Andrea Egan warned against ‘swapping Starmer out for Streeting’ in any Labour leadership election. Photograph: Andrea4GS/PA
Blunt remarks indicate UK’s largest union may be on collision course with Wes Streeting and Labour more widely
The new general secretary of Unison has declared the trade union will end its support for the “destructive right wing of the Labour party” and said any leadership election in 2026 should not swap Keir Starmer for Wes Streeting.
Andrea Egan, who won a decisive victory as a leftwing challenger this week, hit out at Streeting in an article for the Guardian over his handling of the resident doctors’ dispute, saying it was “simply unacceptable for a Labour politician to describe striking workers as morally reprehensible”.
She also called on Starmer to “act now” to stop Palestine solidarity campaigners having “to starve protesting for their basic rights”, in reference to the prisoners on hunger strike.
Her blunt remarks indicate that Unison, a leading union for health and social care workers, is on course for a collision with Streeting and Labour more widely over its approach to industrial action and the Middle East.
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Egan suggested a Labour leadership contest was likely in 2026 and warned against the party backing Streeting.
“We will call time on our union’s inexcusable habit of propping up politicians who act against our interests, undermine our fundamental values and make our lives worse,” she said.
“Like colleagues across the movement, I have in recent weeks been appalled by Wes Streeting’s attacks on resident doctors and their union. It is simply unacceptable for a Labour politician to describe striking workers as ‘morally reprehensible’.”
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.Keir Starmer justifies why he has to travel abroad so much
A protester holds a picture of Teuta ‘T’ Hoxha during a demonstration outside the Department of Health in solidarity with pro-Palestine activists who are on hunger strike in prison, 17 December 2025, London, England. Vuk Valcic/ZUMA Press Wire
A shameful end to 2025.
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With parliament’s Christmas hiatus beckoning, there’s one shameful chapter left wide open: the six hunger-striking prisoners, who become more likely to sustain irreversible physical damage or die with every hour of government inaction.
At least two of the detainees, held in connection to Palestine Action activism, have now surpassed day 48 of refusing food. Day 46 was the point at which one of the 23 participants in the Irish republican hunger strike of 1981 died as part of the struggle against Britain’s colonial occupation of Ireland.
But Starmer and his cabinet seem to have nothing to say.
When challenged by Jeremy Corbyn to commit to meeting representatives of the hunger strikers in the Commons on Wednesday, the prime minister replied that he is following the ‘rules and procedures’ in place.
These ‘rules and procedures’ seem unlikely to safeguard the lives of those who remain on hunger strike: Amu Gibb (Amy Gardiner-Gibson), Qesser Zuhrah, Heba Muraisi, Teuta ‘T’ Hoxha, Kamran Ahmed and Lewie Chiaramello.
Zuhrah, Muraisi, Hoxha and Ahmed are part of the ‘Filton 24’, held in connection with a break-in at an Elbit Systems weapons factory, while Gibb and Chiaramello are held in connection with damage to aircraft at RAF Brize Norton, where planes were splashed with red paint.
Zuhrah, who has refused food since 2 November, saw her health deteriorate severely this week, experiencing severe chest pain, the inability to stand and repeated loss of consciousness. She was taken to hospital on Wednesday from HMP Bronzefield after hours of protest outside the privately-run prison.
Campaign group Prisoners For Palestine (PFP) said they had repeatedly attempted to call an ambulance for Zuhrah over a period of 19 hours, but were informed by 999 call handlers that the emergency vehicle would just be turned away by the prison.
Dr Olivia Brandon being dragged by her hood at a protest for the hunger strikers outside HMP Bronzefield on Wednesday 17 December. Image: X/@revoltinghippie
She spent the night in A&E.
A police officer at a protest for the Palestine Action hunger strikers strangled a doctor until she passed out by dragging her by the back of her hoodie, the doctor has told Novara Media.
Dr Olivia Brandon was among several medical professionals who gathered with other supporters outside HMP Bronzefield on Wednesday 17 December to demand the prison allow in an ambulance to treat a hunger striker suffering from severe chest pains.
The alleged attack came after police arrested two protesters, including psychiatric doctor Dr Ayo Moiett, who protesters say was targeted both because he is black and because he played a pivotal role in forcing the prison to eventually let the ambulance come.
Brandon, who works in the A&E department at a London hospital, said she and other protesters sat in the road to prevent police vans from leaving with the detainees – after which officers “started assaulting everyone” as they cleared the road.
She felt an officer grab her hoodie from behind and then drag her along the road.
“I was wearing a tight jumper under my hoodie and because of the force the officer was using, this was strangling me. I remember retching and being in a lot of pain,” she said.
In video footage of the incident, Brandon can be heard choking as she raises a hand to her throat.
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Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.Vote Labour for Genocide.
Police remove a campaigner taking part in a Defend Our Juries protest in support of Palestine Action outside the Home Office, London, November 24, 2025
Left MPs Jeremy Corbyn, Zarah Sultana and John McDonnell are doing the right thing in highlighting the case of the young pro-Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike in British jails.
Seven prisoners associated with solidarity actions for Palestine have now been on hunger strike for several weeks. They are being locked up on remand, with their trial likely 18 months away. This is the largest co-ordinated political hunger strike since the H-Blocks in 1981.
This is the grossest travesty of justice. The whole labour movement should be demanding that these young people, who are not charged with any violence against persons, should be freed.
Guilty of nothing under the law, they should be given bail immediately. Their continued detention on remand is an act of state vindictiveness.
Should any of them come to lasting harm, it will be on the account of Justice Secretary David Lammy as well as the Prime Minister. They will not be forgiven.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.Vote Labour for Genocide.
by dizzy deep, blogger at https://onaquietday.org. I’ve started doing the article I promised but only done so much so far. May be changed, reworked.
Documented by al Jazeera, the events of 7 Oct, 2023 were atrocious and horrific but there were many lies. There were no rapes or mass-killings of babies.
It became clear soon that it was and is genocide and that it was and is Fascism.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Hospitals systematically bombed and destroyed, medical professional – doctors, nurses, ambulance drivers – intentionally targeted, imprisoned and tortured. Journalists murdered. Intentional starvation of the population. Later there were regular mass-murders of starving people queuing for food. This is genocide.
Forced marches were employed by the Nazi Fascists of World War Two. The current plan promoted by US President Donald Trump is about keeping Gazans in concentration camps. It is clear that the intention is to murder and decimate the population of Gaza just as the Nazi Fascists of World War Two intended of Jews. Israeli minister Bezalel Smotrich has repeatedly boasted of being a Fascist.
The UK Labour government under Prime Minister Keir Starmer – together with President Donald Trump’s US administration, Germany and Italy – have repeatedly supported, facilitated and participated in Israel’s Gaza genocide. Absolute support of Israel’s genocide is the one thing that defines Keir Starmer, there in nothing else that compares. [10/12/25 1.20 am Uncertain that it is accurate to say that Germany and Italy participated in Israel’s Gaza genocide. UK certainly did, very likely able to say that of US.]
[Don’t know why that speech is formatted so badly, I’m sure that it was originally in blue text. It’s another one of the weird things that happen on this blog … ]
So Keir Starmer and the UK government has staunchly supported Israels Fascist government in it’s genocide. The UK electorate and population should not tolerate this, we need to insist that Keir Starmer and his ministers are tried for war crimes and complicity in genocide.
JJ, from Austria, stands on the stage with his trophy after winning the Grand Final of the 69th Eurovision Song Contest in Basel, Switzerland, May 18, 2025
THE BBC was called on yesterday to follow a host of national broadcasters and boycott the Eurovision Song Contest, after organisers voted to include Israel despite its ongoing slaughter in Gaza.
The European Broadcasting Union’s (EBU) initiative has already led to Spain, Slovenia and the Netherlands withdrawing, with Ireland’s national broadcaster RTE the latest to join the boycott.
Ireland premier Micheal Martin said he “fully understands” RTE’s boycott as “an act of solidarity with those journalists who were killed in breach of international humanitarian law during the war in Gaza.”
Noting RTE’s editorial independence, Tanaiste Simon Harris said: “By way of context, we’ve seen hundreds of journalists killed throughout this horrific conflict.
“We still today see a situation where there’s not free access by Israel for the media to get in to actually see the atrocities that have happened in Gaza and you can’t just forget or ignore the fact that a genocide has taken place in relation to Palestine.”
The decision split Northern Ireland’s leaders as they joined the British-Irish Council in Wales yesterday, with First Minister Michelle O’Neill making clear she “absolutely agrees with the decision.”
“I think it’s a right and appropriate decision to take,” she said.
“This is the biggest humanitarian crisis of our time, when genocide prevails — and I think countries need to take action that actually sends a very strong message, and I think this is another one of those messages.”
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Adding his voice to the chorus calling for the BBC to withdraw from the contest, Scottish Greens culture spokesman Patrick Harvie, said: “This is a shameful decision and a dark day for the European Broadcasting Union.
“Once a symbol of unity and hope across Europe, they have turned the Eurovision Song Contest into a pink-washing front for war criminals in Israel.
“There can be no place for genocide enablers on the Eurovision stage, which is supposed to celebrate love and diversity.
“The atrocities inflicted against Palestinians in Gaza are among the worst crimes of this century and cannot be ignored and discarded in the name of entertainment.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.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/QILgUHrdWREOrcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Police remove a campaigner taking part in a Defend Our Juries protest in support of Palestine Action outside the Home Office, London, November 24, 2025
JJ, from Austria, stands on the stage with his trophy after winning the Grand Final of the 69th Eurovision Song Contest in Basel, Switzerland, May 18, 2025