extortion

Oil companies’ tax cuts for job demand branded ‘extortion’

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/oil-companies-tax-cuts-job-demand-branded-extortion

 The oil platform Stena Spey is moved with tugboats amongst other rigs that have been left in the Cromarty Firth near Invergordon in the Highlands of Scotland

ENVIRONMENTAL campaigners dismissed oil industry demands for tax cuts to safeguard jobs and the supply chain as “extortion” today.

Friends of the Earth Scotland’s comments come after trade association Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) published an open letter to industry minister Chris McDonald, urging the government to work with it to phase out the temporary Energy Profits Levy (EPL) or windfall tax, and implement a permanent tax regime from 2026.

OEUK argued that if the government does as it proposes, the present 1,000 jobs a month being lost in the sector could be turned around to generate 23,000 additional jobs by 2030, add £137bn to the economy and “safeguard the UK’s energy transition.”

But FoE’s Rosie Hampton was unconvinced, saying: “This menacing letter is little more than extortion with the oil and gas industry threatening to sack even more workers if they aren’t allowed to make larger profits.

“Energy companies have made off with over a half a trillion pounds in profits since the start of the energy price crisis, yet they are consistently whingeing about having to pay a tiny fraction of this back to fund the vital public services.

“Jobs in oil and gas have halved since 2014 despite hundreds of licences issued during that time.

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Continues at https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/oil-companies-tax-cuts-job-demand-branded-extortion

Orcas comment on killer apes destroying the planet by continuing to burn fossil fuels.
Orcas comment on killer apes destroying the planet by continuing to burn fossil fuels.
Continue ReadingOil companies’ tax cuts for job demand branded ‘extortion’

Gaza ceasefire hangs by a thread as Israel blocks delivery of all supplies

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/gaza-ceasefire-hangs-thread-israel-blocks-delivery-all-supplies

Palestinians sit at a large table surrounded by the rubble of destroyed homes and buildings as they gather for iftar, the fast-breaking meal, on the first day of Ramadan in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, March 1, 2025

THE ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas was hanging by a thread today after Israel blockaded all goods and supplies reaching Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli representatives also warned of “additional consequences” if Hamas doesn’t accept a new proposal to extend the fragile ceasefire.

Hamas has accused Israel of trying to derail the existing ceasefire agreement and said its decision to cut off aid was “cheap extortion, a war crime and a blatant attack” on the truce, which began in January after more than a year of negotiations.

Both sides stopped short of saying the ceasefire had ended.

The first phase of the ceasefire, which included a surge in humanitarian assistance, expired on Saturday. The two sides have yet to negotiate the second phase, in which Hamas was to release dozens of remaining hostages in return for an Israeli withdrawal and a lasting ceasefire.

An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the decision to suspend aid was made in co-ordination with the United States.

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Article continues at https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/gaza-ceasefire-hangs-thread-israel-blocks-delivery-all-supplies

Experiencing issues with this image not appearing. I suspect because it's so critical of Zionist Keir Starmer's support of and complicity in Israel's genocides.
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
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/QILgUHrdWRE
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/QILgUHrdWRE
Continue ReadingGaza ceasefire hangs by a thread as Israel blocks delivery of all supplies

Schools crippled by soaring PFI bills

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/schools-crippled-soaring-pfi-bills

School children in a classroom, November 27, 2019

UNIONS and campaigners slammed private firms today for imposing crippling maintenance bills on schools locked into Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts.

PFI schools are bound by 25 to 30-year contracts with private firms, who own and maintain the schools until taxpayers’ money repays the debt.

Over 900 schools have been built through PFI contracts since the 1990s. The initiative was eventually scrapped in 2018.

The BBC spoke to one head teacher in Liverpool who said that nearly 20 per cent of the school’s entire budget is being squandered on contracts.

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/schools-crippled-soaring-pfi-bills

Continue ReadingSchools crippled by soaring PFI bills