Politics
Palestine Action defendants charges dropped
Eighteen defendants from Palestine Action have now been acquitted of aggravated burglary. Earlier this month, a jury cleared six of the Filton24 of aggravated burglary, while leaving the charges of criminal damage and violent disorder undecided. These charges are in relation to direct-action taken targeting Israeli arms company, Elbit Systems in Bristol.
Middle East Eye reported that:
Following the decision to drop the charges, five of the defendants – William Plastow, Ian Sanders, Madeline Norman, Julia Brigadirova and Aleksandra Herbich – were granted conditional bail.
Plastow, Sanders and Norman have been held on remand for the longest period of the 18- spending 18 months in prison. Birgadirova and Herbich has been imprisoned since November 2024.
Bail applications for another eight defendants will be held on Friday.
Palestine Action targeting
Today’s announcement comes as the prosecution have “reconsidered the sufficiency of the evidence”. This move appears to suggest it would be unlikely to achieve the guilty verdicts it is clearly aiming for. However, at this late a stage in a criminal case, the prosecution could not just drop the aggravated burglary charge against the remaining defendants. This left it no option but to concede defeat on that charge if it wished to change course.
Consequently, concerns have resurfaced that the prosecution and government could reconsider their strategy and pursue different charges with a stronger likelihood of conviction.
All of the Filton24 were acquitted of aggravated burglary. SAY IT. https://t.co/ohMIDuUYVb
— Huda Ammori (@HudaAmmori) February 18, 2026
Victory: for now
The Palestine Action defendants have received popular support amongst pro-Palestinian activists and groups. In fact, many pensioners across the country have been seen risking arrest for daring to show public support for then proscribed Palestine Action (PA). The direct-action group has protested against Israel’s settler colonialism for many years, and its members have long sought to call attention to those arming the Zionist entity. The case against them refers to a break-in near Bristol of an Elbit Systems site known to be providing arms and supplies to Israel.
Citizens across the UK have taken to protests in every city since October 7th, 2023, making it clear that the majority of British people do not support the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Moreover, leading Holocaust scholars across the globe and the International Court of Justice in The Hague have identified this as a genocide, while the International Criminal Court has moved forward with arrest warrants at the direction of Prosecutor Karim Khan.
We wrote a few days ago on the court ruling that the proscription of Palestine Action, brought because of their acts of protest, was deemed disproportionate. Yet little has really changed, as Skwawkbox wrote:
The decision was made by a panel of judges who all have strong links to Israel, underscoring just how far the Starmer regime overstepped human rights legislation. It is almost certain to try to appeal, despite the exposed web of lies it created to try to justify the ban.
Nevertheless, people are rightfully celebrating this reprieve across social media:
Victory after victory … what an incredible start to Ramadan, the month of victory https://t.co/zrI9NkAiNi
— Fahad Ansari 🇵🇸 (Stop the Gaza genocide) (@fahadansari) February 18, 2026
Another victory for Palestine Action, defeat for the UK government’s support of genocide. https://t.co/Lw8wj3dV0l
— Syksy Räsänen (@SyksyRasanen) February 18, 2026
Great news BELOW!
There is a CHASM between what the politico-media “elites” think about the GENOCIDE in Gaza and what the general public think
The general public is decent & humane
The “elites” are immoral & cruel https://t.co/Hrw6j3dBgt
— Tom London (@TomLondon6) February 18, 2026
Returning home to their loved ones
Some defendants have since been granted bail following being declared ‘not guilty’ of the original charge of aggravated burglary. This represents a huge relief for the defendants given they will now be able to return home to their loved ones. Nevertheless, some still remain on remand awaiting trial, signaling that not much has changed regarding our government’s intentions.
As Investigative journalist Asa Winstanley reported on X:
BREAKING: Aleksandra Herbich and Yulia Brigadirova both also granted bail in Filton 24 hearing. Both have been on remand for 15 months.
In total, five Palestine Action activists have been granted bail today. Four are expected to be released today.
Brigadirova has a second case… pic.twitter.com/YO6Hkq9WHC
— Asa Winstanley (@AsaWinstanley) February 18, 2026
Although we at the Canary recognise this as a significant victory, it should not be mistaken for a safeguard against future action by the UK government or the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
It is clear that accepting defeat on this charge will leave a bitter taste for the Starmer government. Their premiership is already facing serious scrutiny over its significant levels of funding from the Israel lobby. This announcement today raises legitimate concerns that the prosecution may return with renewed determination, pursuing alternative charges it believes are more likely to secure convictions.
The broader fear we must acknowledge is that this effort is not merely about this case, but about setting a precedent – using the Filton 24 as a warning to deter dissent and protest in support of Palestinians.
As Richard Sanders pointed out on X, the British Government have no love lost for these defendants. Something they made clear recently during the defendants’ principled hunger strikes:
A reminder that the government was prepared to let 4 of these people die on hunger strike. https://t.co/9zHFayUSP9
— Richard Sanders (@PulaRJS) February 18, 2026
We must stay vigil
We reported on Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori’s comments on the CPS’ case against the six acquitted by jury. Skwawkbox wrote:
This case from the start has been heavily politicised.
The CPS are now publicly declaring, before the court hearing, that they’ll seek a retrial, despite the defendants having already spent 18months in prison without a single conviction.
This is political theatre.
Sadly, we believe today’s victory may prove similarly short-lived. The actors are currently off-stage changing their outfits and rehearsing their lines. But we must not forget, political theatre is still heavily permeating through this oppressive criminal case against the Palestine Action defendants.
We must stay vigilant and ready for whatever may follow this temporary reprieve.
Featured image via the Canary
The post ‘Immigration is the issue of the century’ appeared first on spiked.
Arms Trade Corruption Tracker (ATCT) have exposed reported Elbit contract suspensions at the behest of NATO’s Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA). In a decision taken last year, the NSPA took action to suspend over a dozen contracts linked to the Israeli arms company after anti-corruption investigations involving former NSPA staff.
They add that:
not all investigations appear to link directly to Elbit but details are still emerging.
ATCT further added, in a ‘spicy detail’, that the US had coincidentally dropped its investigation into some of those implicated. This came two weeks after a meeting between US President Trump and Turkish President Erdogan. Funnily enough, one of the investigations dropped refers to a Turkish officer formerly employed by NSPA.
Once again, the right-wing US President appears to be choosing to cover up corruption, as opposed to trying to tackle it.
#UnravellingTuesday: Israeli arms giant Elbit Systems faced reported contract suspensions from NATO’s Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) in relation to several anti corruption investigations involving former NSPA staff. New case link below. pic.twitter.com/W67cfTcTJt
— Corruption Tracker (@ArmsTradeCT) February 17, 2026
Elbit — NATO’s ‘highest-profile corruption scandal’
ATCT reported that the contracts were suspended by NATO in July 2025 following four investigations into possible corruption. These investigations involved eleven suspects and stated that ‘not all cases appear to directly involve Elbit’. They further stated that the evidence of corruption gathered represents:
the highest-profile corruption scandal the Alliance [NATO] had faced since its founding.
The Corruption Tracker website has published a detailed timeline outlining the countries, weapons, and equipment linked to the suspended contracts. The investigations implicate arms sellers, naming Israel’s Elbit Systems and its subsidiary Orion Advanced Systems, as well as Global Defence Logistics (GDL) and an unnamed Italian company. The contracts reportedly involve officials in Israel, Italy, Turkey, Romania, and Luxembourg, who appear positioned to benefit financially.
ATCT stated:
Authorities from the US, Romania, Belgium and the Netherlands had been investigating eleven suspects accused of bribery, accepting bribes, money laundering and illegal kickbacks, tied to military procurement contracts awarded between 2015 to 2024.
A wave of arrests followed across Spain, Romania, Belgium and the Netherlands. Yet despite the scale of the investigation and the seriousness of the charges, the consequences proved remarkably limited. None of the detainees served more than six months in prison. Most were released under conditional liberty, while others ultimately saw the charges against them dropped altogether.
Referring to the meeting between Trump and Erdogan, and subsequent shady actions taken, ATCT added:
The case took a dramatic turn in early July 2025. Just two weeks after the US and Turkish presidents met on 25 June 2025 at the Hague NATO Summit – and only two days before the extradition of suspects was due to take place – the US abruptly withdrew all charges. Those cleared included Manousos Bailakis and Ioannis Gelasakis, accused of bribing a NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) official, as well as Scott Everett Willason alleged to have paid bribes, and Ismaïl Terlemez, accused of accepting them in order to steer NATO procurement decisions in favour of Willason’s client portfolio.
Suggesting internal whistleblowers are facing typical abuse and negative consequences as a result of raising concerns about internal corruption, they added:
The fallout did not stop with the suspects. Inside the alliance, senior officials began raising alarms of their own. The NSPA’s Director of Human Resources and its Chief Audit Executive and Head of Investigations flagged internal corruption and wrongdoing within NATO’s structures. Their interventions came at a cost: both saw their positions either suspended or left unrenewed.
Whilst the US step away, the rest of us must step up
The US and its “diplomatic might” sit under the control of a shameless, unrestrained leader who has made clear he will pursue financial gain at any cost. However, the ATCT point out that the US shows precious little concern for corruption. Instead, Trump seems happy for it to continue, leaving smaller countries in the alliance with the huge responsibility of exposing such a sinister web of corruption.
They added:
With Washington stepping away from the case, responsibility for its resolution now rests with Dutch, Belgian and Romanian authorities, who continue to handle the remaining proceedings. Questions remain about accountability at the highest levels of the alliance.
Since the deliverables under these contracts lead to the mutilation, trauma, and deaths of innocent civilians, conducting this investigation is essential in the interest of humanity.
Arms trade corruption investigator Andrew Feinstein spoke to the Canary about the clear corruption within the report from ATCT, stating emphatically:
Elbit is one of the deadliest company’s on the planet. It is central to Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
Israel is both a materially & morally corrupt country.
This is seen most explicitly in its defence sector of which Elbit is a leading part. The company is the corrupt fulcrum at the heart of this murderous country.
Powerful elite might delay justice, but they cannot prevent it indefinitely
We have to face it: the US has abandoned justice and fully descended into a dog-eat-dog mentality where the richest and strongest are always right. Even though they’re so evidently and deplorably wrong.
These findings support yet another call for the UK to disentangle itself from US-led foreign policy rather than risk being dragged into its consequences. The powerful may delay justice, but they cannot prevent it indefinitely. After all, history books will not look kindly on those who permit corruption. Particularly when its consequences include civilian deaths in Gaza and throughout the Global South and Middle East.
We must demand that our government suspend all contracts with Elbit Systems now. Citizens must insist on a thorough and independent investigation into the relationship between Elbit and government officials. There are already serious concerns already raised about transparency and political conduct under the government of Keir Starmer, specifically in relation to Israel.
Therefore, there is ample reason to insist on scrutiny here at home as well.
You can read the Corruption Tracker’s full investigation and findings here.
Featured image via Twitter
Donald Trump has attacked Keir Starmer’s Chagos deal once again, describing it as a “big mistake” and a “blight” on the UK.
The UK government announced last year that it was going to pay Mauritius £9 billion over the next 99 years so the UK-US military base at Diego Garcia will continue to operate as it does at the moment.
The US president initially seemed in favour of the deal but, at the height of his row with Europe over the sovereignty of Greenland in January, he changed his mind.
He accused Britain of giving away the “vital US military base” for “NO REASON WHATSOEVER”.
He then backtracked just two weeks ago, after a phone call with the prime minister, describing it as the best deal Starmer “could make”, though he warned that the US retains “the right to militarily secure and reinforce the American presence in Diego Garcia”.
The US did give its official backing to the UK’s plan to cede sovereignty of the territory only on Tuesday.
However, Trump has just changed his mind again, writing on TruthSocial that he has told Starmer “leases are no good when it comes to countries”.
He claimed to have warned the PM that “he is making a big mistake by entering a 100 year lease”.
He added: “Prime minister Starmer is losing control of this important Island by claims of entities never known of before. In our opinion, they are fictitious in nature.”
Trump suggested the US might need the archipelago if Iran does not agree to a new nuclear deal.
The president concluded: “We will always be ready, willing, and able to fight for the UK, but they have to remain strong in the face of Wokeism.”
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “The deal to secure the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia military is crucial to the security of the UK and our key allies, and to keeping the British people safe.
“The agreement we have reached is the only way to guarantee the long-term future of this vital military base.”
Talks between the US and Mauritius are scheduled for next week.
Read Trump’s full message below:
I have been telling Prime Minister Keir Starmer, of the United Kingdom, that Leases are no good when it comes to Countries, and that he is making a big mistake by entering a 100 Year Lease with whoever it is that is “claiming” Right, Title, and Interest to Diego Garcia, strategically located in the Indian Ocean. Our relationship with the United Kingdom is a strong and powerful one, and it has been for many years, but Prime Minister Starmer is losing control of this important Island by claims of entities never known of before. In our opinion, they are fictitious in nature. Should Iran decide not to make a Deal, it may be necessary for the United States to use Diego Garcia, and the Airfield located in Fairford, in order to eradicate a potential attack by a highly unstable and dangerous Regime — An attack that would potentially be made on the United Kingdom, as well as other friendly Countries. Prime Minister Starmer should not lose control, for any reason, of Diego Garcia, by entering a tenuous, at best, 100 Year Lease. This land should not be taken away from the U.K. and, if it is allowed to be, it will be a blight on our Great Ally. We will always be ready, willing, and able to fight for the U.K., but they have to remain strong in the face of Wokeism, and other problems put before them. DO NOT GIVE AWAY DIEGO GARCIA!
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said: “The post should be taken as the policy of the Trump administration, it’s coming straight from the horse’s mouth.
“When you see it on Truth Social you know it’s directly from President Trump, that’s the beauty of this president in his transparency and relaying this administration’s policies.”
Tory shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel said these remarks will be an “utter humiliation” for Starmer.
She said: “It’s time Starmer finally saw sense, U-turned and scrapped this appalling deal altogether.”
Lib Dem leader Ed Davey wrote on X: “Trump’s endless flip-flopping on the Chagos Islands shows why Starmer’s approach is doomed to fail.
“Britain can’t rely on the US while Trump is in the White House. It’s time to strengthen our ties with allies we can depend on, starting with our neighbours in Europe.”
Reform’s Nigel Farage also said: “Thank goodness Trump has vetoed the surrender of the Chagos islands.”
Four people who live on the Chagos island also set up camp on the archipelago’s remote atoll this week to protest the deal.
They refused to leave, despite facing eviction threats from the UK maritime patrol.
5 min read
The head of the union representing students has told PoliticsHome that she believes the government could U-turn on its decision to freeze the threshold at which graduates start to pay back their student loans amid outrage over the step.
The president of the National Union of Students UK (NUS), Amira Campbell, said it would be “very difficult” for the Labour government to “ignore” the growing debate as it risks joining the list of “many things that really put their re-election at risk”.
The current student loan system was created under the Conservative government. The issue has exploded into life in recent weeks, however, after Chancellor Rachel Reeves insisted that her decision at the November Budget to freeze the threshold at which ‘Plan Two’ graduates start to pay back their loans was “fair and reasonable”.
Martin Lewis, the TV personal finance expert, said it was “not a moral thing” to do because it was essentially treating debt like tax, urging the government to “please have a rethink”.
Meanwhile, people in the Plan 2 cohort have posted online about how they owe more money now than they did when they graduated, fuelling cross-party calls for a fairer system.
Under the Plan Two agreement, graduates are charged interest on loan repayments equal to Retail Prices Index (RPI) plus up to three percentage points. However, monthly repayments often do not meet interest, leaving many graduates with debt larger than what they originally borrowed, years after leaving university.
PoliticsHome reported last week that Reform UK, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats were all looking at how the system can be changed as part of their policy work, while Labour MPs have had discussions with sympathetic ministers about what can be done to address the perceived unfairness.
Justine Greening, the former Tory education secretary, said Kemi Badenoch’s party should “lead” on the issue of student loans to help rebuild support with young people.
In an interview with PoliticsHome, Campbell said she is confident that “with the right amount of pressure, on a very small basis, we can see a U-turn on this freezing of the threshold specifically”.
“It just took enough people saying the same thing at the same time for it to suddenly build up legs,” she said.
“Everything aligned at the right moment. But also, that’s reflective of the fact that we’ve hit this point in time where the people who were the first generation of Plan Two loans… they’re now all 10 years into their careers, facing the worst moment of this loan.”
“There’s a clear political will and reasoning to do it.”
Notably, the 2024 general election saw a significant number of MPs on Plan 2 deals elected to Parliament, which is seen as having helped the issue gain traction in Westminster.
“I recognise that there are backbench MPs who are affected by this, and that’s helping,” she said. “That’s helping with pushing the fight. But broadly, the thing that’s going to take this over will be the wider political pressure that the Labour government are being put under.”
According to the NUS president, the student loans debate is part of a wider sense of intergenerational unfairness that is increasingly important to British politics. She said the country is “going to end up with generations of families where both their parents and the kids are paying off loans whilst the parent is still supporting their kid at university”.
“We’re trapping ourselves into a really bad cycle where essentially no one ever pays off their university loans.”
While much of the recent debate over student loans has focused on the changes around Plan Two, Campbell is also concerned about the long-term ramifications of the Plan Five loan, first introduced in England in 2023.
The Plan Five loan differs from its predecessor, Plan Two, in that it has a generally lower interest rate, but a longer repayment period of 40 years before the debt is wiped out.
“We’re basically talking about people who are close to retirement, still paying off their student loan,” she told PoliticsHome.
The NUS took its campaign to Westminster last week, gathering outside Parliament dressed in shark costumes and in Reeves face mask. Campbell said there was “a very serious message behind all of that”: “We’re seeing food bank usage for students double, we’re seeing parents from poorer backgrounds really struggle to support their child through education.”
A government spokesperson told PoliticsHome: “We inherited the student loans system, including Plan Two, which was devised by the previous government.
“Threshold freezes have been introduced to protect taxpayers and students now, alongside future generations of learners and workers. The student finance system protects lower-earning graduates, with repayments determined by incomes and outstanding loans and interest being cancelled at the end of repayment terms.”
They added that the Labour government had reintroduced targeted maintenance grants to support its target of two-thirds of young people taking a gold standard apprenticeship, higher training or heading to university by the age of 25.
The spokesperson continued: “This is all alongside our ongoing support for working people starting off in life, as we build 1.5m new homes, expanding government-funded childcare, introducing free breakfast clubs and freezing rail fares.”
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A new wellness trend has hit social media – and while it’s usually tempting to approach these trends with a healthy dose of skepticism, this one might actually be worth trying.
It’s called ‘dark showering’ and it’s exactly what it sounds like: showering in the dark, not long before you wind down for the night. A cosy nighttime routine that puts you into a restful mindset and could, in theory, help you get a good night’s sleep.
It doesn’t have to be pitch black, and dimming the lights could be enough (or even just leaving your hallway light on and the bathroom door ajar), but it does appear to feel good for some people.
As @Emgilly on TikTok said: “One way I reset my nervous system as a [Stay At Home Mom] is by taking a shower in the dark. Try it, it works.”
Why might showering in the dark work?
First things first, we know that dimming the lights can help us tell our bodies it’s time to sleep.
Writing for The Conversation, Timothy Hearn, a lecturer in Bioinformatics, said: “Bright light in the evening signals to the brain’s internal body clock that it is still daytime. This delays the release of melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate sleep and is often described as the body’s ‘darkness signal’.
“In a laboratory study of 116 adults, typical room lighting between dusk and bedtime reduced early night melatonin levels by about 70% compared with very dim light. Exposure to room light before bed also shortened the total duration of melatonin release by about 90 minutes. Participants reported feeling more alert.”
Then there’s the warm water element. Just like parents use bathtime as a sleep cue for their kids, having a warm shower can work in a similar way. But why does it work?
The Sleep Foundation explains: “Body temperature plays an important role in the sleep-wake cycle, and human bodies naturally experience a decrease in core body temperature before nightly sleep.
“Scientists have found that by impacting this natural temperature regulation process, showers and baths can affect sleep.”
It’s been dubbed the “warm bath effect” – and one analysis found taking a shower or bath in water that’s around 40-degrees Celsius can improve sleep quality.
HuffPost UK spoke exclusively to Archie MacDonald, director of Highland Soap Co., who also believes scent plays a “huge role” in how we experience relaxation.
“When you shower in low light, fragrance becomes more noticeable because your senses aren’t competing with visual stimulation,” he said.
“Certain essential oils, like lavender and patchouli, are known to help calm the nervous system and reduce feelings of stress, which is why scent-led rituals can have such a powerful effect on mood and wellbeing.
“A dark shower allows that sensory experience to come to the foreground, turning an everyday routine into something more restorative.”
For the best results, sleep physician Dr David Rosen recommends having a warm shower at least one hour before bed.
Why are dark showers so popular suddenly?
MacDonald suggested the trend is gaining popularity because people are increasingly aware of how overstimulation, screens and busy schedules affect them, and they’re looking for simple ways to unwind that fit into daily life.
“Dark showering doesn’t require extra time or space, but it creates a clear shift from day to night through scent and atmosphere,” he added.
“That focus on small, intentional rituals reflects a wider move towards protecting wellbeing in achievable, sustainable ways.”
It’s got to be worth a try, right?
Former PM, genocide supporter and on-the-loose war criminal Tony Blair has said another ridiculous thing — it must be a day ending in a ‘Y’. The hyper-wealthy friend of a cast of dictators, maniacs and war criminals to rival the steering committee of SPECTRE reckons his favourite film is Schindler’s List.
The 1993 film centres on the Nazi Holocaust and contains powerful lessons from history…
Not a single fucking one of which Big Tony has grasped in any way whatsoever given he has signed up to the ethnic cleansing of Gaza. Blair was one of the first names on the list for Donald Trump’s Board of Peace initiative.
Blair said the film’s greatest lesson for him was
You cannot be a bystander.
To which we must say ‘Jesus, Mary and Joseph, what on earth are you talking about, you rictus-grinned narcissist prat?’
He added that not being a bystander:
can lead you to right judgments and wrong judgments but it is not just your job to look after your country… you owe some responsibility to the bigger world.
Hmm…
Tony Blair — like a bad smell
To be fair Blair has never been a bystander when it comes to war, invasion and empire. He’s usually been an enthusiastic participant. The interview was part of an interview series which nobody wanted or needed, but Channel 4, in their infinite middle class wisdom, decide to make anyway… head-in-hands…
The general public are less inclined to see Blair on TV:
Imagine watching Schindler’s List and your takeaway is that you should participate in the next genocide you see pic.twitter.com/TR3eYFw3xN
— Council Estate Media (@cem_uk_) February 17, 2026
One Blair fan described the ex-PM as:
an absolute utter fucking piece of Shit.
Say what you feel, mate.
Tony Blair is an absolute utter fucking piece of Shit.
He was happy to see hundreds of thousands of people die for a lie in Iraq and he was happy to see people murdered in Gaza. And yet he’s sitting here talking about Schindler’s list never again it meant to be never again for… https://t.co/SbsOdGuJzi
— Hussain “Hoz” Shafiei (@HussainShafiei) February 17, 2026
Another discouraged us from watching the series with reference to Blair’s famously terrifying Christmas card:
You don’t need to watch The Tony Blair Story. You just need to google “Narcissistic Sociopath” who poses for a Christmas card like it’s a fight outside a Wetherspoons at 2am and leave it at that.#LeaveItTony pic.twitter.com/kuKiTNYtBs
— Niecy O’Keeffe (@NiecyOKeeffe) February 17, 2026
Someone else said that given Blairite ghoul John Rentoul has endorsed the film it was probably about as veracious as Flat Earth Theory:
if John “Blairite truths are eternal” Rentoul has seen your Tony Blair documentary and liked it, it may be something of a whitewash pic.twitter.com/oJUMsJeFg9
— Jack FR (@FrayneJack34043) February 16, 2026
Another was buzzing for Series Two which will presumably see Blair in a war crimes court. We hope and pray:
I’m looking forward to Series 2 of The Tony Blair Story.
The one where he and Alastair Campbell are tried in The Hague for war crimes, and the Dr Kelly ‘suicide’ files they had put away for 70 years, to be released many years after their deaths, are released to the public. pic.twitter.com/9dHcToibmD
— MacPhisto (@BulletBlueSky2) February 18, 2026
In fact — big shocker — the war crimes thing was something of a theme:
Tonight 9pm The Tony Blair Story.
The only Tony Blair Story I want to see is when he’s sharing a cell with Radovan Karadzic.— Ragged Trousered Philanthropist (@alfienoakes63) February 18, 2026
Another X user made the connection with, ahem, current events in the Massive Nonce… sorry… Labour Party:
It’s an Epstein Files who’s who in The Tony Blair Story on Channel 4 tonight 🫣😳
— Neil Robins (@neilarobins) February 17, 2026
There may come a day when the British press stop giving Blair, a figure whose legacy in Iraq alone is unutterably toxic, a platform whenever he fancies it. But it isn’t just a matter of his wars in the early 2000s. Despite being a figure of contempt across the political spectrum, Blair STILL insists on having an active role in world politics. Usually this is by standing shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the most grotesque people on earth.
If there was any semblance of accountability, the man would at the very least be an international pariah. And at best, he’d be held accountable for what he’s done.
Featured image via Twitter
More than 25,000 people have now signed a petition calling on NatureScot to stop licensing the controversial guga hunt. And pressure continues to mount on Scotland’s nature agency.
The guga hunt – killing young gannets
Each autumn, a group of men from the Isle of Lewis travel to the remote uninhabited island of Sula Sgeir to capture and kill flightless gannet chicks (“guga”) for food. The hunters use poles to dislodge the young birds from the cliffs and then batter them to death.
The activity is part of a historical tradition and takes place under authorisation from public body NatureScot. The agency decides whether to grant a licence each year there’s an application, subject to conservation tests.
Protect the Wild created the petition. It argues that NatureScot is failing to meet evidential thresholds when issuing these licences and should not continue authorising the guga hunt.
Mounting public pressure recently prompted NatureScot to issue a public statement. It acknowledged the “strong feelings” about the guga hunt and confirmed that its board is considering people’s concerns.
In its statement, NatureScot said:
We understand there are strong feelings about the guga hunt, and that some people will disagree with it taking place. The hunt is recognised in law under the Wildlife and Countryside Act…Our role is to make licensing decisions based on the most recent scientific evidence.
NatureScot confirmed that in 2025 it reduced the permitted take from 2,000 birds to 500 following survey data collected after avian flu outbreaks. And it said that it granted a licence on the condition that the hunters killed the birds “humanely”.
Insufficient monitoring
But Protect the Wild says the Sula Sgeir gannet colony remains in decline and that allowing even a reduced guga hunt risks further damage. It also questions how NatureScot can guarantee the killing is humane when it does not directly monitor the process.
Devon Docherty, Scottish Campaigns Manager at Protect the Wild said:
Sula Sgeir is now the only Special Protection Area for gannets in Scotland that has fallen below its official citation level.
NatureScot continues to grant licences knowing the gannet colony is vulnerable, the hunt harms other breeding seabirds, and that they cannot verify whether the chicks are killed humanely – they simply take the hunters’ word for it.
With tens of thousands of people now calling for it to stop, the continued licensing of the guga hunt is becoming increasingly difficult for NatureScot to justify.
NatureScot has stated that if a new licence application is received for 2026, it will be brought before its Board for decision.
Protect the Wild says it will continue urging NatureScot to reject future licence applications. And it’s calling on the Scottish government to remove the legal exemption that allows the guga hunt to take place.
Featured image via John Ranson / the Canary
Two years after a war that left widespread destruction across the Gaza Strip, Ramadan returns amid an extremely complex humanitarian crisis. Feelings of joy at the arrival of the holy month are mixed with grief, displacement and the collapse of basic services.
The population welcomes Ramadan burdened by loss. Longstanding traditions have been replaced by tents and queues for aid.
Ramadan in Gaza — a pressing humanitarian situation
More than two million Palestinians are living in severe hardship. There are acute shortages of food and drinking water, and purchasing power has fallen to unprecedented levels amid widespread unemployment. A large segment of the population now relies on soup kitchens and relief aid to meet daily needs. Even then, supplies cover only a fraction of demand.
The health sector faces serious challenges. There are ongoing shortages of medicines, medical supplies and laboratory materials. These gaps threaten to increase health risks during the holy month, particularly for chronically ill patients, children and the elderly.
Medical authorities warn of the consequences of continued restrictions on humanitarian supplies. Ramadan is traditionally a season of solidarity and support, yet conditions remain dire.
Modest meals and absent rituals
Each evening, families gather for modest iftar meals. These are often limited to bread, vegetables and whatever relief supplies are available. Before the war, the holy month was marked by large family feasts. Extended families rarely gather now. Many have been scattered by displacement and the loss of their homes.
Street decorations and festive lanterns have largely disappeared. Children no longer roam markets buying Ramadan lights. Instead, small temporary lamps replace traditional decorations.
Some families craft handmade ornaments inside their tents. It is a small attempt to preserve the spirit of the month despite harsh conditions.
Mosques between destruction and temporary alternatives
Many mosques were damaged during the war. Some remain completely out of service, depriving residents of a central part of Ramadan.
In response, residents have set up temporary prayer spaces inside tents or damaged schools. Prayers are performed with whatever resources are available. Despite ongoing security concerns and tensions, many remain determined to perform Taraweeh prayers. For some, these rituals provide rare moments of peace amid instability.
Childhood in Gaza looks different this year. Children who have lost homes or family members play between rows of tents. They carry simple lanterns made from available materials.
They try to recreate the joy they associate with Ramadan, even while surrounded by rubble.
Parents strive to create moments of warmth within the family. They prepare simple meals together or organise small group prayers to maintain social bonds.
Between the ‘yellow line’ and the expanding buffer zone
Ramadan’s arrival coincides with ongoing changes on the ground. These shifts have altered Gaza’s demographic map.
A 9 February report by the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Observatory described what it called a “silent and slow genocide.” It said this goes beyond bombardment to include structural changes. According to the report, the buffer zone is expanding along the so-called “yellow line,” dividing the Strip into two areas. Israel controls land to the east, which the report says represents more than half of Gaza’s territory.
The line, previously expected to remain fixed, has reportedly advanced around 1.5 kilometres into residential areas. Additional neighbourhoods have been annexed, forcing more families to flee.
Ramadan in Gaza, between loss and resilience
Ramadan in Gaza this year is not only a month of worship. It is also a test of resilience.
Homes have been destroyed, families dispersed and daily life remains under pressure. The holy month feels very different from before the war. Yet residents continue to observe Ramadan as best they can. They stress that its spirit lies in patience and solidarity rather than outward celebration.
Between forced hunger and religious fasting, Gazans are redefining Ramadan. Even amid devastation, many see it as a space for hope and quiet endurance.
Featured image via Aljazeera
7 min read
As the Prime Minister prepares to appoint Antonia Romeo as Cabinet Secretary, Ben Gartside looks at the fierce battles to block her appointment
In Downing Street, a coronation as new Cabinet Secretary is anticipated for Antonia Romeo. So impressed is the Prime Minister that an expedited process is being sought so the Home Office permanent secretary can be appointed at speed.
Romeo would become the first ever woman to hold the position of Cabinet Secretary, though a whisper campaign against her has already formed.
Last week, Lord McDonald launched an unprecedented attack via Channel 4, inviting Downing Street to go looking for bodies in Romeo’s resume.
In his televised interview, the former Head of Diplomatic Service said: “Due diligence is vitally important, the Prime Minister has recent bitter experience of doing the due diligence too late. It would be an unnecessary tragedy to repeat that mistake… if [Romeo] is the one, in my view, the due diligence has some way still to go.”
That intervention meant that previous allegations of bullying and questions about her use of expenses in 2017 resurfaced – despite the fact they were investigated at the time and Romeo cleared.
The interview also brought into the light an animus that has been an open secret in Whitehall for years. It began, it seems, around the time McDonald was appointed Permanent Under Secretary of the Foreign Office in 2015. In his memoir, Leadership, McDonald describes a “senior colleague” as “stylish, energetic, warm, a bit iconoclastic and a bit marmite”, though he adds “preternaturally sensitive to” feedback.
The ”senior colleague” is widely assumed to be Romeo, who was special envoy to US tech firms at the time and was the subject of an investigation into bullying and expenses during his time at the helm.
While he managed the investigation, the ultimate arbiter was Jeremy Heywood. In his memoir, McDonald described his conclusions as “comprehensive and damning” and said her impending promotion to permanent secretary should have been paused or cancelled altogether. However, Heywood intervened to protect his mentee, Romeo, and the promotion still went ahead.
In another section, McDonald recounted blocking the “senior colleague” from what appears to be the US ambassador’s job in 2019.
“The senior ranks of the civil service are chock-a-block with people who didn’t do anything for very long – they agitate to move on and up quickly. Apparent success must be banked professionally before its shortcomings come to light.”
McDonald was on scathing form, describing how Romeo had cashed in on her success managing reforms around probation, before the changes were revealed to be an unmitigated disaster.
He said: “The most senior civil servants had moved on, promoted on the back of a single ‘success’… none of whom has ever suffered professionally for the flawed advice on which the Lord Chancellor based his decisions… The self-promoters not only relentlessly push their own claim, but they deter others from having a go.”
Friends of Romeo label much of the chatter around her sexist – no other senior civil servant has faced as much judgement outside the realms of performance and delivery, or as much focus on their character.
One top civil servant, an ally of Romeo, described McDonald’s behaviour as outrageous.
“At all levels of the civil service, there is a feeling of sheer outrage that a retired civil servant could launch an attack on an existing one, knowing she can’t defend herself against it. It is a drive-by on her, and deeply damaging to the institution.”
She confounds the old nostrums of the civil service
Dave Penman, general secretary of the FDA union, tells The House: “She’s an ambitious woman who doesn’t mind a bit of publicity. A lot of underlying rumours around her are an example of sexist, misogynistic culture. Lord McDonald’s talk around vetting is nonsense. She’s been vetted within an inch of her life already; she can see documents that cabinet ministers don’t have access to.
“She’s quite a dynamic, people-focused leader. I was quite impressed with that, and I’m of the view that senior leadership in the civil service should have more of a profile. She’s much more in the leadership role than the courtier role, and that’s what the civil service needs right now.”
That being said, concerns around bullying behaviour still require probing. One civil servant who worked under Romeo says she responded poorly to bullying allegations levelled at former cabinet minister Dominic Raab, and had ignored a slew of staff leaving his private office.
Penman disagrees: he sees Romeo as the only permanent secretary to have been shown by the investigation to have confronted Raab on his behaviour.
Others are more robust – albeit from behind the cloak of anonymity. A minister was quoted in The Sun as saying McDonald was part of a “posse of old baldies throwing dirt on a brilliant woman for having a bit of chutzpah”.
Sir Matthew Rycroft, a former colleague, and Rupert McNeil, the former head of government HR, are among those who have defended Romeo on the record.
Allies bill Romeo as a reformer, eager to enact change within Whitehall at the best of the government. In her office, a poster reading “Keep Calm and Carry On Transforming” sat above her desk, unwilling to accept stasis within the government.
Through this reputation, Romeo has built an unlikely list of allies: She was Liz Truss’ first choice for permanent secretary of the Treasury, before ultimately renegeging and preferring a Treasury insider. Now, numerous Labour advisors are admirers, with Shabana Mahmood’s success at the Home Office being ably supported by Romeo.
Robert Buckland, who worked with her during her time at the Department for Justice, offers a glowing endorsement.
“I think she is an extremely impressive person. She’s not a conventional backroom figure; she’s not scared of publicly projecting herself, but that shouldn’t be a block on her becoming first female cabinet secretary.
“She confounds some of the old nostrums of the civil service. Seen not heard, be aware of the hierarchy. As a politician, I didn’t have time for that. Running a department during Covid, I needed flat structures and quick decisions.
“She doesn’t play the old civil service game, hiding behind hierarchies and using delay as a tactic.”
Alex Chalk, a former justice minister, describes Romeo in similarly favourable terms to The House magazine: “She is whip-smart, highly intelligent and knows Whitehall inside out. She also has good judgement, meaning she gives candid and practical advice about how best to deliver on ministerial priorities. Crucially, her instinct is to develop solutions, not simply point to problems. She is the reboot the civil service urgently needs.”
Former secretary of state Brandon Lewis echoes this, crediting Romeo for bringing an end to the bar strike and relieving pressure on prison spaces. “[Romeo] is focused, engaging and always has a smile to share, great to work with and a real leader of her team,” he says.
However, one policy wonk points back to her time in probation at justice as an example of the double-edged sword of being popular with officials.
“In 2014, the probation reforms were rushed on the behest of Chris Grayling, as he wanted to be appointed home secretary after the election. The data wasn’t ready, contractors were excluded from bidding in order to meet political goals. If Romeo hadn’t been so popular with politicians, perhaps the reforms would have been more successful.”
A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: “Antonia Romeo is an outstanding leader with 25 years of public service. She has been appointed to three different Permanent Secretary roles and has led hundreds of thousands of public servants to deliver for governments of all stripes.
“As we have repeatedly said, one formal complaint was raised 9 years ago, which was thoroughly investigated. The allegations were dismissed on the basis that there was no case to answer.
“It is entirely inappropriate to resurface dismissed HR proceedings almost a decade later.”
Lord McDonald declined to comment on the book excerpts.
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