Thank you, Mr Speaker, for your earlier words about John Prescott.
We woke today to the deeply sad news that we have lost a true giant of the Labour movement and of this House, a man who fought for working-class ambition because he lived it.
As one of the key architects of a Labour government, John achieved that rare thing he changed people’s lives and he set the path for us all to follow.
I will always be grateful to him for that. He did it all in his own way, with humour, pride, passion and total conviction. He truly was a one-off.
There will be a moment for fuller tributes, but today I send my deepest condolences and, I am sure, those of the whole House to John’s wife Pauline and his family, to the city of Hull, and to all those who knew and loved him. His legacy lives on in all of us.
I wish to update the House on my engagements at COP and the G20. We live in a dangerous and volatile world.
We all wish that that were not the case, but it is, and it means that global problems are reaching into the lives of our constituents more and more.
Climate change causes extreme weather – such as the terrible floods that we saw in September – and drives down economic growth, conflicts drive up the prices of fuel, food and energy and threaten our stability and security and both are drivers of migration.
To serve the British people we must tackle these problems head-on, because they do not stop at our borders – and that is the fundamental point.
At every meeting I had at COP and the G20, and in every agreement I entered into, my focus was on tackling these problems to deliver growth and security for the British people.
At COP, I made the case that we must act on climate change and nature loss as some of the greatest long-term threats we face and in doing so we must seize the opportunities of the low-carbon economy for investment, for UK businesses and for British workers.
At COP, I was proud to announce the UK’s new nationally determined contribution, with a 2035 target to reduce all greenhouse gas emissions by at least 81% on 1990 levels. I called on other countries to match that ambition to limit global temperature rises to 1.5 degrees, and I made the investment case for the transformation that we are leading here in the United Kingdom.
By launching GB Energy, creating the national wealth fund to build new energy infrastructure and setting a path to clean power by 2030, we will not just boost our energy security and protect bill payers, but put Britain in pole position to claim the clean energy jobs of the future.
That is why at COP, I was able to announce a £1 billion wind turbine investment that will support 1,300 local jobs around Hull – something of which John would have been very proud – and produce enough clean energy to power 1 million homes.
That is in addition to the recent investment in carbon capture in Teesside and Merseyside, which will create 4,000 jobs, and the investment announced by My Rt Hon Friend the Chancellor for 11 new green hydrogen projects across Britain.
Tackling climate change is, of course, a global effort so at the G20, together with Brazil and 10 other countries, I launched our global clean power alliance to speed up the international roll-out of clean power, accelerate investment and cut emissions around the world.
We came together at the G20 to meet other challenges as well. I was pleased to join President Lula’s global alliance against hunger and poverty to bring an end to the lost decade in that fight, because this is also an investment in stability and in tackling the factors that force people to leave their homes and make long journeys that too often end with criminal gangs exploiting them and putting their lives at risk in the English channel. We will smash those gangs.
I am sure the House will welcome last week’s news from the Netherlands, where the National Crime Agency, operating with European partners, arrested a man suspected of being a major supplier of small boats equipment. We will hit these organised criminals with the full force of the law, but we will also work with our partners to address the root causes of the problem.
The G20 represents 85% of global GDP, so we have a shared interest in driving up growth and investment. I held productive bilateral meetings with many G20 leaders to that end Brazil, Japan, Italy, South Africa, the Republic of Korea and others.
I also met representatives of Italy and Japan to take forward the global combat air programme, which will build the next generation of fighter jets, create high-skilled jobs and strengthen our national security for the long term.
I had a good discussion with Prime Minister Modi about deepening our bilateral ties. We agreed to raise the ambition of our UK-India comprehensive strategic partnership, which covers security, defence, technology, climate, health and education, building on the unique bonds and cultural ties between our 2 countries.
Crucially, this work will start with trade and investment and I am pleased to say that we agreed to relaunch free trade agreement negotiations early in the new year.
I also held a bilateral meeting with President Xi. This was the first leader-level meeting between the United Kingdom and China for 6 years.
We had a frank, constructive and pragmatic discussion as G20 economies and permanent members of the UN Security Council.
At a time of huge volatility, we both recognise the importance of engagement. I was clear that we will always act in our national interest, but we need to work together on challenges such as climate change and delivering growth.
We agreed a new dialogue on these issues, which My Rt Hon Friend the Chancellor will take forward with Vice Premier He in Beijing.
Of course, there will continue to be areas where we do not agree and we will address them clearly and frankly. They include a number of human rights issues, the sanctioning of Members of this House and, of course, Hong Kong, but here too we need to engage.
The lesson of history is that we are better able to deal with problems, and the world is safer, when leaders talk, so we agreed to keep this channel of communication open.
Although it was not on the formal agenda of the G20, the spectre of conflict loomed large over the summit.
Conflict is spreading misery, destruction and despair and causing children to starve and families to flee their homes.
I called again for the immediate and unconditional release of the hostages in Gaza, who are always uppermost in our minds. I also called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and for a massive increase in the flow of aid, which is desperately needed.
Yesterday, we backed a UN Security Council resolution to that end. We must find ways to make this international pressure count, to end the suffering on all sides.
The G20 coincided with the marking of 1,000 days of conflict in Ukraine. For the third year running, Putin did not attend. Instead, on the eve of the summit, he launched Russia’s biggest attack for months, killing yet more innocent Ukrainians and hitting civilian energy infrastructure at the start of winter and he indulged yet again in dangerous, irresponsible rhetoric.
This is a member of the UN Security Council acting with contempt for the UN charter. Whereas Brazil made finding solutions to hunger and poverty the focus of its presidency, in recent weeks Russian missiles have continued to rain down on civilian ships carrying grain bound for Africa.
It could not be more clear this is a man who wants destruction, not peace.
After 1,000 days of war – 1,000 days of Ukrainian bravery and sacrifice – I am clear that we must double down on our support. We will not be deterred or distracted by reckless threats.
We have consistently said that we will do what it takes to support Ukraine and put it in the best possible position going into the winter. The UK’s support for Ukraine is always for self-defence, and it is proportionate, co-ordinated and agile. It is a response to Russia’s own actions and it is in accordance with international law.
Under Article 51 of the UN charter, Ukraine has a clear right of self-defence against Russia’s illegal attacks. I say, again, that Russia could roll back its forces and end this war tomorrow.
Until then, we will stand up for what we know is right, for Ukraine’s security and for our own security, and we will back Ukraine with what is needed for as long as it is needed.
In challenging times, I take the view that British leadership matters more than ever.
For the sake of our growth, our security and making our presence felt, giving the British people a voice on the global stage once again and standing up for the national interest, I commend this statement to the House.
