Rachel

More conference stitch-ups from Starmer et al. beckon – Rachel Garnham Despite stitch-ups on Gaza motions, Women’s Conference, rule changes and more, it will be impossible for the Leadership to silence critics’ voices.

My preview of Labour Conference here. Interesting times in Labour but the resistance to democratic functioning remains the same as ever.

Claiming that the situation in Gaza does not meet "contemporary" criteria just means the Leadership can't win the argument on comprehensive sanctions.

"We can't out-Reform Reform, but we can be much better at being Labour" - excellent pitch from @bellribeiroaddy.bsky.social for Labour’s Deputy Leader on R4.

Bell's support for Palestine and opposition to austerity undoubtedly much more in line with members, trade unionists & voters than Starmer.

From workers’ rights to equalities, from the climate to civil liberties, from migration to global justice, Bell has shown herself to have consistent, principled, socialist politics.

She’s pluralist, democratic and honest.

I'm thrilled she’s running - she has my full support.

Labour needs to agree what its purpose is and express that clearly to the country.

With Bell, we have a strong advocate for a bold and radical approach to address the deep-seated issues that are impacting our country.

I’m pleased to be supporting Bell.

So they want to do the thing that is both morally wrong and definitely bad for our economy and society as whole, in order to 'counter' Reform who would do exactly the same thing.

Our statement on the Labour government’s escalating authoritarian crackdown on the Palestine solidarity movement.

We will not be silenced. We are the majority.

We urge you to join us on the streets of London next Saturday (19 July) and march for Palestine.

Insane that the British Foreign Secretary can meet with the former leader of Al Qaeda in Syria while, at home, on the same day, his government arrested 20 people on 'terrorism offenses' for supporting a non-violent pro-Palestine protest group.

The Disability Cuts Bill is still a huge attack on disabled people, despite the changes.

I’ve written in The Guardian on why MPs must vote it down.

MPs face a simple choice: will you back a Bill that will hit 100,000s of disabled people from next year?

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

👏👏 @marietidball.bsky.social

More MPs must join you in opposing these cruel and unnecessary cuts and stand up for disabled people across the UK.

Congratulations to Newcastle; may their victory Inspire all who face similar fights ✊✊✊

Reeves expected to freeze income tax thresholds to raise funds after welfare U-turn Government’s concessions over welfare cuts leave chancellor with a growing hole in her budget

Reeves expected to freeze income tax thresholds to raise funds after welfare U-turn. Why blame the poor?

Govt has numerous choices:
Tax capital gains, dividends at the same rate as wages
Reduce pension tax relief to the ultra rich
Increase NIC for ultra-rich.
Wealth tax
FTT
Cut corporate welfare

UK sanctions Israeli ministers over Gaza comments Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich will both face a travel ban, the UK says.

I welcome the UK Govt sanctioning two Israeli Ministers.

The Govt must continue to act as long as this situation remains. That means sanctioning the Israeli state.

Ban settlement goods, suspend trade and suspend Israel from the F-35 Global Supply Pool.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

"I am getting very sick & tired of having to go onto news programs because journalists aren't allowed in to point out what is happening here... this is a televised slaughter. History will not judge us kindly."

I spoke today to Dr Tom Potokar, UK surgeon in Gaza:
Full intv: zeteo.com/p/televised-...

Households in the UK set to face £3,000 'hidden costs' this year due to 'climate breakdown' and 'extreme weather' UK households are set to face an estimated £3,000 cost this year as a result of 'climate breakdown' and 'rising global temperatures' - new research reveals.

It can’t be right that fossil fuel companies profit from polluting our planet whilst expecting working people to bear the huge costs of climate breakdown.

We need policies that shift the burden from households onto big polluters.

Hospitals in England could shed 100,000 jobs in response to cost-cutting orders Exclusive: Scale of looming job losses prompts NHS leaders to ask Treasury to cover costs

Hospitals in England could shed 100,000 jobs.

No impact assessment produced.

A Wes Streeting recipe for privatisation dressed up as efficiency drive.

NHS will be a shell doling out contracts to the private sector. 30% -40% of money will vanish in profits. Money will buy less.

Must resist.

The APPG on Poverty and Inequality has called for evidence into the disproportionate impact of poverty and inequality on disabled people. You can share your experiences by emailing info@appgpovertyinequality.org.uk - deadline is Monday 14th April.

DWP figures show two in five single parents are living in poverty Benefits policies sever the link between a family's needs and their support.

DWP figures show two in five single parents are living in poverty.

Children in single parent families face a 43% poverty rate.

Disability benefit cuts will plunge 50,000 more children into poverty.

Govt won't end the two child benefit cap.

Poverty is a political choice.

Israel killed 15 Palestinian paramedics and rescue workers one by one, says UN Workers on a mission to help colleagues were buried in mass grave in southern Gaza, says humanitarian office

“Fifteen Palestinian paramedics and rescue workers, including at least one United Nations employee, were killed by Israeli forces “one by one” & buried in a mass grave eight days ago in southern Gaza, the UN has said”.

Guardian 31/3/25

WE MUST NOT BE SILENT

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/m...

Record 4.5m children in poverty in UK as cuts condemned as ‘morally repugnant’ Data published on day after Labour announces cuts that analysts say will hit children and disabled people hardest

Record 4.5m UK children are living in poverty.

They are likely to face health, educational and employment problems.

Yet govts hit the poor - low wages, two child benefit cap, disability benefit cut, unchecked profiteering, poor housing.

Save the future. Demand redistribution.

Labour is turning to substantial and more open conflict with the interests of working class people and its own electorate. It is a decisive phase in the course of the govt. As with previous Labour govts that chose such a disastrous course it has to be opposed

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Benefits cuts now? What’s the point of a Labour MP who votes for something so cruel, tin-eared and short-sighted? | John McDonnell Treating disabled and sick people callously flies in the face of all the party stands for – the government must rethink its plans, writes the MP John McDonnell

"Why become a Labour MP if you are to vote for a policy that flies in the face of all that Labour has ever stood for?"

Spot on from @johnmcdonnellmp.bsky.social - this is not what a Labour government is for.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

What Rachel Reeves should do instead of cutting benefits Labour was founded as the party of the working class

'Targeting “cost savings” on disability benefits is not only immoral, it is the opposite of everything a Labour government is supposed to be.'

My column for the @theipaper.com ...
inews.co.uk/opinion/what...

Labour is not delivering for women – Rachel Garnham, #IWD25 "The most recent despicable decision to cut international aid in favour of war mongering will undoubtedly hit women hardest."

To mark International Women’s Day, I wrote about how Labour's decisions to cut international development funding and attack the welfare budget hit women hardest. A change of direction is desperately needed to deliver for women.

labouroutlook.org/2025/03/08/l...

Happy International Women’s Day

Solidarity to all women fighting for a better world today.

Cuba’s ‘revolution within the Revolution’ has led to women representing the majority of doctors, judges, scientists, lawyers and MP’s in the country.

#iwd2025

Word of the day is ‘lickspittle’ (17th century): a person who fawns upon someone in power for personal gain.

Resolution of the dispute between @uniteucu.bsky.social and UCU (as employer) is now far beyond urgent. Reading these testimonials (linked in post⬇️) from UCU staff is heartbreaking & reading the recent 'management instruction' excerpt v unnerving, esp in the wake of the Hon Treasurer's resignation.

Expand fair pay deals to beef up Rayner's workers' rights laws, senior Labour MPs say The legislation being led by Angela Rayner has been welcomed by Labour MPs but they want it to be strengthened in the coming weeks

After years of economic stagnation and precarity, the Employment Rights Bill is the most significant upgrade to UK employment law in a generation.

But to truly transform workers’ lives, this good bill has to reach its potential to be a great one.

inews.co.uk/news/politic...

The Palestine Coalition condemns the decision of the Metropolitan Police to issue letters ordering a range of activists, including Stephen Kapos, an 87-year-old Jewish Holocaust survivor, to attend formal interviews over their alleged roles in the Palestine solidarity protest on January 18th, 2025. Palestine Coalition: Police repression of 18 January protest Letters have also been issued to prominent actor Khalid Abdalla, Stop the War Coalition officers Lindsey German, Alex Kenny and Andrew Murray, CND General Secretary Sophie Bolt, Friends of Al-Aqsa Chair, Ismail Patel, and probably will be to others. The police claim in the letters sent to these

activists, that they breached conditions imposed by the police to limit the right to protest against the genocide in Gaza. These restrictions almost certainly came as a result of political pressure from supporters of Israel’s pro-genocide policies. The protest’s chief steward Chris Nineham and Palestine Solidarity Campaign director Ben Jamal have already been charged with offences arising from the same protest, along with many others. Chris Nineham was violently arrested on the day. MPs Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell have also been interviewed under caution by the police. This apparently co-ordinated attack against the Palestine solidarity movement is endeavouring to halt public protest on the issue, through harassment of those involved in the movement, and through increasingly draconian restrictions on demonstrations.

That a Holocaust survivor is called in by the police for the alleged offence of carrying a bunch of flower into Trafalgar Square, underlines the unjustifiable extremes to which the Metropolitan Police are prepared to go, to restrict the right to public protest and silence the Palestine solidarity movement. What is claimed by the police as justification for this massive overreach of their powers is a complete misrepresentation of what took place, not just on the day but beforehand. Our cause is to mobilise support for the Palestinian people suffering a genocidal onslaught by the Israeli state, backed by the British government. To pursue this just cause, we must also defend the right to protest – alongside many others who face similar restrictions. We will not be cowed by these attacks on our rights.

We demand that the Metropolitan Police halt any prosecutions or proceedings against those involved in this entirely peaceful protest. We further insist that the Metropolitan Police respects the right to protest and that it ceases to take instruction from those who are determined to back Israel's genocidal actions, to maintain British state support for them, and to drive our movement off the streets. Those who seek to do so will not succeed under any circumstances. We urge all those committed to preserving long-established freedoms to join us in protesting against this mounting campaign of state harassment. Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Palestinian Forum in Britain, Friends of Al-Aqsa, Stop the War Coalition, Muslim Association of Britain, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament

🚨 Please share!

Palestine Coalition statement on the Met's repression of the 18 January protest.

You can also read on our website: cnduk.org/palestine-co...

Tomorrow Cambridge University will go to the High Court seeking to impose an unprecedented ban on protests in solidarity with Palestine from key sites of the university. This is a major assault on longstanding principles of freedom of expression and assembly on campus. (1/8)

Donald Trump has been clear he wants US private health giants to get their hands on our NHS.

Already the private sector has too much say in our NHS.

It was great to join a rally outside Parliament today to keep our NHS public - run for people, not for profit!