Activists occupy Royal Courts of Justice over Assange, XR, climate trials, and protesters’ legal rights

A justice 'makeover'

 by The Canary
21 February 2024

On Wednesday 21 February, over 100 people gathered within the central hall at the Royal Courts of Justice, London, to hold a series of peaceful People’s Assemblies or ‘Citizens Juries’, in what is being described as ‘a makeover’ of British Justice.
Legal twists and turns

The Assembly has been prompted by the Attorney General’s application, being heard in court, to stop juries acquitting people taking direct action against climate change and for peace in Gaza. You can read more about the case here.

Judge Reid, who is currently hearing a trial of Extinction Rebellion activists at Inner London Crown Court which would be affected by the ruling, said on Monday 19 February he was ‘hopeful’ the Court of Appeal would reach a decision today (despite that being unusual for the Court of Appeal).

However, at 11:50am on 21 February Reid suspended the Extinction Rebellion case – saying he wanted to wait for the outcome in the Court of Appeal. As campaign group Defend Our Juries noted on X:

The Court of Appeal hearing on the Attorney General’s case will also include consideration of the wider legal landscape, including the:

Post Office/Horizon scandal.
Lack of legal accountability for the bosses of the banks responsible for the financial crisis of 2008.
Bosses of the oil and water companies that have caused so much destruction to our land, air and waters.
Ministers responsible for violations of international agreements, including the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the Refugee Convention, and UN rulings on Gaza.
Occupying the Royal Courts of Justice

The three themes of the assembly reflected the three cases of far-reaching significance which are being heard simultaneously at the Royal Courts of Justice on 21 February:The Attorney General’s attempt to stop juries reaching not guilty verdicts in trials of those taking direct action to support peace, climate action or democracy.

Final appeal against extradition of Julian Assange.

Legal challenges to the government’s net zero target.

At 11:11am, in remembrance of the democratic freedoms our grandparents fought for, over 100 citizens quietly stood up and left the public gallery of courtroom four in the Royal Courts of Justice (and a spillover court), as the court deliberated on removing the last remaining legal defence currently left open to people taking direct action for the environment and for peace. Those people have now reconvened together in the central hall of the courts.

In an expression of authentic justice and democracy, members of the public then held three people’s assemblies, providing a space for people to discuss the issues arising from the court hearings together:

People’s Assemblies are used around the world successfully by local authorities, governments, and communities to present issues of public relevance and gain agreement on actions or decisions needed. On Sunday, it was announced that the Labour Party likewise plans to introduce Citizens Assemblies.

The concerned members of the public have formed three Citizens Juries to consider the following questions:

1) When did it become a crime to tell the truth?

2) Why not trust juries to hear the full story?

3) Does the British Government respect International Law? Each court will produce a judgement, which will be circulated to members of the press.
So far, no arrests at the Royal Courts of Justice

The People’s Assembly at the Royal Courts of Justice was entirely lawful and peaceful, and did not intend to cause disruption to the ordinary running of the court. Participants circulated a note to court staff explaining there was no intention to disrupt any court activity, but only to conduct a lawful and peaceful assembly. They indicated an intention to remain in place until the assembly has concluded.

As of 12pm on 21 February, there had been no arrests – despite participants risking this. Police had arrived:

Those who attended the People’s Assembly gathered wearing T-shirts that read “The People v. The Corporate State”. A Banner saying “Welcome to the People’s Assembly” was unfurled within the central hall.

Defend Our Juries: defending the rule of law

A spokesperson for campaign group Defend Our Juries said:

The rule of law means that no-one should be above the law, even if they are rich and powerful. But what we’re seeing in reality is that the bosses of the big banks and corporations such Fujitsu, or BP and Thames Water are as untouchable as the crime bosses in a mafia state – no matter the damage they cause or the lives they destroy.

On the other hand, good people like all those sub-postmasters and peace campaigners, are prosecuted and imprisoned, just for doing their job or for taking measures to protect life.

The courts belong to the public, not the big corporations. That’s why we’re holding this peaceful assembly in the Royal Courts of Justice today.

In defence of the rule of law, trial by jury and our democracy. Given the state of repression in Britain right now, which the UN has recently described as ‘terrifying’, we’re prepared for arrest if it comes to it. But that would make our point for us.

We’re not out to cause disruption. We’re peacefully exercising our democratic right to freedom of assembly to address the crisis in our justice system. If the court has us arrested, it’s the court that’s acting unlawfully, not us.

Featured image via Plan B – screengrab and additional images via Defend Our Juries

Alabama rot: What you can do to protect your pup - as ten UK dogs diagnosed with deadly disease in 2024

It's still not know exactly what causes Alabama rot in dogs, but cases tend to spike in the spring

By Amber Allott
Published 21st Feb 2024, 


There have already been 10 confirmed cases of a rare but potentially fatal dog disease in the UK this year, with experts still not entirely sure what causes it.

Alabama rot, also known as cutaneous and renal glomerular vasculopathy (CRGV), is a disease which affects dogs. It damages blood vessels which initially causes visible sores on the skin, but can eventually lead to organ dysfunction and ultimately kidney failure - with very few dogs surviving once it reaches this stage.

The disease, which has been documented in both the UK and the US, is considered rare, but the RSPCA warns cases tend to spike during winter and spring. With spring just around the corner, dog experts at the Kennel Store have shared some information on symptoms dog owners need to be on the lookout for - as well as how you can protect your pup with so little still known about the disease.

Here's everything you need to know:

The disease was initially thought to only affect greyhounds (Photo: Adobe Stock)

The cause of Alabama rot is still unknown, although research is ongoing. Most reports come from dog owners who walk their dogs in the countryside, and most cases are reported during winter and spring. Cases are generally less common in the summer months compared to the winter months.

The first case was reported in America, in the 1980s and at first it was thought to only affect greyhounds. However, it is now understood to affect dogs of all breeds, ages and sizes.

Despite the exact cause remaining a mystery, some researchers believe it may be linked to mud exposure in some way. The Kennel Store's advice is to make sure you wash all mud off of your dog after wet and muddy walks, especially if you’ve gone through any woodland areas.

What are the symptoms of Alabama rot?


The earliest symptoms tend to be skin ulcers that appear on the dog's legs or paws. These marks look like a small red area, but may also present as a bruise, sting, or open sore. Dogs infected with the disease may also develop ulcers on the muzzle, tongue, head, flank and belly - although the RSPCA notes most skin lesions on dogs are caused by something else.

If the disease progresses and the kidneys are affected, signs something is wrong may include changes in appetite - such as a reduced appetite, excessive drinking, vomiting, and lethargy. You should seek vet care if you notice any of these symptoms.

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Can it be treated?

With the underlying cause of Alabama rot still unknown, there is no specific treatment, Kennel Store experts say. "If your dog is showing symptoms of Alabama rot, it is vital your dog is taken to the vets promptly, so a plan can be decided and treatment can begin," a spokesperson says.

The People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) also says the disease can be diagnosed by blood or urine tests, although sometimes skin or kidney biopsies may be needed. For less severe stages of the disease, skin wounds can be treated with pain relief, antibiotics for any infections, and potentially a cone if the dog won't leave its lesions alone. Dogs at this stage usually make a full recovery.

However, if the disease starts to affect your dog’s kidneys, they will likely need intensive care, involving a hospital stay and a fluid drip. PDSA says the prognosis at this point is unfortunately worse.

 

Labour MP dedicated to finding brain cancer cure collects honour from William

Dame Siobhain McDonagh met the Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle.

FAIRY GODMOTHER MEETS PRINCE CHARMING

DAME SIOBHAIN MCDONAGH WAS RECOGNISED FOR PARLIAMENTARY AND POLITICAL SERVICE (YUI MOK/PA)

PA WIRE

LUKE O'REILLY1 DAY AGO

Labour MP Siobhain McDonagh fought back tears as she said she was dedicated to finding a cure for brain cancer in the wake of her sister’s death from glioblastoma.

Dame Siobhain joined actress Emilia Clarke and former chancellor Sir Sajid Javid as they collected their honours from the Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle on Wednesday.

She said she felt her damehood had been given to her in honour of her late sister, Baroness Margaret, who was the general secretary of the Labour Party from 1998 to 2001.

“I think people put me forward as an honour to her,” she said.

Dame Siobhain said her sister had helped Labour achieve its two biggest electoral successes.

“She used to run the Labour Party for Tony Blair,” she said.

“She organised the 1997 and 2001 elections, which were our two biggest successes in our history, and the first time we had two consecutive full-term wins.”

While housing is her main subject of interest, she said that she was now dedicated to finding a cure to brain cancer.

She added that she will raise the subject in Parliament next week, where she will call for more funding for research, better training for doctors, and further drug trials.

Looking forward to the next election, Dame Siobhain said that people were “desperate for change”.

“I’ve just come back from the Kingswood by-election, just outside Bristol, where I was the candidate’s aide,” she said.

“Damien (Egan) was a great candidate, but the voters were really angry.

“They feel a bit hopeless. They believe that we can’t make the country better, that nothing works.

“But we have to start somewhere, we start with a single step.”

Dame Siobhain has been the MP for Mitcham and Morden since 1997, and served as a whip under Gordon Brown.

She was recognised for parliamentary and public service.

UK to consider suspending arms exports to Israel if Rafah offensive goes ahead


As situation in Gaza worsens, diplomatic pressure is mounting on UK to follow other countries and suspend arms sales to Israel


Patrick Wintour 

Diplomatic Editor

THE GUARDIAN

Wed 21 Feb 2024

The UK government will consider suspending arms export licences to Israel if Benjamin Netanyahu goes ahead with a potentially devastating ground offensive on the Palestinian city of Rafah in southern Gaza.

As the humanitarian situation in Gaza has worsened, diplomatic pressure has been mounting on the UK to follow other countries and suspend arms exports to Israel.

Ministerial sources said that while no decision had been made about a suspension of arms export licences, the UK had the ability to respond quickly if the legal advice to ministers said that Israel was in breach of international humanitarian law.

The UK has joined other allies in pressuring Israel to avoid a ground offensive in Rafah. In a letter to the foreign affairs select committee about arms export controls to Israel published on Tuesday, David Cameron, the foreign secretary, said he could not see how an offensive in Rafah could go ahead without harming civilians and destroying homes.

In the Commons, the UK foreign minister Andrew Mitchell underscored that an offensive in Rafah represented a red line for the UK government, telling MPs on Wednesday that the UK was urging the Israeli government not to launch an attack that could have “devastating consequences”.

At a meeting in Geneva on Wednesday on the Arms Trade Treaty, UK officials were accused by Palestinian diplomats of breaking the treaty by refusing to rescind arms sales after the International Court of Justice ruled that Israel must ensure its forces did not commit acts of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

Palestinian representative Nada Tarbrush warned “a ground incursion in Rafah will lead to mass killings on an even greater scale than the atrocities we have seen in recent months”, adding that when the history books come to be written no one in the west can pretend they did not know of the destruction.

British officials told the meeting: “We can and do respond quickly and flexibly to changing and fluid situations.”

An article in the treaty obligates states not to authorise any transfer of conventional weapons if they know that those weapons will be used to commit acts of genocide or crimes against humanity.

In the Commons, Mitchell accused Hamas of cynical tactics, but told MPs: “We must recognise that Israeli soldiers will only be able to reach hostages or the Hamas leadership at an incredible cost to innocent lives. We share Israel’s desire to end the threat from Hamas and ensure it no longer exerts control over Gaza, but the UK and our partners say Israel must reflect on whether such a military operation is wise – is it counterproductive to its long-term interest?”

In his letter to the UK foreign affairs select committee, Cameron went out of his way to signal Rafah’s importance, expressing “deep concern” about the prospect of an offensive. “We do not underestimate the devastating humanitarian impacts that a full ground offensive, if enacted, would have in these circumstances,” he said.

He added: “We continue to urge Israel to ensure that it limits its operations to military targets and take all possible steps to avoid harming civilians and destroying homes.” However, in the case of a potential military offensive in Rafah, he said: “It is difficult to see how this could be achieved. Civilians are not able to cross into Egypt nor are they able to return northwards.”

Privately, British officials believe Israel is intent on an attack on Rafah.

The UK is not due to disclose the arms export licences granted to Israel in the final quarter of last year until much later this year. In 2022 the UK granted 114 standard export licences to Israel worth £42m.

Although Cameron in his letter to the chair of the foreign affairs select committee, Alicia Kearns, said “you are asking the right questions”, he did not answer the committee’s request to reveal how many export licence applications have been referred to ministers.

Earlier this month The Hague district court ordered the Dutch government to stop the export of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel within seven days due to the risk of serious violations of international humanitarian law and referred to the ATT and EU policy.

How the UK-India trade deal threatens affordable medicines

The government is pushing for strengthened intellectual property rules for India-made pharmaceuticals.

By Tim Bierley
New Statesman

Photo by Jeff J Mitchell / Getty Images.

In the past week, medicines shortages in the UK have reached crisis point. Thousands of people, including those suffering with motor neurone disease, diabetes and epilepsy, are now facing anxious waits to secure the medication they depend on. Some of these shortages are potentially life-threatening, yet the government has so far avoided criticism on the issue.

The crisis is driven by a series of complex causes. The Conservatives would like us to believe it’s caused by factors beyond their control, including the war in Ukraine, production issues in key laboratories, and the lingering effects of the pandemic on supply chains. But poor planning from government is a key factor here, along with years of inadequate investment in public manufacturing of drugs and disruptions caused by Brexit.

Another crisis of medicines supplies is brewing, though, and next time the causes could be surprisingly simple – with the effects even larger in scale. It would also be entirely of the government’s own making.

The issue lies in India’s generic medicines manufacturing, a thriving industry that is currently a lifeline for the NHS that provides imports of cheap, effective generic medicines that treat a range of diseases, from cancer to diabetes to heart conditions. But as part of ongoing talks over a new trade deal with India, Rishi Sunak’s government is aiming a wrecking ball squarely at this industry.

India is sometimes referred to as the “pharmacy of the world”, due to its status as the world’s largest supplier of low-cost generics, vaccines and affordable medicines. More broadly, health competition provided by generic medicines producers can cut the cost of medicines by up to 80 per cent, making medicines available to millions in lower-income countries and helping to take pressure off health systems.

The NHS benefits hugely from the success of the country’s affordable medicines industry, importing as many as 25 per cent of its generic medicines from the country’s manufacturers. In the case of Glivec, an important drug for treating some kinds of leukaemia, for years the big pharmaceutical firm Novartis charged the NHS more than £25,000 for a course of the drugs, even as experts pointed out that the drug could be made far more cheaply. A few years later when the patent on the drug expired and generic imports started flowing into the UK, the price fell to just £556 per year: a 97 per cent price reduction.

However, for the last 18 months, the UK has quietly been pushing India to adopt a series of measures that would, if accepted, trash an industry that has been essential to saving the NHS cash. Where India’s laws only allow patents for truly innovative breakthroughs, the UK is pressing for measures that could enable corporations to slap patents on inconsequential tweaks to already existing medicines – a process referred to as “evergreening”.

Similarly, the UK wants to allow companies to extend patent terms beyond the already generous 20 years currently laid out in global intellectual property norms. Currently, patients and health organisations in India can challenge dubious patent applications before they are granted. Only last year this process was used to cut the costs of the tuberculosis drug, bedaquiline, by 80 per cent. The UK’s demands, if accepted, would end progress like this. The solid foundation on which India’s medicines industry has been built is under threat.

So why is the UK pushing so hard for measures that are clearly self-destructive? An obvious answer would be to look at the role of the lobbyists behind the biggest pharmaceutical companies. Their own statements to parliament have emphasised that the UK’s trade talks with India were a “priority” for an industry seeking to overturn “barriers to obtaining and enforcing [intellectual property] rights”. Ultimately, the success and expansion of India’s generics industry is not just a competitive threat to the giants of the industry; it also demonstrates that it isn’t necessary for countries to bow, scrape and shape their laws to fit around the pharmaceutical lobby’s every demand.

Despite this, our government seems beholden to the demands of the industry, effectively acting as its representative in trade talks, while also caving to the demands of these companies over drugs pricing in the NHS. The NHS drug bill has grown massively in recent years, with our health system now spending around £18bn a year on medicines. Many of these drugs are very useful but hugely overpriced. Others offer dubious advances compared to those already on the market.

The Trade Secretary, Kemi Badenoch, has insisted that the government wouldn’t sign a trade deal that would threaten NHS access to drugs, but her denials appear to be wishful thinking. A chorus of doctors and health organisations, including the British Medical Association and Médicins sans Frontieres, have warned that the UK’s demands threaten the supply of medicines to the NHS and to patients around the world. Experts on intellectual property, health and trade agree.

The current drugs shortages have revealed the uncomfortable truth that under our current system access to life-saving medications is not guaranteed. The anxiety now suffered by patients and their families is bad enough without the government taking an axe to our most reliable supply of affordable medicines. In ongoing trade negotiations, this government must make choices in service of public health – not corporate profit.

EXPROPRIATION IS NOT STEALING
Climate change protesters 'steal food from Tesco' to give to public

Two activists dressed as Tesco workers as they targeted the shop in a wave of action over the cost of living crisis.

This is Rigged

It comes as part of a wave of actions which This Is Rigged are describing as 'redistributive actions'

Caitlyn Dewar
Posted in Glasgow City


Climate change protesters ‘stole food and roses’ from a Tesco store in Glasgow city centre on Wednesday and handed the goods out to passing members of the public.

Two activists dressed as Tesco workers on Wednesday and wore lanyards that read “Tesco: Very Little Help” with a picture of the company’s CEO Ken Murphy on them and a sign in Tesco’s font reading “Serving our customers, communities and planet a little better every day”.

It comes as part of a wave of actions which This Is Rigged are describing as “redistributive actions”.

The group is demanding that supermarkets slash prices to match March 2021 and that the Scottish Government fund and install a community food hub for every 500 households in Scotland.

The group handed out bread and roses as a nod to the speech by American women’s suffrage activist Helen Todd, in which she called for “bread for all, and roses too.”

In a statement released on social media, the group said: “We are asking for the bare minimum: our inalienable human right to baseline food security; but we are also asking for dignity. No longer will we beg for scraps from the tables of greedy CEOs.

“No longer will we be at the mercy of corporations who price us out of eating on a whim, dependent on them to provide us with our foundational needs. No longer will we tolerate a criminally incompetent government that refuses to address the crisis of food insecurity in this country.”

It comes as new research found that half of people receiving Universal Credit in Scotland have been unable to afford food in the last month.

The research, conducted by YouGov on behalf of the Trussell Trust, revealed that 35,900 people (7%) claiming Universal Credit in Scotland have been forced to use a food bank in the last month, and half (51%) ran out of food in the last month and couldn’t afford more.

Also, in the last three months, 20% of people claiming Universal Credit in Scotland were unable to cook hot food as they couldn’t afford to use the oven or other utilities.

The group have criticised the Tesco CEO for making a more than a £4m bonus while shop prices soar.

This is Rigged said that activists dressed as Tesco workers to point a finger at the company’s community commitments, which they claim are hypocritical.

It said that it aims to show the general public that price rises and excess security measures being implemented in shops are “inexcusable and demeaning, alongside the fact that the current cost of living crisis is inextricable from climate change”.

The protest group have vowed to escalate and continue to “redistribute food and essential goods” until their new demands are met.

Tesco and Police Scotland have been contacted for comment.

British film industry ‘at risk of losing huge number of talented people’



Director of BBC Film Eva Yates was giving evidence to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee (House of Commons/UK Parliament/PA)

By Charlotte McLaughlin, 

PA Senior Entertainment Reporter

The director of BBC Film has raised concerns about the “battered” British film industry seeing an exodus of experienced filmmakers.

Eva Yates, head of the feature film-making arm of the BBC, appeared in front of a Wednesday session of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s inquiry into British film and high-end TV.

She said: “I think the tax credit could have a transformative effect, I think we’re sort of at the point where we are at risk of losing a huge number of really talented people from the industry.



“And I think there’s both an immediacy to that as a possible solution but there’s also an opportunity to bring some confidence back into an industry which has really been battered in the last few years between the strikes, the effects of Covid and massive changes to the structure of the marketplace.”

She also said that it was “frustrating to be training lots of new people, when there’s actually brilliant, experienced people who could be doing these jobs, but not choosing to stay in the industry”.

Ms Yates, whose company has had the recent releases romantic drama Rye Lane, biopic One Life, family drama Aftersun and Oscar-nominated Triangle Of Sadness, also told MPs that the “amount of resources” needed to make a film was increasing.

“I now go to film festivals and spend the whole time meeting other financiers so that I can try and bring those introductions into the British industry and to those independent producers,” she said.

We make about 15 films a year with that money, and we also make short films, but we do that always in partnership with other people - so we don't have the financial ability to solely finance anything that we doDirector of BBC Film Eva Yates

“I don’t get to watch films anymore. It’s completely different.”

Ms Yates also said the “very modest budget” for BBC Film at £11 million had “not increased” in a decade, amid rising inflation during that period.

“We make about 15 films a year with that money, and we also make short films, but we do that always in partnership with other people – so we don’t have the financial ability to solely finance anything that we do,” she added.

Film4 director Ollie Madden has said that his company, involved in Oscar-nominated films Poor Things and The Zone Of Interest, was making “fewer” movies than the studio would like.


It has become harder, finding absolutely private money, commercial money to make first-time features because they are very riskyFilm4 director Ollie Madden

“We make a minimum of four every year, but we would like to make more,” he added.

“And it has become harder, finding absolutely private money, commercial money to make first-time features because they are very risky.”

He also said: “Producers and production companies being able to earn a fair fee for their work and not having to defer their fees, and allowing them to build much more sustainable businesses, because too often you see producers having to defer (fees) so much that feels unsustainable, and they struggle to make their next film, or even stay in the industry, because it’s too hard to build a business.”

Mr Madden also said that if there were changes to tax relief then producers could get more revenue through rights distribution.



Film4 director Ollie Madden said his company was making ‘fewer’ movies than the studio would like (House of Commons/UK Parliament/PA)

“Independent film can be commercially successful by holding back the rights of films, particularly in North America, which is one of the biggest markets,” he added.

Ms Yates agreed there was an “ongoing issue around producers deferring their fees”, causing them to “reach the crisis point where they can’t make the cost of their film meet the budget that they managed to raise”.

“We have had to substantially raise our investment in a number of films over the last few years in order to get them to the point where they’ve been makable,” she added.

“But it’s quite difficult for us to continue to do that, without starting to lose the overall amount of films that we’re able to make in any given year.



The cast of Triangle Of Sadness (Doug Peters/PA)

Rebecca O’Brien, a producer at Sixteen Films, who made the Irish civil war film The Wind That Shakes The Barley, starring Cillian Murphy, and Bafta-nominated The Old Oak, also warned that without fiscal support the industry would “die”.

She also said there was “market failure” because of streaming giants, higher-end TV and Hollywood coming in and taking “a lot of our investors away”.

“I’m chatting up a Turkish TV station at the moment,” Ms O’Brien said.

“I’m not desperate, I’m very, very happy to work with Turks, but it’s like, really, am I doing that to close the funding on my film at the moment.”

UK

Badenoch claim on ‘extensively’ engaging with LGBT groups challenged in Commons

Kemi Badenoch said she has engaged ‘extensively’ with LGBT groups (Liam McBurney/PA)

By Ben Hatton, PA Political Staff

Today at 08:45

Kemi Badenoch said she had engaged “extensively” with LGBT groups when she had not even met them, a Labour former cabinet minister has claimed in the Commons.

Ben Bradshaw questioned if the Business Secretary and equalities minister has a “problem” with the truth and was critical of the Conservatives’ approach to transgender issues.

An ally of Ms Badenoch told the PA news agency she had meetings with the campaign groups Transgender Trend and Sex Matters, and “exchanged multiple emails and letters with other LGBT groups”.

It comes in a week when her statements on two unrelated issues – her sacking of the Post Office chairman and her claims trade talks had been ongoing with Canada – have both been publicly questioned.

Mr Bradshaw was speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions and referenced comments Ms Badenoch made last year.

What is the problem the Prime Minister, and a section of his party, have with trans people, and his equalities minister has with the truth?

Labour MP Ben Bradshaw

The Labour MP said: “In December, the Cabinet minister for equalities told this House that she had engaged, and I quote, ‘extensively’ with LGBT organisations since her appointment 18 months ago.

“A freedom-of-information answer published this week reveals that in fact the minister hasn’t met a single LGBT organisation, but has met two fringe groups that actively campaign against transgender rights.

“What is the problem the Prime Minister, and a section of his party, have with trans people, and his equalities minister has with the truth?”

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak responded: “This Government has a proud track record of supporting those in the LGBT community and will continue to do so.

“I’ve also always said that those who are questioning their gender and identity should be treated with the upmost dignity and compassion and sensitivity as they consider those questions.

“But it is completely reasonable alongside that to highlight the importance of biological sex when it comes to those questions. Nobody should be stigmatised or demonised for pointing out that fact.”

In December, Ms Badenoch was speaking in the Commons about issues related to gender recognition and told the House: “We have engaged with numerous LGBT groups.”

She then posted on social media platform X the same day: “I have engaged extensively with LGBT groups in my role as minister for women and equalities.”

Mr Bradshaw’s remarks appear to refer to information published by PinkNews.

The outlet reported in December that Ms Badenoch had not had meetings with any of the UK’s largest LGBTQ+ organisations since taking on her role as minister for women and equalities, citing information provided by Mermaids, Gendered Intelligence, the Kaleidoscope Trust and Stonewall.

PinkNews reported on Tuesday that Ms Badenoch did not attend any events related to LGBT Pride in an official capacity last year, citing information released under the freedom of information act.

An ally of Ms Badenoch told the PA news agency: “As well as her meetings with Transgender Trend and Sex Matters, Kemi has exchanged multiple emails and letters with other LGBT groups.

“This all counts as engagement and supports her tweet. But the truth is that Ben Bradshaw really just wants her to meet the likes of Stonewall and Mermaids, who support self-ID – something that Kemi does not support and is not Government policy.”

Ms Badenoch has clashed with Henry Staunton this week, with each providing differing accounts of a conversation in which she dismissed him as chairman of the Post Office.

Labour chairman of the Business and Trade Committee Liam Byrne has also said Ms Badenoch has “questions to answer” over remarks she made in relation to trade negotiations with Canada.

The Business and Trade Committee’s X account said on the social media site that the Canadian High Commissioner “refutes” the claim made by Ms Badenoch in January that trade negotiations on cheese and rules of origin are ongoing.

A Government source said: “The Business and Trade Secretary told the House she was having ‘multiple discussions’, these are very different to the ‘formal negotiations’ or ‘technical discussions’ that were ruled out by the Canadian High Commissioner.

“Badenoch has remained in contact with her Canadian counterpart and next week she will be travelling to WTO MC13 (World Trade Organisation’s 13th Ministerial Conference) in Abu Dhabi where among her meetings she will be continuing discussions with her Canadian counterpart regarding the cheese and rules of origin issues.”

UK’s Kemi Badenoch challenged over Canada trade claims

The government says discussions with Canada are continuing.


Kemi Badenoch walked away from negotiations on a trade deal with Canada amid a row over food standards | Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images

FEBRUARY 21, 2024
BY GRAHAM LANKTREE

LONDON — Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch faced pressure in the U.K. parliament Wednesday after Canada challenged her claim that talks to avert a cliff edge for British car exports are still “ongoing.”

Under the U.K.’s current trade continuity deal with Canada, rules of origin giving British manufacturers the right to use EU parts in their exports without penalty expire on April 1.

It’s prompting major uncertainty for carmakers. British car exports to Canada alone are worth upwards of £700 million annually.
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But Badenoch — who walked away from negotiations on a trade deal with Canada amid a row over food standards — told MPs late last month that she could “state explicitly that the talks have not broken down” and discussions on the rules of origin issue were “ongoing.”

Canadian officials subsequently pushed back, telling POLITICO in January “there has been no discussion separately on rules of origin."

That claim was bolstered in a letter sent by Ottawa’s top diplomat in the U.K., Ralph Goodale, to the chair of the Commons business and trade committee, Labour MP Liam Byrne, which was published on Tuesday.

Goodale said there had been “neither negotiations nor technical discussions with respect to any of the outstanding issues.”

Byrne raised the issue in a point of order in the House of Commons on Wednesday.

“How do we get to the bottom of whether these trade talks are going on in the secretary of state’s mind or whether they’re happening in real life?” he asked.

Badenoch “told the House she was having multiple discussions, these are different from negotiations or technical discussions (as described by Goodale),” a spokesperson for the Department for Business and Trade said. “She has remained in contact with her Canadian counterpart.”

Next week Badenoch will travel to a World Trade Organization conference in Abu Dhabi “where among her meetings she will be continuing discussions with her Canadian counterpart regarding the cheese and rules of origin issues,” the spokesperson added.

Analysis by the Department for Business and Trade shows “exporters of automotives, plastics, chemicals and processed food are likely to be impacted" by the looming rules of origin changes, Industry Minister Nusrat Ghani said earlier this month.