LABOUR HUB EDITORS

Time to help Ukraine win

JUNE 29, 2024

Christopher Ford, Secretary of Ukraine Solidarity Campaign and member of Walthamstow CLP, introduces a statement on Ukraine issued by six Labour MPs and a number of union leaders and campaigners.

Ukraine is in the Danger Zone, caught between renewed Russia attacks and electoral changes that may bring far-right forces to power who threaten continued aid. 

In the UK general election, Ukraine has only featured in relation to the views of the pound-shop Mosley, Nigel Farage.  While all the parties except Reform UK,  declare their support for Ukraine, none explain what that will mean in terms of helping Ukraine win.

 Yet the absence from the election agenda does not diminish the centrality of Ukraine to resisting the axis of reaction we face today.  Six Labour MP’s, alongside union leaders and Ukrainian campaigners have issued a clear statement calling on the new government to take robust steps to help win the war. Launched in Ukraine in the journal  Krytyka, this is a radical call for Labour to show leadership in a situation where progressive change in the UK could be a beacon of hope amidst retrogression in parts of Europe and the USA.

Ukraine: General Election 2024: Time for Change to Help Ukraine Win

The General Election takes places at time when Ukraine is at a crossroads and with it the fate of this key battle for democracy with the new authoritarianism.  The war on Ukraine should be a key issue of the election, and 4th July should be an opportunity for change to help Ukraine win and secure a just peace.

We have seen new Russian offensives, increased attacks on civilians and infrastructure, a situation made worse by aid delay’s due to obstruction by far-right forces such as Orban and Trump.  

Recent advances by the far-right in Europe, and risk of a Trump presidency pose a serious threat to Ukraine and democracy globally, they are reinforcing efforts by Putin to undermine continued international support for Ukraine. 

As Parliamentary Candidate’s and representatives of the Labour and Trade Union Movement, we declare our continued solidarity with the Ukrainian people, including their trade unions, who against the odds are resisting Russian Imperialism.

We are calling for the new government to take the following key steps help Ukraine. 

1. Weapons to Win:  Ukraine has been made vulnerable by the fact just enough weapons have been provided to help resist Russia, but not to defeat it. The UK must play a leading role in achieving a change, that Ukraine be given all the weapons needed to enable Ukrainians to free the entire country and end the occupation.
2. Stop Selling off Military Hardware:  It is a scandal that since the all-out invasion theTory government sold off over 1,044 military vehicles and 48 fixed-wing aircraft, this practice must stop. Equipment due to be replaced such as the Challenger 2 Tanks, Scimitar light tanks, Warrior vehicles and Typhoon aircraft should be gifted to Ukraine.
3. Justice for War Crimes:  Russia, is waging an illegal war of aggression against a sovereign nation, unseen in Europe since 1945.  Russian state forces have perpetrated war crimes and other atrocities on a horrifying scale, with over 108,904 recorded by Ukraine. Urgent steps should be taken to convene an international war crimes tribunal to hold the Russian leaders and military to account. 
4. Cancel Debt and Seize Russian Assets: Ukraine’s debts stand at $100 billion, it is unjust that a nation fighting for survival should be expected to service debts, the debt should be cancelled. The new UK government must seize the frozen Russian individual and central bank assets and redistributed them to Ukraine.  Whilst welcoming the $50 billion of Russian financial assets in the West re-allocated to Ukraine, the total $300 billion should be redistributed.  
5. Socially Progressive Reconstruction: Ukraine deserves a just and socially progressive reconstruction in which trade unions and civil society can democratically participate. International support should help to restore and expand universal healthcare, education, rebuild affordable housing and public infrastructure, ensuring decent jobs and working conditions. No more advisors from the UK Government should be used to assist in retrogressive reforms of trade union and labour rights.

We call for renewed and expanded solidarity to help Ukraine win a just peace; on 4th July let us start making it a reality.

Clive Lewis, Former Labour MP for Norwich South, Parliamentary Candidate

Nadia Whittome, Former Labour MP for Nottingham East, Parliamentary Candidate

Rachel Maskell,  Former Labour MP  for York Central, Parliamentary Candidate

Kim Johnson, Former Labour MP  for Liverpool Riverside, Parliamentary Candidate

John McDonnell, Former Labour MP for Hayes & Harlington. Parliamentary Candidate.

Ian Lavery, Former Labour MP for  Wansbeck, Parliamentary Candidate.

Chris Kitchen, General Secretary of National Union of Mineworkers

John Moloney, Assistant General Secretary, Public and Commercial Service Union, (personal capacity).

Simon Weller, Assistant General Secretary, ASLEF the train drivers union, (personal capacity)

Vicky Blake University and Colleges Union, National Executive and former President, (personal capacity).

Oksana Holota, representative of Confederation of Free Trade Unions of Ukraine

Yuliya Yurchenko, representative of Sotsialny Rukh (Social Movement) of Ukraine

Mariia Pastuk, Director CIC Vsesvit, Ukrainian solidarity collective London.

Christopher Ford, Secretary, Ukraine Solidarity Campaign.

Image: Kharkiv downtown street destroyed by Russian bombardment. Source: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=321813666640956&set=pcb.321813919974264. Author: Міністерство внутрішніх справ України, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.

Demands for Highland wind farm with 200m-tall turbines in birthplace of Scotch whisky to be scrapped

By Ilona Amos
Published 30th Jun 2024

Locals have objected to the proposed wind farm, which would include turbines that were 200m tall

Residents of a historic community in the Highlands are calling for Scottish ministers to block plans to erect a new wind farm with 200m-tall turbines on their doorstep after developers failed to make changes to the proposed scheme which were recommended a year ago.

Locals of the Cabrach, a remote and sparsely populated area on the northern edge of the Cairngorms National Park with claims to be the birthplace of malt whisky, are urging the Scottish Government to reject the Clashindarroch Wind Farm Extension. They say too much time has passed without action on the 22-turbine scheme, which they say would threaten regeneration of the local area and damage the landscape.

As well as its whisky heritage, the Cabrach area has historical links to the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion and is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with rolling hills, a river noted for salmon and wildlife in abundance.

The calls come after an expert review of the planning application for the 195-megawatt wind farm and accompanying battery storage facility, due to be built on Cabrach Estate in Moray.

The development – a collaboration between the land owner, London-based businessman Christopher Moran, and renewables developer Infinergy – will stretch across 859 hectares of the estate, which was formerly managed as a grouse moor.

Concerns over impacts

The application was lodged with the Scottish Government’s Energy Consents Unit (ECU) in December 2022, with responses from locals and consultees, including the local authority, Ministry of Defence (MoD) and various community, heritage and environmental organisations, filed over the next six months.

Locals fear the 22-turbine Clashindarroch Wind Farm Extension and battery storage facility, due to be built on Cabrach Estate in Moray, could damage the environment and threaten plans to regenerate the historically important community

Moray Council responded with a list of 13 concerns, sought a redesign of the scheme and proposed 26 conditions if the wind farm was to go ahead.

But a review commissioned by the Cabrach Trust, a community group dedicated to preserving the cultural heritage of the region and the well-being of its inhabitants, found progress had “stalled” and the applicants had not responded to requests by ECU officials for information on key design changes for more than seven months.

Climate change: Should communities have power to veto new wind farms as net zero deadline looms?

Planning consultant Ian Kelly, who carried out the probe, with legal advice from senior lawyer and planning specialist James Findlay KC, said “the applicants would have needed to undertake significant redesign of the scheme” to address the issues raised by the council and other consultees, including the MoD. However, a Freedom of Information request shows no sign of such work being done.

Jonathan Christie is chief executive of the Cabrach Trust, a community group dedicated to preserving the cultural heritage of the region and the well-being of its inhabitants

Mr Kelly said: “It would appear that the application process has stalled and, in the view of the trust, it is time for action on the part of the ECU and ministers.”


Fears over number of wind turbines


A total of 98 turbines are already in operation or consented around the Cabrach area, and a further 118 are planned.

Wind farms ‘engulfing’ Scottish Borders communities as locals complain views are...

The Cabrach Trust is working to build a new £5m distillery and visitor centre to bring jobs and income to the local community and help safeguard its future

Locals say the scale of wind power in the area is “disproportionate” and could jeopardise a major community renewal project that is under construction – the £5 million Cabrach Distillery and Heritage Centre.

The Cabrach Trust chief executive Jonathan Christie said: “Should the latest proposals be approved, it would not only devastate our fragile rural community and vital upland ecology, but severely limit our community-owned regeneration initiative becoming reality and hamper our objective of people living, working and visiting the Cabrach.”

A spokesperson for the applicants said: “Clashindarroch Wind Farm Extension is currently making its way through the planning process. The Scottish Government is considering the proposals in detail and responses from statutory and non-statutory consultees are taken into account. Throughout this thorough process, we are working with the planning authority as appropriate to ensure that, should the application be approved, the best possible project will move forward to construction."

‘How Labour can reconcile its New Deal with backing business?’

Tijs Broeke   

29th June, 2024

Keir Starmer with shadow cabinet colleagues Jonathan Reynolds and Rachel Reeves.

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If elected on 4 July Labour faces a formidable challenge: How can it create a fairer Britain while fostering a thriving business environment? This question underpins the party’s ambitious economic strategy, and the answer lies in a revolutionary approach to governance – mission boards.

These mission boards represent a pivotal strategy in Labour’s vision for the future. If Labour wins the general election, they will be designed to facilitate cross-departmental collaboration, ensure key pledges are met, and engage businesses as active partners in national development.

As the Labour Manifesto states, “To rebuild Britain, we need to change how Britain is governed.” Underscoring their importance, Keir Starmer himself has committed to chairing these boards.

For day-to-day coordination and accountability, several options exist, including political leadership by a senior cabinet minister, and the appointment of an external specialist to oversee a taskforce or specific mission elements.

Establishing a vision

Inspired by economist Mariana Mazzucato’s concept of ‘mission-led’ government, these boards aim to address long-standing issues through innovative approaches.

Implemented well, they can broaden policy development beyond single government departments and foster collaboration between government, business, and civil society. To succeed, the boards will require strong accountability frameworks, cross-departmental collaboration, engagement with local and devolved governments, direct public involvement, and the integration of business leaders, trade unions, and external experts.

The mission boards’ primary task will be to bridge the gap between employment reform and business support.

READ MORE: ‘I used to work for Liz Truss. Here’s why I’m cautiously optimistic about Labour’

They should establish a unified vision through dialogue, balance worker protections with business incentives, develop regional strategies for wage-boosting growth, leverage technology for productivity and job quality, and promote sustainable and inclusive economic growth.

Labour is committed to introduce legislation within 100 days implementing ‘Labour’s Plan to Make Work Pay’ and consult with businesses, workers, and civil society on how to put their plans into practice before legislation is passed. Mission boards could be a framework to shape this consultation: focussing on solving medium- and long-term challenges in partnership.

For example, looking at minimum wage, paired with temporary tax credits for small and medium-sized businesses, or the introduction of the right to request flexible working from day one, together with a scheme offering tax breaks to companies that demonstrate increased productivity after implementing flexible working policies.

Developing an approach

In developing this approach, Labour could draw valuable insights from the Dutch social dialogue model. The Dutch system features a Social and Economic Council (SER) that advises on policy, facilitates stakeholder agreements on societal issues, and focuses on the social and economic aspects of long term challenges.

Recognising that one-size-fits-all approaches are ineffective, mission boards will need to adopt a regional focus. They will work closely with metro mayors and local councils to develop region-specific initiatives that address unique economic landscapes and challenges.

READ MORE: Sheffield Hallam: ‘Can Labour’s Olivia Blake hold on in Nick Clegg’s old seat?’

For instance, in regions with a strong manufacturing base, this might involve modernising facilities and upskilling workers. In tech hubs, the focus might be on expanding digital infrastructure and fostering startups.

Technology and innovation will play a crucial role in driving economic growth and improving working conditions. Mission boards should prioritise the integration of cutting-edge technologies, support research and development, and foster university-industry partnerships.

They should also promote the use of digital platforms for remote work, which can help businesses reduce costs while offering employees improved work-life balance.

Labour in government

Labour’s economic vision must be both environmentally conscious and socially inclusive. The mission boards will need to promote green technologies and sustainable practices, investing in green jobs and industries.

At the same time, they must design policies to support marginalised communities and bridge inequality gaps, fostering a more inclusive economy.

By leveraging mission boards effectively, Labour has the potential to create an economy that works for everyone. This approach can reconcile radical employment reforms with business support, foster collaboration across sectors, tailor strategies to regional needs, drive technological innovation, and promote sustainable and inclusive growth.

As Iain Anderson’s independent business review showed there is a real appetite from businesses to be part of an active partnership driving forward Labour’s Five Missions alongside government, civil society and unions. They want to see existing UK engagement structures reformed and ‘talking shops’ disbanded.

The path forward is clear but challenging. Through mission boards, Labour can develop policies creating a fairer, more prosperous Britain where both workers and businesses can thrive. It’s an ambitious vision, but one that holds the promise of transformative change for the UK’s economy and society.

Half of Scots say case for second independence referendum will be weakened if Labour wins majority of Scottish seats

By Alistair Grant
Published 30th Jun 2024, 00:01 BST

1Comment

Just 28 per cent told the poll by Savanta the case for a second independence referendum would not be weakened

Just over half of Scots (51 per cent) think the case for a second independence referendum will be weakened if Labour wins a majority of seats in Scotland at the general election, a new poll for The Scotsman has found.

The poll by Savanta found just 28 per cent do not think it would be weakened, while 20 per cent don’t know.

Meanwhile, if the SNP wins a majority of seats, more people (49 per cent) do not think this should lead to a second referendum than think it should (44 per cent).

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Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar and UK leader Keir Starmer. Picture: Jane Barlow/PA

John Swinney, the SNP leader and First Minister, has said his party winning a majority of seats in Scotland should result in talks to deliver a second independence referendum.

However, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer previously said he will not engage in such negotiations. He accused the SNP of “focusing on the wrong priorities” and attacked their “dismal record of failure in government”.

Emma Levin, associate director at Savanta, said it was clear the independence cause “has taken a real knock”.

She said: "Labour's resurgence in Scotland has meant they have once again taken on the mantle of the main pro-union party. For some voters, weakening the case for independence will be one of the driving factors of their vote, but for many it's simply an unintended consequence of the SNP and Conservatives' shared collapse.

"It's clear that, along with the SNP's troubles, the cause for independence has taken a real knock over the last couple of years. That's reflected in our research where voters think even if the SNP got an unlikely majority of seats, they're still more likely to think a second independence referendum shouldn't take place."

Savanta interviewed 1,042 Scottish adults aged 16 and over online between June 21-25. Data was weighted to be demographically representative of Scottish adults by age, gender, region and past voting behaviour.

A quarter of those surveyed said they would be more likely to vote Yes to independence if Labour was in power in Westminster, while 14 per cent said they would be more likely to vote No. The majority (58 per cent) said it would make no difference.

Scots are divided on whether there should be another referendum, with 47 per cent saying there should be one and 48 per cent saying the opposite.

The poll found the SNP and Labour are now neck and neck on vote share north of the border, as the general election looms in just four days' time. However, Labour is still on course to win many more seats – 28 compared to the SNP’s 18 – due to the concentration of its support in the Central Belt.

Labour has dropped four points since the last Savanta poll for The Scotsman in mid June, while the SNP has gained one point, with both now on 34 per cent of the vote. Such a result would see the SNP fall well short of its goal of winning a majority of seats in Scotland in order to “intensify” the case for a second referendum.

Politicians forget we're voters, says Gypsy woman

By Kate Morgan, Communities correspondent, BBC Wales News 

• Sian Dafydd, BBC News

Leeanne Morgan
Leeanne Morgan says Gypsy and Traveller people want to not be "a second thought"

Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities should be treated as voters and "not political footballs" during elections, campaigners have said.

The Traveller Movement added these communities faced "chronic democratic underrepresentation".

Leeanne Morgan, 48, part of the Gypsy community, said people like her just want to be treated "like everybody else".

The Electoral Commission is supporting a campaign to push more people from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities to vote, saying they were "less likely" to be registered.

The mother-of-two said there were many barriers which her community faced, with many left feeling like "second-class citizens".

"There's only so long that you can stand up, you can ask and fight for things that you want," she added.

Leeanne, who lives with her family on a site in south Pembrokeshire, said politicians did not visit sites while on the campaign trail.

"I think they forget that they are their constituents as well. I mean, historically, Gypsy and Traveller sites are out of the way and sort of push to the side.

"Unless you've lived within the community for a long, long time, you wouldn't know that they're there," she said.

There are about 3,630 Gypsy and Irish Traveller people living in Wales, with the highest proportions in Cardiff and Pembrokeshire.

According to the latest census in 2021, 73% live in a house or flat and 27% live in a caravan or mobile home.

Political rhetoric and language was also creating barriers, according to Leeanne.

She has worked with officials to advocate for her community, and said too much jargon was used by political leaders and campaigners.

"I think they need to take into consideration how they're speaking to the people, to the people that are going to be voting them into power, so that they know, and everything is explained properly," she said.

'Political footballs'

Grace Preston is one of those behind Operation Traveller Vote – a push to empower members of the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities to vote in the upcoming election.

"Members of the community don't feel like constituents, but rather political footballs dragged out for politicians' campaigns," the senior policy officer added.

The organisation behind the campaign, The Traveller Movement, said members of these communities' faced "chronic democratic underrepresentation and huge levels of discrimination".

Grace Preston
The Traveller Movement has been holding registration drives across the UK

"If you don't feel like an active constituent in a community, you disengage and don't get involved, our job is to show how you can use your vote and voice," she added.

Alongside the campaign, the Traveller Movement has produced its own manifesto with recommendations on how all political parties can prioritise the communities' needs in areas such as health and education.

The group has been visiting UK cities and knocking on doors at Traveller sites to help overcome any literacy or digital literacy issues.

"We have our own manifesto and questions that people should ask politicians... giving people that power to have a voice for themselves is super important," she said.

The campaign has been supported by The Electoral Commission, the independent body which oversees elections.

"Everyone should be able to participate in elections, but our research shows that some groups are less likely to be registered to vote and to own an accepted form of ID, including Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities," a spokesperson added.

What do the parties say?

Plaid Cymru said: "Romani, [Gypsy], Roma and Irish Traveller communities are too often used as a political football."

"We are committed to combating Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, anti-migrant sentiment, anti-Gypsy and Roma Traveller sentiment, and all forms of racism and bigotry in politics and in wider society," a spokesperson added.

The party said politicians of all parties had a duty to engage with all communities in their areas, and encourage everyone to participate in elections.

Both Labour and the Conservatives have been asked to comment.

Britain's beloved NHS was kneecapped by the Conservative Party. Then the COVID pandemic hit

By Matt Bevan and Yasmin Parry for If You're Listening
ABC AUSTRALIA

Prime Minister Boris Johnson oversaw one of the deadliest periods in British history.(Reuters: Henry Nicholls)



The UK election is less than a week away and after 14 years in power, the Conservative Party is expected to lose.

PODCAST

Who broke the NHS?
Britain's National Health Service was in crisis when COVID arrived in the UK. How was it left to fall into disrepair, right as a catastrophe hit?

About

At the top of the public's list of grievances is the country's crumbling National Health Service and how it was desperately underfunded before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

A massive inquiry is currently underway examining how the British government handled COVID-19, and former prime minister Boris Johnson has admitted "there were unquestionably things we should have done differently".

The COVID-19 years loom large as one of the most terrifying and deadly periods in British history — far deadlier than the German bombing raids during World War II.

Over 232,000 people died of the virus, wait times at hospitals hit record highs and the health system is still dealing with a backlog of patients.

But Britain's health system was already woefully underfunded and unprepared when the pandemic arrived.

So how was the NHS allowed to fall into disrepair and brought to the edge of collapse, right as a catastrophe hit?

Nye Bevan's vision

Welsh socialist Aneurin Bevan oversaw the birth of the NHS.

(Supplied: National Portrait Gallery, London)

The NHS is beloved in Britain.

During COVID, Boris Johnson called it the country's greatest asset.

"…Our NHS is the beating heart of this country. It is the best of this country. It is unconquerable. It is powered by love."

Former chancellor Nigel Lawson called it "the closest thing the English people have to a national religion".

It was founded in 1948 by a Welshman named Aneurin Bevan — known to everyone as Nye.

He was a hardcore socialist and clashed with just about everyone who wasn't.

Winston Churchill famously described him as "a projectile discharged from the Welsh valleys".

After the Labour Party won a landslide election in 1945, Bevan was surprisingly appointed to the position of health minister.

As minister of health, Aneurin Bevan had the daunting task of implementing the National Health Service.(Supplied: University of Liverpool Faculty of Health & Life Sciences under Creative Commons 2.0)

At the time, the British health system was a mess.

Some hospitals were run by charities, some were run by local governments, some were run by insurance companies.

It meant that richer parts of the country got far better care than poorer parts.

Nye Bevan was handed a blank cheque to fix this and his proposal was extraordinary — all of Britain's hospitals would be nationalised and come under the control of the health minister.

Using around 5 per cent of the government budget, health care would become free for everyone in Britain.

NHS's rise and Bevan's fall

Aneurin Bevan was known for speaking his mind.(Supplied: Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru / The National Library of Wales under Creative Commons 1.0 Universal)

There was massive opposition to the NHS from doctors, specialists and hospitals, who up until this point were their own bosses, but with money and compromise, Bevan brought them around.

Nye Bevan was on the verge of becoming a national hero and had a real shot at becoming the next Labour prime minister.

"There is nowhere in any nation in the world — communist or capitalist — any health service to compare with [the NHS]," he said.

But on the 4th of July 1948 — the day before the NHS was due to begin — Nye Bevan reminded everyone of his rabble-rousing roots.

At a rally in Manchester, he said, "No amount of cajolery, and no attempts at ethical or social seduction, can eradicate from my heart a deep, burning hatred for the Tory Party.

"So far as I am concerned, they are lower than vermin."

It completely overshadowed Bevan's NHS achievement. Even newspapers in Australia reported on it.

For years, Winston Churchill hammered him with it every chance he got. Young Tories started "vermin clubs". The Labour PM publicly condemned him.

The NHS rollout was also not flawless.

It cost double what Bevan had initially projected, as millions of poor people with long-term ailments came out of the woodwork now that health care was free.

When the government tried to claw back some of the money by making people pay for half the cost of false teeth and eyeglasses, it was the last straw for Bevan.

He quit over dentures, but the NHS and his legacy endure.

Funding flatlines

Former prime minister David Cameron introduced a policy of austerity which had long lasting impacts on the NHS.(Reuters: David Moir)

Three things have been rising in parallel since the 1970s — Britain's median age, Britain's life expectancy and the cost of the NHS.

And yet as the need for services has gone up, the budget for the NHS has flatlined in recent years.

Politicians and the public alike defend the NHS passionately, yet British governments are constantly surprised by its cost and try desperately to find ways to make it cheaper.

When David Cameron took power in 2010, he assured the public he understood the importance of the NHS and could be trusted with it.

He promised to isolate the NHS from the austerity program he was rolling out across Britain.

"We said five years ago that we were the party of the NHS, and now in government, by protecting the NHS from spending cuts, we are showing precisely that priority we've talked about so much in our party."

But Britain's aging population meant that more doctors, nurses and funding were needed every year to maintain the same quality of care.

Waiting lists began to grow. Overworked staff began quitting and the NHS was unable to find replacements for them.

The Labour Party began to attack Cameron for creating a crisis in the NHS, which Cameron angrily denied.

Percentage growth of UK median age, life expectancy and NHS cost since 1975.

(UK Government data)

But the figures speak for themselves.

The median waiting time in English emergency rooms went from 2 hours and 9 minutes in 2011 to 2 hours and 55 minutes in 2019.

The length of time cancer patients had to wait from diagnosis to treatment increased significantly.

For the first time in modern British history, life expectancy stopped going up. In fact, for Britain's poorest people — particularly poor women — it began to go down.

Too little, too late

Boris Johnson met with frontline workers during the pandemic.(AP: Jeremy Selwyn)

Surprisingly, the person inside the Conservative Party who seemed most aware of the situation was Boris Johnson.

For years, he'd been demanding increases in NHS funding, often as a way to wedge his opponents inside the Conservative Party and further his campaign to become prime minister.

He took over as prime minister in July 2019, and his government laid out a plan for a boost in NHS funding

.
Hospitals were overwhelmed with patients during the height of the COVID pandemic.(AP: Yui Mok via PA)

"We are doing 20 new hospital upgrades in addition to the 34 billion [pounds] more going into the NHS."

But it was too late, and the NHS was in a state of crisis right as the pandemic struck.

The effects were enormous.

For the first year and a half of the pandemic, the UK had the highest COVID-19 death toll per capita of any major economy.

Non-elective surgeries were postponed, wait times ballooned.

There were too few beds, too few staff, and buildings unsuitable to effectively contain infection.

Boris Johnson also contracted COVID-19 during the pandemic while serving as prime minister.(Reuters: Frank Augstein)

Life expectancy — stagnant for a decade — actually began to go backwards for the entire population, thanks to COVID-19.

It's easy to blame Boris Johnson for the high death toll, and many people do. They say he waited too long before putting the country in lockdown and then relaxed restrictions too early.

His decision to attend office parties while the British public were confined to their homes made it particularly easy to hang the blame around his neck.

But the reality is, the NHS was already in crisis before the first COVID-19 patient arrived in England.

Ongoing problems

Former British prime minister Boris Johnson gave evidence at the COVID-19 Inquiry in 2023.(UK COVID-19 Inquiry via Reuters)

There is currently a massive inquiry underway into how the British government handled COVID-19.

Boris Johnson admitted his government made mistakes but defended its response.

At one point, four protesters stood up in court as Johnson spoke with signs that read, "The dead can't hear your apologies".

Demonstrators stood outside the COVID-19 Inquiry in London holding banners.(AP: Kirsty Wigglesworth)

More findings are due out in the next week, but regardless, it's clear the NHS is still under enormous strain.

There is a backlog of patients who weren't able to access care during the COVID years and the original underlying issues in the NHS are still yet to be resolved.

One thing is for certain — it's an issue that is sure to play a role when British voters go to the polls this week.

At UK's Glastonbury festival: Music, sunshine and a call to vote

Revellers take selfies as they urge people to vote in the upcoming general election, at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset during the Glastonbury Festival, Britain, June 27, 2024.
PHOTO: Reuters

PUBLISHED ON JUNE 28, 2024

GLASTONBURY, England — Amid the thump of reggae beats from a stage nearby, the leafy scent of cannabis in the air and the warmth of sunshine at Glastonbury, a big sign tells festival-goers to "use your superpower" and vote in Britain's July 4 election.

The Just Vote campaign has installed a large black cube to represent a ballot box at the sprawling and eccentric five-day festival in southern England, and is trying to target young people with its message.

With polls predicting an easy victory for Keir Starmer-led Labour, there is a sense that many young people — a demographic with lower turnouts at past elections — may simply not vote.


That is a worry for Labour. It has told its candidates that if voters believe the election is a done deal, the Conservatives could do better than expected.

Polling by YouGov shows the vast majority of voters aged 18 to 49 want the Conservatives out of office after 14 years in government, which have seen five prime ministers, a series of scandals, widespread strikes, failing public services and falling living standards.

But among those at Glastonbury, a magnet for some 200,000 revellers, some will use their vote as a chance to back smaller parties, others care about voting the Conservatives out — and some simply won't turn up at all.

Many said they had taken a Labour victory for granted, and they want instead to support parties more closely aligned with the causes that matter to them, from climate change to Gaza. Campgrounds at the festival are dotted with Palestinian flags.

Under Starmer, Labour has shifted towards the centre, moving away from the hard-left politics of previous leader Jeremy Corbyn, who in 2017 addressed a huge crowd at Glastonbury.

Back then, many in the crowd treated Corbyn like a rock star, singing his name in a football-style chant. Starmer has since renounced the Corbyn era, and Corbyn is now standing as an independent.

"I'm excited about change, but I don't really love the Labour Party," said 28-year-old Ellie O'Connell, from Salford in northwest England, considered a Labour stronghold.


UK polls point to 'electoral extinction' for Prime Minister Sunak's Conservatives

"I think he's trying to appeal to [Conservative voters]," she said of Starmer, adding that she planned to vote for the much smaller Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition party.

Charles Olafare, 34, said he doesn't see much difference between Labour and the Conservatives: "The choice between them ... doesn't really feel like much of a choice, and it's quite frustrating."

An advertising copywriter from south London, Olafare said he was considering voting for the Green Party, which has advocated more taxes on the wealthy, scrapping university tuition fees and bringing forward the UK's 2050 net zero target by a decade.

Many younger voters still want to choose Labour if that is the best chance of removing the Conservatives from office, such as 20-year-old Harvey Morrey, who reckons the race will be tight in his constituency in Crewe, central England.
Tactical voting

Others, like Louis Billett, 23, will not vote at all. Turnout among those aged 18 to 24 at the last election in 2019 was about 52 per cent, compared to about 81 per cent for those aged over 75, according to the British Election Study.

"I just don't know enough about it to vote and I just don't see anyone I'd like to vote for," Billett said as he sipped from a can of cider.

Billett, a cheese factory worker from Midsomer Norton, 16 km from the festival site, who described himself as working class, said Corbyn was the one politician he "sort of had any respect for".

The Just Vote campaign, backed by Labour donor Dale Vince, is targeting people like Billett, and is managing to convince some to vote, but not everyone, said campaign volunteer Verel Rodrigues.

Sammy Henderson, 23, said she supported the Green Party but was considering Labour this time if that would help keep the Conservatives out of power — her overriding objective rather than any desire to see Starmer as Britain's next prime minister.

Glastonbury: How politics accompanies the music of the festival

Festival-goers will be familiar with Glastonbury's mix of music and politics. But this year's event is held just days before a General Election.

By Katie Spencer and Gemma Peplow, arts and entertainment team, at Glastonbury
Saturday 29 June 2024

Image:Pic: Yui Mok/PA

Glastonbury is no stranger to mixing music with politics, and with the general election just days away and protests against the Israel-Hamas war ongoing, this year has been no exception.

Artists from Damon Albarn to Charlotte Church have been vocal about their thoughts on the war on stage - and reflected back at them, a notable number of Palestinian flags are being held aloft by those in the crowds.
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Closer to home, while the looming election means planned visits by Labour's Angela Rayner and the Greens' Caroline Lucas were shelved, Mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham did give a speech, and installations such as a large black cube representing a ballot box, by the Just Vote campaign, are here to impress on people there is one way to make a difference.

Elsewhere, during Idles set on Friday night, an inflatable life raft with dummy migrants was propelled into the crowd - a stunt the band have reportedly claimed was orchestrated by Banksy, although there is no official word from the anonymous artist on this yet, which they were not aware of until afterwards.

While Glastonbury is about escapism, what's going on in the wider world matters also clearly matters to a lot of people enjoying the festival.

Gossip frontwoman Beth Ditto at Glastonbury

Ahead of their set, Gossip frontwoman Beth Ditto told Sky News that as an 18-year-old, voting for the first time, no one explained to her why it mattered so much - and that it is important now to encourage younger people especially.

"Absolutely," she said. "The hard thing about youth is that you don't realise how fast that 20 years goes and you're not 20 anymore. You don't realise you only have however many elections in the next 15, 20 years, what a big difference they make."

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She continued: "It's about the money that's being spent for your future… there's so much more going on, so much deeper, that really will affect you."

However, Ditto said younger generations are also helping to inspire change. "I also want to say that they're going to save us all, Gen Z and Gen Alpha."

On Saturday, Labour's Andy Burnham told about 100 people who came to see him speak that Sir Keir Starmer will not "bulldoze" local government if he wins the election.

"I think it will change if Labour get in, it will improve, but it won't stop being very difficult," Mr Burnham told the crowd.

Meanwhile, a timely performance of Things Can Only Get Better, the D:Ream song that became the soundtrack to Tony Blair's 1997 electoral victory and more recently Rishi Sunak's sodden election announcement - got a huge reaction from the crowd on Friday.

:D:Ream perform Things Can Only Get Better at Glastonbury

Meet Glastonbury's State Of The Ground Guy

But is there also apathy among some?

Cast your mind back to 2017 and you might recall then Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn receiving a rapturous reception on the Pyramid Stage - the crowd echoing with people chanting his name.

For socialist singer Billy Bragg, the mood has not been quite the same this year.

"If you go out there and offer people a vision of a better world, then people respond," he told Sky News. "And I think Corbyn is the proof of that… [Nigel] Farage as well, he promises something to his people. It might not be something I believe in or that I think it's going to work, but you've got to offer something to people other than, you know, steady as she goes, managerialism."

Charlotte Church performs at Glastonbury. Pic: Ben Birchall/PA

Charlotte Church, who joined Bragg's Radical Round-up on the Left Field Stage, sang "free Palestine" with a crowd of hundreds during her performance.

The singer's appearance at Worthy Farm comes months after she said police had to check on her because her safety and that of her family has been threatened after she took part in a pro-Palestine march in London.

The 38-year-old strongly denied claims of antisemitism at the time and voiced her support for Jewish people.

During his surprise appearance on stage with Bombay Bicycle Club on Friday, Blur's Damon Albarn addressed both the general election and global issues.

"Are you pro Palestine? Do you feel that's an unfair war?" he asked the crowd, before highlighting "the importance of voting next week" and adding: "I don't blame you for being ambivalent about that but it's still really important."

While many praise the artists for supporting causes they believe in, there are also those on social media who have complained about the mix, saying musicians should focus on the music.

But like it or not, politics is very much still a part of the Glastonbury experience.

Cuba's first transgender athlete shows the progress and challenges faced by LGBTQ people

Ely Malik Reyes stepped onto the platform and began delivering powerful punches and spectacular flying kicks against his combatant

By ANDREA RODRÍGUEZ

 Associated Press
June 28, 2024, 11:02 PM


HAVANA -- Ely Malik Reyes stepped onto the cordless platform and began delivering powerful punches and spectacular flying kicks against his combatant. He lost the fight, but won a major victory that day by becoming the first transgender athlete to officially compete in a Cuban sports league.

Reyes, a 26-year-old transgender man, competed for the first time in the male 60/65-kilogram (132/143-pound) category of sanda, a demanding contact sport that blends martial arts like kung fu with kickboxing.

The June 1 milestone marked the latest step toward inclusion in Cuba, one of Latin America's most progressive countries when it comes to LGBTQ rights. Yet, Reyes himself acknowledges having to overcome challenges, including the lack of medications, a law that sets conditions to change his gender on his ID and the “suspicious looks” he sometimes gets from people in the street.

“Educating society doesn’t happen in two days,” he said.

Reyes, who lives with his girlfriend in a colorful house on the outskirts of Havana, supports himself by repairing air conditioners, as his sanda fights are unpaid. He has been on hormone therapy for two years, but says he does not want full genital reassignment surgery.

His transition has been far from easy.

It began over four years ago when he visited Cuba’s Center for Sexual Education and consulted with a psychologist. He then saw endocrinologists and underwent tests to obtain a “tarjetón,” a special card that allows Cubans to purchase medication at pharmacies, enabling him to get the hormones needed for his transition.

But as Cuba’s economic crisis deepened, medications became scarce so he had to rely on other people who brought testosterone from abroad. While not illegal, the practice can be very expensive. “I’m an athlete; I can’t neglect my hormone treatment. ... I have to stay on top of it,” he said.

Changing his identity in official documents posed yet another challenge. While Reyes was able to legally change his name last year, his ID card still displays an “F” for female. That is because Cuba’s current law requires full genital reassignment surgery for this change — something he does not want to do.

LGTBQ activists in Cuba say a solution could come soon through a new Civil Registry law currently being drafted in the National Assembly that would allow people to change their gender on their ID cards — or eliminate this requirement altogether.

The changes stem from Cuba’s 2019 constitution, which gave way to the 2022 Family Code that allowed same-sex couples to marry and adopt as well as surrogacy pregnancies among other rights. Though approved via referendum by a large majority, the measure faced opposition from evangelical groups and other conservative groups that disagreed with its provisions.

While Reyes’s ID still formally identifies him as female, sports authorities accepted his male status based on his hormone treatments, medical reports and self-identification. This allowed him to compete in the male category of the Cuban Fighters League.

“It’s something new; it’s a challenge that I have embraced with much love,” said Reyes's coach, Frank Cazón Cárdenas, the president of Cuba’s sanda community who handled the athlete's registration.

Cazón said he had to work on two fronts to make it happen: discussing Reyes with the other sanda male team members — and securing approval from the powerful Cuban Sports Institute, which ultimately authorized Reyes to participate in the male category.

Cuba’s LGBTQ community celebrated Reyes's milestone, noting it was the result of a hard-fought battle.

“It was only a matter of time,” said Francisco “Paquito” Rodríguez Cruz, a well-known LGBTQ rights activist in Cuba, referring to the sports institute’s unprecedented greenlight for a transgender athlete to take part in an official competition. “It’s the logical consequence of what has been done in the last 15 or 20 years.”

“It's obviously a cultural process of change that is still controversial," Rodríguez said.

A San Francisco store is shipping LGBTQ+ books to places where they are banned

Jaimie Ding And Haven Daley
Sat, June 29, 2024 














The Associated Press


SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — In an increasingly divisive political sphere, Becka Robbins focuses on what she knows best — books.

Operating out of a tiny room in Fabulosa Books in San Francisco’s Castro District, one of the oldest gay neighborhoods in the United States, Robbins uses donations from customers to ship boxes of books across the country to groups that want them.

In an effort she calls “Books Not Bans," she sends titles about queer history, sexuality, romance and more — many of which are increasingly hard to come by in the face of a rapidly growing movement by conservative advocacy groups and lawmakers to ban them from public schools and libraries.


“The book bans are awful, the attempt at erasure,” Robbins said. She asked herself how she could get these books into the hands of the people who need them the most.

Beginning last May, she started raising money and looking for recipients. Her books have gone to places like a pride center in west Texas and an LGBTQ-friendly high school in Alabama.

Customers are especially enthusiastic about helping Robbins send books to places in states like Florida, Texas and Oklahoma, often writing notes of support to include in the packages. Over 40% of all book bans from July 2022 to June 2023 were in Florida, more than any other state. Behind Florida are Texas and Missouri, according to a report by PEN America, a nonprofit literature advocacy group.

Book bans and attempted bans have been hitting record highs, according to the American Library Association. And the efforts now extend as much to public libraries as school libraries. Because the totals are based on media accounts and reports submitted by librarians, the association regards its numbers as snapshots, with many bans left unrecorded.

PEN America's report said 30% of the bans include characters of color or discuss race and racism, and 30% have LGBTQ+ characters or themes.

The most sweeping challenges often originate with conservative organizations, such as Moms for Liberty, which has organized banning efforts nationwide and called for more parental control over books available to children.

Moms for Liberty is not anti-LGBTQ+, co-founder Tiffany Justice has told The Associated Press. But about 38% of book challenges that “directly originated” from the group have LGBTQ+ themes, according to the library association's Office for Intellectual Freedom. Justice said Moms for Liberty challenges books that are sexually explicit, not because they cover LGBTQ+ topics.

Among those topping banned lists have been Maia Kobabe’s “Gender Queer,” George Johnson’s “All Boys Aren’t Blue” and Nobel laureate Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye.”

Robbins said it's more important than ever to makes these kinds of books available to everyone.

“Fiction teaches us how to dream,” Robbins said. “It teaches us how to connect with people who are not like ourselves, it teaches us how to listen and emphasize.”

She’s sent 740 books so far, with each box worth $300 to $400, depending on the titles.

At the new Rose Dynasty Center in Lakeland, Florida, the books donated by Fabulosa are already on the shelves, said Jason DeShazo, a drag queen known as Momma Ashley Rose who runs the LGBTQ+ community center.

DeShazo is a family-friendly drag performer and has long hosted drag story times to promote literacy. He uses puppets to address themes of being kind, dealing with bullies and giving back to the community.

DeShazo hopes to provide a safe space for events, support groups and health clinics, and to build a library of banned books.

“I don’t think a person of color should have to search so hard for an amazing book about history of what our Black community has gone through,” DeShazo said. “Or for someone who is queer to find a book that represents them.”

Robbins’ favorite books to send are youth adult queer romances, a rapidly growing genre as conversations about LGBTQ+ issues have become much more mainstream than a decade ago.

“The characters are just like regular kids — regular people who are also queer, but they also get to fall in love and be happy,” Robbins said.

_____

Ding reported from Los Angeles.

Jaimie Ding And Haven Daley, The Associated Press

A San Francisco bookstore is sending boxes of LGBTQ+ books to parts of the country where they are censored 

to counter the rapidly growing effort by conservative advocacy groups and lawmakers to ban them from public schools and libraries. The bookstore has already sent more than 700 books around the country to places like Florida, Texas, and Missouri, where many of the book bans have taken place. One recipient is a recently opened LGBTQ+ community center in Florida. 

(AP Video / June 29, 2024)

Yes, LGBTQ+ Pride still matters. A lot. Here's the many, many reasons why


Rainbow flags are a common sight nowadays. But make no mistake, advocates and queer campaigners urge: Pride still matters – a lot.

LOTTIE ELTON
29 Jun 2024

BIG ISSUE UK

Pride in London draws thousands of revellers every year.

Image: MangakaMaiden Photography/flickr

It’s Pride Month. And corporations are keen to celebrate.

With everyone from Burger King to Shell to the United States Marine Corps adopting rainbow flag imagery, perhaps you feel a little cynical about the annual event. But make no mistake, advocates and queer campaigners urge: Pride still matters – a lot.

“We have come a long way, but there is a long, long way to go,” said Christopher Joell-Deshields, the CEO of Pride in London. “The fight continues. We want people to be able to live authentically, loving whoever they wish to love, not just in the UK but around the world.”

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In 63 countries, being gay is still criminalised; in 12, it is punishable by death. In the UK, hostility towards the trans community has surged, and shame is shockingly common among queer young people.

Pride is a chance to fight back, says Nancy Kelley, former CEO of charity Stonewall and executive director of queer publication DIVA magazine.

“We are far from done when it comes from creating a safe and welcoming society for LGBTQ+ people,” she said. “But Pride is a massive, visible, powerful celebration of who we are, without shame, without fear. That is so important.”

What is Pride Month?

Pride Month honours the history, struggles, and achievements of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community.

It is celebrated in June each year to mark the anniversary of the Stonewall riots in New York. On 28 June, 1969, NYPD raided the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar. Homophobic ‘vice’ legislation gave law enforcement the right to arrest and forcibly hospitalise gay people.

But Stonewall patrons fought back. The riots – and subsequent anniversary marches – galvanised the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement.

Pride has since expanded beyond parades to include a wide array of activities: rallies, workshops, protests and memorials for those lost to hate crimes or HIV. The first official UK Pride march took place in London on 1 July, 1972.
Why does Pride Month still matter?

The LGBTQ+ community has come a long way in the last half-century. In the UK, equal marriage has been a reality since 2014. Section 28 – the law prohibiting the “promotion of homosexuality” in schools – has been consigned to history. Meanwhile, changes in the law mean that more schools, employers and public services can better tackle anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination and bullying.

“We’ve had lots of milestones,” Joell-Deshields says. “But there are still issues… look at the inequalities, or the rise in hate crimes.”

From 2013 to 2023, homophobic and biphobic hate crimes in England and Wales escalated by 465%, according to the Office for National Statistics, while transphobic hate crimes surged by an astounding 1,211%.

“Culture war rhetoric” against trans people is driving this spike, said Kelley.

“What is happening right now is really worrying,” she said. “We are going backwards, some of the policy changes we are seeing could be even more damaging than Section 28 was.”

Prime minister Rishi Sunak has promised to fight a ‘war on woke’ by cracking down on gender-neutral toilets, restricting access to puberty blockers, and limiting the discussion of gender identity in schools.

“I think it felt previously like progress was kind of inevitable, and then suddenly you find yourself looking around wondering, how did we get here?” warned Amy Ashenden from Just Like Us, the LGBTQ+ young people’s charity.

“Why are there daily headlines that are very negative about trans young people? Why have we got an election and a culture war based around minority that represent roughly 1% of the population?”

Home is often not a safe place for young queer people: Up to 24% of young homeless individuals identify as LGBTQ+. But bullying is still common in schools – not just for queer children, but for the children of queer parents. More than half of lesbian and gay parents (56%) face negative comments about their families, Just Like Us research shows, and 42% of their children have experienced remarks about having LGBTQ+ parents.

Previous Just Like Us analysis found that a staggering eight-in-10 young queer women feeling ashamed of who they are.

Pride is “crucial” to counter this, says Ashenden.

“As older LGBT+ people, we can see that things come in peaks and troughs,” she urged. “It’s easier for us to hold hope that things will improve again. I think if you’re a young LGBT+ person right now things are probably looking quite bleak.”

“We really need to claim Pride as a space for community, solidarity and unpicking shame, because we’re getting so much negativity in the news. We need to reclaim space for ourselves and remind ourselves that there’s no shame in being LGBT+, and that it’s something to be really celebrated.”

Pride can also act as a “beacon” for other countries around the world, added Kelley.

“There are so many countries in the world where you can’t even hold a Pride march,” she said. “But things can be different, hopefully these massive pride marches can be a beacon to some of the people living in some of the hardest contexts around the world.”
What about the corporate aspect of pride?

Cynicism around corporate involvement is fair, says Joell-Deshields. But he insists that Pride in London will not tolerate any “rainbow washing” – they require partners who join the celebration to engage with related causes year-round.

“Allyship with the corporate world can be very can be very delicate,“ he said. “There are some corporates out there that are doing fantastic work in terms of the support that they give to their LGBTQ+ employees… they should be able to raise the rainbow flag above their organisation. Rainbow washing, however, is not acceptable. You cannot just talk the talk.“

Pride’s origins are in protest – and that tradition continues. Some queer groups will boycott the main event this year due to its ongoing affiliation with some climate polluters.

But even if you don’t attend the main event, Kelley says, don’t let Pride pass you by.

“Go to a big Pride. Go to a small Pride. Go to a picnic. You know, throw a barbecue in your own backyard,” she said. “There isn’t one way to recognise Pride, but if you’re part of the community, or if you love somebody who is part of the community, then celebrate!”