Of course most of the doom and gloom mainstream media may not be interested in featuring any positive British news stories, but we certainly are.
Keep checking in with the Conservative Post to see good news every day – the resurgence of British manufacturing, how our military is flying the flag across the world, positive policy making, global trade deals, our wonderful royals and many other things to be proud of.
Here are our 20 best read and most shared positive news stories from just this week (3rd – 9th July 2023):
20. ‘Our most successful yet’: Team GB chief reflects on European Games 2023
After twelve days of sporting action in Kraków-Małopolska, Team GB are returning victorious after our most successful European Games yet. Our athletes delivered exactly as we had prepared for. They thrived on the field of play, executing performance plans to the letter and bringing home results that speak for themselves. We broke the record we set in Baku 2015, winning more medals than we have ever done before at a European Games with 84 of our 177 athletes taking the podium. We saw medal-winning performances in 13 of the sports we were represented in, with several athletes winning multiple medals… click here
19. Record £10 million boost to see thousands more access free legal support
Thousands more vulnerable people will be able to access free and early legal advice to resolve issues quickly and avoid court room proceedings, thanks to a record boost in government funding. The Improving Outcomes Through Legal Support grant works by funding free legal advice and support services for those facing welfare, housing, family or debt issues – supporting them to tackle their problems before they reach court. It also offers free legal representation to people whose cases do require actioning in the courts. A new investment of £10.4 million now means that more charities than ever – 59 in total… click here
18. First three marine areas in England receive highest levels of protection
The first three Highly Protected Marine Areas in England are now under the highest level of protection in our seas, as their designations came into effect this week. This will help protect some of our most precious marine species and habitats such as honeycomb worm reefs, northern gannets and harbour porpoises, improving the health of our ocean for generations to come. As an independent coastal state, the Highly Protected Marine Areas represent a huge leap forward in the UK government’s ambitious marine conservation targets and commitments to protecting our blue planet – set out in the Environmental Improvement Plan… click here
17. Pornography review launched to ensure strongest safeguards
Regulation of online pornography in the UK will undergo a thorough review to make sure it is fit for purpose in tackling exploitation and abuse, the government has announced this week. As the way we consume media and access content rapidly changes, the Review will investigate any gaps in UK regulation which allows exploitation and abuse to take place online as well as identifying barriers to enforcing criminal law. While the criminal law has been updated in recent years to tackle the presence of extreme and revenge pornography, there are currently different regimes that address the publication and distribution of commercial pornographic… click here
16. Mission to map the “dark Universe” sets off on space journey following £37 million UK Space Agency funding
A mission to explore how gravity, dark energy and dark matter has shaped the Universe has launched following £37 million UK Space Agency funding. The Euclid space telescope will map the “dark Universe” by observing billions of galaxies out to 10 billion lightyears, across more than a third of the sky, to gather data on how its structure has formed over its cosmic history. Secretary of State for Science and Technology Chloe Smith said: “The launch of the Euclid mission is a truly significant moment. Backed by £37 million in UK funding and supported by our remarkable scientific talent and expertise…” Click here
15. British Steel wins 4-year supply contract with Belgian railway infrastructure manager Infrabel
British Steel’s Rail business is celebrating another successful contract win with Belgian railway infrastructure manager Infrabel. The 4-year agreement will see British Steel supply 40,000 tonnes of high-quality rail in various profiles for the maintenance and renewal of track across the Belgian rail network. The 100-metre-long rails will be manufactured at British Steel’s Rail and Section Mill in Scunthorpe, before making their way by rail to Infrabel’s welding facility in Belgium… click here
14. Jaguar Land Rover trains hundreds in new data skills – helping drive greater Range Rover production
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is delivering the largest data upskilling apprenticeship programme in England through the Multiverse Data Fellowship Apprenticeship – with more than 600 employees enrolled. The programme aims to boost the company’s digital transformation, and it is already seeing the benefits. Within six months of being enrolled onto the programme, Kamil Poreda, Facilities Monitoring Controller and Data Fellowship Apprentice, was able to help identify production inefficiencies by creating a specialist dashboard for maintenance managers… click here
13. Youth services across England set to benefit over summer with more access to sport, arts and opportunities
Young people living in anti-social behaviour hotspots in England will get more access to sport, arts and opportunities to develop skills this summer, thanks to the first £3 million from the Million Hours Fund. To mark the start of Anti-Social Behaviour Awareness Week, the first round of funding from Government and The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest community funder in the UK, will make grants available for youth organisations to provide more out-of-school activities and support more young people in areas of high need this summer… click here
12. UK and Poland strengthen foreign policy, security and defence cooperation
The UK and Poland will deepen their foreign policy, security and defence cooperation following the signing of a new partnership. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Defence Secretary Ben Wallace signed a new bilateral ‘2030 Partnership’ with Poland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Zbigniew Rau and Minister for National Defence Mariusz Błaszczak at Lancaster House this week. The partnership sets out joint priorities on issues ranging from Belarus to China, to cooperation on defence capability and operations. It builds on the 2017 UK-Poland Treaty on Defence and Security Cooperation and three decades of close cooperation… click here
11. British machinery giant JCB wins 900 machine deal from national builders’ merchant
JCB has won one of its biggest orders of the year after a 900-machine deal was signed with national builders’ merchant Jewson. The order for machines worth more than £12 million is the biggest ever placed by Tool Hire – the rental division of Jewson – in the 20 years since JCB first began supplying the company. And the special anniversary is being marked in electrifying style – literally – as the new fleet of machines includes 19C-1 E electric mini excavator models and 1TE electric site dumpers. As well as being considerably quieter, the electric models offer zero emissions at the point of use and comparable performance to diesel counterparts… click here
10. New government-funded hotline to end veteran homelessness now live across the UK
From this week, vulnerable veterans across the country will have access to Op FORTITUDE, a new dedicated referral pathway for homeless veterans, including those sleeping on the streets. The first-of-its-kind hotline is part of a two-year £8.55 million programme to fulfil the government’s pledge to end veteran rough sleeping. The Veterans’ Strategy Action Plan sets out the intention to achieve this within the current Parliament, but thanks to new funding this is set to be achieved ahead of schedule. Run by social housing provider Riverside Group, the £500,000 housing hotline will give homeless veterans a single point of contact to get them the help they need… click here
9. MADE IN BRITAIN: New technology hub to accelerate next generation Airbus wings
Airbus is investing further in its UK innovation capabilities, with the opening of a new Wing Technology Development Centre (WTDC) at its Filton site in England. The facility, which will be used to build and test demonstrators for a range of programmes and research projects, was opened this week by Nusrat Ghani, UK Minister of State at the Department for Business and Trade. The new facility will help Airbus accelerate the design, build and testing of wings for next generation aircraft, by using the latest technology and world-leading demonstrators to further improve the performance of its wings… click here
8. Face to face health checks more than double in one year
More than one million people had a face-to-face NHS Health Check last year – more than double the previous year – new data published by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) today shows. The NHS Health Check helps to prevent heart attacks and strokes and is currently a face-to-face check-up for adults in England aged 40 to 74. It can help spot early signs of stroke, kidney disease, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, or dementia. The new data published by OHID shows face-to-face health checks have recovered to pre-pandemic levels thanks to the efforts of local authorities and NHS staff, helping to prevent potentially deadly cardiovascular disease across the country… click here
7. BAE Systems wins major US Navy support contract
BAE Systems, the major British manufacturer of aircraft, missiles, avionics, and other aerospace and defence products has won another major US Navy contract. BAE Systems has been awarded a $37 million U.S. Department of Defense Ordnance Technology Consortium (DOTC) contract to design the Next Generation Evolved SeaSparrow Missile Launch System (NGELS). The company will support the NATO SeaSparrow Program Office (NSPO) to design and deliver prototype deck launching systems to support the U.S. Navy and allied countries with the Evolved SeaSparrow Missile (ESSM) ship self-defense system… click here
6. Government funding boost kickstarts delivery of historic new free childcare offers
Nurseries across the UK are set to receive a £204 million cash boost as part of the Government’s promise to deliver the largest ever investment in childcare. The plans, which were announced in the Spring Budget, are designed to remove significant barriers to support parents to return to work and help to grow the economy by making childcare more accessible. Every area across the country is getting a share of the government funding which childcare providers can use to ease cost pressures such as staffing costs, training and bills… click here
5. On-the spot fines for litter, graffiti and fly-tipping set to rise as part of crackdown on anti-social behaviour
On-the spot fines for litter, graffiti and fly-tipping are set to rise as part of a crackdown on anti-social behaviour, Environment Minister Rebecca Pow announced this week. Environmental crimes like littering and fly-tipping are cynical and opportunistic, damaging wildlife and nature, creating eyesores and ruining our enjoyment of the great outdoors. The new upper limit to fines will deter people from harming our public spaces in the first place, and ensure that those who continue to offend face tougher consequences… click here
4. UK industry reveals advanced technologies for next generation flying combat air demonstrator
Engineers from the UK’s leading combat air industry partners have released more details about work taking place to deliver the UK’s first flying combat air demonstrator for a generation. Experts from BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, Leonardo UK, MBDA and the Ministry of Defence are collaborating with a range of British small and medium sized enterprises to develop the technologies needed to deliver the UK’s next generation supersonic stealth combat aircraft, Tempest… click here
3. England’s young lions crowned champions of Europe
Lee Carsley’s Young English Lions were crowned as champions of Europe last night after Curtis Jones’ first-half goal sealed a win over Spain in Georgia. James Trafford was the hero as his last-minute penalty save saw England men’s under-21s crowned European champions with a 1-0 victory over Spain. Trafford superbly saved from Abel Ruiz in the ninth minute of added time after the Spanish captain was fouled by Levi Colwill, to seal a third-ever title. The victory for Lee Carsley’s men is the third time England have lifted the UEFA European Under-21 Championship, finally following on from back-to-back victories in 1982 and 1984… click here
2. Advanced £870 million radar contract sustains 600 UK jobs
An £870 million five-year contract has been awarded to BAE Systems and Leonardo UK to upgrade radar capabilities on the RAF Typhoon, fitting the fighter jets with one of the world’s most advanced radars – the European Common Radar System (ECRS) Mk2. Following last year’s announcement at the 2022 Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT), in which Defence committed to a £2.35 billion investment to several upgrades for Typhoon, this is the first contract allocated from that major and complex investment and will see the completion of the development and integration of the ECRS Mk2… click here
1. King Charles presented with Scotland’s crown jewels in a ceremony to mark his Coronation
Over 700 members of the Armed Forces led the ceremonial elements of the National Service of Thanksgiving on the occasion of the Presentation of the Honours of Scotland to The King and Queen, at St Giles’ Cathedral in Scotland this week. King Charles was presented with Scotland’s crown jewels in a ceremony to mark his Coronation which included receiving the crown and sceptre which form part of the Honours of Scotland. The Honours of Scotland are the oldest Crown jewels in Britain. They consist of the Crown of Scotland, the Sceptre, and the Sword of State. Made of gold, silver and precious gems, the priceless crown, sceptre and sword… click here
For last week’s Top 20 Great British news stories (26th June – 2nd July 2023) click here.
By Claire Bullivant
Conservative Post, Founder and Editor
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