Woke-bashing of the week – The woke-bashers’ ironic distraction from the real meaning of the Invictus Games

Gabrielle Pickard-Whitehead

16 February, 2025 
Right-Wing Watch

Sadly, with a new president beginning his new war on woke, the woke-bashing knee-jerkers are more emboldened than ever.

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It’s funny – in an exhausting way – how the right-wing press, having stayed suspiciously silent on Prince Harry’s landmark legal victory over Murdoch’s media empire, couldn’t wait to pounce on the much more minor story of his supposed ‘woke’ speech and dig at Donald Trump.

Last weekend, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attended the seventh edition of the Invictus Games in Canada, an event Harry founded in 2014 to honour wounded, injured, and sick military personnel. Yet, instead of focusing on the purpose of the Games, the celebration of veterans, the media jumped on a minor detail from Harry’s opening speech.

Speaking in front of 40,000 people, Prince Harry said: “This moment when there is no shortage of crises, no absence of uncertainty, no lack of weak moral character in the world, the values you embody—the way you carry yourselves—not only at the Invictus Games, but each and every day… your courage, your resilience, your humanity… illuminate a path forward for us all. And for that, we thank you.”

To put it in context, Trump recently dismissed the idea of deporting Harry following revelations from the prince’s memoir about his past drug use, and called Meghan “terrible.”

Yet, the press spun Harry’s speech as a ‘woke’ attack on Trump. The Daily Mail’s ‘exclusive’ was centred on an Invictus Games insider – a volunteer at the event – who called the speech a ‘woke’ distraction from the important work of the Games. The anonymous source complained that Harry’s speech, which honoured veterans, undermined their service, claiming the real issue was his ‘woke’ agenda.

The usual suspects, from GB News to the Express, eagerly jumped on the ridiculous non-story. Headlines screamed: “Harry and Megham savaged for ‘overshadowing’ Invictus Games veterans after Trump jibe,” and “Invictus Games insiders reject Prince Harry’s ‘woke’ agenda in clear message.”

But perhaps no-one summed up this pathetic obsession with ‘woke’ Harry and Meghan quite as badly as Amanda Platell. Platell, a columnist for the Daily Mail and former editor of the Sunday Express, demanded to know: “Who is Harry to lecture anyone on ‘weak moral character’?”

Her indignation reached a new low as she accused Harry of “utterly tin-eared” behaviour for daring to speak about moral character in front of the Games’ audience. This, Platell claimed, was “appalling” because Harry had the audacity to respond to Trump’s derogatory remarks about his wife. According to Platell, if Harry and Meghan didn’t recognise how “deeply inappropriate” his words were, it was their problem, a problem that “brings into question not just Harry’s own character, but whether the couple have a moral compass at all.”

Sadly, with a new president beginning his new war on woke, the woke-bashing knee-jerkers are more emboldened than ever. And, ironically, it was the veterans who really suffered with this story, as the right-wing media’s efforts to undermine Harry’s speech with tired jabs about ‘wokeness’ only reveals their own failure to engage with the true essence of what the Invictus Games represent.

Far-right leaders vow to ‘Make Europe Great Again’ while critics hit back, reminding why Europe’s already great

Gabrielle Pickard-Whitehead 

16 February, 2025

LEFTFOOT FORWARD/RIGHT WING WATCH

The usual suspects gathered in Madrid for the Patriots for Europe event.

At a rally in Madrid last weekend, far-right leaders across Europe vowed to ‘Make Europe Great Again,’ while hailing Donald Trump’s return to the White House.

The usual suspects gathered for the Patriots for Europe event, including the Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán, France’s National Rally’s Marine Le Pen, Italy’s deputy prime minister, Matteo Salvini, and Geert Wilders, leader of the Netherlands’ Party for Freedom.

Addressing a crowd of around 2,000 supporters, Orbán said: “The Trump tornado has changed the world in just a few weeks … yesterday we were heretics, today we’re mainstream.”

Marine Le Pen said Trump’s election victory meant Europe stood on the brink of “real change.”

“We’re facing a truly global tipping point. Hurricane Trump is sweeping across the United States. For its part, the European Union seems to be in a state of shock,” said the far-right leader.

Gert Wilders was equally as gushing towards the Trump, saying he is “is like a brother in arms [to us].” Wilders also called for a “Reconquista” of Europe, a reference to the medieval re-conquest of Muslim-controlled parts of Spain and Portugal by Christian kingdoms.

The rally was the first official summit of Patriots for Europe, which formed after the EU elections last May, and has become the European Parliament’s third largest voting bloc.

Le Pen said it was the European leaders present at the rally who had the best chance of communicating and working with the US president.

“We are the only ones that can talk with the new Trump administration.”

The rally follows the same mantra peddled by Trump’s ‘troll-in-chief’ Elon Musk. The world’s richest man stirred up yet more controversy last month, with the provocative post on X, stating:

“From MAGA to MEGA. Make Europe great again.”

But many hit back, informing the richest man on earth, why Europe is already great.

Commentator Tomas Pflanzer responded, saying, “Europe doesn’t need your unsolicited advice to ‘be better.’”

He then proceeded to outline the aspects where Europe excels.

Healthcare

“Most European countries have universal healthcare systems that provide high-quality care without bankrupting individuals. In contrast, the U.S. struggles with exorbitant healthcare costs and a system that leaves millions uninsured,” wrote Pflanzer.

Indeed, the 2024 Best Countries rankings from US News, ranked eight European countries among the top ten for the best public health systems in the world, including the Netherlands, UK, Norway, Switzerland, Finland, Germany, Denmark, and Sweden. The US on the other hand, lagged behind in 19th place.

Worker protections

“European labour laws guarantee paid vacation (often 20–30 days annually), maternity and paternity leave, and robust job security. Compare that to the U.S., where there is no federal mandate for paid leave and “at-will employment” often leaves workers vulnerable,” wrote Pflanzer.

As EuroDev notes, one of the most notable differences between the US and Europe is the concept of at-will employment in the US, where either the employer or employee can end the relationship at any time for any reason. This can lead to job insecurity for workers.

Conversely, European countries offer stronger employment protections and laws that make it more difficult for employers to terminate employees without cause.

Education

“Many European countries offer free or affordable higher education, creating opportunities for all. Meanwhile, student debt in the US is a burden for generations,” wrote Pflanzer.

In Europe, higher education is largely subsidised, and students often don’t need to save vast amounts of money to attend university. As Intelligencer explains, higher education costs in Europe are either free or very low for citizens of those countries and EU nationals, unlike the expensive tuition fees that can leave US students drowning in debt.

Infrastructure

“High-speed rail networks, walkable cities, and efficient public transport are standard across Europe, reducing dependency on cars and promoting sustainable living,” wrote Pflanzer.

A study published in Nature Cities in September found that Europe outperforms the US when it comes to walkable, liveable cities. The study highlighted European cities such as Zurich, Milan, Copenhagen, and Dublin, where over 95 percent of residents can access essential services within 15 minutes on foot.

In contrast, at the bottom of the rankings were North American cities like Dallas, San Antonio, and Detroit, where car dependency is high.

Equality and human rights

“Europe leads in social safety nets, gender equality, and LGBTQ+ rights, setting a global example,” wrote Pflanzer.

Indeed, the European Convention on Human Rights protects people from discrimination – including discrimination based on ethnicity, gender or sexuality.

Judgments from the European court have provided justice for the victims of discrimination. They have also led countries to change their laws and practices, to protect all members of society equally.

Tomas Pflanzer summaried:

“Before telling Europe to improve, perhaps focus on addressing the glaring issues in the US — the growing wealth gap, lack of healthcare access, gun violence, and crumbling infrastructure, to name a few.

“Your success in business is undeniable, but that doesn’t make you an expert in geopolitics or societal systems. Please, work on fixing the real issues at home before attempting to lecture us.”

Image credit: Patriots for Europe – X screen grab

Tories wasted £715 million of taxpayers’ money on failed Rwanda plan

Olivia Barber

17 February, 2025 

Left Foot Forward

Labour is now repealing the Safety of Rwanda Act

The Rwanda plan, which was ruled unlawful by the UK Supreme Court, cost £715 million in taxpayer money, and did not result in the deportation of any asylum seekers.

Last December, the Home Office provided a list of the scheme’s costs including £270 million to support economic development in Rwanda, £95 million on detention and reception centres and £280 million on “other fixed costs”.

An additional £50 million was spent preparing for deportation flights that never took off.

According to Tortoise Media, £37.8 million of that was allocated to hiring and training security escorts for deportees.

Another £8 million went towards airfield preparations, while £4 million covered the cost of policing the airfield.

Just £200,000 was spent on the flights themselves.

In November 2023, the UK Supreme Court ruled that the plan was unlawful as deporting migrants to Rwanda would breach British and international human rights laws and agreements.

The government will repeal the Safety of Rwanda Act as part of its new Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill.

Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward

Reform UK’s Richard Tice calls man-made climate change “absolute garbage” in embarrassing interview

Olivia Barber

17 February, 2025 
Left Foot Forward 

The Reform UK  MP said the idea of “stopping the power of the sun and volcanoes” is “nonsense”

Reform UK MP and party deputy leader Richard Tice has rejected established climate science and said it’s “absolute garbage” to say human activities are causing climate change during a Sky News interview.

Tice pointed to the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) from 2023, stating that it says achieving net-zero tomorrow would have no impact on sea level rise for the next 200 to 1,000 years.

He claimed that this shows they “haven’t got a clue” and that it “won’t make any difference”.

Tice said that climate change is “real” and has occurred for millions of years, but he claimed there is “no evidence” that human-made CO2 has played a role in driving it.

He also said that suggesting that “a bit less CO2 is going to stop the power of the sun and stop the power of volcanoes is arrant nonsense”.

The deputy leader of Reform argued that vested interests are pushing the “net-zero agenda” because of the significant money involved, despite big oil companies paying out billions to lobby against climate action.

When asked by Sky’s Ali Fortescue whether we should listen to experts, Tice responded: “There are experts, vested interests, and then people who tell the truth.”

He said that vested interests are “making fortunes” out of renewable energy and that “decent ordinary people” are being ripped off.

Tice spread misinformation, claiming that scrapping net-zero would lower people’s energy bills, claiming that people currently pay an extra four or five hundred pounds a year before tax due to net-zero policies.

He also suggested that the growing support for Reform UK in the polls might reflect that “The British people are starting to realise, we’re talking the truth. They know they’re being lied to.”

Tice said that the “net-zero” has “got to stop” and “only Reform UK is going to stop it”.

Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward

Transport secretary reveals UK state-owned rail company to be launched in two years

Olivia Barber 

19 February, 2025 

Left Foot Forward

The RMT union has said Labour needs to go further and bring the rest of the railway into public ownership

The UK’s railways are set for a major overhaul, with Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander confirming that state-owned rail company Great British Railways (GBR) will be launched in early 2027.

The transport secretary has said GBR, a new public body that will bring together Network Rail and train operators, will be a new powerful public body to manage the rail infrastructure and train operations and stop the “total mess” that currently exists.

Alexander said: “Passengers have put up with broken railways for far too long. This landmark reform will sweep away decades of failure, creating a Great British Railways passengers can rely on.”

Labour’s Passenger Railway Services Bill will bring passenger train services into public ownership, but private freight and rolling stock companies will not be renationalised.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch has said that the creation of GBR is a “welcome first step” and will “end the disastrous fragmentation of our railway and create a unified network”.

However, he said: “We must not forget that the profiteering of these companies is just the tip of the iceberg”.

“The rail industry is riddled with inefficiency and widespread profiteering that extends far beyond the train operators.”

Lynch said that if the government is serious about cutting fares for passengers, the launch of GBR “should be the moment to bring the rest of our railway back into public ownership—taking on the rolling stock leasing racket and ending the rampant outsourcing of key railway operations to the private sector”.

The government has launched a consultation on plans for a new passenger watchdog, fare reforms, and more devolved control over rail services.

The consultation states that the private sector will continue to play “a key role” and that GBR will be required to promote use and investment in the rail network by private freight operators.

Asked why it will take until 2027 to set up GBR, Alexander said: “The passage of legislation in Parliament, from presenting a bill through to it getting Royal Assent, normally takes something between six months and a year. I have to consult, because these are very significant structural changes to the way in which the railway runs.”

Image credit: SavageKieran – Creative Commons

Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward

UK Campaigners blast court decision to approve £3 billion Thames Water loan

Olivia Barber 

19 February, 2025 

Left Foot Forward

"It's a massive injustice"

Campaigners have called Thames Water’s £3 billion bailout, approved by the High Court yesterday, a “massive injustice”.

Thames Water is already struggling with debts of £19 billion and requested another £3 billion loan, warning that without it, they would have run out of cash in six weeks.

Cat Hobbs, director of We Own It, told Channel 4 News: “It’s a massive injustice”.

She added: “Thames Water is not just any other company, it can’t just go through a restructuring plan, […] this is a public utility serving nearly a quarter of the population.”

We Own It has claimed that the loan could add £250 to the average household’s Thames Water bill.

Ash Smith, Founder of Windrush Against Sewage Pollution, said that Thames Water wanting to add a further £3 billion to its debt is “the stupidest idea anybody can think of”.

He added that Thames Water should not be bailed out: “what needs to happen is what would happen to any other company in this situation, it would go bust”.

Liberal Democrat MP for Witney Charlie Maynard, who is challenging the judgement, said: “I stand by my evidence to the court that allowing Thames Water to take on £3bn more debt is not in the interests of their millions of customers. They will all be paying the price for this futile, expensive, and extremely short-term bail out.”

He added: “This restructuring is simply throwing good money after bad. The money from our bills which is being spent on interest repayments is desperately needed to repair water infrastructure, improve customer service, and clean up our rivers.”

Mr Justice Leech, who heard the case, said: “The costs of finance and adviser fees in the present case are very high.

“Indeed, they might be described as eye-watering.”

Before the loan is even paid out, £443 million will be immediately spent on interest payments and unspecified costs to the new creditors.

A further £245 million will go toward existing interest payments, while professional fees for the loan will amount to £210 million.

Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward

The UK government must make the right call and stop Rosebank for good

Lauren MacDonald 

19 February, 2025 
Left Foot Forward
Opinion

For a safe climate and affordable energy, we must stop Rosebank and all new oil and gas now.

Lauren MacDonald is the lead campaigner for Stop Rosebank at Uplift.

Uplift and Greenpeace UK filed a legal challenge against the previous Tory government’s decision to grant planning permission for Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas fields in Autumn 2023. On 30 January, the Scottish supreme court ruled that the approvals were unlawful and overturned them.

If Storm Éowyn’s battering of Scotland and Ireland last month has taught us anything, it is that climate change is already severely impacting people’s lives here in the UK.

Extreme weather is not just devastating other countries but finding its own unique ways to affect communities closer to home.

We can now access frightening footage of climate impacts, like the brutal Californian wildfires, at the click of a button. A dystopian ability to watch our climate changing in real time.

This reality is one of the many reasons why last month’s legal victory against the Rosebank oil field was so significant.

Rosebank is the UK’s largest untapped oil field, situated 80 miles off the coast of Shetland. Burning its reserves would emit more CO2 than the 700 million people living in the world’s lowest income countries do in a year.

Allowing it to be developed – at a time when experts have warned that opening up new oil and gas fields will push us beyond safe climate limits – would be reckless in the extreme.

The field was waved through by the Conservatives in 2023 – and legally challenged by Uplift and Greenpeace in the Scottish Courts.

The ruling, which overturns Rosebank’s approval, wasn’t just a victory for common sense. If its owners still want to develop the project, they will now need to resubmit an application to the UK government that, finally, accounts for the enormous climate harm caused by burning Rosebank’s oil.

That is because the rules for new oil and gas projects are changing, thanks to a landmark Supreme Court ruling in June last year.

The new rules mean that Rosebank’s enormous climate harm should now be subject to proper assessment and public scrutiny, with the oil and gas companies that own the field being forced to come clean about the massive emissions that will be caused by burning its reserves.

Rosebank is not just a bad deal for our climate, though. It’s a bad deal for the UK too. Rosebank’s reserves are 90% oil, the vast majority of which will be sold for export on the international market, doing nothing to lower our bills or provide energy security in the UK.

At the same time, the UK public would carry almost all the costs of developing Rosebank in the form of billions in tax breaks for the field’s owners. The Norwegian state-backed oil giant, Equinor, which owns 80% of the field and which made £24 billion in profit last year, would take most of the profit from Rosebank.

As for jobs in the UK, Rosebank’s drilling ship has been built in Dubai and the project has yet to provide a single construction or design job in the UK. Unions have rightly called this a betrayal of the UK workforce, which has seen the number of jobs supported by the oil and gas industry more than halve in the past decade as the North Sea declines, despite new fields being approved.

There is a long road ahead if we want to keep Rosebank’s oil in the ground. Any application to develop it would need to pass through multiple regulatory stages before being considered by the Energy Secretary. To be clear, the UK government cannot pre-empt this decision.

Now, though, the government needs to know that, when the time comes, we expect them to make the right call and stop Rosebank for good. Our elected representatives need to hear our concerns about what approving Rosebank would mean for our climate, as well as the harm it would do to the UK’s clean energy ambitions. Approving a huge new oil field, and the signal this would send to investors, would put a handbrake on this country’s shift from expensive oil and gas to homegrown renewable energy.

Over the next month, people right across the country are meeting with their MPs and MSPs to make their views known: that for a safe climate and affordable energy, we must stop Rosebank and all new oil and gas now.

In ruling Rosebank unlawful, the Hon. Lord Ericht said: “the private interests of members of the public in climate change outweigh the private interests of the developers”.

Join us in making sure our voices are louder than theirs: https://www.stopcambo.org.uk/mp-msp-action-week

Ex-Trump ambassador makes fool of herself on Newsnight after claiming ‘UK jails more people for freedom of speech violations than Russia’

FASCISTS HAVE NO RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH

Basit Mahmood 

19 February, 2025

Left Foot Forward

“Oh my goodness, I don’t know where you’ve got that from..."

President Trump and his Republican friends are no strangers to pushing misinformation, but even by their own poor standards, the latest claim being made by a Trump supporter is quite something.

With Trump coming under growing criticism from Ukraine and its European allies for cosying up to Putin and going above Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s head to negotiate a ceasefire, while at the same time agreeing to give Ukrainian territory to Russia, his supporters have been trying to defend him.

Trump has also drawn condemnation from Zelensky after blaming Ukraine for ‘starting the war’, with the Ukrainian President slamming the US President for living in the ‘disinformation space’.

Appearing on BBC Newsnight to discuss Trump’s decision to U-turn on the Biden administration’s support for Ukraine, former US ambassador and Trump supporter Carla Sands made the ridiculous claim, without any evidence, that there are more people in prison in UK jails for freedom of speech violations than in Putin’s Russia.

Presenter Victoria Derbyshire told Sands of former UK Prime Minister John Major’s comments, who launched a scathing attack on the US for “cuddling” up to Vladimir Putin, after U.S Vice-President JD Vance accused European countries of abandoning free speech.

Major told the BBC: “It’s extremely odd to lecture Europe on the subject of free speech and democracy at the same time they are cuddling Mr Putin.

“In Mr Putin’s Russia, people who disagree with him disappear, or die, or flee the country, or on a statistically unlikely level, fall out of high windows somewhere in Moscow.”

While Derbyshire read out Major’s comments, Sands interrupted and said: “There are more people in jail in the UK because they spoke what they thought was right… than there are in Russia.”

Derbyshire replied: “Oh my goodness, I don’t know where you’ve got that from, we’ve got a guest here who is laughing his head off at that.”

Reacting to Sands’ comments journalist Lewis Goodall posted on X: “A Trump shill on Newsnight claims there are more people in prison in UK jails for freedom of speech violations than in Putin’s Russia.

“These people are radicalised, insane, plain stupid or some combination of all three.”

Senior Tory accidentally exposes his own party’s appalling record on prison spaces

Basit Mahmood 

20 February, 2025 

Left Foot Forward

His gotcha question spectacularly backfires...

A senior Tory has accidentally exposed his own party’s poor record on prison spaces, as he revealed that the Conservatives increased jail spaces by just 455 places in fourteen years, which is fewer spaces than the current government has created in its seven months in office.

Tory MP Richard Holden tried to embarrass the Labour government with his written question, which asked how many new prison places were built under the previous Labour administration, between May 1997 and May 2010, and the previous Tory administration, between May 2010 and July 2024, however his attempt spectacularly backfired.

The data revealed that under the last Tory government the capacity of the prison estate increased by just 455 spaces in their fourteen years in power. Meanwhile the previous Labour government boosted spaces by 27,830 new prison places, the data shows.

To make matters worse for Holden, who asked a further written question, data showed that between 2010 and 2024, the Tories closed the doors of more than 7,500 prison cells.

He should now go away and reflect on his party’s poor performance.

Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward

TUC General Secretary warns Trump should be “a cautionary tale” against supporting Farage

Olivia Barber 

20 February, 2025 
Left Foot Forward

‘This is what happens when you let the political fraudsters of the populist right in.’

The TUC general secretary Paul Nowak has today issued a stark warning to UK voters with President Donald Trump having waged attacks on workers’ rights during his first few weeks in power.

In a swipe at Reform leader Nigel Farage, Nowak has warned: “This is what happens when you let the populist right in”.

In his first few weeks as president, Trump has fired the head of the US labour watchdog, the National Labor Relations Board, which rules on “unfair labour practices” by bosses, effectively leaving it unable to operate.

Trump has also empowered tech billionaire Elon Musk to fire thousands of federal workers – actions carried out without due process and which union officials say have violated laws and rules.

Highlighting the close relationship between Donald Trump, Elon Musk and Nigel Farage, Nowak says you should “judge a man by the company he keeps”.

The TUC says Farage is defying his voters and constituents by voting against stronger workers’ rights.

Nowak said: “As well as spending vast amounts of time kowtowing to Trump and Musk, Farage and his fellow Reform MPs have voted against the Employment Rights Bill at every stage.

“Given the choice of supporting legalisation that will boost worker protections and incomes – Farage and Reform have chosen instead to be on the side of bad bosses, zero hours contracts and fire and rehire.”

Recent TUC and Hope Not Hate polling shows that voters across the political spectrum – including Reform voters – overwhelmingly back key workers’ rights policies from the government’s flagship workers’ rights legislation.

This includes the majority of voters in Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch’s constituency.

TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: “What’s unfolding in the US should be a cautionary tale for us all. This is what happens when you let the political fraudsters of the populist right in.

“Having promised to be a champion for working people, President Trump is already torching workers’ rights and slashing public services. And he’s empowered unelected tech billionaire -and union buster – Elon Musk to fire thousands of essential government workers.

“Nigel Farage is making the same bogus claims about being on the side of working people here in the UK. But you should judge a man by his record and the company he keeps.”

Over a million workers remain on zero-hours contracts

Olivia Barber

18 February, 2025 

Left Foot Forward

The general secretary of the TUC says the latest labour market data highlights the need for Labour's Employment Rights Bill.

Today’s ONS labour market data has revealed that use of zero-hours contracts remains high, with 1.13 million workers in the UK still employed on these terms.

Youth unemployment is at 12.8%, up from 10.6% a year ago, while inactivity from long-term sickness has fallen slightly, but remains high at 2.77 million.

Responding to the latest figures, TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: “A decade of inaction on insecure work has left a legacy of over a million workers on zero-hours contracts.

“That’s why it’s so important to improve security at work and stop these exploitative working practices. The Employment Rights Bill will rightly ban them.”

The Trades Union Congress has said that one in 12 zero-hours workers have been with their current employer for more than a decade, while almost half have been in the same job for more than two years.

Labour’s Employment Rights Bill aims to end “exploitative zero-hour contracts”, giving workers a right to guaranteed hours, new rights to reasonable notice of shift and payment for shifts that are cancelled or moved at short notice.

Commenting on the figures more broadly, Nowak noted that “there are some better signs in the employment data”, adding “but ministers must keep their focus on supporting jobs”.

“The government’s industrial strategy and infrastructure plans are an opportunity to create good new jobs where they’re most needed. And job seekers need access to well-funded training and employment support.”

On youth unemployment and inactivity due to long term sickness Nowak added: “We need an approach that improves access to health services, and that gives young people genuine opportunities to earn and learn.

“It’s a chance to transform the lives of people who want to work but who face barriers keeping them out of employment.”

Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward

BRITISH TABLOID PRESS

Daily Star praised for front-page that shows Trump as Putin’s poodle

Basit Mahmood 

20 February, 2025

Left Foot Forward

“Well done Daily Star, at least one media outlet telling it how it is.”

The Daily Star has been praised for its front-page which shows President Donald Trump as Putin’s poodle, after the Republican attacked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Tensions between Zelensky and Trump burst out in the open yesterday, after Zelensky slammed Trump for living in a ‘disinformation space’ fuelled by Russia, with Trump retaliating, falsely calling the Ukrainian President a ‘dictator’.

Trump has upended U.S. foreign policy, cosying up to Putin and going above Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s head to negotiate a ceasefire, while at the same time agreeing to give Ukrainian territory to Russia and ruling out NATO membership for Ukraine.

That has led to anger and frustration in Kyiv and amongst European allies, with Trump repeating the Kremlin’s talking points.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has stood by the Ukrainian leader, calling him on Wednesday evening and telling him it was “perfectly reasonable” for Ukraine to “suspend elections during wartime as the UK did during World War Two”, Downing Street said.

The US president had earlier criticised Zelensky, saying he had done a “terrible job” and claiming “he refuses to have elections” in Ukraine.

The Daily Star took aim at Trump with its front page, with a picture of a leash around Trump’s neck on the body of a poodle, with Putin holding it.

The headline reads: “PUTIN’S POODLE. Orange manbaby blames UKRAINE for being invaded.”

One social media user wrote on X: “Whoever does the front page of the Star has hit another home run…”

Another added: “Well done Daily Star, at least one media outlet telling it how it is.”



Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward

Trump excludes Europe from peace talks, despite US giving less aid than Europe

Olivia Barber

17 February, 2025

Left Foot Forward News

Despite European nations contributing more financial support since the Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, they have been excluded from peace talks

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Trump has excluded Europe from Russia-Ukraine peace talks, despite European countries providing €18 billion more in aid than the U.S. since Russia’s invasion in February 2022.

Despite European nations contributing more financial support, Donald Trump’s Ukraine envoy, General Keith Kellogg, announced on Saturday that Europe will be excluded from negotiations to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Speaking today from the United Arab Emirates, where peace talks between the U.S. and Russia are set to take place, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Kyiv has not been invited and will not participate in the talks.

Analysis by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, an economic research institute, has found that Europe has provided €132 billion in aid to Ukraine since 2022, compared to €114 billion from the U.S.

Europe has allocated €70 billion in financial and humanitarian aid as well as €62 billion military aid since 2022.

This compares to €64 billion from the US and €50 billion in financial and humanitarian allocations.

European leaders have stressed that there will be no lasting peace in Ukraine without European involvement in the talks.

According to the institute, the U.S. role in aiding Ukraine began to decline in mid-2023, as aid flows dropped sharply for nine months when Congress blocked new funding aid bills.

Despite this, the analysis notes that the sum of aid given to Ukraine is comparatively low when measured as a share of donor GDP.

Germany, the UK, and the US, for example, have mobilised less than 0.2% of their GDP per year to support Ukraine, while other rich donor countries like France, Italy, or Spain only allocated about 0.1% of their annual GDP.

Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward