Experienced climbers scale a rock face near the historic Dumbarton castle in Glasgow, releasing a banner that reads “Climate on a Cliff Edge.” One activist, dressed as a globe, symbolically looms near the edge, while another plays the bagpipes on the shores below. | Photo courtesy of Extinction Rebellion and Mark Richards
POLITICIANS have gone “awol” on the environment despite four in five voters expressing concern about the climate and the natural world, conservationists warned today.
New polling for conservation charity WWF shows that while 80 per cent say they care about issues relating to climate, nature and the environment, only 45 per cent believe that politicians share their level of concern.
They face increasing pressure to do more on the environment after tens of thousands of people marched through London at the weekend.
WWF warned today that the next five years will be “absolutely vital” for conservation efforts in Britain and abroad, with native wildlife from puffins to bluebells and mountain hares at risk from climate change, pollution and habitat loss.
Chief executive Tanya Steele said: “Our polling shows the environment is clearly a key issue for the public and they deserve to hear what the next government plans to do to restore nature and meet our climate targets.
“Unfortunately, politicians have largely gone awol on the environment during this campaign, but the next five years will be absolutely vital in bringing nature back from the brink, both at home and around the world.
“As the campaign enters the final straight, we’re calling on all parties to commit to action on nature and climate that’s hugely popular with the public.”
Two Just Stop Oil supporters who disrupted the Gallagher Premiership Rugby final in May 2023 were acquitted today at Kingston Crown Court. The unanimous 12-member jury found Samuel Johnson and Dr. Patrick Hart not guilty of the charge of criminal damage exceeding £5,000.
On 27th May 2023, the two supporters stormed the pitch in a cloud of cornstarch-based orange powder paint at Twickenham, where the Saracens were facing off against the Sale Sharks. They were demanding an immediate halt to any new licences for oil, gas, and coal projects in the UK.
Dr. Patrick Hart, a 38 year old GP from Bristol, said today:
“Normal people recognise that civil resistance is absolutely essential to break through the lies of the politicians, fossil fuel companies and banks who are destroying life on earth. I told the jury that I am taking the most effective action I can, on the best available evidence, to protect the health of my patients. To put it simply: I am doing my duty as a doctor.”
During the trial, the prosecution relied on the detailed, hours-long testimony of the groundskeeper. He explained that, unlike a similar action by Just Stop Oil supporters at the men’s Ashes Test at Lord’s, where the cornstarch was easily cleared with a leaf blower, the Twickenham pitch features a hybrid grass system that combines a natural grass sublayer with synthetic plastic grass. However, the testimony did not establish that ordinary people would have known the intricacies of Twickenham’s pitch maintenance, making it difficult for the prosecution to prove that the defendants had the criminal intent to cause the alleged damage.
One of those acquitted, Sam Johnson, a 41-year-old construction worker from Essex, commented on the outcome:
“A year ago, Patrick and I ran onto Twickenham during the Premiership final, throwing orange powder in the air. Today, we have been found not guilty of criminal damage. I took part in this action because our politicians continue to issue licences, knowing full well it will result in the deaths of millions of people. Thousands have died due to extreme heat brought on by climate change while we were on trial. This is happening now!”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak making a speech at an event at Petyt Hall, London, while on the General Election campaign trail, June 24, 2024
UP TO 15 Tories are now being investigated in the insider betting scandal, it emerged today.
According to BBC Newsnight, the Gambling Commission is looking at 15 candidates and senior officials in their inquiry into bets placed on the election date.
The Tory Party itself “could not confirm how many of their officials or candidates might be facing scrutiny.”
Two Conservative candidates have already been suspended and two top campaign organisers have been placed on leave of absence because of the probe, which has also caught up several police in the Premier’s security detail.
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Labour has become embroiled too, with its candidate in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich Kevin Craig suspended after admitting that he had bet against himself winning the seat.
Social movements and trade unions in France are rallying behind the New Popular Front, which promises a genuine alternative to the far-right and liberal health policies
Trade unions and activists warn that a National Rally victory would spell disaster for public healthcare in France. If the far-right wins the upcoming election, as polls currently predict, changes would come at the expense of sexual and reproductive health services and migrant health, among other things.
Marine Le Pen’s party recently dominated the European Parliament elections, prompting President Emmanuel Macron to call for a snap election, hoping to mobilize voters against the far-right. According to analysts, Macron gambled that the people of France would go to great lengths to keep the National Rally out of power, perhaps even reaffirming his mandate.
However, Macron’s policies, including privatization and commodification of health services, have fueled the far-right’s growth. His administration has caused closures of local hospitals, creating health deserts, and continues to push for more privatization, causing patient suffering. Despite the failures of this approach, liberals continue to pursue the same strategy in the current campaign, advocating for a more profit-driven logic in healthcare. The Trade Union of Health Centers’ Physicians (USMCS) stated: “We are experiencing the consequences of this policy on a daily basis. Patients suffer. We want no more of it.”
The far-right is expected to continue liberalizing the sector while introducing intolerance and xenophobia by prioritizing French citizens and marginalizing other residents. “If implemented, the [far-right policies] will pose a major risk to public health, not only for these ‘excluded’ individuals but also for the population as a whole,” USMCS warned.
“Abandoning the values of solidarity and universalism that underpin our healthcare system, a right-wing program will worsen social and territorial inequalities. We reject any program that proposes a healthcare policy based on exclusion and discrimination.”
Trade unions and organizations, united under the Tour de France pour la Santé, are backing the New Popular Front (NFP), a left-wing coalition opposing Macron’s policies as much as the far-right. The NFP plans to retract the controversial pension reform, curb living costs, and rebuild the healthcare system by recruiting healthcare workers, increasing incomes, and regulating the private sector. For example, the program states that new private clinics will only be allowed if they provide guarantees that patients will not face any out-of-pocket costs.
The USMCS emphasized that the NFP’s program is the only one to offer real prospects for healthcare reform. To support this, the Tour de France pour la Santé announced a series of actions during the election campaign, starting with an assembly in Lille on June 27, where activists will discuss the importance of resisting the far-right. Speakers will include Françoise Nay from the People’s Health Movement (PHM) France and Ramon Vila from the trade union SUD Santé Sociaux.
“Confronted with the threat of the extreme right, now more than ever, we urge citizens, trade unions, associations, mutual insurance societies, and progressive parties to unite in defending the right to health for all,” the platform said in its press release.
Ahead of the first round of the election on June 30, the National Rally leads with approximately 35% in polls, followed by the NFP at more than 29%, and Macron’s party at 19.5%. Bridging the gap between the far-right and the progressives might be possible with strong social movement support.
People’s Health Dispatchis a fortnightly bulletin published by thePeople’s Health Movementand Peoples Dispatch. For more articles and subscription to People’s Health Dispatch, clickhere.
I am aware that I have a unique internet connection which I assume is your doing. I certainly hold you responsible for it anyway. I am aware for example that BBC Radio is delayed by 40 seconds for me and I can’t access it at all on my phone.
I’d like to place some bets on the election which I am prevented from doing. Please withdraw this restriction. I confirm that I don’t have any inside knowledge and am not intending to commit frauds like fifteen is it now? of James Cleverly’s mates.
27/6/24
I’ve found a convoluted way to do it which I would not normally do, not sure that I want to bet anymore!
