https://www.scmp.com/rss/522242/feed The latest news and top stories on The British government. A prominent London-based central governmental body, the British government serves as the United Kingdom’s central executive authority. Headquartered primarily in Whitehall and 10 Downing Street, its core mission involves national administration and policy-making, managing the country’s daily affairs. Key activities include setting taxes, delivering public services (e.g., NHS, armed forces), and overseeing defence and foreign policy.... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Reuters Reuters Britain’s government said on Saturday it had ⁠put on hold ⁠its deal to cede sovereignty ⁠of the Chagos Islands – home to the US-British Diego Garcia airbase – which has been criticised by US President Donald Trump. British media reported that planned legislation underpinning the deal to cede the ‌islands to Mauritius, which needs the backing of Washington, would not be included in the government’s next parliamentary agenda. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office said London would try to persuade... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3349744/trump-critique-pauses-uk-handover-chagos-islands-mauritius?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3349744/trump-critique-pauses-uk-handover-chagos-islands-mauritius?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 09:11:13 +0000 Reuters Reuters The UK ⁠government gave authorisation on Friday ⁠for the US to use military bases in Britain to carry out strikes on Iranian missile sites that are attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz. British ministers met on Friday ‌to discuss the war with Iran and Iran’s blocking of the Strait of Hormuz, according to a Downing Street statement. “They confirmed that the agreement for the US to use UK bases in the collective self-defence of the region includes US defensive operations to degrade the missile... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3347394/uk-allows-us-use-its-bases-strike-iran-missile-sites-targeting-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3347394/uk-allows-us-use-its-bases-strike-iran-missile-sites-targeting-hormuz?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 19:07:36 +0000 William Yiu William Yiu The UK government has confirmed that stricter English language requirements for immigrants announced earlier this month will not apply to Hongkongers using the British National (Overseas) visa pathway. The clarification from Minister for Migration and Citizenship Mike Tapp came after more than 30 members of parliament sent a letter to the Home Office last month urging it to maintain the existing English threshold for BN(O) applicants. “The increase in the English language requirement in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3347139/hongkongers-bno-pathway-wont-face-tougher-english-test-uk-confirms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3347139/hongkongers-bno-pathway-wont-face-tougher-english-test-uk-confirms?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 07:21:04 +0000 Reuters Reuters The British government is looking to provide “targeted” support for ⁠poorer households to offset the impact of ⁠surging energy costs due to the conflict ⁠in the Middle East, finance minister Rachel Reeves has said. In an interview published on Saturday, Reeves told the Times newspaper the government was looking at options to help those vulnerable to sharp rises in energy prices, especially those who relied on heating oil, but ruled out universal help for all households, saying it would be... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3346616/uk-eyes-targeted-support-households-amid-rising-energy-costs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3346616/uk-eyes-targeted-support-households-amid-rising-energy-costs?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 12:35:27 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen The Chinese embassy in Britain has slammed London’s “malicious” plan to expand an immigration pathway for Hongkongers after the sentencing of former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying to 20 years in prison, accusing the UK of “manipulating” the issue. A spokesman for the Chinese embassy on Tuesday urged the UK government to stop interfering in China’s domestic affairs after it expanded the British National (Overseas) visa scheme in response to Lai’s sentencing. “The UK’s previous actions of this... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3343026/chinese-embassy-uk-slams-bno-expansion-manipulating-jimmy-lai-case?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3343026/chinese-embassy-uk-slams-bno-expansion-manipulating-jimmy-lai-case?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 06:33:14 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo While China emerges as an unmistakable superpower, “Great” Britain or the “United” Kingdom increasingly sounds like self-mockery. Much of the UK outside London is threatening to descend into developing-world status. There have been at least a dozen instances of English councils declaring bankruptcy since 2018, while one in four could be insolvent by 2027. Diplomatically, it turns out the American cousin across the Atlantic thinks nothing of the so-called special relationship, as London... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3342457/starmer-faces-hysterical-backlash-over-new-chinese-embassy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3342457/starmer-faces-hysterical-backlash-over-new-chinese-embassy?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 12:30:10 +0000 Liu Zhen Liu Zhen Chinese President Xi Jinping received a unique gift from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Beijing on Thursday: the official match ball from Manchester United’s 3-2 win over Arsenal, according to media reports. Starmer is on an official visit to China, the first by a British leader since 2018 and while he is an ardent Arsenal fan, Xi is reportedly a supporter of Manchester United. The gift linked two of the English Premier League’s most celebrated teams and was part of broader efforts to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341733/chinas-xi-britains-starmer-hopes-gift-manchester-united-match-ball-scores-points?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341733/chinas-xi-britains-starmer-hopes-gift-manchester-united-match-ball-scores-points?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jan 2026 14:34:37 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The British government said on Sunday it will unveil plans this week to create a new national police force, dubbed the “British FBI”, to take charge of complex investigations such as counterterrorism, fraud, online child abuse and criminal gangs. The National Police Service will bring under the same umbrella the work of existing agencies dealing with terrorism and crime, police helicopters and policing of the roads, and regional organised crime units in England and Wales. Home Secretary Shabana... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3341189/uk-create-british-fbi-bring-national-investigations-under-single-police-force?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3341189/uk-create-british-fbi-bring-national-investigations-under-single-police-force?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Jan 2026 22:37:46 +0000 Reuters Reuters Britain’s former US ambassador Peter Mandelson, who was dismissed over his ‌links to Jeffrey Epstein last year, apologised on Sunday to the victims of ‍the late convicted sex offender but not for his own actions. Mandelson was fired in September over emails that came to light revealing a much closer relationship than previously acknowledged. The veteran British politician ⁠called Epstein “my best pal” and had advised him on seeking early jail release. “I want to apologise to those women for a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3339520/uks-former-us-envoy-peter-mandelson-apologises-epsteins-victims-not-his-own-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3339520/uks-former-us-envoy-peter-mandelson-apologises-epsteins-victims-not-his-own-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Jan 2026 19:21:12 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar called on Sunday for Jews in Western countries to move to Israel to escape rising antisemitism, one week after 15 were shot dead at a Jewish event in Sydney. “Jews have the right to live in safety everywhere. But we see and fully understand what is happening, and we have a certain historical experience. “Today, Jews are being hunted across the world,” Saar said at a public candle lighting marking the last day of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. “Today I call... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3337254/israeli-foreign-minister-urges-jews-move-israel-week-after-sydney-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3337254/israeli-foreign-minister-urges-jews-move-israel-week-after-sydney-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Dec 2025 21:11:13 +0000 Victor Dawes Victor Dawes I grew up in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district and Wang Fuk Court was a stone’s throw away from my school. In the recent fire, 16 students and one staff member of my alma mater were affected. Fortunately, there were no casualties among them, but homes were destroyed and their loss was profoundly felt. The alumni circle was unanimously grief-stricken and many made every effort to offer whatever modest help we could. In the wake of the fire, messages of sympathy and concern for Hong Kong arrived one... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3336838/despite-lapses-behind-tai-po-fire-hong-kongs-unity-shows-time-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3336838/despite-lapses-behind-tai-po-fire-hong-kongs-unity-shows-time-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 01:30:11 +0000 Lord Stockwood Lord Stockwood There are few truly global hubs in the world. London is one. New York is another. But neither of them connect East and West quite like Hong Kong. I visited the city last week as part of the inaugural UK Investment Conference and saw first-hand the energy and resilience that define this city. That makes the recent tragedy in Tai Po all the more heartbreaking. My message to the people of Hong Kong after this deadly fire is this: we offer our profound sympathy to all those whose lives and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3335801/hong-kong-natural-bridge-uks-improving-ties-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3335801/hong-kong-natural-bridge-uks-improving-ties-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Dec 2025 08:30:07 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that he and his negotiators who are discussing a US-led plan for Ukraine had a “very substantive and constructive” call with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. “Ukraine is committed to continuing to work honestly with the American side to bring about real peace,” Zelensky said on Telegram as the third day of the talks were to be held in Florida. “We agreed on the next steps and the format of the talks with America,” he added. Zelensky, who... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3335482/ukraines-zelensky-holds-very-substantive-call-trump-envoys-witkoff-and-kushner?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3335482/ukraines-zelensky-holds-very-substantive-call-trump-envoys-witkoff-and-kushner?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Dec 2025 17:20:42 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo As sure as night follows day, you can always count on the big Western media outlets to politicise anything bad that happens in Hong Kong or on the mainland. So with the horrific Tai Po fire, you can be sure those platforms will go to town with that approach. The real cause of the fatal fire? Well, of course, it’s all about democracy and freedom, or rather the lack of their Western versions in China. The same old “democracy” explains everything, which turns every ignorant foreign commentator into... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3335262/politicisation-hong-kongs-fire-tragedy-western-media-new-low?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3335262/politicisation-hong-kongs-fire-tragedy-western-media-new-low?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Dec 2025 01:30:09 +0000 Matthew Cheng Matthew Cheng Nearly one-third of Hongkongers planning to settle in the UK under the British National (Overseas) visa scheme are retirees, homemakers or students, groups likely to be affected by a proposed income threshold for immigrants, a survey has shown. It also found that 16 per cent of BN(O) visa holders who had only completed secondary school might struggle to meet the tougher English-language requirement, according to a survey by the London-based Sutton Hongkongers group. The survey interviewed 690... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3334069/tougher-uk-immigration-rules-could-hit-hong-kong-bno-migrants-hard-survey-finds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3334069/tougher-uk-immigration-rules-could-hit-hong-kong-bno-migrants-hard-survey-finds?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Nov 2025 00:30:09 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen The UK government has rowed back from setting tougher English language requirements on Hongkongers seeking to settle in the country through the British National (Overseas) pathway, saying it will be subject to consultation. Minister for Migration and Citizenship Mike Tapp also said the government would consider extending the pathway to Hongkongers born after the city’s return to Chinese sovereignty in 1997, who may not hold BN(O) passports. During a parliament debate on Tuesday about the Labour... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3334144/uk-back-pedals-tougher-english-language-test-hongkongers-bno-pathway?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3334144/uk-back-pedals-tougher-english-language-test-hongkongers-bno-pathway?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Nov 2025 15:59:08 +0000 Cliff Buddle Cliff Buddle Britain’s crackdown on immigration accelerated last week with the unveiling of radical reforms which will make it more difficult for those embarking on a new life in the country to settle there. The sweeping changes will apply not only to asylum seekers but to migrants who have entered the UK lawfully since 2021. The goalposts are moving. Tighter restrictions for people who relocate to the UK through legal routes, such as for work or study, are the subject of a 12-week consultation. The aim,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3333813/bn0-visa-holders-deserve-clarity-pathway-new-life-uk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3333813/bn0-visa-holders-deserve-clarity-pathway-new-life-uk?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Nov 2025 15:43:39 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A public inquiry report released on Thursday slammed the UK’s initial response to the coronavirus pandemic in the early months of 2020 as “too little, too late”, saying the failure to lock down the country earlier “led to an unacceptable loss of life”. The inquiry, chaired by former judge Heather Hallett, found that chaos at the heart of the then Conservative government and a failure to take Covid-19 seriously potentially cost 23,000 lives in England alone during the first wave of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3333600/too-little-too-late-former-uk-government-slammed-its-initial-covid-19-response?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3333600/too-little-too-late-former-uk-government-slammed-its-initial-covid-19-response?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Nov 2025 17:20:26 +0000 Fiona Sun Fiona Sun The biggest shake-up of Britain’s immigration system in nearly half a century will not affect a five-year pathway to permanent settlement for Hongkongers, the UK government has said. The British government unveiled a major shift in its profile for legal migrants on Thursday, saying it was prioritising those contributing to the UK economy and playing by the rules, days after announcing the most sweeping reforms to tackle illegal migration in decades. The government earlier announced it would... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3333590/hong-kongs-bno-holders-unaffected-uk-immigration-shake?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3333590/hong-kongs-bno-holders-unaffected-uk-immigration-shake?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Nov 2025 13:44:43 +0000 Matthew Cheng Matthew Cheng Britain has reaffirmed its commitment to the Hongkongers it “repatriated” under a bespoke migration pathway, but it remains unclear how the scheme will be affected by what London has called “the most significant reform” to its immigration system. Consultations will be announced later this week to discuss the proposed changes to make asylum seekers wait 20 years, up from the current five-year requirement, before they can permanently settle in the United Kingdom. But concerns have been raised... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3333222/britain-reaffirms-support-hongkongers-bno-visas-amid-sweeping-asylum-reforms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3333222/britain-reaffirms-support-hongkongers-bno-visas-amid-sweeping-asylum-reforms?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Nov 2025 06:18:12 +0000 Harvey Kong,Lo Hoi-ying Harvey Kong,Lo Hoi-ying Hong Kong authorities have strongly condemned the “untruthful remarks, slanders and smears” in the UK’s monitoring report on the city, which claimed that national security legislation had diminished the city’s political autonomy. British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, in her report, also said it was “hardly surprising” that hundreds of thousands of people had left the city to places where “freedoms are better protected” as she reiterated London’s commitment to the British National (Overseas),... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3330151/hong-kong-government-condemns-smears-uks-latest-6-month-monitoring-report-city?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3330151/hong-kong-government-condemns-smears-uks-latest-6-month-monitoring-report-city?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Oct 2025 03:42:48 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press He won’t call himself a duke any more, but that is not enough for many of Prince Andrew’s critics. Buckingham Palace and the British government were under pressure Monday to formally strip Prince Andrew of his princely title and sumptuous home after new revelations about his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. After discussions with his elder brother King Charles, Andrew agreed on Friday to stop using titles including Duke of York. It was the latest effort to insulate the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3329768/palace-and-uk-government-under-pressure-strip-prince-andrew-titles-and-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3329768/palace-and-uk-government-under-pressure-strip-prince-andrew-titles-and-home?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Oct 2025 07:11:13 +0000 dpa dpa The British government defended the Online Safety Act after US tech billionaire Elon Musk’s X said the legislation was threatening free speech. In a post titled What Happens When Oversight Becomes Overreach, the platform, formerly known as Twitter, outlined criticism of the act and the “heavy-handed” UK regulators. The government countered that it is “demonstrably false” that the Online Safety Act compromises free speech and said it is not designed to censor political debate. Under rules that... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3320544/uk-defends-online-safety-act-after-x-claims-it-threatens-free-speech?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3320544/uk-defends-online-safety-act-after-x-claims-it-threatens-free-speech?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Aug 2025 10:25:44 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The British government said on Friday it welcomed footage showing French police stopping a small boat carrying migrants from setting off across the Channel. The UK and France have been rowing for years about who should be responsible for dealing with many thousands of migrants who make their way from Africa and the Middle East to the northern coast of France in a bid to get to Britain by boat. The BBC on Friday broadcast footage of French police puncturing a boat with a knife as it was about to... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3317046/uk-welcomes-french-police-puncturing-boat-prevent-migrants-crossing-channel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3317046/uk-welcomes-french-police-puncturing-boat-prevent-migrants-crossing-channel?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Jul 2025 15:43:31 +0000