Equity, the performing arts and entertainment union, welcomes the BBC’s response to the ongoing government consultation about the corporation’s future, in particular the call for “radical reforms” to ensure “a BBC for all.” The BBC published its response to the government’s Green Paper on Thursday 5 March, ahead of the closing date next week.

Equity has previously stated it would engage with the BBC Charter renewal process although it was boycotting the accompanying survey.

Paul W Fleming, Equity general secretary, said:

It is heartening to see that the BBC recognises trade unions as essential partners in ensuring good jobs across the UK. We look forward to the government solidifying this commitment to the BBC’s vast and varied workforce when it publishes the White Paper later this year.

In its submission, the BBC says it supports 77,000 jobs. We say 77,000 workers support the BBC. Their voices must be heard, and Equity and our fellow trade unions are here to ensure that they are.

Advertisement

Equity represents performers who work on BBC productions, including soap operas, dramas and audio dramas. It also holds the collective agreement which lays out the pay, terms and conditions for those working on BBC-Equity contracts, including safety and harassment processes.

As part of Equity’s submission on BBC Charter Renewal, the union is calling for:

• A Workforce Covenant recognising that BBC commissioning and operational decisions must respond to the needs of the workforce as well as audiences, and imposing a legal duty to conduct workforce impact assessments and implement mitigation measures.
• A fair distribution of BBC investment across the nations and regions, starting with the Midlands.
• Workforce representation on the BBC Board.
• A substantial and guaranteed level of investment in audio drama series.
• A continuing or returning drama series that films for more than six months of the year in each of the UK’s Ofcom-defined reporting areas.
• And an enforceable commitment to abide by an ethical and rights-based approach to AI, including seeking artists’ agreement to any use of generative AI and consulting relevant unions in that regard.

Featured image via the Canary

Green party deputy leader Mothin Ali has demanded that Keir Starmer apologise for endorsing a Tory MP’s dangerous smear. Ali feels this has put his life in danger.

When Israel fanatic Alec Shelbrooke lied, under the protection of parliamentary privilege, that Ali had protested “in support of the ayatollah”, Starmer did not put Shelbrooke right. Instead Starmer reinforced the lie:

I think we were all shocked by the actions of the deputy leader of the Green Party – although perhaps not surprised, given that party’s recent turn of direction.

Shelbrooke also linked Ali to the fictitious ‘antisemitism’ Starmer used as an excuse to purge the left from the Labour party, including many Jews. That purge has contributed to his record unpopularity and almost bankrupted the party. It has also signalled his betrayal of Labour values. This has seen him punish the poor and vulnerable. He has also collaborated in Israel’s genocide and war crimes in Gaza.

Ali reacted at the time, reasonably, that such shameless incitement of the extremist right would “get me killed”. He has received multiple death threats since. In fact, Ali had simply attended an anti-war protest in Parliament Square.

Ali also attributed Starmer’s smear to his desperation to attack the Greens after Green candidate Hannah Spencer trounced Labour into a poor third place in last week’s Gorton and Denton by-election. Spencer romped home with 41% of the vote, sixteen points ahead of Labour, who fell by a massive 25 points in what had been a party stronghold before Starmer.

Featured image via the Canary

Why is it harder to fall asleep as we age?

Does it matter if I don’t get enough sleep?

OK – so how can I sleep better after 60?

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced in an address to US citizens that “dumb, politically correct wars of the past” are the “opposite” of the intentions of the US administration. Hegseth further stated that ‘old wars’ had set objectives that were restricted by rules of engagement, seemingly referring to a new deteriorated international rules-based order.

Even more disturbingly, Hegseth and other US officials have been repeatedly invoking Christian Zionist rhetoric in their public addresses. This arguably signals a clear shift from military engagements they dismiss as “politically correct” to a war that they consider to be “religiously correct”.

Hegseth: The dumb, politically correct wars of the past were the opposite of what we’re doing here. They had vague objectives with restrictive, minimalist rules of engagement. No more. Our authorities are maxed out. Our capabilities are overwhelming and gathering still, as are… pic.twitter.com/cGNhdBBrlg

— Acyn (@Acyn) March 5, 2026

Hegseth amongst religious fanatics in the White House

Despite widespread condemnation, US-backed Zionist Israel has been conducting a genocide against occupied Palestinians since October 7th, 2023. Butcher of Gaza Benjamin Netanyahu has been known to make repeated religious references, including to ‘Amalek’. This is a biblical reference from the Old Testament, with ‘Amalek’ referring to the Persians who enslaved Jews 2,500 years ago. Invoking that scripture once again in the attacks on Iran and Lebanon, the war-criminal Israeli has called for the murder of all, including women and children.

The MAGA administration appear to be continuing along the same fanatical vein, using Christian Zionism to justify its war of aggression which has murdered over 1200 in Iran so far.

This development comes as US military investigators confirm it is ‘likely’ that the US was responsible for a mass casualty attack using precision bombs. The attack appears to have targeted a girls’ elementary school in Minab, Iran. This is reported to have killed up to 165 civilians, representing a potential war crime at the hands of the US on day one of ‘Operation Epic Fury’.

Since then, the UK has reportedly sent fighter jets to ‘defend’ against Iran.

200+ complaints reveal US commanders are selling the Iran war as “God’s divine plan.”

Trump declaring holy war on Iran is like Satan leading a prayer group pic.twitter.com/PLclMVIc6D

Advertisement

— Ounka (@OunkaOnX) March 4, 2026

Our own Skwawkbox wrote recently about Hegseth’s insistence that the US’ widespread attacks in the Middle East will ‘speed up Jesus’ return’. He wrote:

Commanders at more than 30 US military locations have told their troops that the US is attacking Iran to cause “armageddon” and hasten the second coming of Jesus – passing on an apparent message from deranged defence secretary Pete Hegseth.

The message includes a combat unit commander telling unit non-commissioned officers – sergeants and corporals – that US president Donald Trump is:

anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon and mark his return to Earth.

Advertisement

Skwawkbox also added:

Hegseth reportedly attends, at least weekly, a White House ‘bible study’ led by a Zionist ‘pastor’ who insists the US must support Israel no matter what.

The news has horrified many US Christians as well as the rest of the right-thinking world.

Last night, a crowd of (overwhelmingly white) pastors gathered around the US president. Placing their hands on Donald Trump, they prayed together as if he were some kind of “messiah.” Trump may have a messiah complex, but that is where the comparison ends.

As Krassenstein pointed out on X, before finishing “we [US] are a joke”:

BREAKING: Moments ago at the White House this took place.

A bunch of old people praying for a convicted felon, adjudicated rapist, who appears to have just blown up 100+ Iranian schoolchildren, while he hides the Epstein files, in which he appears in thousands of times.

We… pic.twitter.com/7I3feBBMzg

— Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) March 5, 2026

UK has joined the US’ ‘Holy war’

The US appear more than happy to reveal far more about the UK’s involvement than our own leaders seem willing to admit. PM Keir Starmer has denied we are joining the US-Israel war on Iran, insisting we are only engaging in a defensive capacity. However, Hegseth’s speech suggests we are likely fighting in the US and Israel’s apparent ‘holy war’. Given the fighter jets already sent by the UK, and intelligence informing we are already in the war, I think we can believe the US leader more than our own.

At the very, very least, we are making the US’ attacks easier. In turn, making it likely far more catastrophic for Iranian civilians.

Saying that it was “unfortunate” that the UK didn’t grant the US access “from day one”, the US Defense Secretary stated:

But we got there. We got there, and that’s now part of the way that we’re operationalising bomber runs … It’s more fighter squadrons, it’s more capabilities, it’s more defensive capabilities, and it’s more bomber pulses more frequently.

The amount of firepower over Iran and over Tehran is about to surge dramatically, and part of it is that we’re gonna have even more bases. And it’s not just the UK. We’ve had other friends step up, and we’re grateful for that.

The US waging a holy war to bring back Jesus, alongside Jewish people who don’t even believe Jesus is their messiah is peak insanity.

Maybe it’s just me, but if you have to bomb half the world to bring about your messiah, it’s probably not the good guy that’s coming. pic.twitter.com/ookHu6J5sV

Advertisement

— Books Behind Borders (@MHTruthUltra) March 5, 2026

“War is never holy! Only peace is holy, because it is willed by God!” — Pope Leo XIV pic.twitter.com/e233Zj2bq9

— Christopher Hale (@ChristopherHale) March 5, 2026

Paula White-Cain is the ‘spiritual adviser’ to the US president. Like Trump, she is a very keen grifter for maximising the profits she can make from her public platform. White-Cain is just one of the Zionist fanatics surrounding the Trump administration.

“I hear the sound of Insanity” would be more fitting to this bizarre display:

Trump appointed White House Faith Office senior advisor preaching Holy War.

This is peak Western Civilization!🤡 pic.twitter.com/JD4k8ilLwB

— Carl Zha (@CarlZha) March 4, 2026

Religious fanatism is murdering thousands

Despite intervention by the International Court of Justice, Palestinians have been suffering through a genocide waged by US-backed Zionist Israel. We have already seen hundreds of thousands murdered, maimed or missing under the rubble in Gaza. Now we see that the US has adopted the religious extremism intrinsic in Israel’s colonial ambitions, by leaning heavily into Christian Zionism. As a result, the US wants westerners to believe their illegal aggression on Iran is a ‘holy war’.

The UK has also seen attempts by the far-right parties Reform and Restore to bring this religious extremism into our own communities and public discourse. However, their sinister intentions go directly against actual Christian values and teachings. For example, ‘love thy neighbour’ and ‘welcome the stranger’ are hardly being reflected through the anti-immigrant rhetoric on full display.

This war is clearly being waged by a tyrannical, religiously extremist and frankly, delusional administration.

The UK must draw a line in the sand now and refuse to be a pathetic tool in the belt of US and Israeli Zionists.

Featured image via the Canary

Dirty Business is a Channel 4 docudrama highlighting pollution within the privatised water industry. David Thewlis portrays Ash Smith, who has spent a decade monitoring Thames tributary the River Windrush. A week on from the show’s screening, Smith led a protest against the Thames Water creditors’ proposal to pollute illegally for 14 years.

Campaigners gathered next to the Dyke, a body of water in High Wycombe. It’s in the heart of environment secretary Emma Reynolds’ constituency. They held 14 giant inflatable poo emojis, each labelled with a year to represent 14 years of illegal sewage pollution. They also carried a banner which said:

NO to 14 years of illegal sewage. Emma Reynolds must say NO to Thames Water

Thames Water on the brink

Thames Water – which has a debt pile of nearly £20bn – is on the brink of collapse. The company’s creditors have submitted a proposal to Ofwat in order to take control of Thames Water and stave off financial collapse.

As part of this plan, they are asking for leniency on pollution regulations. They say that a ‘full return to legal, regulatory and environmental compliance’ would not take place until at least 2035-2040.

On Wednesday 4 March, members of the public organised by We Own It gathered in High Wycombe to urge Reynolds not to sign off on the deal. They carried 14 giant inflatable poo emojis, one for each year of illegal sewage pollution that this deal would be signing off on.

Recent polling by Survation revealed that the majority of Thames Water customers believe that Ofwat should reject this deal. Instead, Ofwat should put Thames Water into Special Administration.

Campaigners say that Special Administration, a form of temporary public ownership, is the best option for the struggling company. Special Administration could allow the wiping out of more of Thames Water’s debts.

24 MPs in the Thames Water region recently wrote to Reynolds and Ofwat. They urged them not to sign off on the deal. The MPs included independent Jeremy Corbyn, Conservative Jack Rankin, and 18 Liberal Democrats.

Windrush Against Sewage Pollution campaigner and Dirty Business inspiration Smith said:

That the water company owners think there is even a chance that this government might betray the public and allow them to keep profiting from crime with government backing shows how dirty this business has become.

Sophie Conquest, lead campaigner at We Own It, added:

Dirty Business has created a torrent of public anger towards our privatised water industry.

More than ever, the public are furious at a system which is willing to destroy lives in order to maximise profit; which treats our rivers and seas like open sewers; and at a regulatory system which has utterly failed.

It’s time to channel that rage into what is unfolding – right now – with Thames Water.

Advertisement

The fact that Ofwat and this government are even considering signing off on 14 years of illegal Thames Water sewage pollution is staggering.

If Thames Water are able to set their own rules, every other water company in England will want to do the same.

Emma Reynolds has a duty to protect the public and environment. The only way to do that is to take Thames Water into Special Administration. Slash the debts, and give billpayers and the environment a fair deal. No more pollution for profit.

Featured image via We Own It