Morning Star Editorial: Unison’s Andrea Egan speaks truth to power
https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/unisons-andrea-egan-speaks-truth-power
Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivers his keynote speech during the Labour Party Conference at the ACC Liverpool, September 30, 2025NEW Unison general secretary Andrea Egan has done a service to the entire labour movement. Barely a week in office, she has spelt out exactly what is wrong with the Starmer government, and what needs to change.
We make no apology for quoting her words, written for Tribune, extensively. First the crisis: “The first far-right government in our history is a very real prospect. Nigel Farage in power would be the biggest triumph for the enemies of the working class since his idol Margaret Thatcher took office…
“It would be a global victory for a billionaire-backed ethnonationalist project represented by the administration of Donald Trump…for every worker, active trade unionist or anyone who wants to live in an open and democratic society, the political stakes of the coming months and years are potentially existential. We are staring down the barrel of a historically devastating offensive against our class.”
Then, the blame: “From witnessing the recent behaviour of Labour’s ruling faction, you wouldn’t know it. Spearheaded from Downing Street, this narrow Westminster grouping often gives the impression it would rather hand the country over to Farage and put the labour movement’s survival on the line than consider any change in policy direction or lose the slightest control over the party machine.”
Egan slams the “stitch-up” which blocked Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham from standing in the Gorton and Denton by-election, with the reasons offered “an insult to the intelligence.”
Then the warning: “Trade unions will not tolerate this self-destructive approach any longer. The costs are simply too high, and it is our members — our whole movement — who will pay the price.
“Labour’s rotten internal culture is a significant cause of its failure to deliver for workers while in government, which in turn drives its historic unpopularity and lays the ground for the far right.
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Original article continues at https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/unisons-andrea-egan-speaks-truth-power
Water privatisers ‘treating system as an ATM,’ campaigners say as bills set to hike
People collect bottled water at a water station in East Grinstead, after South East Water blamed bad weather for more water outages in Kent and parts of Sussex, January 13, 2026.WATER privatisers are treating the system as an ATM, campaigners said today as South East Water (SEW) confirmed bills will rise to an average of £324 a year from April.
The increase comes as the company faces an Ofwat investigation after thousands of homes and businesses were left without water in recent weeks.
About 30,000 properties across Kent and Sussex were affected earlier this month, which SEW blamed on Storm Goretti causing burst pipes and power cuts.
This followed a similar incident in December, when 24,000 customers in Tunbridge Wells were left without drinking water for up to two weeks.
Ofwat is also investigating whether SEW breached customer service obligations, marking its first probe under the regulator’s customer-focused licence condition.
If breaches are confirmed, the company could be placed into special administration.
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Article continues at https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/water-privatisers-treating-system-atm-campaigners-say-bills-set-hike
US turns sanctions on Cuba into an oil siege
https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/us-turns-sanctions-cuba-oil-siege
SHORTAGES: A driver refuels others wait in a long line behind to fill up at a petrol station in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, January 27By pressuring Mexico to halt oil shipments, Washington is escalating its blockade of Cuba into a direct bid for economic collapse and regime change, argues SEVIM DAGDELEN
THE United States is forcing an oil boycott against Cuba through pressure on Mexico — a targeted blow aimed at bringing the island to its knees economically and forcing a regime change.
The decision by the Mexican government to no longer ship oil to Cuba threatens to initiate a countdown to the island’s economic collapse.
Following the US attack on Venezuela, Washington had already prevented oil from that country from being exported to Cuba.
Mexico stepped in temporarily and supplied over 40 per cent of Cuba’s oil imports.
The oil stop and the siege of Cuba
As a consequence of the Mexican oil stop, which occurred under pressure from US President Donald Trump, the US sanctions regime against Cuba is turning into a siege aimed at the complete sabotage of power generation, all production, and tourism.
At its core, however, the siege by the US is aimed at a regime change in Cuba within weeks. It is about breaking the country’s sovereignty.
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Article continues at https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/us-turns-sanctions-cuba-oil-siege
Britain’s special forces: elite, expanding – and almost entirely unaccountable
SECRET STATE: The statue of David Stirling, founder of the SAS, looks over mist around Ben Ledi mountain, Central ScotlandAs the government quietly upgrades the role of Britain’s special forces, their growing global footprint and near-total exemption from democratic oversight should alarm us all, says ROGER McKENZIE
ONE of the least discussed parts of Britain’s Strategic Defence Review announced last June was the additional role that the government intends to give to the country’s special forces.
Talk of special forces is usually a no-no for most nations. So this was something new.
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The Special Forces are the only piece of Britain’s defence, security and intelligence apparatus not subject to any form of parliamentary oversight. I find this as astonishing as I do outrageous.
Although there is theoretically a parliamentary convention requiring the prime minister to consult Parliament before authorising the deployment of British forces, the special forces are exempted, making a nonsense of the whole thing.
Given the new upgraded future role that these forces are envisaged taking this is something that must be addressed.
We should continue to campaign to stop wars and to expose any wrongdoing that takes outside of what are considered to be the rules of war.
But we should also take notice of these elite special forces that largely operate outside any scrutiny.
We must also not fall for the propaganda that portrays these outfits as anything other than unaccountable guns for hire for which we foot the bill for.