Save the Children UK

Tackling the climate crisis and global inequality / development are essential to ensure the UK’s long-term prosperity and security. I am delighted to see that Ed Miliband is putting that at the heart of his approach to the future of UK international cooperation. None of us are safe whilst diseases and climate impacts cross borders at will. Britain is sweltering in unprecedented heatwaves. Global conflict is driving up the cost of daily life. For the UK to fulfil this promise to put the care of people at the heart of everything, we must now build coalitions with partners to provide progressive leadership on the world stage. Doing so would not only help protect children most impacted by the climate crisis, poverty and conflict but also demonstrate the UK's commitment to the values and international obligations it has long talked about. In an interconnected world, an active and progressive approach to international cooperation is firmly in the UK’s national interest and in line with our values.

Congratulations to @LucyMPowell on your appointment as Secretary of State for Education. We look forward to working with you to build on the progress made on child poverty and make sure all children get the best start in life.

Congratulations to @Ed_Miliband on your appointment as Foreign Secretary. One in five children worldwide now lives in a conflict zone, while poverty, displacement and climate-related shocks are reversing decades of progress for children and their communities. We look forward to continue working with you to ensure the UK plays a leading role on the international stage, by putting children at the heart of your foreign policy and consistently upholding international law, which make us all more safe.

Congratulations to @JohnHealey_MP on your appointment as Chancellor of the Exchequer. We look forward to working with you to continue the progress made in tackling child poverty in the UK to give them the childhoods they deserve and the foundations to reach their full potential.

Congratulations @andyburnham on becoming the new Prime Minister. Please make sure your door is always open for children and families, like it has been up to this point in your role as the Mayor of Greater Manchester. We hope you work tirelessly to put children at the heart of policy making, and give them the childhoods they deserve and the foundations to reach their full potential.

🚨 NEW: Almost nine in 10 parents say they feel financial and emotional pressure of the school summer holidays, new polling for Save the Children by @OpiniumResearch shows. No parent should be facing a summer of stress and worry, and no child should dread holidays. But sadly, our survey of 2,000 parents has shown cost of living pressures are whittling down family budgets, even for high earners. And for those on the very lowest incomes, it is clear there is no summer break from poverty. Find out how you can help or get support during the school holidays here: bit.ly/4ytlz0n

This is your legacy on the occupied Palestinian territory, Prime Minister @Keir_Starmer. History will remember your complicity. Despite a partial arms suspension in 2024, Keir Starmer's government has continued to enable Israel's atrocities against Palestinians, their families and children through the supply of F-35 fighter jet parts. Nothing can change the horrors Palestinians have faced. But the next Prime Minister has an opportunity to put an end to the UK Government's role as an ally to atrocities. The UK Government must: 🔴 Suspend all arms sales to Israel 🔴 Suspend the UK-Israel trade and partnership agreement 🔴 Ban trade with illegal Israeli settlements To the next Prime Minister: what will your plaque say?

Andy Burnham is right. "The unbearable suffering in Gaza is a scar on our collective conscience." These words must be translated into tangible action from the next UK Government to protect Palestinian children, including a ban on trade with illegal Israeli settlements, which fuel systematic violations of Palestinian children's fundamental rights.

We welcome the Education Secretary's ambition for universal childcare, as this will allow all children to benefit from high quality education and care, while also supporting parents into work. It means more little children are able to be happy and healthy, develop social relationships, and start school ready to learn. It's also good for parents, who would like to be training, and get back into work after having children and are in situations where they are priced out of childcare. Right now if you're a nurse you get free childcare, if you're training to be a nurse, you don't and we need to make this system fairer. Ultimately an ambition like this is better for all of us - getting things right for little children now means better prospects when they're adults.

Two catastrophic earthquakes have hit Venezuela. The DEC has launched an appeal. DEC charities are working with their local partners to reach people with emergency aid and support search and rescue efforts. Please donate: donation.dec.org.uk/venezuela-eart…

Almost a week since the Venezuela earthquakes, fear, stress, and overwhelming sadness are everywhere. Families are sharing their stories with our team with tears in their eyes. Some are still frantically searching for relatives or friends. Almost 2,000 people have reportedly died, the number injured is more than 10,000 and even more are missing. Children in Venezuela are living on the streets and in informal tented camps, underscoring the urgent need for support. Save the Children UK is part of the @decappeal, one of 14 leading UK aid charities who are launching the Venezuela Earthquake Appeal. Together, we can get help to people who need it, fast. 🚨 Please donate to the #VenezuelaAppeal now, and help children in their fight to survive: bit.ly/4vHq5Xq #Venezuela #Earthquake #SaveTheChildren

There must be full accountability for crimes against children. #StopTheWarOnChildren

The UN's latest Children and Armed Conflict report has found Israeli forces were the biggest perpetrators of verified grave violations against children globally, and Israeli armed and security forces were responsible for one in four of all verified violations in 2025. And these figures are just the tip of the iceberg, representing only those cases the UN was able to document, record and verify. The UK Government must end its complicity and suspend all arms sales to Israel, suspend the UK-Israel trade and partnership agreement, and hold all perpetrators of grave violations to account.

400,000 children in the UK were supported by baby banks in 2025, an 11% increase from the year before, new research from the @BabyBnkAlliance shows. Families are needing help for systemic reasons, not because there’s a one-off shock to their lives. The UK Government must go further to tackle poverty in children's early years. theguardian.com/society/2026/j…

Governments around the world are not only failing to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect children in conflict zones, they are doing so with near-total impunity. For the first time since the establishment of the UN Children in Armed Conflict report (CAAC), government forces were the main perpetrators of grave violations against children. All parties must uphold the rules that govern conflict, especially when it comes to protecting children, who are always the most vulnerable. #StopTheWarOnChildren

The UK Government must take urgent action to protect Palestinian children: 🔴 Suspend all arms transfers to Israel, including parts for F-35 fighter jets 🔴Ban trade with illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank 🔴 Suspend the UK-Israel Trade and Partnership Agreement 🔴 Hold all perpetrators accountable for violations of international law labourlist.org/2026/06/labour…

Following the announcement that under-16s will be banned from social media in the UK, we spoke to our digital safety expert, Jeffrey DeMarco to get his thoughts on this and what children's rights look like in the digital age. He explains that protecting children online is not simply about restricting access to technology or social media, but about building digital resilience, strengthening support networks and ensuring that technology companies design products with children's wellbeing in mind. To find out more about how can we ensure children are able to benefit from the opportunities online platforms create while remaining safe, informed and empowered, watch the full interview on YouTube here: bit.ly/49Y9fe4

This announcement reflects legitimate concerns about children's safety online, but a ban of this scale would change how children access and experience the digital world. The UK Government must ensure that any decisions are informed by children themselves and by independent experts. We are concerned that a blanket ban may look protective on paper, but instead pushes children into less regulated spaces, where they are less likely to seek help when something goes wrong. Children growing up in poverty are likely to be among those most affected. If ministers want to make the online world safer, the answer is not simply keeping children off platforms. The focus must be on providing better support for parents by making platforms safer by design, tackling addictive and high-risk features such as stranger contact, live streaming, nudification tools and unsafe AI systems, so that children are not exposed to harm online.

Our hearts are heavy for those impacted by last night’s violence. We urgently call for calm. Children’s safety must be put first. No child should have to flee home terrified for their family’s safety. No child should fear playing on the street or going to their youth club. No young person should be lured into violence by those with divisive agendas. In this part of the world we know too well where violence leads; it scars childhoods, pits communities against each other and leaves a legacy of disadvantage and trauma for the next generation. Together we must ensure every child gets to live in peace and safety. #NorthernIreland @savechildren_ni