United for Peace and Justice National Assembly
June 23, 2007
An interview with Phyllis Bennis of UFPJ.
Marginalised lives
June 19, 2007
There will be an important debate in the Commons on Wednesday morning over the campaign to allow migrants existing in the shadows of society to become fully-fledged British citizens. It’s an important step on the road for a campaign that is backed by many trade unions and church groups, all of which are alarmed at the way that people are trying to survive in Britain without any legal status. As a result, they are driven into poverty and exploited in major cities up and down the country, particularly in London. Read more
How does Israel get away with it?
June 15, 2007
The Quartet of Russia, USA, the EU and the United Nations decided to appoint Tony Blair as a Middle East Envoy. In view of his support for Israel in his 10 years as Prime Minister, and his failure to condemn the bombing of Lebanon until 6 weeks into that campaign, his appointment will be treated with great scepticism throughout the region. Whilst one hopes for peace in the region, it is hard to see how it can be achieved, unless there is universal recognition of Palestine and the rights of Palestinian people, an end to the Occupation, the removal of the settlements in the West Bank, and removal of the Apartheid Wall. The West’s refusal to provide sufficient funds directly to the Palestinian Authority has created huge unemployment, poverty and misery. Read more
Holding the government to account
June 12, 2007
The House of Commons has once again rejected its basic function of holding the government to account. This time, a Conservative motion calling for an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the Iraq war to be held at an unspecified date was rejected by a majority of 35. While 288 Labour MPs voted against it, 11 supported the motion and the rest abstained or disappeared.
The courage of many MPs who bravely opposed the war in 2003 seems to have left them when it comes to exposing and discussing the consequences of the government’s misleading information and the many deceptions surrounding the build-up to the Iraq war. Read more
Detention without trial
June 5, 2007
Gordon Brown’s increasingly strange odyssey around the country for a non-existent leadership contest is fast becoming an exhibition of macho posturing on law and order. His announcement that it was necessary to review anti-terror laws was merely an echo of a continuing agenda by the security interests in Britain and the constant demand for ever-more stringent anti-terror laws.
The last attempt by new Labour to introduce detention without trial for up to 90 days was eventually defeated with an unsatisfactory compromise of 28 days. This is already far too long. The idea that we would go back to debate the 90-day option is completely unnecessary, yet it is apparently supported by people who ought to know better. Read more
