The Ceuta migrant crisis effects continue to ripple throughout politics at home and abroad.
Plus: Detained Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been pictured meeting with the Red Cross, her first sighting in over two years. Is the Burmese military leadership finally softening its stance on the controversial figure?
With Michael Walker & Barry Malone.
From Novara Media via This RSS Feed.
It’s easy to assume that the theatre is a world of glitz and glamour. A place where performers have their names in lights and live lives of luxury.
But many theatre workers face the same challenges common across all sectors. Unpredictable hours and pay, difficulty achieving work-life balance, a general sense of precarity.
Performers and other staff in the Equity union have been pushing for an improvement in their terms. And they’ve already had success.
Equity members have voted to ratify a new three-year agreement with the Society of London Theatre (SOLT). It covers pay and conditions for performers and stage management working in the West End.
The agreement runs from April 2026 to April 2029. It got approval from 98% of members voting, on a turnout of 75%.
Under the agreement, minimum rates will rise by at least 13.5% over three years. It also improves holiday entitlement and family leave, supports better work-life balance, strengthens equality and inclusion provisions, and recognises additional responsibilities.
Alongside improved notice and scheduling guarantees for theatre performers and stage management, the agreement provides producers and managers with more modern scheduling arrangements, simplifies tour planning, and gives both sides greater certainty over its three-year term.
SOLT and Equity thank the members of their respective negotiating committees, and all those who contributed to reaching the agreement.
Paul W Fleming, general secretary of Equity, said:
For over a decade, Equity has sought to increase annual leave, reduce rehearsal weeks, and improve work-life balance on the West End.
Not only does this agreement achieve these objectives for the first time, but it also lifts minimum pay to a record high in real terms.
We’re encouraged by SOLT’s stated aspiration to use this agreement as a starting point for more regular high-level exchanges on terms and conditions. There is no reason this cannot be the start of modern terms and conditions, and the beginning of the end of low pay on the West End.
Hannah Essex, co-chief executive of the Society of London Theatre, said:
This agreement delivers meaningful improvements to pay and working conditions, strengthens work-life balance, and gives the West End a clear and stable framework through to 2029.
It represents a significant commitment from producers at a time when costs are rising faster than inflation and higher employers’ National Insurance contributions are compounding the strain on theatres.
Even as average ticket prices remain below pre-pandemic levels in real terms, theatres have once again been excluded from targeted business rates relief.
Government must now recognise the cumulative pressure on the sector and ensure policy supports continued investment in the workforce, in productions, and in audiences.
Opera singers are also demanding improved pay, work-life balance and clarity of their terms and conditions.
Negotiations between Equity, represented by a working group of members together with union officials, and UK Theatre / SOLT are set to begin, after Equity submitted its claim on 30 July.
Equity is demanding improvements to the agreement that sets minimum standards on pay, terms and conditions for opera singers, and covers principals, covers and freelance singers working in UK Theatre / SOLT member opera companies.
The claim calls for improved weekly pay, especially to support the lowest paid, and to reflect changing performance patterns in the industry.
It also includes demands for improved notice of scheduling for a better work-life balance and family friendly working, and calls for clearer terms and conditions for artists and engagers.
Commenting on the claim, Equity Singers & Dancers official Lottie Stables said:
The demands from Equity’s membership are clear – for too long they have seen their pay stagnate, whilst being expected to show ever more flexibility with their working patterns.
This needs to stop. If managers are serious about artists’ wellbeing and dignity, they must address the demands of this claim and ensure fair weekly pay, improved scheduling and transparent terms for all singers.
Equity will submit a claim for improvements to terms and conditions for stage management across opera and ballet later in 2026.
Featured image via the Canary
By The Canary
From Canary via This RSS Feed.
Canadian-Palestinian activist, Ahmad Hajahmad Jarrar, has been charged under terror laws after a speech in Toronto against Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
Meanwhile, charges have been dropped against three Israel supporters who committed or threatened actual harm to pro-Palestine protesters.
Canada is following the UK in its lawfare war on anti-genocide speech and protest.
Jarrar was arrested for supposedly making “public statements that advocated for the detestation and harm against members of the Israeli and Jewish communities”, Toronto police said.
The force added that he “acted for the benefit of, and in association with, Hamas, a designated terrorist group”. His reported actual words did not mention the banned group:
Teach your children the Zionist entity is the enemy. Teach your children that the resistance is an honour.
Jarrar’s lawyer said his client was innocent and being targeted for speaking against the murder of civilians. He added that Jarrar had not been charged with what the police said he was arrested for.
He faces a single charge arising from speaking at public demonstrations. No violence, no weapon, no one harmed. Speaking out at a protest about the killing of civilians is protected expression, not terrorism.
The police told the media he ‘advocated for detestation and harm’ but he is not charged with that. We’ll be looking closely at how and why this case came to be, and we’re confident it won’t hold up when measured against the law.
Police have provided no additional details or evidence, citing court restrictions for reporting on the case.
Meanwhile, the Canadian double standard is no less clear than its equivalent in the US. In 2024, Ilan-Reuben Abramov attacked anti-genocide demonstrators with a nail gun while screaming:
Every fucking Palestinian will die.
Abramov was charged but has never been brought to trial, leading campaigners to suspect the charges have been quietly dropped.
In February 2025, far-right extremist Eli Schwarz was arrested after threatening anti-genocide protesters. He admitted to police that he was a member of the terrorist group, Jewish Defence League.
When arrested, he was wearing a t-shirt praising Zionist terrorist Meir Kahane. Police found a rifle with scope at his home, along with 10 boxes of ammunition.
Schwarz was charged with making threats and improperly storing ammunition but has not been prosecuted.
In December 2025, Gabriella Bodis was charged with assault after threatening anti-genocide protesters with ‘reagent grade’ (high strength) ammonium hydroxide, which is capable of severe damage to the eyes and skin. She has not yet been prosecuted.
Students in Canada have denounced the charges against Ahmad Jarrar.
Featured image via wearthepeace/ Instagram
By Skwawkbox
From Canary via This RSS Feed.
A pregnant Palestinian woman suffering severe bleeding was forced to deliver a stillborn baby after Israeli soldiers blocked the ambulance she was riding in.
The woman, 28, was six months pregnant when she began bleeding and experiencing extreme pain last Monday at her home in Qaryout, in the illegally occupied West Bank.
“Her condition was extremely critical,” the ambulance driver, Bashar Al-Qaryouti, told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
But as they were on their way to Rafidia hospital in Nablus, soldiers approached the ambulance at a checkpoint with their guns drawn and ordered the medics to shut off the engine.
This meant Al-Qaryouti had to turn off the woman’s oxygen and the ambulance’s monitors, he told Sky News. The nurse on board then told him she would have to deliver the baby or the woman would die.
“I shouted at the soldiers and they threatened to shoot me,” he said. “Even the nurse who was with me had a weapon pointed at her head while she was trying to treat the patient.”
The ambulance was allowed through after being delayed for more than 30 minutes.
The Israeli military falsely claimed to Sky News that the incident did not take place, despite video footage from inside the ambulance corroborating Al-Qaryouti’s statements.
Violence by Israeli soldiers and settlers has escalated in the West Bank in recent weeks. UN figures show that over 1,114 Palestinians, including 241 children, have been killed there since October 2023.
From Novara Media via This RSS Feed.
The parliamentary standards watchdog has opened an investigation into Reform UK deputy Richard Tice. The allegation focuses on Tice failing to declare an interest that related to a Commons debate on Israeli influence.
Tice himself has disputed media reporting, although the following claim is in part at odds with what the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards stated.
Contrary to garbage in media:
I am being investigated for standing against antisemitism. You could not make it up.
Standards Commissioner is considering complaint by anti semitic anti Israel lobby group over whether I should have referenced my register of interests at start of…
— Richard Tice MP
(@TiceRichard) August 3, 2026
In full, Tice said:
Contrary to garbage in media:
I am being investigated for standing against antisemitism. You could not make it up.
Standards Commissioner is considering complaint by anti semitic anti Israel lobby group over whether I should have referenced my register of interests at start of a debate on UK democracy and Israeli influence.
The same anti Israel group failed to notify Commissioner that Ayoub Khan MP did not declare his substantial donation received from a pro Palestine group.
Funny that…..
Adding further context, the BBC reported:
Reform said Tice did not mention in his 22 June speech that he had been on a trip to Israel last September, funded by a pro-Israel lobbying group.
The trip has been listed in Tice’s Declaration of Members’ Interests.
Here is what the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner published regarding the ongoing investigation:
Therefore, it is not the case that the commissioner is investigating Tice for “standing against antisemitism”, as he suggested.
The ‘Rule 6’ stipulates:
Members must always be open and frank in declaring any relevant interest in any proceeding of the House or its committees, and in any communications with ministers, members, public officials or public office holders.
Additional guidance states that MPs can refer to register of interests entries but:
Such a reference will not suffice on its own, as the declaration must provide sufficient information to convey the nature of the interest without the listener or the reader having to have recourse to the Register or other publication.
The debate in question happened as a result of a Parliament petition passing 100,000 signatures. The petition read:
We are concerned about reported Israeli state-linked and pro-Israel lobbying activity in UK politics. We believe it is important to determine the scope and impact of any such influence campaigns.
We feel that the horrific devastation in Gaza, the ongoing suppression of Palestinians in the West Bank, and the UK’s political response underline the urgent need to scrutinise how pro-Israel organisations, networks, and lobbying efforts may shape government decisions, party policy, and public debate.
Featured image via Office of the President of Israel/ X
By Willem Moore
From Canary via This RSS Feed.
There are many miserable people in Great Britain who love to spread their misery around. One such person is Jeremy Clarkson, who seemingly spends his free time devising new ways to belittle benefit claimants.
NEW: Jeremy Clarkson says benefits claimants should be forced to write a genuine thank you email to a random worker every week
“It is SO kind of you to go to work every day so that I don’t have to. Thanks to you I was able to buy an even bigger television this week”
— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) August 3, 2026
As many have pointed out, Clarkson himself is a beneficiary of government money. In other words, expect a thank you letter from him sometime soon.
In his latest piece for the Times, Clarkson compares welfare recipients to dogs. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the broadcaster suggested that welfare recipients are actually worse than animals, because “at least dogs are grateful”.
Speaking of gratitude, now is a good time to remind you Clarkson once punched a man because the platter of meat he brought was cold — not hot, as Jeremy would have preferred. Is this the famous ‘gratitude’ he’s speaking of?
Clarkson’s piece begins:
As I’m sure you’ve heard, there are now more than a million young people in this country who are not working. They’re not even looking for work. They’re just sitting at home all day, gormlessly watching shortform nonsense on their massive vulgarsonic televisions.
Nearly a million young people being out of work is true. The idea that none of them are “even looking for work” is some shite he made up. Also, we’re not sure he should be criticising people for “gormlessly watching nonsense on television” given that he was the host of Top Gear.
If you live in the world, you’re no doubt unsurprised to learn that a significant number of young people are out of work. The high streets are run down, many jobs have been lost to automation, and people can’t afford to go out, which means fewer jobs in hospitality. These are all areas in which young people traditionally worked, so of course fewer of them are in work.
Plus, the rise in national minimum wage has reduced the jobs available for youngsters.
While he’s coming at it from the wrong angle, Clarkson isn’t wrong to suggest social media is having an impact. Because of phones, we’re never more than a swipe away from seeing how the other half lives. You don’t think that will instill a sense of hopelessness in young people who can’t even get an interview in retail?
Like everyone on the right, Clarkson doesn’t understand how Personal Independence Payments (PIP) work. Clarkson suggests they’re given to people for not working, but Rachel Charlton-Dailey explained:
PIP isn’t an out-of-work benefit and has nothing to do with employment.
Here’s what Clarkson said:
And what makes this especially dispiriting is that if they’ve got ants in their pants, or ADHD as it’s now called, or some other head-based issue with an acronym, the state will give them up to £194 a week. Which is £100 more than they’d get if they got off their arses and did some kind of part-time work in the local shop.
Charlton-Dailey reported that about four in 10 claimants with ADHD receive the top rate of £194. As this is PIP, many will be in work because that’s how PIP functions.
Clarkson’s piece contains a long section about his dogs, in which he admits that they sometimes shit in his house (training issue). He then gets to his idea to belittle benefit claimants:
It’s very simple. Every week, when the benefits are paid, the recipient is given the email address of a randomly selected person who is getting up and going to work every day. And they are told that unless a proper and genuine email is sent, thanking the working person for their generosity, the benefits will stop. And I’m not talking about a cursory “thanks mate”. I want fulsomeness. I want to hear what they’ve done with the £194 I gave them that week. And I want effusiveness as well. I want to feel their gratitude.
“It is SO kind of you to go to work every day so that I don’t have to. Thanks to you I was able to buy an even bigger television this week”
This way, the communists in the Labour party would be happy because the benefits are still being paid. And the taxpayer will feel a bit better too because they’re at least being thanked.
This might not need pointing out, but this is blatant right-wing propaganda. We have a benefits system to ensure:
£29 a week doesn't even cover a basic grocery top-up, yet @JeremyClarkson thinks disabled people and trauma survivors owe the public a handwritten thank-you note for it. https://t.co/KonzXmfD2v
— Dr_Rebecca (@Dr_Bekka_UK) August 3, 2026
The benefits system was designed to benefit everyone besides the ultra-wealthy — the people who will never require government support for themselves or their loved ones. The reason they’ll never require it isn’t because they’re inherently better than us; it’s because they and their ancestors benefitted from the fruits of other people’s labour.
These ultra-wealthy people use their position of influence to highlight the small numbers of people who are, admittedly, taking the piss, to tarnish the reputation of the entire benefits system. For what? So they can get away with paying less tax?
Clarkson has an estimated net worth of £50 million by the way. Despite this, he’s accepted the following government and EU subsidies:
The government subsidises things like farming because crops — much like people — are needed to ensure society remains functional. The right-wing press doesn’t criticise farming subsidies because the land barons who benefit from them are often right-wing themselves. Funny how that works, isn’t it?
Says the man who bought a farm partly to avoid inheritance tax! He should write one to the 35,000 grieving relatives who have to pay it this year saying thanks for paying it so farmers can have a £2.5m allowance and half the rate of tax above that! https://t.co/cuVU9XH26S
— Paul Lewis (@paullewismoney) August 3, 2026
This aside, there is a method for people to make money without working, and that method is to be born wealthy.
If a person has a million pounds, they can pay a second person to turn that fortune into more money through investing and asset hoarding. Over time, this has led to a situation in which global wealth is concentrated in the hands of fewer and fewer people. And wouldn’t you know it, this has also coincided with there being fewer opportunities for ordinary working people.
To be fair to Jeremy Clarkson, he does seem like someone who works hard. The problem is, he works hard at being a f*cking knucklehead.
The longer we allow the rich to seize all the wealth, the worse things will get. The worse things get, the more that the rich will blame us for the problems they created.
Featured image via Acub Porzycki/ Getty Images
By Willem Moore
From Canary via This RSS Feed.
The cyber-criminal group ExfilSquad has leaked the names and contact details of more than 100,000 police staff on the dark web.
The news follows threats from the same group last week to leak more data unless public institutions met their demands for payment. ExfilSquad posted on X:
Check your emails! We warned most of you before posting these public warnings!!
Once your company’s data is posted here, it’s NEVER leaving the public eye and it will be passed around the internet FOREVER.
The payment we request of you is simply a rounding error compared to the litigation costs of your data leaking. Be smart and just pay.
Last week, the Canaryreported that the same hackers had posted data stolen from the Department for Education (DfE) and the Police National Legal Database (PNLD). A source explained that a majority of the 145,550 full-time police officers employed in England and Wales have used the PNLD as part of their daily work.
Whilst ExfilSquad stated that they targeted 14 institutions in total, the identities of the others were not public knowledge. However, the most recent reporting from the Telegraph has revealed that the wide-scale hack targeted the Crown Prosecution Service, Home Office, Ministry of Defence and the National Crime Agency.
Likewise, the cyber criminals also breached Newcastle University — the only non-state body named so far. ExfilSquad reportedly stole data including the names, addresses and phone numbers of both staff and students.
The university has already begun an investigation into the exact nature of the attack and the vulnerability of its systems.
Cybersecurity adviser Jake Moore, of European infosec giant Eset, explained:
The information put on the dark web should not be underestimated. More experienced threat actors see it as highly valuable because it enables them to personalise follow-up attacks, such as phishing or social engineering, which puts even more data at risk.
***
These attacks are becoming more common as criminals increasingly automate their tactics with ease and exploit the development using AI. The knock-on effect means organisations are facing a far higher volume of attacks, often with far less effort required from the attacker.
The Times reported that a government spokesperson declined to comment on the security breach, stating:
We have dedicated capabilities to respond to cyber incidents, and it would be inappropriate to comment on a live investigation.
However, a staff member from one of the targeted law enforcement organisations said:
I have worked in serious organised crime and put high-level criminals behind bars. For private information to be leaked about me is very disconcerting and puts officers at serious risk.
In the past I have been forced to move into safe houses and sell cars due to my job. Now I will have to keep my wits about me online and look out for anyone trying to get more serious information. It is not a good look.
Featured image via Ethan Wilkinson/ Unsplash
By Grace
From Canary via This RSS Feed.
I’ll go to my grave believing that, before Thursday last week, few outside the Sporcle-elite could point to the North-African Spanish exclave of Ceuta on a map.
That lack of knowledge was all to the good of the European right. Relying on a little public ignorance, they spun a short-lived and potentially orchestrated civilian incursion into yet another code-red threat to civilisation as we know it. But don’t get distracted by those dangerous games. It’s the deranged response to the event by governments across Europe that shows how powerful the right has become across the continent.
Over the weekend, Reform UK’s home affairs spokesperson Zia Yusuf travelled to Ceuta. In the spirit of ‘every crisis is an opportunity’, he wasted no time posting a video sprinkled with claims I can’t verify.
“We saw some of them maraud through town overnight,” he said, speaking of the roughly 60,000 mostly men who swam five kilometres around the Moroccan coast to reach the city on Thursday. “We saw them loot shops, we saw them terrorise locals,” he continued.
There have been no credible reports of looting or marauding. Vehicles were torched, but in Findeq, a border town in Morocco. Some Ceuta locals may have been understandably terrified when the city’s population suddenly increased by 75%, but, again, there’s no evidence anyone was terrorised. There were, however, fatalities. At least 72 Moroccans have been reported killed in their attempt to cross the border, crushed or drowned in the rush.
Of course, by the time Yusuf shot his video, most of the migrants had returned home – with the Spanish government reporting 90% having left by Saturday evening, most voluntarily. And while Yusuf’s profile isn’t big enough to draw much attention, when other figures from the European right arrived in Ceuta to exploit the situation on Sunday, they were met with protests from residents.
Right-wingers are gonna right-wing. No surprises there. But far from showing solidarity with Spain for the breach of its territory, many European governments have turned on its leftwing prime minister Pedro Sánchez.
No-one appears to have crossed the roughly 20kms of sea from Ceuta to Spain. Ceuta is not part of the EU’s Schengen agreement, meaning there is no control-free crossing between it and Spain. Yet Italy has imposed border controls anyway. With new checks on airport and port arrivals of third country nationals from Spain, it’s a PR move: if someone got to Spain illegally, why not just take a bus through France?
Fine. Italy is governed by the rightwing Giorgia Meloni. But centrist governments are seizing the moment too. The leaders of 22 of the EU’s 27 countries have called for urgent talks over the Ceuta border breach (they’ll happen tomorrow). And in a letter to the bloc’s leaders, they highlighted a Spanish domestic policy as a “pull factor”, demanding it be eliminated.
That’s a reference to Sánchez’s amnesty for undocumented migrants without a criminal record who arrived in Spain before this year. Over a million people have applied, ahead of a deadline tomorrow. Spain under Sánchez also opened new pathways to residency last year. The economic benefits have been stark, with the country the top performer for growth by some margin amongst the major eurozone economies last year (it also left the UK in the shade). It’s predicted to repeat that success in 2026.
That’s no doubt an irritation to centrist governments who’ve jigged along to the right’s fear-mongering tunes, now caught in a doomloop of economic stagnation and public fever-dreams around migration. And there’s more egg-on-the-face likely to come, as evidence mounts that Spain might not have been subject to an organic run on the border, but rather an act of political warfare on an EU member.
Who needs enemies when you’ve got allies, eh?
According to reports, viral social media posts from new accounts encouraged young Moroccans to go to Ceuta, fuelled by the promise of an open border. Some posted routes and instructions for where to buy swimming equipment. Those accounts have now disappeared.
Some have suggested Morocco is behind it (it’s done it before). But interference may have stemmed from further afield. US Vice President JD Vance was quick to share a Fox News clip describing migrants storming the border of northern Spain (so French?). Cribbing the Trump administration’s 2025 National Security strategy, Vance blamed “mass migration and the radical leftwing globalist policies that have enabled the invasion of the West” for the images.
And while Sánchez is loathed in Washington for refusing to let US warplanes bound for Iran use Spanish bases or airspace, Morocco is on the up. Its government signed Trump’s Abraham Accords with Israel in 2020, and joined Trump’s disjointed Gaza Board of Peace this January.
Could the math be mathing?
Whoever the culprit, here’s the lesson. Leftwing baddies, beware. It’s (hybrid) war out there.
From Novara Media via This RSS Feed.
Nigel Farage has said Reform UK is open to entering into an alliance with Restore Britain, despite ongoing public feuds between the two far-right parties.
Restore leader Rupert Lowe posted a video on X on Monday calling for a pact to “destroy” the left.
“I truly believe there could be sufficient common ground for our two movements to cooperate collectively, destroy the looming leftwing alliance that will finish off what hope remains for this country,” he said.
“In my view, failing to even try because of our own personal difficulties is simply not an option. Now is the time to put our differences aside and cooperate for the good of the country that we all love.”
The two parties then began feuding, with Farage claiming in a press conference that Lowe had not replied to an offer of a call and Lowe branding this a “lie”. But both leaders said they remained open to a potential deal.
Lowe’s offer comes after his party outperformed the Conservatives to secure 8.7% of the first preference vote in the Greater Manchester mayoral election, in which Reform came second to Labour.
Neal Lawson, director of the cross-party thinktank Compass, said: “Reform as the media-friendly face and Restore the even more radical little brother of right-wing populism is something that should alarm everyone of progressive stripes in this country.
“It proves that now, more than ever, is the time to galvanise Britain’s progressive majority. If we don’t use this time to build a long-lasting plural politics then the backlash of the right will ensure the next chance we get is far too late.”
From Novara Media via This RSS Feed.
A new four‑day vegan festival in London, billed as being “built on principles of love and kindness for all sentient beings” has been cancelled after complaints from UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI).
The Scout Association cancelled the Great Vegan Festival’s venue booking just weeks before the event was to take place at their Gilwell Park Activity Centre in Chingford.
The association pulled the plug after UKLFI wrote to management warning them that several acts on the line‑up were “antisemitic”.
A statement from the Great Vegan Gathering read:
After pressure from UK Lawyers for Israel, Gilwell Park decided to cancel our venue hire contract just weeks before the event. As vegans, we oppose oppression in any context and therefore stand resolutely against Israel’s genocide of Palestinian humans and animals in Gaza.
It is deeply regrettable that an event seeking to raise funds for rescued animals at sanctuaries was attacked by UKLFI, an anti-Palestinian group that has repeatedly targeted cultural events and organisations.
The Scout Association has cancelled a venue booking by a vegan music festival after @UKLFI warned that bands on its line-up had promoted material alleged to be antisemitic and supportive of violence against Israelis. Read more: https://t.co/66wGB1NVa6
— UK Lawyers For Israel (@UKLFI) July 30, 2026
UKLFI claimed the musicians had published or performed material that “endorsed violence, vilified Israel and Israelis, and risked stirring up racial hatred”.
The bands HAWXX, Active Slaughter, and Millie Manders and the Shutup were specifically mentioned by UKLFI. They had previously spoken up against ‘Israel’s’ genocide, colonialism and fascism, and the criminal IOF.
UKLFIhighlighted several of their songs, to justify its actions.
One of these was Active Slaughter’s song, It’s Not Anti-Semitic to Hate Fascists**, which UKLFI claimed “accuses Israeli forces of killing ‘for fun’ and planting knives beside injured Palestinian teenagers”. But this is true, as this film about Palestinian human rights defenders in Hebron clearly shows.
Israeli forces have filmed knives being planted beside Palestinian youths on more than one occasion.
UKLFI also claimed that if the festival went ahead in its proposed form, it could expose the Scout Association, as the venue operator, to legal, safeguarding and reputational risks.
Andrew Thorp, deputy public relations lead for the Scout Association, told us:
A decision has been made to cancel the hire of our venue for The Great Vegan Gathering at Gilwell Park.
Following the initial confirmation of the booking, we conducted a review into some actions taken by the event organisers. The review concluded that these actions were not consistent with Scout values or our venue hire policies.
As a result, we have informed the organisers that the event will not proceed at Gilwell Park.
We remain committed to ensuring that all activity taking place at our venues reflects our values and supports an inclusive, respectful and welcoming environment for everyone.”
The Canary asked Thorp for more details, but he did not respond further.
Anyone cancelling the use of their venue based on this should be absolutely ashamed, and consulting their lawyers @scoutadventures
All solidarity with the Great Vegan Gathering.@MiddleEastEye pic.twitter.com/JT49cZky0O
— Stop genocide. End apartheid. Free Palestine
(@JonWooders) July 30, 2026
JJ Maguire, a singer in Active Slaughter, told Middle East Eye:
My Jewish granddad escaped persecution in Nazi Germany, but many of his family members were murdered…It’s with him in mind that I founded a band which, in keeping with punk traditions, refuses far right politics wherever it rears its head.
***
I was absolutely appalled to learn that UK Lawyers for Israel had mounted an attack on our pro-Palestine free speech.
Millie Manders, from the band, Millie Manders and the Shutup, said:
My band and I are proud to support justice for all animals and humans. This includes opposing Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, a position shared by millions of Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and atheists – people from every background.
Manders added:
We will never stop advocating for what’s right.
UKLFI uses tactics of “legal intimidation” to silence pro-Palestine, or anti-‘Israel’ speech and activism. It sends letters, suggesting the possibility of legal action, while events are told they raise legal or equality concerns. The institution on the receiving end then risks legal action, costs and reputational damage.
By doing this the organisation erodes democratic rights as it aims to erase Palestine from public life. It has taken matters upon itself to police our speech and actions. Academic institutions, the internet, sports, public institutions, charities, councils, companies and individuals have all come under fire****.****
In 2026, its actions led to the cancellation of academic events and the banning of Palestine Solidarity symbols worn by various railway, airport and hospital staff. It has also influenced guidance on investment of council pension funds.
Worryingly, two encyclopedias were told by UKLFI that their referencing to Palestine was incorrect. In addition, academic institutions have changed the description and wording of courses to remove the word ‘Palestine’.
Of course, UKLFI is lying when it states its concerns are “rooted in historical accuracy and educational responsibility”.
The Scouts have been repeatedly targeted. In January, UKLFI wrote to a north London Scout group after an adult leader wore a keffiyeh, arguing the conduct may amount to harassment under the Equality Act.
In February, UKLFI wrote again after staff were seen wearing symbols of support for Palestine.
..@UklfiT has written to a North London Scout group after being informed that an adult leader at a Beavers meeting for children aged six to eight wore a keffiyeh, a garment with widely recognised political significance connected to the Palestinian cause. https://t.co/OBaLqtrVy1
— UK Lawyers For Israel (@UKLFI) January 17, 2026
In August 2025, UKLFI complained to Hertfordshire Scouts about Camp Wilayah, an annual Islamic children’s summer camp on its land. UKLFI alleged breaches of the Public Order Act, the Counter‑Terrorism and Security Act and the Children Act. The Scouts cancelled the booking, even though the camp had taken place for more than 13 years with no complaints.
The European Legal Support Centre (ELSC) and Forensic Architecture labelled UKLFI a “major actor” in the repression of pro‑Palestinian activism in the UK.
It exploits the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, which equates criticism of ‘Israel’ with antisemitism. It also exploits terror legislation to create a chilling effect on pro-Palestine discourse.
Various organisations are taking action against UKLFI’s threatening behaviour and weaponisation of the law.
The Public Interest Law Centre (PILC) and ELSC have filed a 114‑page complaint with the Solicitors Regulation Authority. They claim UKLFI is using legal threats as a form of strategic intimidation to shut down public debate on Palestine. As such, they are calling for UKLFI to be regulated as an unregistered law firm.
The Charity Commission is also investigating UKLFI’s charitable wing after a complaint by CAGE. CAGE accused it of “engaging in vexatious and malicious complaints” against pro-Palestinian activism, while “masquerading as a charity.”
Senior barristers linked to the group also face a separate complaint over their role as patrons.
Pressure from UKLFI is part of a much larger, state‑backed effort to manage the occupation’s global image. In 2026, the ‘Israeli’ government approved a public diplomacy budget of roughly $730 million.
Foreign Minister Gideon Saar argues that managing ‘Israel’s’ image should be treated like “investing in jets, bombs, and missile interceptors”.
More than $50 million is going into digital ad buys, around $40 million into flying in delegations, and tens of millions more into influencer networks, AI‑driven content tools and targeted campaigns aimed at US universities and young Americans, where support for ‘Israel’ has plummeted.
Despite this unprecedented propaganda budget, unfavourable views continue to rise. No amount of money or digital campaigns can buy back the truth. The official story, framing ‘Israel’ as a democracy under threat, which treats all criticism as antisemitism and refers Palestinian resistance as terrorism, is starting to fall apart.
Featured image via Vegan FTA
By Charlie Jaay
From Canary via This RSS Feed.
Despite the German state’s slavish support for Israel and its brutal repression of anti-genocide protest, the pro-Palestine movement has scored a major legal victory.
The Zweibrücken Higher Regional Court has ruled that comparing Israel with the Nazis is legal.
German law bans the display of swastikas and other Nazi-linked symbols. However, the court ruled that they can legally be used:
If someone uses the signs for sharp criticism of the methods of the State of Israel and is thus accompanied by a clear distancing or condemnation of Nazi injustice.
The court was hearing an appeal brought by an anti-genocide activist who had been fined for publishing a table comparing the actions of Israel in Gaza with those of Nazi Germany. The header of the table showed a half Israeli flag and half swastika. Another post showed a combined Israeli and Nazi flag with hashtags #FreePalestine and #GazaUnderAttack.
The appeal court overturned the fine and warned judges not to apply the symbol law in a way that suppresses freedom of speech.
Germany describes support for Israel as its ‘Staatsräson‘, the reason for the existence of the German state. It requires citizenship applicants to formally declare support for the apartheid colony.
Featured image via Katerina Bolovtsova/ Pexels
By Skwawkbox
From Canary via This RSS Feed.
The response by the UK Labour Government to the failure of a United Nations (UN) nuclear non-proliferation conference to reach a consensus has been criticised by a wide range of UK and international experts and campaigners.
The government had sent a minister to speak at the UN in New York at the start of the 11th Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which took place from 27 April to 22 May 2026.
Initially, the government chose not to comment when the Canary reported on the failure of the review conference to reach consensus on an outcome document. They have now provided a response to Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer, a Liberal Democrat peer, who asked an oral question about the conference in the House of Lords on 9 July 2026.
Miller is one of five co-presidents of the international non-governmental organisation called Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament (PNND).
She asked the government “what diplomatic steps” it intended to take “following the absence of consensus at the Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty”.
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) minister of state Baroness Chapman of Darlington responded, saying:
The nuclear non-proliferation treaty is the cornerstone of the international nuclear order and the UK remains fully committed to it. It is a treaty that has kept us safe for over half a century, underpinning international security by constraining the spread of nuclear weapons.
Although it is disappointing that consensus could not be reached in New York, the review conference covered a thorough examination of global progress to implement NPT obligations over the past four years so as to identify positive progress and those areas that remain challenging.
Speaking after the debate to the Canary, Miller said she asked the question because she has:
been concerned about the threat nuclear weapons pose for decades.
She added:
That threat is increasing, not decreasing. The lack of progress of the NPT agreements toward disarmament and the P5 modernising and upgrading nuclear weapons means we face a terrifying threat.
The P5 are the five nuclear weapons states (NWS) who are also the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) – the US, Russia, China, the UK and France.
She also highlighted the fact that the Doomsday Clock has been set at its all time worst position – just 85 seconds to midnight.
Miller also said she hoped that the NPT review conference would agree on:
risk reductions, new treaty discussions to cover the gap left by [New] START’s demise.
She also said she thought the government was “genuinely disappointed” by the failure of the conference to agree on an outcome document.
In February, the UK Labour government was accused of “sitting on the sidelines” of international nuclear weapons risk reduction diplomacy following the expiration of New START (New Strategic Arms Reductions Treaty). The treaty limited the number of nuclear weapons the US and Russia could hold.
Reflecting on the government’s response to her question, Miller said she thought it was:
adequate, but not very energetic compared to the threat posed.
She added that she hoped the government would step up to:
be a leader amongst the P5 to ensure new treaties are put in place and to ensure diplomatic channels are open so as to avoid nuclear accidental misunderstandings.
Towards the end of 2026, the UN will host the first review conference of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), which goes further than the NPT in pushing for the abolition of all nuclear weapons.
It is supported by half of the world’s nations, but no nuclear weapons states have joined it.
Miller told the Canary that she wished the P5 would engage with the TPNW. She said:
After all, the final goal of the NPT is disarmament. However, successive UK Governments have been clear that, for them, the NPT is the only Treaty they will engage with.
Responding to the debate, Nuclear Information Service co-director Okopi Ajonye told the Canary:
This session is yet another example of how the government’s support for disarmament is more rhetorical than real, as the UK Government seems far more interested in preventing the spread of nuclear weapons and promoting the peaceful uses of nuclear energy than in furthering nuclear disarmament.
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) general secretary Sophie Bolt told the Canary:
Simply expressing disappointment at the failure of the review conference rings hollow when the government is replacing Trident, developing a new nuclear warhead and expanding Britain’s nuclear capabilities by purchasing F-35A’s. Those actions undermine the very trust the Government claims it wants to rebuild. In fact, it is total nuclear hypocrisy.
Bolt also argued that the UK should bring confidence back to the NPT by reversing its “disastrous nuclear expansionism”.
International Campaign Against Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) advocacy coordinator Florian Eblenkamp gave his reaction to the debate to the Canary. He said:
What stands out is how much of it was deflection. Chapman didn’t know a new Commons committee scrutinising nuclear spending even exists. She had ‘nothing new’ to say on New START, the last bilateral arms control treaty between the US and Russia, having lapsed in February.
During the debate in the House of Lords, Conservative peer Lord Bellingham asked:
Can the Minister say something about New START, the treaty which was the last remaining bilateral arms control agreement between the US and Russia, which has expired? What is the future of that treaty? I know that is a slightly separate issue, but it is related.
Responding, Chapman said:
That might be a question better addressed to my colleague at the Ministry of Defence. My understanding of these issues is that our position remains consistent with that of previous Administrations. I do not have anything new that would be particularly illuminating in response to the noble Lord’s question.
Eblenkamp criticised the UK’s and other nuclear weapons states’ “performance” of compliance, rather than real compliance, with the NPT.
He also demanded that the UK Government sends officials to attend:
meetings of the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons as an observer, rather than treating the treaty that bans nuclear weapons and has support of a global majority as something to be ignored.
He added:
None of that requires the UK to disarm unilaterally tomorrow. It requires the government to stop answering with ‘nothing new’ when asked about arms control efforts in parliament.
Eblenkamp concluded by saying:
The UK has surpassed Russia as the world’s third-largest spender on nuclear weapons. In 2025, the UK alone spent $12.6bn (£9.34bn) on modernising its nuclear arsenal; that’s a 17% increase from the year before. Nuclear weapons will make up close to 25% of the UKs national defence budget going forward.
And yet, there is no genuine sense of security from perceived threats. At what point do we call out nuclear deterrence as an expensive dogma rather than a defence strategy?
The European Leadership Network (ELN) describes itself as:
an independent, non-partisan, pan-European network of over 450 past, present and future European leaders working to provide practical real-world solutions to political and security challenges.
ELN head of programme on nuclear and multilateral disarmament Oliver Meier told the Canary:
Disarmament only comes up in the debate once, the focus is squarely on nonproliferation. This neglect of disarmament in the debate is indicative of the nuclear weapon states’ approach to the NPT.
As the majority of states have emphasized again and again in New York, progress on disarmament and nonproliferation are interdependent and intrinsically linked. So the UK also needs to ask itself how its own actions are affecting that broader issue of the salience of nuclear weapons.
Meier called on the UK Government to find its voice on disarmament and to call out the US – alongside Russia and China – for its actions on nuclear escalation.
He said:
UK (and France) as European nuclear weapon states have to find their own voice on disarmament and nonproliferation. They will continue to speak out against irresponsible actions and rhetoric by Russia and China’s nuclear build-up.
But they also need to speak clearly on irresponsible US nuclear threats and actions and violations of international law, including the attacks on Iran. Otherwise, their credibility towards the majority of the international community will suffer.
The United Nations Association – UK (UNA-UK) says it works:
to strengthen the UK’s commitment to the UN and for foreign policy rooted in international law, human rights, peace and international cooperation.
Reflecting on the debate in the House of Lords, UNA-UK campaign manager Lauren Muir told the Canary:
Given the UK’s position as both a Nuclear Weapon State under the NPT and a recognised leader in nuclear verification research, there is scope for it to exercise greater diplomatic leadership in addressing this widening credibility gap.
Muir called on the UK Government to do more to further the cause of nuclear disarmament, saying:
UNA-UK would like to see the Government focus more on practical measures that demonstrate progress on its nuclear disarmament commitments.
This means being more transparent about UK policy, providing clearer reporting on progress under the NPT, continuing to support international nuclear verification work, and taking a more active role in developing measures that reduce the risk of nuclear conflict and build trust between states.
The Defence Investment Plan (DIP) includes significant funding for the UK’s nuclear weapons programme, so it appears unlikely that the UK Government will work towards the type of nuclear deescalation called for by experts.
Featured image via the Canary
By Tom Pashby
From Canary via This RSS Feed.
Andy Burnham’s government has approved a new data centre near London’s Brick Lane despite widespread local opposition, even as the city suffers its worst drought in decades.
Housing secretary Angela Rayner last week overturned a July 2025 decision by Tower Hamlets council to scrap the project at the Truman Brewery, which was proposed by Truman Estates and Zeloof LLP.
The 5,200sq metre data centre on Grey Eagle Street will use up to 5.2MW, the same amount of power as 15,000 homes, according to the Save Brick Lane campaign group. Its proximity to the City will allow high-frequency traders to shave milliseconds off their transaction times.
Projections for the project’s water consumption have not been released, but data centres typically use huge quantities to cool their servers. Even with cooling, the heat they emit can increase local temperatures, while the demands they place in the grid often increase infrastructure costs, leading to higher household bills.
Labour minister Matthew Pennycook said in a published decision that the development will go ahead after “an assessment of potential impacts… on groundwater levels”.
Thousands of people have signed a petition urging the government to scrap the project. After the Aspire-led council rejected the project, then-housing secretary Steve Reed took the decision out of the council’s hands in October 2025 so that the government would have final say.
The developers also plan to build offices, a cinema, a supermarket and 44 homes, including six for social rent.
Save Brick Lane said the development “offers almost nothing to local stakeholders and the community” and “only a tiny amount of social and affordable housing”.
It added: “This development will threaten the livelihood of existing independent shops and businesses in Brick Lane.”
Around 100 new data centres are currently planned across the UK, according to researchers Barbour ABI. Critics warn that data centres are accelerating global warming and climate collapse.
London, along with around half of England, is experiencing its worst drought in decades. July was the first month since records began where no rainfall was recorded at a weather station in Kew Gardens.
From Novara Media via This RSS Feed.
Reform UK has suffered a significant dent to its polling over the past 12 months. Emerging polls suggest this problem could be getting worse too, especially the polls relating to Nigel Farage’s personal approval. This has got the party bigwigs in a panic, apparently.
HODGES: Reform chiefs are thinking the unthinkable over Farage polls https://t.co/iqxu7fu5Cz
— Reform UK Exposed
As demonstrated by Politico’s Poll of Polls, which “aggregates data from multiple sources to give a more accurate picture”, Reform held 30% of the vote share a year ago but just 24% today.
Reform has somewhat levelled off, but the latest polls suggest the party’s biggest issue right now is Labour’s growing support.
BREAKING | Labour surge to 4pt lead
Lab: 27% ( +5 )
Ref: 23% ( – )
Con: 17% ( -3 )
Lib: 12% ( +1 )
Grn: 12% ( -2 )
— Seats —
SNP: 48
Plaid: 11
Poll: Opinium, 29 July (+/- vs 17 July) pic.twitter.com/XCDwCUoHTy
— Stats for Lefties
(@LeftieStats) August 1, 2026
As we’ve said elsewhere, we’re not confident Burnham can maintain this momentum in the long run. If he can keep this up for a few months, though, he could establish a significant lead over Reform. Given Farage’s many ongoing scandals, there’s no reason to think his party’s own polling won’t dip further too.
Speaking of Farage, look at what’s happening to his personal approval:
Approval Ratings (NET)
Andy Burnham: 16%
Kemi Badenoch: 1% (-2)
Ed Davey: 1% (+3)
Zack Polanski: -20% (-5)
Nigel Farage: -24% (+2)Via: Opinium
Field Work: 29 – 31 July changes w/ 15 – 17 July pic.twitter.com/hJtsR5kOKx— PollCheck (@poll_checker) August 1, 2026
Given the obvious decline, it’s no surprise that senior Reform members are apparently not happy. As one told the Mail’s Dan Hodges:
There’s no way Nigel puts this behind him now. The five million quid isn’t going to go away. George Cottrell isn’t going away. I don’t understand what he was thinking. But it doesn’t matter. I don’t see how we move on from it.
If you’ve not been living under a rock, you’ll know the Canaryreported the following on the topic:
Farage accepted the £5m gift from Harborne – a crypto billionaire – in 2024. At the time, he’d said he wouldn’t run in the general election, but this changed after he received the £5m. The problem is that after he became an MP, he was supposed to declare any ‘registrable benefits’ from the previous 12 months. Farage did not declare the £5m, and now it looks like he was purposefully trying to hide it.
George Cottrell, meanwhile, is a different crypto pusher, and one who’s made numerous dubious donations to Reform UK and Farage. He’s also an aristocrat known for calling Farage “Daddy” — make of that what you will!
Fraudster sent mum £2m before she made suspect Reform donation
Another Reformer told Hodges:
The Clacton stunt was madness. He’s totally marginalised himself and the party. Recess is the moment we traditionally capitalise. But we’re nowhere. We’re just talking to ourselves.
The Clacton by-election is actually being praised by the Tories according to Hodges, as one told him:
Because of the broadcasting rules on by-elections, there are now limits on how much coverage he’s allowed. That’s given us the space to control the agenda. Look at the coverage Chris [Philp, the Tory home affairs spokesman] has been getting on small boats. That’s Farage’s issue. And we’ve been running rings round him.’
It really is depressing that UK ‘politics’ is now just middle-aged men pointing at boats and asking, “Spare a vote, mate?”
None of this is actually going to improve the country, anyway. Sadly, the worse things get, the easier it is to trick people into believing that the poorest among us are the ones stealing all the wealth.
In another fun section in Hodge’s piece, the Mail’s man writes:
As for Farage’s inner circle, long-standing suspicion has turned into a concrete belief there is a traitor in their midst. According to one source: ‘Someone is out to get Nigel. The stuff people are getting on the finances is too detailed. We’ve got a rat on the inside.’
The result is the number of people trusted to make decisions has shrunk to a tiny core of acolytes. Which in turn has added to the party’s dysfunctionality.
‘Nigel should be devolving decision-making,’ one former ally told me, ‘but instead everything’s becoming more centralised and secretive. It’s unsustainable.’
Who could have guessed that opening the door to Tory defectors would lead to the sort of in-fighting and dysfunction which plagued the former party of government? We can’t prove that the traitor is Robert Jenrick, but what we’re seeing is functionally identical to the sort of treachery he subjected Kemi Badenoch to.
Perhaps Farage & Co were always smart enough to freeze Jenrick out of the inner core? Regardless, someone is betraying Farage’s trust, and the man has a seemingly endless supply of skeletons in the closet.
It seems like things can certainly get worse for Reform. Given the previous 12 months, it seems like things can only get worse. This is something to hopeful about, even while recognising that Labour is failing to offer the significant change this country needs.
Featured image via Getty Images
By Willem Moore
From Canary via This RSS Feed.
Back in March, the Labour government’s bill to restrict access to jury trials – a right enjoyed by English citizens for over 800 years – successfully passed its first reading. But last week, only hours after former Justice Minister David Lammy was dropped from Andy Burnham’s new cabinet, a Downing Street spokesperson announced that the newly coronated Prime Minister had no intention of following through with the plan.
Eyebrows were raised, however, at the ministerial re-appointment of Sarah Sackman, Keir Starmer’s ex-solicitor general and a key supporter of Lammy’s jury proposals. Sackman has previously worked as a foreign law clerk at the Israeli Supreme Court, and her grandfather once served as an ambassador for the settler state. Last week, Burnham extended her role in government with a re-appointment at the Ministry of Justice.
At the end of June, and just eleven days after Burnham’s by-election victory in Makerfield, Sackman registered two new donations, each of £1250, from veteran pro-Israeli bankroller Trevor Chinn.
Sackman has long been a favourite of wealthy lobbyists, receiving tens of thousands of pounds from ex-Labour Friends of Israel chair Jonathan Mendelsohn, former Israeli soldier Jonathan Kestenbaum, and the Grabiner family. Anthony Grabiner, who is not amongst Sackman’s donors, was one of the UK Lawyers for Israel patrons recently subject to a “legal intimidation” complaint.
On Wednesday, at an event organised by Jewish Care, a charity whose Life President is former Tony Blair bankroller Michael Levy, Sackman announced:
It was wonderful to welcome the Prime Minister back to Jewish Care in Golders Green this morning … As Andy said, this time we are going to get this right.
However, a professed passion for reforming the care system is not the only thing the pair have in common. One of the funders of Burnham’s 2015 Labour leadership campaign was Michael Sternberg, who has also financed the current Courts Minister.
From 2015-2024, Sackman was vice-chair of the Jewish Labour Movement, which states that one of its aims is:
to promote the centrality of Israel in Jewish life.
In 2015, Sackman said:
The issue of Israel is something that is deeply personal and emotional.
In May 2024, Sackman opposed International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrants for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and defence minister Yoav Gallant, saying:
I trust the Israeli people to hold their leaders to account.
A 2025 Penn University poll recorded that 82% of Jewish Israelis supported the forced expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza. 47% agreed that the Israeli military should kill all inhabitants of enemy cities. This is the nation Sackman “trusts” to hold war criminals Netanyahu and Gallant to account.
Before entering politics, Sackman worked at Matrix Chambers with former attorney general Richard Hermer, who once declared that he has “dear family members” serving in the Israeli military. Last week, Burnham replaced Hermer with Ellie Reeves, a long-time supporter of the Labour Friends of Israel lobby group.
Starmer will always be remembered for the military and diplomatic support he consistently lent to the Israeli state. But in December 2024, just over one year into the Gaza genocide, Sackman insisted that Starmer’s administration had “broadly got it right” on the issue of Palestine.
She made the comments in a public conversation with Adrian Cohen, LFI’s lay chair. Last Thursday, the controversial lobby group published a new paper suggesting that a ban on trade with illegal Israeli settlements is “practically and politically impossible”.
LFI-affiliated MPs continue to dominate the Labour cabinet. On the issue of Palestine, Sackman’s re-appointment sends a loud signal to those who thought Burnham might change course.
Featured image via Facebook
From Canary via This RSS Feed.
On Sunday, Restore Britain leader, Rupert Lowe, published a public appeal to Nigel Farage, of Reform UK. The message was superficially a request for the two parties to work together. It didn’t take a genius to spot that Lowe was actually trying to put himself in the driving seat, though.
While this obvious ploy was apparent to most, it seemingly wasn’t apparent to many Reform UK supporters. As such, Farage has had to reply, and he did so with a mealy-mouthed response which has been interpreted very differently by different people.
The next election will be an existential fight to save the country we love, a mission I have now been fighting for over 30 years.
After two national election victories in as many years, many people now recognise that it will be a binary choice between Reform UK and Labour.
With…
— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) August 2, 2026
Rupert Lowe was once part of Reform, but the party suspended him after a series of falling outs. Lowe would later found Restore Britain, a party which many commentators believed was exclusively an online phenomenon. Surprising many, the Makerfield by-election showed that Restore Britain could turn Facebook likes into votes.
RES: 3,111 (NEW) – 6.8%
LD: 163 (-2,572) – 0.4%
Changes w/ 2024
58.75% turnout— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) June 19, 2026
The same happened in the Greater Manchester mayor race (Restore at 9%).
Gr. Manchester result (+/- vs May local elections):
Res: 9% ( +9 )
In May's local elections, Labour lost to Reform across the region by a 7pt margin. Tonight they WON by 26pts. pic.twitter.com/q1EPljiDzI
— Stats for Lefties
You’ll note the percentages for Restore Britain aren’t massive. They are impressive for a brand new party, though. And more importantly than that, they show that Lowe can ensure Reform loses even if Restore doesn’t win.
Restore Britain is full of open white nationalists who want to ethnically cleanse the UK. This will make it pretty much impossible for Reform and Restore to work together.
Farage’s response wasn’t a clear refusal to work with Lowe because it didn’t actually mention him or Restore Britain. Reading between the lines, though, Farage was saying that the only realistic option for Restore Britain voters is to switch to Reform. As such, we were surprised to see some outlets suggesting otherwise.
"I understand Reform UK will need the support of people from other parties, as well as millions who have never voted before. That is the broad coalition I am building"
— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) August 2, 2026
As we’ll demonstrate, Farage really does not seem to be open to this.
Farage’s response began as follows (emphasis added):
The next election will be an existential fight to save the country we love, a mission I have now been fighting for over 30 years.
After two national election victories in as many years, many people now recognise that it will be a binary choice between Reform UK and Labour.
With the prospect of an early general election increasingly likely, it is natural that people from across the political spectrum are considering which side of that fight they intend to be on. Patriotic voters believe in many of the same things, but only one party truly has the possibility of delivering change.
Clearly, Farage is saying that Reform and Labour are the uniparty now, and that supporting Restore is pointless.
Have to say, whatever you think of him, Rupert Lowe has done up Nigel Farage like a kipper. Farage wants to tell Lowe where to shove it. But is scared he’s currently too weak to tell him to shove it. So is trying to push him away without looking like he’s pushing him away.
— (((Dan Hodges))) (@DPJHodges) August 2, 2026
Farage continued:
To deliver that change, I understand Reform UK will need the support of people from other parties, as well as millions who have never voted before. That is the broad coalition I am building.
In other words, people who support other parties should defect to Reform.
Farage went on:
Over the last 18 months, I have demonstrated that our movement will always be open to anyone who shares our commitment to restoring Britain’s borders, rebuilding our economy, renewing our democracy and putting the British people first.
My previous history in politics has also shown that I am always prepared to put country before party, as I did in 2019. But I will never turn my back on my team.
Farage is alluding to the fact that he welcomed in ex-Tories — something Lowe has criticised him for. It’s also likely a reference to the fact that some of these politicians are Black and Asian. For reference, this is how ex-Tories Suella Braverman and Nadhim Zahawi responded to Farage’s message:
Agree
https://t.co/QwvAZ3ObtQ
— Suella Braverman (@SuellaBraverman) August 2, 2026
Important & a must read.
https://t.co/JsnTJ8GAb9
— Nadhim Zahawi (@nadhimzahawi) August 2, 2026
And this is how prominent Restore Britain member, Steve Laws, described Reform’s Zia Yusuf two days ago:
Invader trying to sneak past the military in Cueta. pic.twitter.com/0yjPwl5b0x
— Steve Laws
(@Steve_Laws_) August 1, 2026
Reform would have to give politicians like Yusuf the boot to win back Restore Britain voters, and Farage clearly isn’t willing to do that. And as one Farage supporter noted online:
For those saying Farage is wrong not to accept Lowe's offer I say this.
If the owner of a smaller less successful business said to me our organisations should work together, but on their terms, and that I would have to sack my management team, my response would be fuck off.
— Knights Templar "Non Nobis Domine"
(@x_browsing40115) August 2, 2026
Some of the worst people in the world are falling out over all this. The below exchange is between Restore-supporting Dan Wootton and Reform ally, Alex Phillips:
"Tory backers".
Names please.
If you had them it would be a good piece of original journalism, rather than lots of vague mud slinging.— Dan Wootton (@danwootton) August 2, 2026
The terminally clueless Lucy Connolly seems to think that Lowe’s offer was genuine:
Oh my gosh, there is a god
There is not one single word I disagree with in this video, it actually made me emotional.
County before party, our children MUST come first
@reformparty_uk @Nigel_Farage @TiceRichard @LeeAndersonMP_
You all know how much I respect and… https://t.co/yq859iiaJm
— Lucy Connolly (@LucyTCWife) August 2, 2026
However @RupertLowe10 your comments about ex Tories don’t sit well.
You are yourself an ex Tory and still one of the good guys.So @SuellaBraverman @RobertJenrick @LeeAndersonMP_ have to stay. And you have to play nice
You can off the jab pusher though
— Lucy Connolly (@LucyTCWife) August 2, 2026
Connolly also had a hard time deciphering Farage’s message:
So is this a I’m prepared to sit down with Rupert and discuss or an absolutely not?
I can’t decide
https://t.co/BwffQ4KtQJ
— Lucy Connolly (@LucyTCWife) August 2, 2026
Say what you will about Connolly, but she is a good bellwether for what your average Reform/ Restore voter is thinking. Laurence Fox is another who lacks the ability to read between the lines:
Good news.
He’s accepted the first principle.
Hopefully he will update his view on mass deportations to avoid demographic collapse.
Mr. Farage should play his part in uniting the right.
It’s not a one man job.
No more tall poppies.
Build a big tent.
All patriots welcome. https://t.co/tb0v0zDtes
— Laurence Fox (@LozzaFox) August 2, 2026
The fact that Farage is too weak to give an outright ‘no’ is being seen as a victory by some Restore members:
The fact that Farage's response to Rupert Lowe's offer to make amends and work together was not an immediate "No" (as some in Reform's orbit urged) is significant.
Despite the enmity between the two men, both recognise the current situation is regrettable and unsustainable.… https://t.co/QQOWVXxdoY
— Connor Tomlinson (@Con_Tomlinson) August 2, 2026
Commenter Jim Cognito observed the following:
If you really want to know Nigel Farage thinks of Rupert Lowe's offer, don't listen to what he says publicly.
He's in a position of weakness.
Read what he gets his useful idiots & attack dogs, like Raheem Kassam & Darren Grimes to say.
— Jim Cognito (@JimCognito2016) August 2, 2026
Speaking of Raheem Kassam, here’s what he’s saying (as highlighted by Restore member, Carl Benjamin):
He's just given the entire game away. Because of Reform's enmity towards Rupert, they will not work with Restore, no matter what happens to the country. pic.twitter.com/PR3sEUiqWN
— Carl Benjamin
This chaos and in-fighting is exactly what you should want if you oppose Reform and Restore. Restore Britain clearly has the potential to keep Farage out of office. The two parties being at each other’s throats is only going to amplify that potential.
In other words: let them fight.
Featured image via the Times
By Willem Moore
From Canary via This RSS Feed.
The UK has had several big by-elections over the past 12 months, with Reform UK underperforming in all of them. In the most recent, Reform’s underperformance wasn’t the only story; there was also the emergence of Restore Britain.
Now, Restore leader, Rupert Lowe, has called for something of a cooperation pact between the two parties.
What’s really going on here?
The Greater Manchester result showed what Restore Britain can deliver.
The next step is how we maximise the chances of delivering the change Britain needs – it means putting personal differences aside.
That is why today I am making a public offer to Nigel Farage and Reform UK. pic.twitter.com/vwQJYRkEFp
— Rupert Lowe MP (@RupertLowe10) August 2, 2026
Lowe begins his video by talking about the public falling out he had with Farage — a falling out which was followed by Reform unceremoniously sacking him. He then repeats the far-right talking points we’re used to, including a reference to Enoch Powell’s ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech (emphasis added):
The country we both love is changing beyond recognition. Millions of people feel like strangers in their own communities.
Lowe ends his video by saying:
I do not care how that is done. I only care that it is done. So Nigel, my message is simple. If you are prepared to work together around serious policies, serious reform and serious government, then so are we. Not because it’s politically convenient for Restore Britain. Not because it’s personally easy. After the events of the last 18 months, I would certainly rather not be making this offer.
Reading between the lines, Lowe is saying, ‘Adopt all our policies or we will continue to oppose you’. Reform is unlikely to move as far right as Restore, though, because it’s functionally difficult for it to do so.
Reform is open to people who aren’t white, as long as said people are willing to accept the politics of white supremacy. Restore Britain, meanwhile, is full of activists who think that white supremacy belongs to the whites.
Should Reform move further right, it would struggle to hold on to politicians like Suella Braverman, Nadhim Zahawi and Laila Cunningham. The same is true of Restore in reverse, which is why many think Lowe is making his move first.
People have accused Restore of splitting the far-right vote. Now, Lowe can claim he attempted to bridge the divide, even if it’s obvious such a plan would never work.
Reform’s Raheem J. Kassam was among those who noticed what Lowe is doing, saying:
Rupert Lowe, polling nationally on 1%, has made a multi-camera, scripted video asking if he can work with Reform again.
Yep. Instead of sending a text or picking up the phone, he’s done what he’s always done: try and get himself a little attention.
What’s interesting is that Rupert doesn’t actually make a concrete offer in this video.
No, he makes policy DEMANDS of Reform, but doesn’t state what they’d get in return. It’s a total and utter grift, designed to try and make Reform look unreasonable, while actually offering nothing.
“Work together?” What does that look like? Is it an electoral pact? Would he fold Restore? Nah, no specifics, just some more “woe is me” crap and then an ultimatum dressed up in pseudo patriotism.
We trust Kassam about as much as we trust Lowe, but in this instance he’s pointing out the obvious.
Lowe also said:
In my view, failing to even try because of our own personal difficulties is simply not an option. The British people deserve nothing less than our best and sincere efforts to make it happen. Now is the time to put our differences aside and cooperate for the good of the country that we all love.
Let’s be real, the only way Restore could benefit Reform is by standing down completely (much like the Brexit Party did for the Tories in 2019). No one seriously thinks Lowe wants to step aside, but he could be up to something else.
When Lowe founded Restore, the Canary made the following point:
While it’s tempting to think Restore will split the Reform vote, there is another possibility. The spurned Lowe could use Restore as a weapon to damage Reform’s electability, and he could then use that to force Farage out and take control of both parties. This wouldn’t surprise us, as Lowe has already merged with Advance UK — a party formed by Ben Habib — i.e. another of the politicians Farage kicked out of Reform
Commentators like Don McGowan are making similar points today:
The beginning of a hostile takeover from Rupert Lowe?
Farage is finished, we can all see that now. Is Lowe making the first inroads into taking control of Reform UK when Farage, and probably Tice, have to stand away?
This is an interestingly timed interjection. https://t.co/RBFFbNrZfe
— Don McGowan (@donmcgowan) August 2, 2026
As noted, it would be difficult for any politician to combine Reform and Restore into one movement. Restore is too far right for many Reform people; Reform is too centre-right for many in Restore. Lowe is certainly egotistical enough to think he could make it happen, though, and given his many ongoing scandals, it does look like Farage’s days are numbered.
Featured image via Belinda Jiao/ Reuters
By Willem Moore
From Canary via This RSS Feed.
Boy George, the multi-award winning music artist, is a convicted criminal who once falsely imprisoned a sex worker in his home by handcuffing him to a radiator. He’s also pretty much the last celebrity willing to defend the genocidal nation of Israel, and this means the Zionists have no option but to hold him up as some sort of hero.
Boy George is an iconic British superstar.
This week he put out a song to show solidarity with the Jewish people post October 7. It is called We Will Dance Again.
As a result, he has been libelled by almost all British media as “pro genocide”.
He has had to withdraw from…
— Eve Barlow (@Eve_Barlow) August 1, 2026
Zionism is the ideology that dictates Israel must exist as an expansionist colonial state — one which also serves as America’s foothold in the Middle East. Zionists have used this belief to justify the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, as well as the recent expansion into Lebanon. They also use it to justify the criminal mistreatment of Palestinian prisoners, as we’ve reported:
Given the above, it’s no surprise that Israel and Boy George would find common ground. In 2009, the Guardian covered his trial:
Boy George was today sentenced to 15 months in jail for falsely imprisoning a male escort by handcuffing him to a wall and beating him with a metal chain.
The judge told the 47-year-old former Culture Club front man, whose real name is George O’Dowd, he had left the escort “shocked, degraded and traumatised” by the ordeal.
O’Dowd was found guilty last month of attacking the Norwegian model Audun Carlsen, 29, after he visited the singer’s flat in London in April 2007.
Given Boy George’s conviction, it’s frankly reprehensible that Zionists would hold him up as a paragon of human virtue. At this point, though, who’s surprised?
Speaking on the Boy George song that led us here, human rights advocate, Gary Spedding, said:
The [Boy George] song that many (including myself) have been talking about is objectionable because the lyrics dehumanise Palestinians, justify Israel’s crimes against Palestinians, and attack other musicians who have expressed solidarity with Palestinians.
Lyrics that stand out are:
“You say genocide, I say war. When you’re attacked, it’s what the army is for. Does it get ugly? You bet it does. When I know you want to kill every last one of us.”
And
“You condemn the Jews, with selective memory. Musicians holding flags, mouthing like sheep. Propaganda fuelled by the internet feels so weak.”
Accusing Palestinians of wanting to slaughter every last Israeli Jew is dehumanising and racist propaganda that portrays Palestinians as blood thirsty savages. Combine this with the denial that Palestinians are facing a genocide and justifying the IDFs actions in Gaza and we can see a very obvious smear.
His attack on other musicians is blatant and horrendous. He discusses propaganda fuelled by the internet and yet its obvious that Boy George himself has been driven by what hes been absorbing in terms of online content.
Because they’ve no cultural relevance left, Zionists have felt compelled to issue messages like the following:
Boy George, you dared to sing for truth and humanity while others marched with the mob. Now the United Nations must hear you. I intend to make it happen. https://t.co/yD2kTs3iAo
— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) August 1, 2026
Time will tell, and we are people of patience.
I'm with Boy George on this one. https://t.co/e1d22ILP8H
— Ella Ke (@EllaTravelsLove) August 1, 2026
Thank you @BoyGeorge for your moral clarity and normal working brain
https://t.co/d2llttL5eu
— Shelley Blond (@BlondShelley) August 2, 2026
We’re not sure it’s best to describe Boy George as having a “normal working brain” given interactions like the following:
Yo, @BoyGeorge, read the pending community note. pic.twitter.com/EEhQpAFsSK
— Mukhtar (@I_amMukhtar) July 28, 2026
LBChost James Hanson said this:
Whatever your view on Israel’s actions in Gaza, no-one should be cancelled for speaking up for their Jewish friends and writing a song that condemns October 7.
Solidarity with Boy George.https://t.co/43xXrxWpUw
— James Hanson (@jhansonradio) August 1, 2026
If Boy George is ‘cancelled’, it’s not just because he defended a genocide; it’s because in doing so, he drew attention to his past conviction. No one forced him to do that. And let’s be real, the people who are boycotting Boy George today were already functionally boycotting him anyway because he hasn’t been relevant in years.
In case you didn’t already know, Boy George used AI to create the rancid song in question. In other words, everything about this story is grim and unnecessary, which is the most accurate description of where the Zionists are in this current moment.
Featured image via Astrida Valigorsky/ Getty Images
By Willem Moore
From Canary via This RSS Feed.
