Bezos and Branson space bonanza: Innovation or vanity project?
Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson have the resources to lift millions of people out of poverty. By leeching off the sweat and blood of the thousands of workers of Amazon and Virgin respectively, the pair have amassed fortunes that exceed that of entire nations.
Freedom day: a gamble or a safe bet?
Whilst Tory ministers celebrate so called “freedom day” in England, coronavirus is ripping through the UK, leading to mounting health problems caused by long Covid and pressures on the overstretched NHS. Once again, the Tories are putting profits before lives in a cruelly expected fashion. Boris Johnson ended mandatory Covid-19-related restrictions on Monday (19 July 2021). This is despite the fact that the country is now seeing over 50,000 new Covid-19 cases per day and there are still no plans to make vaccines generally available to under 18s.
Keir Starmer set to expel 1,000 Labour members
In what seems like the everlasting ideological war for control of the Labour Party, three groups and their respective members are to be removed from Labour … The accumulation of these suspended groups totals to about 1,000 members. Losing this many members cannot be good for a party which has already seen a massive decline in membership since Starmer’s took over as leader of the party. The ideological war of the Labour Party has been going since nearly it’s inception in 1900.
Report by ex-UN rapporteur highlights failures of bus privatisation
A new report from former UN special rapporteur, Philip Alston, highlights the utter failure of bus privatisation in the UK, making a scathing critique of Britain’s ‘expensive, unreliable, fragmented, and dysfunctional bus system.’
UK military: harbingers of death or climate change activists?
Whilst visiting the US, Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace, has disclosed the Tories’ military plans, suggesting that British soldiers will wage secret wars and employ new types of warfare. Furthermore, he asserted that the military was capable of handling climate change, population growth, and migration. Wallace added that the Tory government was still keen to be close to American power.
Government sanctioned killers who committed crimes in Ireland go unprosecuted
British prosecutors in the north of Ireland have taken the decision to not prosecute two soldiers who were found to have killed innocent people during the Troubles. Tory MPs have attempted to justify the outcome as some form of reconciliation of the Troubles; however for those who have lost friends, family and loved ones reconciliation is a far away thought when state sanctioned killers still walk the streets.
EU court rules to allow hijab bans in the workplace
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that workplaces within the EU are free to ban hijabs and other visible religious dress.
Inquest into rape prosecutions highlights endemic failure
A joint report commissioned by the Police and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) Inspectorates has accused the two organisations of engaging in a “blame game”, which ultimately results in a failure to prosecute sexual offences. The report, published today, said “both organisations argued that the other was to blame for the low conviction rates.” It continued, “Until this blame culture is eradicated, a real shift in attitudes seems unachievable”.
WFDY condemns the partition of Cyprus on the anniversary of occupation
On the anniversary of the coup d’etat which led to partition and Turkish occupation in Cyprus, the World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY) has released a statement condemning the aggressive actions of NATO and Turkey and calling for international solidarity for peace and reunification.
More than one million children of key workers live in poverty
The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has revealed that over one million children of key workers live in poverty. The TUC has blamed this on low pay, poor contracts and a high cost of living for workers in Britain. Employment even for key workers throughout the pandemic have proven to be insecure and of poor quality. In England, Scotland and Wales this reality is faced by one in five children of key workers. The worst affected region according to the report is the North East where the figure increases to as many as one in three.
