A roundup of progressive information…
1.The Americanisation of Reactionary Politics within the UK-Byline Occasions
The affect of the American proper on British politics is way higher and extra pernicious than many people realise, Rachel Morris writes for Byline Occasions, setting out how darkish cash and reactionary concepts lurch from one facet of the Atlantic to the opposite.
To offer one instance: “When Roe v Wade was overturned final week, Conservative MP Scott Benton retweeted – although subsequently deleted – a Republican Social gathering tweet celebrating the reversal of US abortion rights. In the course of the 2019 Normal Election marketing campaign, Benton’s opponent raised his hyperlinks to the homophobic, anti-abortion religion group Society for the Safety of Unborn Youngsters (SPUC).
“Benton stated that he was now not linked to SPUC, as a result of as a homosexual man he stays anti-abortion however helps same-sex marriage. SPUC is British, however acquired greater than £72,000 between 2020 and 2022 from US donors utilizing an company to make the transactions opaque.”
The article additionally takes a take a look at how one other Tory MP, Rehman Chishti, is being paid £22,400 a-year to work part-time for a spiritual stress group in the USA linked to anti-abortion and anti-LGBTIQ efforts.
A should learn for these taken with studying extra concerning the hyperlinks between the American and British proper.
2. Authorities Advisor Repeats ‘Russia Funded Anti-Fracking Protests’ Fantasy-DeSmog
DeSmog appears at how a commerce advisor to the UK authorities has repeated a baseless declare that protests towards fracking had been funded by the Kremlin.
Catherine McBride is a member of the federal government’s Commerce and Agriculture Fee and who advises on commerce offers, instructed GB Information this week that Russia has given “billions of kilos” to inexperienced teams to “go and protest towards fracking”.
The declare has no proof behind it and has been beforehand promoted by opponents of local weather motion.
3. 20 MPs took employees from anti-abortion group in search of to duplicate US backlash –openDemocracy
A UK anti-abortion group that wishes to duplicate America’s backlash towards reproductive rights has positioned greater than a dozen interns in MPs’ places of work since 2010, openDemocracy reveals.
The location states: “Christian Motion, Analysis, and Schooling (CARE) has supplied free researchers to twenty MPs as a part of its Management Programme, which affords 11-month placements in Westminster – and all-access Commons passes – to latest college graduates.
“Of these, 13 continued to take the interns regardless of revelations concerning the charity’s place on LGBTQ+ rights in 2012. It emerged that CARE had sponsored a convention about homosexuality that promoted homosexual ‘conversion remedy’ and included periods on “mentoring the sexually damaged”.
“The group has stated its internship scheme places contributors in “actual positions of accountability”, and boasts that former interns have gone on to turn out to be cupboard ministers and senior civil servants. Tory MP Stephen Crabb, an alumni of the scheme, credit it with giving him “a grounding of the Commons, politically”.
4. Firefighters Are Combating Again-Tribune
Matt Wrack, the Normal Secretary of the Fireplace Brigades Union (FBU), writes for Tribune Journal about how his members are preventing again towards poor wages and on why the Fireplace Brigades Union rejected a two % pay supply.
With inflation working at simply over 9%, Wrack writes: “Firefighters and management employees, like everybody within the public sector, have seen years of assaults on pay, pushed by central authorities coverage. Fireplace Brigades Union members have been handled appallingly by their employers. Firefighters’ salaries have been lower by practically £4,000 in actual phrases should you evaluate 2009 and 2021—equal to a few twelve % lower.”
Wrack additionally says that the FBU is prepared to contemplate strike motion.
“The Fireplace Brigades Union and its members don’t take industrial motion frivolously. However our members will now, inevitably, start to debate all choices, together with strike motion.
“We’re a way from that at this time limit. We’ll at all times look to make sure that all efforts to resolve a problem have been exhausted earlier than we take into account or take industrial motion.
“According to this we shall be writing to nationwide fireplace employers, and in search of affirmation they’ve written to and met with the Westminster fireplace minister to request the extra funding wanted to correctly enhance pay. We’ll even be writing to ministers and authorities departments in England, Wales, Northern Eire, and Scotland.”
5. Sarwar backs Home of Lords abolition in favour of ‘senate of countries and areas’-LabourList
LabourList incorporates a piece on how Anas Sarwar has referred to as for the Home of Lords to get replaced with an “establishment which higher displays the make-up and the id of the UK” and proposes a “senate of the nations and areas”.
Sarwar made the feedback whereas talking on the Fabian Society this morning, the place he stated that the Home of Lords in its present kind “had no place in twenty first century politics”, declaring that it’s “unacceptable” to have unelected representatives “wielding such energy”.
He stated: “The Home of Lords have to be abolished and changed with an establishment which higher displays the make-up and the id of the UK.
“In calling for its abolition, we should recognise the very important position that members of the Home of Lords have performed because the revising chamber of the UK parliament. We shouldn’t overlook that it’s Labour Lords who’ve stopped a few of the worst excesses of this Tory authorities.
“However we want one thing that’s extra reflective of recent Britain. And which supplies Scotland and different elements of the UK a higher say in UK-wide laws.”
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Ahead
As you’re right here, we now have one thing to ask you. What we do right here to ship actual information is extra vital than ever. However there’s an issue: we want readers such as you to chip in to assist us survive. We ship progressive, impartial media, that challenges the appropriate’s hateful rhetoric. Collectively we will discover the tales that get misplaced.
We’re not bankrolled by billionaire donors, however depend on readers chipping in no matter they’ll afford to guard our independence. What we do isn’t free, and we run on a shoestring. Are you able to assist by chipping in as little as £1 every week to assist us survive? No matter you possibly can donate, we’re so grateful – and we’ll guarantee your cash goes so far as attainable to ship hard-hitting information.
