and other Jewish venues.

There are now over 5 and a half thousand security volunteers throughout the UK who have been trained by CST and day in, day out, these volunteers work with the government, the police, other religious groups and local communities to keep people safe and to fight hate crime.

And we only need to look at recent events – bomb hoaxes and the desecration of Jewish graves in America and the evacuation of the Jewish museum in north London this week following a bomb threat, to know how important this type of work is every day.

As you rightly said Lloyd [Dorfman], keeping our country safe is the first responsibility of any government, but terrorism remains a significant threat to us all.

As Max Hill, the new independent reviewer of terrorism legislation said at the weekend, Britain faces a level of terror threat not seen since the IRA bombings of the 1970s.

Since 2011, the number of terrorist attacks has increased globally, leading to a rise in the number of deaths and injuries. The most significant threat to the UK and our interests comes from Daesh.

There have been terrorist attacks on our doorstep in France, Germany and Belgium and attacks on British people overseas too.

The murder of 30 British nationals in Sousse in Tunisia in June 2015 represented the greatest loss of British life in a terrorist incident since the London bombings in 2005.

And as you’ve said, we’ve seen terrorists target Jews specifically in recent years including in Paris, Brussels, Toulouse and Copenhagen.

Just last month a 16-year-old girl was charged with terrorism offences in Denmark after she was caught planning to blow up a Jewish school.

And Daesh literature continues to identify the Jewish community as a ‘desirable and legitimate’ target.

But those who seek to do us harm do not all fit one profile and the senseless murder of our colleague Jo Cox last summer is a reminder of this. Her killer was Thomas Mair, an extreme right-wing terrorist.

Indeed, the UK faces a threat from the extreme right-wing which despite being fragmented, should not be ignored.

Far right and extreme right wing groups have become increasingly sophisticated in the ways they use social media for recruitment and promotion and we have seen that around a quarter of the people referred to our deradicalisation programme Channel last year were referred because of links to far right extremism.

But it’s essential that you all feel safe where you live, work and spend your leisure time.

That is why at this very dinner in 2015, David Cameron announced over £11.5 million of new money to provide for security measures at Jewish schools, colleges, nurseries and other locations.

That is why last year, Theresa May continued the funding, announcing £13.4 million for that same purpose for 2016 to 2017.

And that is why today I would like to announce our continued support. We will be continuing the funding of the Jewish community protective security grant for 2017 to 2018.

We will provide £13.4 million for security measures in the Jewish community in the coming year.

This money will go towards security guards and protection at independent and state Jewish schools, nurseries, synagogues and community sites.

And we will continue to listen to the funding needs of the community going forward.

But however friendly and professional security guards are, I’m sure you would all prefer to go to your local synagogue or drop your child at school without being greeted by one and this is a future that we are all working towards.

In the meantime, I look forward to continuing the positive and productive relationship between the Home Office and CST.

But security measures alone are not enough.

We must deal with those who promote hatred, intolerance and violence.

That’s why in 2015 this government introduced our Counter Extremism Strategy which focuses on four pillars: building partnerships with all those opposed to extremism, countering extremist ideologies, disrupting extremists and building cohesive communities. All these areas of work challenge extremism in all its forms – from Islamist to the far right.

And in December I banned National Action, a terrorist group with homophobic, antisemitic views whose members had celebrated the murder of Jo Cox. Proscribing the group will prevent its membership from growing; its poisonous propaganda from spreading and it will protect vulnerable young people at risk of radicalisation from its toxic views.

My message is clear – hideous organisations like this one have absolutely no place in a Britain that works for everyone.

But in the event of an attempted attack, we have a prompt and local armed response ready.

Over recent years the Home Office has worked with the police and other emergency services to develop a strong, police-led capability to deal with large-scale firearms attacks in the UK.

We are providing £144 million over 5 years to uplift our armed policing capability and capacity so we can respond more quickly and effectively to a firearms attack. In addition, several forces are also funding their own armed uplift, bringing the total increase to approximately 1,500 armed officers. This will improve our response to any terrorist incident and help keep our communities safe.

But we must also do more to tackle hate crime and anti-Semitism.

As recent CST statistics have shown, there was a rise in the number of antisemitic hate crime incidents recorded last year. 1,309 were recorded – that’s 36% more than the year before.

The most common type of incident involved verbal abuse randomly directed at visibly Jewish people in public as they went about their daily business.

Wearing a kippah, a sheitel or a star of David is a sign of faith and it’s absolutely despicable if there are those who respond to these with aggression or abuse. And they will not get away with it.

In Britain we have some of the strongest legislation on hate crime anywhere in the world and one of the first things I did when I was appointed as Home Secretary was to introduce a new hate crime action plan which focuses on reducing hate crime, increasing reporting and improving support for victims.

I am pleased to see Cressida Dick here this evening. I know that like me, she understands the challenges we face from hate crime and the need to protect communities and I look forward to working with her when she takes up her new post as Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.

Social media is changing where hate crime happens. It has become an essential tool for coordinated campaigns of antisemitic harassment, abuse and threats.

According to CST research there were 287 antisemitic incidents involving social media in 2016, compared to 185 the year before.

Just last month an internet troll who made antisemitic death threats to the Labour MP Luciana Berger was jailed for 27 months.

And this government is taking action. Last year, as part of our commitment to tackle online hatred we agreed with internet service providers including Google, Facebook and Twitter that they would remove illegal content within 24 hours of it being posted, meaning people are better protected online.

We are also working with internet service providers to demote hateful material so that it doesn’t come up at the top of internet searches.

It can’t be right that when you type Gena Turgel’s name into search engines, instead of her story of surviving the holocaust, you bring up holocaust denial sites.

And of course, it goes without saying that I wish antisemitism was a subject of the past – something for historians to be baffled by and scholars to debate the origins and demise of, but sadly that’s not the case.

But be assured, we are doing what we can to confine antisemitism to the history books.

Our efforts to combat antisemitism have been internationally recognised as best practice and we have a cross-government working group which is devoted to tackling it.

This helps make sure that we are alive to any new issues and concerns the Jewish community might have and that we can respond quickly. My thanks to CST, the Board of Deputies, the Jewish Leadership Council and all the other representatives from the Jewish community who engage so proactively with us on this.

Thanks to Sir Eric’s [Pickles] remarkable work, the UK has also become the first European country to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of antisemitism. This means that there is now one definition of it – in essence language or behaviour that displays hatred towards Jews because they are Jews. We have adopted this definition so that culprits won’t be able to get away with being antisemitic because the term is ill-defined or because different organisations or bodies have different interpretations of it.

I’m very pleased that Barnet Council has become the first UK local authority to adopt the definition and I urge others to follow their example. Because antisemitism has no place in Great Britain’s diverse and tolerant society and we know all too well where it can lead.

Indeed the Holocaust forms an ineradicable element of Jewish consciousness.

And I believe that it is important to have a physical reminder of where prejudice and intolerance can take mankind.

That is why we have committed £50 million for the building of a national UK Holocaust memorial and learning centre. This will ensure that awareness and remembrance of the Holocaust can be maintained as the final witnesses pass away.

Gerald [Ronson] – you’ve helped turn this idea into a reality and I know the Prime Minister has asked you to help with the public consultation for the ten shortlisted designs for the Holocaust memorial centre. I understand that a booklet with the design options will be given to all of you when you leave here tonight so please have a look and give your feedback. I’ve seen the options and there are some really interesting ones.

And Gerald [Ronson] – something you said at this dinner last year really sticks with me. You said that Jews are “the canary in the coal-mine. But this is one canary that has no intention of ending up dead in its cage”.

This is a pertinent reminder that antisemitism must never be ignored, not least because it can indicate wider problems within society. It is also a reminder that the Jewish community is strong, resilient and resourceful.

Our Jewish community has made an immense contribution to all areas of life in Britain – from the arts – to architecture. From medicine to philanthropy.

And I am proud to be part of a government which is here to offer both practical and moral support to you where and when it is needed.

If you feel threatened we will listen to you and if you are victimised we will defend you.

And we will strive to build a Britain that Jews are proud to call home.

Thank you.

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I am very pleased to be able to welcome you to Number 10 and to have this opportunity to say Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus.

This reception is about celebrating everything that Wales has to offer to the world – and there is indeed much to celebrate. This proud country – and a special part of our United Kingdom – is home to some of the greatest talent and industry in the world.

And we can see that right here today. Whether it is leading figures from the worlds of business, sport and politics – or one of the finest arrays of award-winning cheese, cakes, ham, wine, beer, whiskys, spirits and flowers that I have ever seen.

It is no wonder there are quite so many Number 10 staff who have suddenly discovered their Welsh heritage.

I want to take this opportunity to say 2 things today.

The first is that I am immensely proud to be Prime Minister of the whole United Kingdom – and together with Alun as Secretary of State, I am absolutely committed to promoting and supporting Wales as part of that honour and responsibility.

As a UK government we will always do everything we can to support Welsh business and to help create more jobs in Wales.

That is why we are investing £500 million in the Cardiff Capital Region City Deal – the biggest City Deal in the UK. And why we remain committed to negotiating a City Deal for the Swansea Bay City Region too.

It is why we will continue to promote Wales as one of the great tourist destinations in the world, with no fewer than 5 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, including the first ever, Gower.

And we will continue to champion Wales as a top destination for iconic World sport – from hosting Rugby World Cup matches to the European Champions League Final in Cardiff this May.

The second point I wanted to address briefly, and Alun has alluded to this, is how we seize the opportunity of this great moment of national change as we leave the European Union and forge a bold new future for ourselves in the world. And I have said I will strike a deal with the EU that works for all parts of the UK – and for the UK as a whole.

And we are engaging fully with groups and people from across Wales, including the Welsh government and indeed with all the devolved administrations as we form our negotiating position. I want to ensure that Wales is in the strongest possible position to benefit as we work to spread wealth and prosperity to every part of the UK.

And as we forge bold new trade deals with old friends and new allies around the world – I want that to mean more jobs in Wales, more exports of Welsh products and more growth for the Welsh economy. Because we are one United Kingdom – England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. And we will succeed as one United Kingdom.

And as I said on the doorstep of Number 10 when I became Prime Minister, I will always fight to preserve our proud, historic union.

And I am determined that we will emerge from this great period of change stronger, fairer, more united and more-outward looking than ever before. And that will be the best possible outcome for Wales – and for the whole of our United Kingdom.

So thank you everybody for coming today – thank you to those who have brought their wares here to sample, thank you for everything that you contribute to Wales, and everything you contribute to the United Kingdom. And please do stay and enjoy the rest of the reception.

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It is a great pleasure for me to be in Brussels this afternoon, and I would like to thank the Institute for International and European Affairs both for hosting this event and for inviting me to address you.

The UK Government is at an important time in our preparations to exit the European Union. Our White Paper has set out a clear, measured plan. And we await the triggering of Article 50 to start our negotiations with the EU on these 12 principles which will guide the Government in fulfilling the democratic will of the people of the UK.

Without giving a running commentary on the negotiation ahead, I want to say something about how these principles relate to Northern Ireland and the unique economic, social and political context of the land border with Ireland; I also want to touch on how we see our future relationships with the EU, and with Ireland.

Future relationship with EU

I want to start with our future relationship with the EU. It remains firmly in the UK’s national interest for the EU to prosper, and for the EU to have a strong, new partnership with the UK. One that reflects our common bonds and a mature relationship between friends, partners and allies in an ever changing world. We may be leaving the EU, but we are not leaving Europe.

We want to aim for the freest possible continuing trade in goods and services between the UK and the EU.

We approach these negotiations from a unique position. We have the same rules, regulations and standards as the rest of the EU. This differs from most negotiations, where parties’ starting position is divergent systems. Instead, these negotiations will be about finding a way to enable UK companies the maximum freedom to trade with and operate within European markets, and let European businesses do the same in the UK through a new comprehensive, bold and ambitious free trade agreement.

We recognise that our European partners have been a good friend to Northern Ireland over the years. Through the PEACE funding programme and other initiatives, the EU has provided significant support to reconciliation projects that have helped improve community cohesion in border areas. Collectively the EU should take great pride in its role in supporting Northern Ireland make the tremendous progress we have seen over the past decades.

Relations with Ireland

For over twenty-five years successive UK and Irish Governments have worked together to promote political stability in Northern Ireland. Together, we have worked with Northern Ireland’s political parties to reach agreement on arrangements for power-sharing government in Northern Ireland and on its future relationships both with Dublin and London.

We are determined to maintain and strengthen the unique relationship between the UK and Ireland, tied by centuries of history, geography and trade.

The relationship between our two countries has never been better or more settled than today. For our part, the UK Government is determined to build on this strong foundation and to deepen our relationship further, for the benefit of the UK, Ireland and the wider EU.

We completely respect Ireland’s commitment to remaining firmly within the EU. But that should not prevent us maintaining our two countries’ strong relationship. You should be in no doubt that we want the closest and strongest co-operation with our nearest neighbour, and the only country with which we share a land border.

The land border

Thirdly, I want to turn to the land border itself. Its success today comes from the fact that it is seamless and invisible. People cross it with ease as part of their daily business. And has also allowed the integration of business north and south.

From agri-food to electricity, the unique geopolitical position of Northern Ireland and Ireland has integrated cross border relationships into the respective economies. Although technically international trade, this is very often local trade in local markets that simply happens to cross the border.

The production of milk aptly illustrates how open the land border is: about one third of the milk produced on Northern Ireland’s farms (nearly 600 million litres) goes to Ireland for processing.

An example product journey would be milk from a farm in Northern Ireland going over the border for processing and pasteurisation. That milk then returns to Northern Ireland for processing into cheese, and then to a distribution centre for sales to the Northern Ireland, GB and Irish markets.

The land border is also important to small business in Northern Ireland. The overwhelming majority of businesses – almost 95% – employ fewer than ten people. We also know that these businesses are heavily engaged in cross border trade. When we are thinking about a mutually beneficial new customs agreement with the EU, these micro businesses, and their ability to adapt to these new arrangements, must be at the forefront of our minds.

In terms of the movement of people, our White Paper made clear that we want to protect the ability to move freely between the UK and Ireland, north-south and east-west, recognising the special importance of this to people in their daily lives. Thousands of people regularly commute across the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland for work or study. This cross border movement of people is an essential part of both economic integration and daily community life.

We want to maintain the Common Travel Area with Ireland. It has served both of our countries well for nearly a century. And we are confident it will be possible to find a way of maintaining this, protecting both our strong historic ties with Ireland and the integrity of our own immigration system.

I recognise that the movement of goods presents a separate challenge, as we will be leaving the Single Market and will no longer be bound by the Common External Tariff. However, we are clear in our intent in wanting to secure tariff free and barrier free trade. And we are open minded in the method to secure as frictionless arrangements as possible – whether that be through associate membership of a Customs Union or through a bespoke customs agreement.

I agree with those who say that this presents one of the most complex challenges in our preparations for Exit. However, I am committed to working to find a practical solution that recognises the unique economic, social and political context of the land border with Ireland, without creating any new obstacles to trade within the UK.

We continue to explore this, and indeed many other issues, with counterparts in the Northern Ireland Executive and Irish Government, with a shared commitment to wanting to avoid a return to the borders of the past.

Security

Fourthly, there must be no let-up in the security co-operation.

We have set a firm commitment to cooperating with the EU in the fight against crime and terrorism. This principle is particularly relevant to Northern Ireland. Although the security situation is markedly different from the dark days of the Troubles, there can be no let-up in our vigilance. Equally, the shared risks from organised cross-border crime and from Daesh and Al Qaida inspired terrorists underlines the essential need for more co-operation, not less.

Today’s effective cooperation and coordination between the justice and security agencies in Northern Ireland and Ireland are essential in containing the threat from terrorist and paramilitary groups, whose activities can undermine Northern Ireland’s security.. This operational and practical cross-border cooperation is an exemplar of the type of relationship we want to have with the EU on these issues.

Political stability

Finally, I want to make clear that the UK government will take no risks with Northern Ireland’s hard-won political stability.

We stand by our commitment to the Belfast Agreement and its successors. And I emphatically reject any suggestion that the decision to leave the EU will somehow weaken or imperil the political settlement in Northern Ireland or the peace that we now have.

On the eve of the Northern Ireland Assembly election we have an opportunity to reset and renew the political debate across Northern Ireland and I would urge people to seize this moment.

All people across Northern Ireland – including political leaders, businesses and community groups – need to take this chance to make sure their voice is heard loud and clear; and that the demand for stable, devolved partnership Government is heeded.

My priority is to work together and deliver on a positive and successful vision for Northern Ireland. I will always be a loud champion for the interests of Northern Ireland within Government and externally.

But political leaders in Northern Ireland also have a responsibility to work together to make sure that they are speaking up for Northern Ireland as well.

We will do all that it can to deliver an effective, stable, power-sharing devolved Executive in Northern Ireland. I know the Irish Government is similarly committed. But we cannot do it alone. The priority must be politicians locally working together to strengthen the economy, to deal with the challenges and opportunities of EU Exit, and build a stronger, shared society based on respect for everyone.

So I approach the future with optimism, a positive sense of what we can achieve, and a shared commitment to get the best possible deal for Northern Ireland – outside the EU but inside the UK – as we define a new and successful future for both the UK and the EU.

We want do this in ways that preserve stability in Northern Ireland; that recognise the unique economic, social and political context of the land border; that support the factors that in the link our citizens together; and continue to strengthen our common bonds.

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