UK
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21 May 2021: Costing the earth
21 May 2021 — DeSmogUK Honestly, we’d really rather not be writing about the UK’s most prominent climate science denial group on a windswept Friday afternoon (or, indeed, any afternoon, tbh). But in what feels like an alarming pattern of recent weeks, yet another high profile figure has joined the Global Warming Policy Foundation, a thinktank… Continue reading
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Chilling – Not In a Good Way
Dave Llewellyn sat next to me in the public gallery of the Salmond trial as we witnessed the defence witnesses – largely female – who shredded the prosecution case. A few weeks ago, seven detectives of the Serious Crime Squad raided Dave’s home at 5am, handcuffed him and questioned him over conspiracy to murder –… Continue reading
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IRR News 20 May 2021: Stop and search – more concerns about PCSC Bill
If anti-racism is about social justice, social justice is about rights, and this week on IRR News we focus on legislation and police practices that erode rights, as well as asking what should be done in complicated circumstances when the rights of different groups seemingly collide. Continue reading
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Ignore Starmer’s moral posturing. He’s the one we should blame for stoking antisemitism
No one should be surprised that Britain’s rightwing prime minister, Boris Johnson, has had barely anything to say about Israel’s pummelling of Gaza, with nearly 200 Palestinians reported to have been killed by airstrikes and many hundreds more seriously wounded. Continue reading
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UK Crony Capitalism: High Court update
Today the High Court heard our lawyers detail waste, mismanagement – and yet more special treatment for politically connected companies placed in the “VIP” Lane. Continue reading
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Racism, mental health and pre-crime policing: the ethics of Vulnerability Support Hubs – New Medact report!
Racism, mental health and pre-crime policing: the ethics of Vulnerability Support Hubs – our latest report, out today – exposes how a counter-terrorism police-led project blurs the boundaries between security and mental health care in disturbing and dangerous ways, through documents obtained in a series of long-running Freedom of Information requests. Continue reading
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medConfidential Bulletin, 17th May 2021
The countdown has already begun. The Government’s plan is to copy your entire GP medical history – including all the most sensitive parts – and make it available for third parties to apply for and buy access. Even though Matt Hancock Directed it to happen he’s not going to tell anyone about it. Neither will Boris. Continue reading
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UK Crony Capitalism: Tuesday in Court
On Tuesday, our legal challenge to the PPE procurement scandal will be heard in the High Court. It’s the first day of a mammoth five day hearing. Continue reading
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LETTER FROM LONDON: The Troubling Sentencing of Craig Murray
The troubling conviction of former British diplomat Craig Murray for contempt of court in connection with his coverage of the prosecution of the prominent Scottish nationalist politician Alex Salmond on sexual assault charges has now produced an equally troubling sentence by a tribunal of the Scottish High Court of eight months in prison for Murray. Continue reading
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UK Crony Capitalism: It never stops
Good Law Project has uncovered remarkable evidence that a Tory Minister brought a former Chair of the Tory Party, a man who now runs a lobbying firm, into the heart of Government to work on the massive multi-billion PPE procurement process. Having got his feet under the table that former Chair lobbied to win PPE… Continue reading
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Craig Murray Sentenced to 8 Months in Prison
Craig Murray, an ex-British ambassador and blogger, has been sentenced to eight months in prison after being found guilty in March of contempt of court during the 2020 trial of former Scottish first minister Alex Salmond. He was given three weeks to turn himself into police, pending his appeal. Judge Lady Dorrian issued the sentence,… Continue reading
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Craig Murray: Appeal For Defence Funds
On Friday I shall be sentenced, very possibly to prison, for contempt of court by “jigsaw identification”. While I do not believe anybody has ever been imprisoned for “jigsaw identification” before, my entire prosecution has been so perverse that I cannot imagine why they have done it unless that is the intention.] Continue reading
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Media Reform Coalition Our Upcoming Events
These events are part of the MRC’s The BBC and Beyond: Reimagining Public Media campaign, trying to reimagine what public media can be in the digital age. Later this year we will be creating a “Manifesto for a People’s Media”, with ideas for re-envisaging the BBC, Channel 4, and democratically-run independent media. If you have any ideas… Continue reading
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After Hartlepool there is only one question. Is Labour’s decline terminal?
It never ceases to amaze how the repetition of a lie quickly becomes a received truth. Goebbels must be turning in his grave. If only Labour had supported Brexit then all would be well. The statistics demonstrate that regardless of the position Labour took it would have done badly. Continue reading
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Residents adopt council land to stop it using toxic glyphosate weedkiller
In Midlothian, Scotland, residents who are concerned about the use of toxic weedkiller in their community have come together to adopt public land and stop council workers spraying it, according to a report in Midlothian View. Continue reading
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Statewatch News 7 May 2021
7 May 2021 — Statewatch News (Issue 09/21, also available as a PDF) Support our work —————————————- EU: Detention at the borders to increase “voluntary” removals As part of its ongoing drive to increase the removal of migrants from EU territory, the European Commission unveiled a new strategy on “voluntary” return and reintegration at the end of… Continue reading
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UK Crony Capitalism: Misleading Parliament
On 22 February, in the aftermath of the High Court finding that Matt Hancock had broken the law by failing to publish PPE contracts, Boris Johnson told Parliament this: “the contracts are there on the record for everybody to see” and “all the details are on the record” But what he told Parliament was just not true. A large… Continue reading
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UK threatens to charge Palestine Action with terrorism
Human rights activists in the UK are facing the suggestion by police that their actions against an Israeli weapons manufacturer could be considered as “terrorism.” Continue reading
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IRR News 6 May 2021: A different election – far Right breakthrough in Madrid
6 May 2021 — Institute of Race Relations On Tuesday, 4 May, 100 people attended a meeting co-hosted by Migrants Organise, Asylum Matters, Leeds Anti-Raids Action and the Institute of Race Relations, on responding to the government’s public consultation on its ‘New Plan for Immigration’. The week before, on Friday, 30 April, a public statement from 193 human rights groups,… Continue reading
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#KillTheBill Netpol calls for anti-fracking campaigners to share their experiences with MPs and peers
Netpol is encouraging campaigners who for years have fought to stop fracking in their communities to share their experiences of the oppressive and violent policing at protests with Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights. Continue reading
The New Dark Age 