UK Politics

• Nurses are demanding a 25% pay rise, highlighting their dissatisfaction with the government's 2.8% offer, and may consider striking if negotiations do not improve significantly.
• The Royal College of Nursing is advocating for the full restoration of lost earnings since 2010, with leaders emphasizing the impact of potential strikes on NHS services.
• Tensions continue as other medical staff, like resident doctors, also seek significant pay increases and threaten further industrial action if their demands are not met.

cross-posted from: https://lazysoci.al/post/26228461

• David Lammy is requesting significant budget cuts of up to £70m for the BBC World Service as part of the spending review, following the government's decision to reduce the aid budget.
• The proposed cuts could harm the UK's international reputation and the fight against global disinformation, with concerns that reduced BBC presence could allow state media from countries like Russia and China to fill the gap.
• BBC executives warn that these funding cuts, which would leave the World Service well below inflation levels, could lead to a crisis in public service broadcasting and significantly impact its ability to operate effectively abroad.

• Care homes will no longer be allowed to recruit staff from abroad as part of the UK's strategy to reduce net migration, with an emphasis on hiring those already in the country and extending existing visas.
• New rules will also facilitate deportation of foreign criminals regardless of sentence length, and the Home Office will be informed of all foreign nationals convicted of crimes.
• The government plans to introduce stricter controls on lower-skilled worker visas and place greater requirements on companies to recruit from the UK workforce, with potential repercussions for non-compliance.

• Up to 12 elected Reform UK councillors are facing allegations of sharing far-right and Islamophobic social media content, including support for Britain First.
• Reform UK's vetting process utilizes social media software from Ferretly but has faced criticism for being inadequate, despite claims of comprehensive procedures.
• Several councillors, including those suspended or resigning, have been linked to controversial online activity, with evidence primarily sourced from the counter-extremism group Hope Not Hate.

• UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) faced criticism for suggesting that reduced obesity from the Gaza war could increase life expectancy, a claim condemned by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign as "sickening."
• Jonathan Turner, UKLFI's chief executive, argued that the Co-operative Group's motion regarding the death toll of 186,000 misrepresents data and overlooks pre-war health issues, including obesity.
• Critics, including Ben Jamal and Chris Doyle, branded the comments as atrocious and repulsive, highlighting the humanitarian crisis in Gaza amidst ongoing conflict and suggesting the statements promote harmful narratives.

Prominent health workers have written to the BBC expressing "profound outrage" over its decision to delay the broadcast of a new film about doctors working in Gaza, which they say is "censorship by omission".

The documentary, Gaza: Medics Under Fire, was ready to broadcast in February but was pulled because of a scandal that erupted over another BBC documentary on children in Gaza, entitled How to Survive a Warzone.

The BBC launched a review into the film after the Israeli embassy in London and British ministers criticised it over revelations that its 13-year-old narrator Abdullah al-Yazuri's father is a technocrat in Gaza's Hamas-administered government.

• Over 40 Labour MPs have expressed strong opposition to proposed disability cuts, calling for a pause and change in direction ahead of a significant House of Commons vote next month.
• The proposed changes include tightening eligibility for personal independent payments and potential cuts to incapacity benefits, affecting 700,000 families already in poverty, and sparking anxiety among disabled individuals and their families.
• The letter from MPs urges the government to conduct full impact assessments and engage with disabled people's organizations to create a supportive and less complex system, with an emphasis on job creation and protection against discrimination.

• English hospitals are making significant staff cuts and service reductions in response to a financial reset mandated by NHS leaders to avoid a projected £6.6 billion deficit.
• NHS trusts report that nearly half are currently cutting services, with many considering additional layoffs, which could negatively impact patient care and increase waiting times.
• Trust leaders face challenges in balancing financial recovery with the commitment to improve care quality, raising concerns about the implications of staff reductions and service closures on patient safety.

Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) protesters have today disrupted Barclays Bank’s annual general meeting because of the bank’s extensive investments in Israel and Israel-linked customers during Israel’s genocide of Palestinians, leading to protesters being bodily carried out of the meeting by security guards:

Our research has uncovered that Barclays bank now holds over £2 billion in shares, and provides £6.1 billion in loans and underwriting, to 9 companies whose weapons, components and military technology are being used by Israel in its attacks on Palestinians.

In addition, Barclays has an agreement with Israel to act as a ‘primary dealer’ for its government bonds. This means it helps Israel directly to raise money to fund its genocide and apartheid against Palestinians.

Are you ready for chlorinated chicken in your kebabs? Doesn't bother me, I'm vegan. Thoughts? What do you think Labour have won (or given up and dressed up like a win)?

There’s been a lot of noise lately about Wales reaching “parity” with Scotland. Devolution, powers, control over our economy, our justice system, our media. And sure, on the face of it, who could argue? Scotland has more powers than Wales. Always has. So it stands to reason, some say, that Wales should simply be brought up to their level.

But here’s the problem with that framing.

It assumes that Scotland is the bar to aspire to, not the fellow traveller on the road to something far bigger. It assumes that our liberation is about catching up, not moving forward. And worst of all, it assumes that England will always be the default. The centre of power. The seat of legitimacy and control.

I reject that entirely. I don't want equality with Scotland. I want equality with England. Wales deserves to stand as an equal partner, not as a poorer cousin begging to be brought up to the same tier.

Note - I am the author of this piece, all feedback and constructive criticism welcome

• A study reveals that UK firms exported thousands of military items to Israel, including munitions, despite a suspension of key arms export licences in September.
• Concerns have been raised over potential breaches regarding F-35 component sales to Israel, with calls for a full investigation into whether the government misled Parliament about the nature of arms supplied.
• The report indicates a significant volume of military shipments from the UK to Israel has continued since the ban, contradicting assurances that remaining export licences only covered non-offensive items.

The UK and US are poised to announce a trade agreement, the first by the White House since Donald Trump announced his sweeping global tariffs.

Trump said it was “a very big and exciting day” for both countries ahead of a press conference in the Oval Office on Thursday. Keir Starmer is planning to deliver his own press conference at around the same time.

The leaders are expected to unveil a trade deal focused on lowering US tariffs on specific products, such as British steel, aluminium and cars.

Trump said the agreement was “a full and comprehensive one that will cement the relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom for many years to come”.

cross-posted from: https://lazysoci.al/post/26040681

cross-posted from: https://lazysoci.al/post/26040680