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Politics

Israel passes death penalty for Palestinians

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3 hours ago

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Israel passes death penalty for Palestinians

Fascist Israel minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has pushed through a law in the Knesset which will authorise the death penalty – by hanging – of Palestinians. Specifically, this law will apply by default to Palestinians who have been tried in military court and found guilty of committing a fatal attack.

62 Israeli officials voted for the fatal bill, with 47 voting against.

Of course, many have been horrified at this regressive and cruel Israeli law which will only work to further enable the genocidal entity’s colonisation of Palestine. They argue that enforcing this barbaric law will only work to provide a ‘legally-sanitised’ means of ramping up Israel’s ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in the West Bank.

These sentences would be imposed following convictions in Israeli military courts, where authorities often pursue charges that would not constitute crimes under international humanitarian law. Denied proper access to legal counsel and basic procedural rights, defendants face proceedings that amount to little more than sham trials designed to legitimise killing.

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Horrifyingly, there are currently 9,300 Palestinians in Israeli detention, whose fates will now hang in the balance – either left to suffer and languish in prison, or face the noose.

Israel institutionalising genocide

The death penalty changes will allow the occupying state to institutionalise large-scale violence against the Palestinian population under a thin veneer of legality. Such a horrifying development raises profound moral and legal concerns, particularly regarding the protection of civilian lives and adherence to international humanitarian standards.

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas slammed the legislation, saying:

Such laws and measures will not break the will of the Palestinian people or undermine their steadfastness. Nor will they deter them from continuing their legitimate struggle for freedom, independence, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The Palestinian foreign ministry defiantly stated:

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This law once again reveals the nature of the Israeli colonial system, which seeks to legitimise extrajudicial killing under legislative cover.

UN Experts also called on Israel to withdraw the bill back in February, and as per usual, Israel has taken no notice whatsoever.

Belgian MEP, Marc Botenga, has subsequently called on the EU to suspend its Association Agreement with Israel:

Disturbing historical parallels

Furthermore, this death penalty evokes disturbing historical parallels, including the systematic atrocities carried out during the Holocaust under Nazi Germany, where millions of Jewish people and other marginalised groups were murdered in gas chambers. Like Israel, Hitler enforced special courts called the ‘People’s Court’ to enforce the genocidal agenda of the Nazi regime, condemning thousands to death for “volk treason”.

While historical contexts differ, the comparison underscores the gravity of policies that oil the wheels of genocide.

Frankly, the joyful celebrations on display from Ben-Gvir and far-right allies simply underscore how murderous and bloodthirsty Zionists are:

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According to the bill, those who receive the death penalty will be kept in a separate detention center with no visitors apart from authorised personnel. Legal consultations, if they even get them, will happen by video link only with executions (murders) carried out within just 90 days. 

The Guardian reported:

The measure will allow courts to impose the death penalty without a request from prosecutors and without requiring unanimity, instead permitting a simple majority decision. Military courts in the occupied West Bank will also be empowered to hand down death sentences, with the defence minister able to submit an opinion.

For Palestinians under occupation, the bill closes off avenues for appeal or clemency, while prisoners tried inside Israel could have their sentences commuted to life imprisonment.

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No justice in an apartheid State

This ruling from the Knesset has sent a chill across the world. People have powerlessly watched a live-streamed genocide against Palestinians, while their leaders continue to kowtow to Israel. Confronted with this unfolding reality, ordinary citizens have taken it upon themselves to learn the history of Palestine and stand in solidarity with their Arab brothers and sisters.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) declared in 2024 that this is indeed a plausible genocide with Iceland and Netherland recently joining the case against Israel. On the other hand, many western leaders have done precious little to bring an end to the mass murder of innocent people despite widespread protests at home. Nevertheless, it appears that a red line is finally forming.

An oppressor’s military court does not prioritise justice, instead it serves as another tool to further the colonial ambitions of Zionist Israel. As a result, this law will only exacerbate their murderous tendencies under a manufactured legal facade.

Western leaders must finally lift their heads out of the sand. This death penalty attempts to legalise the murder of a captive and oppressed population, with those same captors serving as judge, jury, and executioner.

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This reality echoes the atrocities once sanctioned by Adolf Hitler during World War II. The world must act immediately to halt this rapidly accelerating descent into the abyss – instead of just watching from the sidelines as usual.

Featured image via The Cradle

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Politics

US places Israel above all, as proved by death penalty row

Published

12 minutes ago

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31 March 2026

By

US places Israel above all, as proved by death penalty row

The US has said it ‘respects Israel’s right to determine its own laws’. Meanwhile, it is denying countries with a Muslim majority, such as Iran, that same right.

The whole premise of the US and Israel’s illegal invasion was ‘regime change’ and ‘freeing Iranian women’. Of course, they do that by bombing little school girls, blowing up hospitals, and killing United Nations (UN) workers. They have not freed a single woman; instead, they’ve murdered them.

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Israel above all

Now, Israel has introduced yet another barbaric law solely for Palestinians.

Palestinians who Israel has detained illegally, and often without reason or trial, will face the death penalty. Israelis in detention for a variety of similar offences will not.

But in 2023, the US sanctioned Uganda for introducing the death penalty specifically for LGBTQ individuals.

Then-President Joe Biden called the move “a tragic violation” of human rights. Of course, Trump is not Biden, but we can presume that a fellow Zionist would be similarly atrocious at standing up to Israel’s repeated human rights abuses. All in the name of antisemitism, after all.

Additionally, Ghana passed the ‘Proper Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill’ in February 2024. This effectively criminalises LGBTQ activities and advocacy.

The US stated that it would:

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threaten all Ghanaians’ constitutionally protected freedoms of speech, press, and assembly.

The same could be said for Venezuela, Cuba, and Iraq.

The US seems extremely concerned with the ‘human rights’ and ‘freedoms’ in countries governed by Black and brown people. But where’s the outrage for human rights when the tables are turned, and genocidal Zionists are in charge?

Apartheid

The US respects Israel’s right to ‘determine its own laws’. More like, the US respects Israel’s right to apartheid.

I guess there is always a trade-off between Western morality and oil.

The US doesn’t respect the laws in Black and brown countries, but it will respect the laws of genocidal terrorists and elite pedophiles.

Earlier this year, Iran executed three people for killing police officers and:

carrying out operations in favour of the United States and Israel.

Donald Trump described these executions as “terrible”.

In January, Trump also said the US would take “very strong action” against Iran if it executed protesters. He earlier told Iranians that “help is on the way”.

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But where’s the very strong action against Israel? Where’s the help for Palestinians?

Colonialism

The US’s unequivocal backing of Israel is nothing short of colonialism.

Western countries seem to collectively decide which countries’ sovereignty they should respect, and which need to be carpet-bombed to ‘restore order’, and it’s bullshit.

The West gives some countries the right to kill whoever the hell they want; meanwhile, others are ‘regimes’ and ‘tyrants’.

Let’s face it – liberating women or restoring order usually means stealing oil and privatising it.

The US and Israel care more about their illegal Jewish-supremacist ethnostate project than the lives of Black and brown people. That much has been clear since Zionists started colonising Palestine in 1922.

But Iran has the right to make its own laws free of Western interference, and Operation Epstein is showing us over and over again why Israel should cease to exist.

However, when Israel already has so much influence over US laws and is literally bankrolling its politicians, how can we expect the US to stop Israel from introducing genocidal laws?

Featured image via HG

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death penalty objections are too little, too late

Published

54 minutes ago

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31 March 2026

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death penalty objections are too little, too late

The UK government joined France, Germany, and Italy in issuing a statement expressing their “deep concern” ahead of Israel’s decision to default to the death penalty for Palestinians charged with fatal crimes. This horrifying bill, which passed by 62 to 48, will undoubtedly further the extermination of Palestinians. The Israeli Occupation Army’s (IOF’s) entirely biased military courts apply these convictions, leaving powerless defendants with almost no access to justice.

The joint statement from Western nations read:

We, the Foreign Ministers of Germany, France, Italy and the United Kingdom, express our deep concern about a bill that would significantly expand the possibilities to impose the death penalty in Israel and that could be voted into law next week. We are particularly worried about the de facto discriminatory character of the bill. The adoption of this bill would risk undermining Israel’s commitments with regards to democratic principles.

The death penalty is an inhumane and degrading form of punishment without any deterring effect. This is why we oppose the death penalty, whatever the circumstances around the world. The rejection of the death penalty is a fundamental value that unites us.

We urge the Israeli decision makers in Knesset and Government to abandon these plans.

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While Western opposition to the death penalty is welcome and aligns with international law, those who drafted the statement shamefully couldn’t bring themselves to even mention Palestinians. Since this law applies exclusively to Palestinians, while Israeli citizens remain exempt, such erasure is not just negligent – it is contemptible. And, it makes the UK, Germany, France, and Italy entirely complicit in the erasure of Palestinians that is central to genocide.

Israel – Western complicity

For decades, these Western governments have enabled Netanyahu’s administration through political, military, and diplomatic support. This unqualified support came despite mounting, indisputable evidence that Israel’s policies amount to a system of apartheid and genocide.

As such, it’s hard to take messages of opposition remotely seriously:

After all, Palestinians have been illegally murdered for years now – why would the legalisation of Israel’s genocidal policy change anything?

Israel receive condemnation

Military officials and other Israeli ministers have also raised concerns that this law violates international law. They further add that applying this law could expose Israeli officials to arrest abroad under warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Furthermore, Israel’s leading civil rights group, the Association for Civil Rights, have reportedly filed an appeal against the law with the Supreme Court saying the law is:

an act of institutionalised discrimination and racist violence against Palestinians.

Israel’s Supreme Court of Israel could still strike down this law, potentially curbing the most extremist and violent acts of Zionism. Yet whether it takes the form of so-called “polite” Zionism or outright violence, all versions undermine the rights of indigenous Palestinians.

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Many have come out decrying the cruel and illegal punishment, with the UN Human Rights for Palestine underscoring the UN’s opposition to the death penalty “under all circumstances”:

Lawyer Jessica Simor has also pointed out the sick rhetoric being purposefully deployed by those who still wish to protect Israel from accountability:

UN representative Mohamad Safa pointed out the international laws that are contravened by this sadistic law:

Amnesty International has condemned Israel using the death penalty as “part of the system of apartheid, genocide and occupation” imposed on Palestinians:

‘Justice’ delivered by an illegal occupier

We reported on the atrocious odds stacked against Palestinians in Israeli military courts, which conveniently see a 99.7% conviction rate. The impossible conviction rate alone highlights the unlikely justice to be found, making the court little more than a “place of transition“.

We wrote:

The trials usually last about 10 minutes and the testimony of an Israeli soldier is enough to secure a conviction.

Adding:

The odds of a fair trial are stacked against Palestinians. They’re conducted in Hebrew and the poor translations do little to help Palestinians understand what is happening or even what they’re accused of. So each trial essentially boils down to plea bargaining. The Palestinian defendant pleads guilty to get a lesser sentence.

The likelihood that Israeli forces and prosecutors will manufacture crimes whilst pressuring Palestinians to plead guilty is practically a certainty. As ever the Israeli government haven’t shied away from making their intentions clear. The annihilation of Palestinians has always been their ultimate goal.

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As these X posts highlight:

One X user commented:

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Zionist Knesset deputy grinning with noose and lethal injection while her husband flaunts occupation, expulsion, and settlements. Pure sadistic bloodlust against Palestinians! Israel’s far-right monsters reveal their true genocidal face.

These are human beings

Citizens across the UK have been horrified as they watch their leaders attempt to shield and defend Israel whilst it conducts the indefensible. This has led to the murder of hundreds of thousands of men, women, children, and babies, while the rest of the world watches the genocide unfold on livestream.

It’s clear the statement from these Western leaders is mere lip service to recognise their legal commitments to oppose the imposition of death penalties. After all, they clearly fail to recognise the complexities and nuances unique to Palestinian people living under occupation, showing that they miss much of the gravity of the issue.

Enforcing a death penalty against a population of captive people, living for decades under oppression and brutality, is another method of state-mandated genocide.

Featured image via the Canary

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Rupert Lowe has his dog shot, don’t forget

Published

2 hours ago

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31 March 2026

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Rupert Lowe has his dog shot, don't forget

Reform UK is a party that exists because the Conservatives weren’t right-wing enough. Restore Britain, meanwhile, is a party that exists because Reform UK weren’t right-wing enough.

The problem for the three parties is that they agree on most issues, so they have to find increasingly niche topics to stand out from one another. This is what led to the following:

To be clear, this isn’t niche because it’s a minority opinion; it’s niche because political parties don’t need to clarify that dogs should not be executed.

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Ordinarily, this post would have warranted little more than a shrug. The reason it’s drawn people’s attention is because Restore leader Rupert Lowe once had his dog put down by shotgun.

According to him, however, he did it in a pro-dog fashion.

Rupert Lowe, shotweiller

According to the Standard, Lowe had 17-year-old dog euthanized by shotgun. If you’re worried this makes him sound like a serial killer, don’t worry; he didn’t take the shot himself. Instead, man of the people Lowe had his groundskeeper pull the trigger.

This is what Lowe told the Mail on Sunday:

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My keeper shot our dog the other day. He was a Labrador of 17. Dogs do go through ups and downs for a bit, but in the end Cromwell’s back legs went and our keeper Kevin very kindly did the job.

Cromwell didn’t go anywhere, he wasn’t away from home and he wouldn’t have known anything about it. So much kinder. They are not driven to the vet, they don’t smell the vet, it’s just all over very quickly.

Obviously it’s hard to put yourself in Lowe’s shoes, because most of us don’t have grounds or groundskeepers.

And, there are same-day pet euthanization services in the UK. This would have been slower, obviously, but it would have saved Lowe having to tell people he had an employee merc his own pet.

Speaking on having his man make the kill, Lowe said:

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I would find it difficult, which is why my keeper did it. So you can call me a coward on that basis, if you want.

I’ve got friends who can shoot their dogs. [They] just take them on a walk, put a shooting rifle at the back of their head and bang, done. They don’t feel anything. I would have found it hard. He was 17 and had been with us that long.

I would be proud to tell you it was me who did it, [but] I can’t claim that credit.

Poverty can’t buy you many things, but it does afford you the luxury of never having to say the above.

Commenters had a field day with all this, anyway:

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Niche politics

If you’re wondering why Restore Britain are talking up dogs, it’s because – you guessed it – ‘foreigners’:

Let’s be real; we live in a country that has many problems, so most of us aren’t worried about who does or doesn’t love dogs.

You know who does have time to worry, though?

That’s right – rich people with no problems of their own.

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Rich people who are wealthy enough to pay staff to shoot their pets.

Featured image via Parliament

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The war on dogs is barking mad

Published

2 hours ago

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31 March 2026

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The war on dogs is barking mad

Has Britain become ‘too dog-friendly’? Apparently, even as war rages in Iran and an energy crisis bites at home, the question of whether too many public spaces are welcoming to dogs is one that BBC News felt it had to address this week.

‘From coffee shops, restaurants and retailers… dog-friendly spaces are becoming easy to come by’, opens a news report from BBC Wales. ‘But people who are allergic to dogs, or afraid of them, say that the rise of these dog-friendly spaces is a concern’, the reporter continues.

Reeling off statistics conveying the extent of the UK’s love affair with dogs, the BBC presenter goes on to note that an increasing number of people feel ‘trapped’ in their homes due to their fear of other people’s pets. ‘What do you think? Has it all gone a bit too far?’, he asks.

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Apparently, dogs are a major issue in the BBC newsroom. Along with the video report, BBC Wales also saw fit to publish a written piece on the horrors of our increasingly dog-friendly nation. It quotes Abi Wilson, a young woman from Worcestershire, who says she does not leave the house, ‘Unless I am 100 per cent sure that a place does not allow dogs’. ‘I can’t even step out the front door to go to the car without feeling sick and sweating’, she says, describing the symptoms of her ‘cynophobia’, or fear of dogs. She also bemoans the fact that many of her usual ‘safe spaces’ are becoming pro-dog.

It would be easy to dismiss this as yet more of the trivial and inconsequential fluff pieces that now make up much of BBC News’ output. However, as more than a few people have pointed out on social media, there could be more to the BBC’s story than a concern for cynophobes. It could, some have suggested, be yet another reflection of the growing influence of Islam in the UK – a religion that considers dogs to be impure.

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This might sound like a bit of a stretch, but the link is not entirely tenuous. Indeed, the UK government itself has been leading the anti-dog discourse, seemingly on behalf of British Muslims. Earlier this year, when the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) outlined how it planned to make the English countryside ‘less white’, it claimed that dogs are one of the main impediments to ethnic-minority Britons enjoying rural England. ‘A lot of Muslims find dogs very difficult’, a Labour Party adviser and advocate of the policy told GB News.

Nor has DEFRA been the only state body with dogs in its crosshairs. In 2024, the Welsh government was widely ridiculed for commissioning a report as part of its ‘Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan’, calling for the introduction of ‘dog-free areas’ in parks – in order, you guessed it, to make them ‘more inclusive’. Camden Council in London has also proposed banning dogs outright, leashed and unleashed, from several of the parks under its control.

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It was surely only a matter of time before the culture warriors came for man’s best friend. After all, everything else that the British people love and cherish, from football to the national flag to the local pub, has long been considered fair game.

Still, if the powers-that-be think Britons will give up their dogs without a fight, then they really must be barking mad.

Hugo Timms is a staff writer at spiked.

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Politics Home | King’s US State Visit To Go Ahead Despite Trump Attacks On UK Over Iran

Published

3 hours ago

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31 March 2026

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King's US State Visit To Go Ahead Despite Trump Attacks On UK Over Iran
King's US State Visit To Go Ahead Despite Trump Attacks On UK Over Iran

King Charles III and Queen Camilla with US President Donald Trump and his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, at Windsor Castle last year (Alamy)


Zoe Crowther


3 min read

King Charles and Queen Camilla will meet US President Donald Trump on a state visit to the United States in late April, Buckingham Palace has confirmed.

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The US trip has been expected for some time, and the palace confirmed on Tuesday that it will go ahead to “celebrate the historic connections and the modern bilateral relationship” between the countries and mark the 250th anniversary of US independence.

It will be the first UK state visit to the US since Queen Elizabeth II visited in 2007.

The King and Queen will attend a state dinner at the White House, with the King also expected to deliver an address to Congress.

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The announcement comes at an awkward moment in UK-US relations, however, with Trump having repeatedly criticised Starmer in recent weeks over his refusal to commit the UK to greater involvement in the US and Israel’s war with Iran.

Trump attacked Starmer after the UK refused to permit the use of British bases for initial US-Israel strikes on Iran earlier this year.

Since then, the UK government has granted the US permission to use British bases for what it describes as defensive strikes on Tehran. However, Starmer has refused to go further, reiterating on Monday that the conflict in the Middle East is “not our [the UK’s] war”.

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UK veterans were also angered by Trump’s comment in January that UK troops had stayed a “little back, a little off the front lines” in the war in Afghanistan, which appeared to downplay the UK’s military involvement.

On Tuesday, Trump suggested that it will be up to the UK and other countries to re-open the Strait of Hormuz — the vital shipping lane that has been brought to an effective standstill by the war — and accused them of lacking courage.

He posted on his platform Truth Social: “All of those countries that can’t get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz, like the United Kingdom, which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran, I have a suggestion for you: Number 1, buy from the U.S., we have plenty, and Number 2, build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT.

“You’ll have to start learning how to fight for yourself, the U.S.A. won’t be there to help you anymore, just like you weren’t there for us. Iran has been, essentially, decimated. The hard part is done. Go get your own oil!”

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Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Ed Davey, said he opposed the state visit taking place. 

He said: “The Prime Minister is showing a staggering lack of backbone by pushing ahead with this state visit while Donald Trump treats our country with contempt.

“To send the King on a state visit to the US after Trump dismissed our Royal Navy as ‘toys’ is a humiliation, and a sign of a government too weak to stand up to bullies. 

“What appalling thing does Trump have to do next to make the Government see sense and cancel the state visit?”

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According to a YouGov survey last week, 49 per cent of the British public were against the state visit to the US, while 33 per cent were in support of it.

 

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Poll finds 74% of Brits think McSweeney is lying about stolen phone

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4 hours ago

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31 March 2026

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Poll finds 74% of Brits think McSweeney is lying about stolen phone

The government’s latest scandal revolves around Keir Starmer’s ex-chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, and his allegedly stolen mobile which could have contained messages between him and Peter Mandelson.

The government attempted to put this scandal to bed by accusing doubters of being conspiracy theorists. Now, a poll from the non-profit, More in Common, has revealed there are a hell of a lot of doubters out there — 74% in fact.

The McSweeney conspiracy

The TLDR on the McSweeney scandal is as follows:

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  • The government sacked ambassador to the US Peter Mandelson because of his ties to Jeffrey Epstein
  • People began to ask questions about Mandelson’s protege Morgan McSweeney
  • McSweeney’s phone was conveniently ‘stolen’ not long after Mandelson’s firing
  • McSweeney gave incorrect details to the police and failed to tell them he was a key member of government
  • The government launched an investigation following the revelation that Mandelson was leaking UK government information to Epstein
  • We learned that many of the potential messages between Mandelson and McSweeney were missing or not being investigated

Keir Starmer and the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, have attempted to dismiss anyone who questions the official narrative.

As the Canary said at the time, if Labour didn’t want conspiracy theories, they shouldn’t have appointed Peter Mandelson — a politician who was best pals with Jeffrey Epstein — the man at the centre of the 21st century’s most far-reaching conspiracy.

The More in Common polling showed it’s not the case that Britons are just conspiracy minded. Its UK director, Luke Tryl, wrote on X:

Simultaneously, the polling provided data on how the public feels about disappearing messages.

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In a corner

It was always insulting for the government to paint its critics as conspiracy theorists. Now we know it wasn’t just insulting, it was deeply, deeply stupid.

Starmer can slander 74% of the public if he likes, but it won’t do his own polling any good.

Featured image via Stats for Lefties

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Australia deal boosts EU FTA network but raises question of what next

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5 hours ago

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31 March 2026

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Australia deal boosts EU FTA network but raises question of what next

David Henig looks at the impact of the recently signed EU-Australia deal, as well as the EU’s wider approach to Free Trade Agreements in light of geopolitical uncertainty. 

Signing a Free Trade Agreement with Australia is the latest step in the EU’s clear acceleration towards completing a programme started in the mid-1990s to secure improved terms of trade for its exporters across the globe. President Trump’s disregard for trade rules is helping, as the Commission and most member states want to show they will not be following suit. Where this also leads is an emerging question as to what will come next for EU trade policy, not least given these FTAs can be set against measures that point in a more protectionist direction.

Early details suggest this new EU-Australia deal is mostly a traditional one focusing on removing what were already low tariffs for industrial goods, protecting EU geographical indications, and offering limited access to EU agriculture markets. There are some elements that go beyond this, such as cooperation on critical raw materials, but steel is notably excluded given EU desires to restrict imports.

This is not going to be any kind of economic game-changer not least in a world in which EU industrial goods are increasingly struggling to be competitive with those from China. Nor is this new trade deal really the basis of some kind of alternative world trade order to the WTO, even one undermined by the US breaking its commitments by raising tariffs and then coercing countries into deals to reduce them. At best one can see the EU’s hurry to expand its network of trade agreements as a form of insurance against a possible future without a well-functioning WTO.

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At this stage even the traditionally free trade-hostile French government appears to be happy with a deal that is far less generous in terms of market access for meat imports than both the EU-Mercosur deal and the deal which the UK negotiated with Australia in 2021. There may even be an element of satisfaction that this shows Brussels doing better in negotiations than London. This Australia deal also means that the EU has matched the post-Brexit trade deals secured by the UK with the exception of accession to the trans-pacific CPTPP bloc, filling an obvious gap in an already extensive set of bilateral FTAs.

Despite overt French opposition, the EU-Mercosur agreement will come into provisional effect from the start of May 2026. This demonstrated some skilful political handling from a Commission responsible for negotiations with a Parliament that has yet to give its approval given that it has become the custom if not the legal reality that this is required. In particular the Chair of the International Trade Committee, German Social Democrat Bernd Lange, professed himself satisfied. His voice is increasingly important as the EU struggles with a turbulent global picture.

Earlier this year the EU completed negotiations with India, which as with an earlier agreement with Indonesia, should come into force before the end of this Commission term in 2029. Experienced Brussels trade hands are also increasingly confident that there will be more deals in the next three years. Talks with Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines are advancing, as are more recently launched ones with the UAE. All of this will point towards a highly productive five years for EU trade policy.

Less is expected of discussions between the EU and the twelve members of the CPTPP that include the UK. While these are among the stronger supporters of global trade rules, what is mostly being discussed is some fairly limited cooperation starting by restating approaches on digital rules. Commission sources have previously said that cooperation between two blocs is outside of their comfort zone, and going further such as by providing tariff-free access for goods produced using CPTPP supply chains would run into fears around the impact on EU industry.

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This problem in dealing with CPTPP cooperation demonstrates one of the EU’s major trade policy challenges for the future, of how to move beyond traditional FTA issues into working with other countries on some of today’s challenges such as the growing economic security agenda. Existing Free Trade Agreements are in danger of being devalued as measures like the carbon border adjustment mechanism, investment restrictions, abolition of de minimis customs exemptions for low-value imports, and ‘Made in Europe’ content requirements are excluded. However, to incorporate these would be challenging, as debate over the latter (about which countries should count as ‘Made in Europe’) is showing.

Even more difficult an issue is the EU approach to trade with the US and China, the only countries among its top trade partners with which it has no traditional trade agreement. Member state leaders continue to float the possibility of resurrecting a proper US-EU trade agreement, presumably under the next President, ten years after the failure of Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership talks. Longstanding differences on food and digital regulations, and public procurement, still look very difficult to overcome however. The Turnberry Agreement, now approved by the European Parliament, is best seen as a temporary response to Trump’s coercion (by reducing tariffs on EU imports) that may not even last his term.

An EU-China trade agreement seems even more improbable due to concerns about EU industry and the political effect that would have on US-EU ties. This, however, also reveals why there is no prospect of resurrecting a stronger WTO, as the three would need to agree on something for it to happen.

Such then has been the approach of this Commission under pressure from President Trump, to accelerate the tried and tested and park the more difficult issues for another time. As a strategy for survival there is considerable logic. It is however not really a basis for tackling the fragmentation of rules currently afflicting the world trade system, still less for addressing the challenges of modern global markets. Thus, as one programme to sign new FTAs comes to an end there is a serious need to think about what will come next, but work that has barely started.

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By David Henig, Director of the UK Trade Policy Project at ECIPE.

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Press Announcement: Iain Dale All Talk at the Edinburgh

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5 hours ago

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31 March 2026

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Edinburgh 2026

Buy tickets HERE!

This year’s lineup of guests for my ALL TALK Fringe show is the most high profile so far. I have four current or past political party leaders including Kemi Badenoch and Zack Polanski. I want the Edinburgh public to discover the people behind the politicians. We have guests from the world of comedy, media and I’m especially looking forward to talking to the stars of the Price of Football podcast Kieran Maguire and Kevin Day. Perhaps the highlight of the run will be the event with Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and her husband Richard. It will the first time they have spoken on a public stage about her imprisonment in Iran and his fight to free her. It promises to be a spellbinding session.

We have an array of Scottish guests in the lineup including comedian Susie McCabe and a third appearance with Nicola Sturgeon. Former MP Joanna Cherry will be talking about her explosive new memoir, and Stephen Flynn, the SNP’s Westminster leader will discuss his decision to move from Westminster politics to the Scottish Parliament. In addition, Brian Taylor and Sir John Curtice will be rounding off the run in their by now unmissable political panel with Michael Crick, which returns for a fourth year.

I couldn’t be more delighted to be back at the Fringe, where I first appeared in 2019. This is without the strongest and most varied lineup of guests I’ve ever had. Informed and entertaining conversation about politics and much more is now a key part of the Fringe, and long may it remain so.

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This is the official press announcement

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Seabright Live presents

Iain Dale: All Talk

 

Pleasance at EICC

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Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026

8 – 11 August & 22 August

 

Award-winning LBC radio presenter, author and podcast host Iain Dale returns for a sixth Fringe season of in-depth interviews featuring audience questions, sharing his acclaimed, incisive insight on current affairs across 14 shows in five days. Guests include Kemi Badenoch, Stephen Flynn, Wes Streeting, Nicola Sturgeon, Zack Polanksi and Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.

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The full list of guests for this sixth season of the show is:

 

  • 08 Aug, 12pm – Nicola Sturgeon, former Scottish First Minister

  • 08 Aug, 2pm – Wes Streeting, Secretary of State for Health & Social Care

  • 08 Aug, 4pm – Zack Polanski Leader of the Green Party & London Assembly member

  • 09 Aug, 12pm – Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who was imprisoned in Iran, appearing with husband Richard Ratcliffe

  • 09 Aug, 2pm – Baroness Jacqui Smith interviews Iain Dale about his forthcoming autobiography ‘Have I Said Too Much?’

  • 09 Aug, 4pm – Impressionist Matt Forde, satirist Rosie Holt, comedian Susie McCabe

  • 10 Aug, 12pm – Jess Phillips: Minister for Safeguarding & MP for Birmingham Yardley

  • 10 Aug, 2pm – Joanna Cherry: Lawyer and former MP for Edinburgh Southwest

  • 10 Aug, 4pm – Sarah Vine & Andrew Pierce: Daily Mail columnists and authors

  • 11 Aug, 12pm – Former Cabinet member Baroness Gillian Shephard & former Cabinet Secretary, Lord Robin Butler

  • 11 Aug, 2pm “The Price of Football” podcast hosts, Kieran Maguire and Kevin Day

  • 11 Aug,  4pm – Broadcaster Michael Crick, pollster John Curtice, writer Brian Taylor

  • 22 Aug, 12pm – Kemi Badenoch, Leader of the Opposition and of the Conservative Party

  • 22 Aug, 4pm – Stephen Flynn, Leader of the SNP in the House of Commons

 

Iain Dale commented, “This year’s lineup of guests for my All Talk Fringe show is the most high-profile so far. I have four current or past political party leaders including Kemi Badenoch and Zack Polanski. I want the Edinburgh public to discover the people behind the politicians. We have guests from the world of comedy, media and I’m especially looking forward to talking to the stars of the Price of Football podcast Kieran Maguire and Kevin Day. Perhaps the highlight of the run will be the event with Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and her husband Richard. It will the first time they have spoken on a public stage about her imprisonment in Iran and his fight to free her. It promises to be a spellbinding session. We have an array of Scottish guests in the lineup including comedian Susie McCabe and a third appearance with Nicola Sturgeon. Former MP Joanna Cherry will be talking about her explosive new memoir, and Stephen Flynn, the SNP’s Westminster leader will discuss his decision to move from Westminster politics to the Scottish Parliament. In addition, Brian Taylor and Sir John Curtice will be rounding off the run in their by now unmissable political panel with Michael Crick, which returns for a fourth year. I couldn’t be more delighted to be back at the Fringe, where I first appeared in 2019. This is without the strongest and most varied lineup of guests I’ve ever had. Informed and entertaining conversation about politics and much more is now a key part of the Fringe, and long may it remain so.”

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Listings information:

Iain Dale: All Talk: Pleasance at EICC, 150 Morrison Street, Edinburgh EH3 8EE

8 -11 & 22 August 12.00pm, 2.00pm & 4.00pm (70 mins)

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Box office: www.pleasance.co.uk  / 0131 556 6550

 

Book for six or more shows and get a 15% discount via the Pleasance box office only (not available via Edfringe.com)

For further details & images, please contact Kate Farrell

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Politics

Most Brits Say Labour Is Handling Cost Of Living Crisis Poorly

Published

5 hours ago

on

31 March 2026

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Most Brits Say Labour Is Handling Cost Of Living Crisis Poorly

Only one in 10 Brits believe Keir Starmer is handling the cost of living crisis well, according to a new poll.

YouGov found more than four in five (83%) of the general public think the government is managing the economic problems badly.

Even among 2024 Labour voters, only 35% told the pollsters the party is doing a good job with rising bills.

More than half of Brits (53%) say the cost of living is a major problem facing the UK right now – more than any other issue.

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But only 15% of respondents said they believe Labour considers it to be a priority, though that is more than other parties.

Just 13% think the Tories believe the cost of living is an important issue and 12% feel the same about the Lib Dems.

That drops to 11% when asked about the Greens and 9% on Reform UK.

The news will come as a blow to the prime minister as he put his ability to handle the rising cost of living at the heart of his local elections campaign.

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Speaking from Wolverhampton on Monday, Starmer said his party “understood whatever is going on in the world, whatever is going on in politics, and there’s a lot in both, most people are concerned most of all about the cost of living”.

The PM announced a lower energy price cap and an increase in the minimum wage this week in the hope of winning back some voters.

It comes as Donald Trump’s war in Iran continues to push global energy prices up.

Four in 10 Brits told YouGov they are already struggling to afford food and energy costs – at least occasionally – and half say their household finances have worsened over the past 12 months.

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A further 69% think the UK economy has worsened over the last year with 67% expecting it to deteriorate further over the next 12 months.

Labour are expected to face a bloodbath in the May elections.

Voters will elect new representatives in the Welsh parliament of the Senedd, in Scotland’s parliament Holyrood, and for some mayoral authorities and English councils.

Subscribe to the Commons People podcast

The HuffPost UK politics team take a look at the week in Westminster and the repercussions of the motions and personality clashes. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audioboom, Google Podcasts, Deezer and more.

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Politics

The House | On the anniversary of Valerie Forde’s death, we must deliver the change Black women need

Published

6 hours ago

on

31 March 2026

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On the anniversary of Valerie Forde’s death, we must deliver the change Black women need
On the anniversary of Valerie Forde’s death, we must deliver the change Black women need

Demonstrators march through London in June 2022 in protest against violence towards women, and to honour Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry, who were murdered in 2020 (Credit Image: © Vuk Valcic/ZUMA Press Wire)


Abena Oppong-Asare MP


3 min read

Twelve years ago, Valerie Forde and her 22-month-old daughter, RJ, were murdered. Six weeks earlier, Valerie had reported a death threat to the police.

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When three quarters of Black women who experience domestic abuse want to report it but feel unable to, we should ask a difficult question: what kind of system have we built, if silence feels safer than seeking help?

Valerie did everything we ask of victims. She recognised the danger and sought help. She was failed by the services meant to protect her. Nothing about Valerie and RJ’s deaths was inevitable. If her warnings had been taken seriously, both would still be alive today.

Research by Sistah Space, based on the experiences of more than 2,200 women across England and Wales, shows how serious this problem is. Nearly all of the women surveyed said they did not have confidence that reporting abuse would lead to fair or supportive treatment. Many said they felt misunderstood or dismissed when they did reach out. That matters because what happens when a woman asks for help can determine whether she is protected or put at greater risk.

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Violence against women and girls is a national emergency. The government has set out an ambitious approach, with a focus on prevention, accountability and rebuilding trust. That direction is right. But it must be felt in practice across all demographics.

For too many Black women, coming forward is not just difficult, it is risky. There is fear of not being believed, of being stereotyped as aggressive, or of losing their children. Some fear that speaking out will make things worse. When those fears are present, it is not surprising that many women stay silent.

Sistah Space’s report gives clear examples of where things go wrong. Women describe coercive control not being recognised, or harm being minimised because injuries are not obvious. Some speak about bruising on darker skin not being properly recorded. These are basic issues, but they can make the difference between someone being protected or not.

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Many professionals work extremely hard to support survivors. But without the right training, risk can be missed.

Culturally competent care is part of getting this right. It means understanding how different experiences shape the way abuse is reported, recognised and responded to. It means building trust, not losing it.

The government has committed to a survivor-centred approach to tackling violence against women and girls. The task now is delivery. For too many Black women, the system still does not feel like it works for them. Valerie’s Law is a practical way to change that. It would make specialist training mandatory for police, social workers and healthcare professionals, so that responses are informed by the lived experience of Black women.

This builds on work already underway, and strengthens it. It would also create a consistent standard, so that support does not depend on where someone lives or who they speak to.

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Black women are not asking for special treatment – they are asking for equal treatment. They are asking to be believed and to be treated properly when they ask for help.

If we are serious about ending violence against women and girls, the system has to work for those who currently trust it least. On the 12th anniversary of Valerie and Jahzara’s murders, the case for change is clear. We know what needs to happen. The question is whether we are prepared to act on it.

Abena Oppong-Asare is Labour MP for Erith and Thamesmead

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