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Palestine – Build Pressure on Starmer to halt arms sales!

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11th July 2024

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“Applying a conservative estimate of four indirect deaths per one direct death to the 37 396 deaths reported, it is not implausible to estimate that up to 186 000 or even more deaths could be attributable to the current conflict in Gaza.”

Lancet report published on July 5th

By Matt Willgress, Labour & Palestine

This Tuesday, Israel’s military again attacked the Gaza Strip, killing at least 77 Palestinians, including dozens sheltering at a school, in one of the deadliest attacks of recent weeks.

Al Jazeera reported that, “In the town of Abbasan, east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, an Israeli air attack on the al-Awdah school killed at least 30 people and wounded 53, most of them women and children, according to Palestinian medics.”

After nearly nine months of war crimes, over 38,243 people have now been killed and 88,243 wounded in Israel’s war on Gaza, and around 1.7 million people have been internally displaced.

A Lancet report published on July 5 outlined exactly what these figures mean, and argued that “Applying a conservative estimate of four indirect deaths per one direct death to the 37 396 deaths reported, it is not implausible to estimate that up to 186 000 or even more deaths could be attributable to the current conflict in Gaza. Using the 2022 Gaza Strip population estimate of 2 375 259, this would translate to 7·9% of the total population in the Gaza Strip.”

Alongside this, the news this week from the Palestinian Red Crescent that all of its medical clinics were out of service in Gaza City due to the Israeli evacuation orders further emphasised the humanitarian catastrophe facing the people of Gaza.

These latest war crimes illustrate clearly why it’s time to escalate our demands on the new Government for an immediate embargo on trading arms with Israel.

This is also what the British public wants.

A poll in May found that 55% of people support the UK ending the sale of arms to Israel for the duration of the conflict in Gaza, whilst only 13% want to see their continuation.

Even amongst those who voted for the Conservative Party in 2019, the poll found that 40% are in favour of the UK suspending arms sales to Israel, while just 24% opposed.

Even more relevant in terms of our campaigning, amongst those who voted for Labour, 74% are in favour of the UK suspending arms sales, compared to 7% who oppose.

In opposition, Labour’s frontbench called on the then Tory Government to publish legal advice about whether Israel has broken international law in Gaza, with David Lammy (now Foreign Secretary) saying “if it [nb. the legal advice] says there is a clear risk that UK arms might be used in a serious breach of international humanitarian law, it’s time to suspend the sale of those arms.”

Now, they should follow their own advice and an arms embargo must be enacted.

As the recent Artists for Palestine letter to Keir Starmer argued, “By suspending arms sales to Israel, particularly while its leader faces arrest warrants from the ICC, you can send a clear message that the UK will not tolerate human rights abuses and will stand up for the oppressed.”

It is then so important that we remain active on the streets – and throughout the labour and trade union movement – speaking up for Palestine.

We have seen demonstration after demonstration nationally for Palestine on an unprecedented scale. There have been 14 national marches since October, with a total attendance of well over 4 million. This is a movement we should be proud of, and which continues to shake up the system here and internationally.

Now, the situation is clear – after its General Election win, Labour has not committed to either halting arms sales to Israel, or to joining Ireland, Spain, Norway and others in recognising a Palestinian state.

Therefore our response is also loud and clear – not in our name, we will keep speaking up for Palestine, halt arms sales now!

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• Labour & Palestine are hosting an online event ‘Palestine: What should the new UK Government do?‘ on Tuesday, July 16th at 6.30PM, with the Palestinian Ambassador and voices from our movement. Register your place here.
• You can follow Labour & Palestine on Facebook and Twitter/X. 
• If you support Labour Outlook’s work amplifying the voices of left movements and struggles here and internationally, please consider becoming a supporter on Patreon.

Indian seafarers to be feted for exceptional bravery by International Maritime Organisation in London

ANI
11 July, 2024 

The IMO Council has honoured Cptn Avhilash Rawat and the crew of the oil tanker Marlin Luanda. (Photo/PIB)

New Delhi [India], July 11 (ANI): The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has recognised the exceptional bravery and courage of Indian seafarers in its 2024 awards for Bravery at Sea.

The IMO Council, in its proceedings on July 10, 2024, has honoured Captain Avhilash Rawat and the crew of the oil tanker Marlin Luanda for their extraordinary bravery, leadership, and determination.

The crew’s efforts, along with the crucial support from assisting naval forces, were pivotal in ensuring the safety of the crew, saving the ship, and preventing a potential environmental disaster, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said in a press release.

Additionally, Captain Brijesh Nambiar and the crew of the Indian Naval Ship INS Visakhapatnam have been awarded a Letter of Commendation for their remarkable courage and resolve in joining the fire-fighting efforts on board the Marlin Luanda. The ship was struck by an anti-ship ballistic missile while carrying highly hazardous cargo. Their effective use of equipment and personnel to extinguish the fire and seal a significant hull breach prevented loss of life and a serious marine pollution incident.

On January 26, 2024, the Marlin Luanda, carrying 84,147 tons of naphtha, was struck by an anti-ship missile en route from Suez to Incheon. The explosion ignited a cargo tank, creating a severe fire hazard. Captain Avhilash Rawat organised firefighting efforts, ensuring crew safety and maintaining the ship’s navigability. Despite significant damage, the crew fought the fire with foam monitors and seawater, the release added.

After four and a half hours, assistance arrived from the merchant tanker Achilles, French frigate FS Alsace, U.S. frigate USS Carney, and Indian warship INS Visakhapatnam. Despite the fire reigniting, trained Indian Navy firefighters, along with the Marlin Luanda crew, extinguished the fire and sealed a hull breach. Twenty-four hours after the strike, the Marlin Luanda sailed to safety under naval escort.

Union Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, expressed pride and appreciation for the honored seafarers and Indian Navy, stating, “This recognition by the IMO highlights the extraordinary bravery and professionalism of Indian seafarers. Their actions have not only saved lives and prevented environmental disasters but have also brought immense pride to our nation. We salute their dedication and heroism,” it also said.

It is to be noted, the IMO invites nominations annually from member countries to honor seafarers for exceptional bravery at sea. This year, nominations were received until April 15, 2024, and were first scrutinised by an Assessment Panel of experts. The panel’s recommendations were then reviewed by a Panel of Judges chaired by the Chairperson of the IMO Council. The final recommendations were reported to the Council of IMO, leading to the prestigious recognitions bestowed on the Indian seafarers.

The annual awards ceremony will be held at IMO Headquarters in London on 2 December 2024 during the 109th session of the Maritime Security Committee, the release also said. (ANI)

This report is auto-generated from ANI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.

PREVIEW TO WWIII: NATO VS PUTIN

Security pacts bridge gap until Ukraine joins NATO

Lilia Rzheutska | Viktoria Vlasenko

DW

JULY 11,2024

Ukraine has signed 21 bilateral security agreements with Western partners since January. DW examined what they entail and what their advantages are for Kyiv.

The NATO summit that took place in Lithuania's capital, Vilnius, in July 2023 ended in disappointment for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy: There was no invitation for Ukraine to become a member of the military alliance, nor a concrete road map to that end. Instead, he had to content himself with the fact that G7 leaders and the presidents of the European Council and the European Commission had signed a joint declaration in support of Ukraine.

"Today we are launching negotiations with Ukraine to formalize — through bilateral security commitments and arrangements aligned with this multilateral framework, in accordance with our respective legal and constitutional requirements — our enduring support to Ukraine as it defends its sovereignty and territorial integrity, rebuilds its economy, protects its citizens, and pursues integration into the Euro-Atlantic community," the document read.

One year later, with the current NATO summit underway in the US capital, Washington, DC, to mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of the alliance, a lot has happened. Ukraine has signed 21 security agreements with various nations. But what have they achieved?

Agreement with UK serving as a template

The first country to conclude a "security agreement" with Ukraine was the United Kingdom (UK) in January 2024. In it, the UK pledged "unwavering" support in its "commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, within its borders, which have been internationally recognized since 1991. […]" Oleksandr Krayev from the Foreign Policy Council "Ukrainian Prism," a non-governmental research center, said the UK document had gone on to serve as a model for other similar agreements.

Krayev pointed out that the UK had "set the tone" with regard to the allocation of military assistance and had also stipulated that all agreements should include a section underlining support for Ukraine's accession to NATO.

All of the G7 states and a large number of EU countries have since concluded bilateral security agreements with Ukraine. Independently of this, Joint Security Commitments between the European Union and Ukraine were agreed to at the end of June. Zelenskyy signed his country's most recent agreement on July 8, inking a deal with Poland during a visit to the capital Warsaw. On the same day, Russia carried out another devastating missile attack on Ukrainian cities.

"We know very well that this war, if it ended badly, would end badly not only for Ukraine, but also for Poland, for all of Europe and the entire Western world," said Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. He assured Zelenskyy that Ukraine could count on Poland's support in its quest to become a member of NATO. The Ukrainian president said the two were working on a mechanism that would allow them to down Russian missiles and drones fired at Ukraine but passing close to Polish airspace. The mechanism, he said, would be based in Poland.

Each agreement tailored to specific priorities

Each security agreement contains commitments to provide military, financial and humanitarian support to Ukraine, said Krayev, explaining that by signing them, "countries agree to grant Ukraine access to certain technologies, to invest in the defense industry and to expand defense capabilities."

He added that each also entailed particular details. The German-Ukrainian agreement, for instance, outlines the provision of tanks to the Ukrainian armed forces, whereas agreements with the Baltic States detail infantry training and cybersecurity. Ukraine's agreement with Italy includes special operations and artillery training and the deal with France talks about aircraft and submarines. "Each country has developed an agreement in keeping with its capacities and priorities," Krayev said.

However, according to Jamie Shea, a senior fellow at the Brussels-based think tank Friends of Europe, the security agreements' "main function is psychological rather than material." The former British NATO official told DW, they "simply sum up bilateral assistance already given," like, for example, a Czech initiative to supply Ukraine with rounds of 155mm ammunition via the European Peace Fund, through NATO channels, or in a US military and financial aid package worth $60 billion (€ 55 billion).

"So, these agreements have not generated new assistance to Ukraine," said Shea. The pledges he said, "were designed at least to give Ukraine what was called security guarantees, but they are not guarantees, none of these agreements give an Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty guarantee, so to call them guarantees is a bit misleading." He said that the agreements served to bridge the gap during Russia's war on Ukraine until the latter joined NATO.

"For President Zelenskyy, it is important to show that Ukraine has support globally. When you are in difficulty with the Russians advancing, you want long term assistance, you are impatient because NATO's refusing to give you a date for your probable entry, they show that the West is not getting Ukraine-fatigue and they give him some guarantees that support is going to be long term."

Petro Burkovskyi, head of the Ilko Kucheriv "Democratic Initiatives" Foundation, a Ukrainian think tank, told DW the security agreements were a good basis for peace negotiations, which he said the warring parties would have to begin sooner or later. "The consensus among partners is based on the agreements, so that they do not agree to conditions for negotiations imposed by Russia, regardless of changes in power," he said.

This article was originally written in Ukrainian.

WALES
Tata Steel starts voluntary redundancy process

By David Deans, Political reporter, BBC Wales News
JULY 11,2024

Tata has closed one of its Port Talbot blast furnaces, and plans to close its second in September

Tata Steel has started asking its employees if they would accept voluntary redundancy, the UK government has said after a meeting of its transition board.

The company is asking for expressions of interests from employees in a process that will run until 7 August.

UK government ministers are in negotiations to try to save jobs at the steel giant, which is planning to lose 2,800 posts.

Tata will close the second of its Port Talbot blast furnaces in September, citing losses of £1m a day.

Union calls Tata jobs talks extremely positive

Great concern over Tata, says Starmer on Wales visit

Steelwork closures' ripple effect on town's wages

On Thursday the recently installed Labour Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens held her first meeting as chair of the Tata Steel transition board, set up by the previous Conservative UK government to support people and businesses affected by the plans.

It includes representatives of unions, businesses, the Welsh government and local politicians.

She said she has commissioned a "rapid assessment of how we can offer immediate support".

"We will work collaboratively with a single focus to support our steel industry and affected communities," she said.

“But businesses and workers are already feeling the impact of Tata Steel’s transition. The time for talking is over."

The UK government said that Tata Steel had "re-confirmed its commitment to offer an enhanced redundancy package."

It added that it had begun asking for expressions of interests from employees which will run to 7 August.

Tata Steel has closed one of its blast furnaces, and plans to close its second in September, as part of moving to greener production.

The previous Conservative government pledged £500m to Tata Steel towards the cost of a new £1.25bn electric arc furnace, which will melt scrap steel, and requires far fewer workers than traditional blast furnaces.

In a press statement the UK government said Tata will begin work with Bridgend College to offer production-based employees help to convert the skills gained at the company into nationally-recognised qualifications.

Reports Labour ordered 'immediate North Sea oil ban' a 'fabrication'

UK Government denies Ed Miliband overruled officials in his own department with an immediate ban on drilling in the North Sea.

Oil: Labour Government's new energy secretary Ed Miliband with Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Craig Meighan
5 hours ago
SKY NEWS

Reports the energy secretary overruled officials by ordering an “immediate” ban on North Sea oil and gas licences is a “fabrication”, the UK Government has said.

The Telegraph reported that Ed Miliband told regulators not to approve a new round of drilling that was set to get under way in the coming weeks in an “unusual intervention into what is typically an apolitical process”.

The newspaper said the former Labour leader had overruled officials in his own department with the order.

It said the move could lead to legal action from oil and gas companies that have invested vast sums of money surveying areas and preparing to drill them.

But the UK Government strenuously denied the report, calling it a “complete fabrication” and saying it “invents meetings and decisions that have not taken place”.

A spokesperson said the UK Government will not issue new licenses to explore new oil fields but would not revoke existing licenses.

The policy was part of the Labour General Election manifesto.

Labour have said they will not grant new licences in the North Sea but they would continue with any licences already in operation.

A spokesperson for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said: “This piece is a complete fabrication – it invents meetings and decisions that have not taken place.

“As previously stated, we will not issue new licences to explore new fields.

We will also not revoke existing oil and gas licences and will manage existing fields for the entirety of their lifespan.

“We are working with the North Sea Transition Authority to ensure a fair and balanced transition in the North Sea.”

Oil and gas currently provide around 75% of the UK#s energy consumption and official government forecasts expect the fossil fuels to remain important to Britain’s overall mix for the foreseeable future.

However, there continues to be a wider political and societal debate over its future use.

In 2022, licenses to explore oil and gas and potentially develop almost 900 locations in the North Sea were opened to applicants.
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The UK Government received 115 bids from 76 different companies. Some were to be fast-tracked allowing seabed sites to be developed rapidly.

Any new oil and gas production resulting from new licences would be “aligned with the UK’s climate objective of reaching net zero by 2050”, the then-Conservative UK Government said.

Environmental campaigners have stepped up their calls for the country to move away from fossil fuels.

The oil sector says its firms are driving the move to renewables and investing heavily in new, cleaner technology – and it insists oil will still be needed for decades in Scotland.

More on this story

Climate camp set up in protest at plan to build energy transition zone

Businesses sign up to union campaign against Labour North Sea stance

UK

London prepares for 'clear risk' of climate change fires

BBC 

JULY 11, 2024 
L

FB
The new vehicles are equipped with wildfire beaters and a backpack blower

Wildfires that broke out in the summer of 2022 were a clear indication of the "threat, risk and challenge" brought by climate change, fire chiefs have said.

The London Assembly fire committee hosted a series of panels to find out whether the preparedness of the London Fire Brigade (LFB) has improved since it faced its “busiest day since World War Two”.

The service responded to more than 350 incidents on 19 July - a day described by one fire boss as "a genuine watershed moment for the LFB and London as a whole".

A review of the response found staff shortages and the unavailability of personal protective equipment hampered the brigade's work.

  LFB
The "holey hose" creates a curtain of water

        
The deputy commissioner and operational director for preparedness and response at the brigade, Jonathan Smith, said global warming created "a clear and present risk" and improvements were "absolutely driven" by the experience of July 2022.

LFB said changes have now been made to planning, equipment, training and how firefighters approach these fires.

The measures include four new vehicles with off-road capabilities and technology that allows firefighters to pump water while driving.

They will be kept at different locations across the city, ready to respond to grass fires and wildfires in the capital.

All firefighters have received enhanced training for wildfires and 30 senior officers have been trained as specialist wildfire support officers, to be deployed as tactical advisers.

The welfare of operational crews working in hot weather conditions was identified as a priority, and firefighters have been provided with additional hydration packs, sun cream and headgear for personal protection while dealing with an incident.

LFB
A training exercise in Wanstead coincided with a fire committee meeting at City Hall

A special "holey hose" has also been added to the brigade's equipment, which creates a "curtain of water" reaching up to two metres high.

The hose can be deployed to stop the spread of fire across land.

Fire experts from Spain and Finland also spoke to the committee, sharing their experiences of working in high temperatures and densely forested land.

Every local authority in London has received a letter from the brigade urging them to help prevent wildfires by creating fire breaks and managing vegetation, particularly where rural areas back on to properties.

Assistant commissioner Keeley Foster said: “Preparedness and prevention is essential in helping to reduce the risk to our communities to prevent grass fires.

"That means not having barbecues in open spaces or on balconies, throwing rubbish away safely, not leaving broken bottles or glass on the ground, and disposing of cigarettes properly.”

UK 

Government pulls out of legal battle over Cumbria coal mine

Protesters outside the proposed site of the new coal mine in Cumbria in 2022 (Friends of the Earth/PA)

By Jess Glass and Callum Parke, 

PAToday 

The Government has told the High Court that the approval of a new coal mine in Cumbria should be quashed and has withdrawn its defence of a legal challenge against the decision, environmental campaign groups have said.

Friends of the Earth (FoE) and South Lakes Action on Climate Change (SLACC) had brought a High Court claim against the Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government over its decision to grant planning permission for the site near Whitehaven, which was set to be the first new coal mine in the UK in 30 years.

The groups were set to argue that the decision was unlawful at a three-day hearing in London next week, but they said on Thursday that the Government had withdrawn its defence and told the High Court that the decision to grant planning permission should be quashed.

We’re delighted the Government agrees that planning permission for this destructive, polluting and unnecessary coal mine was unlawfully granted and that it should be quashedJamie Peters, Friends of the Earth

But they said a hearing would still be held as the site’s developer, West Cumbria Mining, is expected to oppose the legal claim.

The decision comes after a Supreme Court ruling last month where justices at the UK’s highest court said that emissions created by burning fossil fuels should be considered when granting planning permission for sites where they are extracted.

FoE climate co-ordinator, Jamie Peters, said: “We’re delighted the Government agrees that planning permission for this destructive, polluting and unnecessary coal mine was unlawfully granted and that it should be quashed.

“We hope the court agrees, and that the mine is then rejected when the Secretary of State reconsiders the application.

“Friends of the Earth will continue to stand alongside SLACC and the other community groups in Cumbria who have fought so bravely to halt this mine.

“The new Government must now ensure that areas like West Cumbria get the jobs and investment they urgently need so that people living there can reap the benefits of building a clean, green and affordable future.”

Maggie Mason, of SLACC, said: “We argued throughout the inquiry and this legal claim that the emissions from using the coal were not properly assessed and it is great to see this acknowledged.

Our small charity has opposed the mine because of its harmful impacts on the local and global climate, and the appalling precedent created by West Cumbria Mining’s claim that a new coal mine doesn’t increase the global use of coalMaggie Mason, SLACC

“Our small charity has opposed the mine because of its harmful impacts on the local and global climate, and the appalling precedent created by West Cumbria Mining’s claim that a new coal mine doesn’t increase the global use of coal.

“Building the mine on an old chemical site close to homes and the Irish Sea was also risky. West Cumbrians deserve jobs that don’t cost the earth.”

The groups said that if West Cumbria Mining also drops its opposition to the legal claim, the court could approve an order to quash the decision to grant planning permission next week, with the decision then sent back to the housing, communities and local government minister for reconsideration.

The decision follows the quashing of the approval for an oilfield in the Lincolnshire Wolds, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), earlier on Thursday.

Campaign group SOS Biscathorpe had brought a High Court claim against the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities over the decision to permit exploratory oil drilling and production at the site in Biscathorpe.

At a hearing in June, the group’s barrister, Estelle Dehon KC said that major development in AONBs is permitted only in “exceptional circumstances” and that the approval decision was unlawful.

Law firm Leigh Day, which represents the campaigners, said on Thursday that the government department – prior to the General Election – had agreed to concede the case and quashed the approval, following the Supreme Court ruling.

Leigh Day solicitor Julia Eriksen, who represents the campaigners, said: “We are hugely pleased that this case has resulted in a positive outcome and are proud to represent a local community group in their continuing fight against fossil fuel development.”

We are delighted that 10 years of hard work and campaigning have finally paid off, and it was also encouraging to see that these very senior judges seemed to recognise and value the importance of public participation in addressing the enormous issue of climate crisisAmanda Suddaby, SOS Biscathorpe

She continued: “This case illustrates the significant implications of the Supreme Court’s landmark judgment on fossil fuel production in June, which ruled that planning inspectors must take into account the downstream emissions from burning fuel when considering fossil fuel applications.

“We hope this success in Lincolnshire is a positive sign for similar cases still before the courts.”

Amanda Suddaby from SOS Biscathorpe said: “We are delighted that 10 years of hard work and campaigning have finally paid off, and it was also encouraging to see that these very senior judges seemed to recognise and value the importance of public participation in addressing the enormous issue of climate crisis.

“Our hope now is that this paves the way to a full and proper understanding of the great harm that each and every new fossil fuel development represents.”

British Indian MPs take oath on Bhagavad Gita, Gutka

A new copy of the ‘Bhagavad Gita’ was recently presented to Speaker Lindsay Hoyle by Shailesh Vara

Rishi Sunak, Shivani Raja, Kanishka Narayan

Pramod Thomas
11 July, 2024

NEWLY elected British Indian MPs to the House of Commons have been pledging their allegiance to the British Crown as a symbol of loyalty to the country, choosing to swear on holy texts or affirm their oath during the first week of a new Parliament.

A new copy of the Bhagavad Gita was recently presented to Speaker Lindsay Hoyle by Shailesh Vara, a former Tory MP who lost his Cambridgeshire seat in the general election. The holy text was blessed at the Mayapur temple headquarters of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).

Rishi Sunak was among the first British Indian MPs to take his oath as Leader of the Opposition on Tuesday (9).

Holding Bhagavad Gita in his right hand, the former prime minister read out the customary text: “I swear by Almighty God that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Charles, his heirs and successors, according to law. So help me God.”

British Indian Shivani Raja, who became the first Tory MP to win the Leicester East seat in 37 years, also swore her allegiance to the parliament on the sacred Gita.

First-time MP Kanishka Narayan, who is the first British Indian MP to represent Wales in the Westminster Parliament after winning the Vale of Glamorgan seat for Labour, also chose the Gita for his oath.

Bob Blackman, a Tory veteran who represents Harrow East in London and has chaired the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for British Hindus, chose to hold both the ‘Gita’ and the ‘King James Bible’ for his oath-taking ceremony.

Some of the British Sikh MPs such as Tan Dhesi and first-timers Gurinder Singh Josan, Harpreet Uppal, Satvir Kaur and Warinder Singh Juss chose to swear their oath to the Sikh scriptures but without holding any text in their hands.

Preet Kaur Gill, with her head covered with a red scarf, chose to hold the cloth-wrapped Sundar Gutka prayer book during her swearing-in.

Sojan Joseph, the mental health nurse from Kerala who has been elected Labour MP from Ashford in Kent, chose the ‘New Testament’ biblical text to swear his oath. Meanwhile, the ‘King James Bible’ was chosen by re-elected Tories Priti Patel and Claire Coutinho, as well as Liberal Democrat Munira Wilson.

MPs can opt for a non-religious affirmation, as did the two new Independent MPs with their roots in India, Shockat Adam and Iqbal Mahmood, along with many others including Tory MP Gagan Mohindra and Labour’s Lisa Nandy and Seema Malhotra.

First-timers like Tory MP Dr Neil Shastri-Hunt and Labour’s Jeevun Sandher and Sonia Kumar also chose to affirm their pledge of allegiance.

The affirmation reads: “I do solemnly, sincerely, and truly declare and affirm, that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Charles, his heirs and successors, according to law.”

All elected MPs, including 29 of British Indians, have been queuing up in the Commons chamber since Tuesday to complete this protocol before they can officially take their seats in Parliament.

The process completed on Thursday (11) and Parliament was adjourned until next week, when the State Opening and King’s Speech laying out the new government’s plans for the parliamentary calendar is scheduled for July 17.

Record number of Sikh MPs elected to Parliament

By Richard Price, BBC News, West Midlands

Preet Kaur Gill
There are now eleven Sikh Labour MPs following the election on 4 July

Three West Midlands MPs are among a record number of Sikh MPs elected or re-elected at the recent general election, according to a Labour MP.

Preet Kaur Gill was the first Sikh woman to be elected to the Commons when she initially won the Birmingham Edgbaston seat in 2017.

She told BBC Radio WM it was a privilege and an honour to take up the role and to see more Sikh MPs in Parliament.

She said there was still a lot to do, however, to better serve the British Sikh community.

“It’s absolutely brilliant to see a record level of Sikh representation in Parliament, the Labour party now has 11 Sikh members of Parliament,” she said.

“There is lots to do for the Sikh community – one of the biggest issues is the inequalities that they face across public services.”

Sonia Kumar, who has been elected to the newly formed Dudley constituency, said she was pleased that young Sikhs now had more role models.

“Representation really matters,” she said. “When you look up you want to see people in those positions and feel like you’re able to attain those as well.”

She hoped pictures of the 11 standing together in parliament would inspire others to stand for election in the future.

“We’re just really honoured, really privileged to all be elected and we can’t wait for the next few weeks ahead to start our journey,” she said.

She added that the staff in Parliament had been helpful and understanding with the new cohort.

Representing all constituents

Wolverhampton West MP Warinder Juss said his first few days had been like a whirlwind.

He similarly praised the friendly and welcoming reception new MPs had received from staff in Westminster.

“My immediate priority is to set up an office in Wolverhampton, get staff in and start helping constituents as I’ve always wanted to do.”

MPs needed to be representative of their constituency, he said, adding that Wolverhampton had a significant Sikh population.

Mr Juss represents the constituency formerly represented by Enoch Powell, who supported a ban on Sikh bus drivers wearing turbans to work in the 1960s.

He said: “It is a great honour. To be a Sikh, to be a turban Sikh, as an MP.”

He said the big challenges people raised while he was canvassing included crime and antisocial behaviour, the cost of living and education – and that he would work for people of any faith or none.

There was also a record number of Muslim MPs elected this year, according to the Labour Muslim Network.

Among them in the West Midlands are Zarah Sultana for Coventry South, Shabana Mahmood for Birmingham Ladywood and Tahir Ali for Birmingham Hall Green and Moseley.

Also among the Muslim MPs elected in the West Midlands is independent MP Ayoub Khan for Birmingham Perry Barr.

UK
Gaza ceasefire motion prompts fiery council debate

By Chris Young, Local Democracy Reporting Service • Alex Moss, 

BBC News

The meeting saw councillors launch a number of verbal attacks on each other

A motion calling for a ceasefire in Gaza turned into a heated debate with councillors in Bradford trading insults.

Councillors heckled each other during the meeting on Tuesday, with one member saying he was "horrified by the conduct shown".

Put forward by council leader Susan Hinchcliffe, the motion called for Bradford Council to “condemn the indiscriminate attacks on Gaza by the Israeli military” and also called for the release of all hostages.

The subsequent debate soon became fiery with a clash between Labour and Independent councillors.

'Political point-scoring'


The motion, which was voted through by the Labour-run administration, is the third one made regarding the conflict.

It is also the first since the local elections in May when a number of Labour candidates lost their seats to Independents who had made the Gaza issue a key part of their campaign.

Before being voted in as prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer had previously called for Israel to comply with international law in the conflict, but stopped short of calling for a ceasefire.

Conservative councillor Mike Pollard said it was “depressing” to see the debate had become an “outbreak of strife between the Labour group and the Independents, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

'Heckling and shouting'

He said the motion was “another iteration of a futile motion” and questioned what impact the debate in the Bradford Council chamber would have on affairs in the Middle East.

He added: “We’ve got the message loud and clear, as has, I’m sure, the newly elected government.

"If a variation of this motion comes back before the council in the next six months, the Conservative group is minded to disengage from that part of a future agenda, not only by abstaining on the vote but by also vacating the chamber for the duration of the debate.”

At the end of the hour-long debate, councillor Matt Edwards, leader of the Greens in Bradford, said: “As a Bradford councillor I am horrified by the conduct shown tonight.

“This is meant to be a debate on peace in the Middle East, but tonight we’ve heard more about the ballot boxes than the suffering in Palestine.

"It is political point-scoring when people are suffering and dying.”

He said councillors from all political colours, and from all across Bradford, had spoken out against the atrocities in Gaza.

He added: “The heckling, shouting and baying we’ve seen today does nothing for the people of Palestine.”

 

Terminating Partnerships: The UK Ends The Rwanda Solution – OpEd

 July 11, 2024  

By Binoy Kampmark

The dishonour board is long.  Advisors from Australia, account chasing electoral strategists, former Australian cabinet ministers happy to draw earnings in British pounds.  British Conservative politicians keen to mimic their cruel advice, notably on such acid topics as immigration and the fear of porous borders.  

Ghastly terminology used in Australian elections rhetorically repurposed for the British voter: “Turning the Back Boats”, the “Rwanda Solution”.  Grisly figures such as Boris Johnson, Priti Patel, Suella Braverman, Rishi Sunak, showing an atavistic indifference to human rights.  The cruelty and the cockups, the failures and the foul-ups.  Mock the judges, mock the courts.  Soil human dignity.

All this, to culminate in the end of the Rwanda Solution, declared by the new Labour Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, as “dead and buried before it even started”.  Yet it was a sadistic policy of beastly proportion, offering no prospect of genuine discouragement or deterrence to new arrivals, stillborn in execution and engineered to indulge a nasty streak in the electorate. 

In April 2022, the then prime minister, Boris Johnson, announced the Asylum Partnership Arrangement with Rwanda, ostensibly designed “to contribute to the prevention and combating of illegally facilitated and unlawful cross border migration by establishing a bilateral asylum partnership”.

Mysteriously, British officials suddenly found Rwanda an appropriate destination for processing asylum claims and resettling refugees, despite Kigali doing its bit to swell the ranks of potential refugees.  In June 2023, the UK Court of Appeal noted the risks presented to asylum seekers, notably from ill-treatment and torture, arguing that the British government would be in breach of the European Convention on Human rights in sending them into Kigali’s clutches.  In November that year, the Supreme Court reached the same conclusion.

These legal rulings did not deter the government of Rishi Sunak.  With lexical sophistry bordering on the criminal, the Safety of Rwanda bill was drafted to repudiate what the UK courts had found by denying officials and the judiciary any reference to the European Convention of Human Rights and the UK’s own Human Rights Act 1998 when considering asylum claims.  

The bookkeeping aspect of the endeavour was also astonishing.  It envisaged the payment of some half a billion pounds to Kigali in exchange for asylum seekers.  The breakdown of costs, not to mention the very plan itself, beggared belief.  The Home Office would initially pay £370 million under the Economic Transformation and Integration Fund, followed by a further £20,000 for every relocated individual.  Once the risibly magic number of 300 people had been reached, a further £120 million would follow.   

Operational costs for each individual kept in Rwanda would amount to £150,874 over the course of five years, ceasing in the event a person wished to leave Rwanda, in which case the Home Office would pay £10,000 to assist in the move.

With biting irony, the UK government had demonstrated to Rwanda that it could replace the supposedly vile market of people smuggling in Europe with a lucrative market effectively monetising asylum seekers and refugees in exchange of pledges of development.

By February 2024, according to the National Audit Office, the UK had paid £220 million to Rwanda, with a promise of another £50 million each year over three years.  It was a superb return for Kigali, given that no asylum seekers from the UK had set foot in the country.  When asked at the time why he was hungrily gobbling up the finance, Paul Kagame feigned serenity.  “It’s only going to be used if those people will come.  If they don’t come, we can return the money.”  

With an airy contemptuousness, the Kagame government has refused to return any of the monies received in anticipation of the policy’s full execution.  Doris Uwicyeza Picard, the central figure coordinating the migration partnership with the UK, was blunt: “We are under no obligation to provide any refund.  We will remain in constant discussions.  However, it is understood that there is no obligation on either side to request or receive a refund.”

In another statement, this time from deputy spokesman for the Rwandan government, Alain Mukuralinda, the sentiment bordered on the philosophical: “The British decided to request cooperation for a long time, resulting in an agreement between the two countries that became a treaty.  Now, if you come and ask for cooperation and then withdraw, that’s your decision.”

In an official note from Kigali, the government haughtily declared that the partnership had been initiated by the UK to address irregular migration, “a problem of the UK, not Rwanda.”  Rwanda, for its part, had “fully upheld its side of the agreement, including with regard to finances”.  Redundantly, and incredulously, the note goes on to claim that Kigali remained “committed to finding solutions to the global migration crisis, including providing safety, dignity and opportunity to refugees and migrants who come to our country.”  

The less than subtle message in all of this: Rwanda is ready to keep cashing in on Europe’s unwanted asylum seekers, whatever its own record and however successful the agreement is. Kagame has no doubt not lost interest in Denmark, that other affluent country keen on outsourcing its humanitarian obligations.  While Copenhagen abandoned its partnership with Rwanda in January 2023 regarding a similar arrangement to that reached with the UK, it is now showing renewed interest, notably after hosting a high-level conference on immigration.  

In opening the conference on May 6, the Social Democratic Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, speaking in language that could just as easily have been associated with any far right nationalist front, decried the “de facto” collapse of the “current immigration and asylum system”.  Those in the Rwandan treasury will be rubbing their hands in anticipation.

Binoy Kampmark

Binoy Kampmark was a Commonwealth Scholar at Selwyn College, Cambridge. He lectures at RMIT University, Melbourne. Email: bkampmark@gmail.com