Nick Dearden

I'm deeply concerned about the wellbeing of prisoners who were involved in Palestine Action protests, and are currently on hunger strike.

Some have not eaten for six weeks. A number have been hospitalised. They are all being held on remand - without trial or conviction.

Tomorrow's front page 📰

'The UK is letting these people die'

Britain 'seeking a quarter of global lithium' Britain's Critical Minerals Strategy fails on its own terms – and on the necessity of global resource justice.

Britain’s critical mineral strategy is based on the idea that we can continue to take far more than our fair share of the world’s resources for the rest of time. We can’t. Let’s start planning a future which isn’t based on grabbing whatever we can.
 
theecologist.org/2025/dec/11/...

I just don’t believe Wes Streeting on the Trump- Starmer Pharma deal. Here’s some fact checking:

UK pledges to spend extra £1.5bn on NHS medicines as part of Trump tariff deal Outlay over next 3 years is in return for the US exempting British pharmaceutical imports from tariffs

As predicted, the money which we’ve been told the US Pharma deal will cost the NHS is only the start. It seems the government is dismantling the NHS price controls set up from the late 90s. If MPs want to stop this, they need to stand up now.

www.ft.com/content/19b0...

What will be the cost of Keir Starmer’s new medicines deal with Donald Trump? British lives | Aditya Chakrabortty More than £3bn that could have been used for UK patients will go to big pharma for its branded products, says Guardian columnist Aditya Chakrabortty

"An organisation devoted to saving lives is now being used as part of trade deals, its precious resources and structural integrity haggled away to multinational companies and foreign bullies."

Brilliant and harrowing from Aditya Chakrabortty in @theguardian.com

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

NHS pharma deal a “catastrophe” for all NHS patients, over 200 health and economic experts state - Global Justice Now Transparency needed around deal to increase amount paid to pharmaceutical sector, signatories state in open letter to prime minister OVER 200 leading figures across healthcare, academia and civil soci...

NEW: 200+ health and economic experts have written to the prime minister to warn that the UK's decision to funnel billions to big pharma would be a "catastrophe for all NHS patients"

We need transparency - and a change of course NOW.

www.globaljustice.org.uk/news/nhs-pha...

NHS pharma deal a “catastrophe” for all NHS patients, over 200 health and economic experts state - Global Justice Now Transparency needed around deal to increase amount paid to pharmaceutical sector, signatories state in open letter to prime minister OVER 200 leading figures across healthcare, academia and civil soci...

The Starmer-Trump Pharma deal is a “catastrophe” for all NHS patients, over 200 health and economic experts state
 
www.globaljustice.org.uk/news/nhs-pha...

“Starmer and his team have not only been handed a costly defeat; they are misleading you and me about what it means for our NHS…

“That £3bn will be have to be found each year by giving fewer cancer scans, longer waits for ambulances and at A&E, and delays on surgery.” 2/2

What will be the cost of Keir Starmer’s new medicines deal with Donald Trump? British lives | Aditya Chakrabortty More than £3bn that could have been used for UK patients will go to big pharma for its branded products, says Guardian columnist Aditya Chakrabortty

“More than £3bn that could have been used for UK patients will go to big pharma for its branded products – money for care siphoned off for profit”

A MUST READ by @chakrabortty 1/2

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Trump administration says it seized oil tanker off Venezuela coast The seizure is set to escalate tensions between the US and Venezuela, both of which have surged military assets nearby.

Hands off Venezuela. Hands off Latin America.

www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/12...

Revealed: Britain bankrolling fossil fuel projects in Africa despite UK's net-zero pledges British aid is funding polluting schemes in Africa and Asia. The i Paper exposes the impact in Ghana - from soaring energy bills to claims of 'carbon colonialism'

Why is British aid money being used to back new fossil fuel power in Ghana when it could be used to support green energy? Because, yet again, it’s being used to bolster corporate interests.

Great piece on the ongoing scandal that is BII.

inews.co.uk/news/environ...

Not only are Starmer’s disastrous trade deals with Trump going to do significant damage to the NHS, it’s now limiting Britain’s ability to take fundamental economic decisions (regardless of whether you thinking joining the customs union is a good idea or not)

US trade deal with Indonesia at risk of collapse, US official says Jakarta has backtracked on several commitments it made as part of the deal, a U.S. official said.

At least someone is pushing back on Trump’s bullying. Handing over your sovereignty to the US is a very bad idea. Starmer should learn from Indonesia.

www.reuters.com/world/asia-p...

Full transcript: POLITICO's interview with Donald Trump The president sat for an in-depth interview with POLITICO's Dasha Burns.

Trump is on the ropes, so he threatens more attacks on Latin America, & to destabilise Europe… and makes racist comments about Sadiq Khan.
 
Yet our government is still crawling to this fascist, signing away NHS protections. WHY? Stand up to Trump.
 
www.politico.com/news/2025/12...

How Russian oligarchs are using the corporate court system to sue European countries over sanctions.

And btw it gives the same power to American oligarchs too – it’s a parallel legal system for the superrich.
 
End ISDS

europeantradejustice.org/wp-content/u...

More than 200 environmental groups demand halt to new US datacenters Exclusive: Congress urged to act against energy-hungry facilities blamed for increasing bills and worsening climate crisis

Struggle against data centres making inroads into Trump’s base, as they intensify the cost of living crisis.

This is hopeful - but why has Starmer tied himself so tightly to Trump on this?

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Official US policy towards Europe includes blatant interference in our politics, pushing us in a far right direction, opening our markets, destroying our regulations and controls.

Why would you sign a deal with this guy? Resist Trump.

Eli Lilly not yet ready to unfreeze UK investments, says pharma boss US drugmaker wants changes to types of drugs approved in Britain

Who would have guessed? Massively increasing the price the NHS promises to pay for new drugs hasn’t unlocked Big Pharma investment. Because it was never a genuine problem. It was a shakedown.

www.ft.com/content/0701...

A full timeline of Israel's repeated Gaza ceasefire violations

Our front page looks a little different this morning, and that’s because we have decided to publish a timeline of the so-called 'ceasefire' in Gaza, as Benjamin Netanyahu’s brutal apartheid regime continues to claim lives 👇

✊✊✊

And if our government won’t join them, we can. Boycott Eurovision 2026.

Hope you enjoy

COMING SOON: our annual under 30's youth activist gathering 🤩

📢WE RISE
Sat 21 Feb 26, 12pm

📍 Leeds Cardigan Centre
🎟️ Travel subsidies available⁠

⁠We Rise is a FREE day of political education and workshops to inspire us to fight for a just world.

www.tickettailor.com/events/globa...

I called my recipe book Sabzi – vegetables. But the name was trademarked. And my legal ordeal began The granting of patents and trademarks to foods and words from the global south is part of a long colonial grab. It’s time to realise we share what we cook, and what we call it

Great piece by my friend Yasmin Khan on her battle against a deli which trademarked the south Asian word for vegetables & how it reflects something bigger:
 
“For decades companies in the global north have attempted to control food terms from the south”
 
www.theguardian.com/food/comment...

NHS drug deal to placate Donald Trump ‘will cost 15,000 British lives’

www.mirror.co.uk/news/health/...

Photo credit: David Mirzoeff

Photo credit: David Mirzoeff

Photo credit: David Mirzoeff

❌🤑 PHARMA GREED KILLS 🤑❌

This week the UK gave in to Trump’s bullying and agreed to give big pharma companies BILLIONS more from the NHS budget.

Diverting NHS funding could lead to 15,000+ excess deaths. We went to the Department of Business and Trade to call on the gov to change course NOW.

The government just announced they’ll increase the money they give to Big Pharma by 25%. So there are billions to be found when they consider it necessary. I’d much prefer we spent it those billions on hard working and talented staff.

UK drug deal to placate Donald Trump ‘will cost 15,000 British lives’ Centre for Health Economics says paying drug companies funds which currently go on things like NHS staff and hospital beds could lead to 15,971 additional deaths

A deal to make the NHS pay £3 billion more for drugs to placate Donald Trump could cost over 15,000 lives as the NHS has to ration other care, a top expert has warned.

www.mirror.co.uk/news/health/...

Pharma lobbyists to EU: Cut deals with Trump Advocates for European drugmakers say other countries must follow the UK to the bargaining table to stave off tariffs and remain competitive.

Big Pharma has had its first kill, thanks to Trump: the NHS. Now they’ve tasted blood, they’re using Britain’s submission to bully the rest of Europe.

I hope the EU learns the right lesson - you can’t compromise with Big Pharma, or Trump. Resist!!

www.politico.com/news/2025/12...

Yet another display of American aggression in pursuit of oil.

Let's make Trump understand that we won't sit by and see more regime change for the sake of Chevron's profit margin.

Hands off Venezuela!