Following the anniversary of the horrific acts of 7th
October, the Prime Minister opened Cabinet by reiterating that
one year on from this appalling terror attack, we must
unequivocally stand with the Jewish community and unite as a
country. He reflected on his meetings with the families of
British victims and hostages and the nightmare that they have
been through, reaffirming the government's call for the immediate
and unconditional release of hostages.
Cabinet then discussed the concerning situation in the Middle
East, with war in Gaza continuing and the recent escalation in
Lebanon. The Prime Minister said that we must and will continue
to press all parties to pursue negotiations, agree a ceasefire
and bring hostages home. He added that the risk of
miscalculation and escalation was significant.
The Foreign Secretary updated on discussions with allies to do
everything possible to stop a full regional war. The Defence
Secretary also reported on his visit to Cyprus to see the
additional British troops deployed there, who are preparing for
all contingency scenarios.
Cabinet then turned to plans for next week's International
Investment Summit and preparations for the Budget which will
deliver financial stability and growth as the first mission of
this government.
The Prime Minister said the Summit will demonstrate this
Government's commitment to making the UK the first choice for
investment and best place in the world to work and do businesses.
The Prime Minister highlighted significant recent investments in
the run up to the Summit including £8 billion by Amazon,
£10billion by Blackstone, £500m announced today into
zero-emission buses, as well as the £22 billion government
investment in CCUS which will leverage in an additional £8
billion private sector investment. The Business Secretary said
the Summit would be an important moment that signalled the
approach this government is taking to bringing investment, jobs
and prosperity to all parts of the UK. He and the Deputy Prime
Minister also updated on work to deliver the Employment Rights
Bill, to transform the world of work for this generation and
support businesses to boost productivity and growth.
Finally, the Chancellor updated on preparations for the Budget
and the Spending Review, with the focus on protecting living
standards, fixing our public services and rebuilding the
foundations and growing the economy.
