UK PM Keir Starmer unilaterally decided to drag the UK into another illegal Middle East war late on 1 March 2026. Just hours after Starmer’s announcement an Iranian Shahed drone hit the UK’s colonial military base in Cyprus.

The US and Israel began an unprovoked attack on Iran on 28 February. This was despite unprecedented progress in negotiations with Iran. They’ve since assassinated Iranian leadership figures including Ayatollah Khameini.

The Red Crescent puts the death toll in Iran at 555. The Israelis also killed 165 with a missile strike on a school. Iran has hit back at Israel and US military infrastructure throughout the Gulf.

The drone reportedly hit the runway in Cyprus:

I understand that damage was minimal and the runway is operating as usual

— Deborah Haynes (@haynesdeborah) March 2, 2026

Military families were initially locked down after the strike. They’ve now been moved off base into alternative accommodation.

Breaking: Family members of service personnel at RAF Akrotiri are being moved from the base to alternative accommodation on the island

— Larisa Brown (@larisamlbrown) March 2, 2026

There were no casualties:

🔴 Suspected drone strike hits RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus

The British Ministry of Defense confirmed a suspected drone strike on RAF Akrotiri, a UK sovereign base in Cyprus, around midnight Monday, March 2.

🔸 No injuries reported.
🔸 “Minor damage” after a reported small drone… https://t.co/5ETB494NZs

— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) March 2, 2026

British Forces Cyprus posted on X:

pic.twitter.com/YXyZNsyRiW

— BFCyprus (@bfcyprus) March 2, 2026

Keir Starmer’s 1 February update preceded the strikes by hours. The PM’s statement was contradictory. He repeatedly emphasised the UK’s ‘defensive’ role, but also said UK bases would be used by the US to attack Iran:

My update on the situation in the Middle East. pic.twitter.com/DvsOVcTDMy

— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) March 1, 2026

Hours before the speech on 1 February the UK military bragged that it had shot down a drone heading for Qatar:

The professionalism of our RAF is remarkable….good work…keep it going. pic.twitter.com/fuYlp3lAa7

— Al Carns (@AlistairCarns) March 1, 2026

The US military will use the Indian Ocean base at Diego Garcia and the UK’s RAF Fairford:

It took just one phone call from Donald Trump for Starmer to jump into yet another Middle East illegal war, failing to learn the lessons of the tragedies of Iraq, Libya and Syria. https://t.co/IhCUF9XJ3m

— Zack Polanski (@ZackPolanski) March 1, 2026

Fairford is one of many bases in the UK which serve as effective US military colonies in the UK:

Keir Starmer says he has accepted Trump’s request to use British bases for bombing Iran

These are the US bases in Britain with troop levels

“RAF” Fairford in Gloucestershire is most likely base to be used by Trump for the continuing attack on Iran https://t.co/oFoSZdRlVx pic.twitter.com/EqH7PKYvlw

— Matt Kennard (@kennardmatt) March 1, 2026

The US also has military personnel at Akrotiri, which has been used a base for the UK’s shadowy intelligence gathering operations on behalf of Israel:

The US Air Force also has a secret detachment of 129 personnel based at RAF Akrotiri on Cyprus pic.twitter.com/qUecPVXNhX

— Matt Kennard (@kennardmatt) March 1, 2026

Starmer is backing Trump’s war

US President Donald Trump has said he wants a form of regime change. Former UK Joint Intelligence Committee chair Lord Rickett’s was unequivocal on 28 February:

None of this.. is in any sense legal in a way that the UK would recognise. There was really no imminent threat to the US.. this is action that they chose to undertake or were dragged into it by the Israelis.

Lord Ricketts (a former chair of the UKs joint intelligence committee): “None of this.. is in any sense legal in a way that the UK would recognise. There was really no imminent threat to the US.. this is action that they chose to undertake or were dragged into it by the Israelis” pic.twitter.com/gMiB8P94l6

— Saul Staniforth (@SaulStaniforth) February 28, 2026

Trump told the US press on 2 March he would like to see a similar outcome to Venezuela. The US bombed Venezuela and kidnapped its president on 2 January:

While Trump has called for regime change in Iran, he makes clear in phone interview with @KannoYoungs that he is fine with remnants of the repressive regime remaining in power. “What we did in Venezuela, I think, is the perfect, the perfect scenario.” https://t.co/efhjP1eZ92

— Peter Baker (@peterbakernyt) March 2, 2026

Keir Starmer has now committed UK forces to this operation. Many people have pointed out on Twitter that Starmer, like Trump himself, claimed to be a peace candidate once upon a time.

A tweet from 2020 has been getting a lot of attention. Starmer clearly positioned himself as an anti-war candidate:

No more illegal wars. Introduce a Prevention of Military Intervention Act and put human rights at the heart of foreign policy. Review all UK arms sales and make us a force for international peace and justice.

No more illegal wars. Introduce a Prevention of Military Intervention Act and put human rights at the heart of foreign policy. Review all UK arms sales and make us a force for international peace and justice. pic.twitter.com/EJ4BKCZB2g

— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) February 12, 2020

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Like so many of Starmer’s pledges, this commitment fell away as soon as he was elected leader of the Labour Party. As PM Starmer has backed and defended Israel’s genocide in Gaza. He has also consistently toadied to Donald Trump.

Now he has committed the UK to a war in the Middle East. Starmer was already having a tough week domestically, losing a key by-election to the Green Party. He is profoundly unpopular, too weak to resist Trump’s overtures and under pressure from both the left and the far-right. UK involvement in yet another spiraling Middle East war might be the straw that breaks that camel’s back. And the first British casualty will confirm it.

Featured image via the Canary

A Premier League match between Leeds United and Manchester City at Elland Road sparked widespread controversy both in England and abroad. The game was briefly paused to allow fasting players to break their fast at sunset during Ramadan.

Ramadan pause

Around the 12th minute of the first half, the referee temporarily halted play, taking advantage of a natural break in the flow of the game. This allowed several Muslim players to go to the touchline to drink water and take a quick supplement to break their fast, in accordance with the league’s protocol during Ramadan.

According to ITV News, an explanatory message was displayed on the stadium’s giant screen informing fans that the pause was brief and specifically for the players to break their fast, a practice that has become common in recent years to ensure the players’ health and safety.

Despite the explanation, some Leeds fans in the stands booed, sparking a wave of controversy across media outlets and social media platforms. Sky Sports described the scene as “disappointing,” especially since the stoppage lasted only a minute.

GB News also reported that some fans justified their reaction by saying they hadn’t understood the reason for the pause. A likely story.

Officials speak out

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola expressed his displeasure with the fans’ reaction, pointing out that respecting religious beliefs is part of the values ​​of the modern game. He said:

This procedure has been in place for years, and the players just need a short moment. We have to respect everyone.

And, Kick It Out, an organisation dedicated to combating discrimination in English football, issued a statement expressing its disappointment at the booing:

It’s an important and visible part of making the game welcoming for Muslim players and communities. But as tonight’s reaction shows, football still has a long way to go in terms of education and acceptance.

Racism is rife in football

It’s worth noting that the English Premier League has allowed referees to temporarily halt play during Ramadan evening matches for several seasons now, a measure implemented in previous matches without significant controversy.

However, the Elland Road incident has reignited the debate surrounding the relationship between football and its fans, particularly in light of increasing diversity within the game, and the extent to which some stadiums accept religious and cultural pluralism in European stadiums.

While the match concluded as usual, the brief stoppage remained the most significant event, reaffirming that football is no longer just 90 minutes of competition, but also a space that reflects societal transformations and challenges.

Featured image via the Canary

Fascist Tommy Robinson appears to be unable to make his mind up. Does he want to free the Iranian people – or kill them?

In fact, he’s actually showing a certain kind of consistency. The kind shown by the deranged Zionists who will say absolutely anything that suits their purposes – but can’t help showing what they’re really about. As the Canary’s Instagram observed:

He has deleted this, but he did post it.@metpoliceuk – this is an illegal action and you need to respond.

This is not acceptable. pic.twitter.com/MePdLRvKwv

— John West 🕯💙🇺🇦 🗿🦋 (@JohnWest_JAWS) March 1, 2026

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Like any Zionist, Tommy Robinson only cares about Iranian ‘freedom’ if Iranians choose what Israel wants. If they choose resistance and actual freedom, he wants them dead and gone and is intensely relaxed about mass murder

Tommy Robinson has a warped sense of freedom

By supporting the UK’s entry into the illegal US-Israel war on Iran, Robinson is surely no less relaxed about the death of British military personnel it will cause:

Tommy Robinson supports Keir Starmer and his new war with Iran where British soldiers will die on behalf of the US and Israel. He is Israel first, Britain last.

— Lewis (@L_A_D_J) March 2, 2026

His claim of ‘indiscriminate’ is exactly as inverted as any other Zionist lie. While Iran’s missiles have hit military bases and military-linked targets, Israel is specifically targeting civilians. Just like it has in Gaza, where it has slaughtered thousands of health workers, first responders and journalists.

Like any non-Jewish Israel lackey, he’s perfectly happy to crawl up the back passage of even the worst Israel-supporters:

Even the dogs are celebrating the coming to the end of the Islamic regime in Iran @RepFine 🇮🇷
pic.twitter.com/BizjP6jpNi

— Tommy Robinson 🇬🇧 (@TRobinsonNewEra) March 1, 2026

And of course, ‘patriot’ little Tommy puts his nose firmly to a certain foreign, orange sphincter to attack ‘them Muslamics’. Y’know, because ‘freedom’:

Trump releases a new statement: …”The entire military command is gone..and many of them want to surrender into saving their lives….They want immunity…

The end is in sight.

Iran will be free 🇮🇷
pic.twitter.com/BsGVo54QKU

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— Tommy Robinson 🇬🇧 (@TRobinsonNewEra) March 1, 2026

Robinson’s stance, ironically, puts him in lockstep with “Zionist without qualification” Keir Starmer, as several pointed out while mocking the certainty that Robinson will be nowhere near the fighting when their mutual commitment to Israel starts getting British soldiers killed:

Hopefully Tommy Robinson, Kier Starmer, Rupert Lowe, Paul Golding, Nigel Farage and co. With their families and friends who support them will be at the front lines ready to give their life if shit hits the fan and Iran starts attacking the UK?

— S (@Sy2ru7) March 1, 2026

And of course, the challenged one did his ‘hasbara’ duty, sharing completely unconnected footage and claiming it showed Iranians celebrating the US and Israel’s illegal assassination of their leader. That was quickly exposed and got the ‘short shrift’ it deserved:

Zionist shill Tommy robinson always lie pic.twitter.com/OduGrcmhr7

— Ibrahim (@Ibraxx004) February 28, 2026

Facts pic.twitter.com/J8KCyg7psI

— Mad (@Madstar42) February 28, 2026

Just like his US counterparts, Israel-funded Robinson’s ‘patriotism’ is a micro-thin veneer to con gullible fellow racists. Under it lies the same craven, murderous Israel-first servility as Trump and all like him.

Featured image via the Canary

What is “reverse water walking”?

What are the benefits of “reverse water walking”?

How do I try “reverse water walking”?

Luke Graham was the Conservative Member of Parliament for Ochil and Perthshire South from 2017 to 2019, the candidate in Perth and Kinross-shire in 2024, and a former head of the Downing Street Union Unit.

While Iranian airstrikes and the latest developments in the Epstein files continue to dominate headlines, the result of the Gorton & Denton by-election deserves a second glance, looking beyond the Green’s headline victory.

This by election was not merely a local contest. It offered a snapshot of the unsettled and volatile condition of British politics in 2026 — and a warning about the direction of our modern election campaigns.

The Green Party’s victory was undeniably striking. Labour, despite clear voter frustration, still mobilised close to 10,000 votes. Reform UK, which had publicly signalled strong confidence of victory, secured just over 10,000 but fell short. The Conservatives and Lib Dems were never really contenders for this seat. Taken together, the numbers suggest three important conclusions.

First, Reform’s support, though real, may well have reached a ceiling. National polling continues to show Reform ahead, yet the party has now underperformed in successive by-elections and has fallen more than eight points from its November high-water mark. By-elections are imperfect barometers, but they do test GOTV ability and voter motivation. Reform’s difficulty in converting polling strength into parliamentary wins raises a serious question about whether it really can covert high polling percentages into a large swathe of seats in the House of Commons.

Second, Labour’s position is fragile but not collapsed. Even amid significant dissatisfaction with the government, Labour retains an organisational machine capable of turning out votes. That matters in marginal contests.

Third — and most troubling — the manner of this campaign may prove more consequential than the result itself.

The Gorton & Denton contest was bruising.

Personal accusations surfaced early. Nigel Farage publicly alleged links between the Conservative candidate and an LGBT charity in a manner that was, at best, misleading. The Reform candidate faced allegations of misconduct and locally Labour and the Greens went heavy on the doorsteps.

But it was the Green Party’s campaign tactics that marked a potentially more significant shift. A targeted Urdu-language video featuring images of Kier Starmer alongside Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was plainly designed to target a local Muslim community. The advert urged voters to “punish” Labour for its stance on Gaza, implicitly suggesting sectarian alignment. This was not accidental phrasing. It was calculated messaging.

There is nothing new with political parties tailoring communications to different communities. However, what makes this case distinct is the explicit framing of electoral choice along ethnic and religious lines, particularly in the context of an international conflict. This is not merely sharper campaigning; it is the normalisation of targeting voters along ethnic and religious grounds.

This kind of approach by the Greens would have been unthinkable under Caroline Lucas, who’s leadership of the Green Party focused on the climate, tackling inequality and pro-EU arguments. The tactics deployed in Gorton & Denton represent a departure from that tradition. They move the Green party into terrain historically occupied by more overtly nationalist movements — including elements of SNP and Plaid Cymru strategy — where identity becomes the organising principle of electoral competition.

This shift should concern us as Conservatives not simply because it benefits a rival party, but because of its broader implications for our democracy. Just as the 2014 Scottish and 2016 EU referenda became totemic political moments, reshaping party alignments and entrenching identities for years, religious campaigns risk creating similar hardened blocs within constituencies. Short-term gains can produce long-term fractures and build political tribalism.

Although the Greens are guilty in this instance, it’s important to remember that it was only a few months ago that Robert Jenrick turned up on a street in Birmingham, far from his constituency, to use local deprivation as a backdrop and evidence for divisive rhetoric. Ambitious politicians of all political stripes are not immune from the temptation of this kind of “emotion first” politics.

But this is what happens when a political system has been as battered as ours; selfish politicians have used national strife and instability as political opportunity, acting in recklessly unprepared way with poor results. When voters lose faith in large national projects — large scale infrastructure, productivity growth, defence renewal, or economic transformation — campaigns increasingly pivot toward emotional mobilisation. Outrage substitutes for vision.

This is the deeper lesson of Gorton & Denton. The volatility of Reform’s vote share, Labour’s fragility, and the Greens’ resort to identity-based messaging all point to a political environment hungry for conviction but starved of credible national direction.

For Conservatives, this presents both a danger and an opportunity.

The danger is obvious: fragmentation of the centre-right vote, further erosion of civic cohesion, and a political culture driven by grievance rather than aspiration. Reform’s rhetoric thrives where voters feel unheard. Identity politics flourish where national purpose is absent.

The opportunity lies in rebuilding something more durable.

Having been humbled in the 2024 General Election, our party has the rare political space to reconstruct its offer. The task is to articulate a compelling national project — one that addresses economic dynamism, defence resilience and social mobility without resorting to sectarian shortcuts.

As developments in the United States and elsewhere demonstrate, it is possible to win power and simultaneously deepen division. Britain, at a moment of international instability and economic uncertainty, cannot afford to further fracture our people or state.

Gorton & Denton was a by-election. Its parliamentary arithmetic is minor. Its cultural implications are not. If politics continues to descend into ever narrower identity politics and escalating grievance, the fragmentation of our party system will accelerate.

Any politician knows the importance of winning an election – if you don’t win, you’re not in. But in the rush for victory, all parties should consider the profound and lasting impact of their campaigns on our communities – we should not abandon the key tenants of our culture and democracy to win individual battles, but ultimately lose the war for the soul and cohesion of our country.

Green party leader Zack Polanski has said what millions of Britons will be thinking: Keir Starmer’s spinelessness is putting Britain in danger.

Polanski has called out Starmer’s “utter inability to stand up to Donald Trump” after Starmer gave permission for Trump to use UK air bases to attack Iran:

The events of the past 48 hours have laid bare Keir Starmer’s utter inability to stand up to Donald Trump – and this weakness could have serious consequences for the safety of British people.

— Zack Polanski (@ZackPolanski) March 2, 2026

Polanski says what we’re all thinking

So craven – and lacking more parts than just his spine – is Starmer that he even tried to claim he still hasn’t involved the UK in Trump’s completely illegal and unprovoked war. But Polanski wasn’t finished. He spoke up for the millions who don’t want another war, let alone for the UK to be involved in it. And he demanded Starmer respect the UK’s democracy, which the warmonger has ignored completely in his unilateral declaration:

Starmer must withdraw permission for the US to use UK bases to launch airstrikes on Iran and parliament must be given a vote on any UK involvement.

— Zack Polanski (@ZackPolanski) March 2, 2026

And, in a separate thread he pointed out how just a few years ago, the weasel Starmer was promising “No more illegal wars”:

The majority of people in this country do not want us to be involved in this war.

Keir Starmer of a few years ago wouldn’t have supported this war.

The only reason he does now is he will do anything Donald Trump wants – and it makes us all less safe. https://t.co/Frh9jOJf0t

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— Zack Polanski (@ZackPolanski) March 2, 2026

It seems British military veterans, perhaps the best-placed among us to understand what Starmer is allowing Trump to drag us into, agree – like any right-minded person:

As a veteran 💯👇👇👇 https://t.co/lx2ljdl9Iw

— Steve Masters (@AnothervoiceWB) March 2, 2026

Starmer’s spineless, ball-less Trump-licking saw immediate consequences, triggering an immediate – and perfectly legal under international law – Iranian attack on the RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus that the US would use against Iran.

Featured image via the Canary

Alamy

4 min read18 min

Strong political leadership and a sense of urgency are needed to reform the health service – on that, we can all agree. So, it has been disappointing to see those instincts lacking in the government’s approach to vaccinations, which are fundamental to protecting children from preventable diseases and hospitals from winter pressures.

In a recent evidence session, our committee examined why vaccination rates are so poor across all types and age groups. England’s immunisation coverage among over-65s has fallen every year since 2021/22, and is worse than in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Could this decline have something to do with the government’s hands-off approach to vaccination policy, you might wonder? Indeed, last year it seemed to abandon the World Health Organization’s (WHO) guidance that 95 per cent of children should receive their full schedule of jabs.

There are no clear targets, no milestones, no single person to hold to account, and the system doesn’t have a clear idea of what success would look like.

As we questioned witnesses from the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England, it became clear that while ostensibly there is a vaccination strategy, there are no clear targets, no milestones, no single person to hold to account, and the system doesn’t have a clear idea of what success would look like. The session left us unconvinced that there is a plan to get vaccine uptake back to where it should be.

Let’s not lose sight of why this matters. In 2024, the UK saw 11 deaths of children from whooping cough and another from measles. Last month, WHO revoked this country’s ‘measles elimination’ status. Children are dying or falling seriously ill due to preventable diseases. Failure to adequately prepare for winter by getting older or immunosuppressed people vaccinated has left hospitals and ambulance services exposed.

Fin McCaul of Community Pharmacy England described scenes of “chaos” due to poorly communicated changes to eligibility for Covid vaccines. And we heard that despite having an abundance of locations to get flu jabs, at pharmacies and GPs, booking systems allowed people who weren’t eligible to nab appointments that should have been available to others who were. Greg Fell of the Association of Public Health Directors told us misinformation and hesitancy are a problem, but nowhere near as important as access and effective comms. On childhood immunisations, he said it’s too easy for parents to miss a letter or “one of thousands of texts” from their school.

Our committee’s most recent report, The First 1,000 Days, concluded that a hollowing out of the health visitor workforce over 10 years has meant fewer contacts between parents and professionals who can provide advice and encouragement to get infants vaccinated.

One of our witnesses, who leads on immunisations on the Integrated Care Board for Leicestershire and Rutland, said the government should invest new, ring-fenced funding every year for five years. It was also conceded by the department that no cost-benefit analysis has been carried out into the long-term collateral damage that poor vaccine coverage has on the health system through increased demand. The evidence suggests that cuts have been a false economy.

Next month, our committee holds another one-off session where we’ll deep dive into the corridor-care phenomenon. Snarl-ups in emergency departments are thought to be directly linked to failures in preventative care and the role of vaccinations in helping the NHS prepare for winter. Quite simply, if the flu and Covid vaccination programmes flounder again next autumn, there is a high risk that we’ll see a rerun of the tragic scenes we have just witnessed.

If the government really wants to achieve the NHS’ strategic shift to preventative care, we are adamant that it must once again prioritise vaccinations. But we have further questions about the commitment to the shift to prevention, full stop. The 10-Year Health Plan was widely welcomed, as were the three shifts. As our committee does its work, we are setting down a marker that this lesser-loved but extremely cost-effective pillar must not be forgotten.