Keir Starmer (left) and Rachel Reeves. The decision to push back the strategy comes amid Treasury cost concerns. Photograph: Jonathan Brady/Reuters
[Guardian] Exclusive: Flagship policy put back until at least autumn amid fears cost of removing two-child benefit cap will outweigh political benefit
Labour’s flagship child poverty strategy has been delayed until at least the autumn, the Guardian has learned, even though tens of thousands more children will fall into poverty as a result.
The decision to push back the strategy comes amid Treasury concerns about the cost implications of ending the two-child limit on universal credit and questions inside No 10 over the political benefits of scrapping it.
The policy, which is being led jointly by Liz Kendall, the work and pensions secretary, and Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, was due to be published in the spring and had been expected to include a recommendation to scrap the controversial cap.
Keir Starmer has said privately that he wants the option of scrapping the two-child limit kept on the table, and is understood to regard it as a personal priority, as well as a way of demonstrating Labour’s commitment to tackling child poverty and reassuring his backbenchers before a difficult vote on welfare cuts next month. [dizzy: Is there any logic there? How can it be a personal priority if it’s maintained for so long? It’s a fake, manufactured negotiating pawn, something to mollify backbenchers when needed.]
FORCED STARVATION: Israel is preventing much-needed aid getting to Gaza
Barely 100 trucks enter as bombs kill another 60
ISRAELI bombing killed at least 60 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip yesterday as Tel Aviv continued to block aid deliveries that would help to stave off the region’s mounting humanitarian crisis.
The dead included 10 people in the southern city of Khan Younis, four in the central town of Deir al-Balah and nine in Jabaliya refugee camp in the north, according to the Nasser, Al-Aqsa and Al-Ahli hospitals where the bodies were brought.
Israel has continued to ignore growing international condemnation of its invasion of Gaza.
The Strip has been under an Israeli food and aid blockade for nearly three months. Experts have warned that many of Gaza’s two million residents are at high risk of famine.
Amid mounting pressure, Israel has started letting in small amounts of aid. Israeli officials claimed yesterday they let in more than 100 trucks of flour, food, medical equipment and drugs through the Kerem Shalom crossing.
But United Nations agencies say the amount is woefully insufficient, compared with around 600 trucks a day that entered during a recent ceasefire to meet basic needs.
Islington North Independent MP Jeremy Corbyn told the Star: “Let’s be clear: Palestinians are not ‘facing’ starvation. Israel is starving Palestinians to death, and it is beyond unconscionable that our government is still providing military support.”
The former Labour leader added: “Enough! The world has got to wake up and stop this genocide.”
UK Labour Party government ministers Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner and Rachel Reeves explain that they are partners complicit in Israel’s Gaza genocide. The UK has provided Israel with arms, military and air force support. They explain that they don’t do gas chambers but do do forced marches, starvation, destroy hospitals, mass-murders of journalists and healthcare workers.Vote For Genocide Vote Labour.
Two Youth Demand activists protest ouside a house which according to the activists belongs to the Foreign Secretary David Lammy demanding that he stops arming Israel on April 8, 2025, London, United Kingdom. (Photo: Kristian Buus/In Pictures via Getty Images)
Lammy called Israel’s escalation of the genocide “morally unjustifiable.” But what is beyond unjustifiable is for Lammy to say this while directly arming and providing surveillance information for the genocide.
On Tuesday, after releasing a joint statement with France and Canada threatening “concrete actions” if Israel did not allow aid into Gaza, the U.K. government suspended talks on its upgraded free trade deal, summoned the Israeli ambassador, and imposed new sanctions on settlers in the occupied West Bank. While this might appear substantial for the goal of isolating the Zionist state, it amounts to little more than face-saving measures.
In his speech announcing these measures, U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy couldn’t even bear to say these words without condemning the October 7 operation and maintaining Israel’s right to commit genocide. We can’t fall for these empty measures, even if they appear to be a positive push toward some justice. In reality, they are a distraction and feign action from a government supporting Israel as it accelerates its genocidal attacks. Each day, as Israel commits new massacres with American weapons, it is using the Royal Air Force Akrotiri, a British military base on Cyprus, to conduct surveillance flights and facilitate weapons transfers.
The government’s suspension of negotiations on its free-trade agreement is misleading. This is not the existing free-trade agreement in place between Britain and Israel, but a future plan to deepen relations. Known as the 2030 Roadmap, this was initiated under the previous Conservative government in 2022, and the Labour government continued negotiations immediately after entering government in July 2024. Stopping these negotiations is a good first step, but they must end their current free-trade agreement if Lammy’s words are worth their salt.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the world “won’t stop us.” Our leaders bought by Zionism will certainly not, but the people will.
The sanctions on a handful of people and companies in the occupied West Bank might be a generally positive step. But at a closer look, these measures are only on three people, two outposts, and two organisations. All of the 700,000 settlers occupying the West Bank in their 150 settlements and 128 outposts are illegal under international law. These very narrow sanctions then give wider justification for the illegal occupation of the West Bank, scapegoating a handful of “extreme” characters but not contending with the occupation itself. Last year, the International Court of Justice ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestine is illegal. Once again, Britain is ignoring international law, just as it does in refusing to hand over surveillance data on Gaza to the International Criminal Court.
Britain’s recent moves should rightly be compared with the United States, which has formed the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a private company of U.S. military veteran mercenaries to run an aid distribution operation, better described as a trojan horse to occupy Gaza. As Israel accelerates its genocide in Gaza, the U.S. and Britain are attempting to conceal their role in the violence. We might see these as necessary measures for Israel to be committing what many are referring to as the final stage in the genocide.
Over the past few days, the Starmer government’s statements have given us the illusion of a change in course toward Israel. Yet in five of the six days leading up to May 20, Britain has flown a surveillance flight over Gaza for Israel.
Britain has made no material change in its policy of arming Israel, providing surveillance information, and using its military base on Cyprus for weapons shipments. Therefore, not only are these statements hollow and vacuous, but they are a pernicious and sly attempt to divert attention from Britain’s role as it directly participates in Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people.
On Sunday (May 18th), Britain sent an A400M Atlas plane to Israel from RAF Akrotiri. This aircraft can carry up to 37 metric tons of cargo, including weapons and soldiers. Two hours later, it sent a surveillance flight over Gaza. These operations have been purposefully concealed from public knowledge, but this is clearly shifting. The only reason we know about these flights is because of the work of Matt Kennard, Declassified U.K., and Genocide-Free Cyprus, among other groups. There clearly is mounting pressure as a result of the revelations of Britain’s direct role in Israel’s genocide, and perhaps we must recognize it has a role in Lammy’s face-saving attempts.
Last week, the U.K. government defended its continued provision of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel, pointing to the need for “national security.” In court, they claimed “no genocide has occurred or is occurring,” that Israel is not “deliberately targeting civilian women or children.” Britain is defending Israel legally, diplomatically, and militarily. No statement can change that fact.
Israel stopped all aid trucks from entering Gaza on March 2. It has taken more than 11 weeks for the government to take any action at all. Every day, the Israeli occupation commits heinous massacres. They are even bragging that the world “won’t stop us.” And so far, they’re right.
In the face of this, we cannot despair. Palestinians in Gaza remain steadfast each day, for the 18 months of this escalation in the genocide that has been ongoing for more than 77 years. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the world “won’t stop us.” Our leaders bought by Zionism will certainly not, but the people will. We must continue our demands for a full arms embargo, an end to British surveillance flights, and the total liberation of Palestine.
UK Foreign Minister David Lammy confirms that UK government and military are active participants in Israel’s genocides and that the F-35 parts that they suspended from supplying to Israel are instead simply diverted via the United States. He says see https://youtu.be/QILgUHrdWREUK Labour Party government ministers Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner and Rachel Reeves explain that they are partners complicit in Israel’s Gaza genocide. The UK has provided Israel with arms, military and air force support. They explain that they don’t do gas chambers but do do forced marches, starvation, destroy hospitals, mass-murders of journalists and healthcare workers.Vote For Genocide Vote Labour.
Palestine solidarity rally in Spain, May 2025. Source: Communist Party of Spain/X
Following Parliament’s motion for an arms embargo on Israel, activists are pressuring the Sánchez government to turn words into action on Gaza genocide
On Tuesday, May 20, a majority of representatives in the Spanish Parliament voted in favor of a motion calling for an arms embargo on Israel. Spearheaded by the progressive blocs Podemos, Sumar, and the Republican Left of Catalonia, everyone but the right-wing supported the motion – including Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE).
While the news undoubtedly marks an important achievement for the months-long grassroots Palestine solidarity mobilizations in Europe and beyond, many activists caution against interpreting it as a decisive sign of Spain’s concrete commitment to halting the genocide in Gaza. “The Spanish government has the power to introduce a full arms embargo on Israel as early as tomorrow via Royal Decree,” warned the End Arms Trade with Israel campaign, which has rallied behind this demand since 2024 with the backing of over 600 organizations. “Why hasn’t it acted? What’s holding it back?”
Business as usual beneath the surface?
Since October 7, 2023, Sánchez and his cabinet have made several statements clearly more critical of Israel than those of most other European governments. In contrast to declarations by high-level European officials like Ursula von der Leyen and Kaja Kallas, who continue to invoke “Israel’s right to self-defense” even as it starves tens of thousands of children and obliterates healthcare infrastructure, Spain’s rhetoric has, at times, sounded outright progressive. The Prime Minister recently suggested expelling Israel from the Eurovision contest – a topic surprisingly dear to many Europeans – and his administration claimed to have ceased trading in military goods with the occupation power in late 2023. However, this claim has been refuted by multiple reports and port calls by ships transporting military or dual-use goods to Israel.
Further doubt has been cast on the government’s narrative by the Ministry of Defense, whose representatives recently said that implementing a full embargo would be “difficult in practice” due to the importance of Israeli technology in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. These sources have essentially admitted that they view the arms embargo debate as more politically symbolic than practically feasible.
Contrary to the government’s progressive image and declarations, “Spain has never imported more [from Israel] than after October 7, 2023,” the Delàs Center for Peace Studies warned in a recent report. “Since October 7, Israeli defense and security companies, their subsidiaries, or third-party companies linked to Israeli products have been awarded at least 46 contracts by Spanish institutions, with a total value more than €1.044 million.”
While Palestine solidarity groups identified some of these contracts and pushed against them, the scale of trade between Spain and Israel throughout the genocide has remained significant, according to updates from Delàs Center. Even now, as the parliamentary debate on introducing an arms embargo moves forward, warnings continue about ships carrying ammunition and other potentially military-use equipment bound for Israel via Spanish ports. One such vessel, the Danica Violet, is expected to pass through Cartagena in the coming days.
“Contracts with the Israeli arms industry remain in force and have yet to be canceled. Weapons stained with blood continue to pass through our ports and airports. We continue to finance and facilitate genocide, occupation, and apartheid in Palestine,” wrote the End Arms Trade with Israel campaign.
Palestine solidarity movement to push for more than tokenism
The campaign and its supporters have reiterated calls for the government to act urgently and decisively by imposing a full arms embargo immediately. Similar demands have been voiced in neighboring countries, where political leaders have recently signaled minor shifts in their approach to Israel. Following announcements by British, Canadian, and French leaders that they would consider introducing sanctions on Israel if it failed to halt illegal settlement expansion in the West Bank, Palestine solidarity groups warned that such measures would be nowhere near sufficient. “While these statements may reflect a symbolic political shift, they are far too late and fall dangerously short of meeting these states’ legal obligations under international law, including the Genocide Convention and the Apartheid Convention,” said the Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC).
“We will continue to organize and build people power to transform tokenism and empty threats into tangible and effective accountability measures, starting with a two-way military embargo and full-scale trade and diplomatic sanctions,” the BNC stated.
UK Labour Party government ministers Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner and Rachel Reeves explain that they are partners complicit in Israel’s Gaza genocide. The UK has provided Israel with arms, military and air force support. They explain that they don’t do gas chambers but do do forced marches, starvation, destroy hospitals, mass-murders of journalists and healthcare workers.Genocide denier and Current UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is quoted that he supports Zionism without qualification. He also confirms that UK air force support has been essential in Israel’s mass-murdering genocide. Includes URLs https://www.declassifieduk.org/keir-starmers-100-spy-flights-over-gaza-in-support-of-israel/ and https://youtu.be/O74hZCKKdpA
(Left to right) members of Kneecap, Liam Og O Hannaigh (Mo Chara), JJ O’Dochartaigh (DJ Provai) and Naoise O Caireallain (Moglai Bap) attending the IFTA Awards Ceremony at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre, February 14, 2025
IRISH rap trio Kneecap hit out today over the charging in Britain of one of the group’s members with a terrorism offence, branding it “political policing” and a “carnival of distraction.”
Liam Og O hAnnaidh, known by his stage name Mo Chara, was charged under anti-terror laws for allegedly displaying a Hezbollah flag during a gig at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town, north London, on November 21.
The 27-year-old is due to appear at Westminster magistrates’ court on June 18.
In a statement, the group said that “14,000 babies are about to die of starvation in Gaza, with food sent by the world sitting on the other side of a wall, and once again the British Establishment is focused on us.
“We deny this ‘offence’ and will vehemently defend ourselves; this is political policing, this is a carnival of distraction.
“We are not the story, genocide is. As they profit from genocide, they use an ‘anti-terror law’ against us for displaying a flag thrown on stage.”
Genocide denier and Current UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is quoted that he supports Zionism without qualification. He also confirms that UK air force support has been essential in Israel’s mass-murdering genocide. Includes URLs https://www.declassifieduk.org/keir-starmers-100-spy-flights-over-gaza-in-support-of-israel/ and https://youtu.be/O74hZCKKdpAUK Labour Party government ministers Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner and Rachel Reeves explain that they are partners complicit in Israel’s Gaza genocide. The UK has provided Israel with arms, military and air force support. They explain that they don’t do gas chambers but do do forced marches, starvation, destroy hospitals, mass-murders of journalists and healthcare workers.
FORCED STARVATION: Israel is preventing much-needed aid getting to Gaza
