And, of Course, Threats to the Rule of Law and England’s Constitution – CWH The jury trial, a bedrock of the English legal system, a vital mechanism for ensuring fairness, community participation, and resistance to state overreach, is once again under threat. Sir Brian Leveson last week unveiled radical proposals to “clear huge backlogs in crown courts in England and Wales”, his solution being to remove juries to “save the criminal justice system” (1). If Leveson’s recommendations are implemented the … [Continue Reading]

Fraser Nelson Chez Antoinette has become an unofficial annexe of Westminster, famous for its steak frites and fresh political gossip. One journalist I know once stayed there for breakfast, lunch and dinner, filing stories after each meal. So when I met a recently departed Starmer aide there, I asked the obvious: what’s going wrong in government? Who messed up most? His answer came quickly: the Debt Management Office. That lot, he said, have the most to answer for. We’re now … [Continue Reading]

MPs overwhelmingly voted in favour of Home Secretary Yvette Cooper’s decision to proscribe the protest group under the Terrorism Act 2000 on Wednesday and Lords have approved the move. The law change, which adds Palestine Action to the list of banned organisations along with the likes of al Qaeda, ISIS and Hezbollah, came into force at midnight. It makes membership of, or support for, the direct action group a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison, while … [Continue Reading]

Zionism has always seemed to me to be a mischievous political creed, untenable by any patriotic citizen of the United Kingdom – Lord Montagu who opposed the Jewish State

Debt collectors held to account after traffic fines claim a life Courier Jerome Rogers killed himself after his bike was seized. A BBC drama tells his story and examines wider issues about debt Rupert Jones Sun 27 May 2018 10.47 BST It started with two £65 traffic fines, one for being in a bus lane a few minutes before the restrictions ended, the other for making a prohibited right turn. Within a matter of months, those two penalties had spiralled … [Continue Reading]

In response to Israel’s genocide in Gaza and its illegal chemical weapons assault on and seizure of the Madleen Gaza Freedom Flotilla humanitarian vessel and its crew in the early hours of this morning, the current events in Palestine, dozens of filmmakers have made their films about Palestine available online for everyone to watch, free of charge. Israel’s attempt to prevent the Madleen from reaching Gaza and raising awareness of Israel’s genocide, starvation blockaded and other crimes has quickly backfired. … [Continue Reading]

Like many American Jews, I was brought up to see Israel as infallible. Living among Palestinians taught me vital truths about the reality of the occupation. By Sam Stein May 30, 2025 The writer among residents of Umm al-Khair, in the southern West Bank, December 2024. (Khadija Toufik) Growing up in the American Orthodox Jewish world, spending a post-high school year studying Torah in Israel was simply what one did. I chose to attend a “mechina” – an Israeli military … [Continue Reading]

Tory leader says the quiet part out loud, admitting that both Israel and Ukraine are fighting for the West Jonathan Cook Jun 02, 2025 [First published by Middle East Eye] If you have spent the past 20 months wondering why British leaders on both sides of the aisle have barely criticised Israel, even as it slaughtered and starved Gaza’s population of more than two million people, you finally got an answer last week. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said the … [Continue Reading]

High court case to test whether ministers have illegally supplied Israel parts that may be used to attack Palestinians Patrick Wintour Diplomatic editor, Mon 12 May 2025 07.00 Last modified on Mon 12 May 2025 15.11 BST Preserving the British role in the F-35 jet fighter programme takes precedence over the need to comply with UK laws on arms export controls, or any UK obligation to prevent a genocide in Israel, UK government lawyers will argue in court this week. … [Continue Reading]

Owen Jones This feels like a big moment. Western complicity in Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people is being denounced by a right-wing newspaper and Conservative MPs. What does that tell us? It tells us that it’s increasingly clear what the judgement of history will be on this grotesque crime – as well as the judgement of the courts. Let’s start with the Financial Times, a pro-business newspaper which has mostly backed the Conservative party in the last few UK … [Continue Reading]