Daily Archives: 23 January 2024

Britain condemned for launching ‘largest raid so far on Yemen’

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/britain-condemned-for-launching-largest-raid-so-far-on-yemen

A Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4 takes off to carry out air strikes against Houthi military targets in Yemen, from RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus, January 22, 2024

BRITAIN faced condemnation today after carrying out further bombing raids with the US over Yemen.

Royal Air Force jets took part in a second wave of joint US-British action against Houthi forces on Monday night after the movement’s attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden continued.

Four RAF Typhoons and a pair of Voyager tankers were involved in the latest action.

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A summary of the British government’s legal position said the nation is permitted under international law to use force “in such circumstances where acting in self-defence is the only feasible means to deal with an actual or imminent armed attack.”

Stop the War Coalition national officer John Rees said that the action was the “largest raid so far on Yemen,” adding: “We were told there was no need for a vote in Parliament because [January 11] was a one-off raid. Well, this is now the second one-off raid.

“We should be under no illusion that we are not at war with Yemen. We are.

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“The violent repercussions of Israel’s war on Gaza are spreading across the Middle East and west Asia, threatening a much wider conflict. We must stop bombing Yemen.”

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/britain-condemned-for-launching-largest-raid-so-far-on-yemen

Continue ReadingBritain condemned for launching ‘largest raid so far on Yemen’

Sir Keir accused of hypocrisy after he vows to fight against ‘Tory McCarthyism’

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/sir-keir-accused-of-hypocrisy-after-he-vows-to-fight-against-tory-mccarthyism

Labour Party leader Keir Starmer speaking during the Labour and Civil Society Summit at St John’s church in Waterloo, south London, January 22, 2024

… KEIR STARMER was accused of hypocrisy yesterday as he vowed to defend civic institutions from “Tory McCarthyism.”

The Labour leader criticised the Conservatives for targeting organisations such as the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and the National Trust as part of their “war on woke.”

Jewish Voice for Labour’s Mike Cushman, however, said that Sir Keir is an expert when it comes to McCarthyism — named after the infamous US senator responsible for spreading fears and persecuted leftwingers in the postwar “red scare.”

He told the Morning Star: “We welcome Starmer’s recognition of the Tories’ McCarthyism: freedom of action by civic groups is important to protect, but we would wish he would recognise the McCarthyism within the Labour Party, which attempts to police legitimate discussion of Palestine and Israel by falsely labelling it as anti-semitism, in a clear McCarthyite attempt to shut down needed discussion.”

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/sir-keir-accused-of-hypocrisy-after-he-vows-to-fight-against-tory-mccarthyism

Continue ReadingSir Keir accused of hypocrisy after he vows to fight against ‘Tory McCarthyism’

Hinkley Point C could be delayed to 2031 and cost up to £35bn, says EDF

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https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/jan/23/hinkley-point-c-could-be-delayed-to-2031-and-cost-up-to-35bn-says-edf

As nuclear plant is hit by further delay, real cost will be far higher after inflation is included, as project uses 2015 prices

In 2007, the then EDF chief executive said that by Christmas in 2017, turkeys would be cooked using electricity generated from atomic power from Hinkley. Photograph: Ben Birchall/PA

The owner of Hinkley Point C has blamed inflation, Covid and Brexit as it announced the nuclear power plant project could be delayed by a further four years, and cost £2.3bn more.

The plant in Somerset, which has been under construction since 2016, is now expected to be finished by 2031 and cost up to £35bn, France’s EDF said. However, the cost will be far higher once inflation is taken into account, because EDF is using 2015 prices.

The latest in a series of setbacks represents a huge delay to the project’s initial timescale. In 2007, the then EDF chief executive Vincent de Rivaz said that by Christmas in 2017, turkeys would be cooked using electricity generated from atomic power at Hinkley. When the project was finally given the green light in 2016, its cost was estimated at £18bn.

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However, the Hinkley Point C delay will add to concerns over project delays and costs, as well as skills in an industry earmarked to deliver a quarter of the national electricity demand by 2050.

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https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/jan/23/hinkley-point-c-could-be-delayed-to-2031-and-cost-up-to-35bn-says-edf

comment by dizzy: This is not at all surprising. EDF were extremely late and over-budget with 2 nuclear power station of the same design as Hinkley C when it started.

Continue ReadingHinkley Point C could be delayed to 2031 and cost up to £35bn, says EDF

COP26 President tears into oil and gas bill as MPs vote it through

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https://leftfootforward.org/2024/01/cop26-president-tears-into-oil-and-gas-bill-as-mps-vote-it-through/

Former Tory Cabinet minister Alok Sharma tore apart the Government’s new oil and gas bill before it passed through the Commons, as he stressed that the UK’s promise to phase out fossil fuels will be broken. 

On Monday evening, the Government’s Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill passed through its second reading in the House of Commons despite widespread condemnation from climate campaigners.

The legislation seeks to maximise North Sea oil and gas production, requiring the industry regulator to run regular rounds for new oil and gas licences, pushing fossil fuel production.

Alok Sharma, who was the Cop26 president, abstained from voting, as he spoke out in Parliament against a law which will merely “reinforce the unfortunate perception about the UK rowing back from climate action”.  

“We have seen the impacts of the changing climate around us daily, 2023 was the hottest year on record globally, in recent weeks many people have faced flooding again in our country including in my own constituency, we really shouldn’t need anymore wakeup calls to put aside the distractions and act with the urgency the situation demands,” Sharma said. 

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Reacting to the vote last night, Greenpeace UK’s political campaigner, Ami McCarthy, slammed the result as a win for the government, but a loss for the planet and everyone on it. 

“Literally no-one benefits from this nonsensical, climate-wrecking Bill except the oil and gas industry and its shareholders,” said McCarthy.  

“The government has failed to act in the national interest tonight and those MPs who chose not to rebel have placed themselves on the wrong side of history. 

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https://leftfootforward.org/2024/01/cop26-president-tears-into-oil-and-gas-bill-as-mps-vote-it-through/

Rishi Sunak offers huge fossil fuel subsidies to develop fossil fuel extraction in UK.
Rishi Sunak offers huge fossil fuel subsidies to develop fossil fuel extraction in UK.
Continue ReadingCOP26 President tears into oil and gas bill as MPs vote it through

Tory MPs launch new ‘Popular Conservatism’ group headed by Liz Truss

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Lettuce complains about being compared to Liz Truss.
Lettuce complains about being compared to Liz Truss.

https://leftfootforward.org/2024/01/tory-mps-launch-new-popular-conservatism-group-head-by-liz-truss/

“‘Popular conservatism’ is an oxymoron”: Yet ANOTHER Tory faction forms

A group of Tory MPs have announced the launch of yet another new Party faction, this one called ‘Popular Conservatism’, or ‘PopCon’, with the principle aim to “restore democratic accountability to Britain and deliver popular conservative policies”.

Headed by the shortest-serving prime minister in history, Liz Truss, commentators have been quick to call out the irony in the groups name and head, with Truss previously polled as the least-popular UK prime minister in the history of polling.

Liz Truss announced the launch yesterday on X, with the new movement adding to a number of Tory break out factions that have developed in previous years, as MPs bid to push the party further to the right and influence Rishi Sunak’s manifesto ahead of a general election.

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https://leftfootforward.org/2024/01/tory-mps-launch-new-popular-conservatism-group-head-by-liz-truss/

Continue ReadingTory MPs launch new ‘Popular Conservatism’ group headed by Liz Truss