Once again there’s been plenty of positive British news this week. You might not hear about it on the BBC or most other news outlets, but remember positive things are happening across our great nation.
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 (21st – 27th August 2023):
20. British Armed Forces to benefit from £89 million battlefield network
Military personnel deployed on the battlefield will benefit from enhanced connectivity, following the award of an £89 million contract. The five-year contract has been awarded to BAE Systems to design and manufacture a deployable tactical Wide Area Network (WAN) known as ‘TRINITY’ – delivering a highly secure and state-of-the-art battlefield internet capability to UK forces. This contract named Design and Systems Integration Delivery (DSID) will directly support the Government’s priority to grow the economy by backing 60 UK jobs based in Dorset. It will also see further investment into UK skills… click here
19. Exports Minister boosts British businesses in Uzbekistan
Exports Minister Lord Offord is in Uzbekistan to expand on UK-Uzbek relations and find untapped business opportunities. With the wider Central Asian region expected to grow by 5.4 per cent in 2024, Uzbekistan offers clear and tangible opportunities for UK businesses. During a three-day mission to Uzbekistan, the Minister will meet government counterparts and business leaders and focus on infrastructure and mining opportunities for UK exports to boost our trade relationship. In addition to promoting UK exports, a key objective of the mission is to protect free trade and the UK is proud to support Uzbekistan’s accession to the World Trade Organisation… click here
18. UK among first countries to back new global nature recovery fund
The UK government has demonstrated its commitment to reversing the decline in nature by being one of the first countries to contribute to a newly established international fund aimed at tackling global biodiversity loss. Previously funded work included providing new software to support rangers in Africa to track and protect animals from poachers, targeted finance towards more effective ocean management strategies in Asia, and helping to safeguard the world’s remaining ancient primary forests… click here
17. Tens of thousands of students receive free training to build cyber skills
As students get ready to go back to school this September, schools are being encouraged to take advantage of free resources to boost cyber skills and set up aspiring young people to aim for careers in cyber. More than 50,000 students from 2,000 schools around the country have already been signed up to Cyber Explorers, a free learning platform provided by the UK government that introduces 11-14 year-olds to important cyber security concepts, supporting learning objectives for Key Stage 2 and 3… click here
16. Government suicide prevention fund for England’s charity sector to be boosted
Tens of thousands of people experiencing suicidal thoughts or approaching a mental health crisis will receive vital support, as the government relaunches a £10 million fund so charities can work with the NHS to provide life-saving suicide prevention services. Charities in communities across England can now apply for the latest round of funding from the Suicide Prevention Grant Fund which will ensure as many people as possible can access the support and prevention services they need, when they need it… click here
15. UK Research and Innovation invests £6 million to make fashion and textile industry more sustainable
Britain’s fashion and textile industry is estimated to be worth £21 billion to the UK economy, and provides more than half a million jobs. Fashion uses more energy than both aviation and shipping combined. The complexity and reach of the industry means the true impact on the environment is not fully understood. A £6 million investment by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) will help the fashion and textile industry integrate more sustainable and responsible practices… click here
14. Twelve new projects receive £16 million to restore peatlands across England
Thousands of hectares of peatlands – from the Great North Bog to the Norfolk Broads – are set to be restored with twelve new projects awarded funding today (26 August) to help tackle climate change and recover biodiversity. The Government is investing over £50 million in peat restoration, building on its pledge to restore approximately 35,000 hectares of peatland in England by the end of this Parliament, and leave the environment in a better state for future generations. The projects being awarded funding stretch from Somerset to County Durham and will see iconic peatland habitat… click here
13. Major investment to transform future of English chess announced
Chess will receive a major boost, thanks to a package of measures announced this week. The package will support primary school children attending schools in disadvantaged areas across England to learn and play chess, improve the visibility and availability of chess in communities, as well as fund elite playing as part of a combined package worth almost £1 million. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport will invest £500,000 in the English Chess Federation (ECF) over two years, in order to develop the next generation of world-class talent. Funds will support expert coaching, training camps and cutting-edge computer analysis for international events to assist current grandmasters and up-and-coming players… click here
12. Stellar results make Great Britain the only nation to win FIVE medals at World sailing Championships
Great Britain’s sailors left the World Championships with five medals, eight Olympic quota spots and a lot more to be proud of. Stellar results across the board helped Britain to finish as the only nation to win five medals at the 10-day regatta in The Hague. Britain showed its strength in the Olympics’ most exciting new sailing discipline, bringing home two world championship medals in the burgeoning Formula Kite class. Ellie Aldridge and Lily Young took silver and bronze respectively in the women’s kite, which will make its Olympic debut at Paris 2024… click here
11. £19 million Levelling Up funding for Gwynedd sites in Wales
An £18.8m investment from the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund aims to transform communities in Gwynedd’s World Heritage slate landscape, while a pub in the county has this week received £500,000 extra UK Government funding to develop it for the community. The multi-million pound grant for the Slate Landscape was awarded in January 2023 as part of Round 2 of the Levelling Fund which saw £208 million allocated to 11 projects across Wales, aiming to create jobs and drive economic growth in historically overlooked areas. Wales Office Minister James Davies this week visited the National Slate Museum and Parc Padarn in Llanberis… click here
10. UK aviation pioneer unveils refurbished facilities for development of zero-emissions aircraft
Cranfield Aerospace Solutions (CAeS), a world-leader in the development of zero-emission aircraft has unveiled its newly refurbished hangar and R&D facility at the heart of Cranfield University campus. The facility, leased by CAeS has undergone major refurbishments as part of Cranfield University’s decarbonisation plan, with significant investment into reducing the building’s carbon footprint… click here
9. Jackson Family Wines expands to the UK
“I believe England is the most exciting place in the world to be making wine right now.” A family-owned wine company with a collection of 40 wineries in significant winegrowing regions across the world such as California, France, Australia and South Africa is now expanding to the UK. Jackson Family Wines, the family-owned wine company founded in 1982, has announced it will expand its premium wine portfolio into the United Kingdom with winemaker Charlie Holland at the production helm. This represents Jackson Family Wines’ first foray into English wine and will complement its vineyard and winery holdings in cool-climate winegrowing regions around the world… click here
8. Tough new plans so society’s most depraved killers will face life behind bars
Society’s most depraved killers will face life behind bars with no chance of being released, under tough plans announced by the Government this week. Making sure that life means life, judges will be required to hand down mandatory whole life orders to the monsters who commit the most horrific types of murder. In the latest move to protect the public from the most dangerous offenders, this will place a legal expectation on judges to hand down whole life orders, except in extremely limited circumstances. By putting this on a legal footing, judges will have greater confidence to hand out whole life orders without a risk of challenge in the Courts of Appeal… click here
7. £13 million invested into UK’s cutting edge medicines manufacturing
Seventeen new projects will receive funding for cutting edge medicine manufacturing, delivered by the Innovate UK Transforming Medicine Manufacturing programme. Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency, has announced the winners of a series of competitions focusing on: nucleic acid medicines, intracellular drug delivery, digitalisation and automation. The projects span the country from Cambridge to Redcar and address different challenges. These include innovative technologies for nucleic acid manufacturing and intracellular drug delivery to improve vaccines and therapeutics deployment while also implementing digital and automation technologies to accelerate medicines manufacturing… click here
6. Ospreys breed in Northern Ireland for the first time in over 200 years
A pair of ospreys have bred at a confidential nest site in County Fermanagh, a first in Northern Ireland for more than 200 years. This beautiful bird of prey has re-colonised naturally in the area and has successfully produced at least two chicks – the first known wild osprey chicks in Northern Ireland in modern times. The historic discovery was made by Giles Knight, Environmental Farming Scheme Advisor with Ulster Wildlife, who has been observing the breeding pair for the last three seasons alongside his local farm visits in the area. The osprey is a magnificent bird of prey, with a wingspan of more than 1.5 metres. The birds spend the winter in West Africa and return to the UK each spring to refurbish their large stick nests and breed… click here
5. Access to veteran-specific supported housing and health care services at all-time high
“We’ve taken massive strides to making the UK the best place in the world to be a veteran by making sure the right support is available.” The Government has worked with NHS England, housing providers and charities to provide record levels of dedicated support for veterans, as outlined in the latest six monthly report published by the Office for Veterans’ Affairs (OVA) today. Op FORTITUDE is a first-of-its-kind, central referral pathway for veterans facing homelessness… click here
4. UK and Australia are committed to a free and open Pacific, says Foreign Secretary
“The UK and Australia are committed to a free and open Pacific. Together, we’re standing up for our countries’ values.” Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly and Australian Foreign Minister, Penny Wong had a friendly and productive meeting in Sydney this week. The Foreign Secretary welcomed progress and ongoing collaboration on AUKUS. He reiterated the UK’s full commitment to the AUKUS partnership and a free and open Indo-Pacific, as set out in the UK’s Integrated Review Refresh 2023… click here
3. Pupils in disadvantaged areas to benefit from new free schools
Fifteen new free schools to open in areas where education outcomes are poorest to drive up school standards. Around 12,000 young people in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the country will benefit from a wave of new free schools, another major step in this government’s work to raise school standards. The government has announced this week that 15 new free schools are set to be opened in parts of the country where education outcomes are weakest, providing more opportunities for local young people… click here
2. ‘Alive with Opportunity’ campaign kicks off to double UK’s trade with India by 2030
The Department for Business and Trade is launching a campaign called ‘Alive with Opportunity’ designed to build on the UK and India’s strong and enduring relationship, boost trade and investment, and promote the two nations’ powerful cultural links. Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch will launch the campaign on a three-day visit to India this week. Ms Bademoch will first attend the G20 Trade Ministers Meeting in Jaipur before flying to New Delhi for a parallel business-focused Business 20 summit… click here
1. Billions in foreign investment sees thousands of new jobs across the UK
Tens of thousands of new jobs are being created across the UK thanks to billions of pounds of foreign investment, helping the Government’s priority to grow the economy and levelling-up across the UK. Statistics reveal that over 1,600 foreign direct investment (FDI) projects will create nearly 80,000 jobs across every part of the UK, with Scotland, Wales, Northern England, the Midlands and the South West seeing significant gains. Northern England has seen huge gains, with Yorkshire and The Humber landing 103 FDI projects which will create 7,378 new jobs – an increase of 97% on 2021/22 and 423% on 2020/21 – while in the North West and North East, 198 projects are set to create 8,867 jobs… click here
For last week’s Top 20 Great British news stories (14th – 20th August 2023) click here.
By Claire Bullivant
Conservative Post, Founder and Editor
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