Pulse.Assent

Good evening everyone and welcome to Downing Street.

We have teachers here from across the country, including from a school in Wimbledon Park where I used to be a governor!

One of the many wonderful things about living here and working here at No 10 is that I can draw inspiration from the countless great figures who have passed through these rooms over many years.

I was asked earlier what it feels like to feel the history of this place when you are sitting in the Cabinet Room – so many great decisions have been made here, and it has seen so many great people.

But few can claim to have shaped and influenced as many lives as the incredible people here this evening.

You educate. You inspire. You unlock the potential of young minds, turn their aspirations into reality, you nurture the innovators, leaders and entrepreneurs of tomorrow.

I was making a speech earlier today about science and the importance of nurturing innovation and creativity among our young people for the future. So teachers do a remarkable job, and you represent the best of the best. Indeed, we have among us Andria Zafirakou, who I am delighted to welcome back to Downing Street today, who has been named as the world’s best, the first ever British winner of the Global Teacher Prize.

But amazing though it is, we are not here today just to celebrate Andria’s achievement. We are here to celebrate all of you, and all of your colleagues ups and down the country who do such vital work day-in, day-out.

You are completely committed to giving every child the education that is right for them.

And Damian and I are absolutely committed to helping you make that happen. You can see that from what we have achieved so far and what we are doing next.

Compared with 2010, nearly two million more children are being taught in schools that are good or outstanding. We have raised teacher numbers to record levels. We are looking at ways of reducing your workload by stripping out unnecessary bureaucracy. We are working with the profession on a new strategy to drive recruitment and boost retention.

And we are doing all of this because this is a government that supports and values teachers. Because we know that the success of every young person, in whatever they go on to do in life, is shaped by the education they receive at school.

I was just asked about what education means to me. I said what I say to young people is education is the key to unlock the door to your future, and it is so important.

Although I have to say on my first day at school I did not perhaps view it in quite the same way. Because on my very first day at primary school, the headmistress had to literally carry me, kicking and screaming, into the classroom.

I think at the time she said “look what a silly girl we have here”.

Fortunately, it did not take long for me to realise and appreciate both the power of education and the impact that good teachers have on so many young lives.

That’s something that stayed with me in my time as a councillor, when I was chairman of the education authority in Merton. It stayed with me as a new MP, when the very first speech I gave was about education, and in my first frontbench job, was as shadow schools minister and then as shadow education secretary.

And it is something that drives me today as Prime Minister.

When I stood on the steps outside this house almost two years ago, I talked about my desire to tackle the burning injustices facing our country today.

And education is the key to doing so, and that means teachers like you are the key to making Britain the great meritocracy it can and should be.

The generations of famous figures who have graced this room throughout history owe their successes to the teachers who inspired and educated them. Teachers just like you.

So I want to thank you, and thank all teachers, for everything you have already done to nurture the next generation.

And let me say, once again, how much I look forward to working with you so that every child in every corner of this country has the best possible start in life.”

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said:

I am disappointed, but not surprised, that Maduro pressed ahead with deeply flawed elections to secure his own survival. They were neither free nor fair, and have further eroded Venezuelan democracy. There is an urgent need to restore democratic order, release political prisoners, and respect the National Assembly and political opposition.

The condemnation of the international community is loud and clear. We shall work closely with our EU and regional partners in the coming weeks to determine how we can continue to support a political resolution.

I remain deeply concerned by the man-made humanitarian and economic crisis, which is growing worse by the day. I urge the Venezuelan government to take immediate action, and let the international community deliver essential food and medicines. The suffering of ordinary Venezuelan people cannot be allowed to continue.

Further information

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The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is consulting on a new measure of the number of people claiming unemployment-related benefits to provide consistency over time.

This follows a decision by the UK Statistics Authority to remove the National Statistics quality mark from the current Claimant Count statistics as they no longer provide a reliable measure of movements in the labour market.

The Claimant Count is rising in areas where Universal Credit has rolled out because it is counting people in the ‘Searching for Work’ Universal Credit conditionality group. Some of these people would not previously have been included in the Claimant Count under Jobseeker’s Allowance.

More consistent data will allow more meaningful comparisons over time so that the government can be held to account for its progress on supporting everyone who wants to work, to find a job.

In a consultation launched today by Minister of State for Employment Alok Sharma MP, the DWP is seeking views on 2 alternative options.

Having a more accurate picture will help Local Authorities and Jobcentre Plus understand the needs in their communities.

Minister of State for Employment Alok Sharma said:

I am delighted that we have record employment in the British economy, but it is also important that we have an accurate measure of the number of people claiming unemployment-related benefits so we can provide support to those wanting to move into work or to a better paid job.

I urge all those with an interest in this area to take part in this consultation.

More information

The consultation will run for 8 weeks until 21 July 2018.

Contact Press Office

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Zaid Fares Al-Safee, 29, from West London, was a registered director of Exotic Global Limited, a company that sold new cars and light motor vehicles.

The company was first incorporated in 2013 but after almost two years of trading, in June 2015 Exotic Global Limited was placed into Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidation (CVL) and an insolvency practitioner was appointed.

However, Zaid Fares Al-Safee’s failed to deliver Exotic Global Limited’s accounting records to the insolvency practitioner and this led to a report being submitted to the Secretary of State highlighting Zaid Fares Al-Safee’s lack of co-operation.

The Insolvency Service then carried out an in-depth investigation but the continued absence of accounting records prevented the government agency from being able to verify who had control of Exotic Global Limited’s affairs.

This included the income and expenditure of the company, including Zaid Fares Al-Safee’s remuneration, the acquisition or subsequent disposal of assets and the full nature of Exotic Global Limited’s trading activities.

Trading activities that were unexplained included the purchase and sale of 14 luxury vehicles in excess of £1.2 million, VAT assessments totalling £498,106.80, the expenditure of a £318k loan, as well as the purchase and sale of 45 vehicles totalling £354,553 and two personalised number plates totalling £40,023.

After a two-day trial, ICC Judge Jones in the High Court ordered on 14 March 2018 that Zaid Fares Al-Safee was to be disqualified for 13 years, banning him from directly or indirectly becoming involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company without the permission of the court.

Ken Beasley, Official Receiver for the Insolvency Service, said:

“Maintaining and keeping adequate accounting records is a legal requirement for all companies. Failure to do so is serious misconduct and the length of Mr Zaid Fares Al-Safee’s disqualification reflects this.”

Notes to editors

Mr Zaid Fares Al-Safee is from London and his date of birth is May 1988.

Exotic Global Limited (Company Registration number 08753565) was incorporated on 29 October 2013 and traded from Park West Garage, Underground Car Park, Park West Place, London, W2 2QZ.

The Investigation found that between 29 October 2013 and 03 June 2015, Zaid Fares Al-Safee failed to ensure that Exotic Global Limited maintained or preserved adequate accounting records or in the alternative, he failed to deliver up such records as were maintained or preserved.

A disqualification order has the effect that without specific permission of a court, a person with a disqualification cannot:

• act as a director of a company
• take part, directly or indirectly, in the promotion, formation or management of a company or limited liability partnership
• be a receiver of a company’s property

Disqualification undertakings are the administrative equivalent of a disqualification order but do not involve court proceedings. Persons subject to a disqualification order are bound by a range of other restrictions.

The Insolvency Service administers the insolvency regime, investigating all compulsory liquidations and individual insolvencies (bankruptcies) through the Official Receiver to establish why they became insolvent. It may also use powers under the Companies Act 1985 to conduct confidential fact-finding investigations into the activities of live limited companies in the UK. In addition, the agency authorises and regulates the insolvency profession, deals with disqualification of directors in corporate failures, assesses and pays statutory entitlement to redundancy payments when an employer cannot or will not pay employees, provides banking and investment services for bankruptcy and liquidation estate funds and advises ministers and other government departments on insolvency law and practice.

Further information about the work of the Insolvency Service, and how to complain about financial misconduct, is available.

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Media enquiries for this press release – 020 7596 6187 or 020 7637 6498

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Indigo Telcom Group were delighted to welcome the Rt Hon Alun Cairns MP, Secretary of State for Wales, to officially open their new Global Support Centre in Magor, Monmouthshire today Monday 21st May 2018.

The visit comes as part of the Welsh Secretary’s ongoing mission to encourage business growth in the Welsh economy.

Indigo-Belcom is a leading independent global telecom services delivery partner offering high value, mission critical solutions to the fixed and mobile carrier and enterprise sectors.

The company, which has offices in London, Europe and Asia, has recently relocated its headquarters from Caldicot to new offices in Magor.

Stephen Thompson, Group Chief Executive Officer of Indigo Telcom Group, said:

We are delighted that the Secretary of State was able to officially open our new Global Support Centre.

The Global Support Centre is at the core of Indigo-Belcom’s business activities. It is fully manned 24/7, 365 days a year by a team of highly skilled and experienced staff. Our team are able to provide on-site same day support to customers in over 70 countries.

We have already recruited some fantastic technical call handlers from the local area and have several new roles we hope to fulfil imminently to complete the team.

The Secretary of State for Wales unveiled a commemorative plaque as part of the official opening.

Alun Cairns said:

I am delighted to have the honour of officially opening Indigo-Belcom’s new Global Support Centre. The company’s continued investment in its Welsh operation highlights not only the global company’s confidence in the Welsh and UK economy but also demonstrates the company’s commitment to its skilled workforce.

The UK Government is working hard to support the growth of a world-leading cluster of hi-tech expertise in Wales. The removal of the tolls on the Severn Crossings later this year is a prime example of that effort.

Indigo-Belcom is exactly the type of business that the South Wales economy needs to create jobs, drive productivity and deliver prosperity for years to come.

ENDS

As part of his five-day tour of Latin America, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson will attend today’s (21 May) G20 meeting of Foreign Ministers in Buenos Aires.

Mr Johnson will have bilateral meetings with a number of foreign ministers in the margins of the G20, including China’s Wang Yi, South Korea’s Kang-Kyung-wha, and Turkey’s Mevlut Cavusoglu.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said:

The G20 meeting in Buenos Aires is the ideal platform for the UK to continue to raise some of the most pressing issues in the world today, including fighting terrorism, tackling modern slavery, combatting the illegal wildlife trade, and raising standards of education for women and girls around the world.

While in Buenos Aires, the Foreign Secretary will also hold a meeting with Argentina’s Security Minister, Patricia Bullrich, where both countries will sign a memorandum of understanding on a number of global issues.

Notes for editors

1. The themes for the 2018 Foreign Minister’s G20 include the role of the G20, multilateralism and good governance, and action for fair and sustainable development.
2. G20 Foreign Ministers have met twice previously – under the Mexican and German G20 Presidencies in 2012 and 2017 respectively.
3. Mr Johnson recently launched his Platform for Education, a group of 12 influential figures from across the Commonwealth to drive forward the political momentum on girls’ education, hold countries to account and champion good practice.
4. The UK has also launched a £5m policy lab bringing experts from across the Commonwealth to share technical skills, drive up performance and tackle the root causes of girls’ illiteracy.

Further information

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