Politics

“In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart.”

That idea, so simply and so beautifully expressed by a young girl more than 70 years ago, has been sorely tested of late.

In recent months and years, hatred, bigotry and sometimes violent intolerance of others has crept back into popular consciousness.

It springs from and targets all communities, and it manifests itself in a variety of ways.

We’ve seen vicious abuse doled out online, going way beyond the boundaries of legitimate debate.

We’ve seen a spike in hate crime on the streets of Britain, including a significant surge in reports of anti-Semitic abuse.

And of course we’ve seen the shocking, disgusting murder of a bright young Member of Parliament at the hands of a hate-fuelled extremist.

Brendan, I think I speak for everyone here when I say that your strength, courage and positivity in the face of such a tragedy has been an inspiration to us all.

Of course, hatred of people who are different is nothing new.

What’s different today is that we have no excuses for not tackling it.

We have all seen, too many times, where hatred leads if left unchecked.

We all know the harm that can be inflicted on people and the damage that can be done to communities if we allow bigotry to spread and divisions to grow.

In 2017, we can’t look the other way and pretend we didn’t know what was happening.

Each of us has a moral duty to tackle hatred and prejudice.

And the Anne Frank Trust is undoubtedly leading from the front in doing just that.

Every year the Trust reaches out to 30,000 schoolchildren, shaping and changing attitudes in the next generation.

It has delivered more than 100 projects in 70 prisons, bringing its vital message to people who are too often overlooked in the fight against bigotry.

And its touring exhibitions have taken the lessons of Anne’s life and death into the heart of communities right across the UK.

Thanks to the Trust, countless men, women and children around the world have pledged to stand up for what is right, to defend those who cannot defend themselves, and to strive for a world in which our differences make no difference.

It’s incredible work and I’m proud to support it.

I’m also proud to be part of a government that’s serious about tackling hate crime.

We already have one of the strongest legislative frameworks in the world.

Last year we published our new anti-hate crime strategy, which included £1 million for projects specifically targeted at young people.

Today I’m delighted to announce that we’re giving another £375,000 to five groups working with communities that face challenges in reporting hate crime.

These organisations work with a huge range of people.

Gypsies and travellers, religious and ethnic groups, even members of alternative sub-cultures such as goths.

The scope of these projects shows that hatred and bigotry is something that affects millions of lives across the country.

And I should know.

It’s something I’ve experienced myself.

Growing up in the 70s and 80s, and looking like I do, it was kind of inevitable.

There’s one incident that stands out, when I was at school and a fellow pupil called me a “Paki” to my face.

I should have taken the moral high road and challenged his behaviour.

Instead, I did what you probably wouldn’t expect of a future Cabinet Minister.

I punched him.

In the face.

And then he hit me back…

And all that happened was that we both got in trouble with the head.

20 years later I was in a lift in a Bristol shopping centre, when the doors opened and this guy stepped in.

I recognised him instantly.

And he recognised me.

And then, out of nowhere, he said:

“Saj, I’m sorry for what I did. I’m so sorry.”

He’d changed.

He’d learned that the way he treated me back then was wrong.

He’d learned the damage that abusive language could do.

And he was raising his own kids to see that racism was unacceptable.

For me, it showed that, yes, “people are really good at heart”.

We are capable of changing.

We can see the error of our ways.

That’s why it’s so important that we educate young people about where hatred can lead.

They are the parents, the leaders, the opinion-formers of tomorrow.

The new national Holocaust Memorial will have a huge role to play in making this happen.

I’m proud to be leading the project, and very happy to say that concept designs will be unveiled later today.

I’m also very happy to have Robert on our educational advisory panel.

Few people know as much about using education to challenge bigotry.

That’s why I applaud the work of the Anne Frank Trust, and of anyone who devotes themselves to tackling prejudice in all its forms.

Because we all have a moral duty to stand up to hatred.

And we’ve all seen what can happen if we don’t.

Thank you.

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The UK and Japan have today (26 January 2017) signed the Defence Logistics Treaty to make it easier for our Armed Forces to work together on a range of activities, including UN peacekeeping operations and joint humanitarian aid and disaster relief missions.

This agreement follows the success of the first ever joint exercise in Japan between the Royal Air Force and Japanese Air Self-Defense Force during last year’s historic Asia-Pacific tour.

This was another example of our ever closer defence cooperation with Japan as the UK’s closest security partner in Asia.

The agreement includes practical arrangements that will allow both countries’ forces to share equipment, facilities and services in a simpler and more efficient way. It covers the exchange of supplies and services, removing the need for individual agreements on a case by case basis.

Signing the treaty at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said:

The UK is working together with Japan as our closest security partner in Asia to promote global security, stability and prosperity. As two leading supporters of the international rules based system, this close collaboration between our forces will help support collective efforts to tackle international and regional challenges and threats.

Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon welcomed the agreement and said:

Japan is an important British ally and this treaty will enable closer joint work on operations and exercises, including sharing equipment, supplies and services. As Global Britain steps up, we will continue to stand alongside our Japanese friends to meet shared interests and challenges. This agreement underlines our commitment to tacking international threats which makes Britain safer and more secure.

Japan’s Ambassador to the UK, Koji Tsuruoka, who signed the treaty on behalf of the Government of Japan, said:

This treaty marks a significant moment in Japan’s security and defence relationship with the UK, Japan’s close partner that shares fundamental values such as the rule of law and democracy. The two countries will work together on security cooperation, as well as other global issues in this changing world.

Further information

Photographs of the signing are available at Foreign and Commonwealth Office Flickr

The Defence Logistics Treaty is also referred to as an Acquisition and Cross Servicing Agreement (ACSA). It was a commitment of the second 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministers’ meeting in January 2016, when Japan also agreed to host RAF Typhoons in October 2016 in an historic joint air force exercise – the country’s first ever with a military partner other than the USA.

UK-Japan defence and security cooperation is going from strength to strength. The UK and Japan continue to develop new defence technologies, with a particular focus on missile technology. 2016 also saw our cooperation in third countries expand from South East Asia to Africa.

As Japan prepares to host the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, our cooperation on cyber security is also expanding. Japan’s Olympics Minister, Tamayo Marukawa visited the UK in January to discuss the UK’s cyber expertise from London 2012 and the UK’s experience of crisis preparedness in managing large sporting events.

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