Author: Miles Donavan

The decision follows an earlier move in to stop selling Russian products after the invasion of Ukraine. The Co-op has officially joined a number of global brands boycotting Israel, following a vote by its members calling for the supermarket to demonstrate “moral courage and leadership” by removing Israeli goods from its shelves. The Co-op Group board approved a policy banning the sourcing of products from 15 countries, including Israel, Iran, Russia, Syria, Myanmar, Afghanistan, and Belarus, nations it says are responsible for “internationally recognised” human rights violations and breaches of international law. This decision follows a move in March 2022…

There is no means-testing for corporate welfare payments. Prem Sikka is an Emeritus Professor of Accounting at the University of Essex and the University of Sheffield, a Labour member of the House of Lords, and Contributing Editor at Left Foot Forward. The class war is deeply embedded in UK politics. Major political parties have declared war on low and middle income families, the old, sick, poor and disabled. Real wages are depressed. Millions are condemned to misery as governments are ruthlessly cutting social security benefits. However, hardly any questions are asked about corporate welfare and payment of free money to…

The government has made some fairly significant concessions, but they will only apply to existing claimants The government has made concessions in the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment bill after more than 120 Labour MPs signed a reasoned amendment opposing the bill.  Earlier this week, Prime Minister Keir Starmer dismissed the Labour rebellion against his welfare benefit changes as “noises off” but as the backlash grew, the government was forced to make concessions.  Overnight, Liz Kendall sent a letter to MPs detailing these fairly significant concessions. The bill is due for its second reading on Tuesday, and while it…

It’s a hard no for Reform UK The Reform UK leader of Kent County Council put in a request to the government to delay the first stage of local government reorganisation, which was swiftly rejected. The council leader, Linden Kemkaran, said that the minister for local government Jim McMahon, who is in charge of the changes, has verbally given her a “hard no”.  The councillor is claiming that Kent County Council requires an extension as the 28 November deadline the government has set is “almost impossible” for the Reform-led council to meet. Kemkaran instead asked to delay the devolution plans…

‘If current protections are right for disabled people now, why are they not right for disabled people in the future?’ Disability charities are calling on MPs not to be swayed by the government’s last-minute concessions on disability benefit cuts, and vote down the bill. Earlier this week, over 120 Labour MPs signed a reasoned amendment opposing the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment (PIP) bill. This prompted the government to offer concessions to Labour rebel MPs last night. Charities have welcomed the changes for those currently receiving PIP and Universal Credit, but have warned the reforms will harm future claimants. …

‘They would create a two-tier benefits system where people would not be eligible for support because they became sick or disabled at a later date.’ Next week, Parliament is being asked to make a decision that will define not just this government, but who we are as a society. The Bill introduced to overhaul disability benefits is not a reform – it’s a full-frontal assault on the very people the welfare system was designed to protect.  The front page of the Bill could not be clearer: its purpose is “to restrict eligibility for the Personal Independence Payment”. Let’s not dress…

The government has rightly prioritised housebuilding, committing to build 1.5m net new homes this parliament. But existing homes need investment too. Ben Cooper is Research Manager at the Fabian Society. Our home is supposed to be a place of safety and security but for nearly 1.5m renting households, this is not the case. Over 16 per cent of all households who rent, live in a home that harms their health, wellbeing and education. And nearly three-quarters (71 per cent) of those living in poor quality accommodation rent privately. Many will have struggled to keep their home cool in the recent…

He said “totally shameful” ideas about “dumping immigrants” have been normalised since Brexit The Socialist prime minister of Albania Edi Rama has said the UK’s plan to send refused asylum seekers to “return hubs” in third countries shows the UK is in a “in a very dark place”. Rama, who won his fourth term as prime minister last month, said the plan was an example of “totally unacceptable, totally ridiculous, totally shameful” ideas that have become normalised since Brexit. He told the Guardian: “It’s one of those things that 10 years ago would simply not have not been imaginable ……

‘We are being frozen out of the national conversation.’ Dozens of MPs believe that if she is still in charge next spring there might be very little left.’ Dozens of Tory MPs are warning that if Kemi Badenoch is still leader of the Tory Party by next spring, then there will be very little left of the Conservative Party, fearing the very real possibility of being wiped out. It comes as Badenoch continues to trail Reform in the polls, with the Tories being squeezed out of the national conversation and increasingly appearing irrelevant, while the next election is now being…

It seems surprising that the EU would want Patel’s advice on migration, given she launched the Tories’ disastrous Rwanda plan Tory shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel says she met with European Union officials last month to advise them on migration policy. Patel told The London Economic that she regularly talks with EU leaders, due to her experience as former Home Secretary, as European countries search for strategies to deal with the migration “crisis”.  Speaking to The London Economic, she said: “I’ll tell you one issue, migration in Europe. There is a crisis. I told them there’d be a crisis five…