Given that this country is bombing the living daylights out of them anyway, it seems rather redundant to grapple with moral questions relating to the Houthis, but what does interest me is what the UK Labour government would do if it really cared about the Palestinians. Here are a few suggestions...
* It would recognise the sovereign independence of the State of Palestine within the pre-1967 boundaries - as Spain, Norway, Sweden and Ireland have already done, and as apparently even France is seriously considering doing within a few months.
* It would recognise that Israel has no "right to self-defence" against an occupied people - although of course that would mean admitting that Starmer was wrong when he said that Israel had such a right and that it even extended to the right to commit war crimes such as the cutting off of water and electricity to Gaza.
* It would recognise that Palestine and individual Palestinians do have a legal right to self-defence against the Israeli occupiers and aggressors.
* It would end all arm sales from this country to Israel.
* It would commit to arresting wanted Israeli war criminals such as Benjamin Netanyahu if they set foot on British territory, and would urge all other ICC signatories to do the same.
* It would accept that Israel has been committing genocide against the Palestinian people, rather than persist with the genocide denial that Starmer has shamefully engaged in.
* It would stop British military planes flying from the colonial air bases in Cyprus to collect intelligence for Israel to assist in the carrying out of the genocide.
* It would come clean about the details of the intelligence gathering flights to date.
* Given the long history of British governments carrying out military strikes on supposedly humanitarian grounds, it would for the sake of consistency carry out air strikes against Israeli military targets, thus degrading Netanyahu's ability to continue with the genocide.
* It would take a stand in favour of Israel's banning from Eurovision and all international sport.
*. *. *
Most Prime Ministers would respond to these local elections with the same old excuses.
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) May 3, 2025
My response is simple: I get it.
We’re moving in the right direction, but people must feel the benefits of change.
I will go further and faster to make that happen.https://t.co/ptLSswSjEx
Keir isn't like other Prime Ministers. His response is: "I hear what you say, but you're wrong. I'm right. I'm going to continue doing all the things you've just told me you hate, and guess what? I'm going to shove it down your throat even faster." https://t.co/3plj42vtzr
— James Kelly (@JamesKelly) May 3, 2025
It was the SNP and namely John Swinney who took the books about the conflict OUT of Scottish schools.
ReplyDeleteNo, it wasn't.
Delete> There is no evidence in the search results that the SNP or John Swinney removed books about the Israel/Palestine conflict from Scottish schools. In fact, resources about the conflict are actively available and used in Scottish education.
DeleteHe's a boring count, with next to no interest in actual independence, but blame him for his deeds, not your fantasies.
Anon 7.55 what ‘books’ are you talking about? Name them with titles and authors! In Scottish secondary schools they get taught Religious Moral and Philosophical Studies (RMPS) which is statutory. My 14 year old son has been given classes on the history of Palestine and the ‘conflict’ (inappropriate word for a GENOCIDE). Nowadays they tend not to use books for these lessons ( in the modern world of schooling they use computers) and reference sources of study to equip pupils with the thinking skills required to investigate, process, and communicate a wide variety of views. To bring into the modern world they also do not use blackboards or chalk anymore, although if Farage becomes PM we will “go back to the past, when Britain was great”? His words not mine. I will continue to vote SNP for a better future. No need to reply as you are stuck in the past and clearly not for Scottish Independence!!!
Deletehttps://sourcenews.scot/revealed-swinney-shuts-down-israel-palestine-school-resources-after-lobbying-pressure/
DeleteFrom 2018 old news!!! from those great independence supporters common weal who never have had much good to say about the SNP so a bit mixed up on who they support politically for Scottish Government named after the commonwealth school in England?
DeleteI am sick and tired of all these factions sniping at the Scottish Government do any of them want Scottish Independence? They bark a lot but don’t join forces.
By 'getting it' he probably means that lounge bar fascism is growing faster than he guessed and his cunning plan to counter it is to steal a few more of its clothes.
ReplyDeleteWith Brexit, Trumps trade wars and the Ukraine war plus his cast iron neoliberal belief in defendinding the interests of the rich how much of Freidman and Laffers phantom "trickle down" is likely ?
Approximately none.
Pushing the SNP to prioritise independence without depending on Starmers permission is the best available way forward.
Starmer (and his handlers) isn't the flexible, calculating, cynic the media wanted from him. He (and more importantly they) is an ideologue, on a Crusade to destroy Corbynism, and all the malingering asylum seekers and Palestine-supporting students they imagine must be rife across their blighted England. It's a strange mission to be on, but so was Tony Blair's. Starmer, though, won't win his second term. He couldn't win at tiddlywinks.
DeleteRe: Starmer's permission, I see Wee Ginger Kavanagh is talking up a plebiscite election in 2029, to trigger a constitutional crisis on day one of the Prime Minister Nigel Farage administration. Until then, we twiddle our thumbs and whistle, I suppose.
DeleteAs we see in Trump's 100 days in America just now, governments are never any stronger than when they've just WON their mandate. Freshly minted PM Farage will be fully empowered to tell us all to fuck right off, and use all the force of the UK state to make it so. Sure, we'll be in a "crisis", but so is the kind hearted liberal half of the American people right now. Who would want to be in their shoes as they're renditioned to El Salvador?
Much better to have the PLEBISCITE ELECTION and the CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS on lame-duck Starmer's watch. Better to make our push when we alone have the fuel of fresh election and the MANDATE. Do it in Holyrood 2026 for Scotland's sake! What are we afraid of?
Any plebiscite has to be in the Holyrood election. It’s hard to believe some people think otherwise. Plebiscite 2026. 3 years civil unrest and confrontation, then campaign on the shambles Farage will by then have brought upon Local Govt in England, and will likely be bringing upon Westminster govt. if people are not persuaded by that they never will be.
DeleteDue to other commitments I wasn’t able to make the rally in Glasgow yesterday.
ReplyDeleteI haven’t seen any coverage of it at all. Just wondering if anybody was at it, or heard what the turnout was?
I'd say it looked like 500 - 1000. Nice weather for it though.
Deletehttps://www.thenational.scot/news/25136736.thousands-independence-supporters-flood-glasgows-streets/
DeleteI didn't even hear about it. Apparently AUOB is doing 3 marches this year, down a lot from pre-Covid but yesterday's turnout was good. I used to go to every one I could get to. I'll do Stirling and Edinburgh now I know when they are:
AUOB will be holding three demonstrations in 2025 (public processions followed by rallies with speakers and entertainment) at the following locations:
GLASGOW - SATURDAY 3RD MAY
STIRLING - SATURDAY 21ST JUNE
EDINBURGH - SATURDAY 6TH SEPTEMBER
I'd say that the Glasgow Kiltwalk looked like it had about 10 times the number of participants.
DeleteThanks for the info.
DeleteSounds like the turnout was a wee bit disappointing, think they were hoping for 5000. But then again if a lot of folk didnae know about it, it’s hardly surprising.
Just a simple question, 9:19. Do you think Israel's within its rights to freely murder Gazan civilians? Something tells me you are.
ReplyDeleteThis text from Kelly demontrates how he has not kept up with the changes in the middle east. He does not touch on the view of the Suadies or the legitimate internationally recognised Government in Yemen.
ReplyDeleteJames is yanking your chain for hits on his website and that is me being charitable!