As I mark one year as Prime Minister, there are many moments that fill me with pride.
When I spoke about my priorities in January, I knew they were going to be tough targets to meet, but I made them because they're what's right for this country, its economy and its people. And it's why over the last 12 months we've been committed to meeting them - building a better, brighter future for all of us.
I know this year has been tough, and there is still work to be done to help hardworking families across the country, but I'm proud of the steps we've made.
Supporting people with the cost of living
I know that the rising cost of living is something families across the country are struggling with. It's why we're working so hard to halve inflation, reduce debt and grow the economy.
It's inflation that increases living costs and our responsible plan is working, we're on track to halve it by the end of the year - a promise many said wasn't achievable.
But we're also providing households with the support they need right now:
- Providing payments for 8 million vulnerable households
- Saving the average household £1,500 through our energy support schemes
- Freezing fuel duty to save you money
- Paying childcare costs up front for those on Universal Credit
- Delivering the Get Around For £2 bus fare cap scheme
- The largest ever cash increase to the national living wage
- Uprating benefits
- Delivering pensioner payments
- Winter Fuel Payments helping older people with their heating bills
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Agreed the historic Windsor Framework
We've been supporting families and businesses in many different ways. In February we agreed the Windsor Framework.
This agreement is written in the language of laws and treaties. But really, it's about much more than that. It's about stability in Northern Ireland. It's about real people and real businesses.
Things like goods and medicine can now move smoothly between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
International partnerships
And our agreements haven't just been at home.
We've also been focused on strengthening global partnerships.
We've delivered agreements with world leaders including the Atlantic Declaration with the US, The Global Combat Air Programme and the next stage in AUKUS.
Because it's these sorts of agreements that deliver security for the British people and create opportunities for hardworking families at home.
Continuing to lead the international response to the conflict in Ukraine
As well as meeting President Biden eight times this year, it was a privilege to have President Zelenskyy in the United Kingdom in February.
I'm proud the UK has been at the forefront of international support for Ukraine.
We were the first country to provide modern, Western main battle tanks and long-range precision strike cruise missiles to the country.
And our support continues:
- Committed £4.6 billion in military assistance to Ukraine so far
- Providing a range of economic, humanitarian, and defensive military assistance
- Trained more than 27,000 Ukrainian recruits this year
- Hosted the Ukraine Recovery Conference in partnership with Ukraine this summer - raising more than $60 billion towards Ukraine's reconstruction
- Training Ukrainian fast jet pilots
- Imposing additional sanctions on Russia and Belarus
Historic Long Term Workforce Plan for the NHS
And one of my proudest moments has to be backing the first ever long-term staffing plan for the NHS.
Both my parents worked in healthcare growing up, so the NHS's long-term success is personal to me.
In June, in the NHS's 75th anniversary year, we launched the first ever long-term plan for the NHS workforce. And backed it with over £2.4 billion over the next five years to make sure the NHS has the staff it needs long into the future.
We are:
- Training more staff - doubling the number of medical and adult nursing training places, increasing GP training places by 50% and expanding dental training places by 40%
- Retaining our dedicated workforce - keeping hold of up to 130,000 more staff in the NHS by allowing greater flexibility and improving culture, leadership and wellbeing
- Reforming the way staff work by expanding new roles and using the power of technology to modernise the NHS
Tackling illegal migration
I've also been delivering on my priority to stop the boats.
Illegal migration is fundamentally unfair. It's unfair to those who come here legally and unfair on the British people who play by the rules.
In the last 12 months we've delivered agreements with France, Italy, Turkey, Albania, Georgia and Moldova to strengthen European action against illegal migration.
In July we passed our Illegal Migration Act - and we've made significant progress this year:
- Small boat arrivals to the UK remain down by more than 20% compared to this time last year
- We've returned 4,100 Albanians since signing our enhanced returns agreement last December, and Albanian illegal arrivals have fallen by 90%
- We have increased the number of illegal working raids by more than two thirds since this point last year
- The surge has led to a doubling in the number of fines imposed on employers, and has tripled the number issued to landlords
- We've agreed a new partnership with social media companies to tackle people smuggling content online
- And launched a new taskforce to crack down on rogue immigration lawyers facilitating false claims
Cracking down on anti-social behaviour
And we've been cracking down on anti-social behaviour. This behaviour undermines the basic right of people to feel safe in the place they call home.
Nobody should have to live in fear or intimidation. We should be proud of where we live.
- In April we hit our target of recruiting 20,000 more police officers
- We've expanded targeted uniformed patrols in hotspot areas
- As well as expanding drug testing on arrest
- Banning nitrous oxide
- Launching a new digital tool for members of the public to report anti-social behaviour
- And we've created bigger fines for littering
