conservatives

Infected blood victims betrayed by ‘chilling’ cover-up, inquiry finds

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/infected-blood-victims-betrayed-chilling-cover-inquiry-finds

Victims and campaigners outside Central Hall in Westminster, London, after the publication of the Infected Blood Inquiry report, May 20, 2024

VICTIMS of the blood scandal were betrayed by a “subtle, pervasive and chilling” cover-up made worse by a lack of transparency by PM Rishi Sunak’s government, a long-awaited final report found today.

Patients caught HIV and hepatitis as the authorities responsible for their care “not once but repeatedly” knowingly exposed them to unacceptable risks from contaminated blood products and transfusions.

More than 30,000 people were infected from 1970 to 1991 as a result, with 3,000 so far having since died.

The infected blood inquiry report found there has been “deliberate destruction” of relevant documents and “elements of downright deception” from those in positions of trust and power following its five-year investigation.

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Sir Brian added that Mr Sunak’s insistence on waiting for the conclusion of the inquiry before making a final decision on redress has “perpetuated the injustice for victims,” criticising the “litany of failures” by successive governments from the early 1970s, with no action taken even as it became known that the collection of blood from prisons led to an increased risk of hepatitis transmission.

Mr Sunak’s decision to delay means “those infected and affected have felt a lack of transparency and openness characteristic of what they have had to face, and have been fighting, for nearly half a century,” the report said.

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/infected-blood-victims-betrayed-chilling-cover-inquiry-finds

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Morning Star: Freeing Assange is a struggle for justice, journalism and peace

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/editorial-freeing-assange-struggle-justice-journalism-and-peace

JUDGES must decide tomorrow if Julian Assange would enjoy the same rights as a US citizen if tried in the US.

It’s an ironic question. The persecution of the WikiLeaks founder has rested from the beginning on US exceptionalism — that rules do not apply to the United States as they apply to other countries — and extraterritoriality, that US law somehow applies to non-US citizens’ conduct thousands of miles away from the US.

Both apply too to the crimes Assange is being tormented for exposing.

The US can murder citizens of other countries by the hundred in drone strikes, without due process or even much in the way of diplomatic upset.

It can launch illegal war after illegal war, its soldiers can laugh as they gun down unarmed civilians from helicopters, it can loftily decline to recognise the authority of bodies like the International Criminal Court (while publicly welcoming indictments of other countries’ officials before that court): but still it claims to police a “rules-based international order” under supposed threat from its rivals.

This is about journalism: as New York Times executive editor Dean Baquet has stated, it sets a frightening precedent when a journalist can be accused of espionage for publishing classified material that was handed to him. Assange did not leak the information: he was never in the US government’s employ. The Assange case warns reporters everywhere that publicising the crimes of the powerful could result in years behind bars.

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/editorial-freeing-assange-struggle-justice-journalism-and-peace

Continue ReadingMorning Star: Freeing Assange is a struggle for justice, journalism and peace

Election note

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I need to do a piece about expecting a UK General Election to be called soon.

There is no discernible difference between the main parties – the currently ruling Conservative Party under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the likely victors at the election UK Labour Party under “I support Zionism without qualification” leader Keir Starmer.

Both parties and party leaders actively support Fascist Israel’s genocide in Gaza and intend to continue destroying the planet for the benefit of the oil and gas industry. Both parties and party leaders are happy for Julian Assange to rot in a US prison for telling the truth and despite not committing any obvious crime and certainly not any crime under UK law. There are strong suggestions that Labour leader Keir Starmer was involved in the early persecution of Julian Assange.

Any half-decent responsible government would object instead of assist Israel’s Fascist Gaza genocide and take action on climate instead of promoting and accelerating climate destruction as they are actually doing. By assisting Israel in it’s Fascist endeavours, they are exposing themselves as being just as bad themselves.

If you agree with this analysis or even most of it I ask you to participate, take part in the election campaign by opposing the main parties that support Israel or climate destruction. It’s unclear where the Scottish Nationalist Party is on the climate yet. It is not enough to let Fascism go, it needs to be actively opposed. Creatives please get involved – you can always publish anonymously.

Response to Rishi Sunak's extremism speech at Downing Street 1 March 2024. Second version of this image with text slightly altered.
Response to Rishi Sunak’s extremism speech at Downing Street 1 March 2024. Second version of this image with text slightly altered.
Zionist Keir Starmer supports Israel's Gaza genocide.
Zionist Keir Starmer supports Israel’s Gaza genocide.

20/5/2024 I’m uncertain if we’ll have another chance like this to alter climate policy and it’s so urgently needed. The Tories and the Red Tories (Labour) have no intention to address the climate crisis with anything near the urgency that is needed. later: Ed: Correction: I would say no intention to address the climate crisis.

20/5/2024 later. It’s difficult to take the Lib Dems at all seriously when they don’t even proofread their website. https://www.libdems.org.uk/green “We urgently need to limit temperature rises to 1.5°C or we will face irreversible climate change which will cause catastrophic land loss and make parts of our planet inhabitable.”

Continue ReadingElection note

DWP to hire ‘external agents’ in crackdown on benefit fraud that government’s own data shows doesn’t exist

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https://leftfootforward.org/2024/05/dwp-to-hire-external-agents-in-crackdown-on-benefit-fraud-that-governments-own-data-shows-doesnt-exist/

‘If the government is concerned about fraud, it would be serious about the £15.2bn that multinational companies hide from the UK via tax havens.’

As the government continues to crack down on so-called benefit fraud and reform the welfare system with stricter measures, newly released statistics by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show that there were almost no recorded cases of disability fraud in the financial year ending 2024.

Disability Living Allowance fraud was just 0.1 percent, rounded off to £0m. Personal independence payment (PIP) cheating was found to be 0 percent in the same period, the data showed.

PIP overpayments represented 0.4 percent, equating to around £90m lost in a year, marking a significant decrease from the previous year, when such overpayments stood 1.1 percent (£200m). The overpayments were said to be mainly due to errors made by the department when allocating award levels at the assessment stage.

In response to the DWP’s figures, Mikey Erhardt, campaigner at Disability Rights UK described PIP fraud as a ‘non-issue.’

“New data shows what we, as disabled people, have known for years – PIP fraud is a non-issue. PIP fraud is now the lowest on record – despite the government placing fraud front and centre of their latest public announcements,” said Erhardt.

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…https://leftfootforward.org/2024/05/dwp-to-hire-external-agents-in-crackdown-on-benefit-fraud-that-governments-own-data-shows-doesnt-exist/

Continue ReadingDWP to hire ‘external agents’ in crackdown on benefit fraud that government’s own data shows doesn’t exist

Suella Braverman blanked by students at Gaza protest camp in excruciating video

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https://leftfootforward.org/2024/05/suella-braverman-blanked-by-students-at-gaza-protest-camp-in-excruciating-video/

Suella Braverman has been ridiculed after an excruciating attempt to engage with students at a protest camp in support of Palestine outside the University of Cambridge. 

Visiting the camp on Thursday with GB News presenter Patrick Christys, the Tory MP was met with a wall of silence as she and the presenter attempted to talk with activists. 

The former Home Secretary tried a number of times to ask questions, but was met on all occasions with no response during the humiliating two and half minute encounter.

She introduced herself with, “Hi, I’m Suella I’m keen to find out your views and what you’re protesting about.” But protesters didn’t give them the response they were after, instead they just stood and stared back. 

Braverman persisted asking questions such as, “I’m interested in why you’re covering your faces. Is it a Covid or a health measure?” and “I’m really keen to hear what your message is to Israel.”

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https://leftfootforward.org/2024/05/suella-braverman-blanked-by-students-at-gaza-protest-camp-in-excruciating-video/

Continue ReadingSuella Braverman blanked by students at Gaza protest camp in excruciating video