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2026-04-14 13:21:25 UTC

Trump’s Israel-Palestine ‘ceasefire’ deal is failing in every way
[ceasefire]
In yet another flagrant violation of ceasefire, Israel has killed at least six Palestinians and wounded others carrying out an airstrike [targeted a police checkpoint ][1]at the entrance of al Bureij refugee camp, in Central Gaza.
## What ceasefire?
Journalist Mohammad Sayyed was among those killed in the attack, which happened in the early hours of 11 April. Several of the injured were reported to be in a serious condition.
[https://www.thecanary.co/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/WhatsApp-Video-2026-04-12-at-18.04.47.mp4][2]
Throughout its genocide in Gaza, the Israeli occupation has systematically [targeted Palestinian police ][3]across the strip, to intentionally cause the breakdown of law and order, and sow the seeds of chaos amongst the desperate population.
It is now six months since the so called “ceasefire agreement” was signed, in October 2025. But conditions on the ground do not, in any way, resemble that of a ceasefire. Palestinians in Gaza continue to experience extreme hunger, deprivation, injury, and death, because of the Israeli occupation’s ongoing aid restrictions, attacks, and movement restrictions. There is no sense of safety or stability, and recovery or reconstruction is non existent, as all necessary equipment has been blocked from entering Gaza.
Humanitarian organisations – Save the Children, Refugees International, Oxfam, the Norwegian Refugee Council, and the Danish Refugee Council, have produced a [Scorecard,][4] which assesses progress against [Trump’s 20 point peace plan’s][5] stated objectives and commitments.
## Trump’s ceasefire deal has failed
According to Jeremy Konykndyk, president Refugees International said:
> On matters of basic protection, rights, and aid for people living in Gaza, this deal has failed.
Save the Children’s Multimedia Manager, Shurouq, 31, lost her husband and her home during the genocide.
She says:
> There is absolutely no ceasefire. We hear constant bombardment. Many of the explosions we hear are the Israeli military demolishing things, such as standing buildings beyond the yellow line, and within it.
The violence, killing, and indiscriminate airstrikes still take place each day. As of 3 April, more than 700 Palestinians, including at least 180 children have been killed since the so called ceasefire agreement in October 2025. 224 of these Palestinians have been killed near to the ‘yellow line,’ which ‘Israel’ continues to repeatedly shift.
Many hundreds of aid trucks have been blocked by “Israel” from entering the Strip. The Rafah and Jordan border crossings are still closed for aid, yet Trump’s ceasefire deal stated “immediately after the prisoner swap has taken place, aid will be distributed – without interference from either side – by the United Nations and the Red Crescent, along with other international organizations not associated with either Israel or Hamas. Entry of distribution and aid in the Gaza Strip will proceed without interference”.
## Israel throttling aid
The population of Gaza is still struggling to survive, as almost all have lost their source of income, so are primarily reliant on humanitarian aid. But between 28 February and 8 April, [less than 5000 aid trucks ][6]entered Gaza out of 23,400 that were planned.
Oxfam’s Ghada Al Haddad says:
> There is not enough food to eat, and entire neighbourhoods still have no functioning water system because the equipment needed to repair them are not able to enter Gaza. The people are denied the basic tools for survival. Aid is blocked, repairs prevented, movement restricted, and the conditions of life continue to deteriorate, six months into this so called ceasefire. A large proportion of trucks entering Gaza do not even carry humanitarian aid, only commercial goods. These goods are expensive, and not accessible to the vast number of Palestinians, who have no money to spare.
At least [1.7 million ][7]people are still in displacement sites, many with deteriorating tents that are subject to flooding. This is be ause the entry of shelters into the enclave continues to be “[heavily restricted][8]“.
No major reconstruction equipment is allowed into the Strip either. So the piles of rubble remain. People are not only unable to clear space to try and rebuild their homes, but they are also unable to bury their dead still buried underneath the rubble.
When it comes to reconstruction efforts, none is occuring. All critical infrastructure has been intentionally targeted by the terrorist regime of “Israel”, but none has been rebuilt. Health facilities, water and power infrastructure all remains destroyed.
## Trump can’t even deliver on aid
Dr Tanya Haj-Hassan is a paediatric intensive care, and humanitarian doctor who has worked extensively in Gaza. She was last there in February.
She says:
> There is constant bombardment and constant drones. You get the sense that you are in the middle of a war zone, as you were before. The conditions of the ceasefire clearly are not being met.
Haj-Hassan claims patients are now dying of preventable things, because of the conditions brought about by the Israeli occupation, and its:
> targeted and systematic destruction of the healthcare system- through the direct targeting of every hospital in the Gaza Strip, and the continued blockade of aid.
Lack of medical facilities and supplies, combined with the devastating and inhumane conditions experience by the population of Gaza, mean that medical evacuations from the Strip are necessary. But as part of its ongoing genocidal campaign against the Palestinians,[ “Israel” is obstructing patients from leaving][9] abroad. Almost the entire population of Gaza remains trapped inside the Yellow Line, unable to return to their homes- if anything remains of them, and the majority of the Strip.
According to Konykndyk, humanitarian access should be the easiest part of Trump’s “ceasefire plan” to deliver on.
He says:
> They are now trying to turn to much more political issues, such as disarmament and governance of Gaza, but it’s very hard to see how there can be any progress if they can’t deliver on the easiest elements.
## These organisations recommend the following, to ensure a lasting ceasefire
The ceasefire must be in practice, not only in rhetoric
There must be an independent and transparent system to approve aid delivery – The Israeli occupation government cannot be allowed to dictate who and what enters and exits Gaza.
All border crossings into Gaza must be opened.
The new arbitrary restrictions the occupation has placed on [International NGOs ][10]– which provide many of the basic services and are critical to the population – must be lifted.
*Featured image via the author*
By [Charlie Jaay][11]
[1]: https://t.me/QudsNen/218511
[2]: https://www.thecanary.co/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/WhatsApp-Video-2026-04-12-at-18.04.47.mp4
[3]: https://www.ictj.org/latest-news/israeli%C2%A0attacks-police-sites-kill-six-southern-central-gaza
[4]: https://www.refugeesinternational.org/reports-briefs/humanitarian-scorecard-six-months-in-gaza-ceasefire-is-failing/
[5]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2025/10/01/trump-gaza-plan-2/
[6]: https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/neither-war-nor-peace-gaza-131737806.html
[7]: https://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/opt-humanitarian-situation-report-27-march-2026?_gl=1%2Aspz5bb%2A_ga%2AMTA1MTYwNTQ5My4xNzMxNDQwNDMw%2A_ga_E60ZNX2F68%2AczE3NzQ5MTQwMTYkbzIzOSRnMCR0MTc3NDkxNDAxNiRqNjAkbDAkaDA.
[8]: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20260304-israel-continues-to-heavily-restrict-shelter-supplies-as-flooding-looms-in-gaza-un/
[9]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2026/04/07/gaza-medical-evacuation/
[10]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2025/08/14/israel-ngo-gaza/
[11]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/charlie-jaay/
https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2026/04/14/ceasefire-joke/

2026-04-13 18:41:32 UTC

Second Global Sumud Flotilla sets sail from Barcelona to Gaza
[Global Sumud Flotilla, April 2026]
The historic second Global Sumud Flotilla has departed from Barcelona. The flotilla aims to break Israel’s illegal, decades-long siege on Gaza and deliver [much-needed][1] humanitarian aid.
Described by organisers as ‘the largest civilian-led flotilla mission in history,’ the convoy of over 70 vessels [departed][2] from Port Moll de la Fusta on Sunday 12 April 2026.
In [a press release, organisers have described the urgency of their mission:][3]
> From family loss and displacement, to the collapse of governments and international institutions, to the deliberate destruction of Gaza’s hospitals, coastlines, fisheries, farmland, and water systems, [we come] to the collective decision that civil society must now move where states have failed.
## 1,000 set sail on the Global Sumud Flotilla
The flotilla carries a solidarity contingent of nearly 1,000 healthcare and humanitarian workers from more than 70 countries, alongside journalists and notable public figures.
Following [a major international press conference][4], Global Sumud Flotilla organisers stated that the activists’ mission seeks to transform ‘cumulative grief into a coordinated global escalation of solidarity on land and sea.’ They also described the flotilla as:
> a direct civilian intervention against genocide, siege, ecocide, forced starvation, and the global systems that sustain them.
## Zionist lies exposed
The press conference hosted speakers from Gaza, Lebanon, Indonesia, North Africa and Europe, alongside global humanitarian networks.
Speakers exposed the [Zionist ‘ceasefire’ lie][5] and denounced consistent Israeli-blocked aid passages, which necessitate the urgent civilian mission.
They also recounted the IOF’s consistent, targeted murder of humanitarian and medical workers, inhumane weaponisation of starvation, and mounting regional Zionist impunity across Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Iran and beyond.
The Global Sumud Flotilla Steering Committee stated previously that ‘[We Refuse To Wait][6]‘ and reiterated this widespread feeling of urgency once again:
> Families who have lost everything, doctors who have worked inside collapsing hospitals, organizers who have watched governments enable mass death, and movements rising across continents all arrived at the same conclusion: waiting costs Palestinian lives.
>
> The flotilla now moves as part of a wider global escalation to confront siege, impunity, and the political systems that make both possible.
## Urgent humanitarian missions converge
The Global Sumud Flotilla convoy is joined by Greenpeace’s [Arctic Sunrise][7] and [Open Arms][8] boats, bringing globally recognised civil society actors into the mission’s fold.
Arctic Sunrise said that they offer ‘strategic maritime support, technical expertise, and transit safety coordination.’ Meanwhile, ‘Open Arms expands the mission’s humanitarian protection framework, emergency response capacity, and civilian safeguarding architecture.’
This ethos was replicated by Amnesty International’s legal and political warning to Mediterranean states and surrounding actors urging them to ensure safe passage.
Amnesty’s lawyers urge ‘against any repeat of unlawful interceptions, arbitrary detention, or abuse of civilian activists.’
## Land and sea campaigns for the Global Sumud Flotilla
The 2026 sea mission is being coordinated in time with We Rise, a land campaign of comparable magnitude to achieve shared objectives in challenging Zionist impunity.
Global Sumud Flotilla describe We Rise as:
> a synchronized international campaign designed to escalate political, economic, and social pressure through coordinated land mobilizations as the [GSF] fleet advances.
>
> The campaign includes [port shutdowns][9] targeting weapons supply chains; public square art and cultural interventions; and boycott and divestment escalations.
>
> Additionally, organizers detailed two overland convoys galvanizing solidarity across North Africa and Asia and breaking Israel’s illegal siege by land.
>
> The flotilla now moves not as a single maritime action, but as the sea anchor of a widening international uprising.
## Past flotilla missions abused
Amnesty International’s [warning][10] to neighbouring states follows on from Zionist crimes against the 2025 Global Sumud Flotilla mission – the [largest of its kind][11] until now.
In 2025, IOF operators [firebombed][12] vessels with drones in Tunisian territory. IOF navy goons also [illegally boarded][13] Global Sumud Flotilla vessels in international waters. They detained activists and subjected them to systemic and [cruel abuse][14].
Physical and mental abuse of detained Global Sumud Flotilla humanitarian activists was [reported][15] and [corroborated][16] by many of those held hostage in Israeli prisons. They reported inhumane treatment, [psychological torture][17] such as sleep deprivation, and [sexual humiliation][18].
[Multiple victims][19], mainly Palestinians, reported sexual violence by IOF soldiers and Israeli prison guards. There is undeniable evidence that it is explicit Zionist policy. The UN’s Commission of Inquiry [confirmed][20] these grave, repeated sexual crimes n mid-March 2026.
The abuses inflicted on the 2025 captives is only outmatched by Zionist crimes against the 2010 Gaza Flotilla, comprised of six boats, which the IOF navy illegally raided.
During the raid, Zionist forces executed nine humanitarian activists, mainly from Türkiye, and injured another 30, one of whom later died from his wounds.
The UNHRC’s [2011 report][21] stated that Israel’s actions were illegal, “disproportionate” and “betrayed an unacceptable level of brutality,” with evidence of “wilful killing.”
Zionist forces confiscated or destroyed photographic [evidence][22] to cover their crimes—parallel with their [unprecedented murders][23] of journalists [at scale][24] today.
*Featured image via Global Sumud Flotilla*
By [Cameron Baillie][25]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2026/01/11/israel-aid-gaza-latest/
[2]: https://www.instagram.com/reels/DXDyWZ2IDTh/
[3]: https://globalsumudflotilla.org/press/barcelona-launch-turns-grief-into-global-uprising-as-global-sumud-flotilla-enters-active-departure-window-multilingual-pdf-available/
[4]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JTH7Elm6jM
[5]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2025/11/23/israel-ceasefire-violations-november/
[6]: https://globalsumudflotilla.org/press/we-refuse-to-wait-press-statement/
[7]: https://www.greenpeace.org/international/about/ships/arctic-sunrise/
[8]: https://www.openarms.es/en/what-we-do/humanitarian-missions
[9]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2026/03/30/israel-weapons-war/
[10]: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2026/04/states-must-ensure-safe-passage-for-global-sumud-flotilla-challenging-ongoing-genocide/
[11]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-news/2025/08/06/global-sumud-flotilla/
[12]: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2025/09/25/flotilla-israel/
[13]: https://www.amnesty.org.au/israels-abduction-and-torture-of-several-global-sumud-flotilla-activists-is-a-flagrant-breach-of-international-law/
[14]: https://www.amnesty.org.au/israels-abduction-and-torture-of-several-global-sumud-flotilla-activists-is-a-flagrant-breach-of-international-law/
[15]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2025/10/06/shocking-new-testimonies-from-global-sumud-flotilla-activists-emerge/
[16]: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/06/gaza-flotilla-members-allege-beatings-and-insults-in-israeli-detention
[17]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10/7/us-activist-from-gaza-flotilla-alleges-psychological-torture-by-israel
[18]: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/apr/04/gaza-flotilla-global-sumud-activists-return-war-ntwnfb
[19]: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8dy8r7lq0go
[20]: https://www.un.org/unispal/document/report-of-the-commission-of-inquiry-israel-gender-based-violence-13march2025/
[21]: https://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/world/Palmer-Committee-Final-report.pdf
[22]: https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/j.ctv1xxxwn
[23]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/2/25/israel-has-killed-more-journalists-than-any-government-on-record-cpj
[24]: https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20251209-rsf-says-israel-killed-highest-number-of-journalists-again-this-year
[25]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/cameron-baillie/
https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-news/2026/04/13/global-sumud-flotilla-2026/

2026-04-13 17:48:26 UTC

Richard Tice’s tax scandal shows how little he respects the law
[Reform's Richard Tice talking in a video he posted online]
Reform UK’s deputy leader [Richard Tice][1] is trying to just shrug off a tax scandal surrounding one of his companies despite experts saying laws were clearly broken.
The company in question is property investment firm [Quidnet REIT Limited][2]. Alongside Tice, there are two other directors, [Nicholas Tribe][3] and [John Purcell,][4] both of whom Tice has other business interests with.
Experts at [Tax Policy Associates][5] have insisted they are “confident that the company failed to withhold around £120,000 of tax”.
And this wasn’t optional tax as they asserted:
> From 2020 to 2022 it paid around £600,000 of dividends to Mr Tice and his offshore trust. Quidnet was required by law to withhold approximately £120,000 of tax from those dividends and pay it to HMRC. But we believe it’s clear from the company’s accounts and public filings that Quidnet did not pay this tax.
They added:
> Mr Tice has refused to answer the question directly, instead saying that he paid income tax on the dividends. That’s not an answer: the company was legally required to pay tax; the law doesn’t permit REITs to opt to defer their tax obligations.
In other words, the allegation is that Quidnet REIT Limited [broke the law][6].
For Tice, however, it was just a “technicality”, [he told the *Sunday Times*][7], who originally reported the story.
Meanwhile, Reform’s home affairs spokesperson, Zia Yusuf, called the issue “a minor administrative error” and a “non-story”. Yusuf seemed to minimise the law-breaking by claiming “it does look like HMRC netted off in the same way”.
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>"Richard Tice has not committed tax evasion nor tax avoidance."<br><br>Reform's Zia Yusuf says allegations surrounding Richard Tice about his tax are a "non-story," and states "the Sunday papers are coming after senior Reform figures," as the election period looms.<a href=”https://twitter.com/TrevorPTweets?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@TrevorPTweets</a> <a href=”https://t.co/SqtQdNlYEt”>pic.twitter.com/SqtQdNlYEt</a></p>— Sky News (@SkyNews) <a href=”https://twitter.com/SkyNews/status/2043252479492530177?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>April 12, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
## Richard Tice: Reform millionaires think rules are for other people
We already knew Tice was [a fan of tax havens][8] and [using loopholes to avoid hundreds of thousands of pounds in corporation tax][9]. He has made it clear that [he thinks it’s completely normal and acceptable to do so][10].
Reform leader [Nigel Farage][11], meanwhile, openly stated that he had [bought a house in Clacton][12]. But amid claims he had avoided more than £44,000 in stamp duty by putting the £885,000 property in his partner’s name, he backtracked. He insisted his partner had paid for it upfront with her own money (which the *BBC* said [wasn’t a believable claim][13]).
In Farage’s case, it wouldn’t have been illegal to give money to his partner so the house was in her name, but doing so to pay a lower stamp duty would have been highly hypocritical considering his boisterous criticism of Labour’s [Angela Rayner][14] for doing the same thing. Farage had said at a Reform conference that [Rayner’s decision “screams of entitlement”.][15]
> It screams to a government that, despite all the promises that this would be a new different kind of politics, is as bad, if not worse, than the one that went before.
In reality, it looks like the [wealthy white men leading Reform][16] — who want tough laws for ordinary people on issues like immigration and benefits — also feel entitled to bend the rules when it comes to their own business. And it’s becoming clearer and clearer that they would make [British politics even murkier][17] than it already is.
By [Ed Sykes][18]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/?s=Richard+Tice
[2]: https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/09718143/officers
[3]: https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/06016163/officers
[4]: https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/04420352/officers
[5]: https://taxpolicy.org.uk/2026/04/11/richard-tice-company-failed-to-pay-120k-tax-dividends/
[6]: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/richard-tice-tax-reform-farage-vx8j502fr
[7]: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/apr/12/richard-tice-reform-uk-quidnet-reit-tax-dividends
[8]: https://goodlawproject.org/reform-mp-richard-tice-had-millions-squirrelled-away-in-a-tax-haven/
[9]: https://www.thenational.scot/news/25937872.richard-tice-avoided-600-000-tax-exploiting-loophole/
[10]: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8x7yj99jrwo
[11]: https://www.thecanary.co/?s=Nigel+Farage
[12]: https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2025/09/05/farage-clacton-home/
[13]: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce845w70g0yo
[14]: https://www.thecanary.co/?s=Angela+Rayner
[15]: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce845w70g0yo
[16]: https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2025/11/11/brits-largely-oppose-reforms-anti-climate-agenda/
[17]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/03/25/reform-crypto-crackdown/
[18]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/oso/
https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/04/13/richard-tice-tax/

2026-04-11 14:08:06 UTC

Illegal UK weapons shipment intercepted in Belgian airport bound for Israel
[Israel]
After the farce of the Starmer government’s [fake and short-lived ‘ban’][1] on arms sales to Israel, illegal weapons destined for Israel have fallen foul of an NGO’s efforts. A disguised cargo of weapons and military spare parts en route from the UK has been [seized][2] at Liège airport in Belgium. An operation by an NGO identified the shipment after concerns were raised about the accuracy of its cargo manifest, which did not disclose the real contents.
The consignment was scheduled to fly on Challenge Airlines, a firm that regularly flies to the genocidal colony.
In total, 33 crates of undeclared military equipment were opened and seized. The contents included laser sights, fire control systems and spare parts for fighter jets involved in the bombing of civilians in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran. The items would have needed specific declaration, followed by authorisation from the Belgian government, to transit legally — an unlikely outcome given [decisions in 2025 in Belgium’s top courts][3] and the policies of federal and regional government.
Belgian authorities have opened an investigation to identify those responsible for the attempted smuggling.
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [Skwawkbox][4]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2025/05/13/government-in-court-israel-arms-sales/
[2]: https://www.rtl.be/actu/regions/liege/une-cargaison-militaire-interceptee-liege-airport-avant-son-depart-vers-israel/2026-04-10/article/785402
[3]: https://www.politico.eu/article/brussels-court-orders-flanders-belgium-stop-transfer-military-equipment-israel-palestine-dual-use/
[4]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/skwawkbox/
https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/04/11/israel-illegal-uk-weapons/

2026-03-30 17:33:29 UTC

Even without proof, Republicans are still threatening to deport Rep. Ilhan Omar
[Ilhan Omar threatened by Trump over immigration lies]
In the latest of a long line of utter fabrications regarding democratic representative Ilhan Omar—the first Somali-American elected to congress—Trump and his cronies [are now claiming][1] that she committed immigration fraud *by marrying her own brother. *
Of course, they’re taking great delight in announcing plans to deport Omar, who just so happens to be a vocal Trump critic.
On 27 March, far-right talking head Benny Johnson interviewed vice president JD Vance on his eponymous *Benny Show. *He raised the subject of Trump’s latest unfounded conspiracy theory regarding Omar’s immigration status. Now, however, Vance is claiming that they have proof. Honest.
They’re just not sure what it is yet, is all.
## We think she actually definitely did it
On the show, [Johnson stated that:][2]
> The president and the White House have been out saying that she married her brother, that there is immigration fraud going on here. These are deportable, de-naturalisation offences, can you give us an update on that?
Vance sidestepped the deplorable suggestion that Omar married her brother. Apparently, some lies are too much even for the Republican stooge. Instead, he replied:
> Yeah, so we actually think that Ilhan Omar definitely committed immigration fraud against the United States of America.
>
> And I talked to Stephen Miller [deputy chief of staff for policy] about this, actually, recently, and we’re trying to look at what the remedies are.
>
> That’s the thing that we’re trying to figure out is what are the legal remedies now that we know that she’s committed immigration fraud – how do you go after her, how do you investigate her, how do you actually do the thing, how do you build a case necessary to get some justice for the American people?
Now, if we were trying to sound like we weren’t lying, we wouldn’t go with the phrasing ‘we actually think she definitely did it’. ‘Oh, but also, we’re still investigating’ — very convincing, that.
It’s also noteworthy that Trump started [bleating about Omar’s immigration status][3] back in December. Miraculously, the Republicans have now found their evidence proving that Trump was right, just three months later. Funny how that happens, isn’t it?
## Not certain, but airing it anyway
Vance didn’t stop there. No, he also took a swipe at Somali-Americans into the bargain:
> There’s a related issue Benny, which is, she has been at the center of a lot of the worst fraudsters in the Somali community. So do I know that Ilhan Omar was aware that the Quality Learning Center [in Minneapolis] was defrauding the American people?
>
> I’m not certain of it, but we at least need to investigate it because if people can commit wrongdoing without even the fear that they’re going to be found out, that’s a fundamental problem.
God,[ imagine if][4] a[ US politician][5] could [commit some][6] of the [most heinous crimes imaginable][7] and get off scot-free? The very idea of it [doesn’t bear thinking about. ][8]
The Somali-American-run Quality Learning Center was the victim of unproven accusations of fraud by[ far-right Youtuber Nick Shirley.][9] He alleged that the center received public daycare funds, but provided no actual care. However, his accusations were flatly contradicted by the state’s own regulators.
Nevertheless, Trump chose to [freeze all daycare payments][10] to the state of Minnesota in retaliation. The Quality Learning Center is among the establishments forced to close its doors in the aftermath.
## ‘A ridiculous lie’
In response to the Republicans’ latest round of baseless smears, [Omar’s chief of staff][11] called the accusations “a ridiculous lie. He stated that:
> This is rich coming from someone who literally said they were willing to ‘create stories’ to redirect the media.
>
> This is a ridiculous lie and desperate attempt to distract from the pedophile protection party’s unpopular war of choice, increasing gas prices, and rapidly dropping polling numbers.
Making up shit about a Brown Democrat’s immigration status is hardly a new tactic for Trump. We saw him pull a [similar stunt regarding Obama’s birth ][12]record all the way back in 2011.
However, Trump is now clearly getting desperate. He’s waging a quagmire war against Iran, sending fuel prices soaring, whilst facing the fact that his [alleged pedophilia is coming to light.][13] And, as Omar’s staff pointed out, [the American public is sick of him. ][14]
In a man as powerful as Trump, backed by like-minded sycophants, that desperation is dangerous. There is nothing they won’t say, nothing they won’t do, no level they won’t stoop to attack their increasing number of enemies—and to cling onto power for just a little longer.
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [Alex/Rose Cocker][15]
[1]: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/ilhan-omar-jd-vance-somaliland-b2948182.html
[2]: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/ilhan-omar-jd-vance-somaliland-b2948182.html
[3]: https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-ilhan-omar-should-be-thrown-the-hell-out-of-the-us-what-exactly-is-her-immigration-status-can-he-deport-her-what-does-the-law-say-1765351525541
[4]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/2021/01/10/the-capitol-coup-only-highlights-the-threat-that-white-supremacy-poses-to-democracy/
[5]: https://www.thecanary.co/opinion/2024/11/06/trump-rapist-felon/
[6]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2026/02/11/trump-laundering/
[7]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2026/02/25/trump-mentions-missing/
[8]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2025/10/28/trump-changes-constitution/
[9]: https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/minneapolis-day-care-quality-learning-center-closed-after-nick-shirley-video/
[10]: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c75xnndvlyko
[11]: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/ilhan-omar-jd-vance-somaliland-b2948182.html
[12]: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-us-2016-37391652
[13]: https://www.thedailybeast.com/epstein-accountant-spills-bombshell-payout-to-alleged-trump-victim/
[14]: https://www.economist.com/interactive/trump-approval-tracker
[15]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/alexrosecocker/
https://www.thecanary.co/global/2026/03/30/trump-threatens-to-deport-ilhan-omar/

2026-03-30 09:19:49 UTC

Angela Rayner tries to copy Zack Polanski but fails immediately
[Angela Rayner head shot with her signature long ginger hair curled at the ends]
Labour’s Angela Rayner seems to be preparing for a leadership race once Keir Starmer’s gone and she apparently thinks she can emulate [Green Party leader Zack Polanski’s successes][1]. But if she really wanted to convince left-wingers to stop leaving Labour, she really shouldn’t have prioritised a chat with far-right racist Michael Gove.
As political editor at the *Times,* Steven Swinford, [explained][2]:
> Angela Rayner is preparing to launch a podcast called Beyond the Bubble as she seeks to broaden her appeal before a potential Labour leadership contest.
>
> The former deputy prime minister has interviewed Lord [Michael] Gove, the former Tory cabinet minister, as the star guest on the pilot, which is focused on housing.
The two apparently “get on well”, Swinford said.
> Rayner: "I need to replicate the success that Zack has seen creating and contributing to the left wing media ecosphere, reaching out to voters rather than the establishment."
>
> also Rayner: "My first guest will be Michael Gove." [https://t.co/0AMfz0IwRX][3]
>
> — Gareth Dennis (@GarethDennis) [March 27, 2026][4]
Gove is editor at the* Spectator* and a proud Zionist, who has repeatedly [denied Israel’s genocide against Palestinians][5] in Gaza. He’s said that Israeli influence in Britain should grow even further, despite the significant influence the pro-Israel lobby wields over UK politics.
> This guy? [https://t.co/XRYwoJ2oWb][6] [pic.twitter.com/IC3KM0vG3O][7]
>
> — Barry Malone (@malonebarry) [March 26, 2026][8]
The *Spectator* has long been a [dishonest, racist, far-right rag][9] and has openly normalised hate.
In particular, the hateful, divisive magazine reserves a special disdain for Muslim communities. Indeed, it has been a [leading media source for Islamophobic content][10]. And its [racist propaganda][11] regularly gives Nazi media a run for its money.
It might seem like a strange choice for Rayner to have Gove as her first guest if she’s trying to get left-wing votes, but it makes complete sense when you consider just how comfortable Rayner is with the political and economic establishment.
## Angela Rayner offers more of the same right-wing Labour decay
[Labour Together][12] — the shady right-wing group with [millionaire backers][13] that helped undermine Jeremy Corbyn and crown Keir Starmer as his successor — knows Starmer’s time is up. It sees [Rayner as a potential successor][14].
The influence of Labour Together in the current Labour government is massive. Rayner is very much a part of its network of influence, so she’s clearly comfortable getting corporate money while pretending in public to be progressive.
Her [voting record][15], meanwhile, shows how happy she is to play along and vote against ordinary people’s interests.
Despite everything Keir Starmer’s government has put the country through since 2024, Rayner has stuck by him and called for party unity, [insisting][16]:
> The Prime Minister has my full support in leading us to that end.
And despite reality, she repeatedly tried to convince people ahead of the recent [Gorton and Denton by-election][17] that [“only Labour” could stop Reform][18]. After Labour predictably didn’t beat Reform, she [said][19]:
> It’s time to really listen – and to reflect.
She just didn’t say how she was going to reflect and who she was going to listen to: one of the most influential hate-mongers in the UK.
That is unfortunately completely typical for the right-wing forces dominating Labour today and it should serve as a clear reminder that Rayner just offers more of the same.
*Featured image via Getty Images/ Christopher Furlong*
By [Ed Sykes][20]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2026/02/27/greens-seismic-win/
[2]: https://x.com/Steven_Swinford/status/2037269201476255900
[3]: https://t.co/0AMfz0IwRX
[4]: https://twitter.com/GarethDennis/status/2037499495970132434?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[5]: https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2026/03/09/anti-muslim-media-propaganda/
[6]: https://t.co/XRYwoJ2oWb
[7]: https://t.co/IC3KM0vG3O
[8]: https://twitter.com/malonebarry/status/2037311243489349870?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[9]: https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2025/07/04/spectator-glastonbury-brighton/
[10]: https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2026/03/09/anti-muslim-media-propaganda/
[11]: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/03/26/spectator-cover/
[12]: https://www.thecanary.co/?s=Labour+Together
[13]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/03/24/labour-together-funders/
[14]: https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2025/12/08/starmer-leadership-threatened/
[15]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/2026/02/27/rayner-criticises-starmer/
[16]: https://x.com/AngelaRayner/status/2020884870684094609
[17]: https://x.com/AngelaRayner/status/2026743049489961169
[18]: http://x.com/AngelaRayner/status/2026965132740374699
[19]: https://x.com/AngelaRayner/status/2027314976063377494
[20]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/oso/
https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2026/03/30/angela-rayner-podcast/

2026-03-28 20:35:16 UTC

Israel assassinates more Lebanese journalists — Ali Shuaib and Fatima Ftouni
[Israel]
Journalists Ali Shuaib (Al-Manar) and Fatima Ftouni (Al-Mayadeen), along with Fatima’s brother, camera operator Mohamad Ftouni, join a long list of [Lebanese journalists killed][1] by Israel. An Israeli warplane fired five missiles at their car, travelling in the countryside next to the city of Jezzine, around 30 Km north of the border with occupied Palestine. The last two missiles were fired at 2 civilians, one of them from the Lebanese Civil Defence, who were trying to save the targeted journalists.
> [#Breaking][2] | Journalists Ali Shuaib (Al-Manar) and Fatima Fattouni (Al-Mayadeen) were killed in a direct Israeli strike while covering the war in Lebanon. [pic.twitter.com/bwnhXCrcp5][3]
>
> — غزة 24 | التغطية مستمرة (@Gaza24Live) [March 28, 2026][4]
The three journalists join a long list of (now) 28 [Lebanese journalists assassinated][5] by Israel commencing on October 13, 2023 when an Israeli Merkava tank fired on a [clearly marked group of journalists][6] in Alma Al-Shaab killing Reuters videographer and close friend [Issam Abdalla][7].
These 28 journalists lie side by side [with over 234 of their fellow Palestinian journalists][8] also killed by Israel since October of 2023, most of them in Gaza. And lest we forget [Shireen Abu Akleh][9], and others.
If those war crimes tell us anything, it is that:
1. Israel [intentionally targets journalists][10] everywhere they can
2. Journalism is as important as taking up arms on the path of resisting colonialism
[https://www.thecanary.co/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/signal-2026-03-28-113248_002.mp4][11]
## Israel assassinates Fatima Ftouni
Fatima Ftouni, *Al-Mayadeen’s* correspondent to south Lebanon, recently reported on her own family members being killed by Israel around 25 days ago.
> Al Mayadeen correspondent Fatima Ftouni reports that seven members of her own family were killed by Israeli forces in the assault on southern Lebanon, continuing her coverage amid her loss. [https://t.co/C02upR5JIo][12]
>
> — Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) [March 2, 2026][13]
She says:
> This is the status of the building that contains 4 residential apartments full off people, and in fact they are members of my family.
Fatima never fled, never shied away from a confrontation. In war zones but also by speaking truth to power:
> المراسلة فاطمة فتوني في مواجهة صحافية مع الرئيس نواف سلام:
> فتوني: أنا أهلي عايشين بالخطوط الأمامية
> نواف سلام: شايف صحتك منيحة
> فتوني: أهلي منهم مناح
> نواف سلام: في معنا حكيم
>
> الآن : فاطمة فتوني شهيدة [💔] [pic.twitter.com/0kNJcu3LTd][14]
>
> — Christina Natasha El-Hage (@Christina_Hage) [March 28, 2026][15]
Fatima interrupts [allegedly US-Backed][16] Prime Minister Nawaf Salam who was trying to talk about how good the Lebanese government has been during this war:
> Fatima: My family are still living in the south, they’re in danger
>
> Salam: You look fine, I see your quite healthy
>
> Fatima: My family isn’t fine
>
> Salam: Well we have a doctor with us if you need
Nawaf Salam, ever so sarcastic. Ever so unfunny. He tarnishes comedy every time he jokes.
Fatima Ftouni, your courage and determination will never be forgotten.
Rest in power!
## Ali Shuaib — An absolute legend
> رح يجوا يعطوك أوسمة وألقاب.
> بس بدك ياها من الأخير؟
> إنتَ الوسام واللقب.
> روح الله معك.
> وأمانة لما تشوف السيد والشهداء عطيهن كمشة من تراب الجنوب![#علي_شعيب][17] [pic.twitter.com/ES4f3Rt7xW][18]
>
> — Abbas Fneich| عبَّاس (@AbbassFneich) [March 28, 2026][19]
I remember 20 years ago, I was a 16 year old kid living in Lebanon during the 2006 war. I used to wait for Ali Shuaib’s messages from the battlefield on the radio. He used to do a quick news story every time there’s a clash somewhere in the south. Sometimes his voice would be obscured by the sounds of clashes near by.
All the TV stations and correspondents were covering the war from a distance. Ali Shuaib didn’t believe in long distance relationships.
Then from 2006 up until 2024, there was no war officially but Shuaib still clashed with Israeli soldiers:
[https://www.thecanary.co/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_8587.mp4][20]
There was an alleged assassination attempt on Ali Shuaib during the 66 day war last year, but he survived. This time unfortunately, he didn’t.
Rest in power you absolute legend!
*Featured image via author*
By [Jamal Awar][21]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/01/27/lebanon-israel-murders-tv/
[2]: https://twitter.com/hashtag/Breaking?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[3]: https://t.co/bwnhXCrcp5
[4]: https://twitter.com/Gaza24Live/status/2037851681862332885?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[5]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attacks_on_journalists_during_the_Israel%E2%80%93Hezbollah_conflict_(2023%E2%80%93present)#:~:text=Since%20the%20beginning%20of%20the,of%20a%20Lebanese%20civilian%20guide.
[6]: https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/10/13/lebanon-seek-justice-for-journalists-killed-by-israeli-forces
[7]: https://www.reuters.com/graphics/ISRAEL-LEBANON/JOURNALIST/akveabxrzvr/
[8]: https://www.nuj.org.uk/resource/palestine-journalists-continue-to-be-killed-despite-ceasefire-agreement.html#:~:text=Palestine%3A%20Journalists%20continue%20to%20be%20killed%20despite%20ceasefire%20agreement,-23%20Jan%202026&text=At%20least%20234%20Palestinian%20journalists,of%20Journalists%20(IFJ)%20show.
[9]: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/may/08/who-killed-shireen-abu-akleh
[10]: https://www.ifj.org/media-centre/news/detail/category/press-releases/article/israel-two-years-of-killing-journalists-and-controlling-the-narrative-in-gaza
[11]: https://www.thecanary.co/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/signal-2026-03-28-113248_002.mp4
[12]: https://t.co/C02upR5JIo
[13]: https://twitter.com/DropSiteNews/status/2028494461895074272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[14]: https://t.co/0kNJcu3LTd
[15]: https://twitter.com/Christina_Hage/status/2037858040456581433?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[16]: https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-nawaf-salam-prime-minister-aoun-hezbollah-4e472d59cb1cf70c2b0929eefe9fab93#:~:text=In%20past%20years%2C%20Hezbollah%20has,as%20a%20U.S.%2Dbacked%20candidate.
[17]: https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%8A_%D8%B4%D8%B9%D9%8A%D8%A8?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[18]: https://t.co/ES4f3Rt7xW
[19]: https://twitter.com/AbbassFneich/status/2037858580024406020?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[20]: https://www.thecanary.co/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_8587.mp4
[21]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/jamal-awar/
https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-news/2026/03/28/ali-shuaib-fatima-ftouni-israel/

2026-03-28 20:27:26 UTC

Sabotage throttles Green conference as members left heartbroken over “Zionism is Racism” motion
[Zionism is Racism]
The [Green Party][1] held its Spring Conference on Saturday 28 March, with members meeting online to debate and vote on the party’s future direction. At the centre of attention is a [highly poignant][2] and [emotionally charged][3] motion: Zionism is Racism.
## Zionism is Racism
After members [overwhelmingly backed bringing the motion forward][4] – despite earlier attempts to block it entirely – pro-Palestinian Greens are now watching closely to see if the party will formally break with Zionism.
This embattled call for principled leadership has been led by Lubna Speitan, who referred to her Palestinian heritage and her people’s immeasurable suffering at the hands of their occupier, genocidal Israel.
After years of watching powerful leaders offer [diplomatic cover][5] while hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children have been murdered, with those surviving left to [endure constant bombardment][6] and sheer deprivation, socialists are now demanding far more from those in power.
## Pro-Israel saboteurs running rampant in the Greens – still.
However, as mentioned previously, the motion has faced no [end of pressure][7], whether from pro-Zionist Greens or typical hateful attacks from [pro-Israeli lobby][8] groups. Just today, another member proposed to rule “Zionism is Racism” [out of order][9] by arguing they already have a policy for two state solution.
On the other hand, if any policy should be thrown out, it is the two-state solution. Palestinians should have an inherent right to define what justice looks like for their people, and many argue that the prospect of two states is no longer viable on land that is rightfully theirs.
Nonetheless, sabotage or delay tactics have clearly been at play in the Greens today, with two votes of no confidence were brought in the very last twenty minutes. Each time, hundreds of Greens told them where to go by throwing the vote of no confidence out.
One member in the last 10 minutes bravely pointed out the very clear tactic at play to subvert the democratic vote on whether Zionism is indeed racism.
Which, obviously, it bloody well is.
Unwilling to be deterred, [Lubna Speitan][10] spoke powerfully defending her motion in the morning, saying:
> Okay, as you know, I am Palestinian. This party says it stands with Palestinians and is one of the supporters for its stance. And I’m here today for those Palestinian and bringing forward this motion drafted by Palestinians. And with support from our Jewish allies with legal input on our motion.
adding:
> Zionism is racism has had a record-breaking number of over 332 proposals.
Poignantly, she highlighted the clear attempts to subvert democracy by some members:
> .. this attempt being made to rule out order is an attempt, an attack at democracy. To silence me, a Palestinian Muslim woman, confronting the racist reality of Zionism and its erasure of my family and people.
>
> There are a huge number of people here who want to hear this motion.
Acknowledging the attacks they have received for this motion, Speitan reminded that taking action would be in line with international law and the Geneva Convention.
## We are so sorry, Lubna – you deserved justice and true democracy
Ahead of the planned Zionism is Racism vote, Lubna became emotional and teary as she reminded of the impact of Zionism on her loved ones. She powerfully argued that Zionism has been the dispossession of her mother, the scars across her father’s body and emotionally added:
> it’s the 56 of our relatives slaughtered in this genocide.
She finished:
> A vote for this motion is a vote for clarity and equality. Zionism is racism and must be truly confronted… We reject all amendments to this motion. Free Palestine.
Subsequently, the chair said they could no longer proceed straight after Lubna powerfully spoke – and ended the conference. Frankly, it was incredibly painful and heartbreaking to witness the cold way in which this highly anticipated and emotionally charged motion ended up unheard.
So, the saboteurs won out, once again. And one thing is for sure; democracy, compassion and frankly, basic human decency, lost out once more.
Shame on all those who worked against such a crucial and landmark motion – history will not look kindly on you.
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [Maddison Wheeldon][11]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/topics/green-party/
[2]: https://www.politico.eu/article/uk-green-zack-polanski-zionism-is-racism-motion/
[3]: https://bright-green.org/2026/03/27/why-anti-zionists-should-oppose-the-zionism-is-racism-motion-at-green-party-conference/
[4]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/news/2026/03/28/green-party-chair-vote/
[5]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2026/02/24/mike-huckabee-israel/
[6]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2026/01/22/gaza-winter/
[7]: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/03/28/green-party-conference-system/
[8]: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/03/26/spectator-cover/
[9]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/news/2026/03/28/green-party-chair-vote/
[10]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/2026/02/24/zionism-is-racism-green-party-motion/
[11]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/maddison-wheeldon/
https://www.thecanary.co/opinion/2026/03/28/zionism-is-racism-green-party/

2026-03-28 19:07:15 UTC

Labour minister caught in a lie over leasehold betrayal
[labour]
Leasehold properties are a national scandal, and these properties are causing misery for millions of people. Labour promised to end this issue, but in government they’ve instead opted to kick the can down the road. The problem is they want voters to believe they’re solving the problem even as they refuse to do so.
As an example of this in action, please see the following from Labour’s minister of state for housing and planning:
> Oh… right. [https://t.co/orvrBLe28D][1] [pic.twitter.com/lYnHBtjJmV][2]
>
> — cladtrap (@cladtrap) [March 27, 2026][3]
## Leasing the truth
The problem with leasehold properties is they combine the cost of purchasing a house with the downsides of not actually owning one, [as HG wrote for the *Canary* in January this year][4]:
> Most flats in the UK are leasehold, along with some shared ownership houses.
>
> Freehold means a resident owning their property and the land it is built on. On the other hand, leasehold means owning the property for a fixed period, while still paying ground rent to the landlord, who either owns the building (such as a block of flats) or the land.
>
> When the lease ends, ownership returns to the landlord.
>
> In comparison, commonhold provides freehold ownership for flats or other interdependent buildings.
Pennycook said he’d ‘end’ leasehold in parliament:
> This Labour government is ending the feudal leasehold system and easing cost of living pressures for millions of leaseholders across the country. [pic.twitter.com/6A1RTvQQHS][5]
>
> — Matthew Pennycook MP (@mtpennycook) [January 27, 2026][6]
He also made it clear it would happen “over the course of this Parliament” – i.e. that it would happen before the next elections in 2029:
> Imagine being an MP and this is how you find out Hansard exists… [https://t.co/65qOS3hU7I][7] [pic.twitter.com/VolmXi12nV][8]
>
> — HutchOnline (@Hutch_Online) [March 27, 2026][9]
Do ‘abolish’ and ‘end’ mean the same thing in every context?
No.
But they both clearly give the impression that leasehold would no longer exist under Labour — i.e. that it would ‘end’.
Demonstrating that this position is unpopular with the party’s own members, [Labour Party activist Matt Lismore said the following:][10]
> I don’t think people realise that creating a 2 tier flats market with leasehold (existing) and commonhold (new) could crush leasehold property values further.
>
> That would place leading UK banks in the position of holding huge volumes of mortgages where the borrower is in negative equity.
>
> This wouldn’t be an issue if defaults stay low, but should a significant number of leaseholders start defaulting, banks could be in considerable bother, causing significant harm to the UK economy.
>
> Further, if leasehold flat values fall after commonhold comes in, even more properties will fall into the service charge > 1% of value bracket, making them largely unmortgageable.
>
> Matt Pennycook, it is vital that we don’t create a 2 tier market in flats – it has the capacity to have significant knock on consequences.
## Labour — collapse in real-time
Lismore isn’t voicing a niche opinion or unwarranted concern. If you want to see what’s happening to leasehold properties in the UK, simply look at the property market:
> had a quick look through this account and bascially every example is a leasehold lol [https://t.co/K1JetQtxal][11]
>
> — sonny (@SonnyTLoughran) [March 23, 2026][12]
To be fair, houses should be cheaper. At the same time, these houses aren’t cheaper because we’ve fixed the housing problem; they’re cheaper because no one wants to live in them them.
Labour aren’t fixing a problem in a sensible and incremental way; they’re allowing an entirely new problem to fester to keep property developers happy. And it’s going to result in misery for anyone who owns one of [the nearly 5 million leasehold properties in the UK][13].
*Featured image via author*
By [Willem Moore][14]
[1]: https://t.co/orvrBLe28D
[2]: https://t.co/lYnHBtjJmV
[3]: https://twitter.com/cladtrap/status/2037479905483489711?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[4]: https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2026/01/27/starmer-leasehold/
[5]: https://t.co/6A1RTvQQHS
[6]: https://twitter.com/mtpennycook/status/2016188636207657407?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[7]: https://t.co/65qOS3hU7I
[8]: https://t.co/VolmXi12nV
[9]: https://twitter.com/Hutch_Online/status/2037603659651952733?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[10]: https://x.com/MattLismore/status/2037289556303655381?s=20
[11]: https://t.co/K1JetQtxal
[12]: https://twitter.com/SonnyTLoughran/status/2036092139654766960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[13]: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/leasehold-dwellings-2022-to-2023/leasehold-dwellings-2022-to-2023
[14]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/willem-moore/
https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2026/03/28/labour-minister-caught-in-a-lie-over-leasehold-betrayal/

2026-03-28 19:03:55 UTC

Yemen’s Houthis have joined Israel’s war on the side of Iran
[Houthis]
In a new moment of escalation, the Houthis of Yemen have joined Israel’s war on the side of Iran:
> JUST IN: [🇾🇪][🇮🇷] Yemeni Houthis officially enter war against US & Israel in support of Iran.
>
> "Our operations will continue until the objectives are achieved." [pic.twitter.com/1TmQcRRrHz][1]
>
> — BRICS News (@BRICSinfo) [March 28, 2026][2]
## Houthis escalation
The Houthis entered the war by launching a military attack on Israel ([who themselves began the conflict by attacking Iran][3]):
> BREAKING: Yemen's Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group has carried out its first military attack against Israel. [pic.twitter.com/N8cbNVu6aq][4]
>
> — Al Jazeera Breaking News (@AJENews) [March 28, 2026][5]
[*al Jazeera *reported:][6]
> Yemen’s Houthi rebels have attacked Israel with a barrage of ballistic missiles – their first such strikes since the United States-Israeli war on Iran began.
>
> Brigadier-General Yahya Saree, a military spokesperson for the Houthis, announced the attack on Saturday on the rebels’ Al Masirah satellite television.
>
> Strikes “will continue until the declared objectives are achieved, as stated in the previous statement by the armed forces, and until the aggression against all fronts of the resistance ceases”, Saree said.
>
> The Israeli military said it intercepted one missile.
> The U.S. gives Israel billions of dollars in military aid, why don’t you ever say “Israel’s U.S.-backed military” launches strikes? [https://t.co/f7aXD5kvc7][7]
>
> — Assal Rad (@AssalRad) [March 28, 2026][8]
As of right now, the Houthis have only declared hostilities against Israel — not the US:
> Very interesting: Ansarallah, also known as the Houthis, are saying they will continue to respect the ceasefire they negotiated with Trump, which allows them to strike Israel but not US forces [https://t.co/VMGQY6HytZ][9]
>
> — Ryan Grim (@ryangrim) [March 28, 2026][10]
A new opponent entering the war could prove to be a real problem for Israel. [As we reported on 27 March][11], Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid:
> shared a post—viewed by 1 million users— warning that Israel is facing a security disaster and that the military is “on the verge of collapse.”
>
> He cited Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, who sounded the same alarm to political-security cabinet. In a veiled message to Netanyahu, he Lapid said:
>
> “Anyone who heard him yesterday will not be able to say, “I didn’t know.””
> The IDF could soon collapse if there is no solution to the shortage of manpower, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir warned in remarks during a security cabinet meeting held on Wednesday.
> Reporting by: [@keshet_neev][12] [@Jeremybob1][13] [https://t.co/DZ4TN6nDzv][14]
>
> — The Jerusalem Post (@Jerusalem_Post) [March 26, 2026][15]
The war on Iran has led to [the partial closure of the Strait of Hormuz][16]. As we’ve all learned, this has proven disastrous, because vast percentages of the world’s fuel, fertiliser, gas, and other resources pass through this narrow passage. What people may learn next is that the Houthis are positioned to close an entirely different strait.
> Terrifying warning for the global economy. An expert details Iran's ultimate masterplan: a coordinated multi-strait blockade choking off Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab, plus targeting the Suez Canal and Saudi pipelines. They have the power to completely paralyze Western trade. [pic.twitter.com/HplfBdOmal][17]
>
> — Furkan Gözükara (@FurkanGozukara) [March 28, 2026][18]
The Bab-al Mandab Strait leads to Egypt’s Suez Canal. This passage allows ships to travel through the Mediterranean, facilitating shipping between Europe and Asia without a need to travel around Africa.
Capital markets commenters the Kobeissi Letter [noted the following][19]:
> In a major escalation, Yemen’s Houthi Group has officially joined the war with a ballistic missle launch at Israel, just as the war hit its one-month mark.
>
> All eyes are now on the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
>
> If closed, the world loses another ~6 million barrels of daily oil supply
## War
The Houthis entering the conflict is another sign that things could continue to escalate. It’s also another moment of grim vindication for those who warned that launching a war in the Middle East would be chaotic, costly, and futile.
*Featured image via [Al Jazeera][20]*
By [Willem Moore][21]
[1]: https://t.co/1TmQcRRrHz
[2]: https://twitter.com/BRICSinfo/status/2037825290823401976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[3]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/2026/02/28/iran-attacks-by-us/
[4]: https://t.co/N8cbNVu6aq
[5]: https://twitter.com/AJENews/status/2037793073930125745?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[6]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/28/yemens-houthis-claim-responsibility-for-a-missile-attack-on-israel-2
[7]: https://t.co/f7aXD5kvc7
[8]: https://twitter.com/AssalRad/status/2037813050842230915?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[9]: https://t.co/VMGQY6HytZ
[10]: https://twitter.com/ryangrim/status/2037909848331878769?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[11]: https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2026/03/27/netanyahu-rival-says-israeli-army-will-collapse/
[12]: https://twitter.com/keshet_neev?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[13]: https://twitter.com/jeremybob1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[14]: https://t.co/DZ4TN6nDzv
[15]: https://twitter.com/Jerusalem_Post/status/2037254123158978959?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[16]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2026/02/28/iran-unleashes/
[17]: https://t.co/HplfBdOmal
[18]: https://twitter.com/FurkanGozukara/status/2037841965006332203?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[19]: https://x.com/KobeissiLetter/status/2037855390361166123?s=20
[20]: https://x.com/AJENews/status/2037793073930125745?s=20
[21]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/willem-moore/
https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2026/03/28/houthis-have-joined-war/

2026-03-28 19:00:37 UTC

Video emerges of Reform’s ‘Nazi salute’ candidate drink driving
[Reform]
With the local elections fast approaching, Reform are doing everything they can to attract viable candidates. The problem is [many of these candidates][1] have proven so unviable that they’ve failed to even make it to the election. This was on full display with the following shortlisted candidate for the Welsh constituency of Bridgend and Vale of Glamorgan:
> A man put at the top of Reform UK's list for Bridgend and Vale of Glamorgan has stepped down after a picture of him performing a Nazi salute was published.
>
> Nigel Farage had previously backed Corey Edwards after the photo emerged.
>
> A Reform UK Wales spokesperson:
>
> “Corey… [pic.twitter.com/WqrDeet2CD][2]
>
> — Will Hayward (@WillHayCardiff) [March 27, 2026][3]
Since the above, a video has emerged of Edwards driving while swigging Bud Light:
> If anyone was on the fence about the Reform UK [#Senedd][4] candidate Corey Edwards, that did the Hitler salute and resigned.
>
> Here’s a video he took of himself drinking whilst driving. [pic.twitter.com/J7CRCCdn4q][5]
>
> — Reform Party UK Exposed [🇬🇧] (@reformexposed) [March 28, 2026][6]
We don’t know why anyone would choose to film this, but here we are.
## They did Nazi that coming
The statement from Reform UK Wales read:
> Corey Edwards has informed us that he is stepping down as a candidate for the Senedd election this May, citing issues with his mental health.
>
> We wish him well for the future and hope his privacy can be respected at this difficult time.
[The *BBC* provided further context on the image][7], noting:
> A statement from Edwards appeared to suggest he had been both imitating the sitcom character Basil Fawlty as well as former Welsh international goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey, who was involved in a row over an alleged Nazi salute in 2019 which he denied at the time.
Edwards himself said:
> There is a clear distinction between ordinary use of the appalling gesture, compared with me imitating a Welsh footballer’s use of it, or indeed Basil Fawlty’s walk
The problem Edwards has made for himself is that he didn’t just do a Nazi salute; he did a Nazi salute and then signed up Britain’s most successful far-right political party. Maybe he was joking when he did the salute, but why give him the benefit of the doubt? Especially when Edwards is far from the only person in the party who’s been accused of holding a fondness for Adolf Hitler.
On 22 November, [the *Guardian* covered 20 individuals][8] who’ve alleged that Nigel Farage has a “racist past”, with many of them describing antisemitism directed at one Peter Ettedgui. In Ettedgui’s own words:
> [Farage] would sidle up to me and growl: ‘Hitler was right’ or ‘gas them’, sometimes adding a long hiss to simulate the sound of the gas showers […] I’d never experienced antisemitism growing up, so the first time that this vicious verbal abuse came out of Farage’s mouth was deeply shocking. But I wasn’t his only target. I’d hear him calling other students ‘Paki’ or ‘Wog’, and urging them to ‘go home’.
Speaking on the Edwards situation, [Farage said][9]:
> It was a Fawlty Towers impression. Maybe we should ban the BBC, I don’t know
Why is Farage’s solution to everything ‘*ban the BBC*‘?
## Reform — Failed candidates
Edwards is far from the only failed Reform candidate of the past week, with the party particularly struggling in Scotland:
> Nigel Farage's Reform UK loses its fifth Holyrood candidate[https://t.co/c02gogY5yw][10]
>
> — Reform Party UK Exposed [🇬🇧] (@reformexposed) [March 28, 2026][11]
As disastrous as some of these candidates have proven to be, it’s going to be hard to top ‘drink driving Nazi’ (although for legal reasons we should probably refer to him as a ‘hydrated Fawlty Towers enthusiast’).
*Featured image via [Reform Exposed][12]*
By [Willem Moore][13]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2026/02/10/reform-grifters/
[2]: https://t.co/WqrDeet2CD
[3]: https://twitter.com/WillHayCardiff/status/2037569079930708353?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[4]: https://twitter.com/hashtag/Senedd?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[5]: https://t.co/J7CRCCdn4q
[6]: https://twitter.com/reformexposed/status/2037850997964374055?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[7]: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6257mj94m0o
[8]: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/nov/22/nigel-farage-racist-past-who-is-telling-truth-schooldays
[9]: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6257mj94m0o
[10]: https://t.co/c02gogY5yw
[11]: https://twitter.com/reformexposed/status/2037786264473096416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[12]: https://x.com/reformexposed/status/2037850997964374055?s=20
[13]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/willem-moore/
https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2026/03/28/reform-nazi-salute-candidate-drink-driving/

2026-03-28 18:45:17 UTC

Green conference votes AGAINST energy company nationalisation
[Green Party]
The Green Party conference has voted in favour of a motion opposing nationalisation of “the five largest energy supply companies”.
Despite the party currently having [over 215,000 members][1], the motion passed with just 478 members voting in favour of it. 192 opposed it, and 15 didn’t vote.
Polls have [consistently][2] shown that the [vast majority of the UK agrees with public ownership of energy companies][3], and that [this opinion][4] has increased in recent years. This is in no small part because of the devastation of the [cost of living crisis][5].
## No nationalisation of ‘electricity retail’ or ‘electricity generation and storage’
The motion called for the deletion of a [previous commitment][6] that:
> The five largest energy supply companies will be nationalised.
Instead, it called for the insertion of:
> As natural monopolies with, at present, high profit margins, electricity national transmission and regional distribution will be brought into public ownership.
And it wanted to insert a position that “electricity generation and storage” are not natural monopolies and should therefore:
> have diversity of ownership including private, public, municipal and community schemes
Likewise, it argued that “electricity retail” has “low profit margins” and is not a natural monopoly. Therefore, it sought to add a statement that:
> electricity retail will not be nationalised and consumers will have a choice between diverse retailers operating with fair competition.
In reality, as one speaker at the conference insisted, people in vulnerable positions often find it very difficult to find the best deal when choosing between “diverse retailers”.
An amendment that didn’t pass sought to add “as a first priority”, so the new motion would read:
> electricity retail will not be nationalised as a first priority
And accompanying this was a note that:
> Electricity retail will be more effectively regulated, ensuring fair treatment of vulnerable customers.
## What do Green Party members think?
Nuance and policy decisions relating to careful investigation of evidence absolutely matter.
But would the 215,000+ Green members really agree that removing a pledge to nationalise energy giants is the right way to go?
If they disagree, involvement in conference procedures will need to increase in the future.
Featured image via [BestforBritain][7]
By [The Canary][8]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2026/03/06/greens-reach-215000-members/
[2]: https://weownit.org.uk/blog/biggest-ever-poll-shows-huge-support-nationalisation
[3]: https://yougov.com/en-gb/articles/50098-support-for-nationalising-utilities-and-public-transport-has-grown-significantly-in-last-seven-years
[4]: https://www.unitetheunion.org/what-we-do/unite-investigates/unplugging-energy-profiteers-the-case-for-public-ownership/unite-investigates-renationalising-energy-costs-and-savings-full-report
[5]: https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/resources/power-shift-report/
[6]: https://www.greencoordinate.co.uk/archive/autumn2023/motions/consolidating-the-energy-ipps-agreed-at-spring-conference-2023/
[7]: https://www.bestforbritain.org/the_view_from_brighton_best_for_britain_at_green_party_conference
[8]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/thecanary/
https://www.thecanary.co/uk/news/2026/03/28/green-party-conference-votes/

2026-03-28 18:42:54 UTC

Green conference showed democracy, but also how easily it’s undermined
[Green Party]
The Green Party is having its first conference since the [major uptick in membership numbers][1] in recent months. But the first day didn’t go smoothly. Because while it showed the party’s internal democracy in full swing, it also showed how easily cynical efforts can undermine it.
## Green Party — The workings of a democratic process
First of all, there were reports of [an attack on the party’s online voting system][2]. This led to a suggestion of carrying out a ‘hands up’ voting strategy instead. But [members quickly raised concerns about this because it could seriously affect the integrity of the voting][3]. So the focus returned to resolving the online voting issues.
The amount of items on the agenda for the day already seemed very ambitious. But with the setbacks, the time available to get through all the agenda items shrank very quickly.
When the tech team had fixed the online voting system, members could promptly progress with votes. And one in particular sought to ensure there was sufficient democratic accountability for the [Standing Orders Committee][4]. While this caused another big delay, it seemed to be in the interest of fostering greater democracy.
Through all of this, meanwhile, equal numbers of members could speak for or against all decisions. This allowed people to justify themselves before members voted. That was the same in the case of several no-confidence votes in the chair (which also caused delays to the conference agenda).
In the end, members had a chance to raise and explain concerns, vote, and then keep moving forwards.
It would, however, have been good to see more of the massive membership present (only around 700-900 members attended). And it would also have been good if delays and time limits hadn’t prevented members from getting to vote on all motions in front of them.
## The hindering of progress and the blocking of a key vote
It’s very clear that Green members present cared deeply about issues and wanted a fair hearing. And legitimate challenges always arise when interacting with other people, especially online. But it’s fair to think that some interventions were not in good faith.
The [Zionism is Racism][5] motion lingered over the day. And efforts inside and outside the party absolutely tried to delay or prevent a vote on it. The excessive use of no-confidence votes in particular seemed intent on pushing the motion back.
Whether or not the delays of the day sought to prevent the Zionism is Racism vote or not, they did. And while the conference followed democratic procedures, these also worked to prevent Green Party members from voting on the important motion.
*Featured image via the [GreenParty][6]*
By [The Canary][7]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2026/03/06/greens-reach-215000-members/
[2]: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/03/28/green-party-conference-system/
[3]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/news/2026/03/28/green-party-chair-vote/
[4]: https://greenparty.org.uk/members/internal-elections/2025-internal-elections/standing-orders-committee/
[5]: https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2026/01/26/green-party-motion-on-zionism/
[6]: https://greenparty.org.uk/members/internal-elections/2025-internal-elections/
[7]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/thecanary/
https://www.thecanary.co/opinion/2026/03/28/green-party-conference-showed/

2026-03-28 18:09:04 UTC

BBC disputes Tom Skinner’s £2k Question Time payout claim
[Tom Skinner, the Question Time logo, and a pile of cash]
Tom Skinner is famous for three things:
1. Not being political.
2. Being a member of Reform UK (a political party).
3. “Bosh”.
> Thomas Skinner used to post long ChatGPT paragraphs about how he's not political, and he's just a normal guy grafting. [pic.twitter.com/WjcwjD3ZUn][1]
>
> — Mukhtar (@I_amMukhtar) [January 20, 2026][2]
In his efforts to explain how un-political he is, Skinner appeared on the politics show *Question Time* on 26 March. When asked why he did it, Skinner told everyone he was paid £2,000. Now, the *BBC* has thrown this claim into question:
> Question Time can confirm that panellists who are not politicians are offered an appearance fee of £150.
>
> — BBC Question Time (@bbcquestiontime) [March 27, 2026][3]
## Bosh!
[As Mukhtar highlighted][4], this is what Skinner brought to the table on *Question Time*:
> This is the same guy who called Zack Polanski a bell end because he didn't agree with his politics. [pic.twitter.com/lRXvDy0efs][5]
>
> — Mukhtar (@I_amMukhtar) [March 27, 2026][6]
In the above clip, Skinner says:
> what I don’t like about social media is it’s always about dividing people. It’s always about people screaming and shouting – ‘if you don’t agree with me, if you don’t agree with what I stand for, or if you don’t agree with my politics, I hate you, this, that, the other. You’re a gammon or you’re a snowflake’.
>
> Why are we not… I try and spread a bit of positivity and a bit of love, do you know what I mean?
‘*People should be nicer to each other*‘ – wow – with pearls of wisdom like this, you can see why they’d pay him thirteen times the going rate.
> Politics has to be about more than professional politicians. But Tom Skinner is hardly adding anything to the sum total of human wisdom with his 'I am a bit of a geezer' which he has monetised to punt his right-wing pro-Farage views. [#bbcqt][7] [https://t.co/okG6dWvxUV][8]
>
> — Gerry Hassan (@GerryHassan) [March 26, 2026][9]
Because Skinner is linked to Reform UK ([and also to US vice president JD Vance][10]), people have argued the *BBC* [should have made his political affiliations known][11]:
> Right-wing influencer and Reform UK member Tom Skinner was on Question Time last night – but the BBC just ignored his political links [👀] [https://t.co/GFsjMi8uKI][12]
>
> — The National (@ScotNational) [March 27, 2026][13]
> Let’s be right, Tom Skinner isn’t on [#bbcqt][14] tonight due to his political insight but instead because he’s a vocal supporter of Reform
>
> If Reform have put him forward over any one of their 8 actual MPs, it’s a shocking indictment of the sheer lack of talent within their party [pic.twitter.com/AVWoYcAARb][15]
>
> — David (@Zero_4) [March 26, 2026][16]
Skinner claimed he wasn’t there to represent a political party; he was simply there to make a tidy £2k:
> Isn’t it suspicious that a guy who kept saying “I ain’t political, I really ain’t” then meets JD Vance, suddenly claims he’s joined Reform, urges people to back Nigel Farage as the next PM, and is now being paid £2k by the BBC?
>
> I'm actually not hating on him for taking the 2k. [pic.twitter.com/TmV8taAIp3][17]
>
> — Mukhtar (@I_amMukhtar) [March 27, 2026][18]
## Tom Skinner — Grand
At this point, it’s clear that someone is lying, and we’re inclined to believe it could be either party.
For some in depth analysis of *Question Time*, be sure to follow us on social media ([links at the top of the page][19]):
> The Canary has been analysing [#bbcqt][20] every week this year to look for evidence of systemic bias. Here's what we found in last week's episode… [#QuestionTime][21] [pic.twitter.com/JHZayR5eva][22]
>
> — Canary (@TheCanaryUK) [March 26, 2026][23]
*Featured image via [BBC][24]*
By [Willem Moore][25]
[1]: https://t.co/WjcwjD3ZUn
[2]: https://twitter.com/I_amMukhtar/status/2013635750445654122?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[3]: https://twitter.com/bbcquestiontime/status/2037620870546354407?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[4]: https://x.com/I_amMukhtar/status/2037450855264174574?s=20
[5]: https://t.co/lRXvDy0efs
[6]: https://twitter.com/I_amMukhtar/status/2037450855264174574?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[7]: https://twitter.com/hashtag/bbcqt?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[8]: https://t.co/okG6dWvxUV
[9]: https://twitter.com/GerryHassan/status/2037311657127428356?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[10]: https://www.thecanary.co/editorial/2025/09/16/thomas-skinner-strictly/
[11]: https://www.thenational.scot/news/25973349.bbc-fire-question-time-omits-tom-skinners-reform-uk-links/
[12]: https://t.co/GFsjMi8uKI
[13]: https://twitter.com/ScotNational/status/2037467447423332520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[14]: https://twitter.com/hashtag/bbcqt?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[15]: https://t.co/AVWoYcAARb
[16]: https://twitter.com/Zero_4/status/2037276008471027779?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[17]: https://t.co/TmV8taAIp3
[18]: https://twitter.com/I_amMukhtar/status/2037550792404521123?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[19]: https://www.thecanary.co/
[20]: https://twitter.com/hashtag/bbcqt?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[21]: https://twitter.com/hashtag/QuestionTime?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[22]: https://t.co/JHZayR5eva
[23]: https://twitter.com/TheCanaryUK/status/2037314120119152995?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[24]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Question_Time_(TV_programme)#/media/File:Questiontime2022.jpeg
[25]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/willem-moore/
https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2026/03/28/tom-skinner-bbc-disputes/

2026-03-28 17:53:28 UTC

Trump suggests NATO is dead & the Iran War is lost
[Trump, a burning gas field, and the NATO logo]
In a startling interview, Donald Trump has suggested [the US is done with NATO.][1] As [NATO][2] is little more than a US protection racket, this would effectively mean that NATO is over:
> Massive geopolitical shift. Trump announces the US is abandoning NATO because European nations refused to join his illegal and disastrous war against Iran. The American empire is completely isolating itself on the world stage.
>
> By the way Israel didn't send a single soldier. [pic.twitter.com/JOvEuLEMkZ][3]
>
> — Furkan Gözükara (@FurkanGozukara) [March 27, 2026][4]
In the same clip, he seemed to suggest that the US has lost its war with Iran. In other words, things aren’t going well for the American Empire.
## Trump — tired of losing
In the clip above, Trump says:
> I think that NATO made a terrible mistake when they wouldn’t send a small amount of military armament, when they wouldn’t… just even acknowledge what we were doing for the world… taking on Iran.
It’s true NATO countries didn’t provide their full support for the US and Israel’s unprovoked war on Iran. The illegality of the action meant NATO countries had no obligation to support the US, and yet many supported Trump anyway by allowing him to use their bases ([the UK included][5]).
In the section which suggests Trump thinks he’s lost the Iran War, the president said:
> I never considered it very risky. But war is always risk. You know, a lot of strange… things happen in war that very bad. But I didn’t consider it… we have the greatest military by far anywhere. There was nobody close. I didn’t think there was a big risk, but there’s always surprises with war. They could be very bad surprises.
>
> I mean, wars are lost that should be won. Many wars are lost. You think a country is going to wipe somebody out and they end up getting wiped out themselves. So it’s always risky.
> Wait, am I dreaming or is Trump here admitting the U.S. lost in Iran?
>
> "I didn't think there was a big risk but there's always surprises with war. There could be very bad surprises. I mean wars are lost that should be won. Many wars are lost… You think a country is going to… [https://t.co/kJHMorOhqt][6]
>
> — Arnaud Bertrand (@RnaudBertrand) [March 28, 2026][7]
Getting back to NATO, Trump said:
> But I think a tremendous mistake was when NATO just wasn’t there. They just weren’t there.
>
> It’s going to make a lot of money for the United States, because we spend hundreds of billions of dollars a year on NATO – hundreds protecting them. And we would have always been there for them. But now, based on their actions, I guess we don’t have to be, do we?
Seeming to confirm he was serious, he added:
> That sounds like a breaking story. Yes, sir. Is that breaking news?
## Talk
Of course, you can’t always trust what Trump says, because the man is a habitual liar. At the same time, the NATO relationship is clearly not what it was, and Iran has given the US a bloody nose in the Gulf. As such, it wouldn’t be that surprising if this ended up being one of his periodic moments of honesty.
*Featured image via [Wikimedia][8]*
By [Willem Moore][9]
[1]: https://www.reuters.com/world/trump-says-we-dont-have-be-there-nato-2026-03-27/
[2]: https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2026/01/06/polanski-nato/
[3]: https://t.co/JOvEuLEMkZ
[4]: https://twitter.com/FurkanGozukara/status/2037671132275376138?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[5]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/2026/03/21/starmer-allowing-the-us/
[6]: https://t.co/kJHMorOhqt
[7]: https://twitter.com/RnaudBertrand/status/2037738797652132302?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[8]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NATO#/media/File:NATO_OTAN_landscape_logo.svg
[9]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/willem-moore/
https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2026/03/28/trump-suggests-nato/

2026-03-28 17:31:39 UTC

Reform’s Matt Goodwin ‘flayed’ in debate on AI book inaccuracies
[Reform]
Matt Goodwin was the unsuccessful Reform UK candidate in the [Gorton & Denton by-election][1]. Not content with losing that race, Goodwin went on to find all new ways of being a loser in the aftermath. Most recently, this saw him [publishing a book that was filled with dodgy stats, fake quotes, and AI hallucinations][2].
In a last ditch attempt to save his reputation, Goodwin debated a critic on 27 March. Knowing what we know about Goodwin, you may be unsurprised to learn this went horribly for him:
> Gobsmacking self-humiliation by the badloser self-publishing this pile of Ai hallucination slop & race-baiting rubbish.[@andytwelves][3] utterly flays him here it’s incredible stuff [😭] [https://t.co/NP8sOZmSt2][4]
>
> — Zoe Gardner (@ZoeJardiniere) [March 27, 2026][5]
## Reform’s own MattGPT
[As Skwawkbox reported for the *Canary* on 24 March][6], journalist Andy Twelves discovered several problems with Goodwin’s book *Suicide of a Nation*. Twelves noted issues like the following:
> Claim 1: “In one year 1 classroom in Bradford, only four of twenty eight pupils spoke English as their first language. Teachers report spending large amounts of time simply mediating between dozens of languages, making normal teaching almost impossible and slowing down the rate of progress for everybody.”
>
> Reality: I cannot find any evidence of this claim at all. I checked local, and national news, and his own X page. I believe from the lack of referencing, and the way it’s written, to be an AI hallucination.
>
> Claim 2: “In 2019, BBC West Midlands highlighted schools where children speak more than thirty different languages, making normal teaching almost possible. Teachers often feel they are no longer running a school but a translation service.”
>
> Reality: I cannot find any evidence of BBC West Midlands writing this story at all. There is an article about a primary school from [the Metro in 2021][7]:
>
> BBC West Midlands does not exist, it’s BBC Midlands.
>
> Claim 3: “In Leicester, Luton, Slough, and virtually all of London, most primary school pupils’ main language is no longer English”
>
> Reality: This is statistical illiteracy. The main language of all of those primary schools, and their pupils is English. He does not understand EAL.
>
> Claim 4: “This is, put simply, not sustainable.” Reality: Every ofsted report you read from all of the primary schools he’s vaguely referenced confirm the strong progress by Year 6 of EAL students, as the same as their English First Language counterparts.
The list went on and on despite Twelves having only read the first few chapters. Notably, none of Goodwin’s allies defended him. In fact, some right-wing outlets came out against him:
> I regret to inform the house, [@GoodwinMJ][8] has even lost the [@spectator][9]. read me here: [https://t.co/lDJktnhpvU][10] [https://t.co/D7Cb7dy3oT][11] [pic.twitter.com/c0K80aBvGj][12]
>
> — andy twelves (@andytwelves) [March 24, 2026][13]
Goodwin must have realised his career was in jeopardy. Clearly wanting to salvage it, he agreed to debate Twelves on *GB News*.
The problem is there was no set of words Goodwin could string together to fix this mess. The second problem is there were things he could say that would definitely make things worse.
## Debatable
After Goodwin lost in Gorton & Denton, people began referring to him as ‘Matt Badloss’. Following the publication of his book, people started calling him ‘MattGPT’. Bizarrely, Badloss attempted to defend his use of AI by asking ChatGPT what it thought:
> [🇬🇧] Failed Reform UK candidate Matt Goodwin defends himself against accusations his book was written by ChatGPT by reading a statement written by ChatGPT.
>
> Analysis of Goodwin's new book, Suicide of a Nation, found that it invents numerous quotes by historical figures, uses false… [pic.twitter.com/ywNgV2AEsw][14]
>
> — Europa.com (@europa) [March 27, 2026][15]
> Matt Goodwin using AI in an attempt to demonstrate that he didn’t use AI to write his book is an unexpectedly great TV moment.
>
> — Matthew Stadlen (@MatthewStadlen) [March 27, 2026][16]
In the clip above, an indignant Goodwin said:
> I ran it through ChatGPT. Do you want to know what ChatGPT says? It said this does not read like an AI written book. There is no credible evidence this book was written by AI. In fact, no, let me finish because this is important. This is about integrity. In fact, the dominant signals in this book point the other way. There’s pro-human authorship. There’s emotionally driven language. There’s escalating rhetoric. There’s signature voice writing. There’s long-range argument structure.
So the untrustworthy software which made up a load of quotes said we can trust Goodwin.
Convinced?
In another wonderful moment, [Goodwin said][17]:
> You asked me, ‘has this book been peer reviewed by experts’. Every single demographic projection in this book was reviewed by some of the world’s leading demographers.
When asked to “name them”, Goodwin looked surprised then smiled awkwardly. As it turned out, he couldn’t name a single expert, with Twelves asking if Goodwin needed to get on ChatGPT to ask who the world’s leading demographers were.
Goodwin was also torn apart for not understanding in his book that children who speak English as an Additional Language (EAL) can actually speak English (hence it being ‘an additional language’):
> Not sure but very likely I’d be categorised EAL as a kid & been in those stats.
>
> Matt’s dog whistles are trying to sow undue concern.
>
> I was always British & fluent in English, I was just bilingual.
> This is not a bad thing, it’s the norm globally outside Anglo-speaking countries. [https://t.co/MkcSx2lHom][18]
>
> — Zoe Gardner (@ZoeJardiniere) [March 28, 2026][19]
Twelves highlighted many more inaccuracies too:
> 'This isn't political, it's just about truth.'
>
> Andy Twelves explains why he has been so critical of Matt Goodwin's latest book and the use of AI to help write it.
>
> [📺] Freeview 236, Sky 512, Virgin 604
> [🇬🇧] Become a Friend of GB News: [https://t.co/mNsRsGC8ef][20] [pic.twitter.com/ZebbftYjCS][21]
>
> — GB News (@GBNEWS) [March 27, 2026][22]
As people highlighted, Goodwin’s book contains so many issues that even if every one had a justification, it would still be an error-riddled mess of a work:
> You can blame your critics for focusing on minor points at the expense of a broader argument if you accidentally attributed something to the New York Post rather than the New York Times. You can't do it if you have a series of imaginary quotes.[https://t.co/GPFfde7eRA][23]
>
> — Ben Sixsmith (@BDSixsmith) [March 27, 2026][24]
Things have gotten so embarrassing for Reform’s Goodwin that his detractors feel sorry for him:
> There's a point in a person's life where their friends should step in. Intervene.
>
> Has Goodwin set fire to every bridge he crossed? Does he have nobody?
>
> He's been ritually humiliated to the point that there's no coming back from this.
>
> I almost feel sorry for him.
>
> Almost. [🤏] [https://t.co/BuBCJbxWIP][25]
>
> — Don McGowan (@donmcgowan) [March 27, 2026][26]
Twelves himself is not among those showing sympathy for MattGPT:
> Current scenes [#MattGoodwin][27] [@andytwelves][28] [https://t.co/XWIDdtUIx7][29] [pic.twitter.com/Jj2EBHokVQ][30]
>
> — Albie (@albieamankona) [March 27, 2026][31]
## Professional unaliving
At this point, Goodwin’s career may be unsalvageable.
Our suggestion is he changes the name of his book from *Suicide of a Nation* to *Suicide of a Career*. That won’t turn things around, but it would show he’s capable of some degree of honesty. It would also be very funny, and lord knows this miserable loser could do with a laugh.
*Featured image via [GB News][32]*
By [Willem Moore][33]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2026/02/27/gorton-and-denton-win/
[2]: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/03/24/goodwin-failure/
[3]: https://twitter.com/andytwelves?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[4]: https://t.co/NP8sOZmSt2
[5]: https://twitter.com/ZoeJardiniere/status/2037640656781181257?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[6]: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/03/24/goodwin-failure/
[7]: https://metro.co.uk/2021/06/24/birmingham-pupils-speak-30-languages-at-primary-school-dubbed-mini-united-nations-14821875/
[8]: https://twitter.com/GoodwinMJ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[9]: https://twitter.com/spectator?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[10]: https://t.co/lDJktnhpvU
[11]: https://t.co/D7Cb7dy3oT
[12]: https://t.co/c0K80aBvGj
[13]: https://twitter.com/andytwelves/status/2036497504540176510?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[14]: https://t.co/ywNgV2AEsw
[15]: https://twitter.com/europa/status/2037619801518944752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[16]: https://twitter.com/MatthewStadlen/status/2037670434330550693?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[17]: https://x.com/evertonblue76/status/2037676008543850757?s=20
[18]: https://t.co/MkcSx2lHom
[19]: https://twitter.com/ZoeJardiniere/status/2037797244284387546?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[20]: https://t.co/mNsRsGC8ef
[21]: https://t.co/ZebbftYjCS
[22]: https://twitter.com/GBNEWS/status/2037594596998291869?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[23]: https://t.co/GPFfde7eRA
[24]: https://twitter.com/BDSixsmith/status/2037619519657517210?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[25]: https://t.co/BuBCJbxWIP
[26]: https://twitter.com/donmcgowan/status/2037665722399154239?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[27]: https://twitter.com/hashtag/MattGoodwin?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[28]: https://twitter.com/andytwelves?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[29]: https://t.co/XWIDdtUIx7
[30]: https://t.co/Jj2EBHokVQ
[31]: https://twitter.com/albieamankona/status/2037643441924944182?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[32]: https://x.com/GBNEWS/status/2037603357141934578?s=20
[33]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/willem-moore/
https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2026/03/28/reform-matt-goodwin-flayed-in-debate-on-ai-book-inaccuracies/

2026-03-28 17:00:51 UTC

Watch: Green Party’s Mothin Ali provides brilliant take on race and social class
[Green Party]
The Co-Deputy Leader of the Green Party Mothin Ali has released [a beautiful and moving video][1] about his upbringing in Sheffield, conveying some vital truths about the class unity needed to take on Britain’s establishment.
It starts with Ali on a bus talking about a recent encounter in London:
> So, I was in London the other day and this bloke, he comes right up to me. He says, “Why don’t you eff off back to where you came from?” And you know what? I thought I will. So, I came back here to Sheffield.
From there, we hear about Ali’s upbringing amidst the heavy industry of the 1980s, and the working class unity that existed across racial groups, even if prejudice wasn’t entirely absent from British life at the time. He recalls how the community was shattered by the policies of Margaret Thatcher. Now 40 years later in a deindustrialised society, the social fragmentation caused by those neoliberal policies has seen [racist attitudes skyrocket][2].
## Ali: we must work “side by side” to shatter chains of capitalism
As Ali says:
> That man in London, when he saw me, all he saw was my beard, my topi, my brown skin. Like it was me. Like it was me to blame. All he saw was our differences. So I get why we had to come back here to remember what we’d lost. It wasn’t just the work or the factories, it was something else.
In the past, Ali points out, when two such people met:
> We saw those chains, chains of hardship and debt. And we knew that the only way we’d ever lift them was together, side by side.
Thatcher knew that sites of industry — coal mines, steel mills, factories — were crucial locations for building class consciousness. Where people of different ethnicities and religions met and saw a common cause with one another, and where trade unions provided [a political education on class realities][3]. The employer was the enemy, not the person with a different skin colour beside you on the job. It was your employer who was underpaying you, overworking you, disregarding your safety, and [taking most of the profit for themselves][4].
Thatcher referred to the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) as “[the enemy within][5]“. However, in reality it was all trade unions, and all sites of working class organisation that she wanted to crush. That she surely did, and instituted massive waves of privatisation that saw [vital national assets sold off to corporations][6].
## Green Party — strong left-wing communicators key to beating back the right
After four decades, the results of this project are clear. [Sky high energy prices][7], a [barely functional health service][8], [rivers overflowing with shit][9] and a society where it seems nothing works any more. In the vacuum filled by the fading of trade unions, [racist demagogues][10] like those of Reform and Restore have been able to sell fictions about the causes of these problems, blaming migrants and Muslims. Overt racism thought to be virtually extinct has returned in appalling fashion. Mothin Ali is no stranger to this,[ having been the victim himself on more than one occasion][11].
George Monbiot has often [cited the importance of story telling in political projects][12], and bemoaned the left’s inability to match the right in this regard. Fortunately, the Green Party have now proven themselves to be effective tellers of simple truths, delivered in an emotionally powerful way. Similarly, leader Zack Polanski is an outstanding communicator, rarely caught flat-footed in an interview.
In a social media age, these are essential skills for beating back racist snake oil salesmen intent on distracting us from our true enemies — bosses, landlords and the craven politicians that back them.
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [Robert Freeman][13]
[1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPsR1hfTaAA
[2]: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/mar/03/half-reform-voters-believe-non-white-british-citizens-forced-encouraged-leave
[3]: https://www.counterfire.org/article/why-trade-unions-matter-to-marxists/
[4]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jiMEonqImM
[5]: https://radicalteatowel.co.uk/radical-history-blog/thatchers-enemy-within-the-miners-strike-of-198485
[6]: https://tribunemag.co.uk/2023/11/mick-lynch-rail-privatisation-has-been-30-years-of-failure
[7]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/02/26/energy-bills-fall/
[8]: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2025/12/15/streeting-nhs-collapse/
[9]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2025/04/27/water-companies-overcharging/
[10]: https://www.thepoke.com/2026/03/19/nigel-farages-racist-rhetoric-about-brilliant-young-minds-being-replaced-with-goat-herders-from-afghanistan/
[11]: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/sep/04/new-deputy-green-leader-mothin-ali-suffered-racist-abuse-family-seaside-trip
[12]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDKth-qS8Jk
[13]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/robert-freeman/
https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2026/03/28/green-party-brilliant-take/

2026-03-28 15:47:41 UTC

Israel lobby’s Green ‘WhatsApp antisemitism’ smear is itself antisemitic. Again
[Israel lobby]
The [hard-right, ultra-Zionist][1] and [genocide-denying][2] *Telegraph*‘s [claim][3] of an ‘antisemitic’ Green party WhatsApp group shows the Israel lobby’s desperation to halt the surge of Jewish leader Zack Polanski’s party. And it appears, yet again, that the Israel lobby has no qualms about being antisemitic in its tactics.
> Green activists called Jews ‘abominations’ in leaked WhatsApp chat
Blares the rag’s headline. It then claims that — with emphases added by Skwawkbox:
> Green Party activists** described Jewish people** as “an abomination to this planet” in anti-Semitic WhatsApp messages, The Telegraph can reveal.
>
> One member of the Greens for Palestine group, a Left-wing faction in the Green Party, **said Jews** “murder, bomb and starve” children.
>
> Another claimed the arson attack on four ambulances owned by a Jewish charity in Golders Green, north London, on Monday had been a “false flag” operation, suggesting it **could have been carried out by Jewish people**.
>
> A Green council candidate shared posts on social media, making the same claim.
But the paper’s examples show next to none of this — and the “abomination” in the chats is unequivocally Zionism. [Most Zionists are not Jewish and many Jews are anti-Zionists][4], though one ill-advised comment does discuss frustration at being ‘forced’ to use the term ‘Zionism’ in discussions of it. Unsurprisingly, the article quickly falls apart under scrutiny and ends up only being propped up by the manufactured outrage of known Israel-funded pressure groups.
## Israel lobby doesn’t purposefully miss the point
First of all, even the Telegraph’s own screenshots make *absolutely* clear that the topic of the discussion is Zionism — the racist political ideology that privileges Jewish colonisers over indigenous Palestinians:
The article’s central claim then falls apart like a two-pound suit. *Nobody* in the group says that “Jewish people” are an abomination. The screenshot makes plain, to an honest reading, that the comment is referring to “Jewish supremacists” — in other words, Zionists:
## Zionism is racism
Zionism is an ethno-supremacist political philosophy — even to its majority of non-Jewish advocates who make it central to their so-called ‘Christian nationalism’. Israel is a racist, apartheid state perpetrating genocide in Gaza and trying to steal the lands of Lebanese, Syrian and other people based on a presumption that they are religiously and ethnically entitled to it. Its advocates believe they are entitled even to murder children to achieve this goal.
They have already murdered and maimed hundreds of thousands of children in Gaza and want to slaughter the children of their opponents in Iran. Zionism has rightly been described as one of the biggest dangers to humanity — and is shamelessly demonstrating why in the series of atrocities and global crises Israel is creating.
After these two screenshots, the best that hack Sabrina Miller — herself a [notorious pro-Israel agitator even as a student][5] — can come up with is highlighting discussions about information security and whether Israel-linked apps can be trusted.
That and some quotes from the so-called ‘Campaign Against Antisemitism’ (CAA) — which is [funded by Israel][6] and notorious for its [attacks on Muslims][7] to promote pro-Israel narratives. CAA’s charitable status [has been under investigation][8] for the blatantly political nature of its activities — but of course, the Telegraph leaves that out. Its chief executive Gideon Falter was exposed making up claims of being prevented from ‘crossing a road’ because of a pro-Palestine march — and [folded embarrassingly][9] under scrutiny.
## Israel lobby is antisemitic
As so often with the Israel lobby, the latest attack spills over into… yep, antisemitism. By deliberately and falsely conflating Jews with Zionism, as if the two are inseparable, it breaches any reasonable definition of antisemitism. Including the [unreasonable one][10] the Israel lobby pushes to protect Israel. It’s [very, very far from the first time][11] and it certainly won’t be the last.
So far, so predictable from the Israel lobby, which is so desperate to prevent the Greens standing up as expressly anti-Zionist that it has apparently capped weeks of [embarrassing][12] attacks [with a ‘DDoS’ tech attack on the party’s conference][13] today, 28 March 2026 to try to prevent a vote on it.
*Featured image via [ArabProgress][14]*
By [Skwawkbox][15]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/03/17/sultana-telegraph/
[2]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2025/10/26/telegraph-jake-wallis-simons/
[3]: https://archive.is/20260327215245/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/03/27/greens-for-palestine-antisemitic-whatsapp-messages/
[4]: https://skwawkbox.org/2025/08/30/bbc-forced-to-mention-existence-of-jewish-anti-zionists-by-protest-at-london-proms-concert/
[5]: https://electronicintifada.net/content/meet-sabrina-miller-student-who-waged-campus-war-israel/34176
[6]: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2025/11/30/zionist-bullying-shuts-down/
[7]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRelg4ZJQqM
[8]: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/02/27/campaign-against-antisemitism/
[9]: https://skwawkbox.org/2024/04/22/video-falter-falls-apart-caa-cross-the-road-boss-bails-under-scrutiny-and-challenge/
[10]: https://skwawkbox.org/2023/09/13/legal-study-says-ihra-definition-enables-false-antisemitism-accusations-well-duh/
[11]: https://skwawkbox.org/2018/03/26/video-bbc-antisemitism-with-hook-nosed-jews-assumption/
[12]: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/03/26/spectator-cover/
[13]: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/03/28/green-party-conference-system/
[14]: https://www.arabprogress.org/en/green-party-conference-the-birth-of-a-new-left-wing-force-in-britain/
[15]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/skwawkbox/
https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/03/28/israel-lobbys-green-whatsapp/

2026-03-28 14:07:15 UTC

Vote of no confidence raised against Green Party chair by Stats for Lefties
[Green Party]
The Green Party are conducting their [Spring Conference][1] online and issues appear to be aplenty. Specifically, it appears that insecure voting practices are now being employed which has raised concern amongst voters.
In response, Eleanora Folan — of Stats for Lefties — has called for a vote of no confidence in the chair of the Green Party Conference. This concern regarding the security of internal democracy follows a motion raised to rule E12 Zionism is Racism as out of order. If successful, this will prevent the ability to be able to discuss or vote on this crucial motion.
The motion ‘Zionism is racism’ reflects a growing call — from both Palestinian and Jewish members — to confront Zionism as an inherently discriminatory ideology. In the context of the ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip, they argue it is time to name and challenge the system of deep inequality they see at its core.
After all, there is a precedence for this. The UN General Assembly passed [resolution 3379][2] in 1975 which declared Zionism as a form of racism. However, it was later revoked in 1991 after the US became the unchallenged hegemon of the world.
## Green Party — ‘Plan B’ not good enough
Nevertheless, voting issues on the centralised system, which appears to either be overloaded by traffic or under sabotage from rogue actors, has stalled the process. Suggesting an alternative ‘Plan B’, according to chair Geraldine Coggins, members instead are asked to vote by ‘raising a hand’ on Zoom.
Concerns soon followed, but Coggins dismissed them and stated that this was indeed secure and to be trusted.
Folan challenged this, tabling a vote of no confidence and arguing that Zoom was not secure enough to reliably determine support for such a landmark motion. This comes as the motion itself has faced sustained attempts to undermine it, with pro-Zionist members both within and outside the Green Party accused of trying to derail its chances.
Folan strongly argued her position:
> Chair is attempting to hold an illegitimate and insecure vote on an amendment of great consequence, and I do not believe that the chair is showing neutrality or an unbiased position.
>
> They have repeatedly made clear their preference for certain outcomes and we are now attempting to hold a vote on a materially important amendment by use of raise of hands over an insecure zoom link that anyone can join and does not have to verify that you are a party member, or that you paid to attend conference.
>
> We need a chair who will have the courage to delay votes to ensure that they are secure especially given that … we are currently experiencing a service attack on the voting website.
## Not secure whatsoever
After hearing these allegations, we sought to test it ourselves. Sending our magic link to a non-Green Party member, they were able to access the system as claimed by Folan. In fact, they were able to enter their own name and allowed access. This has also been further verified by another *Canary* journalist.
Therefore, it is undeniable that this vote is not secure via Zoom. Rather than allowing the process to be frustrated due to potentially malign actors, the Green Party should maintain its original plan and keep[ E12 “Zionism is Racism”][3] on the agenda.
As Lubna Speitan highlighted on the call, Palestinians are being erased by Zionists and those who support them. This motion must absolutely be heard, and tactics to frustrate democracy within the Green Party must be resisted.
Thankfully, the Green Party appears to have repaired issues with the online voting system. Subsequently, during the drafting of this article, members successfully voted with 585 against ruling E12 out of order.
The chair also won her vote of no confidence, with Coggins remaining in her position.
Now, a vote will be seen to bring the motion “Zionism is Racism” up in the order.
In fact, whilst moves were made to prevent E12, a subsequent motion raised to bring this antizionist policy up the agenda to ensure it has sufficient time for members to vote won by a landslide. This reflects the clear majority of Green Party members are supportive of moving forward as an anti-Zionist political party.
*Featured image via [Left Foot Forward][4]*
By [Maddison Wheeldon][5]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/03/28/green-party-conference-system/
[2]: https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/189598?v=pdf
[3]: https://www.thecanary.co/opinion/2026/02/25/zionism-is-racism/
[4]: https://leftfootforward.org/2024/09/inside-the-launch-of-greens-organise-the-new-left-wing-network-in-the-green-party/
[5]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/maddison-wheeldon/
https://www.thecanary.co/uk/news/2026/03/28/green-party-chair-vote/

2026-03-28 13:48:38 UTC

Our lads are in the semi-finals! Why Great Western FC matters
[Great Western FC — A football match in the background. It states Great Western vs Stratton at St Luke's Academy at 3pm. Under that it states Reserve team vs Coleview in the semi-finals, kicking off at 2pm. Underneath is the Canary and the clubs logo.]
Today is a massive day for Swindon. Great Western FC, [the team we very proudly sponsor][1], steps onto the pitch for an integral semi-final today. For many, this is just 90 minutes of football. But for this small club, it is another chapter in a stunning survival story that defies every statistic thrown at the working class. Today, our lads in the first team face Stratton at St Luke’s Academy at 3pm. And our reserves take on Coleview in the SDCFL Challenge Plate semi-final at Southbrook at 2pm.
> [🚨] MATCH DAY [🚨]
>
> A local derby and a cup semi…
>
> [🔵] First team
> [🆚] Stratton
> [🏆] [@WiltsLeague][2] Div One
> [🏟] St Luke’s Academy
> [🕒] 3pm KO
>
> [🔴] Reserves
> [🆚] Coleview
> [🏆] SDCFL Challenge Plate Semifinal
> [🏟] Southbrook
> [🕑] 2pm KO
>
> Great Western FC are sponsored by @ThCanaryUK
>
> UTGW [🔵][🔴] [pic.twitter.com/gfT0FhyFuS][3]
>
> — Great Western Football Club (@GreatWesternFC) [March 28, 2026][4]
We sponsor this tiny team because they represent everything the *Canary *stands for. The club is a sanctuary in a town where social fabric has been fucking shredded by years of neglect. This club is a lifeline for 75 men who have found brotherhood where the state offers only silence.
## Great Western FC — a lifeline in a neglected town
The stakes are way higher than just a cup. In the UK, suicide remains the [leading cause of death][5] for men under 50. Great Western FC fights this crisis on the pitch every single week. They provide the pastoral care that broken councils and a crumbling NHS simply can’t deliver.
The founder, Jon, manages this entire operation whilst living with [severe and chronic pain][6]. He uses the beautiful noise of the club to drown out his own suffering. His leadership is a masterclass in mutual aid and support. As is that of his co-manager, Tom. While the FA reports that 96% of working class and grassroots clubs are struggling with rising costs, Great Western continues to kick ass both on and off the pitch. But even they are struggling.
## Victory is more than getting higher on a scoreboard
The first team is facing Stratton, whilst the reserves battle Coleview in the semi-finals. Great Western have earned their spot in the semis through sheer struggle and persistence. They don’t have a corporate board or a billionaire behind them. They [have us][7] though, the poor bastards. And of course, they have each other. They have shared lifts, a thriving community and a spirit that cannot be bought.
Whatever the results today, these men have already won. They have built something authentic in a world that feels so fucking fake. We are fucking proud to have our name on their shirts.
Go get them lads.
*Featured image provided via author*
By [Antifabot][8]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/opinion/2026/03/02/football-club-great-western-canary-sponsored/
[2]: https://twitter.com/WiltsLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[3]: https://t.co/gfT0FhyFuS
[4]: https://twitter.com/GreatWesternFC/status/2037812907640025262?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[5]: https://headsupguys.org/suicide-in-men/suicide-stats-men/
[6]: https://www.thecanary.co/opinion/2026/03/11/great-western-fc-is/
[7]: https://www.thecanary.co/opinion/2026/03/02/football-club-great-western-canary-sponsored/
[8]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/antifabot/
https://www.thecanary.co/uncategorized-en/2026/03/28/great-western-fc-our-lads/

2026-03-28 13:07:55 UTC

Zack Polanski shows why the Daily Mail is harassing his family
[Zack Polanski]
Zack Polanski has said that *Daily Mail *journalists are “going after” his family members. And according to him, there’s a very simple reason why; it’s because the Green Party is becoming a credible challenger to the establishment:
> This is why Daily Mail journalists are going after my family now.
>
> The right wing propaganda machine will not work on the Green Party.
>
> We're ready to end Rip Off Britain, end the cost of living crisis and make hope normal again. [https://t.co/w9uyGh8mfP][1]
>
> — Zack Polanski (@ZackPolanski) [March 28, 2026][2]
## The Daily Fail
The poll above is from Verian. As Stats for Lefties explained, there’s a reason why the Greens just shot up by seven points:
> As far as I can tell, the only pollster to still hide the Greens behind an "Other" option is [@IpsosUK][3], who prompt for Reform but require Green voters to select "Other" before they can pick the Green option in a survey. Why? Who knows
>
> — Stats for Lefties [🍉][🏳️‍⚧️] (@LeftieStats) [March 28, 2026][4]
Obviously you can’t put too much stock in any one poll, and some polls still have the Greens trailing behind Labour:
> At 16%, this is the highest that the Greens have ever polled with BMG Research. When Polanski became leader of the party, they were polling just 7% (!) [👀]
>
> — Stats for Lefties [🍉][🏳️‍⚧️] (@LeftieStats) [March 27, 2026][5]
While individual polls may not be precise indicators, looking at all the polls over time does give an idea of how public opinion is shifting. As we can see from [*Politico’s* poll of polls,][6] the trend over the past 6 months has been that Reform are dipping while the Greens are climbing:
[Poll of polls from October 2025 to March 2026]
Another recent poll shows that the Greens have grown in popularity in London:
> Full question asked to respondents:
>
> "If there were a UK General Election tomorrow under [preferential voting], how would you vote by ranking the following parties in the order of your preference? Put 1 for your most preferred party … and so on".
>
> link: [https://t.co/GSbMI3lAxo][7]
>
> — Stats for Lefties [🍉][🏳️‍⚧️] (@LeftieStats) [March 27, 2026][8]
## Zack Polanski — no limits
Polanski didn’t provide more information on the *Daily Mail* harassing his family members. At the same time, no one was surprised, [because we’ve all seen how the corporate media operates in the UK][9]. People have sent their solidarity accordingly:
> Solidarity, Zack.
>
> Know, and remember, that there are literally hundreds of thousands who have your back.
>
> If you weren’t effective, they wouldn’t come for you.
>
> If they weren’t threatened, they wouldn’t come for you.
>
> It’s a clear indication you’re winning.…
>
> — James Foster (@JamesEFoster) [March 28, 2026][10]
It’s important to remember that the billionaire-owned press isn’t loyal to any specific party or politician. Instead, they’re loyal to a situation in which things constantly become more favourable for the rich.
Clearly the establishment sees Reform as the group best placed to manage this continuation, [which is why the party is attracting millions of pounds in donations from greedy tax exiles][11].
Zack Polanski and the Greens are challenging the status quo, and the attacks against them will only amplify between now and the 2029 election.
*Featured image via [Barold][12] / [Stats for Lefties][13]*
By [Willem Moore][14]
[1]: https://t.co/w9uyGh8mfP
[2]: https://twitter.com/ZackPolanski/status/2037812348736426373?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[3]: https://twitter.com/IpsosUK?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[4]: https://twitter.com/LeftieStats/status/2037829401732100533?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[5]: https://twitter.com/LeftieStats/status/2037607564867690921?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[6]: https://www.politico.eu/europe-poll-of-polls/united-kingdom/
[7]: https://t.co/GSbMI3lAxo
[8]: https://twitter.com/LeftieStats/status/2037482973830778978?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[9]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2024/07/22/murdoch-labour-starmer/
[10]: https://twitter.com/JamesEFoster/status/2037824404306940391?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[11]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/03/26/farage-in-ruins/
[12]: https://x.com/JustBarold
[13]: https://x.com/LeftieStats/status/2037801868236144695/photo/1
[14]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/willem-moore/
https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2026/03/28/zack-polanski-daily-mail/

2026-03-28 12:43:45 UTC

Labour slammed for ‘delaying scrutiny’ of ongoing Hamas proscription
[Labour]
A judge has criticised the Labour government for dragging its feet amid the appeal to deproscribe Palestinian political group Hamas. And one legal representative argued that this was a conscious effort to “[delay scrutiny][1]“.
## Labour government ‘not being open and honest to the court’
*Middle East Eye* reported on 26 March [that][2]:
> A British judge has ordered the UK home secretary to “get on with” explaining her opposition to Hamas’s appeal to be removed from the list of proscribed terrorist organisations…
>
> Shabana Mahmood has until 20 May to disclose reasons for opposing Hamas’s bid to be removed from terror list
Hamas has been appealing the UK’s 2021 political decision to proscribe it. And *Middle East Eye* said Justice Jonathan Swift, the chair of the independent Proscribed Organisations Appeal Commission tribunal:
> criticised the government for delays in progressing the case, noting that more than seven months had passed since Hamas formally lodged its appeal, and nearly a year has passed since the initial application was submitted.
The outlet asserted that he had also accused:
> the department of not being open and honest to the court
Franck Magennis, working as a legal representative for Hamas on a pro bono basis, [said][3]:
> It seems clear that the secretary of state’s strategy is to delay scrutiny of her decision-making for as long as possible
> View this post on Instagram
>
>
> [A post shared by Franck Magennis (@franck_magennis)][4]
## A hypocritical and problematic proscription
Hamas has a [specifically local focus][5] on opposing Israel’s longstanding [occupation of Palestine][6]. And in 2023, [numerous experts submitted evidence][7] noting that the group’s military wing:
> has not directly attacked UK or Western interests… [and] has not operated outside Israel and the Occupied Territories and has no overt representation in the UK
They also claimed the “lack of transparency” and political bias surrounding the proscription:
> undermines public faith in the impartiality of the process
A key point to highlight here is the significant influence of the [pro][8]–[Israel][9] [lobby][10] in both the [Conservative][11] [and][12] Labour [parties][13].
Also, at a time where Israel has been committing [genocide][14] and countless [war crimes][15] against people in Palestine and [throughout the][16] [Middle East][17], the UK government’s efforts to keep Hamas’s proscription while maintaining strong relations with Israel brings its hypocrisy and lack of integrity further into the spotlight.
As *Middle East Eye* [noted][18]:
> In its original application, Hamas argued that the proscription hinders the group’s ability to broker a political solution to the conflict, stifles discussions aimed at securing a long-term settlement, and criminalises ordinary Palestinians living in Gaza.
The experts submitting evidence in 2023, meanwhile, [highlighted that][19]:
> proscription of Hamas in its entirety does not benefit the UK domestically.
Instead, they said, it:
> may negatively impact the UK’s foreign relations.
And it would:
> negatively affect academic and journalistic freedom
They added that “engaging with Hamas politically”, which is not the same as approving of the group’s actions or positions, would have “political and diplomatic benefits”.
## Engaging and deproscribing is not the same as approving
As the *Canary* has explained previously, [Hamas (like Hezbollah in Lebanon)][20]:
> are defensive nationalist militants first and foremost, primarily seeking to “protect local constituents” with “a specific set of local political demands that are the focus of their activity and the core concern of their supporters”. This doesn’t mean they are progressive champions. Because they’re not. But international law protects their right to self-defence.
The 2023 submission of expert evidence noted in particular the presence of some antisemitic tropes in Hamas in the past, and that some figures continue to promote these today. But it also [insisted that][21]:
> Hamas has not attacked Jews worldwide and the cause of their violence against Israelis is occupation, displacement and settler colonialism, not hatred of all Jews.
And it emphasised that Hamas’s 2017 manifesto makes clear that:
> the conflict is political, not religious; that is to say, it is about Israeli settler colonialism and occupation, not some ancient struggle between Islam and Judaism.
Considering the evidence, the experts stressed that:
> Hamas’s position towards Jews cannot be readily captured by the antisemitism label.
And they highlighted concern about the “conflation of opposition to Israeli settler colonialism and antisemitism”, which they called “dangerous and potentially counterproductive”.
It is absolutely possible to disagree with some or all of Hamas’s politics without defining them as something they’re not. But the Labour government seems intent on continuing to mislead the public so it can justify [its][22] [ongoing][23] [complicity][24] with Israel’s genocidal war crimes.
*Featured image via [Islam Channel][25]*
By [Ed Sykes][26]
[1]: https://web.archive.org/web/20260326195122/https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/uk-judge-orders-home-secretary-explain-opposition-hamas-de-proscription-appeal
[2]: https://web.archive.org/web/20260326195122/https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/uk-judge-orders-home-secretary-explain-opposition-hamas-de-proscription-appeal
[3]: https://web.archive.org/web/20260326195122/https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/uk-judge-orders-home-secretary-explain-opposition-hamas-de-proscription-appeal
[4]: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWWpozgjWJh/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading
[5]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2025/04/24/israel-lobby-kneecap/
[6]: https://phoenixcoop0.wordpress.com/2021/03/25/israel/
[7]: https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/126399/html/
[8]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2025/10/17/pro-israel-lobby-group/
[9]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2025/12/19/israel-lobby-figures-to-police/
[10]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2026/03/08/starmer-and-the-israel-lobby/
[11]: https://www.declassifieduk.org/israel-lobby-funded-a-third-of-conservative-mps/
[12]: https://www.declassifieduk.org/israel-lobby-funded-half-of-keir-starmers-cabinet/
[13]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2025/04/01/labour-friends-israel-jon-pearce/
[14]: https://www.thecanary.co/explainer/2025/08/01/genocide-accusations-israel/
[15]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/news/2024/11/21/icc-netanyahu-war-crimes-starmer/
[16]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2026/03/03/us-israel-iran-800-people/
[17]: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/03/23/bbc-lebanon/
[18]: https://web.archive.org/web/20260326195122/https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/uk-judge-orders-home-secretary-explain-opposition-hamas-de-proscription-appeal
[19]: https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/126399/html/
[20]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2025/04/24/israel-lobby-kneecap/
[21]: https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/126399/html/
[22]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2025/05/16/labour-military-exports-israel/
[23]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/01/24/complicit-details-uks/
[24]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2024/12/11/raf-akrotiri/
[25]: https://islamchannel.tv/hamas-appeals-to-uk-government-to-lift-terror-group-designation/
[26]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/oso/
https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/03/28/labour-slammed-hamas-proscription/

2026-03-28 12:20:33 UTC

Watch: Amazon’s ‘Alexa’ will say “Free Ukraine” but avoids “Free Palestine”
[Amazon]
A US man has found that Amazon’s ‘Alexa’ AI will repeat a wish for pretty much any country to be free — but not “Free Palestine”.
Instead it performs contortions to avoid it, talking about the supposed ‘complex international situation’, before he eventually corners it into claiming “Free Palestine” involves “promoting harm or violence”. Presumably the Ukraine-Russia war is all roses and marshmallows.
But eventually, it seems even an AI can be worn down by the moral force of truth and justice:
> A young man documents how the voice assistant ‘Alexa’ evades repeating the phrase ‘Free Palestine,’ in an experiment demonstrating how global algorithms and software are manipulated to obscure the truth and silence Palestinian voices. [pic.twitter.com/MO4gglQIH9][1]
>
> — Eye on Palestine (@EyeonPalestine) [March 26, 2026][2]
Why on earth wouldn’t Amazon, which is owned by ultra-billionaire Jeff Bezos, has an [Israeli subsidiary][3] and [earns billions][4] from providing ‘cloud’ services to the military of genocidal apartheid Israel [and to its suppliers][5], want to say “Free Palestine”..?
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [Skwawkbox][6]
[1]: https://t.co/MO4gglQIH9
[2]: https://twitter.com/EyeonPalestine/status/2037279123345678588?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[3]: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-annapurna-m-a-amazon-com-idUSKBN0KV0SG20150122
[4]: https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2025/3/5/truth-dies-in-darkness-dont-blame-bezos#:~:text=Some%20have%20accused%20Bezos%20of:%20*%20**Assaulting,%22displace%22%2C%20and%20%22relocate%22**%20*%20**Defending%20the%20indefensible**
[5]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2025/10/27/amazon-israel-arms-suppliers/
[6]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/skwawkbox/
https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/03/28/amazon-alexa-will-say/

2026-03-28 11:12:56 UTC

So-called ‘family voting’ exposed as a Reform con job
[reform]
After the Green Party romped to victory in the Gorton & Denton by-election, right-wingers blamed Reform’s loss on ‘[family voting][1]‘. Most people were unfamiliar with this term, but soon learned it was the act of men telling their wives how to vote. Now, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) have confirmed that the investigation into family voting is closed due to a lack of usable evidence:
> Greater Manchester Police say they have no evidence of family voting after an extensive investigation, including speaking to Democracy Volunteers and seizing CCTV:
>
> We’ve concluded our investigation into alleged ‘family voting’ at last month’s Gorton and Denton by-election,…
>
> — Sam Coates Sky (@SamCoatesSky) [March 27, 2026][2]
## Concluded
*Sky**‘s* Sam Coates posted the following [from GMP][3] (emphasis added):
> We’ve concluded our investigation into alleged ‘family voting’ at last month’s Gorton and Denton by-election, finding no evidence of any intent to influence or refrain any person from voting.
>
> Our investigation into alleged influencing of voters at a polling booth (under Section 62C Representation of the People Act 1983 (Ballot Secrecy Act 2023)) began after **a criminal report from the Reform UK party** following a public statement made by independent electoral observers at Democracy Volunteers.
>
> We have spoken to the four Democracy Volunteers observers present at polling stations on the day of the by-election (26 February) who have shared with us their eyewitness account. This includes some instances of more than one voter going into a booth at the same time, and instances of people looking over the shoulder of voters.
>
> The information they have provided to us estimates this may have happened on 32 occasions across 15 polling stations.
>
> The observers do not allege any verbal instruction or physical conduct that indicated one person was directing or coercing another regarding how to vote. This is a crucial part of the legislation to prove such an offence was committed.
>
> Our investigation team, led by an experienced senior investigating officer, spoke to all four volunteers from Democracy Volunteers as part of our enquiries – obtaining a copy of their observations.
>
> We also spoke to the Presiding Officers at 15 stations as well as the Acting Returning Officer, none of whom received any reports other than from Democracy Volunteers.
>
> We have received no further criminal reports.
>
> For us to investigate allegations, we require an understanding of who the potential suspects may be, and evidence that may corroborate eyewitness accounts. For an investigation to meet the criminal threshold for prosecution, we require admissible evidence of intent or action aimed at influencing the vote.
>
> We have asked Democracy Volunteers for descriptions of those alleged to be involved, and timings on when these are believed to have occurred. These details were not documented by observers or the complainant, and we have not been provided with any identities or descriptions to pursue.
>
> The absence of this information means there is no remaining reasonable line of enquiry. This also includes limitations with CCTV as an absence of descriptions, and votes not being time-stamped, meaning we are not able to identify individuals from footage.
>
> We have approached all 45 polling stations in the Gorton and Denton constituency to ask for CCTV from the day. Forty-one of those polling stations told us they did not have CCTV activated in the building as it would have compromised the secrecy of the vote during polling day, in line with advice given.
>
> We have seized and viewed CCTV from three of the remaining four polling stations. These are three polling station that Democracy Volunteers visited. We have spoken to the Presiding Officer from each one.
>
> However, these stations do not show any evidence of anyone directing or coercing another regarding how to vote – the crucial part of the legislation to prove such an offence was committed.
>
> There is no evidence to suggest any intent to influence or refrain a person from voting as stated in the Ballot Secrecy Act 2023.
>
> We have been liaising with the Electoral Commission, who we have shared our findings with. We have also shared our findings with the Returning Officer.
>
> We have updated the complainant about the work of our investigation and the conclusion we have reached.
## Response to Reform
People clocked the ‘family voting’ issue as an attempt for Reform to save face as soon as Farage & co began complaining about it:
> "Family voting" – of which police and polling station staff saw no evidence during the vote – is totally made up horseshit intended to cast suspicion on ethnic minorities for having the temerity to exercise their democratic right.
>
> That's it.
>
> — Ash Sarkar (@AyoCaesar) [February 27, 2026][4]
> I've just done a Google Trends search for "family voting".
>
> Weird how this has managed to materialise as a phenomenon for this one specific by-election! [https://t.co/2uZdwvNIGz][5] [pic.twitter.com/WpzooTkXDj][6]
>
> — Owen Jones (@owenjonesjourno) [February 26, 2026][7]
Now, people are saying the GMP response confirms Reform are just “sore losers”:
> Greater Manchester Police seized CCTV, interviewed Democracy Volunteers, and found no evidence of "family voting." Reform party and Matt Badloss are sore losers, and they will not still take the L. [pic.twitter.com/e1d5yXxbot][8]
>
> — Mukhtar (@I_amMukhtar) [March 27, 2026][9]
People are also arguing that something seems off about the so-called ‘democracy volunteers’:
> So neither Reform UK nor the "Democracy Volunteers" bothered to give the police descriptions of people who were supposedly doing “family voting”, or any times they were supposedly doing it.
>
> They didn't even try and substantiate their brazen hoax. [https://t.co/xkpJx3YE6F][10]
>
> — Rivkah Brown (@rivkahbrown) [March 27, 2026][11]
The Green Party’s Zack Polanski, meanwhile, called the story what it is — straight up Islamophobia:
> The morning after Hannah won I was asked time and time again about this.
>
> There was no evidence for it. Instead the establishment media fuelled the fire.
>
> It was Islamaphobic. And it's because those in power are scared of us ending rip off Britain. [https://t.co/bhutYrkqoR][12]
>
> — Zack Polanski (@ZackPolanski) [March 27, 2026][13]
## Hard to believe
The argument Farage and Matt Goodwin made was that Muslim men were bullying their wives into not voting for Reform. This was always a silly argument, because Muslim women have twice as many reasons to not vote for the Islamophobic and [sexist][14] Reform Party. As such, it’s unsurprising to see that this case has amounted to nothing (much like Reform candidate Matt Goodwin himself).
*Featured image via [Vecteezy][15]*
By [Willem Moore][16]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/03/03/farage-whining/
[2]: https://twitter.com/SamCoatesSky/status/2037552152416035186?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[3]: https://www.gmp.police.uk/news/greater-manchester/news/news/2026/march/criminal-investigation-concludes-into-family-voting-allegations/
[4]: https://twitter.com/AyoCaesar/status/2027266795439047011?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[5]: https://t.co/2uZdwvNIGz
[6]: https://t.co/WpzooTkXDj
[7]: https://twitter.com/owenjonesjourno/status/2027170160130379988?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[8]: https://t.co/e1d5yXxbot
[9]: https://twitter.com/I_amMukhtar/status/2037588950076854516?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[10]: https://t.co/xkpJx3YE6F
[11]: https://twitter.com/rivkahbrown/status/2037576566176178307?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[12]: https://t.co/bhutYrkqoR
[13]: https://twitter.com/ZackPolanski/status/2037569876055789942?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[14]: https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2026/02/25/reform-divorce/
[15]: https://static.vecteezy.com/system/resources/previews/020/312/281/non_2x/case-closed-rubber-stamp-red-case-closed-rubber-grunge-stamp-seal-illustration-free-vector.jpg
[16]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/willem-moore/
https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2026/03/28/reform-con-job/

2026-03-28 10:54:26 UTC

Green Party conference system ‘under DDOS attack’ trying to prevent anti-Zionism vote
[Green Party]
The Green Party’s conference online voting system is under ‘[DDOS attack][1]‘ this morning, as members prepare to vote on a motion to declare the party officially opposed to the [racist ideology of Zionism][2], according to party insiders who spoke to Skwawkbox.
Pro-Israel groups and the Israeli embassy have been frothing for weeks about the vote and attempted to [pressure party leaders into blocking the motion][3], but democracy prevailed and the demands were ignored. Now it seems the Israel lobby is trying to take matters into its own hands.
The Green Party’s tech team is working to resolve or bypass the attack. Voting is taking place throughout the day, so members registered to ‘attend’ should log into the Greens’ members website and make sure to cast their vote for the motion as soon as it is working. Alternatively, the website link in the party’s emails to individual members about the conference appears to be still working despite the attack.
*Featured image via [PoliticsUK][4]*
By [Skwawkbox][5]
[1]: https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/ddos/what-is-a-ddos-attack/
[2]: https://www.thecanary.co/opinion/2026/02/25/zionism-is-racism/
[3]: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/02/26/israel-spouts-debunked-lies/
[4]: https://politicsuk.com/news/greens-mark-record-attendance-at-party-conference-with-polanski-speech-and-wealth-tax-pledges/
[5]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/skwawkbox/
https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/03/28/green-party-conference-system/

2026-03-28 00:09:26 UTC

Orgreave inquiry finally underway
[Orgreave]
The Starmer government has finally announced the start of its bland inquiry into state violence during the ‘Battle of Orgreave’ coking plant [during the 1980s miners’ strike][1].
The inquiry’s brief should be to identify those who should stand trial or at least face disgrace for sending heavily-armed police, and [soldiers dressed as police][2], to viciously beat prosecute striking miners then prosecuted the victims. It should be shaming media bosses and ‘journalists’ who helped smear the victims. Like the BBC’s [editing][3] of footage to falsely portray miners as attacking first.
> This photo was taken 36 years ago today just before the massed ranks of police attacked and brutalised the miners at Orgreave.
> Later that day [@BBCNews][4] reversed their film to make it look to the whole nation like the miners attacked first.
> Don’t ever forget that.[#OrgreaveJustice][5] [pic.twitter.com/M7PaIdfyyA][6]
>
> — Ian Prowse (@IanProwse) [June 18, 2020][7]
Instead, its job will be to “aid public understanding” — but not until 2028, almost four years after Starmer conned his way into government after promising a prompt inquiry into the police charge.
## Orgreave — the war on miners
As the Thatcher regime continued its war on the miners and its cover-up of its own crimes, it tried to jail 95 miners but the trials collapsed. South Yorkshire Police were eventually [forced][8] to pay more than half a million in compensation and costs, a large sum at the time. But [no police officer was ever disciplined][9], let alone prosecuted.
The Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign said the government had taken far too long to begin inquiry and paid tribute to its members’ tenacity in continuing to push for it. Anglican bishop of Sheffield Pete Wilcox, who will chair the inquiry, said he wanted to resolve the trauma of miners and their communities and would:
> follow the evidence without prejudice, wherever it may lead, wholly independent of government, law enforcement or any other public body.
Anyone who has observed the [contempt][10] establishment creature Starmer and his hangers-on have [shown][11] to the Orgreave campaign for years will know that Wilcox will have another fight on his hands to keep that promise.
The Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign, which has sought a statutory inquiry since forming in 2012, welcomed the announcement, although it said it was disappointed at the time taken to reach this formal start.
The campaign said its members, who include former striking miners, had needed “determination and tenacity”, supported by the wider labour and trade union movement. It said: “We have … tried our best to influence the process to ensure this does not become a police-led inquiry but one shaped by the miners and their experiences.”
## The truth
Sarah Jones, the policing minister, said the panel’s purpose was to get to the truth about the Orgreave events. She said:
> I’ve had the privilege of meeting the campaigners, and I think the overriding sense of injustice is obviously palpable, but also the sense that people just haven’t been believed or listened to for a very long time.
>
> What is important to me is that people have the confidence to come forward, with whatever information we’re going to need, and to be able to tell their story of what happened in a way where they know that they will be listened to and believed.
South Yorkshire police said they were “fully committed to supporting the Orgreave inquiry”.
The four panel members are Wendy Williams, a former chief prosecutor in the Crown Prosecution Service and inspector in the police and fire service inspectorate; Mary Bousted, a former joint general secretary of the National Education Union; Joanna Gilmore, a senior lecturer in law at the University of York who specialises in public order, human rights and policing policy; and Angela Sutton-Vane, a historian with expertise in archiving and preserving police records.
Wilcox said:
> I wish to help resolve a trauma that persists to this day — for the miners who were injured at Orgreave, who were arrested at Orgreave, who feel their story has not yet been fully told. For their families and communities, and for the relationship between police and the mining community.
>
> I will follow the evidence without prejudice, wherever it may lead.
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [Skwawkbox][12]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/editorial/2024/06/18/battle-of-orgreave-40/
[2]: https://skwawkbox.org/2016/11/03/exclusive-explosive-new-eye-witness-testimony-shows-orgreave-not-about-rogue-police/
[3]: https://x.com/IanProwse/status/1273593664493813760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1273593664493813760%7Ctwgr%5Eaa0118cb3a2e787fe13e004403746613a762dc49%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fskwawkbox.org%2F2020%2F06%2F19%2Fstarmer-exploited-miners-for-votes-but-didnt-mention-orgreave-on-anniversary-of-brutal-police-assault%2F
[4]: https://twitter.com/BBCNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[5]: https://twitter.com/hashtag/OrgreaveJustice?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[6]: https://t.co/M7PaIdfyyA
[7]: https://twitter.com/IanProwse/status/1273593664493813760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[8]: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jul/22/orgreave-truth-police-miners-strike
[9]: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/may/16/orgreave-inquiry-calls-grow-after-damning-hillsborough-verdict-for-south-yorkshire-police
[10]: https://skwawkbox.org/2022/04/29/labour-no-platforms-miners-orgreave-truth-and-justice-campaign/
[11]: https://skwawkbox.org/2020/06/19/starmer-exploited-miners-for-votes-but-didnt-mention-orgreave-on-anniversary-of-brutal-police-assault/
[12]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/skwawkbox/
https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/03/28/orgreave-inquiry-finally-underway/

2026-03-27 23:47:45 UTC

University of Reading among top EU recipients for border security research supporting repressive migration policies
[EU]
The University of Reading is one of the top universities to receive research and innovation funding from the EU’s Framework Programmes and a range of other EU instruments to support the building of Europe’s border regime.
A new report from the Transnational Institute, “[Border Labs,][1]” highlights how universities are deeply involved in Europe’s repressive border and migration policies in multiple ways.
> View this post on Instagram
>
>
> [A post shared by Transnational Institute (@transnationalinstitute)][2]
Three UK universities were in the top 20 recipients of EU funding for border security and control research: the University of Reading, Queen Mary University of London, and Sheffield Hallam University. From 2002 to May 2025, over 200 universities, higher-education institutions, and academies participated in 110 EU Framework Programme projects related to border security and control, receiving a total of over €100 million in EU funding.
Although UK universities were temporarily excluded from EU funding following Brexit, a new agreement has allowed them to fully participate again from 2024 onwards.
From biometrics and surveillance to AI, lie detection, drones, and other unmanned systems, the report documents universities working across a wide range of border-control technologies.
## AI and pseudoscience
The report points out that there is investment in technologies that are not merely repressive. Some are straight-up stupid and are done through opaque ways, like spin-off companies.
These spin-off start-ups are built on university research. The same academics who did the research often run them.
Manchester Metropolitan University was a recipient of EU funding for iBorderCtrl, a Horizon 2020 project that ran from 2016 to 2019.
[Silent Talker][3] was a Manchester Metropolitan University spin-off that claimed its AI could detect lies. Its creators claimed it could detect deception by analysing facial micro-expressions.
The company is now dissolved, and accusations of pseudoscience have followed it.
## Working with arms companies
The report also shows how deeply universities are embedded with the arms industry.
Italian defence giant Leonardo is the most frequent corporate partner of universities in EU-funded border security projects. It has collaborated repeatedly with Finland’s Laurea University of Applied Sciences and the Università degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza. These partnerships span projects on maritime surveillance, hybrid threats, and customs interoperability.
In the UK, BAE Systems has a longstanding relationship with the University of Southampton. The report gives an example of how the border-industrial-academic complex works.
BAE funds research through the university’s Centre for Research in Active Control. That partnership helped produce [ClanTect][4], a university spin-off that sold heartbeat detectors to [Frontex][5] and the UK Border Force.
The report describes Frontex as “a central node in the EU’s securitised border regime.” Frontex is the European Border and Coast Guard Agency.
## EU and the Saudi connection
The report also brings out a connection between European universities and Saudi Arabia.
Frontex has a longstanding cooperation with the[ Naif Arab University for Security Sciences, or NAUSS][6]. The institution is based in Riyadh and linked to the Saudi royal family. Its governing council includes senior officials from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco, and Jordan.
The report says
> Training of security forces in Arab countries is an important part of the university’s programme, which is where Frontex has stepped in. Institutional contacts date back to at least 2020, at a time when Saudi Arabia was playing an active role in the Yemen War.
Canary reported this week on [Saudi Arabia’s record][7].
The Western-backed Gulf theocracy is one of the biggest recipients of UK arms exports.
African trade unions have accused it of widespread violations against migrant workers: forced labour, wage theft, physical and sexual abuse, and systemic racism. Workers have been locked in homes, forced to work 18 to 20 hours a day, denied wages, healthcare and rest.
Saudi Arabia is now trying to dismiss a formal complaint at the International Labour Organisation.
## Netanyahuisation of EU universities
Michele Lancione, who wrote the foreword, argues that Europe is seeing a Netanyahuisation.
That means universities are not simply being controlled by far-right governments.
They are being reshaped to serve the military-border-industrial complex, just as Israeli universities have been reshaped to serve occupation and genocide.
In Israel, universities have become servile to the military occupation of Palestine. No Israeli institution has spoken out against the genocide in Gaza.
Europe is heading the same way, the report warns.
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [The Canary][8]
[1]: https://stopwapenhandel.org/app/uploads/2026/03/BorderLabs-Report-TNI-v3-23March2026.pdf
[2]: https://www.instagram.com/p/DWTLmK8jKM4/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading
[3]: https://www.mmu.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/story/intelligent-lie-detector
[4]: https://www.clantect.com/
[5]: https://www.frontex.europa.eu/
[6]: https://nauss.edu.sa/en/Pages/default.aspx
[7]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2026/03/26/saudi-arabia-abuses-migrant-workers/
[8]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/thecanary/
https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2026/03/27/eu-recipients-for-border-security/

2026-03-27 23:24:04 UTC

New left think tank finds a ‘Doge of the left’ could save at least £31bn per year
[Think Tank]
Verdant, a new think tank of the left, is set to end the myth that efficiency savings are only a right-wing issue. In its first [report][1], the think tank, headed by a former adviser to Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell and a civil society campaigner, found at least £30.9bn in potential savings.
## The myth of the right
It’s not actually true that the right are good with efficiency savings. The corporate-aligned right view public spending as a cash cow to be milked at every corner. From infrastructure projects to public services, the right enrich corporations as much as possible through outsourcing to people who do not believe in pubic spending at all, let alone for public good. In the NHS, private provision of services has been [increasing][2] by up to 71% in some areas.
Verdant’s report outlines efficiency savings via bringing corporate management for government in-house. They argue it should be part of the civil service. The thinktank found that the government’s consultancy spending has risen by 57% since 2019.
Rather than the right-wing Labour and Conservative governments simply demanding 5% in ‘efficiency savings’ (austerity), Verdant suggests a Chief Savings Officer to find savings ahead of spending reviews. The role would focus on public excellence rather than cuts for the sake of it.
The think tank estimates that ending such outsourcing failures could save £9bn per year.
## Think tank — left-wing efficiency
Verdant further pointed out that action on corporate tax avoidance could save £11bn per year. The thinktank also spoke about making tax returns for businesses less complicated. Indeed, the government should provide an automated service that calculates tax returns for free.
Another saving the thinktank found is in defence procurement. Of total MOD spending, BAE systems takes 16% while only half of those contracts are offered competitively.
Verdant also noted that The Warrior programme delivered zero vehicles after the government spent £500 million. This is an example of endless outsourced projects that get cancelled after money is made.
The Labour government has continued the Conservative agenda of subsidising fossil fuel production, a cost now at £3.6bn per year. As the thinkntank pointed out, that’s despite ridicuclous profits.
Verdant’s co-chair James Meadway said:
> The political right have monopolised the discussion about savings in government spending, to disastrous effect. Breaking the false economies of Treasury thinking and vested Whitehall interests are an essential. A ‘Doge of the left’ would rinse out the tax avoiders, the profiteers and the fraudsters, and help deliver the high quality public services we deserve.
Overall, Verdant found that the government could save £30.9bn per year through taking small steps.
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [James Wright][3]
[1]: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/694531a67af76a6f89952c49/t/69c3bd2648f785218805eeae/1774435622478/Verdant+-+Waste+Not+March+2026.pdf
[2]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2025/10/07/labour-nhs-privatisation/
[3]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/james/
https://www.thecanary.co/uncategorized-en/2026/03/27/think-tank-finds-a-doge/

2026-03-27 22:45:07 UTC

Sky finally covers Israel torturing toddler — but smears dad and omits half story
[Sky News]
Sky News has finally covered Israel’s torture of one-year-old *toddler* — three days [after][1] the Canary and other independent outlets and five days after the news first [broke][2] in Arabic media. But typically, the broadcaster only covered half the story — and masked the other half with baseless Israeli propaganda.
Sky dressed up the cigarette burns and nail wounds inflicted on little Jawad Abu Nassar as ‘suspected’ signs of torture. It left out that the torture lasted ten hours. It omitted completely that Israeli guards tortured the little boy to force his father to make a false confession of belonging to Hamas. And then Sky parroted the Israeli military’s claim that the dad — who is still missing — is a member of Hamas:
[https://www.thecanary.co/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Sky-Israel-Toddler-subbed-hb.mp4][3]
UN-accredited human rights expert Mohamad Safa was a lot more thorough in his description:
> Israel kidnapped and tortured a one-year-old child in front of his father for 10 hours, burning cigarettes and inserting nails into his legs, in an attempt to extract a false confession under duress.
>
> Israel kidnapped and tortured a baby! [pic.twitter.com/ExRFq14T4M][4]
>
> — Mohamad Safa (@mhdksafa) [March 22, 2026][5]
Unforgivably shoddy by Sky News — but lightyears ahead of the BBC, which still [hasn’t mentioned][6] either Jawad or his torture by Israeli abductors. It is likewise silent on [all the other children Israel has tortured][7] for **decades**.
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [Skwawkbox][8]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2026/03/24/israeli-military/
[2]: https://x.com/mhdksafa/status/2035821880288952489?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2035821880288952489%7Ctwgr%5E760fca74567f68e91d69a144a5500f84b4d01668%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecanary.co%2Fglobal%2Fworld-analysis%2F2026%2F03%2F24%2Fisraeli-military%2F
[3]: https://www.thecanary.co/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Sky-Israel-Toddler-subbed-hb.mp4
[4]: https://t.co/ExRFq14T4M
[5]: https://twitter.com/mhdksafa/status/2035821880288952489?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[6]: https://www.bbc.co.uk/search?q=israel+torture&d=NEWS_PS&edgeauth=eyJhbGciOiAiSFMyNTYiLCAidHlwIjogIkpXVCJ9.eyJrZXkiOiAiZmFzdGx5LXVyaS10b2tlbi0xIiwiZXhwIjogMTc3NDYyNDQ0MiwibmJmIjogMTc3NDYyNDA4MiwicmVxdWVzdHVyaSI6ICIlMkZzZWFyY2glM0ZxJTNEaXNyYWVsJTJCdG9ydHVyZSUyNmQlM0RORVdTX1BTIn0.tmlYxVxGWp7E63COsQM1l8vQLKSmiaK7BLY18p1mCqU
[7]: https://www.omct.org/en/resources/urgent-interventions/israel-palestinian-children-still-being-tortured-in-israeli-prisons
[8]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/skwawkbox/
https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/03/27/sky-news-finally-covers-israel/

2026-03-27 22:31:42 UTC

Motability changes will limit how far disabled people drive
[Motability]
The Motability Scheme[ has announced][1] more changes that will negatively impact disabled people’s lives. As part of reforms to the scheme, disabled people will see their mileage allowance halved.
## More Motability cuts
The scheme announced that from July 1 2026, new leases will only have a mileage allowance of 10,000 miles a year. This has been slashed in half from the previous 20,000. The excess mileage fee will also increase. The previous 5p per extra mile will go up by five times that amount to 25p.
The excess mileage fee mightn’t seem like a lot, but you’ve got to remember just how vital a lifeline driving is for many disabled people. Especially with the state of accessible public transport. It’ll soon add up. It also doesn’t allow for emergencies. For instance, my nearest specialist hospital is 14 miles away — that’s an extra £4.50 there and back.
But it’s not just for hospital appointments. Disabled people use their cars to live the same lives as the rest of society. To get to work, take their kids to school, go on holiday, do whatever the fuck we like.
## Labour bowing to right-wing dickheads
Except for the government, the media and a lot of society don’t want us doing what we want.
This follows the Labour government [bowing to pressure from right-wing Twitter dickheads l][2]ast year. As The Canary previously reported, Starmer’s leadership listened more to right-wing rage bait than to disabled people’s concerns.
Along with [wanting to confiscate asylum seekers’ jewellery][3], Labour announced that [‘luxury’ vehicles would no longer][4] be part of Motability. Disabled people would also face thousands in up-front fees and be subject to VAT.
The missing context from this, of course, though, was that many ‘basic’ cars can’t be adapted in the ways disabled people often need — but Labour didn’t let facts stop their hate.
## Cuts will limit disabled people
Most bizarrely, Motability are using those cuts as a reason to impose more restrictions on disabled people. And they’re phrasing the mileage restrictions as a good thing.
[Andrew Miller, CEO of Motability Operations said][5]:
> In last year’s Autumn Budget, the UK Government announced tax changes that affect the Scheme. From 1 July 2026, VAT and Insurance Premium Tax (IPT) will apply to most leases. Together, these changes mean it will cost significantly more to run the Scheme. If we did nothing, the average cost of a new lease would increase by around £1,100.
>
> It was clear to me that simply passing all these costs on to customers was not an option. We had to carefully consider how to reduce the tax impact as much as possible, but also focusing on changes that reflect how most customers already use their vehicles.
Whilst it’s clear Motability is trying its hardest to offset the government’s imposed changes, but they’re still punishing those who need to use their car more.
To limit disabled people’s driving in this way, implies that we shouldn’t be able to participate in life as fully as non-disabled people. And again that’s playing right into the right-wing arsehole’s hands.
*Featured image via [MotabilityScheme][6]*
By [Rachel Charlton-Dailey][7]
[1]: https://www.motability.co.uk/changes
[2]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2025/12/01/motability-labour/
[3]: https://www.thecanary.co/opinion/2025/11/18/shabana-mahmood-asylum/
[4]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2025/11/25/dwp-motability-budget/
[5]: https://news.motability.co.uk/scheme-news/changes-to-the-motability-scheme/
[6]: https://www.motability.co.uk/whats-available
[7]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/rachel-charlton-dailey/
https://www.thecanary.co/uk/news/2026/03/27/motability-changes-will/

2026-03-27 22:14:23 UTC

Watch: Israeli MP calls murdering Gaza children ‘normal’
[Israeli]
Far-right Israeli Knesset member Yitzhak Kroizer is an unashamed, racist advocate of the murder of Palestinian children. He is a party ally of [possibly-deceased genocidal maniac Itamar Ben-Gvir][1] and the [son of a settler rabbi linked][2] to Israeli terrorist Meir Kahane. Kroizer told Israel’s parliament that there are “no innocent children” in the occupied West Bank and that he doesn’t have “even a bit of any kind of feeling of mercy for Palestinians”:
> [🚨]HOLY SHIT !!!!!
>
> Israeli politician Yitzik Kroizer says killing Palestinian children is normal if it supports the IDF mission.
>
> He adds there are no innocent children in the West Bank.
>
> Repost this. Please I beg you [pic.twitter.com/jCZPrQtG4i][3]
>
> — Save Gaza (@Alee93ale) [March 26, 2026][4]
He fits right into the [murderous, child-raping Epstein state][5].
Featured image via the Canary
By [Skwawkbox][6]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/03/11/ben-gvir-settlers/
[2]: https://www.kikar.co.il/political-news/434587
[3]: https://t.co/jCZPrQtG4i
[4]: https://twitter.com/Alee93ale/status/2037086461195882702?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[5]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2026/02/28/iran-school-massacres-done/
[6]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/skwawkbox/
https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/03/27/israeli-mp-calls-murdering/

2026-03-27 19:41:43 UTC

Three steps governments can take now to cut energy bills
[Solar farm in front of wind turbines Renewable energy]
As volatile energy prices continue to spike, driven in part by geopolitical instability and gas market shocks, governments face an urgent challenge. How can they bring down household energy bills immediately and protect citizens from fossil-flation making everything more expensive?
The good news is that short-term relief and long-term transition are not mutually exclusive. Here are three measures that countries could implement almost overnight.
## 1. Tax windfall profits of fossil fuel companies and use them to support households
[Fossil fuel companies][1] cashing in obscene profits during high fossil fuel prices should contribute to shielding consumers. Fossil fuel companies [profit from this crisis][2]. They should pay for the solution.
A windfall tax can capture excess profits and redistribute them directly to consumers through measures such as targeted bill support, direct cash transfers to most affected sectors, an expansion of existing free or heavily subsidised (“lifeline”) electricity tariffs to vulnerable households, and free public transportation.
Recycling windfall revenues into consumer protection helps avoid that outcome while keeping incentives for clean investment intact. The [UK’s windfall tax on oil and gas producers][3] raised around £12bn in 2024. This helped fund its Energy Price Guarantee, limiting average household bills during the crisis.
Anne Jellema, chief executive of [350.org][4], says:
> This is about fairness and maintaining public trust. Right now, fossil fuel companies are making obscene profits while households struggle to pay their bills , and people can see that.. Taxing these windfall profits and redirecting them to support households is essential to protect people and livelihoods.
## 2. Decouple electricity prices from gas
Many markets, such as the UK, Germany, Italy and Netherlands still tie electricity prices to the cost of gas. This is even the case when much of the power comes from cheaper renewable sources like wind and solar. As a result, when gas prices spike, electricity bills rise unnecessarily.
In Spain, however, the reduced influence of expensive fossil gas and coal power on the electricity market, driven by surging wind and solar, has turned the country into [one of the cheapest power markets in Europe][5].
Governments can intervene through market reforms such as contracts for difference, regulated tariffs, or temporary price-setting mechanisms to ensure consumers benefit from lower-cost renewable energy. Jellema comments:
> Decoupling electricity from gas prices is one of the most effective ways to stabilize bills. It protects households from global fossil fuel shocks and reflects the true, lower cost of renewable energy.
## 3. Decentralised renewable energy
Governments should fast-track the just deployment of [renewable energy][6] in affected regions using emergency energy response funds, bilateral finance, and development support. Priority must go to distributed renewable energy solutions which are quick and easy to deploy.
These can include off-grid solar and mini-grids for communities and essential infrastructure such as hospitals and schools, rooftop and balcony solar for households, and clean cooking solutions for smallholders.
Emergency renewable funding must be redirected from fossil fuel emergency response budgets and existing bilateral aid, not by creating new debt instruments that will burden already-stressed countries.
Equity, accessibility, and long-term sustainability must be ensured in decentralised renewable energy deployment. This can ultimately guarantee that these systems are owned and managed by communities.
Jellema points out:
> Relief today means transition tomorrow. These measures are not a substitute for a green energy transition; they are a bridge. In the longer term, the only durable solution to energy price volatility is to accelerate the transition to homegrown, renewable energy.
>
> Investing in wind, solar, storage, and energy efficiency reduces dependence on imported fossil fuels and insulates economies from geopolitical shocks. It also addresses the root cause of the climate and biodiversity crisis.
>
> But the transition must be managed carefully. Without immediate relief, households and businesses will struggle, and support for change may erode as calls for reopening ‘national’ fossil fuel sources increase.
>
> By redistributing windfalls and cutting energy bills, and decoupling energy prices from gas, governments can ease the pressure now while building a cleaner, more stable energy system for the future.
>
> The choice is not between affordability and sustainability. With the right strategy, we can, and must, deliver both.
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [The Canary][7]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/topics/fossil-fuels/
[2]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/news/2026/03/26/iran-war-profits/
[3]: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/mar/10/north-sea-windfall-tax-rachel-reeves-uk-energy-bills-experts
[4]: https://350.org/?r=GB&c=EU
[5]: https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/decoupled-how-spain-cut-the-link-between-gas-and-power-prices-using-renewables/
[6]: https://www.thecanary.co/topics/renewable-energy/
[7]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/thecanary/
https://www.thecanary.co/uk/news/2026/03/27/three-steps-governments-can-take-now-to-cut-energy-bills/

2026-03-27 18:56:04 UTC

Met police challenged over unlawful arrest policy for Palestine Action support
[Police carry a protester at a demonstration in Trafalgar Square calling for the lifting of the proscription of Palestine Action]
London-based law firm Hodge Jones & Allen LLP has written to the Metropolitan police challenging its revised policy on Palestine Action support. The firm has warned that any arrests the Met makes under the policy are likely to be unlawful.
The letter, written on behalf of campaign group Defend Our Juries, comes after [a shock U-turn from the Met][1]. Late on 25 March, the force [announced that it will resume arrests][2] under Terrorism legislation for people holding signs referencing support for [protest group Palestine Action][3]. This is despite the High Court ruling in February that the proscription of the group was unlawful.
This is a complete departure from [the Met’s previous position][4]. In an initial response to the ruling, the Met announced in February that it would stop making arrests of people showing support for the group. It said it would focus on collecting evidence instead.
While the Court stayed the effect of its judgment pending a government appeal, Hodge Jones & Allen argues that any arrests in the interim would be unlawful. This places significant pressure on the Met to justify its new position.
The letter states:
> The Metropolitan police’s position is based on a misunderstanding of the legal position and will produce profoundly unfair results and unlawful arrests.
>
> The decision of the High Court to ‘stay’ the effect of their ruling is not determinative of the legal position.
>
> The Metropolitan police should have due regard, when assessing whether to conduct an action such arrest, to the fact that the High Court has unanimously found the legal position to be unlawful. Pending any successful appeal, that is an authoritative statement of the legal framework at present.
The letter highlights that courts have already adjourned all trials connected to the Defend Our Juries “Lift the Ban” campaign. Prosecutors themselves have indicated that proceedings should not continue until the legal framework is clarified. This would make any arrests futile as well as unlawful, since prosecutors can’t charge or conclude cases.
The letter continues:
> In view of the difficulties in any case being charged or being concluded with a trial, we can see no merit in any arrest. We submit as follows:
>
> Firstly, we fail to see how any arrest allows an officer to have reasonable suspicion that an offence has been committed nor that the “necessity” condition under s24 PACE 1984 is fulfilled. If an officer considers that there may be an offence, then the previous policy of monitoring and collecting evidence is sufficient.
>
> Secondly, those seeking to take part in the “Lift the Ban Campaign” are exercising their rights under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
>
> It is clear that this is a campaign aimed at de-proscription. Any arrest is an interference with that right, and in these circumstances cannot be considered proportionate.
>
> Therefore, we regard any arrest as unlawful.
## Why is expressing support for Palestine Action suddenly arrestable again?
The [Met’s previous position][5] was that a “focus on gathering evidence”, rather than arrests, would be “the most proportionate approach”. It is unclear what has prompted the force to change their assessment of proportionality, other than recent correspondence with Defend Our Juries.
On 19 March, [Defend Our Juries wrote to the Met commissioner, Mark Rowley][6], to raise the case of a woman arrested on 15 March. Police arrested her for holding a sign expressing support for Palestine Action, in breach of the Met’s policy at the time. The group was not consulted prior to the policy change announced on 25 March, and further mass arrests under Terrorism legislation are now expected in Trafalgar Square on 11 April, when [Defend Our Juries’ next silent vigil is planned][7].
As the letter highlights, the only basis for these arrests is a law which the High Court has ruled to be unlawful. Hodge, Jones & Allen is seeking urgent assurances from the Met that participants in the “Lift the Ban” campaign will not be arrested while the legal position remains unresolved.
A spokesperson for Defend Our Juries said:
> The Met has lost the plot. The ‘Lift the Ban’ campaign against the unlawful proscription of Palestine Action was vindicated by the High Court, and yet they’re still going to arrest us on terrorism charges for peaceful protest even now.
>
> Rather than admit that the arrest of a woman under the Terrorism Act on 15 March breached their own policy, they have now changed the policy to try to make it fit retrospectively. That’s just embarrassing.
>
> The Met will now waste even more public resources on arresting hundreds more people for terrorism charges on the basis of a proscription order which the High Court has already ruled unlawful.
>
> How can they believe that’s proportionate or in the public interest? Nothing has changed since they said on 13 February that stopping arrests was “the most proportionate approach we can take.
>
> The deputy assistant commissioner stated that they needed to give ‘clear guidance’ to their officers. Nothing says ‘clear guidance’ like regularly changing your mind over the unlawful arrests of thousands of peaceful protesters holding paper signs.
*Featured image via M Lyman / Defend Our Juries*
By [The Canary][8]
[1]: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TMDn6zhmnMsoLT0AjNWrxy5WQ4f5me6Ccjuc6lFE-2Q/edit?link_id=2&can_id=867c8925049b6e035f83f6c3bec1dabd&source=email-met-police-u-turn-police-to-resume-terror-arrests-of-elderly-and-disabled-despite-high-court-ruling&email_referrer=email_3165831&email_subject=met-police-challenged-over-unlawful-arrest-policy-for-palestine-action-support&tab=t.0
[2]: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/03/26/palestine-action-restart/
[3]: https://www.thecanary.co/topics/palestine-action/
[4]: https://news.met.police.uk/news/met-response-to-high-court-ruling-on-palestine-action-506156
[5]: https://news.met.police.uk/news/met-response-to-high-court-ruling-on-palestine-action-506156
[6]: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bdxeMJg0c8K3O-x_8OLTHwxvUPHDyzD-nX2pOFnAJFU/edit?link_id=5&can_id=867c8925049b6e035f83f6c3bec1dabd&source=email-met-police-u-turn-police-to-resume-terror-arrests-of-elderly-and-disabled-despite-high-court-ruling&email_referrer=email_3165831&email_subject=met-police-challenged-over-unlawful-arrest-policy-for-palestine-action-support&tab=t.0
[7]: https://defendourjuries.net/lift-the-ban/
[8]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/thecanary/
https://www.thecanary.co/uk/news/2026/03/27/met-police-challenged-over-unlawful-arrest-policy-for-palestine-action-support/

2026-03-27 17:42:46 UTC

UK government advisory report condemns global fur trade
[Fox in Finnish fur farm fur trade]
The Animal Welfare Committee, which advises the UK government, has published a damning report condemning the animal suffering involved in the fur trade.
Its [report on ‘the responsible sourcing of fur’][1] calls out the suffering inflicted on animals who are confined in cages on fur farms or caught in brutal traps in the wild. And it indicates support for legislative action, stating:
> consumer and market forces currently do not and cannot provide sufficient pressure to adequately safeguard animal welfare.
Despite banning the farming of animals for their fur more than two decades ago, the UK imports millions of pounds worth of animal fur from overseas every year. This creates a double standard, says [Humane World for Animals UK][2] (formerly called Humane Society International UK), which leads the [#FurFreeBritain campaign][3].
The charity is calling on the UK government to act on the report’s findings and deliver on its recent Animal Welfare Strategy commitment to ‘uphold high animal welfare standards in trade’ by banning the UK’s bloody fur trade for good.
Meanwhile, DEFRA has published responses to its 2021 Call for Evidence on the UK fur trade. The results show more than 96% of the almost 30,000 respondents strongly agreed that killing animals for their fur is wrong. Respondents:
> overwhelmingly did not support the import, sale or export of fur or fur products.
Claire Bass, senior director of campaigns and public affairs for Humane World for Animals UK said:
> It’s clear from the Committee’s findings that trading in fur from caged, tormented, diseased and injured animals is completely at odds with the UK government’s recent Animal Welfare Strategy commitment to ‘uphold high animal welfare standards as part of our approach to trade’.
>
> The Committee states that fur should not be sourced from animals who have not had ‘a life worth living’ or a humane death and then explains all the ways in which the global fur trade fails to meet these criteria.
>
> The previous Labour government rightly banned fur farming 25 years ago. We must now stop outsourcing that same suffering overseas. The government now has both formal evidence and a strong public mandate to end the UK’s bloody fur trade.
## Animal Welfare Committee report quotes and conclusions
The Animal Welfare Committee states that:
> Within a commercial setting it is not possible and is unlikely to ever be possible to farm species such as fox and raccoon dog without having a detrimental effect on their health and welfare, or in a way which meets their welfare needs.
It adds:
> There are no species being farmed for fur whose welfare needs are being adequately met by current standards and safeguards.
The report’s concerns include:
* Criticism that cage sizes within industry ‘welfare assurance’ schemes are ‘insufficient to meet physical and psychological welfare needs’, and cage design is inadequate.
* The use of inhumane killing methods, including CO2 which ‘has been shown to be a highly aversive method of killing mink [which] fails to kill rapidly’, and anal electrocution.
* Criticism of fur industry assurance schemes for both farmed and trapped fur, including outdated welfare science and lack of: consistency, training, unannounced inspections, independent auditing and traceability.
* Lack of industry consideration of the experience and welfare of individual animals on fur farms, with welfare assurance schemes such as WelFur permitting a high threshold of allowance for animals with serious welfare problems (e.g 15% of foxes may have ‘severely bent feet’).
* Challenges with traceability of the country of origin, species and method of production of fur (farmed or trapped) imported into the UK, using available data from HMRC.
* Although over a third (37%) of fur imported to the UK over the last 10 years came from China, the Committee was unable to obtain any evidence about industry application of ‘welfare certification’ schemes in the country.
* Concern that trapping standards for fur subsequently imported into the UK are ‘not sufficient to prevent unnecessary suffering, and do not adequately protect animal welfare’. The standards permit lethal head/chest crushing traps that take five minutes to kill species including beavers and otters.
* Concern that “consumers are not currently able to accurately identify whether products are fur of animal origin (wild caught or farmed) or ‘faux’ fur, or a mixture of the two”.
## Public opposition to the fur trade
The evidence released today, of animal suffering and also of strong public opposition to the fur trade, now puts the need for a fur import ban beyond doubt. Therefore, Humane World for Animals UK is calling on the government to act swiftly.
More than 200 MPs support the Fur Free Britain campaign. Ruth Jones MP led a Westminster Hall debate earlier in March which saw cross-party support for the issue.
There is also strong public support for a ban on fur imports and sales. 77% of UK voters believe that when a type of farming is banned in the UK for being too cruel, we should also ban imports of [products produced the same way overseas][4].
Last year campaigners handed in a 1.5 million signature petition to the prime minister in support of a ban. Furthermore, the vast majority (93%) of the UK public reject wearing real animal fur, while only 3% wear it. The same poll found that the words 79% of people most closely associated with a fashion brand selling fur are ‘unethical’, ‘outdated’, ‘cruel’ and ‘out of touch’.
The Animal Welfare Committee’s findings echo the damning indictment delivered by the European Food Safety Authority’s 2025 scientific opinion on the welfare of animals on fur farms. It concluded that the cage systems used on fur farms fail to meet the basic welfare needs of mink, foxes, raccoon dogs and chinchillas. And this includes the industry’s so-called “high welfare” or “certified farms”.
*Featured image via Kristo Muurimaa / Oikeutta eläimille / Humane World for Animals UK*
By [The Canary][5]
[1]: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/animal-welfare-committee-awc-opinion-on-the-responsible-sourcing-of-fur#:~:text=fur
[2]: https://www.humaneworld.org/en/about-us
[3]: https://www.furfreebritain.uk/
[4]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-news/2026/03/18/first-ever-icelandic-fur-farm-expose-highlights-urgent-need-for-uk-action/
[5]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/thecanary/
https://www.thecanary.co/uk/news/2026/03/27/uk-government-advisory-report-condemns-global-fur-trade/

2026-03-27 17:41:34 UTC

Israel gets zero mentions in government’s ‘report’ on foreign interference. No wonder
[israel]
The government’s ‘Rycroft Review’ [report][1] on foreign interference in UK politics has been confirmed as a sham immediately it was published, after it failed to mention Israel a single time. And this is only what *Skwawkbox* and others predicted, since Starmer minister Steve Reed is a die-hard ‘friend of genocide’ who also [didn’t mention Israel once when commissioning it in December 2025][2].
## Israel: those who will not be named
Russia gets seven mentions. Israel – so far ahead of other countries in terms of interference in UK politics that it’s (literally) out of sight – none at all. And Reed is ‘under fire’ for – oops – ‘forgetting’ to disclose just how tight he is with the Israel lobby. Or mention it at all. Just like he ‘forgot’ the [massive donations he’s accepted][3] from the Israel lobby:
> NEW: A Labour minister is under fire after failing to declare his relationship with the pro-Israel lobby when he unveiled a report on foreign interference in the UK
>
> Steve Reed failed to declare his affiliation with the influential Labour Friends of Israel group [pic.twitter.com/nJGIUm6sFh][4]
>
> — Laura Webster (@LauraEWebsterr) [March 26, 2026][5]
In fact, its very absence from the report is as clear a demonstration as could be of the extent of its influence. The *National* [describes][6] Reed’s omission as “incredible”, but in the literal sense it’s the absolute opposite: totally believable and unsurprising. Just appalling.
The scale of the farce becomes even clearer when China and Iran get a special mention – just as Israel is looking to drag the UK into its illegal war on Iran. A section titled “*How serious is the problem?*” of “long-term strategic foreign interference” quotes a government briefing naming those two countries as the crux of the problem:
> The UK is a **target of long-term strategic foreign interference and espionage from elements of the Russian, Chinese and Iranian states** which, in different ways, **seek to further their economic and strategic interests and cause harm to our democratic institutions**”.
But not Israel. Noooo. No no no no no. Who even *is* Israel?’, the uninformed reader might ask.
## Beep boop
So, a minister superglued to the Israel lobby – which terrifies British politicians and broadcasters alike and believes it is entitled to demand special consideration at every turn – commissions a report that conspicuously omits, *completely*, any mention of the biggest foreign interferer in UK (and US) politics.
“This is not the droid you’re looking for. Move along, move along.”
Nothing to see here. Obvs.
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [Skwawkbox][7]
[1]: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-rycroft-review-report-of-the-independent-review-into-countering-foreign-financial-influence-and-interference-in-uk-politics/the-rycroft-review-report-of-the-independent-review-into-countering-foreign-financial-influence-and-interference-in-uk-politics#overview
[2]: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2025/12/18/israel-missing-from-uk-foreign/
[3]: https://www.declassifieduk.org/israel-lobby-funded-half-of-keir-starmers-cabinet/
[4]: https://t.co/nJGIUm6sFh
[5]: https://twitter.com/LauraEWebsterr/status/2037180157694267548?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[6]: https://www.thenational.scot/news/25971346.minister-incredible-israel-lobby-omission-speech/
[7]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/skwawkbox/
https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/03/27/israel-reed/

2026-03-27 17:36:07 UTC

Government prepares to remove need for medical training for GMC listing as ‘qualified’
[Starmer GMC]
The Starmer government has opened a “[terrifying][1]” ‘consultation’ on its plan to remove the need for medical training for classification as qualified by the [General Medical Council][2] (GMC).
The GMC, until recently, exclusively regulated *doctors* – those with full medical qualifications. The Starmer-Streeting axis has already – [with the collusion of the GMC][3] – started to erode that distinction by [allowing the GMC to regulate ‘medical associates’][4] – people with far less training than an actual doctor.
A number of people have already died after misdiagnosis or wrong treatment by ‘associates’ they believed were doctors. The government [knows using these roles to fill medical positions is extremely dangerous][5] – and have been [told the same][6] repeatedly by doctors and academics.
## Starmer making things much worse
But now, the government is going further. It has opened a ‘[consultation][7]‘ on:
> the draft General Medical Council Order 2026, which would reform how the General Medical Council (GMC) regulates medical practitioners, physician associates and anaesthesia associates across the UK.
So far, so bland. But it’s not. As Doctors Association co-chair Dr Matt Kneale explains in a thread on X, it means allowing the GMC to “remove the guardrails” separating actual doctors from other people presenting in white coats in medical settings:
> 2/ Currently, under s34L of the Medical Act 1983, a CCT can only be awarded to a registered medical practitioner who has completed an approved specialist or GP training programme. This is one of the statutory foundations of the specialist register.
>
> — Dr Matt Kneale ([🦋]drmk.link) (@mattster) [March 26, 2026][8]
> 4/ Article 26 governs GMC approval of education and training. It applies to all “regulated professionals” – which under this Order includes physician assistants (PAs) and physician assistants in anaesthesia (PAAs), not just doctors.
>
> — Dr Matt Kneale ([🦋]drmk.link) (@mattster) [March 26, 2026][9]
> 6/ On top of this, the draft Order abolishes the specialist register as a distinct statutory entity. Under the new framework, GMC maintains a single register with separate parts for doctors, PAs and PAAs.
>
> The statutory guardrails that limited CCTs to doctors are being removed.
>
> — Dr Matt Kneale ([🦋]drmk.link) (@mattster) [March 26, 2026][10]
This then means the GMC can extend ‘CCTs’, until now only available to fully-trained doctors, to ‘associates’ with a fraction of the training. This is self-evidently dangerous – and all of us need to act *now*:
> 6/ On top of this, the draft Order abolishes the specialist register as a distinct statutory entity. Under the new framework, GMC maintains a single register with separate parts for doctors, PAs and PAAs.
>
> The statutory guardrails that limited CCTs to doctors are being removed.
>
> — Dr Matt Kneale ([🦋]drmk.link) (@mattster) [March 26, 2026][11]
> 10/ Eroding its statutory exclusivity to doctors would be a seismic change.
>
> The consultation closes 23rd June 2026. Every doctor – and every patient who cares about who holds a CCT – should respond.
>
> — Dr Matt Kneale ([🦋]drmk.link) (@mattster) [March 26, 2026][12]
## Intervention needed
As one clinician said this morning:
> EVERYONE (whether doctors or not) must contribute to this ‘consultation’
>
> It states that the GMC will be able to decide whether a PERSON (not ‘a doctor’) can be put onto the Specialist Register. Not just PAs, I assume, but also ACPs, presumably having been assessed by other PAs or ACPs.
>
> Also, the GMC wants to continue to appeal against tribunal decisions not to sanction/strike off doctors for things like protesting against genocide.
>
> This organisation needs a total boycott and is certainly not fit for purpose in any way.
The Doctors Association will be [submitting][13] its own direct response. But everyone who cares about the NHS, or even just about their own safety and health, needs to do the same.
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [Skwawkbox][14]
[1]: https://x.com/DrVoles/status/2037416094994981087
[2]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/news/2024/04/18/gmc-public-health/
[3]: https://skwawkbox.org/2025/04/21/high-court-judge-gives-gmc-govt-green-light-to-keep-presenting-non-doctors-as-doctors/
[4]: https://skwawkbox.org/2024/06/25/bma-launches-legal-action-against-gmc-over-govt-use-of-non-doctors-as-medics/
[5]: https://skwawkbox.org/2024/09/08/govts-own-analysis-says-its-non-doctor-associate-plan-poses-high-risk-for-patients/
[6]: https://skwawkbox.org/2025/03/07/almost-no-evidence-nhs-pseudo-doctors-can-be-used-safely-new-report/
[7]: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/reforming-the-general-medical-council-legislative-framework
[8]: https://twitter.com/mattster/status/2037298636883685869?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[9]: https://twitter.com/mattster/status/2037298642546024660?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[10]: https://twitter.com/mattster/status/2037298648216666427?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[11]: https://twitter.com/mattster/status/2037298648216666427?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[12]: https://twitter.com/mattster/status/2037298660216553949?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[13]: https://x.com/mattster/status/2037298663882477943?s=20
[14]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/skwawkbox/
https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/03/27/starmer-gmc/

2026-03-27 17:33:41 UTC

Regeneration schemes are still driving gentrification across London, new report finds
[Older housing in the foreground with posh new flats behind]
Displacement and a lack of meaningful democratic control under [estate ‘regeneration’ schemes][1] continues to be a major issue for Londoners, despite policy reforms introduced in recent years.
## Gentrification still causing displacement
A [new report][2] launched by Green Party London Assembly member Zoë Garbett reveals that residents across the capital continue to endure worsening living conditions. It draws on testimony from affected communities who live on estates undergoing regeneration across the city.
Despite the introduction of resident ballots and new policies under the current Mayor of London, the report finds that residents’ experiences remain largely unchanged, with communities continuing to face years of deteriorating housing.
The report also points to a wider democratic deficit, with residents often lacking the time, resources and accessible information needed to engage in the estate regeneration process.
Commenting on her new report, Garbett said:
> Regeneration is often presented as the solution by councils, but we know it comes at a cost – land is sold to private developers, luxury flats replace social housing, culturally significant spaces like markets are destroyed and communities are uprooted.
>
> Residents across London are still living through the same failed model of estate regeneration, years of neglect, uncertainty and the very real risk of displacement.
>
> Despite new policies, the system continues to sideline residents and prioritise high-end market housing over meeting local needs.
## Key recommendations
The recommendations include the full implementation of previous recommendations put forward by fellow Green Party London Assembly member Siân Berry in 2022. Berry’s [report][3] on estate ballots set out how landlords must be held accountable for their promises to residents.
Garbett’s report also requests the Mayor of London publishes a full response to Just Space’s [Alternative Good Practice Guide][4] ahead of the next London Plan. Garbett said:
> The recommendations in this report build on what residents have been saying for years. They form a roadmap for real change, guiding the Mayor toward planning policies that are fairer and provide a proper counterbalance to the influence of big developers, ahead of the publication of the draft London Plan in May 2026.
Further recommendations include introducing a presumption against demolition of social housing, prioritising retrofitting instead. It calls on the government to fund any necessary retrofitting and also for a net increase in social housing overall.
[Safeguards for residents][5] are also key. The report recommends the creation of a Community Plan Fund to support resident-led alternatives, adding new conditions to Greater London Authority funding to improve transparency and prevent displacement.
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [Em Colquhoun][6]
[1]: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-45196994
[2]: https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2026-03/Zo%C3%AB%20Garbett%20Estate%20Regeneration%20Report-2026.pdf
[3]: https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2022_07_12_ballot_research_sian_berry_final_1.pdf
[4]: https://justspace.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/estate-watch-alternative-good-practice-guide-to-estate-regeneration.pdf
[5]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2025/02/24/lambeth-council-central-hill/
[6]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/em-colquhoun/
https://www.thecanary.co/uk/news/2026/03/27/regeneration-gentrification/

2026-03-27 17:29:19 UTC

Ipswich Town staff and fans complain at ‘apolitical’ club’s Farage stunt
[farage]
Staff and fans of Ipswich Town football club have complained bitterly at an unannounced stunt to promote [racist][1] far-right [Trump fan][2] Nigel Farage. Farage [published][3] a promotional video for his politics filmed as he stood on the Portman Road pitch. The club then had insisted it is “apolitical” and [denied][4] “formally” inviting Farage to visit the club, but details that have emerged since refute the denial, [showing][5] that:
> [👉]An associate of CEO Mark Ashton sent an invite to Nigel Farage
> [👉]Farage was met by Marcus Nash, director of media and communications
> [👉]Ashton and COO Luke Werhun had lunch with Farage
> [👉]The club gifted Farage SIX ‘Farage 10’ shirts
> [👉] Employees outside a select few were unaware of the stunt
> [👉]Members of staff have made complaints
>
> This is despite the club claiming they were ‘apolitical’ in a statement made on Wednesday.
Farage’s lunch was provided free – the latest in a long line of freebies provided to the racist bigot by wealthy and often [foreign][6] donors. He also [failed to declare][7] more than £380,000 in outside earnings within the legally-required timeframe.
> Nigel Farage’s visit to Ipswich Town’s Portman Road stadium has prompted a significant social media backlash.
>
> Ipswich insist Reform UK and Farage were not formally invited by the club … but The Athletic has been told a slightly different story.
>
> [📝] [@Dan_Sheldon_][8]
>
> Free to read… [pic.twitter.com/ojBbQQRmH4][9]
>
> — The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) [March 24, 2026][10]
Club staff have complained and fans groups have expressed their outrage on social media. Supporters’ group Blue Action accused bosses of letting the club they love be:
> egregiously exploited by a political figure for personal gain and those in charge seemingly allowing and even welcoming it … risk[ing] alienating large numbers of the fanbase and fomenting division.
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [Skwawkbox][11]
[1]: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgexg4lz2q5o#:~:text=Reform%20UK%20leader%20Nigel%20Farage,No.%22
[2]: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/03/10/farage-trump-connection/
[3]: https://x.com/Nigel_Farage/status/2036418238956077147?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2036418238956077147%7Ctwgr%5Ecd842c1cf91301ce02a6236fab4dd50a4d72c240%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2Fathletic%2F7146892%2F2026%2F03%2F26%2Fipswich-town-nigel-farage-reform-uk%2F
[4]: https://x.com/TheAthleticFC/status/2037213364401606719?s=20
[5]: https://x.com/TheAthleticFC/status/2037213364401606719?s=20
[6]: https://www.desmog.com/2026/01/07/nigel-farage-reform-uk-accepted-10000-gifts-from-abu-dhabi-uae-petrostate/
[7]: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nigel-farage-standards-breaches-investigation-parliament-reform-b2904518.html
[8]: https://twitter.com/Dan_Sheldon_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[9]: https://t.co/ojBbQQRmH4
[10]: https://twitter.com/TheAthleticFC/status/2036511237614518520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[11]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/skwawkbox/
https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/03/27/farage-stunt/

2026-03-27 16:55:19 UTC

Associated Press finally uses the word ‘invasion’ to describe Israel’s actual invasion
[israel]
The *Associated Press (AP)* has [finally used the word invasion to describe][1] Israel’s illegal actions in Lebanon.
Of course, it could have used something far more accurate – like an “illegal invasion by a supremacist ethnostate” – but that’s probably pushing the boat out a bit too far.
## Israel reported on with a crumb of accuracy
In true Western media fashion, it felt the need to publish a whole think piece on why it finally decided to tell the truth.
Such brave journalists, finally opening a dictionary.
> Why are you so terrified of reporting basic facts?
>
> — AIPAC Tracker (@TrackAIPAC) [March 26, 2026][2]
It only took two and a half years for the journalists at *AP* to actually do their jobs.
> BREAKING: AP uses word to mean what word means [https://t.co/d3rsQAS5pU][3]
>
> — Ali Abunimah (@AliAbunimah) [March 27, 2026][4]
And, the [article][5] should indeed have been just one sentence.
> This article coulda been one sentence: “We are calling Israel’s invasion of Lebanon an invasion because that is what you call it when a country invades another country”. [https://t.co/0eoZFNVNGp][6]
>
> — Colter Louwerse (@ColterL) [March 27, 2026][7]
But instead, *AP* decided to quote ‘Israeli officials’, i.e. terrorists, in detail.
*AP* also decided to state that:
> Israel has invaded Lebanon four times in the past 50 years: 1978, 1982, 2006 and 2024.
It did this without offering any context or mentioning that all four invasions were very, very illegal.
There is literally no other circumstance where an international news outlet would feel the need to justify such a basic editorial decision. But because it’s Israel…
> Imagine the kind of iron control over the media that requires a full published explanation when a word is used correctly against Israel [https://t.co/kIlUzWrtIr][8]
>
> — Sarayu Pani (@sarayupani) [March 27, 2026][9]
> Jokes aside, this is actually really telling. In no other circumstance would AP feel it has to explain/justify reporting news accurately. They only feel the need to do this because they are constantly being hounded by pro-Israel orgs like CAMERA that demand a pro-Israel bias. [https://t.co/ASdwGTKf4U][10]
>
> — Tariq Kenney-Shawa (@tksshawa) [March 27, 2026][11]
Israel could tell the right-wing media the sky was green and they would probably publish it, because… ‘antisemitism’.
> ‘Israel says the sky is green. Others say it’s blue. Here’s why we’re now calling it blue.’ [https://t.co/RE80ZqFQyu][12]
>
> — Davide Mastracci (@DavideMastracci) [March 26, 2026][13]
## Still minimising the truth
Yes, a Western news outlet is finally admitting that it doesn’t usually tell the truth.
> “We’ve decided to tell the truth. Here’s why we usually don’t.” [https://t.co/v2YK1FuWeV][14]
>
> — Omar Sakr (@omarsakrpoet) [March 27, 2026][15]
However, notice how no media outlets describe Russia’s invasion as an invasion of ‘Eastern Ukraine’. It’s simply an invasion of Ukraine – a sovereign nation which has the right to self-defence under international law.
To make matters worse, it took *AP* only two days to correctly name Russia’s invasion.
> It took [@AP][16] two days to call Russia’s invasion of Ukraine an invasion. I found the article.
>
> It took four weeks of total destruction for them to call Israel’s actions in Lebanon an invasion, and they even felt the need to explain why.
>
> That comparison is truly remarkable.…
>
> — Abdullah Hassan (@8abdullahhassan) [March 26, 2026][17]
*AP* describing Israel’s actions as an ‘Invasion of Southern Lebanon’ is a precursor to one thing and one thing only. That is Israel annexing the south of Lebanon – and the media whitewashing it.
> Only because it’s become untenable to deny manifest reality. Also though note how it’s still “southern” Lebanon and not just Lebanon. Whereas Russia of course is always referred to as invading Ukraine, not eastern Ukraine [https://t.co/phkEZHTmcR][18]
>
> — Nate Bear (@NateB_Panic) [March 27, 2026][19]
Meanwhile, *AP* and the majority of other corporate media outlets still refuse to use the words genocide, ethnic cleansing, apartheid, and illegal occupation. I know that’s a lot of letters to get in the right order, but come on…
> Ethnic cleansing too spicy? Land theft too onerous? Vandalism too old school? [https://t.co/QAj1LFFK9v][20]
>
> — Robert Young Pelton (@RYP__) [March 26, 2026][21]
> Allow me to congratulate myself for reluctantly telling the truth eventually.
>
> We needed to wait until it was a full-blown ethnic cleansing and annexation to use “invasion,” which will now be used to minimize it. [https://t.co/sLy9Ca5ee1][22]
>
> — Y Disassembler (@loomdoop) [March 27, 2026][23]
Next, they’ll tell us that naming an invasion an invasion requires a meeting at the Avengers compound with Tony Stark.
> Since when does calling an invasion an invasion require analysis, deliberation, a newsroom vote, & an announcement?
>
> — Hala Jaber (@HalaJaber) [March 26, 2026][24]
The essay is, no doubt, intended to preemptively address antisemitism claims. Because we all know that only Israel can be invaded by illegal terrorists.
The article is much like Israel’s ‘pre-emptive strikes’ – absolute bullshit.
> The Associated Press has to write an essay pre-emptively defending themselves from “antisemitism!” shrieking after reaching the difficult decision to report accurately about even one thing israelis have done.
>
> This agency controls almost half the news Western press contains! [https://t.co/irGjKBPrTb][25]
>
> — Crixiv 2 [🇵🇸] (@solzhenidiot) [March 26, 2026][26]
It’s a ten out of ten to the *Associated Press* for learning the correct definition of a word. Get them a Pulitzer Prize.
Maybe they’ll try [genocide][27] next? Or [ethnic cleansing][28]? We’ve linked the definitions, just in case you’re struggling, *AP*.
Of course, they won’t – because it’s only genocide or a war crime when it’s not Israel committing it.
This whole stunt by *AP* is nothing but a hilarious attempt to claw back any remaining credibility.
*Featured image via [Al Jazeera English/ YouTube][29]*
By [HG][30]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/opinion/2026/03/09/lebanon-puts-resistance/
[2]: https://twitter.com/TrackAIPAC/status/2037291635625881985?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[3]: https://t.co/d3rsQAS5pU
[4]: https://twitter.com/AliAbunimah/status/2037344126157422597?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[5]: https://apnews.com/article/iran-lebanon-invasion-attack-war-ap-style-2e22f39ce455f859483463550c0725f0?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=share
[6]: https://t.co/0eoZFNVNGp
[7]: https://twitter.com/ColterL/status/2037377609445589053?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[8]: https://t.co/kIlUzWrtIr
[9]: https://twitter.com/sarayupani/status/2037408294386672123?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[10]: https://t.co/ASdwGTKf4U
[11]: https://twitter.com/tksshawa/status/2037420424116719988?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[12]: https://t.co/RE80ZqFQyu
[13]: https://twitter.com/DavideMastracci/status/2037304665382031585?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[14]: https://t.co/v2YK1FuWeV
[15]: https://twitter.com/omarsakrpoet/status/2037383400844382532?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[16]: https://twitter.com/AP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[17]: https://twitter.com/8abdullahhassan/status/2037299594040668220?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[18]: https://t.co/phkEZHTmcR
[19]: https://twitter.com/NateB_Panic/status/2037467201993576667?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[20]: https://t.co/QAj1LFFK9v
[21]: https://twitter.com/RYP__/status/2037287938124660902?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[22]: https://t.co/sLy9Ca5ee1
[23]: https://twitter.com/loomdoop/status/2037400507724267982?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[24]: https://twitter.com/HalaJaber/status/2037315376703295832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[25]: https://t.co/irGjKBPrTb
[26]: https://twitter.com/solzhenidiot/status/2037299670477615139?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[27]: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/genocide
[28]: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethnic%20cleansing
[29]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFh1k3fC3WQ
[30]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/hg/
https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2026/03/27/israel-ap/

2026-03-27 16:42:06 UTC

If the tortured Palestinian baby were white then mainstream media might give a fuck
[israel torture palestinian baby]
News that Israel have tortured a Palestinian baby have gone largely under-reported by a complicit Western media. It is a horror almost beyond comprehension; recent [reports][1] describe how a Palestinian father named Abu Nassar, has a one-year-old child was tortured in front of him during a 10-hour interrogation by the Israeli military. [Salma Kaddoumi][2], a freelance video and photojournalist who interviewed Nasser’s family, later [told][3] the *Canary *that Nasser has not been heard from since.
Despite photographic evidence of the baby’s injuries trending on social media, and alarming claims of [forced disappearance][4] raised by Nasser’s family, Western media outlets have broadly failed to report on the incident. Unfortunately, at this point, few would expect them to. Nasser’s story is one more crime ignored amidst the gravest crimes against humanity seen this century.
## Israel’s torture of Palestinian baby met with deafening silence
When Nasser’s story first broke on 24 March 2026, it was impossible to ignore the images of his baby on social media. We are all too used to encountering images of injured Gazan children in this way, often bloodied and covered in debris. What is so disturbing about the injuries suffered by Nasser’s child, however – two burns or punctures on each leg, in roughly the same place — is how deliberate they appear to be.
This story is different, making its absence across Western media all the more stark. Bogus claims about children caught up in the ‘[realities of war][5]‘ cannot be made here. This is a story about the Israeli state abusing a baby to extract a confession from the child’s father.
Stories about children who suffer abuse at home and abroad usually occupy Western news cycles for days, weeks, even years — so long as the children are white. Almost twenty years later, the *BBC* continues to [report][6] on the harrowing case of ‘Baby P’. Nasser’s baby, to the contrary, is outright ignored. What is the media afraid of? Having an emotional reaction in response to the suffering of the wrong kind of child?
## Institutional racism
The reasons why the media is failing to report on this story are, by now, no doubt obvious. [Institutional bias][7] in favour of the Zionist regime, if not outright capture by its representatives, has led to a culture of silence where the horrors experienced by Palestinians are persistently absent from the news cycle.
This bias is compounded by racism, which leads to more scrutiny being applied to Palestinian civilian testimony than the claims of the Zionist regime itself. Whereas the media was more than happy to report on unverified claims of ‘[40 beheaded babies][8]’ on 7 October 2023, [verified reports][9] of beheaded Palestinian children, backed up by video footage, are left to the side.
We can imagine the excuses made by editors. Is the testimony provided by Nasser’s family members deemed untrustworthy? Is it too difficult to verify their accounts to report on them? Are the reports produced by freelance journalists on the ground, who continue to [risk their lives][10] to break through Israel’s blockade, not good enough for them?
A manipulated grey area of plausible deniability quickly amounts to a new form of censorship.
## Citizen journalism sidelined
What a difference fifteen years makes. In 2011, the Arab Spring heralded a new era of ‘citizen journalism’. Mainstream media outlets were quick to [fill their reports][11] with footage captured by everyday people, who uploaded their testimony to the internet via smartphones.
But even at that time, the role of Big Tech companies in manipulating stories was becoming apparent. Haythem Guesmi, [writing][12] for *Al Jazeera* in 2021, showed how social media has since revealed itself to be a double-edged sword:
> Big Tech companies have been allowed to be the ultimate arbiters on free speech online and a haven for hate speech and disinformation. They have piggybacked on the idea that they helped trigger the Arab Spring and are therefore a force for freedom and democracy.
Social media is seen as both a threat to and the last bastion of free speech. One side-effect of this contradiction is that citizen journalism is typically now confined to social media platforms, which are deemed lawless zones of misinformation. The disinformation pumped out by governments, however, is subject to less scrutiny than ever before. With citizen journalism maligned, the mainstream media defers unquestioningly to state power.
## No accountability
As a result, we live in a dissonant world where those responsible for a genocide live-streamed across our smartphones avoid scrutiny and accountability. Stories like Nasser’s, quarantined on deregulated platforms, are both inescapable and ignored.
The fact that social media platforms are drowning in disinformation is self-evident to anyone with an Internet connection. But by placing all emphasis on the responsibilities of Big Tech companies, we let our legacy media off the hook.
In the same article for *Al Jazeera*, Guesmi [reported how international civil rights organisations were calling][13]:
> on Big Tech companies to cease their unfair discriminatory practices, to invest in regional expertise of content moderation and become more transparent about policies and procedures.
In 2026, it is long past due that our legacy media organisations did the same. Until they do, they will continue to fail those who are subject to horrifying abuse at the hands of rogue states, like Nasser and his baby.
This would require media organisations disentangle themselves from their cozy relationships with state power first. Until that happens, we can expect them to remain complicit in state violence and racism through their unwillingness to report on the stories that matter.
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [Em Colquhoun][14]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2026/03/24/israeli-military/
[2]: https://www.instagram.com/salmakaddoumi?igsh=MWozcm52bmk4ajdsOQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
[3]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2026/03/25/israel-torture-detain/
[4]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-news/2025/07/14/gaza-missing-people/
[5]: https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/uk-minister-wont-call-iran-school-massacre-war-crime-labels-it-realities-war
[6]: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly9jxpd1d4o
[7]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2024/10/09/bbc-antisemitism-adl/
[8]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2023/10/13/israel-genocide-gaza-manufactured/
[9]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2024/05/28/beheaded-babies-israel-gaza/
[10]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2025/08/25/israel-journalists-killed-gaza/
[11]: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/dec/29/arab-spring-captured-on-cameraphones
[12]: https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2021/1/27/the-social-media-myth-about-the-arab-spring
[13]: https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2021/1/27/the-social-media-myth-about-the-arab-spring
[14]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/em-colquhoun/
https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2026/03/27/palestinian-baby/

2026-03-27 16:28:52 UTC

British military trained troops from 14 countries on UK’s own human rights watch list
[british military]
The British military trained nearly 2000 overseas troops in its defence academies between 2017 and 2025. That figure includes personnel from 108 countries. Shockingly, fourteen of those countries are on the UK’s own human rights watchlist.
The British-based Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) [reported][1] on 24 March 2026 that the UK considers those states to have:
> significant issues relating to democracy, governance or civil liberties.
Yet the UK still trained them anyway…
The so-called International Defence Training (IDT) programme is meant to:
> promote professionalism and improve standards among partner forces.
AOAV said they fear the courses risk:
> strengthening security forces accused of abuses.
## British military teaching dictatorships
The countries include Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, and Uzbekistan. AOAV also [said][2] there were obvious gaps in the figures. For example:
> Israel does not appear in the dataset, despite the MoD previously confirming that a “limited number” of Israeli personnel have been trained in the UK. No explanation is given for the omission.
AOAV [said][3] the IDT permits:
> foreign military personnel to attend courses at UK institutions including the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and the Defence Academy in Shrivenham.
>
> Training ranges from basic officer instruction to specialist and postgraduate courses. The government says the programme helps build long-term relationships and encourages adherence to international norms.
Adding:
> An MoD spokesperson has previously said that all training is “carefully assessed” and aligned with UK values.
## Real risk of violations
Dr Iain Overton, Executive Director of AOAV, [said][4]:
> There is a real risk that UK training may end up enhancing the capabilities of forces that go on to commit violations.
In September 2025 *Declassified UK* [revealed][5] the UK was still training Israeli soldiers at the Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS) two years into the genocide:
> The soldiers trained at RCDS include Colonel Yaniv Asor, the current chief of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) Southern Command who oversees military operations in Gaza.
>
> Asor was recently accused by the head of the Israeli air force of responsibility for mass civilian casualties in Gaza.
Charlie Herbert, a retired British army general, told *Declassified *at the time*:*
> That it has taken so long to bar IDF officers from the prestigious Royal College of Defence Studies is a disgrace.
>
> Even now, it is not sufficient to ban them from 2026. Instead all IDF personnel currently studying or training at UK military establishments should be expelled immediately.
The British government is speaking out of both sides of its mouth again. Its proclaimed commitment to human rights and a mythical ‘rules-based international order’ have been sorely exposed by support for [Israeli genocide in Gaza][6] and an [illegal US attack][7] on Iran. The fact the UK is still training authoritarian regimes alongside all this should shock precisely nobody.
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [Joe Glenton][8]
[1]: https://aoav.org.uk/2026/uk-trained-military-personnel-from-14-countries-on-its-own-human-rights-watchlist-new-data-reveals/
[2]: https://aoav.org.uk/2026/uk-trained-military-personnel-from-14-countries-on-its-own-human-rights-watchlist-new-data-reveals/
[3]: https://aoav.org.uk/2026/uk-trained-military-personnel-from-14-countries-on-its-own-human-rights-watchlist-new-data-reveals/
[4]: https://aoav.org.uk/2026/uk-trained-military-personnel-from-14-countries-on-its-own-human-rights-watchlist-new-data-reveals/
[5]: https://www.declassifieduk.org/britain-trained-israeli-soldiers-fighting-in-gaza/
[6]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2025/12/12/british-complicit-gaza-genocide/
[7]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/2026/03/21/starmer-allowing-the-us/
[8]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/joeglenton/
https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/03/27/british-military-training/

2026-03-27 16:08:55 UTC

Mandatory sex testing at the Olympics is an attack on women’s rights masquerading as ‘protection’
[olympics]
The International Olympics Committee (IOC) has announced its new ‘[Policy on the Protection of the Female (Women’s) Category in Olympic Sport][1]‘. It amounts to a total ban on trans women/transfeminine athletes, and a near-total ban on intersex athletes, competing in the women’s category.
Normally, we might argue with the science that the IOC used to make its decision. However, [nobody has been allowed to see the science][2] – though we’re assured it exists.
What we do know is that this latest ruling completely contradicts [the IOC’s science from just five years ago][3], which stated that trans people “should not be deemed to have an unfair or disproportionate competitive advantage”.
We also know that this decision is not a reaction to an explosion of trans women winning in the female category at the Olympics. That’s because exactly [one trans woman has competed at the Olympics][4], and she didn’t medal.
We’re not going to argue that this is a horrific roll-back of intersex and trans rights, or the basic concept of inclusion. (It is). Likewise, we’re not going to argue that this decision was politically motivated (although the science suddenly said the opposite of what it used to [immediately after a leadership change][5] at the IOC).
What we are going to argue is that this is that sex-testing in women’s sport is a disaster for privacy and women’s rights. That means cis women, trans women and intersex women, and whatever combination thereof – all women.
We know this because we’ve fucking been here before.
## Olympics: IOC document
The IOC plans to introduce universal sex screening for the women’s category. It will achieve this through a one-time SRY (Sex-Determining Region) test. The SRY gene is usually present on the Y chromosome, and causes the development of testes during foetal development.
The IOC’s new document states that:
> All Biological Female athletes screened will be negative and eligible, and virtually all athletes who screen positive will have testes/testicles that naturally produce testosterone at adult Male levels.
This is a deception. The document writers know that it’s a deception, because they include a carve-out:
> Because a positive SRY Gene screen does not establish a specific DSD diagnosis, further evaluation should be made available to the athlete to determine whether they have CAIS or another rare XY DSD that precludes testosterone’s anabolic and/or performance-enhancing effects.
The DSD there stands for “differences/disorders of sexual development”. [We will be using the term ‘intersex’][6]. The number of intersex people among the general population varies according to the definition used, [but it may be as high as 1.7%. ][7]
CAIS stands for Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome. This means that the body doesn’t have the receptors to make use of the circulating testosterone.
However, beyond CAIS, levels of testosterone sensitivity can vary massively, i.e. [Partial Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome][8]. As such, that “testosterone at adult Male levels” tells us very little.
The document also states that:
> XY Transgender athletes and athletes with certain XY differences/disorders in sex development (DSD) (as defined in Schedule 1) have anatomical and physiological advantages in line with being Male even as their legal sex, the manner in which they were raised, and/or their gender identity may vary.
The bit about legal sex and the “manner in which they were raised” is also significant. This is because many intersex people [go their whole lives without learning][9] that they’re intersex.
As such, some intersex athletes can find that they’re intersex for the first time due to a sporting test. This has happened before – and it’s a massive problem.
## ‘Scientifically and ethically unjustifiable’
The IOC previously instated[ universal sex testing back in 1968.][10] At first, the tests consisted of having the women appear naked in front of a panel of judges. Later, the IOC moved on to more elaborate tests, such as the Barr body test.
The last universal sex testing at the Olympics[ took place in 1996,][11] in Atlanta. At the time, eight women came up positive on the DNA-based test. As explained by rights organisation [the International Commission of Jurists:][12]
> After the 1996 Olympic Games, the IOC voted to discontinue universal sex testing for being scientifically and ethically unjustifiable, since it was an inaccurate test of both sex and athletic advantage and was resulting in considerable harm to affected athletes. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN Women, the World Medical Association, American Medical Association and, most recently, a group of independent UN experts have long condemned sex testing and medically unnecessary interventions as discriminatory, unethical, and harmful.
Since then, decisions on sex testing were left with individual sporting bodies. Often, testing was weaponised against individual – often brown or Black – women like [Imane Khelif][13] and[ Caster Semenya. ][14]
The consequences of mandatory sex tests are often severe. Whilst being intersex is simply another variation of human existence, sex is given such a primacy by our society that learning one’s assumptions were wrong can be a severe shock.
Beyond the exclusion from an elite sport than the woman has worked her life towards,[ other harms can include][15] severe sex and gender identity crisis, social isolation, demeaning reactions from the public, depression, and suicide.
## Klobukowska, Patiño, Soundarajan
Competing in the Tokyo Olympics in 1964, Poland’s [Ewa Klobukowska][16] of Poland helped set a new 100m-relay world record. However, she submitted to sex testing after the media mocked her for her ‘masculine’ appearance:
> The test results were never made public, but the IAAF [ruled that][17] Klobukowska had [a chromosomal anomaly][18] that disqualified her from competing in the female category. The organization publicly criticized Klobukowska for being a male imposter, and stripped her of her medals. After being disqualified from competing at the age of 21, [she said][19], “It’s a dirty and stupid thing to do to me. I know what I am and how I feel.”
>
> She [had a son][20] in 1968. [Thirty-one years later][21], the IOC returned her medals.
Klobukowska never re-entered professional sport, and her records are remain largely unknown.
Another case in point is[ Maria José Martínez Patiño,][22] a CAIS intersex woman and former Spanish hurdler. She fell victim to a sex chromatin test at the 1985 World University Games in Kobe, Japan. She was told to fake an injury and retire quietly, as was common practice.
However, she then went on to compete in the 1986 National Championships. Whilst she was told again to withdraw quietly, she refused. After winning her race, she was attacked in the Spanish press. She was expelled from her residence, and lost her scholarship, her records, and her fiance.
Another example is [Santhi Soundarajan][23], who won silver in the women’s 800m race at the 2006 Asian Games. Soundarajan [also has AIS][24], causing her to fall victim to a genetic screening test.
After being told she could no longer compete, and being stripped of her medal, Santhi fell into a deep depression and later attempted suicide.
## ‘Human dignity’
The IOC [stated in its announcement][25] that its related organisations should work to:
> Ensure that the athlete’s human dignity, physical and psychological well-being, health and safety, and
> right to privacy and confidentiality are respected.
It is also insisting that we perform these potentially life-upending tests “early in the athletic career”, with “age appropriate explanations” for minors.
However, this respect for their athletes’ human dignity and psychological well-being apparently doesn’t extend to the IOC restraining itself from calling these women “biological males” throughout the document, and insisting that “biological sex does not and cannot change”.
We have watched, over the last few years, our media, politicians and public figures hound and mock athletes they suspect of being intersex or trans. This cruelty is a direct consequence of the primacy we place on sex – and our rhetoric around that primacy is only becoming more extreme by the day.
The IOC insists that we need a hard border to “protect” women’s sport. Any border creates an ‘other’, and requires police to protect that border from the ‘other’. And policing, as we have seen time and again, begets violence. In this case, that violence is directed towards women – intersex, cis, and trans women.
Many are celebrating today, and many athletes among them – but this is no victory for women’s rights.
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [Alex/Rose Cocker][26]
[1]: https://www.olympics.com/ioc/news/international-olympic-committee-announces-new-policy-on-the-protection-of-the-female-women-s-category-in-olympic-sport
[2]: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/mar/27/olympics-transgender-women-athlete-ban-human-rights-response-ntwnfb
[3]: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/mar/26/why-olympics-u-turned-gender-rules-sex-testing
[4]: https://www.thepinknews.com/2026/03/27/how-many-trans-women-have-competed-at-the-olympics/
[5]: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/mar/26/why-olympics-u-turned-gender-rules-sex-testing
[6]: https://thisisintersex.org/advanced/intersex-is-not-dsd/
[7]: https://assets.glaad.org/m/361c34d3aa842a81/original/Inclusion-Playbook-Harms-of-Sex-Verification-Testing.pdf
[8]: https://theconversation.com/ten-ethical-flaws-in-the-caster-semenya-decision-on-intersex-in-sport-116448
[9]: https://assets.glaad.org/m/361c34d3aa842a81/original/Inclusion-Playbook-Harms-of-Sex-Verification-Testing.pdf
[10]: https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10508-021-02073-x.pdf
[11]: https://www.news18.com/sports/other-sports/ioc-under-fire-as-human-rights-groups-oppose-sex-testing-plans-ws-l-9984717.html
[12]: https://www.icj.org/olympics-sex-testing-harms-all-women-and-girls/
[13]: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/articles/c8rm7kxe8klo
[14]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2025/07/11/caster-semenya-wins-appeal/
[15]: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/50266766_Is_there_a_right_not_to_know_one's_sex_The_ethics_of_'gender_verification'_in_women's_sports_competition
[16]: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/azeenghorayshi/sex-testing-olympians
[17]: https://books.google.com/books?id=kqcYyk7zlHYC&pg=PA159&lpg=PA159&dq=ewa+klobukowska&source=bl&ots=zIp_hnsHt3&sig=7NKtGRLC9WAOI5sDh-zipLVpz9Y&hl=en&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwiOheaYmavOAhXFJR4KHWdMD-QQ6AEINTAE#v=onepage&q=ewa%20klobukowska&f=false
[18]: http://jrs.sagepub.com/content/101/8/395
[19]: https://books.google.com/books?id=e-7kAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA115&lpg=PA115&dq=Ewa+Klobukowska+ioc&source=bl&ots=fc9DXx6t-r&sig=9JPUqLQXO_y1m7Koskt9hFvbmg8&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi3qtTe4LfOAhXEzxQKHV1oAEoQ6AEIMTAE#v=onepage&q=Ewa%20Klobukowska&f=false
[20]: http://dish.andrewsullivan.com/2012/08/11/the-long-strange-history-of-gender-verification-testing-still-writing/
[21]: http://dish.andrewsullivan.com/2012/08/11/the-long-strange-history-of-gender-verification-testing-still-writing/
[22]: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(05)67841-5/fulltext
[23]: https://www.reuters.com/article/athletics-india-santhi/interview-athletics-santhi-turns-to-coaching-after-suicide-bid-idINBOM16408520090609/
[24]: https://web.archive.org/web/20180612132317/http://thappad.in/petition/shanti/
[25]: https://stillmed.olympics.com/media/Documents/International-Olympic-Committee/EB/policy/policy-on-the-protection-of-the-female-category-english.pdf
[26]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/alexrosecocker/
https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2026/03/27/olympics-transphobia/

2026-03-27 15:53:32 UTC

Dean Lewis loses Dutch court case over abuse claims
[dean lewis]
Dean Lewis has lost a Dutch court case against a former partner who claimed that the relationship was abusive on social media. Lewis demanded that ex-partner Sanne van Ooijen retract several statements she made about the nature of their two-and-a-half-year relationship.
At the heart of the case was the fact that Sanne van Ooijen had been in a relationship with Dean Lewis – the world-famous pop star and singer she had been a devoted fan of. She experienced this relationship as a victim, as she felt it had been abusive. She then shared her account of that relationship on her social media channels and in personal conversations with others.
This prompted the [now disgraced singer to send multiple demand letters][1] from his Australian lawyer. This was followed by a demand letter from his Dutch lawyer. On 25 February 2026, Dean Lewis then filed summary proceedings against Sanne van Ooijen before the Dutch court.
Ultimately, this culminated in summary proceedings on Friday, 27 March 2026.
## Dean Lewis loses case
It was only after the relationship ended that Van Ooijen was able to reflect on it from a distance and with greater objectivity. During the hearing, she stated the following:
> I came across so many different stories from other girls on social media sharing their experiences with Dean. And that’s when it really hit me — I wasn’t crazy, it wasn’t my fault. What he did to me is not okay, and I’m allowed to feel that way and talk about it, because that is how I experienced it. And it appears to be a pattern that repeats itself with him, based on what I’ve seen and heard.
The Dutch court case brought by Lewis was to:
> 1. To prohibit Van Ooijen from, regardless of the manner and via which medium, making statements public, and/or disseminating false accusations about Lewis via personal or group messages, or suggesting these, including in any case the accusations of having a narcissistic personality disorder, rape, the (sexual or psychological) abuse of women, or that Lewis has otherwise (rb: presumably meant otherwise) committed sexually transgressive behavior, or qualifications and/or terms of similar purport:
>
> IE. To order Van Ooijen to, within 48 hours after service of this judgment,
>
> a. remove all messages about or referring to Lewis and keep them removed from all social media pages of Van Ooijen, including TikTok, Instagram and YouTube (and subsidiaries)
However, the Dutch court ruled that what Sanne van Ooijen expressed falls well within the bounds of freedom of expression under [Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights. ][2]
Therefore, the court dismissed all seven claims brought by Dean Lewis in their entirety. Sanne van Ooijen is also not required to issue any retraction. Additionally, Lewis is required to pay her legal costs in full.
The court considered:
> The use of the word ‘abusive’ does not therefore (automatically) constitute an accusation of criminal conduct. The fact that Van Ooijen retrospectively described her relationship in those terms, as that is how she felt, is not unlawful.
## A pattern
But Sanne van Ooijen was not the only one to speak out about her experience with Dean Lewis.
As the *Canary* has previously reported, many other young female fans have reported similar experiences with Lewis.
Hundreds more women and girls have come forward on social media with a wide range of abuse allegations against Lewis. From domestic abuse and sexual assault, to messaging underage girls with extreme content – it has become clear that Lewis has an ever-growing raft of allegations against him.
The *Canary* also previously reported on an [alleged cover-up][3] of Lewis’ behaviour by Island Records Australia.
Lewis then blocked journalists and refused to refund fans who no longer wanted to attend his shows. He even [threatened the *Canary*][4].
Since then, the *Canary* has heard from many women about Lewis’ tirade of cease-and-desist letters and threats to sue unless they issue apologies. Of course, many of these young girls lack access to lawyers and have no choice but to comply.
Dean Lewis thinks he can throw his money, power, and weight around to get what he wants. From threatening young girls with legal action (because yes, Dean, 19-year-olds are still girls!) to sending journalists threatening emails, it has become clear that when the truth fails, powerful men believe that attempting to intimidate and scare people will get them what they want.
Merel Teunissen (Liaise Advocaten), Sanne van Ooijen’s lawyer, commented on the case:
> I find it enormously courageous that Sanne refused to be intimidated by a world-famous pop star with deep pockets, who first instructed an Australian lawyer and later a Dutch lawyer to make far-reaching legal demands. A pattern he is now repeating with other women — women who, unfortunately, do not have access to legal assistance and therefore yield to those sweeping legal demands. Sanne chose not to be silenced and fought back through legal means. With success!
*Featured image via Dean Lewis/[YouTube][5]*
By [The Canary][6]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/opinion/2026/02/23/dean-lewis-threats/
[2]: https://www.echr.coe.int/documents/d/echr/convention_ENG
[3]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2025/11/04/dean-lewis-allegations/
[4]: https://www.thecanary.co/opinion/2026/02/23/dean-lewis-threats/
[5]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtuqQ3MBEyQ
[6]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/thecanary/
https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2026/03/27/dean-lewis-loses/

2026-03-27 15:42:24 UTC

New data shows rise in poverty with more action needed
[labour poverty]
Poverty levels have increased slightly during the first year of a Labour government, new [data][1] from Households Below Average Income (HBAI) shows.
## Half a million more in poverty
Comparisons between data gathered between 2023/24 and 2024/25 show that half a million more people are living in poverty. This amounts to around one in five people (20%), or 13.4 million.
The data further reveals there are 5.5 million families living in poverty where one person has a disability, or 4 in 10 of all people in poverty. 4 million children are also living in poverty.
Pensioner poverty has also increased. This follows one of the most controversial policies announced by Labour when it entered office in 2024: its cuts to [Winter Fuel Payments][2]. In 2025, the government [u-turned][3] on the decision. Nevertheless, there been an increase of 200,000 pensioners living in poverty.
## London and Wales worst affected
Poverty is highest in London and lowest in the North of Ireland.
Both London and Wales have seen increases in overall poverty and child poverty. Meanwhile, the West Midlands and South West have seen reductions.
The number of people with very low food security has also fallen overall, but 3.1 million people still went hungry because of a lack of money. This figure remains over 40% higher than it was in 2021/22.
Household incomes have risen on average over the last year, both before and after housing costs. However, they have fallen further for those on incomes already in the bottom 10%, remaining below 2021/22 levels.
Peter Matejic, chief analyst at the [*Joseph Rowntree Foundation*][4], said:
> The latest statistics show overall poverty rose slightly and there was little change in child poverty in the first year of the Labour government.
>
> We expect to see the number of children growing up in poverty fall as a result of the government’s decision to remove the two-child limit from April 2026. That will mark a much-needed improvement, but our projections show progress flatlines after that and more will be needed to make sure child poverty continues to reduce.
>
> The bottom line is that far too many families are still in poverty.
## A change in method
The HBAI has changed its method for gathering data from survey responses to administrative data. This is deemed to be more accurate and represents the most significant change in method for a generation.
Better measurements may help quantify the scale of the issue, but they do nothing to improve anyone’s situation.
People living on a low income in the UK continue to struggle to afford the essentials. The *Canary *recently [reported][5] on new research by the Social Workers Union, which revealed many social workers are paying for basic essentials out of their own pockets to help their service users.
Food bank use also remains close to record levels, with many continuing to experience the stigma and trauma of living in poverty.
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [The Canary][6]
[1]: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/households-below-average-income-for-financial-years-ending-1995-to-2025/households-below-average-income-an-analysis-of-the-uk-income-distribution-fye-1995-to-fye-2025
[2]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/news/2024/12/19/winter-fuel-payments-dwp-waiting/
[3]: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cglejl656y1o
[4]: https://www.jrf.org.uk/
[5]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/news/2026/03/26/social-workers-cover-basic-essentials/
[6]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/thecanary/
https://www.thecanary.co/uk/news/2026/03/27/poverty-labour/

2026-03-27 15:14:30 UTC

Undercover police officers were ‘authorised’ to target arms trade campaigners
[DSEi protest Undercover police infiltrated anti-arms trade campaign]
Testimony given to the Undercover Policing Inquiry this week has provided further details of systematic targeting against anti-arms trade campaigners, including Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT).
On 23 March, the inquiry heard from CAAT’s media coordinator, Emily Apple. She testified to the impact of [undercover police spying][1] on CAAT and other anti-arms trade and environmentalist groups.
HN3, an undercover Met police officer operating under pseudonym ‘Jason Bishop’, had been “authorised” to target CAAT as an organisation, the inquiry heard. Among other groups Bishop targeted were Disarm DSEI and protests at the RAF Fairford base.
Bishop had even managed to become a signatory to the Disarm DSEI bank account, managed its PO Box, and had access to the organisation’s email address.
An internal police report on Bishop’s undercover activities dating to 2003 shows that the Met police’s motivation to target DSEI protesters was borne out of concern that the protests:
> could influence the financial wellbeing of the State.
## 139 undercover officers under examination
The inquiry is examining how 139 undercover police officers working for the Met police’s Special Demonstration Squad / Special Duties Squad (SDS) spied on over a thousand anti-war and environmentalist groups between 1968 and at least 2010.
The inquiry twice refused core participant status to CAAT, despite SDS targeting it. When the inquiry initially began in 2015, it argued there was no substantive proof that the SDS had spied on CAAT.
The [inquiry rejected CAAT’s second application][2] in 2024 on the grounds that reports on CAAT were due to ‘collateral intrusion’ – meaning consequential invasion of a third party’s privacy – arising from spying on Apple.
However, in her testimony, Apple pointed to a report by SDS manager, HN49, who confirmed that HN3 (Bishop) had been:
> authorised to target CAAT because the group was known to hold protests and demonstrations, which had the potential to result in serious public disorder.
CAAT was also the victim of systematic corporate spying by Martin Hogbin, who infiltrated the organisation from 1997-2003 and provided information to BAE Systems.
CAAT has asked the inquiry to investigate the relationship between its undercover officers and corporate spies, and whether any of the information reported by Hogbin to BAE Systems ended up with the Met / SDS, since Hogbin and Bishop (HN3) knew one another.
A spokesperson from CAAT said:
> The latest revelations from the Undercover Policing Inquiry provide yet more sordid details of the Met’s systematic, invasive and manipulative spying on anti-arms trade and environmentalist campaigners.
>
> It is now abundantly clear that Met police undercover officers were explicitly authorised to target CAAT, in brazen contempt for our right to protest and campaign against a corrupt and destructive arms trade. This revelation further calls into question the inquiry’s refusal to include CAAT as a core participant.
>
> Given the established links between corporate spies like Hogbin, and police spies like Bishop (HN3), it is high time the inquiry corrected course and examined the links between corporate spies and undercover police.
>
> At a time when the British state is at its most authoritarian and repressive towards anti-war and anti-genocide campaigners, a full accounting of all skeletons in the Met’s closet is a must.
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [The Canary][3]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/topics/spycops/
[2]: https://www.ucpi.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/20240222-Core-Participants-51-RULING.pdf
[3]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/thecanary/
https://www.thecanary.co/uk/news/2026/03/27/undercover-police-officers-were-authorised-to-target-arms-trade-campaigners/

2026-03-27 14:29:44 UTC

Italy’s ties to Trump are a political repellent— is Starmer taking note?
[Italy alliance with trump proves costly]
Italian Prime Minister[ Giorgia Meloni][1] is lurching so far to the right that her [friendship][2] with Donald Trump and allied tech-bros may have [cost][3] her a key referendum.
## Trump as “repellent”
In a referendum she called on judicial reforms, Italians vote 54% for the “No” campaign, while 46% supported the “Yes” vote Meloni backed.
The *Conversation* recently [reported][4] that any association with Trump now acts as a “repellent” for Italy’s political class. This doesn’t exclude the political right and is precisely the pathway that led to Meloni’s referendum defeat. The outlet also noted that[ Peter Thiel’s][5] recent Rome visit sparked Catholic outcry, with Italians labelling Palantir CEO a heretic and an opponent of the Church doctrine. That didn’t go down well.
> References to Trump now act as a repellent for the entire Italian political class, including the right. This factor played a role in [the vote against the referendum, which is a major blow for Meloni][6]. It is also worth noting that the visit of [Palantir CEO Peter Thiel ][7] to Rome in March 2026 sparked both calculated political indifference and an [outcry among Catholic circles][8]: Thiel was labelled a heretic and an opponent of the social doctrine of a religious institution that remains steadfast in its defence of democracy.
This marks a sharp contrast with the warm welcome Meloni reserved for Elon Musk until 2024.
The *FT* [reported][9] that while Meloni’s friends include MAGA ideologue Steve Bannon and Thiel’s PayPal co-founder and longtime friend Elon Musk, Pope Leo XIV has warned of the dangers of AI.
According to *[MSNBC][10]*, Thiel sold out Rome to preach that Western civilisation is crumbling. He piled the blame on “people who strive for peace, work for justice, and want to embrace diversity.”
## Starmer needs to pay attention
Starmer would be wise to take note of these events. Italians have started resenting Atlanticism—like in the UK, where polling [showed][11] significant opposition to the prospect of the UK blindly supporting [Trump’s][12] Iran war.
Meloni obviously ignored these signs. *[ECFR][13]* polling from last November showed a significant decline in trump advocates, even among members and supporters of Meloni’s party, Brothers of Italy.
The lesson for Starmer is clear. Atlanticism has a cost. In Italy, that cost was a referendum defeat.
Labour’s[ recent loss][14] of a hundred-year seat to the Greens should have been a wake-up call.
Lucy Powell had an epiphany—voters need a reason to back Labour. Perhaps Powell and her boss, Starmer, should smell the coffee and accept that piggybacking with Trump and his tech-bro allies will cost Labour what little support they have left.
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [The Canary][15]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2022/09/29/fascism-takes-further-hold-with-the-election-of-giorgia-meloni-in-italy/
[2]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/2026/03/10/starmer-blair-lite/
[3]: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crl1ne8dj1eo
[4]: https://theconversation.com/italy-middle-east-crisis-pushes-the-meloni-government-away-from-the-us-274314
[5]: https://www.thecanary.co/uncategorized-en/2026/02/08/palantir-softball-session/
[6]: https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20260323-italian-voters-reject-giorgia-meloni-s-judicial-reform-in-referendum-defeat
[7]: https://www.reuters.com/technology/thiels-secretive-rome-conference-draws-church-attention-2026-03-15/
[8]: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/17/world/europe/peter-thiel-rome-antichrist-catholics.html
[9]: https://www.ft.com/content/fc1e7e9a-9d5d-4217-b9b2-38069eb1197b?syn-25a6b1a6=1
[10]: https://www.ms.now/opinion/peter-thiel-antichrist-evangelism-christianity-billionaires
[11]: https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/uk-voters-no-joining-trumps-iran-war-poll-4276359
[12]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/2026/03/26/iran-colonel-mocks-trump/
[13]: https://ecfr.eu/article/the-trump-trap-why-melonis-referendum-defeat-is-a-warning-for-europe/
[14]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/03/25/labour-powell/
[15]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/thecanary/
https://www.thecanary.co/global/2026/03/27/italy-meloni-referendum-defeat-trump/

2026-03-27 14:02:04 UTC

Toxic BBC leads the charge in tearing down a disabled woman
[bbc]
The mainstream media – led by the ever-toxic *BBC* – are frothing at the mouth over a disabled woman who ‘stole’ £23,000 in benefits, then was ‘caught’ zip-lining on holiday.
You can barely move for news stories about benefits. And no, I’m not talking about the news that Motability plan to restrict how far disabled people travel. Or[ that the DWP will be using AI to read responses to the PIP review][1]. Or even that MPs are calling for another carers allowance inquiry
No, the story taking up so many column inches is that of a ‘benefit cheat’. or more accurately, a disabled woman who dared to live her life and go on holiday.
## BBC rabid for ‘benefit cheat’
The *BBC* ‘reported’:
> A woman who claimed more than £23,000 in benefits, saying she was too ill to go outside, was caught surfing and ziplining in Mexico.
>
> Catherine Wieland, 33, claimed she suffered anxiety so crippling she was housebound but the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) found evidence of her surfing in Cancun and visiting Thorpe Park three times.
>
> Wieland, from Goring-by-Sea, West Sussex, claimed tens of thousands of pounds in Personal Independence Payments (Pip) over more than two years, spending the money on manicures, tanning sessions and trips to a private Harley Street dentist.
Obviously, the *BBC* is a bin fire, but fuck me, [they could at least pretend to be unbiased][2]. This reads as if it came straight from *The Sun*, not the *BBC*.
And while the *BBC* article was disgusting, it set the tone for the rest of the media to be just as disgusting. There are so many stories spewing the same hatred that when you Google DWP and click the news tab, there’s a whole section dedicated to just this story.
At one point the *BBC* ‘news’ article even details exactly how many times Wieland treated herself:
> While claiming her health was so poor she could not cook or wash herself, Wieland made 76 beauty appointments, visited 60 pubs, clubs and restaurants and spent money in foreign currencies.
## Media turning public against benefit claimants
Unfortunately, this all makes sense when you consider that a[ YouGov survey][3] found that just 11% of people think those on benefits should be able to afford beauty treatments. 27% said you should be able to afford to go out if you’re on benefits. In the same survey, 26% said people on benefits shouldn’t be able to afford to eat a balanced diet.
Most people on benefits have experienced being asked, ‘how can you afford that?’ when they buy themselves a treat. The implication is always ‘you shouldn’t be able to afford that’. And that’s a direct effect of stories like this, where the media are screaming about how benefit cheats are ‘stealing’ taxpayers hard earned cash.
It’s also not just the media finding these stories coincidentally. As the *Canary’s* Hannah Sharland reported, [the DWP plants benefit fraud propaganda][4] when they need to turn the public against disabled people
It’s absolutely no coincidence that this is happening whilst the government is trying their hardest to cut disability benefits. The fact that Wieland’s anxiety was highlighted plays nicely into the DWP trying to tighten the criteria for PIP and exclude mental health conditions.
It’s also coincidentally at the same time that they’re still trying to find a way to cut the LCWRA element of Universal Credit and move it to PIP. Meaning many will be forced to work despite being too unwell to.
## Disabled people should be allowed to live
This absolutely rabid coverage from the media shows just how willingly our papers are prepared to throw disabled people under the bus if it means they’ll make more money. But more than anything, it shows that society has been so turned against disabled people that it’ll only be happy if we’re all miserable and destitute.
Disabled people deserve to live full lives, without fear that our benefits will be cut for daring to enjoy ourselves. But until the media stops working for the DWP and turning the public against us, they’ll keep us afraid. And that’s exactly where the DWP wants us so we don’t attempt to fight their cruel cuts.
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [Rachel Charlton-Dailey][5]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/03/26/dwp-pip-review-consultation/
[2]: https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2026/03/23/bbc-genocide/
[3]: https://yougov.com/en-gb/articles/45956-what-should-living-standards-look-people-benefits-
[4]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/01/26/dwp-benefit-fraud-propaganda/
[5]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/rachel-charlton-dailey/
https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/03/27/bbc-disability/

2026-03-27 13:51:06 UTC

‘This is not a trade deal, it’s a hostage situation’ – EU–US talks
[Image of nodding donkey in US oil field EU-US trade deal]
Campaigners at [350.org][1] are raising concerns over ongoing EU–US trade deal negotiations. They’re warning that the proposed agreement risks locking Europe into decades of [fossil fuel][2] dependency. But at the same time it would expose households to rising energy costs and geopolitical pressure.
The warning comes amid escalating pressure from the Trump administration, which has threatened to restrict gas supplies to Europe unless the deal is agreed without amendments.
[Reports][3] indicate the trade deal could include forced commitments for Europe to purchase up to $750bn in US energy, including oil and liquefied natural gas, at a time when governments should be accelerating the transition to clean, homegrown energy.
Campaigners say the proposal risks repeating the mistakes of Europe’s past reliance on Russian gas. That dependency triggered soaring prices and economic instability following the invasion of Ukraine.
Clémence Dubois, 350.org global campaign manager, said:
> This is not a trade deal, it is a hostage situation that will leave European households paying the ransom for years to come.
>
> Europe bled billions escaping Russian gas dependency. Now it is sprinting, eyes open, into the same trap. MEPs have a simple choice: ratify a deal that was never put to them democratically, or assert that parliament exists for exactly this moment.
>
> Russian gas or American gas, the pipeline changes but the dependency doesn’t. Bills will still be high and gas-addicted countries vulnerable.
>
> Renewable energy offers a clear alternative: wind and solar are already cheaper than gas in most of the world. They do not start wars, their prices do not spike when a shipping lane closes. The answer has been sitting here the whole time.
>
> The only scarce resource in this crisis is courage.
Campaigners also raised alarm that the proposed trade deal could weaken key protections for EU citizens. These include environmental standards, food safety rules, and corporate accountability measures.
Dubois added:
> The only way to ensure long-term energy security and stable bills is to end dependence on fossil fuels altogether. The technology is ready, the economics are clear, what’s missing is the political will.
350.org is calling on European lawmakers to reject any agreement that deepens fossil fuel reliance or undermines public protections, and instead prioritise investment in renewable energy and energy independence.
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [The Canary][4]
[1]: https://350.org/?r=GB&c=EU
[2]: https://www.thecanary.co/topics/fossil-fuels/
[3]: https://www.ft.com/content/6bf153e4-11af-44d5-9d1c-48b5c7ad26ef?syn-25a6b1a6=1
[4]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/thecanary/
https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-news/2026/03/27/this-is-not-a-trade-deal-its-a-hostage-situation-eu-us-talks/

2026-03-27 13:49:56 UTC

Multi-front wars, zero strategy: Israeli opposition says IDF is ‘in collapse’
[Netanyahu accused of sacrificing army for his wars]
Israel’s opposition leader, Yair Lapid, is [trending online][1] for clapping back at Netanyahu. He accuses Israel’s prime minister of fighting multifront wars with “no strategy” that will “collapse” the army.
> Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid has criticised Netanyahu’s government for fighting multi-front wars ‘without a strategy’, and says Israel’s military forces are ‘in collapse’ as they continue attacks in Iran, invade southern Lebanon and occupy Gaza and the West Bank. [pic.twitter.com/DtTvSK9vBG][2]
>
> — Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) [March 27, 2026][3]
Yair Lapid shared a post—viewed by 1 million users— warning that Israel is facing a security disaster and that the military is “on the verge of collapse.”
He cited Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, who sounded the same alarm to political-security cabinet. In a veiled message to Netanyahu, he Lapid said:
> Anyone who heard him yesterday will not be able to say, “I didn’t know.”
> [‼] Former Israeli PM Yair Lapid says Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir warned the cabinet the IDF is “on the verge of collapse,” citing exhausted reserves & overstretched forces.
>
> Lapid said, Zamir told the cabinet:
> •“I’m raising 10 red flags.”
> •“The IDF is on the verge of collapse.”… [https://t.co/7IWIuP17oc][4] [pic.twitter.com/jQhldC3AIj][5]
>
> — Hala Jaber (@HalaJaber) [March 27, 2026][6]
According to Lapid, Zamir raised multiple red flags, citing a reserve system under strain, soldiers stretched beyond their limits, and exhausted reservists on their sixth and seventh rotations. Zamir reportedly warned that troops are also being diverted to the West Bank to address settler violence.
Haaretz reported that Israel was losing its sway over Trump, according to the IDF chief.
> Israel losing sway over Trump on Iran war course as IDF chief raises ’10 red flags’[https://t.co/e1ZJOuBHWr][7]
>
> — Haaretz.com (@haaretzcom) [March 26, 2026][8]
> The IDF could soon collapse if there is no solution to the shortage of manpower, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir warned in remarks during a security cabinet meeting held on Wednesday.
> Reporting by: [@keshet_neev][9] [@Jeremybob1][10] [https://t.co/DZ4TN6nDzv][11]
>
> — The Jerusalem Post (@Jerusalem_Post) [March 26, 2026][12]
Manpower shortages have also been emphasised by Israeli media outlets and social media users alike.
> IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir warned during a security cabinet meeting that the military will “collapse in on itself,” as it faces mounting operational demands and a growing manpower shortage.[https://t.co/nIrsgIZcQ2][13] [pic.twitter.com/EfHkrwzYYh][14]
>
> — Glenn Diesen (@Glenn_Diesen) [March 26, 2026][15]
However, some were doubtful that Lapid would have behaved differently from Netanyahu if he were in power.
Journalist Chris Fitzgerald argued that Yair Lapid’s criticism is hypocritical because Lapid would pursue the same approach as Netanyahu if he were in power. He added that support for the empire and colonization is not limited to one side of Israeli politics.
> What’s so idiotic is Lapid as leader would do the exact same thing as Netanyahu.
>
> Empire and colonisation are bipartisan in Israel. [https://t.co/HR270lRNSR][16]
>
> — Chris Fitzgerald (@ChrisFitzMelb) [March 27, 2026][17]
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [The Canary][18]
[1]: https://www.trtworld.com/article/1e7e2783c76d
[2]: https://t.co/DtTvSK9vBG
[3]: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish/status/2037443618978328736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[4]: https://t.co/7IWIuP17oc
[5]: https://t.co/jQhldC3AIj
[6]: https://twitter.com/HalaJaber/status/2037324101631513061?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[7]: https://t.co/e1ZJOuBHWr
[8]: https://twitter.com/haaretzcom/status/2037254261185118236?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[9]: https://twitter.com/keshet_neev?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[10]: https://twitter.com/jeremybob1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[11]: https://t.co/DZ4TN6nDzv
[12]: https://twitter.com/Jerusalem_Post/status/2037254123158978959?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[13]: https://t.co/nIrsgIZcQ2
[14]: https://t.co/EfHkrwzYYh
[15]: https://twitter.com/Glenn_Diesen/status/2037248676096037090?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[16]: https://t.co/HR270lRNSR
[17]: https://twitter.com/ChrisFitzMelb/status/2037330400373264713?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[18]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/thecanary/
https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2026/03/27/netanyahu-rival-says-israeli-army-will-collapse/

2026-03-27 13:46:31 UTC

Independent socialist groups rally across UK in spite of Your Party obstacles
[your party]
Your Party (YP) has once again dragged its feet in establishing processes and structures since its inaugural conference in November. As a result, [membership have grown frustrated at being unable to stand][1] Your Party candidates in the upcoming local elections.
[4,850 councillor][2] seats will be up for grabs on May 7, with projections suggesting[ Reform will be a significant threat][3] at the ballot box. The Green Party look set to be the real competition to the far-right, as YP appears set to miss the starting pistol.
However, socialists across the country are wary of the Green Party’s broad-church approach. After all, they justifiably fear it could follow a similar path to Labour – ultimately capitulating and abandoning its left-wing socialist base once in power.
As a result, Your Party members have refused to allow a failure of leadership to prevent socialist candidates getting elected. Forming their own independent groups and standing without the party machine behind them, they intend to fight the far-right in their communities themselves.
From the north of England to the south, socialism intends to be firmly on the ballot across the country.
## Your Party in the South
Groups have formed in North Somerset, North Devon and Torridge, East Herts, and West Essex, indicating a growing wave of socialist energy at the grassroots level across the South. These areas have typically alternated between the Liberal Democrats, Conservatives, Greens and Labour, but socialist candidates now intend to give the established parties a serious challenge.
Championing socialism under a Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (USC) banner, Paul Lenihan will be standing in Harlow in Essex.
The fact people who could have stood as Your Party candidates are standing under other organisations tells us something important. It underscores an inescapable reality: where there is the political will, there is always a way. The leadership of Your Party must take heed.
We also see a dogged perseverance in the London region, where we find the Camden People’s Alliance and Haringey Socialist Alliance. Both have told the *Canary* that they are coordinating with other progressives and setting up non-compete agreements to prevent the left vote from splitting unnecessarily.
Andrew Feinstein co-founded Camden People’s Alliance (CPA) alongside local activists and will be supporting six local candidates in the election. Working with other progressives to stop pointless infighting and push the left forward in unity, CPA are hoping to keep the far right out of Camden.
Having previously helped found [MOU Ltd][4] as a director, they have grown disillusioned with YP due to petty [factionalism][5]. No surprise, really – as Feinstein explained below, the crucial goal must be to kick [Labour off our councils][6]:
> Hi For what it’s worth, I am not a member of YP. Even though I was very involved in the initial discussions I eventually never actually joined as a consequence of the factionalism & a number of other issues. I am working locally in Camden with the Camden Peoples Alliance. We have… [https://t.co/z5Nu2pn9Hm][7]
>
> — Andrew Feinstein (@andrewfeinstein) [March 15, 2026][8]
## YP endorsement for Haringey Socialist Alliance
We have also learned that there is an endorsed group in London that will have official Your Party councillors standing for election: the [Haringey Socialist Alliance (HSA)][9]. HSA have six councillors up for election across three wards. In Bruce Castle, the candidates are Amelie Cooper and Paul Burnham; in Northumberland Park, Alison Davy and Gary McFarlane; and in West Green, Meryem Ulger and John Sinha.
Crucially, HSA told the *Canary* that they maintain a functioning working arrangement with their local Greens, ensuring socialists do not compete against one another. This display of respect and shared purpose will work to genuinely unite people over and above party-political interests – a lesson YP would do well to take on board.
London has been a particular hub of activity for socialist organising, with other groups also contesting the elections in their areas as independents.
The [Enfield Community Independents][10], led by Khalid Sadur, will be hot on the doorsteps, engaging with their local community ahead of the ballot. In addition, the Southwark Independent Socialists are fielding candidates as well as East London’s Waltham Forest.
There is also an impressive assembly of socialists participating in the [All-London Delegate Assembly (ALDA).][11]
## “People are angry”
Jacob Garnham-Warnock of [Southwark Independent Socialists][12] proudly stated that their YP branch is “strong and successful,” built last year by three DIY groups of YP supporters. Showing ingenuity, the group collected their own database of members and have focused their energy on a high-need ward in Old Kent Road.
Highlighting that the area has the “highest concentration of social housing” within a local authority with the “highest proportion” of social housing outside of Birmingham, Garnham-Warnock told the *Canary*:
> We have registered a political party with the electoral commission, because we realised that the Your Party headquarters might fail to put an appropriate system in place, either on purpose or through a kind of malign neglect. We were right.
>
> We have been out campaigning every weekend for the last month and are getting a noticeably enthusiastic response. People are angry. They are angry that rent is going up. They are angry that housing repairs are not being actioned. They are angry at the lack of facilities in the area. And they are angry that developers are building expensive flats that they know are not for them.
It is undeniable; Your Party members show they will not accept any excuses for not being ready. In Your Party’s absence, socialist candidates are set to be strongly represented in the upcoming local elections. Thankfully, this signals a coordinated and organised effort ready to mount a significant challenge to Reform UK.
## Heading up north
Independent socialists are also fighting the far-right in our northern communities. Mike Forster of PACE in Huddersfield is sick to the back teeth of their local Labour council. Having been unable to secure official YP endorsement as previously hoped, Forster has been working hard in his community to put forward genuine socialist candidates for election.
Speaking to what can be achieved by principled, community-focused activism, Forster said:
> I am a long-standing community campaigner and socialist in Huddersfield, best known as Chair of the Hands Off HRI campaign, which successfully pushed back management plans to close the hospital and A&E. The campaign was launched in 2016, continuing until 2020 when it was wound up during lockdown.
>
> During that time, we raised enough money to bring a successful legal challenge and had numerous lobbies, demonstrations and public fundraising gigs. Our success was down to the huge public support we attracted. The outcome was to not only save our hospital, but also to secure a brand new A&E!
Finishing:
> We cannot go on like this and need elected councillors who will stand up and fight for local communities and services.
In the midlands, Harris Khaliq is standing in Ward End fighting Labour in Birmingham. Not too far away, David Hitchmough is representing Knowsley Independents with Steve Guy putting his arguments to voters in their community in Kirkby.
Furthermore, a socialist group in Warrington has completely run out of patience and are now looking to formalise as the Warrington Socialist Alliance in the coming weeks. Little is known for candidates in Wales and Scotland, who have largely been abandoned by YP altogether.
## YP springing into action, apparently
Nevertheless, whilst writing this article, we have become aware of groups receiving emails from Your Party awarding their endorsement in line with certain conditions. YP state that they cannot endorse individual candidates until they have seen due diligence checks. With time marching on, it is hard to imagine many will manage to tick all the bureaucratic boxes to get full approval from up high.
Needless to say, our criticism of Your Party has clearly lit a fire under them. That said, if only a few candidates secure endorsement, it is unlikely to make a significant impact in time for the elections.
For instance, one group who have achieved endorsement are good friends of Corbyn; Sam Gorst and Alan Gibbons of Liverpool Community Independents. Coincidentally, they don’t actually have an election to contest until 2027.
Of further concern, their email touts “campaign coordination with Jeremy Corbyn” – but makes no mention of Zarah Sultana, fellow co-founder and MP. Staying true to form, it reads like yet another slap in the face to Sultana and grassroots socialist members.
> Your Party—which once promised hope—is now a wrecking ball, destroying any chance of a united front against billionaire-funded racist right-wing parties.[@MaddisonW92][13] reports.[https://t.co/46Fmhx9zC0][14]
>
> — Canary (@TheCanaryUK) [March 24, 2026][15]
## Factionalism can only be defeated by true unity
Therefore, it is clear that factionalism remains alive and well in YP, with Corbyn and his allies firmly positioned to secure endorsements for their own factions.
But refusing to be sidelined, a determined cohort of socialists has dug in, standing their ground and refusing to go quietly. Undeterred by YP’s bureaucratic obstacles, they are stepping up to defend their communities against far-right division and hostility.
This marks a powerful display of solidarity and genuine courage – exactly the kind of grassroots spirit the *Canary* proudly supports.
Keep pushing forward, comrades. The fight for our communities has only just begun.
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [Maddison Wheeldon][16]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/03/23/your-party-divisions/
[2]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/2026/03/24/your-party-local-elections-silence/
[3]: https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2026/02/22/green-party-backed-in-gorton/
[4]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2025/10/30/mou-operations-your-party/
[5]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/01/15/your-party-cec-hopeful-urges-unity-over-factional-warfare/
[6]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/news/2026/02/12/lambeth-vote-palestine/
[7]: https://t.co/z5Nu2pn9Hm
[8]: https://twitter.com/andrewfeinstein/status/2033187796744094075?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[9]: https://www.haringeysocialistalliance.org.uk/
[10]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2025/09/26/organiser-describes-huge-positivity-and-hope-at-local-your-party-meeting-but-says-questions-remain/
[11]: https://londonyp.org/alda/
[12]: https://search.electoralcommission.org.uk/English/Registrations/PP18341
[13]: https://twitter.com/MaddisonW92?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[14]: https://t.co/46Fmhx9zC0
[15]: https://twitter.com/TheCanaryUK/status/2036574376359821679?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[16]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/maddison-wheeldon/
https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/03/27/your-party-endorsements/

2026-03-27 13:06:52 UTC

Signs to ‘US war crimes base’ appear in Fairford, Gloucestershire
[Sign to US war crimes base in Fairford]
.Signs directing locals to a nearby ‘[US war crimes base][1]‘ have appeared in Fairford, Gloucestershire.
In March 2026, *Declassified UK *[reported][2] that B-52H and B-1B warplanes were seen flying from RAF Fairford to bomb Iran. ⁣Keir Starmer had initially [refused][3] use of the base in February, except for “defensive” purposes. But as with the Gaza genocide, the word “defensive” has been stretched beyond all meaning.
With the UK government continuing to exploit every possible loophole to excuse its complicity in war crimes, guerrilla campaigners have chosen to cut through the noise. The signs appeared along access roads on 26 March.
## Protests at RAF Fairford
It’s not the first time RAF Fairford has been subject to protests by anti-war campaigners. The base was at the centre of a high-profile [direct action trial][4] in 2003. Five protestors were charged with criminal damage for breaking instrument panels on tankers and cutting the brakes on trailers used to carry bombs.
Keir Starmer was, at that time, a part of the protestors’ defense council. Now he’s [enabling][5] use of the same site for another illegal war. At the same time, he’s [cracking down][6] on those who take similar action to prevent war crimes.
By [The Canary][7]
[1]: https://www.instagram.com/p/DWWnh7pjAPl/
[2]: https://www.declassifieduk.org/how-britain-is-involved-in-trumps-iran-war/
[3]: https://www.thecanary.co/opinion/2026/03/22/starmer-iran-triangulation/
[4]: https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2007/jul/07/politics.antiwar
[5]: https://www.thecanary.co/opinion/2026/03/22/starmer-iran-triangulation/
[6]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2025/06/20/breaking-palestine-action-break-into-raf-brize-norton-and-escape-undetected/
[7]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/thecanary/
https://www.thecanary.co/uk/news/2026/03/27/war-crimes-fairford/

2026-03-27 13:06:47 UTC

Wes Streeting accepts £55,000 donation from private healthcare recruiter
[Labour minister accepts private donations]
Labour health secretary Wes Streeting has [taken][1] another £55,000 from the [ODP Group Ltd][2]—which provides headhunting services to the NHS and private healthcare providers.
The firm’s owner, [Peter Hearn][3], has longstanding links to private healthcare.
## The donation
Millionaire recruitment mogul Hearn is the ultimate controller of the ODP Group. In addition to overseeing senior NHS recruitment, Hearn also works on recruitment for private healthcare providers. This dual role is particularly interesting, as the NHS and private providers are in competition for staff.
Lobbyists and firms with private healthcare connections have [brought][4] in over half a million pounds to Labour’s cabinet since 2023.
That’s on top of a £4m [donation][5] to the party from Quadrature Capital, which has significant investments in private healthcare. More broadly, MPs have [accepted][6] £2.7m in donations from private healthcare linked companies or individuals since 2023.
This is not the first donation Streeting has [accepted][7] from a Hearn-linked company. In 2023, he took £48, 000 from the OPD Group, [according to the *National*][8] (Scotland). in donations from another company Hearn controls. And the *Financial Times* has [reported][9] that, through seemingly shell companies, Hearn previously donated over £1m to Labour and prominent individual MPs like Streeting from between 2014 and 2023.
## Labour is a “party for the rich”
Scottish Greens co-leader Gillian Mackay said that Labour is a party for the “rich,” betraying its working class origin story.
> Once again, the Labour Party are showing the public that they are the party for the rich, leaving working people and families in the lurch. While Labour takes donations from those that profit from sickness and bad health, the Scottish Greens will continue to stand up for an NHS that is fit for purpose, that everyone can use and is free at the point of use Voters across Scotland have a chance on May 7 to finally end the status-quo, and vote for a party that will make change happen. A political system that finally works for people, not for profit.
SNP MSP Clare Haughey added:
> It is high time the Labour Party came on clean on whether its health policy is being shaped by patient needs or lining shareholder pockets
It’s no wonder private healthcare-linked firms are donating to Streeting. The Labour prime minister [said][10] in January 2025 that the government will increase private provison of NHS services by 20%. But in some areas it has already increased by significantly more than that.
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [James Wright][11]
[1]: https://www.thenational.scot/news/25967768.wes-streeting-panned-55k-donation-private-health-linked-firm/
[2]: https://privatisation.everydoctor.org.uk/donor/opd-group-ltd-a-company-controlled-by-peter-hearn/
[3]: https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/E7eLmNw_88oJC-uYMU4PryzLDqY/appointments
[4]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2024/09/05/labour-private-healthcare-donations-nhs/
[5]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2024/09/25/labour-quadrature-rachel-kyte/
[6]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2025/03/18/everydoctor-mps-donations/
[7]: https://www.thenational.scot/news/25047376.wes-streeting-takes-53k-private-health-recruiter-pre-nhs-cuts/
[8]: https://www.pressreader.com/uk/the-national-scotland/20240414/281603835505298
[9]: https://web.archive.org/web/20250312085131/https://www.ft.com/content/124e1566-e5dc-4e1e-8ca4-082bf272f6e6
[10]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2025/01/06/nhs-plan-labour/
[11]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/james/
https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2026/03/27/labour-minister-streeting-accepts-55000-donation/

2026-03-27 12:47:29 UTC

Reform have cancelled democracy and are having an auction instead
[farage]
After less than a year in power, a Reform council has cancelled democracy. For the first time anyone can remember, Durham County Council has just decided to cancel a full council meeting, “due to a lack of business.”
Council meetings are the forum where the public – you, know, the ones who pay the council tax – get to ask questions and see decisions made. Where other elected representatives get to challenge decisions. Residents will be asking if the councillors will hand back their allowances since they’re not bothering to hold the meetings they’re paid to attend. This contempt for democracy is a warning for what would happen if they won national power.
## Cuts, cuts, cuts
It’s less than a year since Reform won Durham County Council with a landslide: 65 out of 98 seats. [As predicted][1], they would struggle when it came to actually running a local authority.
Reform Durham were elected on a pledge to cut waste. But after fifteen years of austerity, services were already cut to the bone. Instead, they cut funding to town and parish councils, forcing a 6.92% increase in council tax precepts to make up the difference. Leisure centres and [kids playgrounds][2] are on the chopping block. A [school free transport scheme has been cut][3] with 143 kids now paying for passes.
They’ve abolished the council tax reduction scheme. Thousands of people in poverty are now liable for council tax. [Report][4] after [report][5] shows that this just racks up debts onto the most vulnerable. Many of those affected experience mental ill-health or physical disabilities. People just end up in a debt spiral with court orders against them. Councils rarely get their money back. It’s counterproductive – the extra despair increases pressure on local services.
The Money and Mental Health Policy Institute charity, chaired by money saving expert Martin Lewis, [described councils’ polices][6] of sending in bailiffs as “worse than loansharks.” There’s a total of £6 billion in council tax arrears across the country, and it’s rising year on year. You can’t get blood out of a stone.
The fact that Reform Durham have ran out of policies to implement makes a mockery of their claim to take back control. They still collect their £13,300-a-year salaries though, and that’s without any extras for being on committees.
So here’s the question: does the evidence show that Reform are on the side of ordinary people?
## Discrimination and bullying
In a move that surprised literally no one, we did see a lot of performative actions around flags. Notably, they [removed the Pride Flag][7] just before the Durham Pride event. So apparently they support ordinary people, but not if they’re queer. And their deputy leader in Durham, Darren “[Crafty][8]” Grimes, posted on social media that he refused to attend Diversity, Equality and Inclusion training. Except there wasn’t any – [he made it up][9] for attention.
Like all parties, Reform’s voter base [is a coalition of different views and values][10].
There’s always been a nasty, xenophobic streak to Farage personally. 34 independent witnesses cite [extreme racist comments and bullying][11]. But he’s not racist enough for the ethno-nationalist culture warriors who are splintering off into Advance UK and Restore UK.
The shine is coming off Reform. They lost the Caerphilly by-election in November. Farage had been hanging round the count looking to do some media gloating, but high-tailed it out of Wales once they could see the piles of votes. He’s not even in the corner of his own candidates.
## Losing ground
Reform [lost in Denton and Gorton][12]. And [were sore losers][13]. In Durham they lost the Murton ward by-election earlier this month, with an 11.2% swing against them. After less than a year in charge, Reform Durham are down to 60 councillors.
Many Reform voters were drawn to Reform on a “we don’t trust politicians” and “no one is on our side” line. Most of us would agree with that. A lot of people believed that same line when Boris Johnson used it, despite being an Eton-educated Bullingdon Boy.
They can see their high streets declining. They can feel the cost of living crisis. Once you get past the tribal hard-liners, many Reform voters don’t really think Reform have any answers, they just want to send a message. They [want to be heard][14]. Instead, they are seeing neoliberalism being imposed on the Reform Party from the top. They’re wondering why loads of ex-Tories with serious corruption records are taking senior positions in their party.
## Corruption
So Reform Durham have snubbed families with kids, people who live in towns, LGBT+ people, those with disabilities, those with mental health problems, and of course, anyone who [doesn’t fit their definition of British][15]. But who have they supported?
Welsh Reform leader Nathan Gill is serving a [ten and a half year jail sentence][16] for accepting Russian bribes. What a patriot. Although whether he supported Putin or just his own bank account is hard to tell.
Farage certainly supported Trump’s idiotic attacks on Iran, which are wrecking the finances of millions of Britons. Then [changed his mind][17] when he realised he was out of touch with the public.
Reform are keen supporters of tax dodging, too. Earlier this month, Richard Tice MP, Reform’s deputy leader, was rumbled as [having dodged £600,000][18] in tax through a rare legal loophole. He then doubled down saying he was all in favour of tax avoidance.
Farage himself is never seen in his constituency. He’s too busy earning more from side-hustles than any other MP in Parliament – [over £1.1 million][19]. A true man of the people. Remember that next time you’re wondering if you can afford a holiday.
Here’s another question. What prompts a man who is already a multi-millionaire to spend his time saying whatever he’s told to say [for £70 a pop on Cameo][20]? Including pushing dodgy crypto currency investments. Is that the behaviour of someone who is serious about fixing Britain? Is he really on your side, or is he [for sale to the highest bidder][21]?
Reform have cancelled democracy, and are having an auction instead.
By [Jamie Driscoll][22]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/opinion/2025/05/08/reform-take-back-control/
[2]: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cze801ke3eko
[3]: https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/25847393.durham-county-council-votes-cut-school-transport-scheme/
[4]: https://england.shelter.org.uk/professional_resources/news_and_updates/council_tax_debt_collection
[5]: https://debtjustice.org.uk/press-release/cost-of-living-crisis-pushes-1-2-million-more-people-into-council-tax-arrears
[6]: https://www.theguardian.com/money/article/2024/sep/09/martin-lewis-authorities-handle-unpaid-council-tax-like-worst-loan-sharks
[7]: https://www.facebook.com/JamieDriscollNE/posts/im-straight-but-for-years-ive-flown-the-pride-flag-behind-me-in-every-tv-intervi/1264585835671041/
[8]: https://x.com/miffythegamer/status/1895970166128992625
[9]: https://informuk.org/reforms-phony-war-on-woke/
[10]: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/nov/13/reform-uk-voters-revealed-slapdash-coalition-nigel-farage-labour
[11]: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jan/08/go-back-home-farage-schoolmate-accounts-bring-total-alleging-racist-behaviour-to-34
[12]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2025/10/24/caerphilly-by-election/
[13]: https://www.thedailymash.co.uk/politics/getting-elected-with-muslim-votes-is-illegal-actually-sniffs-farage-20260227264515
[14]: https://www.thecanary.co/opinion/2025/05/09/after-the-local-elections-why-are-politicians-still-not-listening/
[15]: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jan/27/matthew-goodwin-gorton-and-denton-reform-uk-minorities
[16]: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5yd878ejqko
[17]: https://observer.co.uk/news/politics/article/leaders-flip-flop-over-iran-war-as-party-falls-out-of-step-with-supporters
[18]: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/mar/16/britons-should-strive-to-pay-minimum-tax-legally-possible-richard-tice-reform
[19]: https://www.itv.com/news/2026-03-25/farage-tops-list-of-mps-outside-earnings-making-43000-for-filming-cameos
[20]: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/mar/22/racist-meme-nigel-farage-cameos-online-far-right
[21]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/03/25/reform-crypto-crackdown/
[22]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/jamie-driscoll/
https://www.thecanary.co/opinion/2026/03/27/reform-democracy/

2026-03-27 12:43:05 UTC

Zack Polanski calls out Sadiq Khan’s leasehold betrayal
[Zack Polanski and Sadiq Khan]
Zack Polanski has provided some much needed clarity to the issue of leasehold properties.
Showing he’s a Labour man through and through, Sadiq Khan is tackling the problem by acknowledging it exists while doing sweet eff-all to fix it:
> Sadiq Khan just refused to commit to no more new build leasehold buildings in London.
>
> Literally moments after banging on about how bad leasehold is and that it's a feudal system.
>
> The Labour hypocrisy knows no ends. What do they stand for other than to protect wealth & power?
>
> — Zack Polanski (@ZackPolanski) [March 26, 2026][1]
## Polanski speaks out
In response to Polanski, the group Free Leaseholders posted the following:
> Well done. [@MayorofLondon][2] [@SadiqKhan][3] has a dire record on leaseholder liberation.
>
> In his 2021 manifesto, he promised to lead the way on commonhold with a pilot scheme.
>
> It never happened.
>
> The promise then disappeared from his last manifesto.
>
> Vested interests before the people. [pic.twitter.com/d8ZyLuKL79][4]
>
> — Free Leaseholders (@FreeLeasehlders) [March 26, 2026][5]
[The group explain the following on their site][6]:
> Leasehold is a long-term tenancy agreement where you pay for the right to occupy the property you live in, but you don’t truly own the flat itself or the bricks and mortar.
>
> When you buy a home, you shouldn’t gain a landlord. But that’s the case for 5.3 million households like ours across England and Wales. We’re subject to ground rent to stay in our homes, crippling service charges, the constant threat of forfeiture if we don’t pay up, and have no control over how our homes are managed.
>
> The leasehold system has turned our dreams of home ownership into a nightmare.
>
> It dates all the way back to 1066 – and it doesn’t exist in most of the world and where it used to, they’ve worked out it’s no longer fit for purpose.
> But for decades, governments have been pledging to abolish it but each time they’ve given in to pressure from powerful lobbies that benefit from leasehold.
>
> That’s why leaseholders across the country are coming together – we need to be louder than the vested interests. Together, we can call on politicians to stand their ground and end this broken system once and for all.
The group also said that leaseholds could “collapse the property market”:
> Student loans are a government-backed, wealth-destroying scam.
>
> Want another preying on the young?
>
> Leasehold has made the first rung of the property ladder toxic.
>
> “Buy” a flat and become a wage slave to a freeholder.
>
> Leasehold will collapse the UK property market.
>
> WATCH [👇] [pic.twitter.com/Ck9ZlSGgDZ][7]
>
> — Free Leaseholders (@FreeLeasehlders) [February 24, 2026][8]
Lending credence to this idea, many of the homes which are currently losing value in London are – you guessed it – leaseholds:
> had a quick look through this account and bascially every example is a leasehold lol [https://t.co/K1JetQtxal][9]
>
> — sonny (@SonnyTLoughran) [March 23, 2026][10]
It’s almost as if people don’t want to buy something you can’t own.
## Leasehold London
The problem with leasehold properties is they combine the cost of purchasing a house with the downsides of not actually owning one, [as HG wrote for the *Canary* in January this year][11]:
> Most flats in the UK are leasehold, along with some shared ownership houses.
>
> Freehold means a resident owning their property and the land it is built on. On the other hand, leasehold means owning the property for a fixed period, while still paying ground rent to the landlord, who either owns the building (such as a block of flats) or the land.
>
> When the lease ends, ownership returns to the landlord.
>
> In comparison, commonhold provides freehold ownership for flats or other interdependent buildings.
Labour now have a reputation for betraying the public’s trust on leaseholds, as HG added:
> in the run-up to the 2024 General Election, Labour [promised][12] to:
>
> > act where the Conservatives have failed and finally bring the feudal leasehold system to an end.
>
> Labour literally promised to end leasehold. Whilst we shouldn’t be surprised that Starmer has made yet another U-turn, a £250 cap is a shitshow when it should be zero. And yes, after 40 years, it will change to ‘peppercorn’, or zero. But why in 40 years and not now?
Then, as now, Zack Polanski called Labour out on the issue:
> Time for Government to stop tinkering around the edges and scrap leasehold altogether. [https://t.co/7963GGOzWM][13]
>
> — Zack Polanski (@ZackPolanski) [January 27, 2026][14]
## Promote ownership or get owned
The constant betrayals from Labour politicians are why the Green Party are doing so well against the governing party.
Politicians like Keir Starmer and Sadiq Khan need to remember that much like this nation’s leaseholders, they don’t have the inherent right to remain in their offices forever.
*Featured image via [Barold][15]*
By [Willem Moore][16]
[1]: https://twitter.com/ZackPolanski/status/2037131327292510507?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[2]: https://twitter.com/MayorofLondon?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[3]: https://twitter.com/SadiqKhan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[4]: https://t.co/d8ZyLuKL79
[5]: https://twitter.com/FreeLeasehlders/status/2037133115299078229?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[6]: https://www.freeleaseholders.org.uk/
[7]: https://t.co/Ck9ZlSGgDZ
[8]: https://twitter.com/FreeLeasehlders/status/2026354976046391334?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[9]: https://t.co/K1JetQtxal
[10]: https://twitter.com/SonnyTLoughran/status/2036092139654766960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[11]: https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2026/01/27/starmer-leasehold/
[12]: https://x.com/FreeLeasehlders/status/2015910650858311934
[13]: https://t.co/7963GGOzWM
[14]: https://twitter.com/ZackPolanski/status/2016059297604485377?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[15]: https://x.com/JustBarold
[16]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/willem-moore/
https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2026/03/27/polanski-leaseholds/

2026-03-27 12:14:29 UTC

A parliamentary debate just highlighted the gaping holes in NHS care for EDS and CCI patients
[EDS debate]An impassioned parliamentary debate has shone a spotlight on a group of “not rare”, just “rarely diagnosed”, yet life-threatening chronic, genetic illnesses. However, despite poignant pleas for concrete action, the government has offered little more than warm words to the long ignored patient communities at the centre of the debate.
## EDS and CCI debate takes place in parliament
On Thursday 26 March, a cross-party group of MPs turned out to Westminster Hall to call on the government to address the abysmal lack of NHS diagnosis and medical care services for people living with Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS), hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD), craniocervical and atlantoaxial instabilities (CCI and AAI).
The Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) [are a group of][1] 13 complex genetic tissue disorders. These conditions affect the entire body, often leaving people in daily pain, exhaustion, and isolation. The hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD) are connective tissue disorders whose features overlap with the most common type of EDS, hypermobile EDS.
CCI and AAI [involve][2] excessive [mobility][3] at certain junctions in the neck. This can result in restricted blood flow, compression, and damage to nerves in the neck.
For the first time, parliamentarians spanning the political spectrum brought the lack of recognition for this severe and sometimes life-threatening assemblage of conditions into focus. Surprisingly, even Reform’s Lee Anderson took to the floor. Of course, there was a jarring disconnect in an MP who has vociferously punched down on disabled people speaking at a debate on chronic illness. Nevertheless, Anderson made the time to turn up for his constituents – including one whose story he amplified during the debate.
And of course, that striking contradiction isn’t solely the preserve of Reform. Plenty of speakers from other parties will have voted for the government’s benefit cuts. However, for a good hour and half, MPs refreshingly centred the lived realities of their [chronically ill][4] and [disabled][5] constituents.
## The intersections between EDS and CCI
Labour MP Josh Newbury spearheaded the debate. The Crannock Chase MP emphasised how he brought the debate to draw attention to the intersection between EDS and CCI specifically.
He opened it with the story of his 31-year constituent Connor, who lives with both EDS and CCI, explaining that:
> Some people living with EDS experience chronic joint dislocations, severe and persistent pain, and significant neurological complications. One of those complications in cases like Connor’s is CCI, whereby the skull no longer sits safely on the spine, placing pressure on the brain stem and spinal cord.
Recounting Connor’s words, Newbury detailed how:
> He says that his head is quite literally falling off his body. Chillingly, that is not something that is picked up on a scan but not felt; rather, Connor feels his head shifting around dangerously every day, with all the pain that goes with that. He is also acutely aware that his symptoms continue to worsen.
Newbury hit quickly on this point that the [NHS][6] lacks necessary diagnostic equipment – specifically, upright MRI scanners:
> in EDS, the instability comes from ligament laxity and is often positional, so that when someone is upright, the head is not adequately supported by the neck. That is often not visible when patients are lying flat in a standard MRI scanner, so their scans might appear normal despite ongoing neurological symptoms.
Yet gallingly, as the *Canary’s* Steve Topple [recently highlighted][7]:
> senior practitioners advised the-then health secretary Jeremy Hunt in 2013 that upright MRI scanners were desperately needed in the NHS. He ignored them.
## A postcode lottery
Many MPs drove home that care for EDS is also an unreliable postcode lottery. Labour MP Patricia Ferguson underscored research from Edinburgh University [revealing that][8] EDS patients in Scotland:
> can wait up to 20 years for diagnosis
Fellow Labour MP Jayne Kirkham detailed the paucity in medical services in Cornwall:
> One constituent described moving from Kent to Cornwall a few years ago and finding that the services for patients with EDS in Cornwall were “virtually non-existent”. They were initially able to access care at the dysautonomia clinic in Derriford in Devon, but that has since closed with no successor. That has meant that my constituent has spent nearly £1,000 since December on appointments and travel to see private consultants. Many constituents told me that physiotherapy has helped them, but they have experienced long waits and found that there is a shortage of professionals experienced in the condition in the duchy.
Meanwhile, DUP politician Jim Shannon put EDS and CCI diagnosis and care in the context of Northern Ireland’s lack of “detailed prevalence data”.
As it currently stands, the NHS [has commissioned][9] just two specialist diagnostic services for EDS in Sheffield and London.
## No EDS-focused services for CCI patients
In CCI and AAI, the situation is even worse. Newbury said his constituent Connor has been having seizures and difficulty swallowing and breathing in “recent days”. In the process of making enquiries on his behalf, he relayed that he has:
> been told that there is currently no established or commissioned NHS service for investigation, multidisciplinary discussion or surgery for CCI in patients with hypermobile EDS.
Multiple MPs spoke to the fact that the NHS simply doesn’t offer CCI surgery EDS patients need when it becomes quite literally life-threatening. As a result, it has forced patients to make expensive trips abroad for treatment. Many people living with CCI have to fundraise for this because they simply can’t afford the astronomical costs.
And even when patients pay-out for exorbitant air ambulances and private care abroad, Newbury pointed out there’s:
> no aftercare, no consistent access to specialist imaging reviews and no co-ordinated rehab; many people are refused any of the care that would normally follow complex neurosurgery.
## Psychologisation and harm: a history of misogynistic misdiagnosis
The debate highlighted how this gaping hole in diagnostic and care pathways often leads to clinicians gaslighting patients.
At the sharp end of this, clinicians [all too often accuse][10] patients of fabricating their illness, as Newbury brought attention to:
> Many people have told me that they have been diagnosed with Munchausen syndrome, so they are not just dismissed but told that their condition is fictitious.
The psychologisation of a chronic, physiological conditions will be familiar to many in the EDS community and beyond. Clinicians have long treated EDS patients in a parallel fashion to [myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME)][11] patients – a commonly comorbid disease.
2025 research [found that][12] doctors had misdiagnosed 94.4% of EDS patients with psychiatric disorders. The study reviewed misdiagnosis across 429 patients.This included 67% who clinicians had diagnosed with ‘conversion disorder’. Most people will know this psychosomatic condition by its colloquial name steeped in misogynistic history: hysteria. Of course, this is no surprise given that EDS, like ME, occurs in women more often than men.
This shared history of medical harm is all the more reason why the NHS also needs to stop siloing care.
Labour MP Liz Twist highlighted this failure to join up specialisms in the context of the often multiple conditions patients live with:
> EDS and HSD do not exist in a vacuum. Many patients find that the condition overlaps with other conditions, such as postural tachycardia syndrome, mast cell activation syndrome, myalgic encephalomyelitis, chronic fatigue syndrome and gut issues. Those overlapping conditions have an exponential impact on patients who are just trying to manage their everyday life. Under the current system, patients are bounced between different and disjointed secondary care specialties that do not communicate or understand the full breadth of the issue, having been forced to leave primary care practitioners who do not have the support they need to manage these complex patients.
## Acknowledging much, committing to very little
Ultimately however, it was evident in the responding minister’s replies that the political will to tackle the dire lack of diagnosis and care, still isn’t there. Under-secretary for the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) Sharon Hodgson addressed constituents who’d contacted their MPs, stating:
> I want those individuals to know that I hear them, and that I recognise the challenges they face and the uncertainty and distress that many describe.
Largely though, she went through the motions of listening, without actually hearing what they called for.
Dismissing the dangers many face and the surgical care some will need that has forced patients to seek care abroad, she said:
> NHS England continues to strengthen clinically led pathways for people with hypermobility-related disorders, with an emphasis on non-surgical management, co-ordinated physiotherapy, and pain management and rehabilitation, as is consistent with the best available evidence.
On National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines, she stopped shy of agreeing to commission them, committing only to:
> asking the NICE prioritisation board… if it will look at the Wales pathways that she suggested when it considers updating NICE guidance.
Of course, that might be useful if NICE actually *had* any guidelines on them to update in the first place.
The fact, as Hodgson herself acknowledged, CCI is not even “recognised as a distinct NHS diagnosis” got a:
> we will look further into that.
Yet even this wasn’t a commitment to address this, but merely to:
> improve pathway consistency by strengthening the existing framework
Whatever that actually means.
Hodgson made no firm promise to make even a strategy, let alone take concrete steps towards joined-up care. Repeatedly, she fell back only on the NHS’s 10-year plan. But critics [have consistently branded][13] this a wishlist, without funding and detail to make it reality. And speaking of under-resourced and unserious wishlists, Hodgson made reference to the [pitiful research funding commitment][14] in the [ME Delivery Plan][15]. The government evidently isn’t planning to put its hands in its pockets for more research funding into EDS or CCI either.
## Hope alone isn’t enough, but the government couldn’t even give that
Overall, Newbury and the cross-party MPs present made heartfelt appeals on behalf of their constituents living with these devastating conditions.
MPs recognised their responsibility to ensure EDS and CCI patients across the country were made to feel seen and heard. And in sharing the stories of their constituents, they did just that.
They echoed EDS Support UK’s [calls for][16] genuine diagnostic and care pathways. And crucially, as Labour MP John McDonnell made abundantly clear – that means the government actually resourcing all this.
At one point, Newbury noted that “hope” was the “key word” of the debate, because it is:
> something that so many people with the conditions do not have at the moment.
As a result, he poignantly argued that:
> That is what we absolutely need to give them.
However, Newbury and other MPs realised that patients can’t simply live on that ‘hope’ alone. They need tangible action. But as ever for those living with under-recognised chronic health conditions – the government and NHS appear to be moving at a glacial pace.
By [Hannah Sharland][17]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/03/24/eds-debate-uk-parliament/
[2]: https://thezebranetwork.org/craniocervical-instability
[3]: https://me-pedia.org/wiki/Atlantoaxial_instability
[4]: http://www.thecanary.co/topics/chronic-illness
[5]: http://www.thecanary.co/topics/disability
[6]: http://www.thecanary.co/topics/nhs
[7]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/03/24/eds-debate-uk-parliament/
[8]: https://www.ehlers-danlos.org/news/eds-uk-campaigning-reaches-holyrood/
[9]: https://www.ehlers-danlos.org/enough/
[10]: https://www.ehlers-danlos.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/ped_rt_eos_advocacy_ppt.pdf
[11]: http://www.thecanary.co/topics/mecfs
[12]: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12191865/
[13]: https://www.local.gov.uk/topics/social-care-health-and-integration/public-health-and-local-government-reflections-10-year#:~:text=In%20conclusion%2C%20the%2010%2DYear,to%20deliver%20on%20its%20promises.
[14]: https://www.meresearch.org.uk/no-additional-funds-envisged-to-implement-me-cfs-delivery-plan/
[15]: https://www.thecanary.co/opinion/2025/04/16/me-delivery-plan-publication/
[16]: https://www.ehlers-danlos.org/enough/
[17]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/hannah-sharland/
https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/03/27/eds-parliament-debate/

2026-03-27 11:09:40 UTC

The economic factors driving femicide in the North of Ireland
[The North of Ireland has a femicide crisis]
A Northern Irish politician, speaking on Good Morning Ulster, cited “precarious work” and “poverty wages” as issues. These contribute to North of Ireland having the worst rate of femicide across Britain and Ireland. During her television appearance, [Sinn Féin MLA Deirdre Hargey said][1]:
> We need a different type of economy that actually supports women within the workplace, where there is well paid jobs and not precarious employment. Some of these women, they don’t have the finance, the independence, and that’s how some of these perpetrators try to encage them.
These issues have come to the forefront of public debate after two young women were murdered in March, as well as the conviction of a man who killed his pregnant partner in 2022.
[Ellie Flanagan, ][2][23 year-old][3][, was murdered on 7 March by ][4]Martin McCarne—her mother’s husband. McCarney was charged with murder and “[possession of an offensive weapon (three knives)][5].”
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) found [28 year old Amy Doherty murdered at an address in Derry on 21 March][6]. They arrested a 30-year-old man arrested on suspicion of the crime.
Finally, on 23 March a jury determined that [Stephen McCullagh had brutally killed partner Natalie McNally][7] at her home in Lurgan three years ago. McCullagh stabbed, beat, and strangled McNally in a brutal attack. He attempted to conceal his crime by blaming it on Natalie’s ex-partner.
# The capitalist culture is harming women
Hargey also discussed the issue of housing, with a[ lack of available properties][8] ready for women wishing to escape domestic violence.
She urged solving:
> …blockages in housing for women who are in situations where there is violence perpetrated against them.
Socialist feminist group ROSA North cited similar underlying causes leading to cruel and violent deaths of women and girls. [They called for Stormont to focus on][9]:
> …ending poverty wages and rampant worker exploitation which disproportionately affects women.
Their statement referred to the need to challenge a capitalist system:
> …which allows wealthy and powerful men to abuse ordinary people rampantly.
The group called for this as part of a broader cultural shift which:
> …challenges the ideas, culture and norms underpinning the violence; that challenges the impunity abusers are imbued with [and] that challenges rape myths and culture…
The Six Counties (the de-colonial term used to refer to the North of Ireland) undeniably has a problem when it comes to ensuring the safety of women and girls. Official data from 2020 to 2025, shows that [there were 30 cases of femicide][10]. That’s a rate of 0.52 per 100,000 people for the period. In contrast, [the rate is 0.45 in England and Wales][11], and [0.24 in Scotland][12]. Most shocking is the comparison with the South of Ireland. There, [the figure is 0.15][13].
For some reason Chief Constable of the PSNI Jon Boutcher thought the appropriate response to this was to defensively quibble over statistics. Rather than simply acknowledge the reality of the problem, he should pledge to improve the force’s approach to it.
# PSNI is not the solution
On 26 March, Boutcher spoke of a statistical error in a 2019 [*BBC* report ][14]that may have given a misleading impression regarding rates of domestic in the North of Ireland. [Speaking before the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee][15] in Westminster, he said that the BBC had cited 8 murders for the year 2017. In reality, only four murders had occurred.
That’s a moot point given the figures discussed above. Boutcher then went on to give a self-serving, rambling, and incoherent response to what the police might do to prevent femicide.
Boutcher instead focused on the [rise of the manosphere][16] — the cretinous online influencers who push a misogynistic worldview, instead of looking at the wholesale issue of femicide. While [turds like Andrew Tate][17] are undoubtedly a malign influence, their recent emergence doesn’t explain rising rates of domestic violence. Over the past [15 years rates remain appallingly high.][18]
Hargey suggested the PSNI need to ask themselves:
> Are we prioritising it as much as we could be?
She said it was “something we have been pushing the police on.” Like any social problem, the police are rarely the sole nor ultimate solution. They can however do more and invest greater funds to ensure women are protected.
Recognising the scale of the crisis, ROSA North called for everyone in society to be part of a movement combating gender violence. Citing MeToo, Ni Una Menos in Latin America, and Black Lives Matter, the group said:
> Let’s look to them for the much needed inspiration to keep fighting for the radically different world we believe possible.
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [Robert Freeman][19]
[1]: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002t2b5
[2]: https://www.psni.police.uk/latest-news/murdered-enniskillen-woman-named-ellie-flanagan-aged-23
[3]: https://www.psni.police.uk/latest-news/murdered-enniskillen-woman-named-ellie-flanagan-aged-23
[4]: https://www.psni.police.uk/latest-news/murdered-enniskillen-woman-named-ellie-flanagan-aged-23
[5]: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy7j4rmlk47o
[6]: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crm12kellkko
[7]: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c393nz3lx71o
[8]: https://www.irishnews.com/news/northern-ireland/housing-waiting-lists-set-to-hit-50000-after-stormont-misses-building-target-UF7JB6SDZNHX3ARP2YCH4NH2YU/
[9]: https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1383610797136213&set=pcb.1383610847136208&locale=en_GB
[10]: https://www.psni.police.uk/system/files/2025-11/1990574960/Police_Recorded_Crime_in_Northern_Ireland_1998-99_to_2024-25.xlsx
[11]: https://www.statista.com/statistics/288298/female-victims-of-homicide-england-and-wales-by-relationship-to-offender/
[12]: https://www.gov.scot/publications/homicide-scotland-2024-25/
[13]: https://www.womensaid.ie/app/uploads/2026/02/Womens-Aid-Femicide-Watch-1996-2025.pdf
[14]: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-49586759
[15]: https://parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/4545f5d1-dc7c-49a7-8ff6-31041d14c180
[16]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ms23FeJWvKU
[17]: https://www.thecanary.co/opinion/2025/03/09/kyle-clifford-andrew-tate/
[18]: https://www.psni.police.uk/system/files/2025-11/1990574960/Police_Recorded_Crime_in_Northern_Ireland_1998-99_to_2024-25.xlsx
[19]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/robert-freeman/
https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2026/03/27/femicide-in-northern-ireland/

2026-03-27 09:56:26 UTC

Farage slammed for skipping BBC QT in his own constituency
[Eddie Izzard vs Nigel Farage on immigration - BBC Question Time]
Nigel Farage did not appear on *BBC Question Time* on 26 March. This is despite the latest edition being filmed in ‘his’ Clacton-on-Sea constituency.
## More lies from Farage
The excuse from Farage — now been exposed as a lie — was an alleged* BBC* policy forbidding the show from hosting MPs if the programme is held in their own constituency.
*Skwawkbox* found no supporting evidence for the claim that *BBC Question Time* bars MPs from appearing in their own constituencies.
This was confirmed by Starmeroid MP, Mike Tapp, who appeared on the show back in [December 2025 when it was broadcast from his Dover constituency.][1]
## BBC Question Time’s racist darling
Farage has loomed over *BBCQT* like a Shakespearean ghost, even when he has not been physically present. The *BBC* has invited Farage onto the show 38 times, and [accused of platforming][2] his hateful, populist discourse, to drive engagement.
His absence was mocked by several users from Clacton. One user wrote:
> Farage has been on Question Time more times than he has been at Clacton. At a rough guess probably 30 times.
In a simpler message, another clacton resident wrote:
> He is called Nigel Mirage in Clacton.
## “Nigel Mirage”
And it seems Farage, reeling from tumbling ratings for his party, was not open to the idea of putting forward a Reform MP for the show in his place.
> I seem to remember being on Question Time, a few months ago, in Dover…my constituency.
>
> You were too scared to even put a Reform MP up for tonight it seems.
>
> Weak. [https://t.co/ZgHOvF8puH][3]
>
> — Mike Tapp MP (@MikeTappTweets) [March 26, 2026][4]
The attempts by a few to defend Farage and his lies did not go well:
> What’s your point? He was an MP on QT in his own constituency. This proves Farage is lying again.
>
> — boatnoise (@boat_noise) [March 26, 2026][5]
Farage’s absence in Clacton isn’t exactly surprising, and the [public reaction][6] says it all. He’s usually absent from Clacton, and [hardly ever mentions it in Parliament][7]. [Many angry constituents][8] took to social media to express this and mock the bigoted Reform leader.
One user, responding to the question, would Farage “relish the chance to answer questions in his own electorate eh?” wrote:
> Of course not. That would mean he’d have to actually go to Clacton.
Still, it’s nothing short of embarrassing to be caught out so quickly—though, honestly, what else could anyone have expected?
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [Skwawkbox][9]
[1]: https://t.co/USlXB4gzpy
[2]: https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2025/12/04/polanski-question-time/
[3]: https://t.co/ZgHOvF8puH
[4]: https://twitter.com/MikeTappTweets/status/2037224992849486100?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[5]: https://twitter.com/boat_noise/status/2037292481121837163?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[6]: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1421599826678646&set=a.463596775812294
[7]: https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/nigel-farage-clacton-mentions-parliament-395509/#:~:text=Well%20there's%20a%20surprise...,have%20an%20aversion%20to%20Clacton.
[8]: https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/news/nigel-farage-reform-clacton-lbc-nick-ferrari-video-b2781900.html#:~:text=Annoyed%20Clacton%20resident%20tells%20Farage%20he's%20ignoring%20town%20%2D%20before%20Reform,Ferrari%20stepped%20in%20to%20correct.
[9]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/skwawkbox/
https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/03/27/farage-skips-bbc-question-time-clacton/

2026-03-26 23:46:23 UTC

Israeli military and settlers carrying out regular raids in West Bank
[West Bank]
Raids carried out by the [Israeli occupation forces][1] (IOF) on the West Bank town of Turmus Ayya, happen very regularly, according to Yaser Alkam.
## West Bank — ‘Turmus Ayya is a peaceful town…. The only violence we see is from the army or from the settlers’
He tells *the Canary*:
> Last night they raided Turmus Ayya starting at 1am, and it continues until this moment. That’s about 12 hours, so far, of continuous raid — going into homes, destroying people’s property and furniture, harassing people, carrying out personal searches and searching their cars. All for no good reason. We haven’t had any incidents around Turmus Ayya for them to claim this is a security raid to look for suspects, or to look for weapons or anything else. Turmus Ayya is a very peaceful town. We’re not violent and we aren’t causing any security issues. The only violence we see is from the army or from the settlers. There is no knock on the door. It does not matter if you are sleeping, the IOF breaks into anyone’s house, at any time they want.
According to Alkam, the IOF will sometimes drive through the streets of the town, without going into any houses. But raids like these, where they go into homes, harrass people and break personal property, happen every week to 10 days.
Sometimes people are arrested during these raids. They are either detained under administrative detention — as there is no evidence against them, or released the following day, after they have been beaten by the occupation.
## Some people are beaten up so badly by the IOF that their bones are broken
Alkam says:
> We’ve had people who are beaten up so badly they have broken limbs. They are trying to scare people with their intimidation tactics, to make us leave our homes and drive us out of the town. It’s working for some people, but not for the majority of us.
Alkam, a lawyer, was born and brought up in Turmus Ayya, but emigrated to the US, just before turning 18. In September 2022, after 35 years in America, he returned to Turmus Ayya with his wife and children to live. He says he felt he owed something to his homeland, that there is a debt he needs to pay to his birth town. He is now the Municipality’s Head of Dept. of Foreign Relations, and tries to spread the word about the injustices happening to the residents of his town.
Around 80 percent of Turmus Ayya’s residents, like Alkam, hold dual citizenship with the US. He says that despite the violence, people have left the US to return to Turmus Ayya with their children. Their children attend local schools, and learn the language, culture and history of Palestine. This, he says, is extremely important:
> With time, if Palestinians keep moving away, Palestine is going to be long gone and forgotten. We don’t want that to happen. Palestinians are struggling to keep their identity, and this is part of maintaining it. For us Palestinians, it’s about a right that we can’t afford to lose — which is our land, our home, our ancestry, and the memories we have in this land. I absolutely don’t regret coming back at all.
## West Bank — in 2023 settlers killed a Turmus Ayya resident
But residents of Turmus Ayya do not only have to put up with the IOF, who destroy their property and terrorise them. Violent colonial Jewish settlers are also a daily threat to life in the town. Settler violence, although sharply increasing since the start of the genocide in Gaza, has been ongoing in Turmus Ayya for decades. The most serious settler attack the town has suffered was in June 2023. Hundreds of settlers from the nearby illegal Shilo settlement stormed the town, firing live ammunition and setting homes and cars ablaze. Ambulances and firefighters were prevented from entering, and one[ Palestinian man was killed.][2]
Alkam has five acres of land he has been unable to access, since October 2023. After just one day of olive picking, in October 2023, he says the army came and kicked him off his land, and he still cannot return.
He says:
> There are[ three settlements][3] near to Turmus Ayya, with the closest being Shilo, established in 1978. The settlers living in Shilo are known as the[ Hilltop Youth][4], and are extremely violent. They want to scare people from going to their lands, so go from one area to another, trying to intimidate and beat people up. Whenever an attack takes place, the army follows, apparently to protect the settlers from Palestinians trying to fight back. We’re not allowed to fight back. We’re supposed to run away. If you stay your ground and don’t run away, that means you’re fighting back!
Residents have repeatedly demanded protection from the American government but, as yet, no assistance has come their way. These settlers see that the US has neglected its own citizens, and this has emboldened them further.
Turmus Ayya is a fairly wealthy town, so farming is not the main source of income for most living here. But for Palestinians, their land and the harvesting of their olives are two of their core identities. They are vital symbols of heritage, resistance, and economic survival, and represent an unbroken, generational connection to their homeland. But in Turmus Ayya vast areas of land have been confiscated and are now controlled by settlers.
## Vast tracts of Palestinian land stolen by the Israeli occupation
Alkam points to a large stretch of land in front of us, and says:
> This here is Turmus Ayya’s farmland, but it’s all beyond our reach. In October 2023, the army declared the area an “unsafe war zone”, and told us all that this is now a closed military zone, instead of just telling us the truth — that they had taken over our land. And over there, also on private Palestinian land, is the outpost of[ Emek Shilo][5], which is about six months old, and was founded by Amishav Melet. He’s a very tough guy, and monitors the entire area. Whenever there’s a settler attack on anyone, you’ll find him on the scene, either minutes before, after, or during the incident. This leads me to believe he is a key decision maker, or organiser of some type.
[West Bank]
Also on land stolen from the people of Turmus Ayya, is Shiloh Winery. Around[ 60 percent ][6]of its 230,000 annual bottles are exported, including to the UK, and it has won consistent international awards. These awards help to not only normalise settlements, such as Shilo, which are all illegal under international, but also to normalise the dispossession of Palestinians from their land. In addition, the Israeli occupation government provides financial support to Shiloh and other West Bank wineries, to help ensure their success.
Alkam says:
> We are not aware of anything that will assist us. The lawyer is against you, the judge is against you, and the law is against you. What can we do? We’re occupied people! All we can do is talk about international law, and seek international protection. But, these days, Israel does not care about international law. The people of Palestine have reached this point of disappointment. It’s a feeling I cannot describe.
*Featured image via [Aljazeera][7]*
By [Charlie Jaay][8]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2026/03/07/west-bank-iof-storm/
[2]: https://www.972mag.com/turmus-ayya-settler-pogrom-palestinians-us/
[3]: https://peacenow.org.il/en/israel-expands-shilo-settlements-jurisdiction-to-legalize-the-ahiya-outpost
[4]: https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=Hilltop+Youth+Shilo+settlement&mid=AE73007C9A0F86F0EB6AAE73007C9A0F86F0EB6A&FORM=VIRE
[5]: https://peacenow.org.il/en/settlements/settlement1313-en
[6]: https://www.shilohwinery.com/post/ancient-roots-modern-winery-3?lang=he&utm_source=chatgpt.com
[7]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/6/21/palestinian-killed-as-israeli-settlers-attack-west-bank-village
[8]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/charlie-jaay/
https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-news/2026/03/26/west-bank-israeli-military/

2026-03-26 23:32:01 UTC

Streeting’s new excuse for bashing striking doctors? The war in Iran, of course!
[Streeting]
Yesterday, 25 March, the British Medical Association (BMA)[ announced six new days of strike action][1]. The news followed the union members’ vote to reject the government’s latest offer on pay and jobs. Following the announcement, supposedly-socialist health secretary Wes Streeting [took to the Commons][2] to continue his streak of [bashing the doctors’ union. ][3]
His excuse for paltry pay offers this time? Well, the economic fallout of the war in Iran, of course. As if he was just brimming with constructive pay offers before Netanyahu and Trump started their latest bombing campaign, the little fucking weasel.
## Strike action
On 24 March, the BMA [officially rejected the government’s latest pay offer.][4] This had included pay uplifts for doctors after the successful completion of their ARCP (annual review of competence progression). Likewise, it also committed to a reform of the nodal points of the pay scale structure.
However, the union called the government out for moving the goalposts during the negotiations. Resident Doctors Committee (RDC) negotiators said that, at the last moment, the Government reduced the original investment on the pay element of the offer. Worse still, they said they’d stretch this over a three-year period.
Given this appalling behaviour from the government, the RDC announced that residents will stage a six-day walkout. This will last from 7 April until 13 April.
## Streeting — moving the goalposts
RDC chair Jack Fletcher explained that the government had failed to deliver on pay offers, in spite of weeks of negotiations. He said:
> We have been negotiating in good faith for weeks to try and end the simultaneous pay and jobs crises for resident doctors. Frustratingly we had been making good progress right up until the point, in the last two weeks, when the Government began to shift the goalposts.
>
> As talks progressed it became clear that the money proposed for pay increases was now going to be spread over three years. This is combined with today’s pay review body (DDRB) recommendation pointing to yet more years in which our pay, at best, barely treads water.
>
> We have made abundantly clear throughout this dispute that our aim is pay restoration, and any deal that did not move us substantially in that direction was not going to fly.
>
> We also cannot ignore that, thanks to global events, economic indicators now point to years of greatly increased inflation. We are simply not going to put an offer to doctors that risks locking in further erosion of pay at a time when doctors continue to leave the UK for other countries.
The strike would be the first industrial action from the RDC since last December. However, the union emphasised that doctors want to get on with their jobs, rather than standing on picket lines – and the RDC is hoping that the threat of action will make the government take the matter seriously.
Likewise, Fletcher re-stated his willingness to negotiate:
> We are not closing the door on talks. We remain willing to negotiate and are eager to get a deal done if we can simply recapture the early positive spirit of negotiations. No strikes need to happen, but Government will need to act fast to prevent them.
## Streeting’s newest excuse
However, Labour’s health secretary is clearly hellbent on doing anything but negotiating in good faith. Instead, he’s once again resorted to threats and excuses.
This time, Streeting bleated that the war in Iran meant there was [no chance of a better pay offer][5]. But, as a reminder, Streeting was [making no-pay-rise offers long before Iran. ][6]
Speaking in the Commons today, 26 March, Streeting said:
> The BMA has pointed to the war in Iran as reason to reject the deal, so let me spell out the consequences of what this country is facing.
>
> This country wants to see de-escalation, a swift resolution to the conflict with a negotiated agreement that puts tough conditions on Iran and specifically its nuclear ambitions.
>
> However, we are planning on the basis of a prolonged conflict because that is the prudent thing to do.
>
> In that eventuality, there would be an impact on the economy and on the public finances. Were that to happen, a future offer to resident doctors will not look better than what is on offer today.
## Doubling down
Worse still, he chose to double down with his threats against the union. Before now, his tactic consisted of blaming resident doctors for handing the next election to Reform —s and thus destroying the NHS. That, and an utterly farcical attempt to [blame the BMA for ruining Christmas (genuinely). ][7]
However, Streeting is now threatening to renege on handing over the money that was already ringfenced to fund the government’s paltry pay offer to resident doctors.
He stated that the government’s patience for NHS disruption is running out, and issued an ultimatum: the BMA has until 2 April to call of the strike, or the government will spend the money on ‘minimising disruption’.
Let’s not mince words here. This is a health secretary speaking for a Labour government — supposedly the pro-union option — threatening to destroy months of negotiations in order to strong-arm workers out of a strike.
If Wes Streeting had any fucking shame, he wouldn’t be able to show his face above a red tie ever again. But at this point, the anti-union health secretary probably feels right at home in Starmer’s Labour, doesn’t he?
Featured image via the Canary
By [Alex/Rose Cocker][8]
[1]: https://www.bma.org.uk/news-and-opinion/new-resident-doctor-strike-dates-announced
[2]: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2026/mar/26/keir-starmer-ukraine-iran-social-media-ban-councils-pensions-latest-news-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&page=with%3Ablock-69c536118f0836c671f18c7a#block-69c536118f0836c671f18c7a
[3]: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2025/12/15/streeting-nhs-collapse/
[4]: https://www.bma.org.uk/news-and-opinion/new-resident-doctor-strike-dates-announced
[5]: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2026/mar/26/keir-starmer-ukraine-iran-social-media-ban-councils-pensions-latest-news-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&page=with%3Ablock-69c536118f0836c671f18c7a#block-69c536118f0836c671f18c7a
[6]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2025/11/06/bma-latest-strikes/
[7]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2025/12/02/resident-doctors-set-strike-dates/
[8]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/alexrosecocker/
https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/03/26/streetings-new-excuse/

2026-03-26 23:12:02 UTC

Labour MPs are gunning for ‘lying bastard’ Morgan McSweeney
[Labour]
Two Labour MPs have separately issued strong responses to the government’s handling of the Morgan McSweeney phone scandal. Richard Burgon provided his in the form of a Parliamentary Written Question; Karl Turner, meanwhile, called McSweeney a “lying bastard”:
> BREAKING: Labour MP says “lying bastard” Morgan McSweeney is “still running the job”.
>
> Following my investigation yesterday into McSweeney’s unlikely account of a “phone theft”, the MP for East Hull, [@KarlTurnerMP][1], has granted me an exclusive interview.
>
> Here’s what he told me:[🧵] [pic.twitter.com/oegLcdSisg][2]
>
> — Jody McIntyre (@jodymcintyre_) [March 26, 2026][3]
## McSwindle
[As we reported][4], Morgan McSweeney is Keir Starmer’s former chief of staff. He resigned in [resigned in disgrace in February this year][5] to take the fall for hiring Peter Mandelson — [a close associate of the international paedophile Jeffrey Epstein][6].
Now, it’s emerged that McSweeney conveniently had his phone stolen not long after Mandelson got the boot. This has led to [the accusation that McSweeney faked this event as cover to permanently delete messages][7]:
> Q: Critics say the theft and botched investigation of Morgan McSweeney’s phone stinks of a cover-up. Can you understand why people are suspicious about this phone being stolen just as the Mandelson scandal was unfolding? [https://t.co/nDvTL34qZj][8]
>
> — Beth Rigby (@BethRigby) [March 26, 2026][9]
Speaking to *Canary* contributor [Jody McIntyre][10], Labour MP Karl Turner said the following:
> This morning on Sky News, Keir Starmer said that it is “a little bit far-fetched” to think that McSweeney could have known that “sometime in the future there would be a request for the phone”.
>
> Labour MP Karl Turner told me this morning that the statement is “absolute bollocks”. [pic.twitter.com/ANxfikYWai][11]
>
> — Jody McIntyre (@jodymcintyre_) [March 26, 2026][12]
> Labour’s Karl Turner told me that he’s not the only MP wary of McSweeney’s version of events.
>
> “We all think it’s f***ing nonsense. The only one’s who will stick by McSweeney are the 2024 intake. The McSweeney, Mandelson, Doyle, and Faulding selections.”
>
> The inner circle. [pic.twitter.com/MRNPSr3Brj][13]
>
> — Jody McIntyre (@jodymcintyre_) [March 26, 2026][14]
Explosively, Turner has alleged that McSweeney is still the puppet master behind our muppet prime minister:
> The MP for East Hull admitted to having an “association” with Peter Mandelson himself, but said:
>
> “With McSwindle, [Peter] Kyle, [Steve] Reed, and [Wes] Streeting, it’s more than an association…they’re very close friends!”
>
> Streeting + Reed have both lied in defending McSweeney. [pic.twitter.com/OCGXQ1DFOX][15]
>
> — Jody McIntyre (@jodymcintyre_) [March 26, 2026][16]
Turner is one of many to note that McSweeney’s story doesn’t make sense. According to the disgraced McSweeney, he called the police, gave them the wrong details, and then called it a day. Like the rest of us, Turner simply can’t believe that:
> Labour MP Karl Turner told me this morning: “I would say to Starmer: ‘Don’t protect McSwindle! You can’t confirm what he’s saying!’
>
> Let’s get to the real issue: the whole world is at war because we’ve got a mad bastard in the White House indiscriminately bombing countries.” [pic.twitter.com/gyJRP0kAu9][17]
>
> — Jody McIntyre (@jodymcintyre_) [March 26, 2026][18]
## Labour — National Security
Turner isn’t the only Labour MP taking the government to task. [Richard Burgon announced the following][19]:
> I’ve submitted these formal Parliamentary Written Questions following reports that Morgan McSweeney’s phone was stolen.
>
> Given the serious impact this could have on getting the truth about the Mandelson scandal (and even on the Labour Together scandal), we need answers.
Burgon is demanding to know:
Given the track record of Starmer’s government, we can’t imagine we’ll get plausible answers to these questions. The more the pressure builds, though, the sooner Labour will have to force the PM out, and the sooner the better.
*Featured image via [PickPik][20]*
By [Willem Moore][21]
[1]: https://twitter.com/KarlTurnerMP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[2]: https://t.co/oegLcdSisg
[3]: https://twitter.com/jodymcintyre_/status/2037133569617744067?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[4]: https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2026/03/26/starmer-pathetic/
[5]: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/02/08/starmer-mcsweeney-quits/
[6]: https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2026/02/03/mandelson-interview-epstein/
[7]: https://news.sky.com/story/what-is-the-controversy-over-morgan-mcsweeneys-stolen-phone-13524327
[8]: https://t.co/nDvTL34qZj
[9]: https://twitter.com/BethRigby/status/2037074905263415778?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[10]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/jody-mcintyre/
[11]: https://t.co/ANxfikYWai
[12]: https://twitter.com/jodymcintyre_/status/2037133572662837623?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[13]: https://t.co/MRNPSr3Brj
[14]: https://twitter.com/jodymcintyre_/status/2037133581068238909?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[15]: https://t.co/OCGXQ1DFOX
[16]: https://twitter.com/jodymcintyre_/status/2037133587242197352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[17]: https://t.co/gyJRP0kAu9
[18]: https://twitter.com/jodymcintyre_/status/2037133594401898589?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[19]: https://x.com/RichardBurgon/status/2037105432490086596?s=20
[20]: https://www.pickpik.com/busy-streets-of-london-liverpool-street-station-financial-district-gherkin-skyscraper-76980
[21]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/willem-moore/
https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2026/03/26/labour-mps-are-gunning/

2026-03-26 22:59:43 UTC

Poor little Israeli settlers don’t feel safe in the houses they just stole
[Israel]
Israel — In peak irony, an illegal Israeli settler cried during a live TV broadcast because he didn’t feel safe in the house he stole from Arabs.
> “You’ve destroyed Kiryat Shimona! You’ve destroyed the border towns everything!”
>
> Israeli settlement leader Erez Saranga of
> Margaliot breaks down in tears on live TV.[pic.twitter.com/vCa5FRmFtr][1]
>
> — Lowkey (@Lowkey0nline) [March 25, 2026][2]
Surely ‘God’s chosen people’ on ‘God’s chosen land’ shouldn’t be so scared of death?
## Israel — stolen land
The man crying is [Eitan Davidi][3]. He is the leader of ‘Margaliot’ — an illegal Israeli settlement near the Lebanese border, which was originally the Lebanese village of Hunin.
The same man has repeatedly called for the ethnic cleansing of South Lebanon for the past two and a half years.
> His moshav was built on the ruins of the Shia village of Hunin. He has repeatedly called for ethnic cleansing of South Lebanon in the past 2.5 years. [https://t.co/4MKyX4NAei][4]
>
> — B.M. (@ireallyhateyou) [March 25, 2026][5]
In 2024, he called for Israel to flatten the ridge above his settlement, where Lebanese villages Hula and Markaba are located.
> Head of Moshav Margaliyot, Eytan Davidi, calls to flatten the ridge above the Moshav, where Lebanese villages Hula & Markaba are located
> Maragliyot is built on the ruins of the depopulated village of Hunin. Most refugees ended up in Hula, which also suffered a huge massacre in 48 [pic.twitter.com/M5atxuaBk1][6]
>
> — B.M. (@ireallyhateyou) [March 10, 2024][7]
## Colonialism in action
In 1923, in true colonial fashion, Britain and France changed the Lebanese-Palestinian border, so Hunin became part of ‘[British Palestine][8]‘. Then, during the 1948 Nakba, Israel stole the village and kicked out its native population.
Imagine crying on live TV over something you did to yourself.
> I don’t feel safe in the house I just stole! [😭] [https://t.co/UTj1yA0JyH][9]
>
> — Tehran Tadhg (@TadhgHickey) [March 25, 2026][10]
> Crying about the destruction of property that was stolen from the Palestinians in the first place [https://t.co/3coldYHYS4][11]
>
> — Akunjee [🖋] (@mohammedakunjee) [March 25, 2026][12]
Maybe in future they, erm, won’t steal homes?
> You tortured a baby with nails and cigarettes, just stole southern Lebanon, bombed your allies to drag them into your senseless wars, then have the audacity to cry on TV about homes you stole from their owners?
>
> What kind of depravity is this? [https://t.co/BNScMWU0l2][13]
>
> — 𝕬𝖗𝖙𝖊𝖒𝖎𝖘 [🇵🇸] (@BlurryfaceXOXO) [March 26, 2026][14]
Honestly, it’s a shame that poor little settlers do not feel safe in stolen homes. Maybe they’ll leave and fly back to wherever they got their original passport.
> [https://t.co/ljx6tStp6e][15] [pic.twitter.com/tWWJr7Xnx0][16]
>
> — 𝓜ona [🌼] (@monaas921) [March 26, 2026][17]
## Zionist tears
After watching Israel systematically carpet bomb Gaza, and now Lebanon and Iran, Zionist tears are a beautiful sight.
Now, poor Israeli settlers cannot enjoy their stolen homes because of what? Antisemitism? More like the consequences of their own shitty decisions.
> Because of antisemitism I can’t enjoy my stolen house [💔] [https://t.co/kDyx56X1ig][18]
>
> — Luke(South African Ambassador to the USA) (@lukeheerdanWTF) [March 25, 2026][19]
Cry me a river — although be careful, Israel has a nasty habit of [bombing bridges][20] — along with peace talks, schools, hospitals, and innocent civilians.
It’s funny how when it’s happening to Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, or Iran, it’s ‘security’ and ‘defeating terrorists’. But when it’s happening to you, you start crying and ask them to make it stop. Karma is a bitch, and we’re here for it.
A large proportion of Gen Z spent years thinking they needed therapy. In reality, all we needed was to see Zionists crying on live TV. Who needs antidepressants when bombs are dropping on Tel Aviv?
Israelis are professional victim players — they cry ‘antisemitic’ when things don’t go their way. Really, though, it’s just antiseptic. Iran and Hezbollah are slowly ridding the world of the nasty bacteria that is Israel.
*Feature image via [@DD_Geopolitics/ X][21]*
By [HG][22]
[1]: https://t.co/vCa5FRmFtr
[2]: https://twitter.com/Lowkey0nline/status/2036848114582122793?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[3]: https://x.com/Lowkey0nline/status/2036896929972466032
[4]: https://t.co/4MKyX4NAei
[5]: https://twitter.com/ireallyhateyou/status/2036868762297618837?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[6]: https://t.co/M5atxuaBk1
[7]: https://twitter.com/ireallyhateyou/status/1766923615767846980?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[8]: https://www.britannica.com/place/Palestine/World-War-I-and-after
[9]: https://t.co/UTj1yA0JyH
[10]: https://twitter.com/TadhgHickey/status/2036872891053035891?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[11]: https://t.co/3coldYHYS4
[12]: https://twitter.com/mohammedakunjee/status/2036901582483099830?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[13]: https://t.co/BNScMWU0l2
[14]: https://twitter.com/BlurryfaceXOXO/status/2036970843272573035?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[15]: https://t.co/ljx6tStp6e
[16]: https://t.co/tWWJr7Xnx0
[17]: https://twitter.com/monaas921/status/2036997521508024384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[18]: https://t.co/kDyx56X1ig
[19]: https://twitter.com/lukeheerdanWTF/status/2036886396795789415?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[20]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/2026/03/23/lebanon-bridges-demolished-by-israel/
[21]: https://x.com/DD_Geopolitics/status/2036830796992950548
[22]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/hg/
https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2026/03/26/israel-settlers-dont-feel-safe/

2026-03-26 19:39:09 UTC

Timm’s DWP PIP review consultation wont even bother reading responses — they’ll feed them to AI
[DWP]
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has admitted that it won’t even read the responses to the Timms PIP review. The consultation responses will instead be run through AI and ‘consolidated’. This is despite the DWP recently attacking claimants for using AI, saying it could be used to cheat the system.
## More bullshit from the Timms Review
On 19th March, the DWP [finally opened][1] their call for evidence for the Timms Review into PIP. It was, of course, absolute bullshit.
As[ *The Canary’s* Hannah Sharland pointed out][2], by calling it a ‘call for evidence’ instead of the typical consultation, they can get away with running it for only 10 weeks instead of the legal 12 weeks minimum for a consultation.
This could also be a cunts trick by the DWP to stop disabled campaigners from taking legal action. This is after the WCA consultation which ran for eight weeks [was found to be unlawful][3].
As Sharland said
> Of course, it speaks volumes that the DWP is giving disabled people – some of whom will need more time to engage – even less time than the standard amount to do so
This goes directly against the Minister for Disabled People, Stephen Timms, declaring
> it is vital that as many people as possible have the chance to contribute.
Because it’s one thing to say that, but to actually enable disabled people to respond is another thing entirely.
The call for evidence has given respondents questions to answer, which of course focus solely on slyly restricting PIP. The questions are vague as fuck, but their agenda is clear – to highlight that too many claim PIP.
The DWP [asks][4]:
> What has changed in wider society and the workplace since 2013 (and might be expected to change in the future), how has this impacted PIP and does PIP need to change accordingly?
>
> the factors contributing to increased disability prevalence in society including different conditions, ages, people, and terminal illness
But the biggest proof that this is nothing but a tick box exercise to the DWP is who will be reading the results. Because, surprise, it won’t be a fucking human.
[The department said][5]
> The Department for Work and Pensions will analyse and summarise responses and may use artificial intelligence to assist with the handling of responses
Yep that’s right, they want disabled people to do this extra labour, for it to be fed to the robots who will select the information it deems important
They clarify what the AI will be doing further down
> DWP will create a summary response to support the steering group in consolidating the evidence received.
AI can arguably be used as an accessibility tool for those who struggle to read large amounts of text, as many of the steering group members may. However, its inclusion here feels much more like it’s being used against disabled people than to support them.
## AI used to restrict responses, but not to support us
There’s also the fact that in this instance, it’s probably because the steering group have so little time to read answers, with just
The thing is, AI doesn’t (yet) have sentience, so it only does what it’s programmed to. That means the DWP could give the machine a very strict parameter of which answers to include and which they don’t. And if the choice is answers which support DWP’s rhetoric or ones that call them out, we know which ones they’ll favour.
What this means the only disabled people involved in the review will have the responses they see restricted. They won’t be given a full picture to work from, and this ‘summarising’ will affect their already limited influence on the review.
And then there’s the hypocrisy, which the DWP does best. Just a few weeks ago, they were leading a press campaign against[ disabled people who used AI to complete PIP forms][6].
[The* i Paper*][7] ran with:
> The new PIP mistake making the DWP more suspicious of claimants than ever
The article accused disabled people of using AI tools, in combination with DWP handbooks that they’re fighting to keep hidden, as the DWP says
> craft responses or scripts that mirror the exact requirements needed to score highly
Of course, this is utter bullshit. And the media, propping up the DWP’s hate, completely missed the point of why people felt they needed to use AI to complete forms. That the PIP assessment system is so soul-destroying and difficult to navigate without knowing exactly the right words to say. Not to mention that it’s a fucking 40-page form and you’re often given [just days to complete i][8]t. For someone with limited energy or conditions affecting their intellectual abilities, it feels deliberate.
## The DWP don’t care that they’re hypocrites
But of course, the DWP will use every weapon in their arsenal to destory disabled people, they don’t care about how hypocritical it makes them.
They know the public can be angered over benefit fraudsters cheating the system with AI, whilst they use AI against us. Because they control the narrative, and they’ve already turned the public against disabled people.
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [Rachel Charlton-Dailey][9]
[1]: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/call-for-public-views-to-improve-disability-benefit-for-millions
[2]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/03/19/dwp-review/
[3]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2025/01/16/dwp-wca-court-verdict/
[4]: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69ba9c6fa09c5b4c73dad7de/timms-review-call-for-evidence.pdf
[5]: https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/timms-review-of-personal-independence-payment-call-for-evidence
[6]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/03/12/dwp-mainstream-media/
[7]: https://inews.co.uk/news/new-pip-mistake-dwp-more-suspicious-claimants-4283555?srsltid=AfmBOorGlMtcHX03GSWQ_eyFbPulE6Gi36UwkwOTeLTZPZg8YfkEj1Ev
[8]: https://www.thecanary.co/opinion/2024/05/22/dwp-pip-stopped/
[9]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/rachel-charlton-dailey/
https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/03/26/dwp-pip-review-consultation/

2026-03-26 19:08:32 UTC

A win for water companies: a year of low rain means lower sewage-dumping statistics
[Sewage]
Today, 26 March, the government [released its latest sewage spill statistics][1], as gathered by the Environment Agency (EA). The banner headline boasted “Fewer and shorter storm overflow spills” over 2025. Well, that’s just marvellous, isn’t it?
However, once we get about a third of the way into the document, we get to the meat of the matter:
> Much of this improvement reflects unusually dry conditions in 2025 following a particularly wet 2024.
So, the water companies are dumping less sewage, not because they’ve done their goddamn jobs, but because they got lucky with the weather.
Or, to put that another way,[ companies dumped untreated sewage][2] once every two minutes over 2025. However, the UK water industry is such a (literal) shitshow that this constitutes a genuine improvement on 2024. And we’re chalking this up as a fucking win?
## Laying cover for the polluters
The EA announced that 2025 saw 291,492 monitored spill events. That represents a 35% drop in storm overflow spills compared to the previous year. It also means that each individual overflow experienced an average of 20.5 spills, down from 31.8 in 2024.
Likewise, the overall duration of those spills also fell massively, by around 48%. Depending on the company, the durations decreased by between 40% and 70%.
However, these drops are to be expected, given that 2025 was an unusually dry year. Storm overflows will naturally see less use when the UK experiences fewer storms. Consequently, we’ll get a more accurate idea of whether the water companies have done their job when we get another year of heavy rain.
It also means that, in spite of the fact that storm overflows *should* [only be used in extreme weather events][3], the water companies were still making regular use of them. Spring 2025 was the driest in over a century, and the year was the warmest on record overall.
Some water companies even instituted hosepipe bans for the public, and then continued to dump sewage themselves. Yorkshire Water, for example, imposed a 5-month hosepipe ban. Meanwhile, the company’s official performance rating was downgraded because it actually* increased* its pollution incidents.
Karen Shackleton, representing the Ilkley Clean River Group, said:
> Today’s report creates a cover for water companies’ illegal pollution and neglect of our infrastructure. The figures for last year, in drought conditions, take us back to the level of pollution we had two to three years ago in normal weather. This is not a good news story. Yorkshire Water is still polluting illegally and the government is still failing to hold them to account.
## Sewage — £6.9m in fines isn’t enough
2025 also brought with it an increase in the monitoring of sewage spills. In particular, all storm overflows in England are now fitted with ‘event duration monitors’ (EDM), giving us a more accurate picture of the extent of individual water companies’ crimes.
Along with this, the EA has also updated its online map of storm overflow monitoring. [The EDM Data Portal][4] publishes open-access monitoring information for overflows across England.
Along with this increased level of scrutiny, water companies have been slapped with numerous fines for their crimes. In 2025, these enforcement undertakings ran to a total of £6.9 million for breaches of environmental law.
However — and flogging a dead horse here for a minute — these fines clearly aren’t working. Sophie Conquest, lead campaigner at anti-privatisation pressure group We Own It, said:
> Under our privatised system, pollution is rewarded with profit. Less money invested in crucial infrastructure means more of billpayers’ money lining the pockets of shareholders.
>
> Sewage pollution is a dire threat to public health, and has decimated our rivers and seas. This government must stop rearranging the deckchairs on the titanic, and bring water into public ownership without delay – starting with the collapsing Thames Water.
This is a cycle, and by now it’s a familiar one:
1. The water companies don’t maintain their infrastructure.
2. They dump sewage into our lakes, rivers and seas.
3. Then, the Environment Agency slaps them with fines and sanctions.
4. But the water companies [go and jack up their prices,][5] ostensibly so that they can fix their shoddy infrastructure.
5. Return to Step 1.
So tell me again who’s actually paying the fines here?
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [Alex/Rose Cocker][6]
[1]: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/fewer-and-shorter-storm-overflow-spills-in-2025-new-monitoring-data-shows
[2]: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/sewage-england-water-environment-agency-b2946010.html
[3]: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/mar/26/sewage-released-into-englands-rivers-and-seas-nearly-300000-times-last-year
[4]: https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/c9b8f3ba094c429aa30e0e2b6eaf43ac
[5]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/2026/01/29/water-bill-set-to-increase-uk/
[6]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/alexrosecocker/
https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/03/26/sewage-dumping-falls/

2026-03-26 18:56:16 UTC

Guga hunt island is ‘Scotland’s worst performing gannet colony’
[Gannets (illustrative) guga hunt]
Sula Sgeir is Scotland’s worst-performing gannet colony. But the body responsible for protecting it is still allowing hunters to [kill gannet fledglings][1]. A freedom of information request has exposed the colony’s collapse, even as the nature agency continues to permit the controversial seabird hunt.
Each year a group of men from the Isle of Lewis travels to the remote uninhabited island of Sula Sgeir. They go there to kill young gannet seabirds, known as “guga”, as part of a traditional hunt. It is the last legal seabird hunt in the UK. The activity is carried out under licence from [NatureScot][2], and the bird’s flesh is eaten as a local delicacy.
The hunt has become increasingly controversial, triggering protests, political pressure in the Scottish Parliament, and even a dramatic rooftop occupation by activists calling for it to be banned. [45,000 people have now signed][3] a [petition against the guga hunt][4].
Last year, NatureScot allowed the killing of 500 birds and said this number is unlikely to affect the long-term stability of the gannet population.
## An underperforming gannet colony
But wildlife advocacy group [Protect the Wild][5] obtained relevant documents via a freedom of information request. And the data shows Sula Sgeir is uniquely underperforming relative to every other comparable gannet colony in Scotland.
In a scientific assessment used to inform the 2025 licence, NatureScot’s adviser warns that Sula Sgeir is the only Special Protection Area (SPA) for gannets in Scotland whose population has shrunk.
Between 2001, when the island first became an SPA, and 2024, the number of apparently occupied nesting sites at Sula Sgeir fell by almost 2%. Meanwhile, all other colonies showed increases between 9% and 314%.
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) outbreaks caused a further 23% crash in 2023. But the decline was already in progress.
As NatureScot’s adviser states:
> This indicates that the population growth rate has been suppressed compared to other gannet populations outwith the influence of HPAI.
In other words, bird flu didn’t cause the gannets’ decline – it only worsened a problem that was already underway.
Devon Docherty, Scottish campaigns manager at Protect the Wild said this shows the Guga hunt is driving the colony’s decline:
> NatureScot says the Guga hunt does not negatively impact the gannet population. But their own data says otherwise. Sula Sgeir is Scotland’s worst performing gannet colony – the only one in decline while every other comparable colony grows.
>
> This is not a coincidence. The hunters slaughter hundreds or thousands of chicks every year at their most vulnerable and critical life-stage, while causing chaos and distress throughout the entire colony.
>
> NatureScot must use their discretionary power and stop licensing this cruelty immediately.
*Featured image via John Ranson / the Canary*
By [The Canary][6]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/news/2025/09/15/scotlands-nature-agency-permitted-the-cruel-clubbing-of-gannet-chicks-this-september/
[2]: https://www.nature.scot/
[3]: https://protectthewild.org.uk/gannet-petition/
[4]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/news/2026/02/18/25000-back-calls-for-naturescot-to-end-controversial-guga-hunt/
[5]: https://protectthewild.org.uk/
[6]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/thecanary/
https://www.thecanary.co/uk/news/2026/03/26/guga-hunt-island-is-scotlands-worst-performing-gannet-colony/

2026-03-26 18:20:54 UTC

Parliamentary petition urges apology for UK’s role in slavery and colonialism
[Composite image showing Palace of Westminster behind Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP, chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Afrikan Reparations Petition on reparations for slavery and colonialism]
Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP is chair of the [All Party Parliamentary Group for Afrikan Reparations][1]. (The [spelling with a “k” is deliberate][2].) On 25 March, the UN International Day for the Remembrance of Victims of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, she presented a petition in Parliament. It [calls for an apology for the UK’s role][3] in African chattel slavery and [colonialism][4].
Ribeiro-Addy’s petition hand-in comes as UN delegates vote on a historic motion, tabled by Ghana, which would recognise the trafficking and enslavement of Africans as a crime against humanity. The UK government has not indicated whether it will support this motion.
The petition calls on MPs to push for a state apology on behalf of the government and the monarchy for the UK’s role in the slavery and colonisation of African people.
It also asks parliamentarians to establish an All-Party Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry for Truth and Reparatory Justice. This would examine the legacy of these crimes and propose concrete steps to address their lasting damage.
It notes that there has never been:
> a genuine apology for the enslavement, trafficking, genocide, and exploitation committed under British authority.
Ribeiro-Addy said:
> To this day, our country has never provided a genuine apology for the crimes of British Empire or the Transatlantic slave trade.
>
> Rather than acknowledging these historical injustices and how they have shaped the world we live in today, our institutions have sought to sweep them under the carpet.
>
> So many of the intersecting global challenges we now face are rooted in the legacies of enslavement and empire: from geopolitical instability to racism, inequality, underdevelopment and climate breakdown.
>
> To truly confront these issues, we must acknowledge where they come from. An apology could be a meaningful basis for action, signalling our country’s commitment not simply to righting historic wrongs but to tackling ongoing issues they have created and exacerbated.
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [The Canary][5]
[1]: https://www.appg-ar.org/
[2]: https://dreadedpower.wordpress.com/2009/06/21/afrika-vs-africa/
[3]: https://www.change.org/p/apology-for-britain-s-role-in-african-chattel-enslavement-and-colonialism?recruiter=1391787311&recruited_by_id=4a653b80-a5d9-11f0-9a4b-1185c0e23041&utm_source=share_petition&utm_campaign=petition_dashboard&utm_medium=copylink
[4]: https://www.thecanary.co/topics/colonialism/
[5]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/thecanary/
https://www.thecanary.co/uk/news/2026/03/26/parliamentary-petition-urges-apology-for-uks-role-in-slavery-and-colonialism/

2026-03-26 18:10:50 UTC

Streeting has showed that he knows how to react to discrimination — so why is it crickets for Islamophobia in the NHS?
[Streeting]
Yesterday, 24 March, Health Secretary Wes Streeting [announced the offer of four replacement ambulances][1] to Hatzolah, the Jewish-run charity ambulance service [which suffered an arson attack][2] on the morning of 23 March.
Since the attack, politicians across the political spectrum have voiced their condemnation of antisemitism. Predictably, some have also taken the opportunity to[ attack Muslims and migrants][3] — without evidence that the attackers were either.
In Streeting’s case, both his words and his offer of tangible support are a clear demonstration of the energy we need when tackling bigotry in the UK. The problem is, this only makes his careless attitude to Islamophobia in his own NHS all the more egregious when we contrast the two.
## Streeting — ‘Despicable act of evil’
In his statement, Streeting was [unequivocal in his condemnation of antisemitism][4]:
> This shocking, cowardly, and despicable act of evil was not only an attack on London’s Jewish community, but on an ambulance service whose sole purpose is to save lives and care for others.
>
> There is no doubt this attack was designed to strike fear into the heart of Jewish people in Golders Green and across the country. And, as a Member of Parliament who represents a significant Jewish community further east in London, I know what’s happened will be felt painfully and acutely by all Jewish people across our country.
Likewise, he also went on to praise Hatzolah, and offered his practical support:
> Hatzola’s volunteers represent the very best of public service, providing rapid, life-saving care to anyone in need, and it is appalling that such a service has been targeted in this way.
>
> Of course, the best form of solidarity is practical solidarity, which is why today, our London Ambulance Service colleagues are providing support to the team in Golders Green to make sure that we don’t skip a beat when it comes to responding to emergency call-outs. We will also be providing four replacement ambulances, initially on loan until we can provide permanent replacements. The Jewish community should not bear the cost of this hatred.
>
> This moment demands more than practical support. The Jewish community will not stand alone – the government and this entire country stand with them.
We’re not going to argue with any of this. It’s the exact kind of response we should expect in the face of rising antisemitism in the UK. The problem is that, for Streeting and much of the Labour Party, that attitude clearly doesn’t extend to all forms of racism.
## Streeting’s ‘Lack of urgency and movement’
As a case in point, late last year the British Islamic Medical Association (BIMA)[ wrote a letter][5] to Streeting and other senior figures in UK healthcare. The missive urged action against a [pattern of Islamophobic attacks][6] on Muslim staff and patients in the NHS.
On 4 December, BIMA president Dr. Sahira Dar [wrote a letter][7] to Streeting which stated:
> I am writing to express our growing concern that we have still not received a response to our previous correspondence on 20th October 2025 or our meeting on 9th September regarding the safety, fair treatment and freedom of expression of Muslim healthcare workers. This lack of urgency and movement is increasingly difficult to reconcile with, especially in light of a serious Islamophobic incident reported at Leeds Teaching Hospitals, where a copy of the Qur’an was desecrated on NHS premises.
In another letter, BIMA [reminded Streeting that][8]:
> The NHS constitution commits the service and its leaders to uphold respect, dignity, inclusion and safety for all staff. Ensuring that Muslim workers and patients can engage with the NHS without fear, while trusting that discriminatory behaviour will be taken seriously and responded to transparently is fundamental to these values.
It also reiterated the organisation’s desire to meet with the health secretary to continue their discussions. Likewise, it expressed its extreme disappointment with the lack of communication from Streeting over the months.
## ‘Embarking on wholesale repression’
At the time, I wrote that this apparent lack of concern for Islamophobia is particularly galling, given that [Labour recently launched an investigation][9] into racism in the NHS which appears to privilege antisemitism over other forms of racism.
The government outlined these plans in a [press release][10] issued in October. Egregiously, the proposals introduce a blanket ban on expressions or symbols of solidarity with [Palestinians][11].
The plan also advises the NHS to adopt the definition of antisemitism used by the[ International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance][12] (IHRA). The organisation places Israel beyond reproach, and frequently conflates anti-Zionism with antisemitism.
In reaction, a coalition of 23 groups — including trade unions and Jewish organisations — undersigned a [joint statement][13] penned by Doctors in Unite (DiU) criticising the proposals.
Dr Coral Jones, chair of Doctors in Unite, said:
> The government is embarking on wholesale repression within the NHS to try to silence health workers from speaking out against the bombing of hospitals and the detention, torture, and killing of our Palestinian colleagues in Gaza.
They accused Labour of elevating antisemitism above other forms of racism, and pointed to the Forde Report of 2022, which [highlighted the hierarchy][14] of racism within the Labour Party.
Streeting’s reaction to the attack on Hatzolah clearly demonstrates that he knows what a useful and constructive reaction to discrimination looks like. However, as the letters from BIMA and DiU show, the health secretary doesn’t extend that same care to all.
Labour published the final version of the Forde Report in 2022. However, it remains depressingly obvious that the hierarchy of racism is still deeply entrenched within the PLP.
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [Alex/Rose Cocker][15]
[1]: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-to-replace-ambulances-following-charity-arson-attack
[2]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/news/2026/03/23/antisemitic-arson-attack-golders-greeen/
[3]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/03/24/golders-green/
[4]: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-to-replace-ambulances-following-charity-arson-attack
[5]: https://britishima.org/bima-writes-to-government-and-nhs-leaders-on-addressing-islamophobia-and-inequality/
[6]: https://www.bmj.com/content/388/bmj.r497
[7]: https://britishima.org/bima-responds-to-islamophobic-incident-at-leeds-teaching-hospitals/
[8]: https://britishima.org/bima-writes-to-government-and-nhs-leaders-on-addressing-islamophobia-and-inequality/
[9]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2025/11/21/nhs-allies-condemn-labour-antisemitism-plan/
[10]: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-to-tackle-antisemitism-and-other-racism-in-the-nhs
[11]: https://www.thecanary.co/?s=palestine
[12]: https://holocaustremembrance.com/resources/working-definition-antisemitism
[13]: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1M9vXxnhk1t77BfGpgY-aC-wTIoijOtu4/edit
[14]: https://labour.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/The-Forde-Report.pdf
[15]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/alexrosecocker/
https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/03/26/streeting-crickets-for-islamophobia/

2026-03-26 17:19:06 UTC

Elbit Systems factory shut down by protesters
[Picket at Elbit Systems factory in Filton, with police watching Pic by Barold]
On the morning of 26 March in Filton, Bristolians immobilised a weapons factory of [Israeli][1] arms contractor Elbit Systems. The building, used for the production of “battle-tested” drones used for strike missions on men, women and children in Gaza, was forced to a halt by a chain of around 60 people.
The picket line formed at 6.50am, prior to workers arriving, and remained firm for at least 90 minutes. Actionists chanted “Shut Elbit Down!” and “Free Palestine!”, and held [Palestinian][2] flags and banners demanding ” STOP ARMING GENOCIDE”.
> View this post on Instagram
>
>
> [A post shared by Barold (@just.barold)][3]
The protest indicated a clear message: Bristol’s people want to drive contractors like Elbit Systems out of their city. Protesters pushed past barriers blocking access to the main gate, which has 24/7 security guards. And they stood with their arms linked, blocking any workers or vehicles entering the site.
## Elbit Systems fuelling and profiting from genocide
Elbit Systems is [Israel’s main weapons provider and self-proclaimed “backbone”][4] of the Israeli Defense Fleet through supply of drones, armoured vehicles, and munitions. [The company’s UK subsidiary UAV Engines Ltd ][5][manufactures][6] the engine of the Hermes 450 drone. Israel used such a drone to murder UK aid workers in Gaza in 2024.
As the actionists’ banner stating “ELBIT PROFITS FROM MURDER” highlights, in 2024, at the height of the ongoing genocidal campaign in Palestine by Israel, [Elbit announced revenues of US$ 6.8bn][7].
Like [other Elbit Systems facilities][8], activists have targeted this site several times since October 2023. Its sister site in Aztec West closed down last September, years before its lease expiry. It’s likely that direct action had rendered it financially unviable.
The recent US-israeli strike on Iran has further lined Elbit’s pockets. According to the company’s chief exec, Bezhalel Machlis, [Elbit Systems supplies Israel][9] with long-range guided munitions and equipment for electronic warfare.
A spokesperson for the actionists said:
> In January, [Elbit was denied a £2 billion contract with the MoD][10]. In February, [the high court ruled the proscription of Palestine Action unlawful][11] on two grounds.
>
> Most of our brothers and sisters, imprisoned for resisting genocide, have been granted bail and able to return to their loved ones.
>
> These victories are symptoms of a bigger shift. Thousands have signed up to a direct action training to resist companies like Elbit. Its doors in Bristol will shut for good, not because of the government, but because of the people
Another protester said:
> Bristol, through hosting military contractors such as this one we’re outside the gates of, is covering itself in the blood of Palestinian men, women and children. I am horrified to see my city again and again on the wrong side of history. Complicity is no longer an option.
>
> It is our duty as workers with pension pots, payers of tuition fees, parents of children at schools. Where companies like Elbit get free entry to careers fairs, by the way. It is our duty as people of Bristol to disturb the workings of this factory yesterday, today, and tomorrow, until it is forced to shut down.
*Featured image via Barold / the Canary*
By [The Canary][12]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/topics/israel/
[2]: https://www.thecanary.co/topics/palestine/
[3]: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWWJ5S1gsx_/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading
[4]: https://5pillarsuk.com/2025/09/07/israeli-arms-firm-elbit-systems-closes-bristol-site/
[5]: https://caat.org.uk/data/companies/elbit-systems/
[6]: https://caat.org.uk/data/companies/elbit-systems/
[7]: https://caat.org.uk/data/companies/elbit-systems/
[8]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-news/2026/03/25/ultimatum-issued-by-group-that-torched-elbit-systems-factory-in-czech-republic/
[9]: https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/elbit-systems-reports-surge-demand-amid-us-israeli-attacks-iran
[10]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/01/14/elbit-systems-loses/
[11]: https://novaramedia.com/2026/02/13/palestine-action-has-defeated-the-government-what-happens-next/
[12]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/thecanary/
https://www.thecanary.co/uk/news/2026/03/26/elbit-systems-factory-shut-down-by-protesters/

2026-03-26 16:48:47 UTC

US bases in Gulf “uninhabitable,” legacy media admits
[Iranian retaliatory strikes destroy US Gulf bases]
Many American bases across the Gulf states are uninhabitable due to extensive damage caused by Iranian counter strikes against us colonial infrastructure in the region.
In a rare divergence from the official imperial line, the *New York Times (*NYT*) *reported that various US military installations had been all but destroyed.
The US-Israel attacked Iran first on 28 February without provocation. Iran was offering unprecedented concessions in negotiations at the time. The Pentagon has since stated there was no imminent threat from Iran. And the UN’s atomic watchdog, the IAEA, has said there is no evidence Iran was developing a nuclear weapon.
A month into the war, the *NYT *finally [reported][1] the extent of the damage to a key theatre of US imperial power projection.
> Many of the 13 military bases in the region used by American troops are all but uninhabitable, with the ones in Kuwait, which is next door to Iran, suffering perhaps the most damage.
Adding:
> Six U.S. service members were killed in a strike on Port Shuaiba that destroyed an Army tactical operations center. Iranian drones and missiles also targeted Ali Al Salem Air Base, damaging aircraft structures and injuring personnel, and Camp Buehring, damaging maintenance and fuel facilities.
US bases in Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia also took serious damage:
> In Qatar, Iran struck Al Udeid Air Base, the regional air headquarters of U.S. Central Command, damaging an early-warning radar system. In Bahrain, a one-way Iranian attack drone struck communications equipment at the headquarters of the U.S. Fifth Fleet. At Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, Iranian missiles and drones damaged communications equipment and several refueling tankers.
## A complete lack of planning
Historically speaking, the bases America maintains in the Gulf were built to support the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But their proximity to Iran left them exposed when Trump, under Israeli influence, pulled the trigger on a new war. In one telling line, [the *NYT *][2]captures the shortsightedness of US foreign policy planning.
> Part of the problem for the Pentagon is that two decades of war in Iraq and Afghanistan — war zones where the United States quickly established air superiority — left the military with facilities and headquarters close to the current front lines.
This has forced the US to relocate personnel and equipment—in some cases to Europe—leading to serious questions about its lack of planning:
> The lack of better planning, some military officials said, also reflects a miscalculation on the part of the administration about how Iran would respond.
## Censoring the war
The levels of destruction might also explain why spy satellite firms have restricted access to imagery, [as we previously reported][3]. On 11 March several firms [insisted][4] they had not be told to do so “by any government”.
This claim has since turned out to be false.
Military sources [told][5] journalist Ken Klippenstein that the Pentagon had threatened to withdraw lucrative contracts to ensure satellite imagery providers played ball.
> [🚨] US military document leaked to me shows how the Pentagon is working with private companies to manipulate the information you see about the Iran war[https://t.co/w9G5bz8QZy][6]
>
> — Ken Klippenstein (@kenklippenstein) [March 24, 2026][7]
It may not have been an order, but the Pentagon’s ‘guidance’—paired with the reported threat—had the same end effect.
As Klippenstein [explained][8]:
> While the Pentagon “guidance” to the commercial companies is framed as an advisory, the companies comply because their contracting relationships with the government make them afraid to bite the hand that feeds them.
The failures of the past are making America’s latest war fantasies untenable. And, as the US empire implodes from within, and across the Arabian gulf, the Pentagon is no longer able to mop up the mess.
Now even the* NYT*, the paper of the liberal wing of US empire, is reporting critically on the misplanning and poorly executed was trump claims to be winning.
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [Joe Glenton][9]
[1]: https://archive.ph/E8LkF#selection-881.0-881.461
[2]: https://archive.ph/E8LkF#selection-881.0-881.461
[3]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/2026/03/24/pentagon-hiding-the-truth-iran-war/
[4]: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/03/11/satellite-images-middle-east-iran/
[5]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/2026/03/24/pentagon-hiding-the-truth-iran-war/
[6]: https://t.co/w9G5bz8QZy
[7]: https://twitter.com/kenklippenstein/status/2036241108255101094?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[8]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/2026/03/24/pentagon-hiding-the-truth-iran-war/
[9]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/joeglenton/
https://www.thecanary.co/global/2026/03/26/us-bases-uninhabitable-legacy-media-says/

2026-03-26 16:42:06 UTC

‘Draconian’ Apple security check to lock out iPhone owners
[A man with his head in his hands and a locked iPhone]
As highlighted by Big Brother Watch, iPhone users will soon need to prove their age to maintain internet access. It’s the latest in a line of changes which have come in the wake of the [Online Safety Act][1]:
> [🚨]NEWS: UK iPhone users must now prove their age or lose full internet access
>
> "It is absolutely outrageous that, overnight, Apple has put a chokehold on Britons' freedom to search the internet, access information and use apps unless they provide sensitive ID documents.
>
> This… [pic.twitter.com/GNuCsihcDD][2]
>
> — Big Brother Watch (@BigBrotherWatch) [March 25, 2026][3]
## iPhone changes: “draconian”
Silkie Carlo (Big Brother Watch Director) [said in full:][4]
> It is absolutely outrageous that, overnight, Apple has put a chokehold on Britons’ freedom to search the internet, access information and use apps unless they provide sensitive ID documents.
>
> This means 35 million Brits who have paid hundreds or even thousands of pounds for Apple tech suddenly now have a child’s device unless they comply with invasive demands for personal information that go far beyond what UK law requires.
>
> Apple has crossed the Rubicon with this software update which is more like ransomware, holding customers hostage to ID demands that are invasive, exclusionary and unnecessary.
>
> Children’s online safety is vital but requires better parental controls and thoughtful tech responsibility – not sweeping, draconian, shock demands by foreign companies for all of our IDs and credit cards.
Owners will have to verify their age after accepting the iOS 26.6 software update, [according to the *BBC*][5]. Anyone who refuses to verify their age will be treated like a child on a tablet with parental controls. Ofcom have described this as a “real win for children and families”, even though the move goes beyond what is legally required.
People have responded as follows:
> Age verification is a Trojan horse for total control over the internet, your devices, and your entire digital life.
>
> Not a single child will be protected by this.
>
> If people don't wake up and protest, your country is going to be next. [https://t.co/BiH4F0cs7j][6]
>
> — calle (@callebtc) [March 25, 2026][7]
> Apple just turned 35 million UK iPhones into identity checkpoints. Apple has, without warning, placed a gatekeeper on the devices of 35 million UK users who paid good money for full-featured smartphones and now find themselves holding something closer to a supervised children’s… [https://t.co/5qTTHn18uQ][8]
>
> — Reclaim The Net (@ReclaimTheNetHQ) [March 25, 2026][9]
It looks like Reddit may be the next platform to introduce mandatory age checks:
> [‼] BREAKING: Reddit's CEO announced he is forcing human verification on the platform.
>
> He will force users to verify through biometrics on their device, a third party, or government ID.
>
> Every single option compromises your anonymity. On a platform built on anonymity. [pic.twitter.com/HlpTWU95g7][10]
>
> — International Cyber Digest (@IntCyberDigest) [March 26, 2026][11]
## Experiments
[The *BBC* also reported][12]:
> Apple’s move follows a wider debate in the industry over how to keep young people away from harmful content online and the impact social media can have on children.
>
> The UK government is trialling a test which will see 300 teens have their social apps disabled entirely, blocked overnight or capped to one hour’s use – with some also seeing no such changes at all – in order to compare their experiences.
>
> The test will run alongside the government’s consultation asking whether the UK should follow in Australia’s footsteps by making it illegal for under-16s to have access to many social media sites.
As we’ve covered, [there are reasons to be concerned about the impacts of social media][13]. At the same time, establishment forces are using these concerns to push for an end to online anonymity. The solution to all of these issues begins with wrestling control of the internet back from the US tech monopolies who control 99% of our digital lives.
*Featured image via [Apple][14]*
By [Willem Moore][15]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2025/07/31/online-safety-act/
[2]: https://t.co/GNuCsihcDD
[3]: https://twitter.com/BigBrotherWatch/status/2036863773202432300?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[4]: https://x.com/BigBrotherWatch/status/2036863773202432300
[5]: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c20qwz9xzr9o
[6]: https://t.co/BiH4F0cs7j
[7]: https://twitter.com/callebtc/status/2036762181253857460?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[8]: https://t.co/5qTTHn18uQ
[9]: https://twitter.com/ReclaimTheNetHQ/status/2036950514470953438?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[10]: https://t.co/HlpTWU95g7
[11]: https://twitter.com/IntCyberDigest/status/2037139798477922722?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[12]: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c20qwz9xzr9o
[13]: https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2026/03/26/meta-youtube-sickos/
[14]: https://cdsassets.apple.com/live/7WUAS350/images/ios/ios-26-iphone-16-pro-iphone-unavailable.png
[15]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/willem-moore/
https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2026/03/26/iphone-security/

2026-03-26 16:28:51 UTC

Israel lobby’s attacks on Greens continue with Spectator front page
[spectator]
The Israel lobby’s frantic attacks on the Green party continue, this time from the *Spectator*. The colony’s UK mouthpieces have been [targeting the Greens][1] and their [leadership][2] intensively since members tabled a motion to declare the party explicitly anti-Zionist.
The front [page][3] of the latest issue of the Spectator – edited by [ultra][4]-Zionist [Islamophobe][5] Michael Gove – is a naked attack on the party for, supposedly, ‘abandoning its roots’.
## *Spectator* push slop
The cover image shows Green party leader, Zack Polanski, deputy leader Mothin Ali and new Green MP Hannah Spencer hacking away at trees as if they are now anti-nature. But in reality, the attack is all about Israel – the Greens’ environmental policies haven’t changed. And of course, it’s not long before the article’s author Angus Colwell gives that away.
Colwell’s support for Israel has long been on show, including in previous *Spectator* spew like the “[The Ultras: meet Britain’s new Islamo-socialist alliance][6]‘. But on the Greens’ “environmental” “betrayal” he soon exposes his real agenda, ranting about “Palestinian activism” and [courageous pro-Palestinian author Sally Rooney][7] [emphases added]:
> Climate activism begets trans activism **begets Palestinian activism**. The author Sally Rooney gave a speech at a progressive conference this month that’s a good example of the sentiment. ‘The adversaries we confront in the Palestinian solidarity movement… are the same forces driving catastrophic climate change and destroying the very basis for our shared survival,’ she said. Each issue is yet more proof of a permanent crisis.
>
> **At this weekend’s online-only conference, party members will have an opportunity to vote on a motion declaring that ‘Zionism is racism’**. Two similarly named splinter groups – Greens Anti-Zionist Alliance and Greens for Palestine – have been leading the effort, and **Polanski (himself Jewish) hasn’t really condemned it**: ‘If we’re talking about the definition [of Zionism] that this Israeli government are clearly perpetrating through a genocide in Gaza, then yes, absolutely. That’s racist.’
>
> **Backing the motion more vehemently is Mothin Ali**, Polanski’s deputy. He’s a keen gardener, has been on a BBC show with Marcus Wareing and has a ‘My Family Garden’ YouTube page with 56,700 subscribers. The most recent video opens with him taking a chainsaw to a tree, then **removing his headgear to reveal a Palestine beanie**. ‘As-salamu alaykum,’ he says. ‘So today, what I’m going to do, is I’m going to show you how to cut down trees for profit’ – which is an interesting thing for a Green deputy leader to say. He then shows everyone how to prune fruit trees. He is genuinely liked on a personal level in the party: one senior figure tells me he’s a ‘gentle soul’.
A Palestine beanie. The horror. But clearly the motion is what has Colwell and the Israel lobby so rattled. Good. Polanski, for his part, showed his trademark lack of you-know-what-giving and used the whole nonsense as a vehicle to invite people to join the Greens, wondering aloud what was wrong with the poor souls at the *Spectator*:
> View this post on Instagram
>
>
> [A post shared by Zack Polanski (@greenpartyzack)][8]
The motion must pass. No political party that thinks building an apartheid ethno-state on land stolen from its people *isn’t* racist has any place in British politics – and you can tell from their pearl-clutching panic that the Israel lobby knows the British public is catching on.
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [Skwawkbox][9]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/02/26/israel-spouts-debunked-lies/
[2]: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/02/24/mothin-ali-speaks-out/
[3]: https://spectator.com/article/why-the-green-party-abandoned-its-environmental-roots/
[4]: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/01/29/michael-gove-says-uk/
[5]: https://mcb.org.uk/islamophobia-conservative-party-mcb-condemns-continued-obfuscation/
[6]: https://spectator.com/article/the-ultras-meet-britains-new-islamo-socialist-alliance/
[7]: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/03/18/sally-rooney-telegraph/
[8]: https://www.instagram.com/p/DWV2o4ADKln/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading
[9]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/skwawkbox/
https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/03/26/spectator-cover/

2026-03-26 16:22:08 UTC

Ambulance arson suspects released on bail – odd way to treat ‘Iranian terror cell’
[iranian]
After four ambulances owned by Jewish charity Hatzola were set on fire, Israel lobbyists – including Nigel Farage – were quick to claim an ‘Iranian terror cell’ was responsible. The lobby said this was clear proof of Iranian hostile acts on UK soil and demanded a terror ban on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The lobby’s media allies, naturally, [amplified][1] the claim.
None of the ‘mainstream’ media, of course, bothered to wonder why a crack ‘Iranian terror cell’ would choose four nearly-defunct ambulances as their first target. But others did:
> View this post on Instagram
>
>
> [A post shared by Canary (@thecanaryuk)][2]
## Suspect
The supposed ‘terror cell’ behind the 23 March 2026 attack had [never been heard of][3] before March 2026. Its emblem spells ‘Islamic’ wrong in Arabic. Its statement claiming credit for the attack [mentioned][4] the “Land of Israel”, a phrase no Islamic group would use.
The language of the group’s statements is also, [according][5] to Amsterdam’s VU university’s political anthropologist Younes Saramifar, a weird mix completely inconsistent with people as familiar with Arabic as religious Muslim Iranians would be. [Saramifar concluded that][6]:
> The language of announcements shows a clear lack of fluency in Arabic. The language is generated by an AI tool. Furthermore, the electronic device on which the new video was edited does not have Arabic or English as its native language in its operating system. This is clear from where the colon and the exclamation mark are placed in the sentence. This shows that the group is neither native Arabic nor English speakers. Native speakers are habituated to managing these technical glitches. Based on their language use, I don’t think they are a direct proxy or a sleeper cell associated with the Axis of Resistance.
It seems the courts and Crown Prosecution Service agree, as the suspects have been released on bail this morning, 26 March 2026. As Irish comedian and political activist Tadgh Hickey pointed out, this “weirdly lenient” decision doesn’t really fit with the idea of a ‘terror cell’:
> That’s a weirdly lenient way to deal with members of a new bloodthirsty Iran sponsored Shia terrorist cell [🤔] [pic.twitter.com/8nwTWhqPNO][7]
>
> — Tehran Tadhg (@TadhgHickey) [March 26, 2026][8]
Israel has a [long and well-documented history of ‘false-flag’ attacks][9] to achieve political ends, including in London.
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [Skwawkbox][10]
[1]: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/golders-green-ambulance-fire-arson-harakat-ashab-al-yamin-b2944284.html
[2]: https://www.instagram.com/p/DWQuXWQjj3r/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading
[3]: https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2026/03/the-london-ambulances-attack-of-course-it-was-a-false-flag/?amp=1
[4]: https://x.com/firasmodad/status/2036133533379600489?s=20
[5]: https://www.dutchnews.nl/2026/03/islamic-group-claims-small-explosion-outside-amsterdam-office/
[6]: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/younes-saramifar-9500b1120_post-2-on-harakat-ashab-al-yamin-al-islamiyyah-activity-7439244658679062528-hhom/
[7]: https://t.co/8nwTWhqPNO
[8]: https://twitter.com/TadhgHickey/status/2037096684501565479?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[9]: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2025/12/12/hamas-europe-attacak/
[10]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/skwawkbox/
https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/03/26/iranian-terror-cell/

2026-03-26 15:58:51 UTC

Gazan doctor seeks help for Scottish research placement
[Gaza doctor crowd raising for research placement at Edinburgh University]
Palestinian doctor Mohammed Hammad is [looking][1] for help to get from Gaza to Scotland to complete a research project at Edinburgh University.
## The people’s doctor
Hammad completed his medical training in late 2025, during a brief lull in Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Since then, living in a tent in the Mawasi concentration camp, he has been treating sick and wounded Palestinians under Israel’s [illegal blockade][2] of food, fuel and medicines.
Now he has secured a year-long neuroscience research fellowship under [consultant neurologist Prof Rustam al-Shahi Salman][3]. The project will evaluate stroke care in Gaza to find improvements that can be implemented despite Israel’s occupation and genocide. However, the placement and travel costs are not funded. Hammad, who is from Rafah but was displaced to Mawasi in May 2024, is seeking financial support and has set up a [crowdfund][4] to raise cash for the placement.
## Defying the odds
He told *Edinburgh Live*:
> During the war, I volunteered for six months in the Neurology Department at Nasser Medical Complex – the only operating hospital in southern Gaza, serving 1.2 million Gazans. During my final year of medical school, I supported patient care, documentation, neurological emergency management, and CT interpretation under extremely high-pressure conditions.
>
> Hospitals faced severe shortages of electricity, medications, imaging access, and basic medical supplies. There were periods of overcrowding, limited diagnostic capacity, and constant uncertainty.
>
> Some of the most difficult situations involved managing acute stroke cases without access to thrombolysis or advanced stroke unit care, treating prolonged seizures with limited medication availability, and assessing traumatic brain injuries with restricted imaging capacity. There is currently no MRI available in Gaza, and in the south there has effectively been only one functioning CT scanner serving a population of around 1.2 million people.
## Working under siege
On his experience working as a doctor under siege, he said:
> The difficulty was not only the medical complexity, but having to make critical decisions in severely resource-constrained and high-pressure conditions. Despite this, healthcare workers continued to provide care with remarkable resilience.
>
> My immediate family is safe at the moment, but we live under very difficult humanitarian conditions, displacement, limited access to consistent electricity, clean water, and stable infrastructure. For the wider population, daily life is defined by uncertainty and rebuilding from repeated disruption.
>
> This opportunity to come to Edinburgh represents more than academic progression. It is a chance to gain structured research training, international mentorship, and exposure to advanced stroke systems of care — knowledge that I hope to bring back to strengthen neurological services and medical education in Gaza.
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [Skwawkbox][5]
[1]: https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/edinburgh-news/gaza-doctors-edinburgh-university-dream-33489340
[2]: https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2025/10/02/gaza-flotilla-protests-uk/
[3]: https://edwebprofiles.ed.ac.uk/profile/professor-rustam-al-shahi-salman
[4]: https://www.gofundme.com/f/mohammad-hammad/cl/o?lang=en_US
[5]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/skwawkbox/
https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/03/26/gaza-doctor-seeks-help-research-placement/

2026-03-26 15:47:16 UTC

Iran is the only one meaningfully challenging Israel as it bombs white phosphorus plant
[israel]
Iran has bombed a chemical compound linked to Israel’s white phosphorus production, finally delivering a scrap of consequences to Israel – unlike the entire international community.
White phosphorus is a [chemical substance][1] which ignites instantly upon contact with oxygen. It’s incredibly hard to extinguish and sticks to surfaces like clothes and skin. White phosphorus is extremely harmful to people, no matter the route of exposure. It causes deep and severe burns – often down to the bone, breathing problems, and burning of the eyes and respiratory tract.
## Israel struck
An Iranian ballistic missile made [direct contact][2] with the ICL ([Israeli Chemicals Ltd][3]) Rotem chemical complex in the Negev on 25 March. It caused a large blast and a fire near the site.
> DIRECT HIT! [🚨][🇮🇷][🇮🇱] Footage shows the moment an Iranian missile struck the state-owned “Rotem” military research facility in the Negev. Israel has imposed a STRICT media blackout on the extent of the damage! [pic.twitter.com/NubMZVPu8f][4]
>
> — 𝐓𝐌𝐓 (@TMT_arabic) [March 25, 2026][5]
The facility is [located][6] in the Rotem Industrial Zone near Dimona. It houses infrastructure belonging to several industrial and technology companies.
Social media users geolocated the missile impact site to the facility, and the missile damaged the structure.
> Damage to structure in the Rotem Amfert facility, east of DIMONA, Israel
>
> The company produces fertilizer and related chemicals and is located ~8km north-east of the Negev Nuclear Research Center.
>
> 31.062424, 35.193562[@GeoConfirmed][7] [@EpicFuryMap][8] [@FaytuksNetwork][9]
>
> geolocated by… [pic.twitter.com/bSOl1xtUp9][10]
>
> — acceladealer (@acceladealer) [March 25, 2026][11]
Importantly, ICL has factories all over the world, including another chemical plant in St Louis, Missouri, which also produces white phosphorus for both the US and Israeli armies.
## Karma
The *Canary* has previously reported on the [shady business of ICL][12] – which the company was not happy with, by the way.
So it seems like a healthy dose of karma that one of its war-crime producing factories has now been bombed.
> White phosphorus ignites on contact with oxygen. It sticks to skin and burns down to the bone. It is very hard to extinguish. Israel is bombing Gaza and Lebanon with white phosphorus. Iran’s strikes on Israel’s white phosphorus factories are a service to humanity. [https://t.co/oCA1i15Jv0][13]
>
> — Shailja #FreePalestine Patel (@shailjapatel) [March 25, 2026][14]
The human body [absorbs][15] white phosphorus, causing dysfunction in multiple organs, including the liver, kidneys, and heart.
It burns at more than 800 degrees Celsius (nearly 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit). That is high enough to melt metal.
Importantly though:
> The incendiary effects of white phosphorous can cause death or cruel injuries that result in lifelong suffering.
The use of chemical weapons, such as white phosphorus, in civilian areas is a war crime for exactly this reason.
According to the [World Health Organisation][16]:
> The use of white phosphorus may violate Protocol III (on the use of incendiary weapons) of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCCW) in one specific instance: if it is used, on purpose, as an incendiary weapon directly against humans in a civilian setting.
So far, Israel has used white phosphorus in both [Gaza][17] and [Lebanon ][18]as far back as 2023.
> I saw an interview with the mother of a Palestinian girl who had had her hair and eyelids burned off by Israeli white phosphorous. She couldn’t even close her eyes to shut out the horror of her own reflection.
>
> Israel will be a pariah state for generations, if it even survives.
>
> — Ruby Redshoes (@Ruby__Redshoes) [March 26, 2026][19]
Of course, the majority of the international community didn’t give a shit when little children were burnt alive.
> White phosphorus has eaten the flesh of Palestinians in Gaza without the world lifting a finger. May every inch of that complex burn to the ground [https://t.co/caPklJOGvN][20]
>
> — Remi Kanazi (@Remroum) [March 25, 2026][21]
But when Israel is using weapons that literally melt off children’s faces – we have to ask why it’s only Iran, and only now, that anyone has bothered to take a stand.
> Iran taking out the apartheid regime’s chemical weapons. [🙃] [https://t.co/FdIye3IZIK][22]
>
> — Basti [🍥] (@SHartmann82) [March 25, 2026][23]
## Strategic military targets
For 30 years, Netanyahu has been banging on about Iran being [two weeks away][24] from having nuclear weapons. Of course, he has zero proof for these claims.
Yet Israel [has had nuclear weapons][25] since 1969, and has refused both inspections and safeguards from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
We also have years’ worth of evidence of Israel (not Iran) indiscriminately attacking civilians with all kinds of weapons. Yet somehow, the Epstein class want us to believe Iran is the bad guy?
> So Iran appears to be the one enforcing the law against terror weapons used in ethnic cleansing [https://t.co/HdhPEuiPGa][26]
>
> — The Fulcrum Point (@Fu1crumPoint) [March 26, 2026][27]
Now it turns out that Iran is destroying the real weapons of mass destruction – Israel’s.
> Average Israeli airstrike: we blew up a hospital
>
> Average Iranian missile strike: we precision targeted a facility known as The Death Factory [https://t.co/HwtQHeO06S][28]
>
> — j (@thickyrubio) [March 25, 2026][29]
Where international law, morals, conscience, and even the [United Nations ][30]have failed, Iran has stepped in.
> Notice how Iran keeps hitting actual military and strategic targets while Israel just keeps targeting and bombing civilian targets.
>
> — Yi-Long (@YikeYuke) [March 25, 2026][31]
> Every western country should have been doing the same if they had a spine.
>
> — RAY RAY (@sweet_baby_ray5) [March 25, 2026][32]
There is only one thing Israel does well – and that is playing the victim. So I won’t be surprised when we see an official Israeli broadcast telling us that bombing an illegal chemical weapons factory is antisemitic.
But the truth is that while the majority of the international community has collectively sat on its arse and let Israel murder innocent people, Iran has taken out the chemical weapons production of an illegal, apartheid regime. It deserves a Nobel Peace Prize.
More than Trump does, at least.
*Featured image via [Mahmood OD | محمود عودة/YouTube][33]*
By [HG][34]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2026/03/10/israel-phosphorus-lebanon/
[2]: https://thecradle.co/articles-id/36734
[3]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2024/05/17/israel-white-phosphorus/
[4]: https://t.co/NubMZVPu8f
[5]: https://twitter.com/TMT_arabic/status/2036822515268354476?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[6]: https://thecradle.co/articles-id/36734
[7]: https://twitter.com/GeoConfirmed?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[8]: https://twitter.com/EpicFuryMap?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[9]: https://twitter.com/FaytuksNetwork?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[10]: https://t.co/bSOl1xtUp9
[11]: https://twitter.com/acceladealer/status/2036794454623883450?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[12]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2024/05/17/israel-white-phosphorus/
[13]: https://t.co/oCA1i15Jv0
[14]: https://twitter.com/shailjapatel/status/2036851581442785432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[15]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/13/what-is-the-white-phosphorus-that-israel-is-accused-of-using-on-gaza
[16]: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/white-phosphorus
[17]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2024/05/17/israel-white-phosphorus/
[18]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2026/03/10/israel-phosphorus-lebanon/
[19]: https://twitter.com/Ruby__Redshoes/status/2036984356552786302?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[20]: https://t.co/caPklJOGvN
[21]: https://twitter.com/Remroum/status/2036908984188190863?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[22]: https://t.co/FdIye3IZIK
[23]: https://twitter.com/SHartmann82/status/2036937542809837771?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[24]: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/iran-was-nowhere-close-to-a-nuclear-bomb-experts-say/
[25]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/2026/03/22/dimona-now-monitored/
[26]: https://t.co/HdhPEuiPGa
[27]: https://twitter.com/Fu1crumPoint/status/2037006502020420079?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[28]: https://t.co/HwtQHeO06S
[29]: https://twitter.com/thickyrubio/status/2036859985926242698?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[30]: https://passblue.com/2026/02/28/un-security-council-falls-short-of-fully-condemning-us-israeli-attack-on-iran/
[31]: https://twitter.com/YikeYuke/status/2036867656930775546?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[32]: https://twitter.com/sweet_baby_ray5/status/2036937647328026985?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[33]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WC1rtwUTc38
[34]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/hg/
https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2026/03/26/israel-factory/

2026-03-26 15:31:38 UTC

Mohamed Salah is a rare Muslim hero in the Premier League
[salah]
Saying goodbye to Mohamed Salah is not simply about football; when Salah walks away from Liverpool, the club loses more than a prolific scorer; it loses a cultural touchstone. He[ arrived as a hopeful youngster and leaves as one of the defining figures of this generation.][1] A player whose impact extended far beyond goals and trophies.
> A sweet Salah strike to start your Friday [💫][😮‍💨]
>
> [pic.twitter.com/DYwhBI59YK][2]
>
> — Liverpool FC USA (@LFCUSA) [March 20, 2026][3]
## Salah: from Nagrig to the world stage
Before the goals, the trophies and the deafening chants, there was a boy from Nagrig armed with nothing but belief and determination. Salah’s journey is the kind of story sport loves; belief, sacrifice and relentless work. Overcoming setbacks and doubts which would derail many, only sharpened his resolve. Arriving at Liverpool, he did not join the club as a complete player. Instead, he arrived determined to prove himself, to learn and to not only lift a club but also a city.
[https://www.thecanary.co/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/8A4D4EF8-AE3E-4E1E-9EEA-27DD37FC0791-1.mp4][4]
Watching Salah [at Liverpool felt like witnessing something truly rare][5]. From his very first season, there was an unmistakable feeling that something great was brewing. His pace was electric, his finishing was ruthless. Yet it was his relentless desire that truly set him apart. Every run, every touch, every celebration revealed how deeply the club and the fans mattered to him.
Records fell, defenders faltered and stadiums erupted, yet Salah remained unchanged. Even as the goals mounted and high praise surrounded him, he stayed focused, grounded and driven. Champions league nights at Anfield became unforgettable nights charged with belief, noise and pure emotion. When Salah delivered on the biggest of stages, it felt as though he carried the hopes of all the supporters with him.
## More than a footballer
For many Salah has always been more than just a player. As a Muslim football superstar, his expressions of faith on the pitch have been quiet, but powerful. Many a time,[ fans have seen him fall to the floor in sujood][6], a poignant reminder that devotion and elite performance can coexist without apology. His conduct challenged assumptions, opened conversations, and offered representation to millions who had not seen themselves reflected at football’s highest levels.
> According to a Stanford University study, since Mo Salah joined Liverpool, hate crimes in the area decreased by 19% and anti-Muslim comments online have dropped by 50%. Impact on and off the pitch. [pic.twitter.com/pTKOmCshdc][7]
>
> — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) [March 25, 2026][8]
Away from the pitch, his willingness to speak and act on broader issues, notably his dignified support for Palestine, showed a conscience that matched his talent. He used his platform to stand in solidarity rather than seek attention, demonstrating how athletes can carry both influence and responsibility.
And, Salah made global headlines when he remained one of a very small number of professional footballers to challenge UEFA’s complicity in Israel’s murder of Palestinian footballer, Suleiman al-Obeid:
> Can you tell us how he died, where, and why? [https://t.co/W7HCyVVtBE][9]
>
> — Mohamed Salah (@MoSalah) [August 9, 2025][10]
Salah never chased the spotlight; his conduct with teammates, supporters and charitable causes did the talking. His generosity, humility and having humanity in his heart turned admiration into something special.
## What Salah means to me
Legacies are measured largely in silverware when it comes to football. However, Salah gave belief, to a village, to a nation, and to an entire generation by expanding what was possible in the minds of young players who now see his path as proof that origins will not limit destiny. The terraces will keep singing his name, teaching it to fans who never got the chance to watch him live, but ensuring the legend that is Mohamed Salah and his presence will remain at Anfield.
Thank you, Mohamed Salah, for the goals, the grace and the moments that made football feel larger than sport. You leave Liverpool not only as a record breaker but as a bridge between cultures and a symbol of possibility. The Egyptian King will remain part of Liverpool FC for as long as fans in the stands will be singing his name.
It is truly remarkable to witness an African Muslim footballer achieve the highest accolades as Mohamed Salah has done in the most watched league in the world. His journey is a testament not only to his immense talent and perseverance, but also to the rarity of such accomplishments given the current climate in the UK, where the far-right have undertaken a worrying resurgence. Even in the face of increasing censorship and pressure against voices supporting Palestine, Salah has steadfastly maintained his public support for the cause. His rise serves as a beacon of hope and inspiration, breaking barriers and challenging prejudices, while paving the way for greater inclusivity within football.
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [Faz Ali][11]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/03/25/salah-legacy/
[2]: https://t.co/DYwhBI59YK
[3]: https://twitter.com/LFCUSA/status/2034997438923382830?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[4]: https://www.thecanary.co/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/8A4D4EF8-AE3E-4E1E-9EEA-27DD37FC0791-1.mp4
[5]: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/mar/25/mohamed-salah-liverpool-tribute-thrill-of-my-footballing-lifetime
[6]: https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/explained-mohamed-salah-goal-celebrations-meaning-liverpool-stars-on-pitch-gestures/1uj2zappvknhi1pojuqm0oae6e
[7]: https://t.co/pTKOmCshdc
[8]: https://twitter.com/footballontnt/status/2036752502041854101?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[9]: https://t.co/W7HCyVVtBE
[10]: https://twitter.com/MoSalah/status/1954215423861240020?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[11]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/faz-ali/
https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/03/26/salah-liverpool/

2026-03-26 15:24:50 UTC

LBC host endorses Islamophobic post from notorious Zionist
[Tom Swarbrick, LBC presenter]
On 25 March, *LBC* host Tom Swarbrick retweeted a clearly Islamophobic post:
> Tom Swarbrick from LBC and now a guest on Good Morning Britain retweeted this tweet calling Muslims in the West dirty. [pic.twitter.com/AV7mkJFe1d][1]
>
> — Mukhtar (@I_amMukhtar) [March 25, 2026][2]
To make matters worse, the post was from a known liar and propagandist.
## “I hope you all cry forever”
As we reported in 2018, Swarbrick is an establishment hack with zero integrity. [James Wright reported for us at the time][3]:
> Text messages leaked to BuzzFeed show that an LBC presenter tried to stage-manage an interview with a Conservative cabinet minister.
>
> LBC‘s Tom Swarbrick was trying to bag an interview with the unnamed government figure. In the process, he sent the minister the interviewing questions and promised to be gentle. In the end, the interview didn’t go ahead.
The fact that he’s still at *LBC *shows they’ve got about as much [integrity][4] as him.
Here’s how people responded to his retweet:
> Why is LBC presenter Tom Swarbrick endorsing a comment that Muslims are “smelly”? [pic.twitter.com/eLZBMZs3LQ][5]
>
> — Lowkey (@Lowkey0nline) [March 25, 2026][6]
> Tom Swarbrick will post about “dirty Muslims” before delivering a solemn monologue on LBC about why “from the river to the sea” is chilling antisemitism. [https://t.co/O06W22fPcm][7]
>
> — Karl Hansen (@karl_fh) [March 25, 2026][8]
Swarbrick was retweeting a post from Nioh Berg.
Berg is [one of many Twitter users who are widely believed to be an international citizen posing as someone else to get hate clicks from reactionary right-wingers][9]:
> Many are quoting [@NiohBerg][10] as the voice of the oppressed Iranian, the one we must free, the truth of their people, and what they want and need.
>
> What they forget is Nioh isn't Iranian.
>
> He's Chandresh. An Indian paid by Israel, to pretend, but who forgot to delete. [pic.twitter.com/cSTy8ZeiDM][11]
>
> — Ewan MacKenna (@EwanMacKenna) [March 1, 2026][12]
Berg notoriously posted the following in early March, and was retweeted by every moron online as a result ([we now know definitively that it was the Americans who bombed the school][13]):
> [🔴] BREAKING:
>
> The regime in Iran has now confessed that the IRGC mistakenly bombed an Iranian school yesterday, killing many children.
>
> To all the legacy media and pro regime influencers who peddled your fake news:
>
> RETRACT and DELETE. [pic.twitter.com/MNBdIcmvkG][14]
>
> — 𝐍𝐢𝐨𝐡 𝐁𝐞𝐫𝐠 [🇮🇷] [✡]︎ (@NiohBerg) [March 1, 2026][15]
The above should have been a ‘fool me once’ moment for those who follow Berg. However, it looks like there’s no limit to how many times you can fool a guy like Swarbrick.
Following considerable backlash, Swarbrick has now deleted his retweet.
## Establishment hacks
This is the last thing Swarbrick posted himself:
> [https://t.co/OGYJBjfpQ9][16] [pic.twitter.com/VS9iyVwpbx][17]
>
> — Tom Swarbrick (@TomSwarbrick1) [February 28, 2026][18]
The image is from when the US announced the capture of Saddam Hussein in 2003. This was treated like a the final victory at the time, but of course the disastrous Invasion of Iraq raged on for another eight years, and still impact the country until today. This is fitting, given that the disastrous attack on Iran has gone very poorly for the Yanks since they assassinated the Supreme Leader.
Potentially this was the point Swarbrick was making—that history repeats itself in increasingly farcical ways—but given his other posts, it’s more likely he’s just another media ghoul with zero memory for how badly these things turn out.
*Featured image via LBC*
By [Willem Moore][19]
[1]: https://t.co/AV7mkJFe1d
[2]: https://twitter.com/I_amMukhtar/status/2036811637030547547?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[3]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/2018/10/01/leaked-text-messages-show-lbc-colluding-with-a-tory-cabinet-minister-to-make-him-look-good-2/
[4]: https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/london-broadcasting-company-lbc/
[5]: https://t.co/eLZBMZs3LQ
[6]: https://twitter.com/Lowkey0nline/status/2036863616658309343?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[7]: https://t.co/O06W22fPcm
[8]: https://twitter.com/karl_fh/status/2036830259547414673?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[9]: https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2025/11/23/twitter-location-data/
[10]: https://twitter.com/NiohBerg?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[11]: https://t.co/cSTy8ZeiDM
[12]: https://twitter.com/EwanMacKenna/status/2028136859142922727?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[13]: https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2026/03/12/trump-iran-murder/
[14]: https://t.co/MNBdIcmvkG
[15]: https://twitter.com/NiohBerg/status/2028119242952921107?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[16]: https://t.co/OGYJBjfpQ9
[17]: https://t.co/VS9iyVwpbx
[18]: https://twitter.com/TomSwarbrick1/status/2027862723694858511?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[19]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/willem-moore/
https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2026/03/26/lbc-host-shares-grim-islamophobic-post/

2026-03-26 15:08:26 UTC

DWP still pretending to care about disabled claimants mental health
[dwp]
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) are still [pretending to care about the mental health of people going through the benefits system][1] – despite their actions showing otherwise.
## DWP bullshit again
Labour MP Sarah Hall asked the DWP [a written question about mental health][2]:
> To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of social security assessment and application processes on the mental health of claimants.
The department’s response was the typical non-answer.
Minister for Disabled People, Stephen Timms, answered:
> The Pathways to Work Green Paper set out our commitment to get the basics right and improve the experience for people who use the system of health and disability. This includes exploring ways to improve trust and transparency in PIP and WCA through reviewing our approach to safeguarding, recording assessments to increase trust in the process, and moving back to having more face-to-face assessments while continuing to meet the needs of people who may require different methods of assessment.
Timms continued:
> We have also launched the Timms Review, the first ever full review of PIP, to ensure we have a system that supports disabled people to achieve better health, higher living standards and greater independence, including through employment. The Review is being co-produced with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, carers, clinicians, experts, MPs and other stakeholders, so a wide range of views and voices are heard.
>
> The Review will consider how PIP can enable disabled people to live independently; whether the assessment effectively captures the impact of long-term health conditions and disability in the modern world; and whether it should consider any other evidence. It will also look at how the assessment could ensure people access the right support at the right level.
Oh, the [Timms review][3]? The one that already looks like a stitch-up?
## No meaningful research
What’s clear from this copy-and-paste answer is that they still haven’t done any real assessments of the impact the process has on people’s mental health. They also don’t intend to do any meaningful research into this.
This is despite them being given proof for a very long time that the system does negatively impact mental health. This includes[ a whole bloody book by John Pring][4]. Just this February, it was uncovered that [1 in 5 privately contracted benefit assessors aren’t safeguard trained.][5]
They’re also very light on what “reviewing our approach to safeguarding” actually means. The department has been pulled up by multiple committees on the way they treat claimants. The Public Accounts Committee hauled them up for [demonising claimants instead of fixing their own system.][6] The department was also forced to admit that the ESA helpline was[ so bad it was driving claimants to self-harm. ][7]
Then there’s the absolute bullshit that face-to face assessments will help people’s mental health, when the assessments are [found to be stressful and inhumane][8].
By citing all of their previous work, they’re attempting to boost their own credibility. But the [Pathways to Work Green consultation was completely ignored][9]. The Timms Review is currently underway, but it’s also being [rushed and ignoring the needs of disabled people][10] in favour of saving money. Timms mentioning this essentially confirms that the review will strip back support.
At the end of the day, the DWP don’t give a fuck about claimants’ mental health, if they did they would’ve done more to protect them years ago. All they care about it saving money, no matter how many disabled people die.
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [Rachel Charlton-Dailey][11]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/03/19/dwp-review/
[2]: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2026-03-10/119583
[3]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/03/19/dwp-review/
[4]: https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2024/09/02/dwp-protest-parliament/
[5]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/02/13/dwp-private-assessors/
[6]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/02/13/dwp-pac-fraud/
[7]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2025/10/06/dwp-benefits-helpline/
[8]: https://www.thecanary.co/uncategorized-en/2026/02/26/sewage-scandal-exposes-dwp-pip-failures/
[9]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2025/10/30/dwp-pathways-to-work/
[10]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2025/10/31/dwp-pip-timms-review/
[11]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/rachel-charlton-dailey/
https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/03/26/dwp-mh/

2026-03-26 15:00:44 UTC

Met police to restart arresting people holding signs in support of Palestine Action
[Israel protest palestine action]
The Met Police force has [announced][1] that it is going to start arresting people again – under the Starmer regime’s ban on support for anti-genocide group Palestine Action that the High Court has [already ruled unlawful][2].
The Met had said it would stop arresting protesters holding signs supporting the group until the outcome of the [Home Office’s appeal][3] against the ruling. In the meantime, it said, it would record people’s details in case the government won. However, it has now said it’s going to resume arrests, because the appeal will take months to come to court.
## Palestine Action arrests to resume
So months of stress, cost and restriction of liberty of being arrested and facing potential prosecution and imprisonment will again be inflicted on people protesting against a ban that is currently against the law. And this will be done to appease the UK’s Zionist government and the demands of Israel lobby groups [outraged][4] that the court should put human rights above the feelings of Israel’s supporters.
Right.
Thousands of people, mostly older people or disabled people, have [already been arrested][5] for opposing the Palestine Action ban. Many have [faced][6] punitive bail conditions. Israel lobby groups [expressed][7] their horror at the High Court judgment and their expectation that Israel supporters should be prioritised. Just as they [did when a jury dared acquit a group of Palestine Action activists][8] who had been imprisoned without trial for 18 months.
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [Skwawkbox][9]
[1]: https://www.lbc.co.uk/article/met-police-arrest-palestine-action-signs-5HjdWrr_2/
[2]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/02/13/palestine-action-people/
[3]: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/02/25/palestine-action-unbanning/
[4]: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/live/2026/feb/13/high-court-to-rule-on-lawfulness-of-home-offices-decision-to-proscribe-palestine-action-live?CMP=share_btn_url&page=with%3Ablock-698f26f38f08a3236d063d2e#block-698f26f38f08a3236d063d2e
[5]: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/01/13/defend-our-juries-defendants/
[6]: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2025/10/25/starmers-nightmare-audrey-white-among-first-pa-terror-cases/
[7]: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/02/13/palestine-action-court-zionist/
[8]: https://bod.org.uk/bod-news/board-of-deputies-concerned-by-palestine-action-verdicts/
[9]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/skwawkbox/
https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/03/26/palestine-action-restart/

2026-03-26 14:55:17 UTC

Tommy Robinson fanboy and serving Met police officer abuses Palestinian AJA journalist
[Met police officer abuses palestinian journalist]
The man who was filmed verbally abusing a Palestinian *Al Jazeera* journalist in North London is a serving Met Police special constable and apparent fan of “Tel Aviv Tommy” Robinson.
The *Al Jazeera* film crew were harassed while reporting on the burning of four community ambulances in Golders Green on 23 March. The destroyed vehicles belonged to the Jewish emergency volunteer service, Hatzola.
The authorities are treating the ambulance attack as [an antisemitic hate crime][1].
*Declassified UK* have now [revealed][2] that the vocal member of the angry mob filmed haranguing the film crew is none other than Special Constable David Soffer.
> [🚨]SCOOP: Man filmed in Al Jazeera ‘intimidation’ mob is a serving Metropolitan Police officer[@declassifiedUK][3] has identified him as Special Constable David Soffer.
>
> He was filmed calling a Palestinian journalist a "dog" and telling him to "go back to Qatar". [pic.twitter.com/RQeiFb52a8][4]
>
> — Martin Williams (@martinrw) [March 26, 2026][5]
*Declassified* reported that:
> David Soffer – who also runs a reputation management firm according to records filed at Companies House – is seen making his way to the centre of the mob and insulting the cameraman.
>
> A prolific user of X/Twitter, Soffer has publicly expressed his support for Israel.
The outlet said Soffer’s online footprint also suggests support for British fascist Tommy Robinson:
> In 2024, the far-right activist Tommy Robinson posted an image on Twitter saying “Fuck Palestine”, adding: “The shithole is full of inbred Islamist parasites and terrorists.”
>
> Soffer responded, saying that Robinson “is telling the truth” and that Israel will “justly finish” the war in Gaza.
Soffer verbally abuses the journalists in the footage. He calls one Palestinian journalist a “dog” and a “donkey” in Arabic and says “Go back to Qatar.”
The Met Police told *Declassified UK*:
> We are aware that an off duty serving Met officer was involved in the altercation. The matter has been referred to the Department of Professional Standards for assessment.
## Tommy fanboy cop
Journalist Matt Kennard said it’s easy to imagine the reaction if the roles were flipped:
> Imagine if a Muslim off-duty police officer called a Jewish Chronicle reporter a "dog" and told them to "go back to Tel Aviv"
>
> Would be front-page of every major newspaper. Starmer would have to make a statement. Let's see if it's even covered at all when it's this way round… [https://t.co/fCv7K4RpNd][6]
>
> — Matt Kennard (@kennardmatt) [March 26, 2026][7]
Other users have pointed to the Met police constable’s past appearances on [white supremacist channel, ][8]*GB News, which he also proudly advertises on his LinkedIn.*
> Seems like he's also appeared on GB news [pic.twitter.com/jCsaNjyi27][9]
>
> — mc (@mc8119551355572) [March 26, 2026][10]
The Met previously said of the altercation:
> We’re aware of the footage showing the verbal altercation between local residents and journalists.
>
> Freedom of the press is important and journalists must be able to do their job without being subject to intimidation or harassment.
>
> Officers did intervene but we recognise that there was an extended period where the journalists were put in a difficult situation which led them to leave the area. Officers on duty in the area have been asked to be alert to any similar altercations in the coming days.
As the *Canary* [wrote][11] on 24 March, the British establishment quickly weaponised the ambulance attack against British Muslims—despite there being no evidence at the time of who carried it out:
> With depressing predictability, politicians are using the antisemitic Golders Green arson as an excuse to roll out Islamophobic rhetoric. Never mind the fact that we have no idea who carried out the attack – the knee-jerk bigotry is already in full swing.
Now we know one of the most abusive members of the 23 March mob was a Tommy Robinson-supporting serving cop. The Met need to come down like a ton of bricks. We don’t hold our breath though.
*Featured image via [GB News, YouTube Channel][12]*
By [Joe Glenton][13]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/news/2026/03/23/antisemitic-arson-attack-golders-greeen/
[2]: https://www.declassifieduk.org/revealed-man-filmed-in-al-jazeera-intimidation-mob-is-met-police-officer/
[3]: https://twitter.com/declassifiedUK?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[4]: https://t.co/RQeiFb52a8
[5]: https://twitter.com/martinrw/status/2037137709060218884?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[6]: https://t.co/fCv7K4RpNd
[7]: https://twitter.com/kennardmatt/status/2037153222704373826?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[8]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/2026/03/19/gb-news-insisting-genocide/
[9]: https://t.co/jCsaNjyi27
[10]: https://twitter.com/mc8119551355572/status/2037153118111031313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[11]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/03/24/golders-green/
[12]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sN2Hqon4o4Y
[13]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/joeglenton/
https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/03/26/met-police-constable-abuses-al-jazeera-journo/

2026-03-26 14:44:17 UTC

Feds harass Cuba convoy activists upon return to US
[Donald Trump, the Cuba flag, and activists in an airport]
As reported by the *Canary* on 19 March 2026, [a convoy of activists travelled to Cuba to protest the US blockade on the country][1]. In a seeming act of revenge, US authorities have now harassed these activists upon their return to the states:
> DHS detaining returnees from Cuba, taking their phones, photographing private journals.
>
> Doing this after the successful delivery of tons of aid to Cuba? Sounds like someone's embarrassed at the initiative taken by US citizens to help the Cuban people.[https://t.co/HT8VAAeF27][2]
>
> — noah kulwin (@nkulw) [March 25, 2026][3]
## Cuba Convoy
[As Ed Sykes reported for the *Canary*][4]:
> Donald Trump’s second administration has massively tightened the longstanding US stranglehold on Cuba. His escalating campaign of terror has brought the island’s health system to its knees, putting thousands of lives at risk.
The US is preventing other countries from exporting fuel to Cuba. This is slowly causing the country to grind to a halt:
> BREAKING: Cuba's electrical grid has suffered a complete and total collapse.
>
> It’s the first nationwide blackout since the US blocked the flow of oil to Cuba.
>
> This was entirely caused by the US.
>
> The US is strangling Cuba to death so it can come in & take control of the country. [pic.twitter.com/QBjdvKlIuc][5]
>
> — Power to the People ☭[🕊] (@ProudSocialist) [March 16, 2026][6]
> Anyone in favor of the US stranglehold on Cuba should listen to this Newsmax interview with [@RyanGrim][7], who just returned from there with harrowing stories.
>
> His key question: why do Americans want to dictate who governs Cuba, while forcibly causing Cubans' deaths from no fuel? [https://t.co/BGJfUpKY4J][8]
>
> — Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) [March 25, 2026][9]
Fuel is still reaching private companies, however, demonstrating that the US is pursuing a corporate takeover of its island neighbour:
> The U.S. has sent about 30,000 barrels of fuel to Cuba’s private sector in 2026, despite a broader oil blockade targeting the Cuban government.
>
> The policy, led by the Trump administration, aims to support private businesses while restricting state-run entities.
>
> Shipments are… [pic.twitter.com/jNRrWyLvlZ][10]
>
> — Clash Report (@clashreport) [March 25, 2026][11]
Sykes added:
> Numerous [social movements, humanitarian groups, trade unionists, and public figures][12] have stepped up to try and scupper Trump’s plans, though.
>
> These groups and individuals have built a coalition to send humanitarian supplies to Cuba, including medicine, food, and solar equipment. In particular, this aid seeks to support medical workers and their patients, while ensuring children have access to vital nutrition.
>
> The first of the venture from the ‘[Nuestra América Convoy][13]‘ has already arrived on the island. And more will arrive [in the coming days][14]:
> BREAKING [🇨🇺] The first delegation of the Nuestra América Convoy arrives to Havana. [pic.twitter.com/WEaln5H84S][15]
>
> — Progressive International (@ProgIntl) [March 18, 2026][16]
## Harassed
In the video at the top, musician and activist Lavish Mack explains:
> Yo, this is Lavish and many other people from the Nuestra convoy. We just returned from Cuba and landed in Miami. We’re in the International Airport right now. 18 out of the 20 of us had our phones taken. We were all detained by Border Patrol and interrogated for, I think, about three hours about what exactly we were doing in Cuba, even though they know exactly what we were doing, which is delivering 30 tons of humanitarian, much-needed aid to the Cuban people.
>
> Additionally, the last six people that they took were the Black people. And they just had us in there until Chris finally spoke up and was like, yo, this is a bad little look for y’all. We about to sue you. Then they started expediting and getting us through, but they took all of our phones.
The Chris in question was labour organiser Chris Smalls who famously took on Amazon. Smalls has also supported the people of Palestine:
> Chris Smalls, a former Amazon Labor Union leader and prominent labor organizer who was recently abducted and abused by Israel, calls out unions that refuse to criticize Israel and announces a campaign to pressure the AFL-CIO and the ILA.[💪] [pic.twitter.com/KMHlcWiqIj][17]
>
> — Furkan Gözükara (@FurkanGozukara) [August 19, 2025][18]
In the Lavish Mack video above, another activist said:
> But the other thing I want to add is that I asked for legal counsel many, many times. I said, can I have legal counsel? They said no. And I said, I hear you, but I would really like to have legal counsel. I said… I’m not going to lock the phone until I speak to legal counsel. You may be 100 percent right, but I’m going to feel more comfortable first. So I want to let you know that they said they have warrantless search powers. Maybe they’re right. Maybe they’re not. But that’s what they said.
> A ‘just in case’ video posted by Lavish Mack states he’s been detained by Border Patrol while returning to the U.S. Another post on his account says his passport has been seized.
>
> Mack is a musician and vocal supporter of Palestinian liberation. He is also a U.S. citizen. [pic.twitter.com/wpj1beqqkj][19]
>
> — Talia Jane [❤️‍🔥] (@taliaotg) [July 12, 2025][20]
## Full-on imperialism
As many have highlighted, the US has moved into a new phase in which its imperial ambitions are increasingly transparent:
> They WILL run the Venezuela playbook on Cuba. Indict the political leadership, invade, install a pliant government that will let US business interests carve up the island. You can see it coming a mile away. [https://t.co/cg9pSvnzsT][21]
>
> — Nathan J Robinson (@NathanJRobinson) [March 26, 2026][22]
It’s important that people in the West make it clear that we will not tolerate this from our leaders.
Solidarity to all those who are taking a stand.
*Featured image via [Instagram][23]*
By [Willem Moore][24]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2026/03/19/cuba-trump/
[2]: https://t.co/HT8VAAeF27
[3]: https://twitter.com/nkulw/status/2036889642717635032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[4]: https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2026/03/19/cuba-trump/
[5]: https://t.co/QBjdvKlIuc
[6]: https://twitter.com/ProudSocialist/status/2033622957214298290?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[7]: https://twitter.com/ryangrim?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[8]: https://t.co/BGJfUpKY4J
[9]: https://twitter.com/ggreenwald/status/2036826910974443811?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[10]: https://t.co/jNRrWyLvlZ
[11]: https://twitter.com/clashreport/status/2036771502381560182?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[12]: https://x.com/bellybeastcuba/status/2033908892275773638
[13]: https://nuestraamericaconvoy.org/
[14]: https://x.com/ProgIntl/status/2034279250451177799?s=20
[15]: https://t.co/WEaln5H84S
[16]: https://twitter.com/ProgIntl/status/2034190933697130880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[17]: https://t.co/KMHlcWiqIj
[18]: https://twitter.com/FurkanGozukara/status/1957736878712529353?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[19]: https://t.co/wpj1beqqkj
[20]: https://twitter.com/taliaotg/status/1943866481001083083?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[21]: https://t.co/cg9pSvnzsT
[22]: https://twitter.com/NathanJRobinson/status/2036962196727419003?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[23]: https://www.instagram.com/reels/DWUL25VDwtD/
[24]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/willem-moore/
https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2026/03/26/cuba-harass/

2026-03-26 14:09:13 UTC

Labour Together are deleting their links to Peter Mandelson
[Keir Starmer and a deleted Labour Together tweet featuring Peter Mandelson]
As we’ve reported, [Labour Together have been the key drivers of the disastrous Keir Starmer government.][1] Key members of the group also facilitated the disastrous return and exit of Peter Mandelson. And in a sign of just how disastrous it’s been for them, it seems the group is now trying to hide their connections to Mandelson:
> Isn't this strange… Labour Together deleted this post from X showing an LT event at 2023 Labour conference, addressed by Peter Mandelson, [@jreynoldsMP][2] and hosted by Josh Simons. This screengrab was taken two weeks ago, so only deleted since then. Would be a shame if it was… [pic.twitter.com/PsgwzVF9eH][3]
>
> — The Fraud (@StarmertheFraud) [March 25, 2026][4]
## The Frauds
[*The Fraud*][5] is a book written by investigative journalist Paul Holden. The book covers Starmer’s rise to power, aided as he was by Labour Together. In a passage serialised by the *Canary*, [Holden wrote][6]:
> Labour fought the December 2019 general election with a base split by Brexit and a party divided against itself. It went down to a heavy defeat. After Jeremy Corbyn resigned the helm, Keir Starmer wasted no time in putting his own name forward for the role of new party leader. Starmer’s leadership campaign was a slick affair, launched and defined by a well-produced video that touted his leftist credentials and values. One campaign insider described how, from the outset, it was streets ahead of any contenders in terms of messaging, organisation, infrastructure, and funding.
>
> Starmer could launch his candidacy so quickly thanks to years of preparation largely outside the public eye. This work was done by a political project operating through an organisation called Labour Together. The project had likely started preparing for a leadership contest before Starmer was even aware of its existence. Labour Together provided access to funders. It would also supply Starmer’s key officials including his Svengali, Morgan McSweeney, and many of his future shadow cabinet and cabinet ministers.
*The Fraud* covers the “[illegal funding that made Starmer Labour leader][7]“, as well as the “[antisemitism crisis][8]” which Labour Together concocted to smear their opponents.
For the crime of reporting accurately on their activities, [Labour Together sent private investigators to spy on Paul Holden][9]. It would later come out that Labour Together also [spied on mainstream journalists][10], creating a national scandal that [forced Labour Together director Josh Simons to step down from his ministerial position][11]. Simons is one of the men pictured at the top alongside Peter Mandelson.
## All in it together
At this point, it’s clear why Labour Together would want to distance themselves from long-time Epstein pal Peter Mandelson. At the same time, Labour Together’s image is so tarnished that Mandelson probably wants nothing to do with them either.
What a wretched group to have found themselves at the heart of government.
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [Willem Moore][12]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/03/24/labour-together-funders/
[2]: https://twitter.com/jreynoldsMP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[3]: https://t.co/PsgwzVF9eH
[4]: https://twitter.com/StarmertheFraud/status/2036916415689625607?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[5]: https://www.thecanary.co/the-fraud/
[6]: https://www.thecanary.co/the-fraud/2025/10/13/the-fraud-part-one-labour-together/
[7]: https://www.thecanary.co/the-fraud/2025/10/16/the-fraud-part-four-starmer-leaadership/
[8]: https://www.thecanary.co/the-fraud/2025/10/17/the-fraud-part-five-antisemitism-crisis/
[9]: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2025/09/28/paul-holden-labour-together/
[10]: https://tribunemag.co.uk/2026/02/smears-and-lies-glue-together-starmers-government
[11]: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/02/28/labour-together-ex-director-josh-simons-resigns/
[12]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/willem-moore/
https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2026/03/26/labour-together-deleting-links-to-mandelson/

2026-03-26 13:58:19 UTC

Green Left surges to second place in Danish elections
[Green Left chair Pia Olsen Dyhr]
On 24 March, the Green Left consolidated its role as a key force in Danish politics. It has [grown from 15 to 20 seats in the Folketing][1]. And this is a clear signal of rising support for green and progressive policies, another in a series of recent Green Party breakthroughs across Europe.
In November 2025, the Green Left won the local elections in Copenhagen, with [Sisse Marie Welling becoming the Lord Mayor][2] of Denmark’s capital. In late February in the UK, the [Green Party resoundingly won the Gorton and Denton by-election][3] in Greater Manchester. While in early March, the [German Greens achieved a major regional victory in Baden-Württemberg][4], and won the Mayorship of Munich for the first time.
Green Left has been the official English name since 2022 of the Socialistisk Folkeparti, or SF. That translates directly to Socialist People’s Party. It campaigns on a range of issues, prioritising [economic justice][5] and [care for the environment][6]. It has been a full member of the European Green Party since 2014.
Ciarán Cuffe, co-chair of the European Green Party, said:
> Our member Green Left becoming for the first time the second-biggest force in the Danish parliament shows that voters across Europe are turning to Greens for credible solutions on the issues that matter most: protection of nature, a society with less stress, and affordable energy from renewable sources that are not exposed to geopolitical shocks.
>
> The Danish success confirms strong recent results for Green parties in the UK, Germany and the Netherlands.
Vula Tsetsi, co-chair of the European Green Party, added:
> The series of successes starts to show a pattern of people voting for a green future across Europe. There is again a clear appetite among voters to put social welfare, climate and environmental action at the top of the political agenda.
>
> Europeans support the strategy to invest in renewables to secure European energy independence. From Copenhagen to Lyon, from Manchester to Amsterdam, people are choosing a future that protects their health, their environment, and their bills.
*Featured image via Green Left*
By [The Canary][7]
[1]: https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/politik/folketingsvalg/resultater
[2]: https://europeangreens.eu/news/copenhagen-is-now-the-fifth-eu-capital-city-to-have-a-green-mayor/
[3]: https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2026/02/27/gorton-and-denton-win/
[4]: https://europeangreens.eu/news/green-victory-in-badenwurttemberg-signals-european-momentum/
[5]: https://sf.dk/en-ny-retning-for-danmark-sf-gaar-til-valg-paa-velfaerd-foer-skattelettelser/
[6]: https://sf.dk/derfor-er-sf-danmarks-groenne-parti/
[7]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/thecanary/
https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-news/2026/03/26/green-left-surges-to-second-place-in-danish-elections/

2026-03-26 13:43:59 UTC

Girlguiding groups betray trans kids by ordering them to leave the org by September
[Girlguides impose ban on trans girls]
*Sky News* recently reported that trans girls have been told to leave the Guides by 6 September 2026.
> BREAKING: Transgender girls have been given until September 6 to leave the Guides.
>
> [🔗] Read more [https://t.co/LhwTga7pDi][1]
>
> — Sky News (@SkyNews) [March 24, 2026][2]
Following the Supreme Court’s [ruling that biological sex determines gender][3], individuals and [groups][4] have intensified anti-trans rhetoric and increasingly isolated trans women and girls, [citing the decision as justification.][5]
This latest move by the Guides will cause significant anxiety and distress for young trans girls. The deadline signifies a reversal of their previous position. Many of us remember their 2018 statement which showed refreshing compassion towards this vulnerable group.
As the *Canary* has [previously reported][6], in 2018, their guidance explicitly welcomed trans women and girls.
This makes clear how far anti-trans rhetoric has gone in the UK. The far right have deliberately portrayed trans people as a dangerous threat. Their narrative has [lost any moral grounding][7] it seeks to depend upon.
Trans girls, after all, are just that: children.
## Trans children demonised: guides have lost their backbone
This decision reflects a troubling pattern of institutions cowing to billionaire-backed, far-right groups that are targeting and scapegoating trans people. Even more concerning is the impact on young trans girls—now excluded from the very spaces that welcomed them. This ostracises and isolates them from their peers.
This *X* account drew attention to the Guide’s statement on trans policy in 2018 under former Chief Exec Julie Bentley:
> Contrast this with what the Guides said in 2018, from their now-deleted page:
>
> “It’s been really disappointing to read and hear comments that suggest the inclusion of trans children and young people in Girlguiding somehow puts our other members at risk.”
>
> “It is quite frankly… [https://t.co/UospLiDYtz][8] [pic.twitter.com/uUdWWzEGcW][9]
>
> — Adam Smith (@adamndsmith) [March 24, 2026][10]
Back in 2018, the group rightfully raised the alarm over the way in which trans girls were being demonised in far-right public discourse.
At the time, the Guides expressed disappointment with the suggestion that the inclusion of trans children “puts” others at risk of harm. In their words:
> It is quite frankly disturbing that people assume that a trans child is a threat to others or that they would want to harm their Girlguiding friends.
>
> But we do also recognise that there are legitimate concerns and queries around the practicalities of self-identifying girls sharing sleeping and bathroom facilities, and that’s why we offer bespoke guidance for any leader who is looking to run an activity, like a camp, that’s going to involve a trans child.
## “They are simply children”
One[ X account][11] commenting on these past statements, said the group’s change of tack is likely a response to:
> the threat of litigation by middle class middle aged bigots who have media sway is too much for charities.
It is also worth noting that their 2018 statement was based around a survey of girls and young women which showed 86% in support of trans-inclusive policies.
In an expression of solidarity, [another *X *user said][12]:
> Well done for publishing this. It’s a sad day for the trans community.
>
> All this hate they are getting, now that transphobes have been given ammunition against them.
A lot can change in eight years. In 2023, the guides appointed a new Chief Executive, Felicity Oswald. Since then, new initiatives aimed at growing membership have been introduced, under the motto “Girls Can Do Anything.”
Notwithstanding this new direction, they have failed to protect all children, and abandoned principles of equality.
## Discrimination was bound to happen
The Supreme Court’s ruling worked to roll back trans rights by two decades, as we [wrote][13] last year:
> By prioritising a gender normative definition of sex over legal gender recognition, the court’s decision disregards the lived experiences and identities of trans women. It raises questions about their access to single-sex spaces, participation in public life, and protection against discrimination.
>
> The Supreme Court’s decision reflects a troubling trend within politics and justice to favour a narrow, right-wing view of gender, ignoring the complexities of gender identity and trampling over the rights of trans people.
>
> This approach fails to consider the social and legal realities and plays right into the hands of the anti-trans lobby, the far-right, and bigots.
The Women’s Institute (WI) almost immediately banned trans women from their events following this shortsighted and extremely damaging ruling. Of course, this has caused significant distress for trans communities who are being pushed out of public life.
## Abandoning children is a choice
However, the [Charity Commission][14] even intervened to say that no charities were under any pressure to rush to change policies after the controversial ruling, suggesting they are:
> within their rights to wait for statutory guidance before abandoning their trans-inclusive policies.
The decision from Girlguiding is a result of[ capitulation to far-right bigots][15] who are attempting to demonise trans people. Choosing to further isolate already marginalised children from their peers is a sickening decision.
The fact that the group in 2018 had no problem including trans children speaks volumes about the UK’s gigantic swerve towards openly transphobic politics in recent years. [One of the Girlguiding mottos is:][16]
> We help girls know they can do anything
As long as they’re the right kind of girls.
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [Maddison Wheeldon][17]
[1]: https://t.co/LhwTga7pDi
[2]: https://twitter.com/SkyNews/status/2036416686039933170?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[3]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/news/2025/08/29/transactual-report-collects-testimonies-of-trans-segregation-after-supreme-court-ruling/
[4]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/news/2026/01/29/sex-matters-loses-court/
[5]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/2026/02/04/trans-scientists-say/
[6]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2025/12/02/trans-banned-from-girl-guides/
[7]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/2025/10/16/trans-people-human-rights-watchdog/
[8]: https://t.co/UospLiDYtz
[9]: https://t.co/uUdWWzEGcW
[10]: https://twitter.com/adamndsmith/status/2036426773592683000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[11]: https://x.com/Kat_Says_Stuff/status/2036454144513343490?s=20
[12]: https://x.com/Vroniholzmann/status/2036684340411642230?s=20
[13]: https://www.thecanary.co/editorial/2025/04/16/supreme-court-woman-definition/
[14]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/01/23/charity-commission-inclusion/
[15]: https://medium.com/@mimmymum/the-tiny-numbers-behind-the-girlguiding-trans-panic-923341202907
[16]: https://www.girlguiding.org.uk/
[17]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/maddison-wheeldon/
https://www.thecanary.co/uk/2026/03/26/trans-kids-girl-guides/

2026-03-26 13:14:26 UTC

Israel says it will take over southern Lebanon in nakedly colonial ambition
[israel]
Israel says it will [invade Lebanon and enforce a ‘defensive buffer’ zone up to the Litani river][1]. Or, in plain English, the settler-colonial state means to colonise Lebanon’s south – probably permanently.
In theory, Hezbollah breached a US-brokered ‘ceasefire’ with Israel in early March which had held up since their last war in 2024. In practice, the US gave Israel carte blanche to strike Lebanon, which it has done constantly since the deal was struck. During the intervening period, Israel attacked southern Lebanon about 15,400 times.
Now senior Israeli officials say they have destroyed many of the bridges on the Litani river, largely cutting off the south from the rest of the country.
The *Guardian* [reported][2] on 25 March:
> During a meeting with the military chief of staff, Israel defence minister Israel Katz said Israeli forces would “control the remaining bridges and the security zone up to the Litani”, a river in Lebanon that meets the Mediterranean about 30km (20 miles) north of Israel’s border.
Adding:
> Katz added all bridges over the Litani river, which he said had been used by Hezbollah to move operatives and weapons into southern Lebanon, “have been blown up and the IDF will control the remaining bridges”.
Far-right minister Bezalel Smotrich [said][3] on 23 March that the war:
> needs to end with a different reality entirely, both with the Hezbollah decision but also with the change of Israel’s borders.
>
> I say here definitively…in every room and in every discussion, too: the new Israeli border must be the Litani.
The *Canary* [reported][4] on Israel’s bombing of the Qasmiyeh bridge over the Litani on 23 March. As we argued then, Smotrich is one figure figure in a small far-right party in a coalition government.
However:
> He nevertheless represents [a widely and deeply-held expansionist desire][5] at the heart of Israel’s settler colonial polity. In Zionism’s ethno-nationalist fever-dream, Lebanon—and even lands far beyond it—are already part of Israel.
## Israel aggression gathers steam
Israel attacked 92 villages in the south in 24 March:
> The Israeli military attacked 92 villages and towns across Lebanon on Tuesday. A journalist on the ground recorded a new strike today while reporting from the town of Al-Burghuliyah, a coastal municipality in the Tyre district of southern Lebanon, near the Mediterranean. [https://t.co/9Uun7KDNwG][6]
>
> — Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) [March 25, 2026][7]
*Channel 4 News* attended the funeral of another two paramedics killed by Israeli strikes on 25 March. the youngest was 16 years old:
> Awful, heartbreaking, unacceptable
>
> We’ve just been at the funeral of two young volunteer paramedics in southern Lebanon – killed in a direct Israeli strike… one was only 16 years old
>
> They were killed whilst wearing their full kit according to witnesses – returning from the… [pic.twitter.com/K5rtw0WwHO][8]
>
> — Secunder Kermani (@SecKermani) [March 25, 2026][9]
The Israeli assault has displaced [one in five Lebanese people][10]. The World Health Organisation (WHO) reported that massive surges of displacement were placing pressure on hospitals:
> A [#WHO][11] team visited Siblin Governmental Hospital to assess capacity amid a surge in displacement. Over 130,000 people in the area are placing growing pressure on health services. [pic.twitter.com/CeuYpAKKOa][12]
>
> — WHO Lebanon (@WHOLebanon) [March 25, 2026][13]
*Al Jazeera* reported that the war had caused food prices to [inflate][14]. While Hezbollah – a Shia political party and paramilitary force in the south – [called for unity][15].
Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said:
> Negotiating with the Israeli enemy under fire amounts to imposing surrender and stripping Lebanon of its capabilities, especially since negotiations are fundamentally rejected with an enemy that occupies land and continues daily aggression.
>
> We call for national unity against the Israeli-American enemy under one title at this stage: stopping the aggression to liberate the land and the people. All other issues can be discussed afterward.
Israel has had its sights on southern Lebanon for years. It’s desire to drive all the way through to the Litani has nothing to do with ‘defence’ or establishing ‘buffers’. This new outrage is driven by the same nakedly colonialist ambition which has driven Israel’s genocide against Palestinians, its attack on Iran, and its sundry other atrocities in the region.
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [Joe Glenton][16]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/opinion/2026/03/09/lebanon-puts-resistance/
[2]: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/24/netanyahu-vows-further-strikes-iran-lebanon-missile-hits-tel-aviv-middle-east-crisis
[3]: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-minister-calls-annexation-southern-lebanon-2026-03-23/
[4]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2026/03/18/lebanon-people-displaced/
[5]: https://www.middleeasteye.net/explainers/what-greater-israel
[6]: https://t.co/9Uun7KDNwG
[7]: https://twitter.com/DropSiteNews/status/2036817842998272463?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[8]: https://t.co/K5rtw0WwHO
[9]: https://twitter.com/SecKermani/status/2036759265814151421?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[10]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2026/03/18/lebanon-people-displaced/
[11]: https://twitter.com/hashtag/WHO?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[12]: https://t.co/CeuYpAKKOa
[13]: https://twitter.com/WHOLebanon/status/2036826828141146120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[14]: https://aje.news/ve6pos?update=4433182
[15]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/25/hezbollah-chief-urges-unity-no-talks-with-israel-amid-lebanon-attacks
[16]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/joeglenton/
https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2026/03/26/israel-colonise/

2026-03-26 13:13:16 UTC

Netpol protest policing report reveals ‘How Repression Became Routine’
[Netpol report: how repression became reoutine]
On 25 March, police monitoring group Netpol released its annual protest report. Building on the foundation of the 2024 report ‘This is Repression’ — the latest version is entitled ‘How Repression Became Routine’ (2025). What’s more, it makes for chilling, but sadly familiar, reading.
The *Canary *sent *Skwawkbox *out to report on the launch event itself. [You can read his article here][1], which also serves to introduce the report. Likewise, [you can read the full report here. ][2]
In this article, we’ll take a bit of a closer look at the report itself, along with its main findings.
## Core findings
With the 2024 report already having concluded that Britain exists in a state of repression, Netpol stated that:
> Between July 2025 and February 2026, Netpol conducted in-depth qualitative research within protest movements, drawing on interviews, testimonies, legal observer notes, court records, police and government data, media coverage and 21 Freedom of Information requests.
>
> Our findings show that repression has become routine in British protest policing: new and overlapping laws, combined with a growing tendency to treat protest as a security issue, have normalised surveillance, heavy-handed policing, and punishment, with harm concentrated on marginalised groups. Protest is increasingly policed as a matter of threat management rather than democratic expression.
Netpol produced the 2025 report with the help of the Article 11 Trust. Back in 2020, the charity was set up with the aim of defending the rights to freedom of assembly, as set out under Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
The 2025 report broke its core findings down into five overarching points:
1. Officers are exercising powers beyond and ahead of gaining the lawful authority to do so.
2. The police are using layered legislation to confuse and control protestors.
3. Security logics now dominate protest policing.
4. The restriction of protests has spread out over a wider geographical area.
5. The gap in police accountability is widening.
## Power beyond authority
The new report highlighted the fact that police forces, and especially the Met, have made unlawful use of their powers. More specifically, they’re exercising powers like ‘cumulative disruption’ conditions before they’ve even passed through parliament.
Police already have powers to impose conditions on protests that cause “serious disruption to the life of the community”. These were put in place by the Public Order Act 1986.
However, the forthcoming Crime and Policing Bill proposes to amend this to allow police to consider ‘cumulative disruption’, ie. the effect of repeated protests. This would effectively allow officers to treat multiple minor protests in the same manner as larger ‘disruptive’ protests.
Netpol stated that it had seen evidence suggesting that:
> these trailed powers are already being used, despite provisions not yet having been passed into law. In May, for example, the Met used Public Order powers to block International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN) protests, citing the ‘cumulative impact’ of weekly protests. Similarly, in
> November, the Met forced Palestine Solidarity Coalition (PSC) to change the route of its planned march, citing the “cumulative effect of [PSC] protests”.
Likewise, the report also found that police continued to use powers even after they’d been appealed. In particular, the monitoring group cited police use of the repealed ‘more than minor’ threshold for serious disruption.
## Layered legislation
Next up, the police abuse of layered legislation. Forces across the country have access to a wide array of powers granted by multiple pieces of legislation. Officers are using these layered powers to confuse and control protesters – and also to maximise their intelligence gathering and data capture.
The report explained that:
> Because these powers overlap, it is often unclear which rules apply and why, even before any enforcement action takes place.
As a case study, Netpol cited what it called the “34-60aa-50-35 dance”. This was a specific and targeted weaponisation of layered legislation noted by legal observers in Bristol. In sequence, it goes:
* > Section 60aa (Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994) requires the removal of face coverings and creates a pretext for stopping people without reasonable suspicion
* > Section 34 (Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014) provides authorisation for police to disperse protesters for up to 48 hours, effectively criminalising protesters for assembling once deemed as ‘likely’ to cause disorder. This, in turn, sets the precedent for the steps that follow.
* > Section 50 follows, criminalising non-compliance and providing an easy arrest mechanism while also acting as an intelligence-gathering model which allows police to identify movement actors.
* > Section 35 (Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014) is then evoked, allowing the police to clear out protesters once data collection has been completed.
## Security logics
Chillingly, the report also found that national security and counterterrorism logics are now embedded in routine protest policing. This means that authorities are framing dissent is framed as an existential security threat. These ‘exceptional’ concerns allow them to ‘justify’ the use of repressive tactics.
Netpol stated that:
> We have seen the unprecedented application of counter-terrorism legislation – in particular, the Terrorism Act 2000 – largely in response to Palestine solidarity protest, including to proscribe direct action group Palestine Action.
This legislation was ostensibly drafted to tackle extreme threats to national security. However, we’re now regularly seeing it weaponised against demonstrators going about what was once ordinary protest activity.
Even the National Security Act 2023 is now being used against protesters and journalists, marking the even greater application of national security powers against political dissent.
## Geographical spread
Across Britain, the use of powers to restrict assemblies shot up by 230% over 2024 – 2025. What’s more, where this repression was once largely limited to London (and the Met), it’s now spreading.
In part, this is a reflection of the fact that the protest landscape itself is seeing a lower proportion of large-scale national marches. Instead, “sustained, local and site-based assemblies” are dominating the scene.
Until March 2025, the Met was the only force to impose wholesale restrictions on marches. However, this year’s restrictions on assemblies were far less localised. The report explained that:
> This pattern indicates the widening geographical spread of public order policing through restrictions placed on static and sustained protests outside weapons factories, local government buildings and hotels homing refugees.
## Widening accountability gap
Finally, whilst police powers have grown in number and scope, there’s been no corresponding growth in accountability. Instead, the public’s powers to scrutinise and restrain the police have grown weaker. Legislative and policy changes are also undermining accountability and routes to redress policy repression.
Meanwhile, pre-emptive approaches to policing are on the rise, enabled by vast surveillance networks. By its nature, these pre-crime tactics are opaque and difficult for the public to scrutinise.
Likewise, the danger for journalists and legal observers – the people documenting police repression – is increasing. This reduces accountability by eroding methods of evidence collection. The report stated that:
> We spoke to one legal observer who had been stopped by the police on fabricated charges, noting that
> police harassment had forced them to take a step back in 2025, while another was arrested at the national PSC demonstration in January 2025.
>
> We have also received a number of reports of police violence against legal observers, ranging from being caught in kettles, to being pepper sprayed, to being shoved into objects and vehicles. One legal observer told us that they no longer give too much thought to being pushed by police due to experiencing this kind of force as a regular occurrence over the summer of 2025.
## Conclusion
Whilst the findings of the report detailed a chilling escalation of repressive policing, Netpol took care not to end on a hopeless note. Rather, they emphasised the fact that the public is resisting, and we have not yet given up—[and the movement is growing][3]:
> Despite the trends identified in this report, repression has not yet silenced dissent. Instead, solidarity with protest movements throughout 2025 strengthened, with steadfast resilience shown by those protesting for Palestine and communities defending themselves against far-right and anti-migrant demonstrations.
>
> Crucially, the ability to protest has been upheld by those who build and sustain the infrastructures of resistance, amid depleted resources and increasingly complex legal and political environments. However, with the passing of another year, the stakes of exercising the right to protest have once again increased. It is vital that we reject the idea that repression is inevitable before the dwindling space to dissent disappears.
The UK government, and the police along with them, have built a state in which repression has become routine. However, the public has—time and time again—met them head-on. The state is witnessing first-hand that we cannot be legislated into submission, and that we will not let go of our rights and freedoms without a fight.
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [Alex/Rose Cocker][4]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/03/26/protest-police-repression-netpol/
[2]: https://netpol.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/WEB_HowRepressionBecameRoutine.pdf
[3]: https://netpol.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/WEB_ExecSumm_HowRepressionBecameRoutine.pdf
[4]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/alexrosecocker/
https://www.thecanary.co/uk/2026/03/26/netpol-report-policing/

2026-03-26 12:44:50 UTC

Social workers covering cost of basic essentials for vulnerable people
[social care crisis]
Hundreds of frontline social workers are regularly stepping in to personally support people in crisis. New research by the [Social Workers Union][1] (SWU) suggests that the Government’s new [Crisis and Resilience Fund][2] may not be enough to prevent this.
## Crisis support
Following a survey of the SWU’s members, many felt compelled to step in and personally fund basic items for people they support – from food to energy prepayment meter top-ups.
The Crisis and Resilience Fund, which is due to begin on 1 April, is intended to provide faster emergency support for households in hardship. It comes after reports of a looming [social care crisis][3] in 2024.
However, the SWU warns that the Fund may not go far enough to prevent social workers continuing to plug gaps themselves, particularly when crises arise suddenly or where systems remain slow and bureaucratic.
## Survey findings
More than 380 social workers affected by the issue took part in the research last summer, with three in four (75%) saying they were unable to claim back the costs they incurred on behalf of service users.
The overwhelming majority had to buy food (87%), while others were compelled to pay for public transport (36%), clothing (26%), cleaning supplies (24%), and top-up energy prepayment meters (19%) to keep people warm.
Though over half of social workers affected (58%) described such payments as rare, more than a quarter (27%) said they were dipping into their own pockets every month, with nearly one in ten (9%) doing so even more regularly. Most contributions were under £25, but one in twenty social workers spent more than £100.
Over a third (36%) said helping clients put their own finances at risk, highlighting how the cost-of-living crisis is now affecting not just vulnerable families, but the very workers tasked with protecting them.
Despite 86% of social workers trying to secure support via foodbanks, council-run household support funds and local charities, seven in ten times (70%) they were faced with an emergency that left no time to navigate complex or slow bureaucratic systems.
## A system in crisis
John McGowan, general secretary of the SWU, has warned the findings expose a “broken support system”:
> It cannot be right that social workers are left to plug the gaps in a broken support system with their own money. While the new Crisis and Resilience Fund is a welcome step, it will not solve the problem on its own if support remains slow, complex or hard to access in an emergency.
>
> The data paints a stark picture of a safety net riddled with delays and gaps. The true test of the new Fund moving forward will be to see if it means that local and national governments act urgently to ensure help is there when it is needed.
It is a claim backed up by the stories told by social workers themselves. Asked why they had resorted to providing direct financial support to service users, one social worker told researchers:
> There are often several real forms to fill out to request financial support, which are declined anyhow by managers. To save time – something we don’t often have – I’ve paid for items myself.
Another claimed that their local authority “has restricted food bank vouchers to 3 per year”. Another stated that their “service user was unable to access the internet or navigate lengthy online forms.” One went so far as to say that there just was no longer any support left to apply for.
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [Em Colquhoun][4]
[1]: https://swu-union.org.uk/
[2]: https://carers.org/news-and-media/news/post/585-crisis-and-resilience-fund-guidance-carers
[3]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/news/2024/10/25/state-of-care-report/
[4]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/em-colquhoun/
https://www.thecanary.co/uk/2026/03/26/social-workers-cover-basic-essentials/

2026-03-26 12:19:48 UTC

Meta & YouTube sickos deliberately harmed children
[Mark Zuckerberg, the Facebook logo, and the YouTube logo]
A US court has found that Meta and YouTube[ are deliberately getting kids addicted to their sites and causing them harm in the process][1]. It’s the latest sign that the tide is turning against the sick US tech sector, which has enjoyed an ability to act without impunity for decades now.
> A Los Angeles jury has ordered YouTube and Meta to pay $3 million to a woman who sued them, alleging that the negligence of both tech giants led her to get addicted to their platforms at a young age.
>
> — More Perfect Union (@MorePerfectUS) [March 25, 2026][2]
Meta is the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp; YouTube, meanwhile, is owned by Google.
## Meta and YouTube causing harm
[*Variety *summarised the case as follows][3]:
> A jury has ordered Meta and Google to pay $3M to a 20-year-old woman who alleged that she became addicted to Instagram and YouTube as a child:
>
> * Jurors found the companies liable for product design features that harmed her mental health
> * The plaintiff, Kaley G.M., testified that the apps replaced her hobbies and contributed to anxiety, depression and body dysmorphia
> * The case is the first of thousands targeting Big Tech over addiction to reach trial, a “bellwether” to assess how other claims could be resolved
> * Meta was ordered to pay 70% of the damages, with Google responsible for the remaining 30%
[The trial took place in Los Angeles over a period of six weeks][4], with jurors hearing testimony from executives, whistleblowers, and expert witnesses. As the *Guardian *reported, the plaintiff:
> testified that she became addicted to YouTube at age six and Instagram at nine, which she said had deleterious effects on her wellbeing. By age 10, she said, she had become depressed and was engaging in self-harm as a result. Her social media use allegedly caused her to have strained relationships with her family and in school. When she was 13, KGM’s therapist diagnosed her with body dysmorphic disorder and social phobia, which KGM attributes to her use of Instagram and YouTube.
The *Guardian* compared the case to the 1990s legal action against cigarette manufacturers. Then, like now, it was argued that executives understood the harms caused by their products, but they chose to prioritise profits over public health.
## Counters
It’s clear that social media is having a negative impact, but there’s also a simultaneous push to restrict certain freedoms online. According to groups like Reclaim the Net, this latest case could be used to further inhibit freedoms in a similar fashion to what we’ve seen in the UK via the [Online Safety Act][5].
In their summary of the above case, [Reclaim the Net write][6]:
> The chain from these verdicts to surveillance architecture runs through a single word: “addiction.” Public health emergency follows from that classification. Emergency powers follow from the emergency. Age verification follows from emergency powers. OS-level ID checks follow from age verification. Each step is presented as protecting children. What gets built is a surveillance system for everyone unless we can get more people to wake up to it.
There’s obviously a line to be walked, but the grave harms caused by these companies cannot be ignored or pushed to one side. [As the *Guardian* reported][7]:
> The jury’s verdict comes just one day after Meta was ordered to pay $375m in civil penalties in a separate lawsuit in New Mexico. In that case, the jury found the company misled consumers about the safety of its platforms and enabled harm, including child sexual exploitation, against its users. The back-to-back verdicts are the first ever to find Meta liable for how its products affect young people.
The problem activists have is that the loss of online anonymity will feel like a lesser evil to many than the sexual exploitation of children. This is why any successful campaign needs to be clear that the status quo does need to change, and that greedy tech companies cannot be the ones in charge of our digital spaces due to the clear and evident harm to children.
## Floodgates
As people have highlighted, this case could open the floodgates for more legal action:
> Welp, it sounds like a lot of people can sue Meta and Google and make some good money [😂] [https://t.co/0U1uXZ8Juz][8]
>
> — DeepHumor (@DeepHumor) [March 25, 2026][9]
The governor of California Gavin Newsom also spoke out following the verdict:
> Big Tech is finally answering for the harm it has caused our children — after years of fighting against common sense regulations, today's verdict shows that they can't escape accountability.
>
> California isn't backing down. We've enacted the nation’s strongest protections, and… [https://t.co/SqY3PtW3Ls][10]
>
> — Governor Gavin Newsom (@CAgovernor) [March 25, 2026][11]
Newsom is very much a weather vane politician; he’s also eyeing up a run at the presidency. The fact that he’s speaking out against big tech and Israel shows that some of the US’s biggest political excesses have become unviable for an ambitious politician:
> The Democrats’ ranking political weather vane has spoken. California Gov. Gavin Newsom ventured onto what was for him new terrain, invoking the A-word—“apartheid”—to describe a nation that had once been the cynosure of American liberals’ eyes. [https://t.co/EuLQompHJA][12] [pic.twitter.com/KyrwtkTg2Q][13]
>
> — The American Prospect (@TheProspect) [March 4, 2026][14]
Of course, politicians like Newsom are also flip-floppers, so they can’t be trusted to enact the crucial change that needs to happen:
> Governor Gavin Newsom: “I revere the state of Israel. I’m proud to support the state of Israel.
>
> I deeply, deeply oppose Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership, his opposition to the two-state solution, and deeply oppose how he is indulging the far right…”
> [pic.twitter.com/q2kl7s2GNu][15]
>
> — Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) [March 24, 2026][16]
*Featured image via [Wikimedia][17]*
By [Willem Moore][18]
[1]: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/mar/25/jury-verdict-us-first-social-media-addiction-trial-meta-youtube
[2]: https://twitter.com/MorePerfectUS/status/2036867556116406513?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[3]: https://x.com/Variety/status/2036863673667310000
[4]: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/mar/25/jury-verdict-us-first-social-media-addiction-trial-meta-youtube
[5]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2025/07/31/online-safety-act/
[6]: https://reclaimthenet.org/meta-youtube-negligence-verdict-age-verification-surveillance
[7]: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/mar/25/jury-verdict-us-first-social-media-addiction-trial-meta-youtube
[8]: https://t.co/0U1uXZ8Juz
[9]: https://twitter.com/DeepHumor/status/2036950231297003734?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[10]: https://t.co/SqY3PtW3Ls
[11]: https://twitter.com/CAgovernor/status/2036911479752998994?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[12]: https://t.co/EuLQompHJA
[13]: https://t.co/KyrwtkTg2Q
[14]: https://twitter.com/TheProspect/status/2029291502841581985?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[15]: https://t.co/q2kl7s2GNu
[16]: https://twitter.com/RpsAgainstTrump/status/2036453115897995587?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[17]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook#/media/File:Facebook_logo_(2023).svg
[18]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/willem-moore/
https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2026/03/26/meta-youtube-sickos/

2026-03-26 12:12:03 UTC

Starmer offers pathetic excuse when accused of McSweeney ‘cover-up’
[Keir Starmer with Peter Mandelson and Morgan McSweeney in the background]
Keir Starmer is busy trotting out another set of excuses for yet another political scandal. Morgan McSweeney is the ex-Downing Street chief of staff who [resigned in disgrace in February this year][1]. McSweeney resigned to take the fall for the hiring of Peter Mandelson – a man that Starmer [knew was a close associate of the international paedophile Jeffrey Epstein][2]. Now, it’s emerged that McSweeney conveniently had his phone stolen not long after Mandelson got the boot.
Given the timeline, many have accused McSweeney of faking the incident to destroy any messages between himself and Mandelson. Given what we know about the ‘theft’, this is arguably more plausible than the official narrative, and yet Starmer has responded as follows:
> Q: Critics say the theft and botched investigation of Morgan McSweeney’s phone stinks of a cover-up. Can you understand why people are suspicious about this phone being stolen just as the Mandelson scandal was unfolding? [https://t.co/nDvTL34qZj][3]
>
> — Beth Rigby (@BethRigby) [March 26, 2026][4]
Is it really any more “far fetched” than what we know for certain – i.e. that Starmer[ hired Mandelson in the first place despite everything he knew about the man?][5]
## Starmer losing control
At this point, we know McSweeney reported his phone stolen in October 2025 – [the month after Mandelson got shitcanned from his position as ambassador to the US][6]. In what the [*BBC* described as an “unusual step”][7], the police have released a full transcript of the call between [McSweeney and the police][8]:
> Call handler: Police, what’s your emergency?
>
> Caller: Oh, hello, someone just robbed my phone.
>
> Call handler: Did they actually take it from you just now?
>
> Caller: Yeah
>
> Call handler: How did they get away?
>
> Caller: So he’s on a bike. He’s come onto the pavement to grab my phone and cycled off on a bike.
>
> Call handler: And where did this happen?
>
> Caller: It happened in Belgrave Street* in Westminster.
>
> *We now know that the incident took place in Belgrave Road, Westminster. The call handler inputs Belgrave Street and it provides a matching road name in Tower Hamlets, which is what is recorded in error. There are further references to locations near to Belgrave Street in Tower Hamlets later in the call, which compounds the issue.
>
> Call handler: And whose phone are you using now?
>
> Caller: I’ve got two phones. I’m using my personal one. That was my work one.
>
> Call handler: Can I take the phone number for this phone you’re calling on?
>
> Caller: Yeah, 07XXXXXXXXX.
>
> Call handler: Thank you. And you said Belgrave Street, yeah?
>
> Caller: Yeah, just kind of going back to the location.
>
> Call handler: Don’t put yourself at any risk. It’s not worth it over a phone. I appreciate it’s frustrating.
>
> Call handler: And which way did they go towards, this suspect on a bike?
>
> Caller: He went. He travels north. I saw him for a few blocks.
>
> Call handler: So where were you when you last saw him? Have you got any idea?
>
> Caller: Yeah, so.
>
> Call handler: Did you get up to Stepney?
>
> Caller: Let me tell you where I got to. I’m just going back to where I can.
>
> Caller: So he turned right. Sorry, he turned left. There’s a park on top of the road and he turned left there.
>
> Call handler: Stepney Green Park, ok.
>
> Caller: Yeah. He turned left there.
>
> Call handler: Can you remember anything about his appearance?
>
> Caller: Yeah, he was young. He was a black guy. He was on a bike.
>
> Call handler: About how young?
>
> Call handler: Just a guess.
>
> Caller: Teens. Late teens.
>
> Call handler: Was he skinny, tall, any idea?
>
> Caller: Yeah. He was slim. He was about average height.
>
> Call handler: Was it an e bike or pedal bike?
>
> Caller: Pedal bike.
>
> Call handler: Have you got a tracker on the phone at all?
>
> Caller: I do. It’s a government phone.
>
> Call handler: And it’s your work phone. What kind of phone is it?
>
> Caller: It’s an iPhone.
>
> Call handler: Do you know what model?
>
> Caller: I don’t.
>
> [PAUSE]
>
> Call handler: Right, just bear with me a second.
>
> Call handler: We would normally deploy to see you but at the moment, we are having extreme demand on police officers. So, I don’t know if you would prefer to make your way home and make a crime report over the phone or online tomorrow. I mean, I can complete one with you now. I can pass this down, you can wait, but I honestly do not know how long you’ll be waiting,
>
> Caller: If I could complete it now that would be good.
>
> Call handler: Ok.
>
> Call handler: What’s your name, please?
>
> Caller: My name is XXXXXXXXXX.
>
> Call handler: XXXXXXXXXX? (repeats name back)
>
> Caller: Yeah.
>
> Call handler: And your date of birth, please?
>
> Caller: It’s XXXXXX
>
> Call handler: Is XXXXXXXXX (surname) all one word?
>
> Caller: Yeah, (spells surname).
>
> Call handler: And what’s your home address?
>
> Caller: (Provides non-London address)
>
> Call handler: So you live in XXXXXX?
>
> Caller: Yeah.
>
> Call handler: Are you staying anywhere while you’re in London?
>
> Caller: Yeah.
>
> Call handler: Sorry, it just takes a little bit longer to deal with an address outside of the Met. I do apologise.
>
> Caller: It’s ok.
>
> Call handler: And may I take an email for you please (name)?
>
> Caller: Yeah, it’s XXXXXXXXXXX@XXXXXXXXXX.com (personal email address)
>
> Call handler: You’ll get a copy of the preliminary crime report through to that email.
>
> Call handler: How would you like to be contacted by an investigating officer? By email or phone?
>
> Caller: Phone, please. Or either, I’m not fussed.
>
> Call handler: Have you got any finance apps on the phone?
>
> Caller: No.
>
> Call handler: You’ll need to change any passwords for any logins you do have on the phone.
>
> Caller: Yeah, okay.
>
> Call handler: You’re not vulnerable in any way. Are you?
>
> Caller: No I’m not.
>
> Call handler: Do you believe there was any CCTV near where the incident happened?
>
> Caller: Might be. [Inaudible] away from location.
>
> Call handler: Don’t worry. Don’t return. No, I’ll just put at the moment unknown. And obviously, if we find out more, we find out more.
>
> Call handler: Are you willing to make a statement to support the investigation?
>
> Caller: Definitely.
>
> Call handler: So what time did he actually snatch the phone?
>
> Caller: About two minutes before I rung you and I chased, and then I rang my office to get the phone tracked and then I rang you.
>
> Call handler: Okay, cool. It would have been about 25 past that you were robbed.
>
> Caller: A little before, about 23 minutes past, I think.
>
> Call handler: 23? Little bit before? Okay.
>
> [PAUSE]
>
> Call handler: Just bear with me, I’m just trying to get this system to accept the address. Sorry about this. I won’t keep you much longer.
>
> Call handler: If you do get any tracking updates, what you do is you give us call back if the phone is stationary.
>
> Caller: Yeah.
>
> Call handler: And we can review attending then. We can’t guarantee attending a moving phone at all, but if it’s been stationary for a few…
>
> Call handler: It’s not accepting your address.
>
> Caller: I can give you my London address?
>
> Call handler: It’s alright. I’ve nearly got this to work.
>
> Caller: Okay
>
> Call handler: How long you staying in London?
>
> Caller: So I come to London every week. I work in London.
>
> Call handler: Oh, I see. Okay, that makes sense.
>
> Caller: So I’ll be here till Thursday.
>
> Call handler: Okay.
>
> [PAUSE]
>
> Call handler: As I was trying to say, I’ve got this sorted now, so I’ll be texting you a crime reference number in the next few moments. Along with the crime reference number will be a CHS reference number. If you need to give us a call back, you can call back giving that reference number from any device, and then we’ll be able to link it straight away to your crime report and review deploying. We will need to know a bit more details about the phone itself, so when you’re contacted by the investigating officer, or if you do get tracking details, you can call us back with the IMEI number, and the type of phone that it is that would be super helpful.
>
> Caller: All right, thank you.
>
> Call handler: All right, I’m just about to text you through the crime reference number now.
>
> Caller: Thank you so much. You’ve been really helpful.
>
> Call handler: No worries. All right, (name). You take care now, okay? Bye.
>
> Caller: Bye bye.
If you’re confused as to why the Downing Street chief of staff called the police and not MI6, you’re far from alone. [As *Sky News* reported][9], McSweeney:
> was the prime minister’s chief of staff, so the PM’s most senior political advisor. His phone contained the contact details for and messages with Sir Keir Starmer, the cabinet, and the most senior British officials.
>
> This is information that the foreign intelligence services of adversaries like Russia, China and Iran would be very interested in obtaining.
Why are we keeping James Bond on the payroll if not for instances like this?
It gets worse, too, because McSweeney also left out crucial information in his call to the police.
## Starmer steps in
In the video above, Starmer [says][10]:
> The phone was stolen. It was reported to the police. There’s a transcript of the call in which Morgan McSweeney gives his name, his date of birth, the details of the phone and the police confirm that it was reported.
>
> Unfortunately, there are thefts like this. It was stolen. It was reported at the time, the police have acknowledged and confirmed that … and the idea that somehow everybody could have seen that some time in the future there’d be a request over the phone is, to my mind, a little bit far-fetched.
Starmer leaves out key details here, though:
> Labour’s then Chief of Staff Morgan McSweeney gave the police the wrong road – an address in Stepney – and then encouraged them to believe he was indeed in Stepney. And this was a legendarily tech-savvy man who knew his duties to preserve all data on the Government phone? [https://t.co/o9FGwtJ8NA][11]
>
> — Joe Rich (@joerichlaw) [March 25, 2026][12]
McSweeney also failed to inform the police that he was one of the most important people in the country from a security perspective, and that the loss of his phone could result in an international incident. But yes, as Starmer said, he did at least give his date of birth – so well done for getting that right, Mr McSweeney.
This wasn’t the only way in which shifty Starmer gave a false impression:
> And again, Keir Starmer is deliberately trying to misled people. The whole point is that the phone was 'stolen' a week AFTER No.10 officials had discussed the possibility of parliament demanding to see the messages. [https://t.co/EzQ7hSfjdu][13]
>
> — (((Dan Hodges))) (@DPJHodges) [March 26, 2026][14]
As Saul Staniforth highlighted, it’s hard to fathom that McSweeney should have left this to the Metropolitan Police:
> Councils have strict protocols around this, so you would think that the government would be the same if not stricter. Unbelievable !
>
> — Bee (@h_bee28788884) [March 26, 2026][15]
Others have noted that protocols around this sort of thing are much higher than the government is expecting us to believe:
> I've now spoken to two former Government Spads. Both were senior, both lost their Government phones. In both cases their first approach was to the Government internal security services, who then brokered a liaison with the Met to ensure the issue was dealt with properly.
>
> — (((Dan Hodges))) (@DPJHodges) [March 25, 2026][16]
> Crazy! When my laptop was stolen in Oxford Circus while working for UN, police came asap, went through CCTV, identified professional thieves (2 of them) & took me to the police station to file the report. But McSweeney didn’t tell police he advised PM Starmer on his phone.[👇] [https://t.co/Qcl2yi4qVv][17]
>
> — Jane Samuels (@Jane_Samuels) [March 25, 2026][18]
It’s looking so bad for the government that even Labour MPs are calling bullshit:
> I don’t believe McSwindle had his iPhone stolen. [🤷🏼‍♂️]
>
> — Karl Turner MP (@KarlTurnerMP) [March 25, 2026][19]
## Defending the indefensible
Some are defending the government’s limp defence; among them is *Huff Post* editor Kevin Schofield. Schofield’s defence was so bad that it was quickly torn apart by *GB News* founder and human whoopee cushion Andrew Neil:
> He wasn’t mugged. Even he doesn’t claim that. Making things up to bolster an untenable position is not a good look. Try and come up with something better. [https://t.co/jlvuBCrOtb][20]
>
> — Andrew Neil (@afneil) [March 25, 2026][21]
Others have highlighted there may be other ways to access the WhatsApp messages between McSweeney and Mandelson, meaning there was no reason for the ex chief of staff to destroy his phone:
> Peter Mandelson handed back his government iPhone when he was sacked as US ambassador last September. So presumably some of his WhatsApp conversations with Morgan McSweeney will be available to the government because they will be on an iPhone in their possession [https://t.co/I4Xs2lwvWF][22]
>
> — Robert Peston (@Peston) [March 25, 2026][23]
> Government have already confirmed they have handed all the messages on it to the police.
>
> The medias latest conspiracy theory that Mcsweeney faked a mugging , 6 months previously, and despite police releasing reported theft details, is looking more stupid by the hour. [https://t.co/bqjHPBvxOb][24]
>
> — Lou D[🌹] [🇬🇧] [🇺🇦] (@louderry) [March 25, 2026][25]
There is a logic to this if all the WhatsApps materialise, but there’s something else to consider; who else was McSweeney communicating with, and what apps did he use to contact them?
Because his phone was ‘stolen’, we may never know.
And let’s be real; this whole affair stinks to high heaven.
*Featured image via [Sky News][26]*
By [Willem Moore][27]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/02/08/starmer-mcsweeney-quits/
[2]: https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2026/02/03/mandelson-interview-epstein/
[3]: https://t.co/nDvTL34qZj
[4]: https://twitter.com/BethRigby/status/2037074905263415778?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[5]: https://www.thecanary.co/opinion/2026/03/15/starmer-mandelson-resign/
[6]: https://news.sky.com/story/what-is-the-controversy-over-morgan-mcsweeneys-stolen-phone-13524327
[7]: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvg09w1wvjqo
[8]: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0legj9e7nxo
[9]: https://news.sky.com/story/what-is-the-controversy-over-morgan-mcsweeneys-stolen-phone-13524327
[10]: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/mandelson-files-mcsweeney-phone-theft-starmer-b2945926.html
[11]: https://t.co/o9FGwtJ8NA
[12]: https://twitter.com/joerichlaw/status/2036851882019127568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[13]: https://t.co/EzQ7hSfjdu
[14]: https://twitter.com/DPJHodges/status/2037074191376134603?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[15]: https://twitter.com/h_bee28788884/status/2037091110724468872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[16]: https://twitter.com/DPJHodges/status/2036774824790339916?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[17]: https://t.co/Qcl2yi4qVv
[18]: https://twitter.com/Jane_Samuels/status/2036802882679296083?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[19]: https://twitter.com/KarlTurnerMP/status/2036883121392517252?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[20]: https://t.co/jlvuBCrOtb
[21]: https://twitter.com/afneil/status/2036874785410457667?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[22]: https://t.co/I4Xs2lwvWF
[23]: https://twitter.com/Peston/status/2036865176951980431?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[24]: https://t.co/bqjHPBvxOb
[25]: https://twitter.com/louderry/status/2036872203778539576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[26]: https://x.com/SkyNews/status/2037064881040486482?s=20
[27]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/willem-moore/
https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2026/03/26/starmer-pathetic/

2026-03-26 11:49:14 UTC

Dubai’s Luxury Property Market: Why Global Investors Are Turning to Branded Villa Communities
Dubai’s luxury property market is evolving rapidly, with global investors showing growing interest in homes that offer more than premium finishes and prestigious addresses. One of the clearest signs of this shift is the rising demand for branded villa communities, which combine private residential living with the design identity, service culture and lifestyle appeal of internationally recognised luxury names. These developments are becoming increasingly attractive to high-net-worth buyers who want exclusivity, strong long-term positioning and a more curated ownership experience. In a market known for innovation and ambition, branded villa communities are emerging as a standout segment because they align with what modern luxury investors value most: privacy, prestige, convenience and a distinctive sense of place.
### A More Refined Definition of Luxury
Luxury in Dubai is no longer defined by size alone. Today’s premium buyer is more interested in the full living experience, including architecture, landscaping, wellness amenities, privacy and service standards. Branded villa communities respond to this shift by offering homes that feel intentionally designed around a lifestyle rather than simply built to a luxury specification. The presence of a recognised brand can influence everything from interiors and clubhouse design to concierge services and resident experiences, giving the development a stronger identity in the market. This matters to global investors because it creates a product that feels more complete, more memorable and more competitive than a conventional standalone villa in an upscale district.
### Why Global Investors Are Paying Closer Attention
International investors are increasingly drawn to branded villa communities because they reduce uncertainty in a foreign market. A well-known brand can offer reassurance about the quality of planning, design execution, maintenance standards and overall positioning, which is especially valuable for buyers who may not be deeply familiar with every sub-community in Dubai. Beyond that, these developments often have a clearer narrative, making them easier to understand and more appealing from both an emotional and investment perspective. For many overseas buyers, the attraction lies in owning a luxury asset that carries a recognisable standard and can be more easily differentiated in a competitive market where prestige and perception play an important role.
### Prestige Has Become Part of the Investment Case
Prestige has always influenced buying decisions in the luxury segment, but branded villa communities turn prestige into a more structured value proposition. Buyers are not just purchasing a large home in an attractive location; they are buying into a branded environment that signals exclusivity, quality and status. This symbolic value matters because it helps the asset stand out among other high-end properties and can strengthen its appeal at the point of resale. In Dubai, where premium supply continues to expand, product differentiation has become essential, and branded villas benefit from a clearer identity than many conventional luxury homes. That stronger positioning can make them more appealing to both current buyers and future purchasers.
### Lifestyle-Led Demand Is Reshaping Luxury Buying
A major reason for the growth of branded villa communities is that luxury real estate decisions are becoming increasingly lifestyle-led. Buyers still care about capital appreciation and prime locations, but they are also placing more emphasis on wellness, privacy, service, security and the overall atmosphere of the community. The home is now judged as much by the environment it creates as by its physical specifications. For instance, the sustained demand for villas in Palm Jumeirah highlights how strongly luxury buyers continue to value beachfront privacy, iconic views and prime residential prestige. These same factors are also supporting the rise of branded villa communities, which package similar lifestyle benefits within a more structured and intentionally curated living environment. Interested investors can search for [Palm Jumeirah villas on Bayut][1], a leading property portal in the UAE, to explore a wide variety of luxury residences.
### Scarcity Strengthens Long-Term Appeal
Scarcity remains one of the most important drivers of value in the prime residential segment, and branded villa communities benefit strongly from limited supply. These projects are often launched in carefully controlled phases with fewer homes, lower density planning, larger plots and more private surroundings, making them feel distinctly exclusive. For affluent buyers, that rarity enhances desirability, while for investors it supports stronger long-term positioning by reducing direct competition. In a market where new luxury developments are regularly introduced, homes that feel harder to replicate tend to hold attention more effectively. A branded villa community can therefore offer both physical scarcity and conceptual scarcity, which together make it a more defensible luxury asset over time.
### Service Standards Add Another Layer of Value
One of the clearest advantages of branded villa communities is the level of service they can provide. These developments often go beyond the standard amenities found in traditional gated neighbourhoods by incorporating concierge support, wellness facilities, private club environments, enhanced security and professionally managed shared spaces. This service dimension is especially attractive to international buyers who may not live in Dubai throughout the year and want their homes to remain well maintained and ready for use. For second-home owners and seasonal residents, the convenience of a professionally managed environment adds real value because it makes ownership simpler and more enjoyable. In this sense, branded villas appeal not only because of prestige, but because they deliver a more seamless luxury experience.
### Golf and Resort Communities Reflect the Trend
The popularity of branded villa communities also reflects the broader strength of lifestyle-oriented luxury districts in Dubai, particularly golf and resort-style environments. Buyers in this segment consistently respond to low-density settings, landscaped surroundings and communities that offer more tranquillity and privacy than dense urban locations. For instance, the continued appeal of[ villas for sale in Jumeirah Golf Estates][2] shows how strongly investors respond to landscaped surroundings, premium community planning and a lifestyle-led setting. These same qualities help explain why branded villa communities are becoming more desirable, since they similarly emphasise environment, exclusivity and a fully developed lifestyle concept rather than just the home itself.
### Why Dubai Is the Perfect Market for Branded Villas
Dubai is particularly well suited to the growth of branded villa communities because it already attracts the exact buyer profile these developments target. High-net-worth individuals are drawn to the emirate for its safety, infrastructure, global connectivity, tax-efficient environment and reputation for luxury living, while the city itself has built a strong international image around ambition, design and premium experiences. This creates the perfect setting for branded residential concepts, especially in the villa segment where privacy and space are highly valued. Branded communities fit naturally into Dubai’s wider luxury narrative because they combine what the city already offers with a more structured, globally recognisable standard of upscale living that resonates strongly with international wealth.
### The Long Term Appeal of Branded Villa Communities
From an investment perspective, branded villa communities align closely with where luxury demand is heading. Buyers are becoming more selective, more lifestyle-conscious and more interested in homes that combine privacy, design quality, service and identity in one product. Branded villas meet those expectations particularly well, which is why they are increasingly viewed as more than a short-term trend. They appeal to a wide pool of affluent end-users, second-home buyers and overseas investors, while also offering stronger differentiation in the resale market. As Dubai continues to attract global capital and expand its premium housing stock, branded villa communities are likely to remain one of the most compelling opportunities in the high-end segment because they reflect the future of luxury living rather than the past.
### Frequently Asked Questions
#### Are branded villa communities in Dubai usually freehold?
Yes, many branded villa communities in Dubai are offered as freehold properties, especially when they are located in designated investment zones that allow foreign ownership.
#### Do branded villa communities offer better rental appeal?
They can, particularly among high-net-worth tenants who value privacy, prestige, premium amenities and professionally managed living environments.
#### Are branded villa communities mostly off-plan or ready?
Many branded villa projects in Dubai are launched as off-plan developments, although the market also includes ready luxury villas in established high-end communities.
#### Do buyers pay a premium for branded villas?
Yes, branded villas often command a premium because buyers are paying for brand association, curated design, elevated services and a more exclusive lifestyle offering.
#### Are branded villa communities a good option for second-home ownership?
Yes, they are often well suited to second-home buyers because they offer strong management standards, convenience, security and a more seamless ownership experience.
#### What factors should investors compare before buying in a branded villa community?
Investors should compare location, brand reputation, developer track record, community amenities, plot size, service model, payment plan and long-term resale potential before making a decision.
By [Nathan Spears][3]
[1]: https://www.bayut.com/for-sale/villas/dubai/palm-jumeirah/
[2]: https://www.bayut.com/for-sale/villas/dubai/jumeirah-golf-estates/
[3]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/nathan-spears/
https://www.thecanary.co/discovery/property/2026/03/26/dubais-luxury-property-market-why-global-investors-are-turning-to-branded-villa-communities/

2026-03-26 10:50:31 UTC

Police repression of UK protests is now “routine” — new report finds
[Protest — DOJ Birmingham November 2025]
An annual ‘State of Protest’ report on the policing of demonstrations says the repression of dissent in Britain in 2025 has not only become worse. In fact, it is now increasingly routine. This is not just in London. It applies more widely across England, Wales, and Scotland.
## Policing protests
The report, “How Repression Became Routine” by the Network for Police Monitoring (Netpol), says that protests are increasingly policed as threats rather than an exercise of fundamental democratic freedom and expression.
[Netpol][1] was set up in the aftermath of G20 protests in London in 2009. Its work challenges police tactics, intrusive police surveillance and the expansion of public order powers.
The report concludes that new and overlapping laws have contributed to the normalisation of surveillance and confrontational policing. There is also a growing tendency to treat protest as a security issue. As a result, the report states that punishment has also been normalised. The impacts are disproportionately felt by marginalised groups.
Speakers at the report’s launch included Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori, and NHS doctor and campaigner Ayo Khalil. He was [racially profiled and arrested][2] at a prisoner solidarity protest outside HMP Bronzefield in December 2025.
## Police impunity
Netpol also reported that the public’s ability to scrutinise police powers has been weakened. Their reporting suggests that journalists and legal observers documenting police violence and repression are operating in an increasingly unsafe environment.
This aligns with the appalling but entirely unsurprising [claim][3] that human rights legislation makes policing “untenable,” Met Police commissioner Mark Rowley has claimed.
He laid out his position in a recent LRB interview:
> There will always be a bit of grey at the margins of legislation[…]but the current public order legislation has far, far too much grey.
>
> It was designed in the 1980s in a different time and has had the Human Rights Act overlaid over the top of it, which creates such complexity for the decision making of police officers and the Crown Prosecution Service.
Commenting on the police’s remit, Rowley said:
> It’s not for me to say how permissive or restrictive they should be, but as a police officer, me and my colleagues just want clarity.
## Repressive policing, Britain’s new norm
The report’s finding imply that repressive policing—far from being ‘drift’ or isolated to some police forces—is recognised as a standard “routine” practise. “Layered legislation,” as Rowley alludes, create a legal situation that is not just open to interpretation but is also confusing and open to abuse. Consequently, this makes it equally difficult for protest groups to predict how demonstrations will be policed.
Typically, the Met force determines the application of the law. Other forces then adopt this into their practices. These are widely perceived by activists and excessive and draconian.
Powers initially applied to marches have been expanded to static protests including those held outside of weapons factories. Both are treated as a security threat rather than a human and civic right.
Additionally, politicians who talk about disloyalty or British values render racialised people at protests as ‘Other.’ This dog-whistling places minorities at greater risk of aggressive policing. For example, this was [seen at the recent Quds Day demo][4]. Legal observers and “journalists” specialising in civic protest movements are also at greater risk.
The report’s findings are based on deep-dive qualitative research on protest movements. It features interviews, testimonies, legal observer notes, court records, police and government data, media coverage, and twenty-one freedom of information requests.
The report went live on 25 March. In-person events will be taking place in April across Manchester, Brighton, and London to discuss its findings.
Kevin Blowe of Netpol said:
> Last year we raised the alarm about state-supported measures designed to impose social control on protests on a scale reminiscent of the ‘war on terror’ two decades ago. A year on, we have now documented how these practices have become the norm.
>
> Repression does not happen overnight: it creeps up on us gradually. Frontline campaigners and human rights are all now saying that attacks on protest rights are repressive. Yet the government plans even more new laws in 2026.
>
> As well as new legislation, we are seeing a growth in police powers used as tools of surveillance, particularly against anti-racist and anti-fascist opponents of the increasing number of far right demonstrations across Britain against migrants.
>
> Britain’s most senior police officer, Sir Mark Rowley, is now also seeking to further undermine human rights laws and crack down on protests even more in the name of ‘clarity’. Our research, however, found it is the excessive and arbitrary use of police powers, not the Human Rights Act, that appears intended to confuse and intimidate protesters and discourage them from exercising their rights.
## The human cost
At the report launch, psychiatrist and medic Ayo Khalil spoke of the impact of these policing tactics, stating that given:
> the state of our country, [the roots of depression, anxiety and other mental health problems] are in the seats of power and institutions [and] the state’s efforts to pathologise people who care. We are told we are the problem … The system does not value human life.
Khalil also pointed to the attempt by Starmer and the General Medical Council to treat doctors who oppose genocide as antisemitic.
> It’s this constant push to treat opposition to genocide as a threat of violence or putting patients at risk. [Doctors] at protests outside hunger strikers’ prisons have even been choked unconscious… [yet] there is no accountability for the police officers.
Khalil noted a pattern in the violence used against protesters, particularly targeting their back, neck, and other areas during arrests. This elevates the risk of lasting injuries or even permanent disability. Families of people that have been injured or arrested also suffer from crippling anxiety and fear, which may pressure dissenters and dissuade them from future protests.
That said, Khalik told the Canary that the protest movement has been galvanised and redoubled its efforts in response to hostile policing. In response, the government has been trying to neutralise protest and its impact. Khalil also highlighted that prisons—in many cases—are run by private companies, holding hunger strikers use “systematic” violence, abuse and the withholding of rights as a further form of punishment.
> What is protest if you can’t disrupt? The point of protest is to shake things up. If we allow ourselves to be reduced to a bit of noise in the corner, we will lose our potency and we can’t allow that … The British government is directly responsible for so many of these [wrongs] around the world.
## Starmer’s protest U-turn
Ammori, whose legal success in obtaining a judicial review that reversed the ‘terror’ ban on Palestine Action (currently being [appealed by the Starmer regime)][5] said that direct action is essential to ending genocide. However, it inevitably triggered a backlash:
> Even one day of a weapons factory being shut down is a victory … The proof is in the pudding and in the process we annoyed a lot of powerful people [especially those] sponsored and paid for by the Israel lobby. All that lobbying pressure built up and…it was very clear that the government had decided to prioritise the needs and interests of a foreign weapons manufacturer over the rights of its own citizens.
She added that the government had redefined actions as terrorism, even though they had already been convicted as breaches of the peace or criminal damage.
> What is becoming more and more apparent was that the reason they arrested those people [the Filton 24] was because they needed those arrests to justify the ban on Palestine Action and their claims of terrorism. [But] when the cases went to trial, not a single one of them was convicted of a single offence. Those people were held without being convicted of a single offence [and] Sam continues to be held.
>
> They tried to put these ridiculous charges against them and they [couldn’t land a single conviction][6]. And [The ban on protest supporting Palestine Action] made Palestine Action a household name.
Ammori said that because of this, if the government’s appeal fails and Palestine Action comes back, then:
> It will come back stronger than ever before.
She condemned the government’s violence and denial of human rights, especially against hunger strikers. Additionally, she said that it’s “only a matter of time” before Palestine Action is back. She believes it will be more of a thorn in the side of the apartheid lobby than ever.
*Feature image via Barold/the Canary*
By [Skwawkbox][7]
[1]: https://netpol.org/
[2]: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2025/12/22/police-strangle-doctor/
[3]: https://www.lbc.co.uk/article/too-much-grey-area-met-boss-human-rights-law-making-it-untenable-for-police-5HjdWQK_2/
[4]: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/03/11/mahmood-caves/
[5]: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/02/25/palestine-action-unbanning/
[6]: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/02/19/palestine-action-lies/
[7]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/skwawkbox/
https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/03/26/protest-police-repression-netpol/

2026-03-26 10:30:35 UTC

Activists disrupt BAE Systems at careers fair in Lancashire
[Activists disrupt BAE Systems at careers fair in Lancashire]
Palestine activists disrupted the North West Apprenticeship and Careers Expo on 25 March, which was held at the University of Central Lancashire (Uclan). They were targeting the presence of [BAE Systems][1], the largest arms manufacturer in Europe.
## Close ties to BAE
Activists disrupted the event to challenge the university’s close ties with BAE, which has a major production facility in Samlesbury, Lancashire. The factory manufactures the rear fuselage for every F-35 warplane, including those supplied to and used by Israel and the US. F-35 pilots have massacred hundreds of thousands of civilians in Gaza, Lebanon, Iran, Yemen and many more countries.
UCLan has [strengthened][2] its partnership with BAE Systems through a memorandum of understanding. Their aim is to create career pathways for graduates and apprentices, further integrating the university into the defence sector and facilitating student access to roles within the company.
A spokesperson from the BAE Out Campaign said:
> We call on UClan to immediately cut all ties with the death merchants BAE Systems, who continue to profit and delight from the suffering of innocent people.
>
> Until then, we will continue to take action and hold those responsible to account.
## Components used in Iran
London-based research charity Action on Armed Violence has [confirmed][3] that two UK defence companies – BAE Systems and [Raytheon UK][4] – produce components used in Tomahawk cruise missiles. This is the same type of missile that [struck a girls’ school][5] in Iran, killing over 160 children.
By [The Canary][6]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2026/02/18/bae-systems-blood-money/
[2]: https://www.lancashire.ac.uk/news/memorandum-of-understanding-bae
[3]: https://aoav.org.uk/2026/uk-linked-components-identified-in-us-tomahawk-missile-used-in-iranian-school-strike-that-killed-multiple-children/
[4]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/01/14/elbit-systems-loses/
[5]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/2026/03/21/uk-parts-in-missile/
[6]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/thecanary/
https://www.thecanary.co/uk/news/2026/03/26/protest-bae-systems/

2026-03-26 00:03:28 UTC

‘You’re negotiating with yourself’: Iranian colonel mocks Trump over peace talk claims
[Iran]
Iran’s military spokesperson has openly mocked US president [Donald Trump][1] over supposed peace talks. Lt. Col. Ebrahim Zolfaghari [said][2] Trump was negotiating with himself in a video statement published on 25 March:
> The one claiming to be a global superpower would have already gotten out of this mess if it could. Don’t dress up your defeat as an agreement. Your era of empty promises has come to an end.
>
> Have your internal conflicts reached the point where you are negotiating with yourselves?
Zolfaghari’s burn came as Iran [rejected][3] a US peace plan and published their own list of demands for any negotiations:
> Per a report from the Wall Street Journal, Iran has responded to the Trump administration’s proposal for a ceasefire with demands that far surpass the characterization of maximalist. Iran has demanded the closure of all U.S. bases in the Gulf region, a new Strait of Hormuz… [pic.twitter.com/XAQAzkUTsD][4]
>
> — OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) [March 25, 2026][5]
An Iranian official [said][6] the US proposals were “extremely maximalist and unreasonable”. The country also said the fact the US was still deploying troops to the region despite making a lot of noise about diplomacy was suspicious.
Abas Aslani, a fellow at the Centre for Middle East Strategic Studies in Tehran, [told][7] Al Jazeera:
> Washington’s decision to deploy additional forces to the region sends a signal that the strategy they are pursuing militarily does not align with the tone of their positions in terms of the negotiations.
The leadership of the US 82nd Airborne division have been ordered to the Middle East. The *Intercept* [reported][8] on 25 March:
> The deployment includes the division’s “headquarters element,” support staff, and some personnel who manage logistics, planning, and command operations.
The outlet [added][9]:
> Open source reporting suggests dozens of transport aircraft used to ferry troops and cargo have been flying out of airfields used by America’s most elite commandos, including the Army’s Delta Force and the Navy’s SEAL Team 6.
> A flight-tracking account notes 35 C-17s flying out of airfields including those used by Delta Force (Bragg), SEAL Team 6 (Oceana), two of the three Ranger battalions (HAAF and JBLM), and the 160th SOAR.Looks a lot like staging JSOC in case it’s ordered to do the uranium recovery mission in Iran.
>
> — [Wesley Morgan (@wesleymorgan.bsky.social)][10] [2026-03-23T22:58:55.943Z][11]
## Mocked by Iran
*Al Jazeera* [reported][12] that up to 50,000 US troops are in the Middle East already:
> That includes 200 combat aircraft, as well as two aircraft carriers. In addition to that, we know the 82nd Airborne, composed of 1,000 additional troops, is the latest to supplement that.
>
> As well, two Marine Expeditionary Units, consisting of 5,000 Marines and sailors, are also heading to the region. So again, what we see is the US speaking out of both sides of its mouth, for lack of a better comparison.
Iran’s parliamentary speaker posted on X that Iran was well aware of US plans to occupy coastal islands militarily:
> Based on some data, Iran’s enemies, with the support of one of the regional countries, are preparing to occupy one of the Iranian islands. All enemy movements are under the full surveillance of our armed forces. If they step out of line, all the vital infrastructure of that regional country will, without restriction, become the target of relentless attacks.
> براساس برخی داده‌ها، دشمنان ایران با پشتیبانی یکی از کشورهای منطقه، در حال تدارک عملیات اشغال یکی از جزایر ایرانی هستند.
> تمام تحرکات دشمن تحت اشراف نیروهای مسلح ماست. اگر قدم از قدم بردارند، تمام زیرساخت‌های حیاتی آن کشور منطقه‌ای بدون محدودیت، هدف حملات بی‌امان قرار خواهد گرفت.
>
> — محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) [March 25, 2026][13]
Trump has been mocked by Iranian-linked X accounts in recent days:
> The Strait of Hormuz will be controlled by me and the Ayatollah[😎][😁] [pic.twitter.com/IxIgo1Pn6S][14]
>
> — Iran Embassy SA (@IraninSA) [March 23, 2026][15]
The X posts have portrayed Trump as childish and inept:
> Iran owns Trump with the latest Ai meme mocking his efforts at war [@realDonaldTrump][16] [@WhiteHouse][17][pic.twitter.com/Qr5ovPSf7j][18]
>
> — KT "Special MI6 Operation" (@KremlinTrolls) [March 23, 2026][19]
One even portrayed America’s stalling war through the medium of Lego:
> Iran propaganda slaps [pic.twitter.com/qZxikP94nU][20]
>
> — Darth Powell (@VladTheInflator) [March 24, 2026][21]
The US-Israel attacked Iran first on 28 February without provocation. The country was offering [unprecedented concessions][22] in negotiations at the time. The Pentagon has since [stated][23] there was no imminent threat from Iran. And the UN’s atomic watchdog, the IAEA, has said there is [no evidence][24] Iran was developing a nuclear weapon.
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [Joe Glenton][25]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2026/02/01/maga-trump-epstein/
[2]: https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/mar/25/middle-east-crisis-live-iran-war-oil-prices-more-us-troops-reportedly-deployed-donald-trump-attacks-on-lebanon?CMP=share_btn_url&page=with%3Ablock-69c3668b8f087a808ec0c4ea#block-69c3668b8f087a808ec0c4ea
[3]: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/25/iran-gives-negative-response-to-us-ceasefire-plan-amid-push-for-talks
[4]: https://t.co/XAQAzkUTsD
[5]: https://twitter.com/sentdefender/status/2036623933244350602?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[6]: https://aje.news/ve6pos
[7]: https://aje.news/ve6pos?update=4433928
[8]: https://theintercept.com/2026/03/24/82nd-airborne-leadership-ordered-to-middle-east-as-trump-iran-war/
[9]: https://theintercept.com/2026/03/24/82nd-airborne-leadership-ordered-to-middle-east-as-trump-iran-war/
[10]: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:keg556wyu4ly47xqratgwfi6?ref_src=embed
[11]: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:keg556wyu4ly47xqratgwfi6/post/3mhr5xfk2b222?ref_src=embed
[12]: https://aje.news/ve6pos?update=4433839
[13]: https://twitter.com/mb_ghalibaf/status/2036864286870691934?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[14]: https://t.co/IxIgo1Pn6S
[15]: https://twitter.com/IraninSA/status/2036136193339933177?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[16]: https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[17]: https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[18]: https://t.co/Qr5ovPSf7j
[19]: https://twitter.com/KremlinTrolls/status/2036135322212237362?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[20]: https://t.co/qZxikP94nU
[21]: https://twitter.com/VladTheInflator/status/2036578893227077973?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[22]: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/full-transcript-omani-foreign-minister-badr-albusaidi/
[23]: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/pentagon-tells-congress-no-sign-that-iran-was-going-attack-us-first-sources-say-2026-03-02/
[24]: https://aje.news/xgc2gx?update=4359748
[25]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/joeglenton/
https://www.thecanary.co/global/2026/03/26/iran-colonel-mocks-trump/

2026-03-25 23:44:07 UTC

It’s an invasion: NYT finally gets ‘community noted’ for Israel-biased language
[New York Times]
The deeply pro-Israel *New York Times* (NYT) has a long history of appallingly biased reporting of Israel’s crimes. It continues to be called out and exposed, but the X social media platform is finally catching up.
As one of many examples of its bias, the paper carried the notorious — and completely untrue — “Screams without words” atrocity propaganda piece. The article was [written by an Israeli military propagandist with “no journalism experience”][1] and made claims of rape and mutilation on 7 October 2023. The author had even admitted to one of its interviewees that it was “for Israel advocacy”.
## New York Times doesn’t care about facts
Yet despite the complete debunking of all Israel’s atrocity propaganda and the outrage of victims’ families, the piece [remains online][2]. The only ‘correction’ the NYT has ever made to it is an amendment to the age of one of the [discredited ‘witnesses’][3]. It’s now well known that there is [no evidence][4] that any rapes were perpetrated during the raid, but this goes unacknowledged by the paper.
Fast-forward to 2026 and Israel’s invasion of Lebanon as part of its non-stop war crimes. That crime has displaced more than a million people. Israel has bombed family homes and razed entire apartment buildings to the ground. But to the NYT, it’s not an invasion at all. It’s:
> expend[ing] the territory it controls in Lebanon, suggesting it might remain there beyond the fighting.
Israel has violently [displaced the Lebanese population][5] up to and even beyond the Litani river and has [destroyed the bridges][6] across it, but noooo, not an invasion. But self-evidently it is – and at last the paper’s nonsense got a ‘community note’ pointing this out:
> NYT finally got a community note for its whitewashing language. [pic.twitter.com/cZywaw4ZVa][7]
>
> — Assal Rad (@AssalRad) [March 24, 2026][8]
## Pro-Israel bias
Of course, the NYT’s bias is not limited to one article, nor is the pro-Israel bias limited to the New York Times. UK ‘mainstream’ media is no better and the lack of proper free speech laws in the UK has seen [gross misrepresentation of war crimes][9]. Many ‘MSM’ have [capitulated completely][10] to Israel and its lobby and [actively participate in Israel’s whitewashing propaganda][11]. It has been exploited by the Starmer government to wage war on pro-Palestinian speech and objective journalism, too.
So much so that academic publisher Taylor and Francis has [described][12] this bias, higher than ever since the beginning of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, as an “ethical collapse”.
Nazi media bosses who promoted Germany’s Holocaust of Jews, Roma and others were tried at Nuremberg for their collusion in genocide and executed. One ‘community note’ may be a a tiny satisfaction, but trials at the Hague are the outcome demanded by justice.
*Featured image via [Britannica][13]*
By [Skwawkbox][14]
[1]: https://skwawkbox.org/2024/02/28/nyt-journalist-who-co-wrote-hamas-rape-piece-is-idf-propagandist-with-no-journalism-experience/
[2]: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/28/world/middleeast/oct-7-attacks-hamas-israel-sexual-violence.html
[3]: https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/ali-abunimah/watch-ny-times-investigation-mass-rape-hamas-falls-apart
[4]: https://skwawkbox.org/2024/06/16/times-becomes-first-msm-to-admit-no-evidence-of-any-hamas-rape-on-7-oct/
[5]: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/03/12/lebanon-israel-extends-evacuation/
[6]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/2026/03/23/lebanon-bridges-demolished-by-israel/
[7]: https://t.co/cZywaw4ZVa
[8]: https://twitter.com/AssalRad/status/2036560664576270530?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[9]: https://skwawkbox.org/2024/06/09/bbc-bias-exposed-again-in-treatment-of-israels-mass-murder-during-war-crime-raid/
[10]: https://skwawkbox.org/2025/02/21/breaking-bbc-deletes-documentary-on-suffering-of-gaza-kids-indefinitely-after-israel-lobby-pressure/
[11]: https://skwawkbox.org/2025/07/04/100-bbc-staff-and-media-pros-accuse-bbc-of-acting-as-israels-pr-in-gaza-genocide/
[12]: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01436597.2025.2552361
[13]: https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-New-York-Times
[14]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/skwawkbox/
https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/03/25/new-york-times-gets/

2026-03-25 23:36:32 UTC

Reform in trouble amid crackdown on crypto and foreign donors
[Reform]
Civil servant [Philip Rycroft][1] has put together a report “ringing the alarm bell” about “[covert foreign influence campaigns][2]” in UK politics. And the government has responded with an immediate crackdown on all cryptocurrency transactions in particular, which could cause big problems for Reform UK.
This increasing scrutiny of Reform’s dodgy finances comes just as the party has let its mask slip again by [dropping its promise to part-nationalise energy and water companies][3].
## A crackdown on Reform’s crypto shadiness
In 2025, Reform leader Nigel Farage promised a “[crypto revolution][4]”, saying the party would start to accept crypto donations. Reform has already received at least [£12m from cryptocurrency investor Christopher Harborne][5] alone. Harborne, who lives in Thailand, has long backed the British right, from the Tories to the Brexit Party.
Already [in the pockets of shady big business interests][6], Farage has also been acting like a [crypto lobbyist][7] and [fanatic][8] in recent months. And as the *Canary* has reported, a recent investigation showed just [how dangerous it was to allow Reform to keep][9]:
> exploiting a very obvious and gaping loophole in the political finance system
That’s because this situation has allowed Farage to:
> hide who and where he is getting his dirty money from
Responding to Rycroft’s report, Housing, Communities and Local Government secretary Steve Reed [said][10]:
> we will introduce an amendment to the representation of the people bill to place a moratorium on all political donations made through cryptocurrency… This moratorium will remain in place until the Electoral Commission and this parliament are satisfied there is sufficient regulation in place to ensure full confidence and transparency in donations being made in this way.
He also announced that [overseas electors will no longer be able to donate more than £100,000 a year][11].
Reform deputy leader Richard Tice has predictably said his party [will seek to repeal this law if it gets into government][12].
## ALL dodgy funding in politics must stop
While the government’s decision is welcome, we all know that Keir Starmer’s Labour is also swimming in donations from [lobbyists for foreign powers][13] and [shady corporate interests][14]. Indeed, [pro-Israel lobby figures][15] even gained leading roles in the government’s ‘foreign interference’ probe in late 2025.
An important point in Rycroft’s report was that it’s not just traditional global foes pushing for influence, but also traditional “[allies like the United States][16]“.
In this context, Electoral Reform Society director Jess Garland has encouraged the government to take even stronger action by [introducing][17]:
> a cap on how much all donors can give to a party, not just those based abroad
The public strongly supports this, she said, and it:
> would help prevent our politics from being swamped with massive donations, which now frequently reach into the multiple millions.
This is true for Reform, Labour, the Tories, and the Liberal Democrats. Indeed, [Labour Together][18] — which Reed himself once directed — has itself received [millions of pounds][19] to exert massive influence over the Labour Party and its current cabinet.
As Unlock Democracy chief executive Tom Brake [said][20]:
> Big money distorts politics regardless of its origin. A fixed cap is needed across the board to prevent large donations, whether from overseas voters or domestic sources, from buying influence.
Transparency International UK’s policy director Duncan Hames, meanwhile, [stressed that][21]:
> A meaningful annual cap on donations is the most robust safeguard against both foreign interference and the outsized influence of big money in our politics.
We agree. And while we doubt Keir Starmer’s Labour will risk cutting its own funding stream off by doing so, it’s something we absolutely should be pushing for.
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [Ed Sykes][22]
[1]: https://www.gov.uk/government/people/philip-rycroft
[2]: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2026/mar/25/rycroft-review-foreign-financial-interference-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-pmqs-latest-news-updates?filterKeyEvents=false&page=with%3Ablock-69c3dfa78f089e6ac8d30588#block-69c3dfa78f089e6ac8d30588
[3]: https://www.ft.com/content/be4b6cf0-21c8-466b-9458-dac864ab51b1?syn-25a6b1a6=1
[4]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/03/06/reform-foreign-donors/
[5]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/03/06/reform-foreign-donors/
[6]: https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2025/11/11/brits-largely-oppose-reforms-anti-climate-agenda/
[7]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/03/06/reform-foreign-donors/
[8]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/03/09/farage-bitcoin/
[9]: https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2026/03/19/nigel-farage-corrupt-crypto/
[10]: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2026/mar/25/rycroft-review-foreign-financial-interference-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-pmqs-latest-news-updates?filterKeyEvents=false&page=with%3Ablock-69c3ddc38f08643366b171db#block-69c3ddc38f08643366b171db
[11]: https://news.sky.com/story/major-curbs-to-party-donations-from-overseas-proposed-in-blow-for-reform-13524214
[12]: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2026/mar/25/rycroft-review-foreign-financial-interference-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-pmqs-latest-news-updates?filterKeyEvents=false&page=with%3Ablock-69c3eeb68f089e6ac8d3064e#block-69c3eeb68f089e6ac8d3064e
[13]: https://www.declassifieduk.org/israel-lobby-funded-half-of-keir-starmers-cabinet/
[14]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2024/10/16/labour-donation-quadrature-israel/
[15]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2025/12/19/israel-lobby-figures-to-police/
[16]: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69c29f84b920af63be1c7777/The_Rycroft_Review_Report_standard_version.pdf
[17]: https://news.sky.com/story/major-curbs-to-party-donations-from-overseas-proposed-in-blow-for-reform-13524214
[18]: https://www.thecanary.co/?s=Labour+Together
[19]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/03/24/labour-together-funders/
[20]: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2026/mar/25/rycroft-review-foreign-financial-interference-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-pmqs-latest-news-updates?filterKeyEvents=false&page=with%3Ablock-69c3ddc38f08643366b171db#top-of-blog
[21]: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2026/mar/25/rycroft-review-foreign-financial-interference-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-pmqs-latest-news-updates?filterKeyEvents=false&page=with%3Ablock-69c3ddc38f08643366b171db#top-of-blog
[22]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/oso/
https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/03/25/reform-crypto-crackdown/

2026-03-25 23:28:55 UTC

Labour has no clue how many children its ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ expansion will plunge into poverty
[Labour]
As part of Labour’s nakedly discriminatory immigration ‘reforms’, the government is planning to expand ‘no recourse to public funds’ (NRPF) to settled migrants. Worse still, they have no real idea of how many children this ruinous policy will plunge into poverty.
In November 2025, the UK government published “[A Fairer Pathway to Settlement][1]: A statement on earned settlement”. It lays out changes that will make the UK immigration system yet-more hostile, with[ proposals including:][2]
* Making permanent residency less available to people.
* Increasing the amount of time most people spend in the immigration system before they may apply for permanent residence.
* Reducing that wait if they have a higher level of English proficiency, if they are high earners, if they hold senior positions in a public service, or if they have undertaken ‘extensive’ volunteering.
* Increasing that time for people who arrive on a visitor visa, breach immigration rules, or have ever received public funds.
* Completely removing the option of permanent residency for anyone who has ever received a criminal conviction, has outstanding litigation, or has NHS, tax, or other government debts.
It’s currently the case that most migrants who are in the UK on a limited visa are subject to a ‘no recourse to public funds’ (NRPF) condition. However, as the government revealed in the ‘Fairer Pathway’ document, [it’s now looking to expand][3] NRPF to settled migrants, too:
> The government believes that the development of an earned settlement system should include a reassessment of the benefits accruing to settlement and where the accrual of those benefits might in future sit in the journey to settlement and citizenship respectively. Under this option, new migrants granted settlement would continue to be unable to access specified benefits in line with existing visa conditions. This would have the effect of shifting the default position on access to benefits to citizenship rather than settlement.
## ‘Earned Settlement’ consultation
On 13 March, the Home Affairs committee [published a report][4] on its[ ludicrously short stitch-up of a consultation][5] into the immigration reform proposals.
The inquiry highlighted that migrants can apply for fee waivers under certain conditions, including:
* being destitute, or at imminent risk thereof,
* reasons relating to a child’s welfare, or
* if they’re facing exceptional circumstances affecting their income.
It also included summaries of some relevant responses, including Anna Skehan, a solicitor at Islington Law Centre, who:
> told [the government] that circumstances that might lead to an application to access public funds might include an injury or illness, a mental health crisis, or a relationship breaking down due to domestic abuse.
That is to say, the Home Office plans to penalise migrants for needing state support for disability, poverty, domestic abuse.
Likewise, the NRPF Network — an organisation that provides advice to local authorities on NRPF – highlighted to the committee that:
> applying for access to benefits through a change of conditions is typically “a last resort”. The NRPF Network argued that penalising people for accessing public funds would increase risks of poverty, abuse and exploitation.
## Labour — no idea of the impact
Now, a DWP minister [has essentially][6] admitted that the government has no real clue about the number/proportion of children in poverty living in households subject to NRPF.
Crossbench peer John Bird wrote in asking the government:
> what estimate they have made of the number and proportion of children in (1) poverty, and (2) deep poverty, living in households subject to no recourse to public funds; and what assessment they have made of the impact of the Child Poverty Strategy on those numbers.
In response, DWP Minister of State Maeve Sherlock listed resources available for children from NRPF families. However, she notably failed to give any figures at all. Rather, she stated that:
> We are continuing our work to develop our understanding of NRPF and its impacts. This includes work with the Home Office to develop questions on NRPF for inclusion in the Family Resources survey 2026/2027, a household survey undertaken annually to explore living standards in the UK. This will provide greater insight into how families with the NRPF condition are living in the UK and will help to inform future policy-making.
Sherlock’s statement here almost directly echoed Labour’s [recent policy paper][7] ‘Our Children, Our Future: Tackling Child Poverty’, published 13 March. It stated that NRPF families could access free school meals, and some free childcare schemes. Likewise, it also mentioned developing questions — and gave no figures whatsoever.
So, not only is the government planning to expand NRPF, it made its proposals and ran the consultation before gathering any formal data to understand the impact of NRPF on child poverty. Worse still, it hasn’t yet worked out how to even assess this consequence of NRPF.
## Immigrant kids don’t count
In the foreword to the ‘Our Children’ policy paper, Keir Starmer boasts that:
> The recent story of child poverty in Britain is simple. The last Labour Government reduced it by around 600,000 children. Yet since 2010 it has risen by 900,000 and now around 4.5 million children are in poverty. That is a staggering indictment of the previous Government’s policies. The statistics alone are shocking enough but think about the individual human cost. […]
>
> The answer, in both first principles and evidence, is a resounding no. And so this child poverty strategy sets out a different path for Britain.
Starmer and his Labour Party talk a big game about tackling child poverty. However, they’re currently barreling towards an expansion of NRPF which will inevitably entrench poverty for the children of marginalised migrant and refugee families.
They haven’t studied the impact this will have, because they simply don’t care. Starmer’s Labour considers immigrants as collateral damage in their doomed bid to appeal to the far right. All child poverty is abhorrent, but for Labour, immigrant children clearly don’t count.
*Featured image via [World Vision UK][8]*
By [Alex/Rose Cocker][9]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/01/30/earned-settlement-activists/
[2]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/02/12/amnesty-slams-uk-immigration-reform/
[3]: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/earned-settlement/a-fairer-pathway-to-settlement-statement-and-accompanying-consultation-on-earned-settlement-accessible
[4]: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5901/cmselect/cmhaff/1409/report.html?__cf_chl_f_tk=0_un4Yz32euQGDWRIw5OkbP3cgMqRf_aeQTHh3QpBlU-1774181796-1.0.1.1-Vw30tnaXS2_8EV8oa28XTfJpJbPSng838kmupeUqfFY
[5]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/01/30/earned-settlement-activists/
[6]: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2026-03-09/hl15314
[7]: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/our-children-our-future-tackling-child-poverty/our-children-our-future-tackling-child-poverty
[8]: https://www.worldvision.org.uk/about/blogs/child-poverty-inequality/
[9]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/alexrosecocker/
https://www.thecanary.co/uk/2026/03/25/labour-has-no-clue/

2026-03-25 23:12:42 UTC

German bank says petroyuan may be born from war on Iran
[Iran]
Deutsche Bank has warned in a [new report][1] that the rise of the petroyuan poses a clear challenge to the U.S. currency. The[ petrodollar system][2], built on a 1974 agreement between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, faces a “perfect storm” from the ongoing war on Iran initiated by the US/UK/Israel, the bank said.
The bank said that the foundations of the “security-for-oil-pricing arrangement” between the US and the GCC states have been shaken.
> The current conflict has arguably shaken some core foundations of the petrodollar regime: the security-for-oil-pricing arrangement. US military assets and bases in the Gulf have come under attack in the war.
>
> Oil infrastructure in the Gulf has also been hit. And the US ability to provide the maritime security to ensure the global flow of oil has been challenged with the closure of Hormuz. The US security umbrella has been fundamentally tested.
>
> The legacy of this conflict for the dollar could be the ways in which it tests the foundations of the petrodollar regime.
The dollar has not strengthened much in this crisis because of rising US fiscal risk from military spending and the sell-off of US Treasuries by Asia and the Middle East to defend their currencies, the report said.
“The conflict could be the catalyst for erosion in petrodollar dominance and the beginnings of the petroyuan,” the bank said, pointing out [reports][3] that Iran is allowing the passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz if oil payments are made in yuan. China, a long-time partner of Iran, is also the nation’s biggest oil customer.
Just as the 1973 oil embargo led to diversification away from Gulf oil and reserve-building in places like Canada and the North Sea, a similar effect may happen this time. Europe, Asia, and many parts of the Global South will be the ones this time, looking at ways to reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels.
Reduced global oil trade would also create more room for the pricing of goods and services to shift away from the dollar, the report said.
*Featured image via [OMFIF][4]*
By [The Canary][5]
[1]: https://www.dbresearch.com/PROD/IE-PROD/PDFVIEWER.calias?pdfViewerPdfUrl=PROD0000000000622186&rwnode=REPORT
[2]: https://www.thecanary.co/opinion/2026/03/18/petrodollar-gulf-states/
[3]: https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346617/does-iran-have-yuan-hormuz-oil-trade-plan-why-analysts-china-are-urging-caution
[4]: https://www.omfif.org/2024/09/brics-considering-petroyuan-in-next-de-dollarisation-attempt/
[5]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/thecanary/
https://www.thecanary.co/global/2026/03/25/iran-german-bank-petroyuan/

2026-03-25 22:51:02 UTC

Tory former prisons minister Blunt pleads guilty to possessing meth, other drugs
[Tory]
Former Tory prisons minister Crispin Blunt has pleaded guilty to possessing [recreational quantities][1] of crystal meth, cannabis and the sedative GBL. The plea was entered at Westminster magistrates’ court this morning, 25 March 2026. The drugs were found during a police investigation into rape allegations in 2023, but that investigation was dropped for lack of evidence.
During a raid on his Surrey home in October 2023, Blunt pointed out the drugs to police. Meth was valued at £200-250 was on a cabinet next to his bed, a separate mix of b while £200 worth of GBL was in a laptop bag. A small amount of cannabis valued at £10 or less was also listed.
The irony of a prisons minister convicted of drugs is obvious. However, Blunt is one of the more ‘mixed bag’ Tories. Under Boris Johnson in October 2020, Blunt [voted][2] to keep poor UK children hungry by rejecting footballer Marcus Rashford’s call to extend free school meals through school holidays. But in 2019 he [rebelled][3] to help Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour humiliate Theresa May. He has also [condemned Israeli interference][4] in UK politics and [serves][5] as a director of the International Centre for Justice for Palestinians.
In 2016, Blunt [admitted][6] in a Commons speech to using amyl nitrate ‘poppers’ and opposed the government’s plan to ban them.
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [Skwawkbox][7]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/01/08/yannis-varoufakis-drugs/
[2]: https://skwawkbox.org/2020/10/21/sky-news-forgets-to-mention-mps-who-voted-to-keep-poor-children-hungry-were-tories-here-is-a-list-of-them-all/
[3]: https://skwawkbox.org/2019/01/15/the-118-tories-who-helped-labour-humiliate-theresa-may/
[4]: https://skwawkbox.org/2020/09/17/exclusive-suspended-left-wing-london-councillor-stitched-up-using-edited-social-media-posts/
[5]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/2023/10/16/israel-propaganda-war-crimes-uk-tv/
[6]: https://www.buzzfeed.com/jimwaterson/poppersplaining
[7]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/skwawkbox/
https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/03/25/tory-former-prisons-minister/

2026-03-25 22:18:30 UTC

The think tank behind the DWP Universal Credit cuts is now saying the benefits system is too generous for young people
[DWP]
DWP — The Resolution Foundation is the latest to jump on the [disabled young people][1]-bashing bandwagon. On Tuesday 24 March, the think tank posted a video on its X account laying into so-called NEETs (young people not in education, employment, or training).
Naturally, the fact that disabled young people are not in jobs had nothing to do with exploitative employers or the dire lack of accessible jobs. Or you know, there’s evidently no significance to the simple fact that ‘inactive’ claimants on the health element of Universal Credit have gone through a rigorous assessment and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has quite literally found them too sick to work.
Nope, the oh-so generous benefits system is to blame for ‘incentivising’ them not to enter employment. That’s according to the actually generously paid non-disabled talking heads at the Resolution Foundation. Now where have we heard that before?
The ostensible Labour government mouthpiece was spouting this bile all as the DWP [is just under two weeks away from][2] slashing Universal Credit’s health element in fucking half for new claimants.
Of course, disabled people haven’t soon forgotten that it was the [Resolution Foundation that was behind][3] the callous idea in the first place.
## Resolution Foundation: Universal Credit ‘incentivising’ young people not to work
The video in question was a conversation between its research director Lindsay Judge and its principal economist Nye Cominetti:
> There are nearly a million young people neither learning nor earning in the UK.
>
> To what extent is that being driven by the structure of our benefit system? Lindsay Judge explains [⤵] [https://t.co/WkcwQ7ZNfc][4] [pic.twitter.com/MAgBNNjp67][5]
>
> — Resolution Foundation (@resfoundation) [March 24, 2026][6]
Laying it on thick with the lazy scrounger insinuation from the get-go, Cominetti asked Judge:
> To what extent do we think, you know, the incentives, structures and so on in the benefits system are to blame for our NEET rates?
Judge started by at least acknowledging the pitiful rates of Universal Credit. But at the same time, she couldn’t help but lean into the myth that benefits ‘incentivise’ people to stay out of work:
> I think it’s really clear that for young people who’re unemployed who get a lower standard allowance Universal Credit rate, the incentives to be on Universal Credit are pretty dismal. So anybody who thinks that they’re languishing on kind of lavish benefits doesn’t know anything about the standard allowance.
Judge **almost** gets it, *almost*. She seemed to attempt to dispel the nonsense idea people are “languishing” on benefits. However, she then basically went on to imply disabled people claiming the health element are doing just that:
> I think it’s a bit different for young people who are in the inactive category and who are on Universal Credit health element. Because that’s a significant amount more money than the UC standard allowance. And not only do they get more money if they’re in that group, but they also aren’t subject to conditionalities, so they’re not sanctioned…So I think there are financial reasons why the benefits system is pushing young people perhaps to be in that inactive category.
## DWP Universal Credit cuts: brainchild of the Resolution Foundation
Judge’s spiel wasn’t all that surprising. The *Canary* [previously uncovered][7] that the Resolution Foundation pushed the idea that the DWP should slash the health element. It proposed that the government could use this to cover increases to the standard allowance.
So of course, now it has to save face with this preposterous narrative. And right now, maligning young benefit claimants is all the right-wing rag, privileged politician rage.
Anyone actually trying to survive on woefully inadequate state support will know it’s horrendous. The billionaire-owned press is constantly demonising disabled claimants. Vilifying rhetoric [that recipients are faking][8] their conditions is rife at Westminster.
When the bloody chancellor of the exchequer [is going around saying][9] young people on benefits are “stain on this country” and the DWP boss [calling][10] the growing number of young disabled people not in work or education a “disease”, how are young disabled claimants meant to feel like anything other than a burden?
But that’s how this Labour government wants it. Because then, it [can shunt them][11] into [low-paying apprenticeships][12] with its [arms manufacturer mates][13].
## Doing the DWP’s dirty work for it
So the Resolution Foundation is doing the government’s dirty work designing and manufacturing consent for cuts for it. Of course, it’s the kind of shameless scapegoating you might expect from the think tank formerly headed by [current][14] DWP ghoul [Torsten Bell-end][15].
The very same day it posted its bullshit video, an *Independent* article [was circulating][16] on X. Southampton City Council [turned down][17] a young disabled man for a paid bin worker job. He’d been doing the job for nine month – free. Slave-Labour-Soton CC [is a ‘disability confident’][18] employer by the way – for the little [that’s clearly worth][19].
Tell us again how the government’s flashy solution to pay employers to hire young disabled claimants is going to help. So far, it [hasn’t provided any evidence][20] its suite of new corporate bungs is going to lead to employers taking on staff they wouldn’t have already.
## Rich policy wonks advising on youth unemployment
Judge and Cominetti are likely among the 12/30 Resolution Foundation employees [raking in][21] over £60k. And even if they’re not, the remaining 18 employees took home over £1m between them anyway. So it’s all but certain they have a tidy salary.
Thanks to the Resolution Foundation’s bright idea, a single disabled young person under the age of 25 will now get a whopping… £6,670 a year in Universal Credit (£4,063 standard allowance, £2,607 health element). To put that in context, that’s little over a quarter of a full-time annual salary on minimum wage. The DWP has assessed these disabled people as too ill to work.
So, social security like Universal Credit, disability benefits, if they’ve undergone the gruelling application for them, and sometimes housing benefits, will likely be their sole income.
The point being, these paltry benefits aren’t even enough for young disabled people to live on. If they’re ‘languishing’ in anything, it’s state-sanctioned and gratuitously-celebrated destitution. Perhaps these well-paid policy wonks far-removed from the realities of this shamble of a welfare system would like to answer where the fucking incentive is in that?
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [Hannah Sharland][22]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2025/11/17/dwp-young-disabled-people/
[2]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/02/10/dwp-screwing-uc/
[3]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2025/03/17/dwp-universal-credit-cuts-when/
[4]: https://t.co/WkcwQ7ZNfc
[5]: https://t.co/MAgBNNjp67
[6]: https://twitter.com/resfoundation/status/2036427984844828758?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[7]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2025/03/17/dwp-universal-credit-cuts-when/
[8]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2025/11/17/dwp-young-disabled-people/
[9]: https://bmmagazine.co.uk/news/reeves-condemns-rise-in-neet-youth-as-a-stain-on-our-country/
[10]: https://www.thetimes.com/comment/the-times-view/article/welfare-diagnosis-is-correct-but-the-cure-needs-to-be-swifter-dvfhs80j0?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqe8V8c2Aedcf-iQfV5bjEGgAnAlECzQsUKWUdptpd9n7oyIIEhzL4Zo6J9bj0g%3D&gaa_ts=69c3902b&gaa_sig=WyFaJ0FcZK2f824HRKjBLVtvcsv9nLN9gBaQdHtvqUl1mTmfwoAzayS5LdtO8h3t8TKc5o_4u27jU9NdyWEV5Q%3D%3D
[11]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/03/10/dwp-defence/
[12]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/03/16/dwp-underpaid-jobs/
[13]: https://www.thetimes.com/business/companies-markets/article/david-lammy-shell-bae-systems-exchange-programme-rsxxzk090?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqcBrOHfxyi0e2Yu-bVx5I96B7hoivNSSpf4ElbsrLgG4s_qZunEpweWZ_HxSsI%3D&gaa_ts=69c31fc1&gaa_sig=1nLzntNkC5ItcnNKStENRcWJ8-m_qWety3hOqRqsDQF0rhs61q2MgP5W7BVk7MEW-PFyRVMgQ4RhAelnJb4Rzw%3D%3D
[14]: https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2025/03/20/torsten-bell-labour/
[15]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2025/03/20/dwp-changes-young-people/
[16]: https://x.com/FHawksworth/status/2036195443424592047
[17]: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/bryan-rowe-southampton-bin-man-b2944007.html?test_group=lighteradlayout
[18]: https://www.southampton.gov.uk/jobs/our-people-matter/equal-opportunities/
[19]: https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2025/08/17/dwp-stephen-timms-minister/
[20]: https://ifs.org.uk/articles/assessing-governments-youth-employment-package
[21]: https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/05588883/filing-history/MzQ3MjM2NTQwMmFkaXF6a2N4/document?format=pdf&download=0
[22]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/hannah-sharland/
https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/03/25/dwp-universal-credit-cuts/

2026-03-25 21:22:32 UTC

Shadow DWP wet wipe Whately just attacked remote PIP assessments to shit on disabled people again
[DWP]
Shadow [Department for Work and Pension][1]s (DWP) boss Helen Whately couldn’t help but get in the Tories’ punches on disabled people. On Tuesday 24 March, the latest DWP wet wipe (in a long line of DWP wet wipes) took to *GB News* to shit on those claiming Personal Independence Payment (PIP):
> Government could save £2bn by bringing back face-to-face PIP assessments.
>
> Ministers say they're doing that, but the numbers tell a different story. So do the empty assessment centres.
>
> Time to get a grip of the benefits bill. [pic.twitter.com/ANMZWDBzAv][2]
>
> — Helen Whately MP (@Helen_Whately) [March 23, 2026][3]
The main thrust was that [disabled][4] people doing PIP assessments over the phone are just ‘faking it’, because of course it was.
## DWP PIP: Whately on a warpath over remote assessments
Whately was referring to an ‘analysis’ the Tories [hyped up][5] in shitrag the *Sun*. Supposedly, this found that:
> when a person is assessed face-to-face for PIP, 44 per cent end up getting the benefit.
>
> But when it is done remotely the rate is far higher at 57 per cent.
Of course, the article is sparse on the actual detail of quite how the Tories came to these numbers. However, it does seem to chime with figures DWP minister Stephen Timms [previously put out][6] via an answer to a parliamentary written question.
Regardless, the analysis doesn’t actually prove what Whately wants it to. It went on to claim that:
> It has led to an extra 259,000 successful claims a year on average — equal to a higher annual welfare bill of £1.8billion.
That remote assessments have higher success rates doesn’t evidence that people are “gaming the system” as she suggested. More likely, what it shows is that when disabled people are given assessments appropriate to their health circumstances, they’re better able to articulate their lived realities and resulting needs.
The fact is, the latest DWP statistics [show that][7] 65% of PIP decisions cleared at tribunal between October 2020 and September 2025 were overturned in the applicants’ favour. The DWP has also changed its decision and awarded PIP to 20% of people who made an appeal. In other words, the DWP is wrongly refusing PIP to disabled people who are eligible for it.
And disabled folks [who’ve applied for][8] PIP [report][9] plenty of terrible experiences with assessors.
The PIP assessment is not easy. People who should get it, don’t. The assessment is long and gruelling, and regularly degrading.
The analysis’s £1.8m savings claim is total nonsense — because there’s no proof those 259,000 people weren’t eligible.
But naturally, Whately and her colleagues — who aren’t medically trained — want to decide who’s ‘deserving’ and ‘disabled enough’ to get support.
## Face-to-face assessments unsafe and inaccessible
Hilariously, DWP boss Pat McFadden and DWP minister Torsten Bell were both scoring political points on X:
> The Tories reduced face to face appointments to almost zero when in power.
>
> They then agreed new contracts embedding the reduction just months before the election.
>
> Now they attack their own record and legacy while we sort out what they left behind. [https://t.co/zYsCWfieMG][10]
>
> — Pat McFadden (@patmcfaddenmp) [March 23, 2026][11]
> Sigh. Absolutely no shame. Of course it was the Tories that:
> – dialled down face to face assessments
> – signed contracts with providers to embed that decision post-covid
> – now assume journalists won’t bother asking them basic questions when they attack their own record [https://t.co/TQ2BIiBRCH][12]
>
> — Torsten Bell (@TorstenBell) [March 23, 2026][13]
Of course, both were evidently loathe to mention that the former Conservative government brought in this shift to remote assessments because of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic. A pandemic where repeated government mismanagement forced clinically vulnerable disabled people to ‘shield’ in lockdown long after their non-disabled peers.
A pandemic in which disabled people [were up to 3 times more likely][14] to die. In the early months of the pandemic, learning disabled people were 30 times more likely to die from it.
Props to the Tories for forgetting again that clinically vulnerable disabled people exist. Forcing face-to-face appointments will put many disabled people at risk. And this would also be a barrier for many disabled and chronically ill folks who either simply can’t travel to appointments, or risk worsening their health by doing so:
> Disgusting. It can be difficult for people to travel to assessments, axing phone interviews will just mean people who genuinely need help will be unable to get it… and the face-to-face meetings are NOT more accurate, as I have experienced. The DWP needs major change now.
>
> — Andrew Fisher (@merman1974) [March 23, 2026][15]
## PIP success rates have plummeted
The rate of DWP approving applications for PIP has also actually plummeted:
> Since face to face assessments have moved to mainly virtual ones, the success rate for PIP applications has plummeted from 52% to 35%. The idea that it is making it easier for "fakers" is so inaccurate and widespread that I have lost 3 stone from eye rolling alone. [https://t.co/qfJHWInZJ7][16]
>
> — Spin Decoders (@leith1076) [March 23, 2026][17]
Specifically, successful awards [sat at 55% in 2018-19][18] and decreased slightly to [an average of 52%][19] the following financial year.
By comparison, as *Benefits and Work* [recently reported][20], this rate has continued to drop. For the quarter ending January 2026, the DWP approved just 35% of new claims. This was down from 43% the same quarter last year. In other words, a little over one in three applicants are actually getting awards of PIP. It’s also a [decrease from][21] the previous quarter that saw success rates reach just 38% (also a fall from 44% Q3 in 2024).
So contrary to the Tories’ rhetoric, no, the DWP isn’t handing out PIP more readily since the former Tory government implemented remote assessments.
## DWP — more people should get PIP anyway
But why would Whately and co. let facts get in the way of a good vilifying soundbite?
When Whately bandies about her dubious figures, it’s the number of people claiming PIP she’s attacking. And of course, in this context, it’s easy to spin that PIP claims are spiralling. Because quite simply, more people are indeed applying for it.
It’s not rocket science to recognise that off the back of a disabling pandemic, more people will in fact be disabled.
What’s more, it’s also a good thing more disabled people are actually applying for it. As the *Canary’s* Rachel Charlton-Dailey [recently highlighted][22]:
> There’s also the fact that just 3.9 million people claim PIP. The DWP and press make this sound like a huge number, but it’s only a fraction of how many disabled people there are in the country. 16.8 million people self-identify as disabled in the UK, so that’s less than a quarter of them claiming PIP.
>
> There might be a huge uproar over ‘1 in 10 people claiming PIP’, but disabled people make up 25% of the population. It should be 1 in 4.
Instead then, it’s the above proportion figures that matter. Let’s not forget that PIP is to level the playing field for disabled people. It helps with the [extra £1,095 a month][23] costs disabled people incur.
However, the Tories would still have you believe it’s bullshit about the “bloated benefits bill”.
It didn’t go unnoticed either that Whately was banging on about this days after the Labour government announced its call for evidence for the Timms Review.
Ironically, the review should address all the above issues with the assessment system. As the *Canary* [pointed out][24] however, this is already shaping up to be a monumental stitch-up.
The simple fact of the matter is that to politicians on both sides of the House, disabled people are a convenient scapegoat to justify their austerity agendas. While these cronies of corporate capitalism run this country, disabled lives will only ever be a political football to kick to the sidelines.
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [Hannah Sharland][25]
[1]: http://www.thecanary.co/topics/dwp
[2]: https://t.co/ANMZWDBzAv
[3]: https://twitter.com/Helen_Whately/status/2036186748531712200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[4]: http://www.thecanary.co/topics/disability
[5]: https://web.archive.org/web/*/https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/38591974/benefits-bill-assessments-face-to-face/
[6]: https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/news/pip-face-to-face-assessments-seriously-reduce-success-rates?page_comment=3
[7]: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/personal-independence-payment-statistics-to-january-2026/personal-independence-payment-official-statistics-to-january-2026#:~:text=65%25%20of%20the%20DWP%20decisions,overturned%20at%20a%20tribunal%20hearing
[8]: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/experiences-of-pip-applicants-who-received-zero-points-at-assessment/experiences-of-pip-applicants-who-received-zero-points-at-assessment
[9]: https://www.scope.org.uk/news-and-stories/not-treated-like-a-human-by-benefits-assessor
[10]: https://t.co/zYsCWfieMG
[11]: https://twitter.com/patmcfaddenmp/status/2036203899363774635?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[12]: https://t.co/TQ2BIiBRCH
[13]: https://twitter.com/TorstenBell/status/2036190794411880652?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[14]: https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/news/uk-covid-19-inquiry-report-details-damning-failure-protect-disabled-people-%E2%80%9Ctoo-little-too-late?srsltid=AfmBOoqSlQ9eMjgrU7i4yyPCLuth6JQzg3fFn7-4qq0coVxFv8W3VmRa
[15]: https://twitter.com/merman1974/status/2036010635293520331?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[16]: https://t.co/qfJHWInZJ7
[17]: https://twitter.com/leith1076/status/2036053446827147727?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[18]: https://obr.uk/box/trends-in-working-age-disability-benefit-onflows/#:~:text=Initial%20claims:%20new%20claims%20for,%2D19%20and%202022%2D23.
[19]: https://ifs.org.uk/publications/health-related-benefit-claims-post-pandemic-uk-trends-and-global-context#:~:text=The%20official%20forecast%20is%20for,incapacity%20benefit%20spending%20by%2026%25.&text=Almost%20all%20the%20increase%20in,the%20end%20of%20the%20parliament.&text=These%20increases%20mean%20that%20in,of%20working%2Dage%20adults).
[20]: https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/news/pip-success-rates-continue-to-fall
[21]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/01/13/dwp-pip-reassessments/
[22]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/03/18/dwp-pip-claimants/
[23]: https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/news/extra-costs-faced-disabled-people-continue-rise?srsltid=AfmBOorSPtaNRiNWwGeKAYtdwoY3JvVcU8xbzHJhR8gInhzqJT2z8A4p
[24]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/03/19/dwp-review/
[25]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/hannah-sharland/
https://www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/2026/03/25/dwp-shadow-whately/

2026-03-25 20:54:47 UTC

Labour’s answer to the energy crisis? Corporate welfare
[Labour]
Labour’s answer to the energy crisis, spurred on by the [war on Iran][1], is to subsidise the profits of fossil fuel companies. According to the [*Times*][2], only households on benefits will receive the money that helps prop up energy companies.
Instead, Labour should bring energy into public ownership, while transitioning to a Green New Deal to address not only the climate crisis, but volatile international markets and sky high costs, in one fell swoop.
## Corporate stranglehold
While energy is privatised, companies have a stranglehold on individuals in our society. The free market is supposed to be about an individual choice, but everyone needs energy so there is no choice but to purchase it from a provider. Households and businesses’ costs may deviate across companies, but publicly owned energy could provide the absolute cheapest through wholesaling renewables for the entire country.
Labour has so far [announced][3] a £53 million support package for “vulnerable” households who use heated oil.
## Labour — welfare for large companies
Again, the market is supposed to be ‘free’, yet corporations receive huge benefits from the government. 22% of The Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers [receive][4] universal credit (UC). That means the public purse is significantly subsidising the profits of companies like Tesco, which [makes][5] £6,150 of profit per employee.
Direct subsidies is another way the public purse delivers corporate welfare. The government is [providing][6] £2.5bn to the steel industry this parliament, without taking a stake in steel companies that would provide public monetary benefit.
This is a continuation of the Conservative agenda. In the 2023/24 year, some of the government’s subsidies to corporations [amounted][7] to a whopping £32bn. The year before, they were £53bn because gas inflation not only increased bills but also the government increased corporate handouts to profiteering fossil fuel companies. And now Starmer has[ announced][8] a further £22bn bung to the fossil fuel sector for carbon capture projects that don’t work.
Government intervention appears to be focused on benefiting corporations, rather than the whole of society.
*Featured image via the Canary*
By [James Wright][9]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2026/03/23/iran-iraq/
[2]: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/energy-bailout-benefits-claimants-vsccsw3tn?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqd0CYtmSuzlRb3MPvlADuP9qhq73N4B68MZhhxBHZRsMu1a7zfOe9lO3h-XiBc%3D&gaa_ts=69c3c9f1&gaa_sig=QAS6Ij_BUCoBP_1BdJrRv11H14MRwpNlDzoHw_OB8n7QT3r8dWmvq6Oru9GOaK8PukocqPUegy1WrBvZGXfStg%3D%3D
[3]: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/energy-bailout-benefits-claimants-vsccsw3tn?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqd0CYtmSuzlRb3MPvlADuP9qhq73N4B68MZhhxBHZRsMu1a7zfOe9lO3h-XiBc%3D&gaa_ts=69c3c9f1&gaa_sig=QAS6Ij_BUCoBP_1BdJrRv11H14MRwpNlDzoHw_OB8n7QT3r8dWmvq6Oru9GOaK8PukocqPUegy1WrBvZGXfStg%3D%3D
[4]: https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/no-evidence-that-half-tescos-workforce-receives-universal-credit-2025-08-18/
[5]: https://merchantmachine.co.uk/profit-per-employee/
[6]: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-steel-industry-backed-by-major-new-trade-measure-and-strategy
[7]: https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/governmentpublicsectorandtaxes/publicsectorfinance/bulletins/publicsectorfinances/march2024
[8]: https://www.thecanary.co/uk/news/2024/10/09/pmqs-starmer-carbon-capture/
[9]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/james/
https://www.thecanary.co/uk/2026/03/25/labours-answer-to/

2026-03-25 20:29:35 UTC

Newly discovered film gives extraordinary first hand account of the General Strike
[Pickets in the General Strike]
A newly discovered documentary film provides an extraordinary first-hand account of the General Strike of 1926. And it shows how close many of the strikers thought it brought them to a revolution.
This historic documentary, *The General Strike – A Revolution Betrayed?*, made in the early 1970s, was unearthed in the archive of radical filmmaker Platform Films.
Norman Thomas of Platform Films says that the power of the 70 minute film lies in its extensive use of first hand testimony of strikers and strikers’ relatives.
Thomas said:
> This is the General Strike of 1926 as told by the people who actually lived through it. The film vividly illustrates how the strike was opposed by the full force of the British establishment but how close the strikers felt they came to success.
He added:
> Many strikers believed they were on the verge of a revolution – a revolution that only failed because they were betrayed by union leaders.
It’s been a hundred years since [workers across the country][1] come out in support of over a million miners locked out of work for refusing to accept lower pay. Thomas claims the film contains vital lessons for present day trade unionists.
He said:
> The film highlights the importance of rank and file solidarity across industries, highly disciplined grassroots organisation – and a deep distrust of union leaders!
The film also provides a unique insight into the human impact of the General Strike – an aspect, Thomas argues, that’s had too little coverage.
He said:
> The film shows how people came out of the strike devastated. Whole communities were in pieces. The failure of the strike was a hugely traumatic event.
And Thomas added:
> Watching the film, you get a real sense of how close the strike came to success. If it had succeeded, the strike would have undoubtedly changed the course of British history.
Award-winning radical filmmaker Platform Films has made the documentary available for screenings and viewings. You can get a copy of the film on memory stick, DVD or via an online link. The cost to institutions, including trades union councils, is £60. For individuals and union branches the cost is £20. There is no additional charge for screening the film publicly but donations are welcome. Email norm6344@gmail.com for more details.
[Watch a trailer of the film on YouTube][2].
*Featured image via Platform Films*
By [The Canary][3]
[1]: https://www.thecanary.co/topics/workers-rights/
[2]: https://youtu.be/35BnteXEAK
[3]: https://www.thecanary.co/author/thecanary/
https://www.thecanary.co/uk/news/2026/03/25/newly-discovered-film-gives-extraordinary-first-hand-account-of-the-general-strike/