This week starts with a warning from the new head of MI6, who is due to make her first public speech later today. Blaise Metreweli is expected to warn that Russia poses an “acute threat” to the UK and its allies, while also setting out how intelligence work itself is changing. She will argue technology is now as central to espionage as traditional tradecraft, with officers needing to be as fluent in coding and data analysis as they are in traditional espionage.
Closer to home, we are also expecting the long-delayed Violence Against Women and Girls strategy to finally be published later this week. After repeated hold-ups, ministers are under pressure to deliver. Early indications suggest the strategy will include measures aimed at tackling the radicalisation of boys and young men, stronger action to stop abusers, and more effective support for victims. Whether the strategy lives up to expectations remains to be seen…
In Westminster, Labour has been forced to respond to another round of leadership-related speculation. Andrew Gwynne MP has rejected reports he plans to resign his seat to allow Andy Burnham a return to Parliament. While Burnham himself has dismissed the idea, the episode highlights ongoing tensions inside the party, alongside the practical hurdles any comeback would face. These include party approval and a far more difficult electoral landscape, with Reform UK polling strongly and Labour facing pressure in the polls.
International attention is focused on Hong Kong, where pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai has been convicted of national security and sedition offences and now faces the possibility of a life sentence. The case is likely to cast a shadow over Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s planned trip to Beijing, with expectations growing that the agenda may need to change in response.
In South America, Chile has elected José Antonio Kast as its next president. Often described as ultra-conservative and far-right, Kast ran a campaign focused heavily on crime, security and immigration. He will be inaugurated in March next year, but without an outright majority in Congress, his ability to deliver on those promises is far from guaranteed. That lack of parliamentary support is likely to shape, and in some cases stall, the early months of his presidency.
Finally, our thoughts are with the victims, their families, and the wider Jewish community impacted by the attack at Bondi Beach in Sydney over the weekend.
Headlines
- Peace talks between Zelensky and Trump envoy end after five hours – The Independent
- How many more times will the Bank of England rescue Rachel Reeves? – The Guardian
- UK regulation of cryptoassets to start in October 2027, finance ministry says – Reuters
- Trump assault opens EU rift as leaders split on US strategy – Financial Times
What’s on in Parliament
Monday 15th December
House of Commons
- Oral questions: Ministry of Defence
- Adjournment: Sudden cardiac death in young people
- Westminster Hall Debate: e-petition 722903 relating to the Online Safety Act
House of Lords
- Oral questions: Implementing the recommendations of the Technology Adoption Review
- Oral questions: Community access to emergency adrenaline following the authorisation of needle-free delivery methods
- Statement: Industrial Action by Resident Doctors
Tuesday 16th December
House of Commons
- Oral questions: Ministry of Justice
- Westminster Hall Debate: Impact of the Autumn Budget 2025 on graduates
- Westminster Hall Debate: Government support for grassroots cricket clubs
House of Lords
- Oral questions: Ensuring schools' core budgets in more deprived communities are not disproportionately used to meet the costs of providing free school meals
- Oral questions: Improving women’s healthcare as part of the Women’s Health Strategy for England
- Oral questions: Sufficient funding allocations to local authorities to deliver commitments in the National Plan to End Homelessness
Wednesday 17th December
House of Commons
- Oral questions: Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
- Prime Minister’s Question Time
- Westminster Hall Debate: Neurodiversity in the workplace
House of Lords
- Oral questions: Closing the employment gap for blind and sight-impaired people
- Oral questions: Monitoring and measuring the progress and impact of the new Office for the Impact Economy
- Oral questions: Potential impact of the proposed Fair Work Agency on small and micro businesses
Thursday 18th December
House of Commons
- Oral questions: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
- Business Statement: Business Questions to the Leader of the House
- Westminster Hall Debate: The cultural contribution of Jane Austen
House of Lords
- Oral questions: Numbers of girls studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics
- Oral questions: Parents and early-years providers: appropriate use of digital technology by pre-school children
- Oral questions: Jobs market and the wider economy
Friday 19th December
- Parliament is in recess and will next sit on 5th January 2026.
Consultations
- Environment Permitting: H5 site condition report – Proposals for updated guidance – closes 18th January 2026
- Relaxation of licensing hours for the Men's Football World Cup 2026 – closes 15th January 2026
- Establishing the Child Protection Authority in England – closes 5th March 2026
Statistics
- Construction output in Great Britain: October 2025 – published 12th December
- Economic activity and social change in the UK, real-time indicators: 11 December 2025 – published 11th December
- Diagnostic waiting times and activity for October 2025 – published 11thDecember