Politics
Labour said Scottish nuclear study could be a waste of money
The UK government has admitted that a study into the suitability of Scottish sites for new nuclear power projects could have been “a waste” of money. The government commissioned Great British Energy-Nuclear (GBE-N), a public body, to carry out the study.
The revelation came after Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) secretary of state Ed Miliband told Scottish journalists in October 2025 that:
given the growing interest in nuclear in Scotland, I’m asking GBE-N to assess Scotland’s capability for new nuclear power stations, including at Torness and Hunterston.
This is going to be a very, very big issue in the Scottish election campaign. We are saying yes to new nuclear in Scotland.
Labour hoping to end SNP ban on new nuclear in Scotland
Scotland is due to go to the polls to elect a new Scottish parliament and Scottish government in May 2026. Labour is hoping to wrest back control from the Scottish National Party (SNP).
In an article about the same interview published in October 2025, the Scotsman newspaper reported that a “senior UK government source” had said they were considering submitting planning applications for new nuclear developments at Torness and Hunterston because they expected a Scottish Labour victory at the Holyrood election.
The UK Labour Party and Scottish Labour support nuclear power and nuclear weapons. This position is coming under pressure as the Green Party of England and Wales, which vehemently opposes all nuclear, increasingly challenges Labour in public opinion polls.
Under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, the government released documents to the Canary about Miliband’s request to GBE-N. These included a Q&A document prepared by DESNZ officials. It revealed that officials knew there would be concerns about new nuclear proposals in Scotland.
No new nuclear can be built in Scotland because planning policy is a devolved matter, and the ruling SNP opposes nuclear power. The rebuttal in the DESNZ Q&A was that there is “cross-party interest in new nuclear” in Scotland.
Energy department officials contradict each other on responsibility for study
The documents released under FOI also revealed that a DESNZ official, whose name was redacted, had sought to reassure GBE-N colleagues that DESNZ was not “behind the briefing” in an email sent on 22 October 2025 at 4:02pm.
That position was contradicted by an email in a separate earlier conversation where, on 21 October 2025 at 6:46pm, John Staples, DESNZ director for new nuclear strategy and fusion energy, said:
our SpAds [special advisors] want SoS [secretary of state] to be able to say the below to Scottish journalists.
‘Below’ in the email were lines drafted for Miliband which included:
I will ask Great British Energy – Nuclear to begin assessing Scotland’s capability for new nuclear power stations.
The internally prepared Q&A included a question which asked:
Isn’t this study a waste of money?
The DESNZ answer said:
New nuclear projects can deliver millions of pounds of investment and thousands of high-quality jobs to a region – UK ministers want to understand the potential for new projects right across Great Britain.
The Canary approached the Labour Party for comment, which deferred to DESNZ. DESNZ did not respond to a request for comment.
‘Obvious’ that study would be ‘waste of money’ – Scottish CND
A Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) spokesperson told the Canary:
It is obvious that an assessment of the viability of new nuclear sites in Scotland would be a waste of money, since the foremost issue is not the viability of sites but Scottish government policy.
Energy policy is devolved to Holyrood and the Scottish government very sensibly opposes new nuclear plants in Scotland.
There are a whole host of reasons why new nuclear plants in Scotland would be a terrible idea, including the absolutely exorbitant cost of nuclear plant construction, the reliance on destructive and unjust international uranium supply chains, and the enormous and cross-generational burden of decommissioning nuclear plants, which in the case of Dounreay is expected to take hundreds of years.
In particular, the notion that Scotland, which is a net energy exporter and has the potential to become an international renewables powerhouse, should pivot to costly nuclear projects at this stage is somewhat absurd.
Investing the same sums invested in nuclear power plants – scores of billions and climbing for Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C – into the grid, home insulation and the renewables sector across Scotland would be an immeasurably better investment.
For Scottish CND, another concerning element of the renewed push for nuclear power is the deep imbrication [overlapping] of the ‘civil’ and military nuclear industries, as openly promoted in the 2025 Industrial Strategy.
From this perspective, investment in new nuclear power plants can be seen as defence spending by stealth and a means of shoring up the UK nuclear weapons industry – something which is of no benefit to Scotland and indeed causes major risks and harms in Scottish communities.
New nuclear would be incredibly expensive – Scottish government minister
Cross-party Scottish politicians elected to the Holyrood and Westminster parliaments criticised the commissioning of the study.
Scottish government energy secretary Gillian Martin MSP told the Canary:
The Scottish government does not support the creation of new nuclear reactors in Scotland.
New nuclear would be incredibly expensive and the levy placed on energy bills to pay for nuclear reactors will cost Scottish electricity bill payers £300m over the next decade.
Nuclear reactors also produce a legacy of dangerous radioactive waste. Instead, we are focused on supporting the development of Scotland’s immense renewable energy potential – which provides more jobs, is faster to deliver, is safer, and more cost effective than the creation of new nuclear reactors.
Significant growth in renewables is providing key opportunities for our future energy workforce in Scotland, with independent scenarios from Ernst and Young showing that with the right support, Scotland’s low carbon and renewable energy sector could support nearly 80,000 jobs by 2050.
SNP criticises ‘Westminster obsession with nuclear’
The SNP’s Westminster energy spokesperson Graham Leadbitter MP told the Canary:
People in Scotland are already paying a tax for new nuclear power stations in England they neither want nor need, driving up energy bills at a time households are already under serious financial pressures.
Scotland is blessed with an abundance of clean, renewable energy already, enough to power our nation many times over.
So this Westminster obsession with nuclear isn’t based on need, or even any desire from people living here who would rather not pay hand over fist for expensive and unnecessary nuclear power.
Instead what they should be focusing on is delivering on their promise to cut energy bills by £300 which have instead, under Labour’s rule, risen significantly higher.
People in Scotland are tired of these out-of-touch diktats from Westminster politicians about what should be built here, all while ignoring the genuine concerns of the people who live and work here.
It’s no wonder more and more people are concluding that decisions about Scotland should be made in Scotland with the full powers of independence.
‘New nuclear would waste time, money and political attention’ – Scottish Greens
Scottish Greens net zero spokesperson Patrick Harvie MSP told the Canary:
There is a clear majority against new nuclear power programmes in Scotland.
New nuclear would waste time, money and political attention which should be spent on the real challenges we face on climate and energy policy.
Scotland has made impressive progress in building an energy system based on renewables, which are cheaper, faster to deliver and far safer for people and the environment. There’s still plenty of potential for renewables to keep growing.
The UK government shouldn’t be wasting money trying to push nuclear projects on Scotland, against the wishes of Scotland’s parliament.
If they care about cutting emissions and cutting fuel poverty, they’d be changing electricity price regulation to pass on the low cost of renewable generation to billpayers, which would cut the cost of living and create a powerful incentive to switch away from fossil fuels for heat and transport.
If the UK government won’t do that, it should give Scotland the power to do so for ourselves.
Scotland should not have to deal with the distraction of UK Labour’s nuclear fantasy, when we need both governments to scale up and speed up in eradicating fuel poverty and in the race to net zero.
Featured image via the Canary
WASHINGTON – A quarter century after retired general and then-Secretary of State Colin Powell warned against invading Iraq by citing what became known as the Pottery Barn rule of “you break it, you own it,” President Donald Trump is unveiling his own motto for his war on Iran: I broke it, someone else can fix it.
In a social media post on Tuesday, followed up with statements to reporters, Trump is walking away from any responsibility for the global energy crisis he created when he attacked Iran 32 days ago, particularly Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a full fifth of the world’s oil flows.
“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,” Trump wrote in a morning social media post. “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!”
He subsequently told the New York Post that “the strait will automatically open” when the US leaves the area and told CBS News that if other countries want the oil, they should just go get it. “Let them come up and take it. They didn’t want to give a hand to anybody. NATO is terrible, and they’re all terrible. So if they want oil, come up and grab it,” he said.
And in an Oval Office photo opportunity later in the afternoon, he said he would likely end the attacks in “two or three weeks” after destroying all the targets he wants to hit. “In a fairly short period of time, we’ll be finished,” he said.
The suggestion that he is ready to wash his hands of opening the strait to unfettered navigation contradicts what he promised on March 3 — “the United States Navy will begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, as soon as possible. No matter what, the United States will ensure the FREE FLOW of ENERGY to the WORLD” — and again on Monday, when he demanded that Iran open the strait “immediately.”
“It’s a major geopolitical failure,” said Robert Kagan, once a senior State Department official in the Reagan administration and now with the Brookings Institution.
“If Trump TACOs now, the net effect of the war will be to give China unprecedented influence in the Gulf, and therefore over the world economy,” he added, using the shorthand for “Trump Always Chickens Out” coined by Wall Street traders when he backed down from his massive tariffs a year ago. “Substantially worse than the status quo ante.”
While Powell specifically denied calling his advice the “Pottery Barn rule,” pointing to New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman as the originator of the phrase, he admitted to warning former President George W. Bush about the responsibility for nation-building after an invasion. (Pottery Barn does not actually have a “you break it, you buy it” policy.)
Trump, who campaigned as a critic of the war in Iraq and American nation-building efforts there and in Afghanistan, has largely avoided talking about improving the lives of everyday Iranians and has instead claimed that Iran was an imminent threat to the United States while pushing a might-makes-right goal of confiscating that country’s oil.
His decision to start a major war without consulting any of America’s traditional allies has inflamed the nation’s relations with much of the world. In recent days, Spain and Italy have refused to let the US use air bases on their soil for attacks on Iran, while France has forbidden the use of its airspace for military flights to assist Israel, which is also attacking Iran.
While Americans have seen gasoline prices jump a dollar a gallon and truck drivers are seeing increases of about twice that for diesel fuel, Trump’s war is wreaking even worse havoc around the planet. Egypt has ordered earlier closing hours for businesses. China has stopped exporting refined petroleum products. Sri Lanka has declared Wednesdays national holidays, while Slovenia has become the first member of the European Union to impose fuel rationing.
It’s unclear whether Trump knows or much cares about the effects on other countries. Thus far, he has claimed that he expected fuel prices to rise much higher and the stock market to fall much lower in the United States and that he expects gasoline prices to fall “like a rock” when the war is over.
Still, with air attacks likely to produce diminishing returns and with the only remaining alternative to escalate further by deploying ground troops, Trump may finally decide to declare victory.
“I think Trump is looking for a way out, not for strategic reasons, but for domestic political reasons,” said John Bolton, a longtime advocate of forcing regime change in Iran and one of Trump’s first-term national security advisers. “That’s always a mistake.”
“I anticipate he walks claiming victory and says the Europeans and the Gulf states have to sort out the strait,” agreed Jim Townsend, an analyst with the Center for a New American Security and a former staffer at the Pentagon and NATO.
At this point, Kagan believes, an unwarranted declaration of victory may well be the least bad of the options available.
“Because he could also go in on the ground, lose lots of Americans, commit war crimes, and still end up with that result,” Kagan said. “On top of destroying the alliances.”
The BBC has issued an apology for its response to an allegation raised with the broadcaster last year about former Radio 2 host Scott Mills.
On Monday morning, it was announced that Mills had been abruptly fired by the BBC due to an allegation about his personal conduct.
It later emerged that he’d previously been questioned by the police as part of an investigation into “allegations of serious sexual offences against a teenage boy”, who was under 16 at the time.
The Mirror claimed that Mills’ firing came following a complaint made about this police investigation, though this remains unconfirmed by the BBC.
Since then, The Telegraph reported that a separate allegation about “inappropriate communications” involving Mills had been raised with the BBC by a freelance journalist last year.
According to the journalist, they questioned the BBC about whether they were “aware of or involved in any related matters” or had ever received “formal or informal complaints” about Mills “relating to safeguarding, inappropriate conduct or harassment”, but did not receive a response.
The BBC then apologised as part of a statement (as reported by The Guardian) on Tuesday, which read: “We received a press query in 2025 which included limited information. This should have been followed up and we should have asked further questions. We apologise for this and will look into why this did not happen.
“More broadly, we would always urge anyone who has concerns or information to raise it with us.”
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson told The Mirror earlier this week: “In December 2016, the Met began an investigation following a referral from another police force.
“The investigation related to allegations of serious sexual offences against a teenage boy. These were reported to taken place between 1997 and 2000. As part of these enquiries, a man who was in his 40s at the time of the interview, was questioned by police under caution in July 2018.
“A full file of evidence was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service, who determined the evidential threshold had not been met to bring charges. Following this advice, the investigation was closed in May 2019.”
In response to this, a BBC spokesperson told HuffPost UK they had no further comment, other than to reiterate a previous statement, which read: “While we do not comment on matters relating to individuals, we can confirm Scott Mills is no longer contracted to work with the BBC.”
HuffPost UK also contacted Scott Mills’ team for further comment but did not receive a response.
Before his sudden firing, MIlls had worked with the BBC for almost 30 years, joining the corporation in 1998 as a presenter on Radio 1, before making the jump to Radio 5 Live and Radio 2.
Last year, he took over at the helm of Radio 2’s flagship breakfast show from outgoing host Zoe Ball.
Over the years, he has also helped present coverage of the Eurovision Song Contest and competed in the BBC reality shows Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity Race Across The World, winning the latter in 2024.
In one of the most critical moments that raises questions about crowd culture in European football stadiums, the RCDE Stadium in Barcelona witnessed a series of racist, anti-Muslim chants during Tuesday 31 March night’s friendly match between Spain and Egypt. The chants sparked outrage from players, officials, and fans alike. Specifically, racists targeted Lamine Yamal.
Lamine Yamal targeted by racists
The match, which ended in a 0-0 draw, turned sour in the first half when racist chants against Muslims, including the slogan “If you don’t jump, you’re a Muslim,” were heard from the stands. This provoked strong reactions both inside and outside the stadium, prompting the Catalan police to open an official investigation into the chants, which they described as “Islamophobic and xenophobic,” according to Spanish security services.
At the heart of this controversy was the young Spanish player of Moroccan origin and rising star at Barcelona, Lamine Yamal, who responded with a clear, mature statement on his official Instagram account, rejecting these chants in the strongest terms.
Addressing those criticising the chants, he said:
I am a Muslim, thank God. Yesterday at the stadium, I heard chants like these. I know I was heading towards the opposing team and the chants weren’t directed at me, but as a Muslim, this behaviour remains disrespectful and intolerable.
Yamal added in his statement:
I understand that not all fans are like this, but to those who chant such things: using religion to mock people in a football stadium makes you ignorant and racist. Football should be enjoyed and cheered on, not used to insult people for who they are or what they believe.
Lamine Yamal thanked the fans who attended the match, expressing his anticipation for upcoming games, saying: “Thank you to everyone who came to support us… See you at the World Cup.”
In response to the incident, criticism wasn’t limited to the player. In its first official reaction, the Spanish Football Federation condemned the incident, emphasizing in a statement published on its official social media accounts its categorical rejection of such behavior.
The statement read:
The Spanish Football Federation stands against racism in football and condemns any act of violence within stadiums.
Megan Thee Stallion is in hospital after falling ill on stage in New York on Tuesday night.
The Grammy winner recently took over the role of Zidler in the Broadway production of the musical Moulin Rouge!.
During her latest performance, Megan was forced to leave the stage mid-show, and was subsequently rushed to hospital due to an undisclosed illness.
The Hot Girl Summer rapper’s representative told Variety: “During Tuesday night’s production, Megan started feeling very ill and was promptly transported to a local hospital, where her symptoms are currently being evaluated.
“We will share additional updates as more information becomes available.”
The Texas-born musician began performing as Zidler last week, taking over the role from RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Bob The Drag Queen.
She previously enthused: “Stepping onto the Broadway stage and joining the Moulin Rouge! The Musical team is an absolute honour.
“I’ve always believed in pushing myself creatively and theatre is definitely a new opportunity that I’m excited to embrace.
“Broadway demands a different level of discipline, preparation and storytelling, but I’m up for the challenge and can’t wait for the Hotties [Megan’s name for her fans] to see a new side of me.”
Megan’s breakthrough moment came in 2019 with the Nicki Minaj and Ty Dolla Sign collaboration Hot Girl Summer.
The following year, Beyoncé recorded a guest feature on her hit Savage, with Megan and Cardi B later teaming up on the hit WAP, which reached number one on both sides of the Atlantic and generated a lot of conversation due to the song’s sexually-charged lyrics and music video.
In 2021, Megan was awarded Best New Artist at the Grammys – beating stiff competition from the likes of Doja Cat and Phoebe Bridgers – as well as picking up Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance for the Beyoncé mix of Savage.
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) and Stop the War (StW) formed a coalition in shared opposition to the genocide in Gaza. Since then, more than 20 national protests across the UK have demonstrated that the British public does not support the mass killing of Palestinians.
However, authorities convicted PSC director Ben Jamal and StW vice-chair Chris Nineham on two counts under the authoritarian Public Order Act introduced by Suella Braverman.
This ruling has sent shockwaves through the pro-Palestinian community, as repressive police powers actively undermine and curtail the ability to protest.
Refusing to be deterred, the PSC has published a statement on behalf of the coalition, condemning the verdicts as:
extraordinary and shocking and a huge setback for civil liberties.
We spoke to Chris Nineham following his conviction under this draconian law:
Stop the War and Palestine Solidarity Campaign activists Chris Nineham and Ben Jamal have been found guilty of “breaching protest conditions” – we spoke to Chris Nineham@STWuk pic.twitter.com/zDr6JxRDeJ
— Canary (@TheCanaryUK) April 1, 2026
“A seismic threat to democratic freedoms” say pro-Palestine coalition
In this statement, it is made clear that Nineham and Jamal intend to appeal their verdicts. Helping them with that appeal, they will have full support of the pro-Palestine coalition behind them. Undoubtedly, they will have support of the wider British public in which a majority oppose Israel’s bloodthirsty actions.
They then go further by highlighting “significant concerns” about how the six-day trial was conducted. These concerns will be subsequently raised in their imminent appeal.
Arguably pointing to a stitch up, the statement reads:
The substantive issues at the heart of the case were clear. From the stage that day, Ben Jamal explained that a delegation of leaders of the coalition, plus MPs, trade union leaders and members of the Jewish bloc, would walk peacefully in a symbolic protest towards the BBC to lay flowers to mark the Corporation’s failures to report the truth of genocide in Gaza.
Ben made clear that, if stopped by the police, the flowers would be laid at the police line. In the event, as copious video evidence shows, police officers invited the delegation to pass though.
They also argue that the claims of public disorder made by the police were categorically untrue.
In fact, they underscore the violence that they did see that day:
The only moment of violence was when Chis Nineham was brutally pulled to the ground and hauled away by police officers.
Contradicting Police Commander Adam Slonecki’s adamant insistence that the imposed late restrictions did not follow political pressure from pro-Israel groups, they added:
The logs of the Police Gold Commander Adam Slonecki reveal that enormous political pressure was placed on the police by pro-Israel groups to prevent a protest at the BBC.
Islington MP Jeremy Corbyn has condemned the judge’s verdict, saying he is “appalled”:
I am appalled by today’s verdict against Ben Jamal and Chris Nineham.
In January 2025, we held an entirely peaceful demonstration in support of Palestinian people. At all times, they — and we — followed all police instructions. We ended the demonstration by laying down flowers… https://t.co/A8bCsKOJ9X
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) April 1, 2026
Defending the actions of Jamal and Nineham at the protest, which Corbyn was also taking part in, he wrote:
In January 2025, we held an entirely peaceful demonstration in support of Palestinian people. At all times, they — and we — followed all police instructions. We ended the demonstration by laying down flowers at their feet to mourn the deaths of Palestinian children.
Today’s verdict is a dark day for civil liberties in this country — and is a disgraceful assault on the right to protest.
We wrote earlier today after the court’s judgement:
It is clear that the government are refusing to back down in its attempts to intimidate and bully British citizens into no longer standing by our Palestinian comrades. Heavily funded by the Israel Lobby, Starmer’s government have long ignored and diminished rising islamophobia, whilst unduly declaring anti-Zionist positions as antisemitic.
Crime and Policing Bill
The statement goes on to draw attention to the Crime and Policing Bill which is making its way through Parliament:
It confirms the view, widely held across civil society, that these proposed increased powers represent a seismic threat to democratic freedoms.
They raise alarm at the chilling impact this is clearly intended to have on people supporting Palestinians:
The unprecedented charging and now conviction of leaders of a movement that has brought millions to the streets in support of the people of Palestine is designed to chill ongoing opposition to genocide, apartheid and illegal occupation.
It finishes with a typical show of dogged resistance to state oppression and repression:
It will not succeed.
That it most certainly won’t, as a call to action is heard for the upcoming protest on the 16 May in London:
So, Ben Jamal and I have been convicted for organising a peaceful protest against genocide in a bizarre decision by one judge.
This is a big attack on civil liberties.
We will appeal. We call for a massive mobilisation in support of the Palestinian people for Nakba on 16 May. https://t.co/ftX7S069Bl
— Chris Nineham (@ChrisNineham) April 1, 2026
Featured image via the Canary
The US secretary of defence has mocked the “big, bad Royal Navy” for not joining America in its war against Iran.
Speaking from the Pentagon on Tuesday, Pete Hegseth said: “There are countries around the world who ought to be prepared to step up on this critical waterway as well.
“Last time I checked, there was supposed to be a big, bad Royal Navy that could be prepared to do things like that as well.”
He added: “This is an international waterway that we use less than most. In fact, dramatically less than most.
“The world ought to pay attention, be prepared to stand up.”
His remarks come after Keir Starmer’s government refused the US request’s to use British military bases for preemptive strikes on Iran last month.
The UK did allow American troops to use their sites for defensive and limited strikes, though Donald Trump has continued to attack Britain for its perceived lack of support.
He compared UK aircraft carriers to “toys” and told the prime minister “not to bother” sending ships to the Gulf.
On Tuesday, he told allies “you’ll have to start learning how to fight for yourself”, urging Britain to “go get your own oil” from the Strait of Hormuz as Iran continues its blockade.
Writing on TruthSocial, the president said the UK should either buy jet fuel from the US or “build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait and just TAKE IT”.
Meanwhile, the UK’s First Sea Lord has warned that the Royal Navy is not ready for war and that it “had work to do”.
Gen Sir Gwyn Jenkins told Swedish newspaper Svensky Dagbladet on Monday that the Navy could still fight with what it had and that “if we were told to go to war, of course we would”.
But he added: “Are we are ready as we should be? I don’t think are. We have work to do and I am completely dedicated to the mission.”
UK defence secretary John Healey also announced on Tuesday that the UK would be deploying dozens of troops and its most advanced air defence missile system to Saudi Arabia as the Middle East conflict continues to escalate.
Subscribe to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.
The Iranian ambassador to the UK has warned attacks on British bases are under consideration in an alarming intervention.
Seyed Ali Mousavi claimed that Keir Starmer’s decision to allow US forces to use British sites for defensive and limited strikes could end up putting a target on the UK’s military.
Speaking to Times Radio, he said: “The initial position made by the prime minister Starmer is very good.
“We do appreciate, we do welcome the non-involvement in this criminal act of the American side and the Israeli regime.
“But unfortunately, now we have realised that the British Fairford military base has been serving for the B-2 and B-1 jets of the American side to be equipped by the different weapons to use against the Iranian people.
“It’s very unfortunate.”
Asked if British bases and British military assets could be legitimate targets, he replied: “This is the very important matter we are considering. This is a very important matter for our self-defence.”
He claimed the military section of their “system” will decide depending on UK “activities”.
He added: “We are very careful and delicate how to defend ourselves.”
His remarks are especially alarming, considering Starmer has repeatedly insisted that the ongoing Middle East conflict is “not our war”.
Meanwhile, Labour MP and defence select committee member Calvin Bailey has warned there is a “real risk of escalation” in the region.
The former Wing Commander told Times Radio: “There’s always a risk of escalation and that’s why it’s never desirable to enter conflict without understanding what the goals of those operations are.
“That’s why the UK remained out and didn’t follow or support the US in starting the conflict that it’s now engaged with Iran. But dealing with the consequences of it is entirely legitimate and it’s reasonable.”
He warned Britain could be dragged further into the conflict too – as could other allies and partners in the Gulf region.
“The reason why we’ve got larger numbers of forces in the region is that they’re there to protect those allies and our people that exist within their country,” Bailey said.
“We just have to make sure that the assets are there to provide protection and assurances that they expect of us.”
Subscribe to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.
The Adam Smith Institute (ASI) has unveiled a proposed Free Speech Bill for the UK. It will infuriate almost the entire governing class – especially since American lawyers, with at least one eye on the First Amendment, had a large hand in drafting it.
The draft bill is short and strong. It gives a positive right to free speech – subject only to stated, narrow exceptions, such as incitement to crime. It says, explicitly, that speech may not be suppressed merely because it is ‘offensive, grossly offensive, insulting, abusive, shocking, blasphemous, indecent’ or causes ‘an emotional or intellectual impact’ on anyone, as the current law allows. The bill would also ban compelled speech. While most of what the bill sets out is directed at the state, it would also narrow the limits on an employer’s right to discipline employees for what they say off the job.
The laws and practices currently used to curtail our right to free expression are picked off one by one: it strips the Public Order Act of its power to enforce content-related restrictions on speech. The appalling section 127 of the Communications Act, which prohibits posting anything ‘grossly offensive’ on the net, would go. Non-crime hate incidents would be outlawed. No conditions relating to speech or opinion could be placed on public employment, licensing or any public benefit. Website owners would be spared liability as publishers of information.
Best yet, the bill would clip the wings of the European Convention on Human Rights. Liberals often forget that in many cases, the ECHR enforces significant limits on free speech.). Ironically, if the UK were to introduce a First Amendment tomorrow, the loudest yelps would come from human-rights lawyers lamenting the loss of authority over what we can and can’t say.
Obviously, the ASI’s initiative is intended to provoke an establishment that has become very comfortable with censorship. Nevertheless, it matters, mainly because it is the right approach. Vague commitments to free speech don’t work, unless we also get rid of the props that have supported censorship in the law for decades: Public Order offences, the Communications Act, ill-defined anti-harassment laws and so on.
The fact that the bill is American-inspired is important. A prime mover is the admirable American attorney, Preston Byrne, who is currently leading the fight against Ofcom’s campaign to dictate what US websites can and can’t publish. Forget the now-fashionable anti-Americanism in the progressive establishment – the fact that foreigners now view the UK as a free-speech disaster ought to be a source of shame to any government.
Until now, serious free-speech advocacy among the establishment class has been virtually non-existent. While plenty may claim to support it, the idea of relaxing controls on the internet still makes them blanch. This bill, expressed in proper legal form and outlining a clear, watertight case for speech protections, has a good chance of moving the Overton window in the right direction.
Of course, there is now an open goal waiting for any political party with the nous to line it up. Imagine a ticket stressing the right of anyone – from the tycoon to the keyboard warrior to the janitor – to say what they damn well please, without fear of threats from the state, police or employers. The attraction is enormous. It would shine an embarrassing spotlight on the ever-more authoritarian Labour Party – especially if Nigel Farage, Kemi Badenoch or both of them were to adopt it.
The Free Speech Bill has no chance of becoming law just yet. But if it pushes free speech to centre stage, its publication will have been an unalloyed good. Now, we need to keep advancing the ideas it contains – the same ones our American cousins laid out in their all-important First Amendment.
Andrew Tettenborn is a professor of commercial law and a former Cambridge admissions officer.
A journalist has been kidnapped in Iraq, and suddenly, the US government has decided it does, in fact, care about the safety of journalists. That is, as long as they’re white, and it’s not Israel killing or threatening them.
Iraq scene of kidnapping
Shelly Kittleson, an Italian-American journalist who contributes to Al-Monitor, was kidnapped in Baghdad on Tuesday. Reports suggest a suspected Iran-backed armed group was behind the abduction.
American freelance journalist Shelly Kittleson has been kidnapped in broad daylight in Baghdad.
Iraq’s interior ministry says authorities at the highest level are searching for the 49-year-old. pic.twitter.com/86ToXdVRiG
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) April 1, 2026
Videos circulating on social media show men capturing Kittleson on Saadoun Street in central Baghdad.
Middle East Eye has reported that authorities in Iraq had launched an operation to find the kidnappers, and:
they had intercepted a vehicle belonging to the kidnappers, which overturned as they attempted to flee.
Security forces were able to arrest one of the suspects and seize one of the vehicles used in the crime.
Dylan Johnson, US assistant secretary of state for Public Diplomacy, said on X that Iraqi authorities have arrested an individual linked to the Kataeb Hezbollah group.
Of course, we should take anything the US government says with a huge pinch of salt.
Murdering journalists
The US has stood blindly by whilst Israel has murdered journalists in both Gaza and Lebanon for the last two and a half years.
Back in 2022, Israel murdered Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh. The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) shot the Palestinian-American in the head while she was covering an Israeli army raid in Jenin in the occupied West Bank.
The US government claimed the death was unintentional – despite Israel’s long history of targeting journalists.
Since then, Israel has murdered over 300 journalists since October 7, 2023. It was responsible for two-thirds of all press killings in both 2025 and 2024.
Most of the media workers Israel killed were Palestinian. However, Israeli air strikes also killed 31 staff in newspaper offices in Yemen.
The IOF have committed more targeted killings of journalists than any other government’s military since records began.
Only last week, Israel murdered journalists Ali Shuaib (Al-Manar) and Fatima Ftouni (Al-Mayadeen), along with Fatima’s brother, camera operator Mohamad Ftouni. They join a long list of Lebanese journalists that Israel has murdered.
Israel has repeatedly labelled media outlets and journalists as ‘terrorists’. Obviously, Western media and governments have parroted these claims without any evidence to support them.
The Israeli military also posted a photograph of Shoaib dressed in a military uniform. However, when asked by Fox News to provide the image, a spokesperson said:
Unfortunately there isn’t really a picture of it, it was photoshopped.
It provided no evidence to support its claims that Shoaib and Ftouni were Hezbollah combatants.
Israel goes after journalists in an attempt to stop the world from witnessing its war crimes. If it kills all the journalists in Gaza, Lebanon, and even Iran, then the rest of the world will not know what it’s up to.
Suddenly, the US cares?
The US has stayed quiet while Israel murdered over 300 journalists – many of whom were brown, and often Muslim.
Now all of a sudden:
The FBI, National Security Council, state department, Delta Force and the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service were in contact about her abduction.
So, they can pay attention to attacks on journalists, after all. Of course, Kittleson is originally from rural Wisconsin.
So, whether it’s because Israel is not the perpetrator here or because Kittleson looks very white and is from a rural part of the US, the government suddenly decided it cares about journalists in the Middle East.
The US would not care if it were Israel that had kidnapped or even murdered Kittleson. Likewise, if a visibly brown, Black, or Muslim US citizen had been abducted, the US government would not care.
The hypocrisy is astounding – but what more should we expect from a government that Israel has so much influence over?
Featured image via Shelly Kittleson/Instagram
The reviews are out for the new Super Mario Bros. Movie and… it sounds like the film is anything but a level-up.
While we weren’t exactly expecting the follow-up to the animated video game adaptation to be the next Citizen Kane, it’s worth pointing out that the response to the first film was, at least, somewhat mixed, and it went on to gross more than a billion dollars at the global box office, making it the 20th biggest box office earner of all time at the time of writing.
Ahead of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’s release at the end of this week, critics have been having their say, and they’ve certainly not been holding back, with a smattering of two- and one-star reviews (not to mention a zero-star take from one particularly unimpressed reviewer).
Here’s a selection of what’s been said so far about The Super Mario Galaxy Movie…
“Of course it’s intended for little kids, but it surely didn’t need to be such a visually dull screensaver of a movie, with even more of the cheesy, Euro-knockoff look of that first film. And, again, the paucity of funny lines is a real puzzle.”
“It’s a supremely vacuous anti-movie that climaxes with a sequence featuring full-screen Nintendo gameplay, as if to remind us of the levels of rancid commercial whoredom we’ve reached.
“The film is torturous to sit through and, for me, provoked periods of actual physical discomfort. I had to stab myself repeatedly in the hand with a pen to distract from the howling distress. It’s that bad, and that offensive.”
Nintendo/Illumination/Universal
“It’s testament to just how bad the original Super Mario Bros Movie was that this sequel can be a noticeable improvement in every respect – animation, storytelling, humour, vocal performances, you name it – while still comfortably qualifying as absolute rubbish.”
“The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” is frenetic in such an impersonal way that it feels like the entire film should be put on Ritalin […] The film treats its story as a threadbare adventure, a mere throwaway, because it’s so focused on those little pings of recognition for gamers. And that’s quite a comedown.”
“[The Super Mario Galaxy Movie] offers the adults a few pings of nostalgia, but otherwise it’s a humourless, hysterical trudge. […] The moments of fan service might keep the hardcore happy, but for everyone else over the age of five it’s just a succession of loud, bright things happening without any real point.”
“Relentlessly fast-paced and filled with hyperkinetic visuals, the sequel hits the sweet spot in terms of what its target audience wants, even if adult non-aficionados will find little of interest other than the starry vocal cast.”
“The Super Mario Galaxy Movie doubles down on its own blandness. There’s barely a plot here. Not a single memorable character. Not even another piano ditty for Jack Black to sing […] There is… one real, solid joke in this film? And it’s mostly just repeating a bit from Disney’s Zootopia.”
Nintendo/Illumination/Universal
“A movie like this will probably make a lot of money, because it doesn’t rock the boat. But a boat that never rocks is a boat that never goes anywhere. That’s how boats work. They’re supposed to take you on a journey.
“The Super Mario Galaxy Movie doesn’t take you anywhere you haven’t been before, and it’s not as fun, it’s not as exciting, and it’s not as challenging as literally any of the games it’s based on. This is not an adaptation of the Super Mario Bros., it’s just a reminder that the franchise exists.”
“A masterpiece of game design that provides endless levels of unique planets to roam and explore, 2007’s Super Mario Galaxy is filled with moments of pure euphoric joy […] yet somehow on screen, it all registers as flat, imagination packaged into the most cleanly corporate and focus-group approved form possible.”
“While it’s likely that retro gamers won’t find anything here that wasn’t in the first movie – Yoshi and one or two others aside – it’s no doubt got enough for kids to enjoy, which will surely come as a relief for parents looking to entertain their offspring over the Easter holidays.”
“This is not a movie to be scrutinised, but to allow beleaguered elder millennial dads to sit their tots down for a precious two hours (if you count the trailers) and get some much-needed rest. It’s cute, and breezy, and rock-stupid, and will probably make a billion dollars again. Such is the world in which we live.”
“This film is even more of a manic roller coaster ride compared to the first movie, with so many gaming references packed into every scene, it’s hard to keep up. There are also a lot more power-ups used this time around, and that results in some fun and interesting combat for Mario and Luigi.”
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie arrives in cinemas on Friday.
7 actors who lost out on roles for seriously bizarre reasons
DWP State Pension age change starts this month – check if you’re affected
Nike Stock Plunges 14% on Weak Outlook as China Slump and Tariffs Cloud Turnaround Hopes
-
News Videos7 days agoParliament publishes latest register of MPs’ financial interests
-
Business6 days agoInstagram, YouTube Found Responsible for Teen’s Mental Health Struggle in Historic Ruling
-
Tech6 days agoIntercom’s new post-trained Fin Apex 1.0 beats GPT-5.4 and Claude Sonnet 4.6 at customer service resolutions
-
NewsBeat5 days agoThe Story hosts event on Durham’s historic registers
-
Sports5 days agoSweet Sixteen Game Thread: Tide vs Michigan
-
Entertainment2 days ago
Fans slam 'heartbreaking' Barbie Dream Fest convention debacle with 'cardboard cutout' experience
-
Entertainment4 days agoLana Del Rey Celebrates Her Husband’s 51st Birthday In New Post
-
Crypto World1 day ago
Dems press CFTC, ethics board on prediction-market insider trades
-
Sports1 day agoTallest college basketball player ever, standing at 7-foot-9, entering transfer portal
-
Tech3 days agoThe Pixel 10a doesn’t have a camera bump, and it’s great
-
Entertainment7 days agoHBO’s Harry Potter Series Will Definitely Fail For One Big Reason, And It’s Not J.K. Rowling Or Snape
-
Tech1 day agoEE TV is using AI to help you find something to watch
-
Crypto World2 days agoU.S. rule change may open trillions in 401(k) funds to crypto
-
Tech1 day agoHow to back up your iPhone & iPad to your Mac before something goes wrong
-
Fashion6 days agoEn Vogue in Brown Leather and Tailored Neutrals by Atelier Savoir, Styled by J Bolin
-
Politics2 days agoShould Trump Be Scared Strait?
-
Tech2 days agoFlipsnack and the shift toward motion-first business content with living visuals
-
Fashion6 days agoWhat Are Your Favorite T-Shirts for the Weekend?
-
Fashion5 days agoWeekly News Update, 3.27.26 – Corporette.com
-
Tech2 days agoApple will hide your email address from apps and websites, but not cops
You must be logged in to post a comment Login