18/09/2026
Like many people, I remember exactly where I was when I watched the horrors of 9/11 unfold.
A young soldier in The Parachute Regiment, I was at my barracks when the news broke that a plane had hit the World Trade Centre. I remember watching on in disbelief at what many at the time thought was a tragic accident.
Then the second plane hit.
It became clear that this was no accident. America was under attack, thousands of innocent people had been killed, and the world was about to change.
I knew that what was happening would have profound global consequences – but also personal ones.
In the years that followed, I deployed numerous times to Iraq and Afghanistan, where I saw first-hand the consequences of terrorism and war.
Last week marked 25 years since 9/11. We remembered the 2,977 innocent people who were murdered, including 67 British nationals; the families whose lives were changed forever; and the extraordinary courage of the firefighters, police officers and medical staff who ran towards danger to help others.
It was particularly poignant for me to mark that anniversary as Security Minister.
Only a few weeks earlier, I joined victims, survivors, and bereaved families for another important anniversary: Britain’s first ever National Day for Victims and Survivors of Terrorism.
Terrorist attacks dominate our television screens when they happen. Eventually, the cameras leave and most of us return to our daily lives – but not everyone can. For those who have lost someone, been injured, or lived through the horror of an attack, there is often no return to normality.
That’s why the new National Day matters. It gives us a moment each year to remember those we have lost, recognise survivors, and make clear that they have not been forgotten.
It’s also why this Labour Government has established a new 24-hour Support Hub, giving victims and survivors a single point of contact and specialist support whenever they need it.
Remembering those we have lost and standing with those left behind is very important, but it must be matched with a relentless determination to confront and defeat terrorism itself.
As Security Minister, I work around the clock to help keep our country safe.
I was proud to take Martyn’s Law through Parliament. Named after Martyn Hett, one of the 22 people murdered in the Manchester Arena attack, it requires venues to be better prepared for a terrorist attack and to take practical steps to protect the public.
The threat today is very different from 2001. We face organised terrorist groups and poisonous ideologies, but also people radicalised online and individuals fixated on extreme violence.
So our response must keep evolving too. We’re introducing new powers to intervene earlier when people become radicalised and bringing in new legislation to help prevent the spread of extreme violent material online.
Every day, I work closely with our police, intelligence agencies, and security partners at home and overseas. Together, we work relentlessly to identify threats, confront those who would do us harm, and defeat terrorism.
National security is the first duty of government. It is a responsibility I feel personally, and one this Labour Government takes incredibly seriously.
Twenty-five years after 9/11, our determination to stand against terrorism remains as strong as ever.
Those who seek to divide us and destroy our way of life will never succeed.