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Telegraph
a day ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
First town to be twinned with Gaza in solidarity ‘against genocide'
A council has become the first in Britain to twin with Gaza in solidarity with Palestinians in the territory. Hastings borough council, which is controlled by the Green Party, voted to twin with Al-Mawasi, a town in Gaza near Rafah in a move criticised by Jewish groups for its anti-Semitic tone. At the meeting where the decision was made, several councillors drew comparisons between Israeli attacks on Gaza and the Holocaust. This was despite the official International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of anti-Semitism saying that 'drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis' is such an example. Hastings council, which covers an area with high deprivation, adopted the IHRA definition in 2020, despite long-running opposition from some Labour councillors. The resolution by the council means it will enter a partnership – including fundraising, political support and raising awareness of issues in Al-Mawasi. This is despite concerns raised by other councillors over whether Hamas has control of the area. The Hastings motion, proposed by Cllr Yunis Smith of the Greens, passed with 14 votes in favour, three against, and 11 abstentions, the majority of which were Labour councillors. In his speech to the council, Cllr Smith, a Muslim convert, said: 'We all remember the haunting images from the Holocaust, the rise and fall of the Nazi regime, and we ask how the world stood by, I say to you now, don't look away. 'Don't let history repeat itself on our watch. Let never again mean never again.' Cllr Mike Turner, an independent, explicitly referred to the Holocaust, saying: 'This is a very similar situation. It's the same old story. Powerful people make decisions and little kids die.' Cllr John Rankin, a fellow independent, compared the situation in Gaza to the Blitz, urging councillors to 'remember what it's like when children live in fear'. Cllr John Cannan, also an independent, defended the activities of Palestine Action – the group recently proscribed and known for vandalism and abuse targeting Jewish-owned and Israel-linked businesses. Independent Cllr Simon Willis, whose family fled Nazi persecution, also made reference to the Holocaust, telling the chamber: 'This is what genocide looks like.' Some in the meeting warned that the debate risked inflaming community tensions. Cllr Helen Kay said the motion 'goes way beyond the remit of local councillors to serve our residents in such areas as improving housing, bin collections [and] fly tipping'. Dany Louise from Hastings's Jewish community said: 'The meeting was horrifically anti-Semitic and is deeply concerning for Hastings's Jewish community. The area is one of the most deprived in the country and we ought to be focusing on our local community – not wading into divisive political issues.' Alex Hearn, of Labour Against Antisemitism, said: 'Hastings is one of the most deprived areas in the country. But instead of addressing the urgent problems facing constituents, the council chose to obsess about a conflict thousands of miles away. 'Their inflammatory rhetoric was irresponsible and not only fails the very small Jewish community but further isolates and alienates them. Hastings council needs to do better for all its citizens.'
BreakingNews.ie
2 days ago
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
MP Diane Abbott suspended from Labour Party over comments about racism
MP Diane Abbott has been suspended from the UK Labour Party for a second time, a spokesperson said, after she doubled down on comments about racism for which she had previously apologised. She has been 'administratively suspended' while the party investigates. Advertisement The move means the whip is automatically suspended in the UK House of Commons for the Hackney North and Stoke Newington MP, it is understood. 'Diane Abbott has been administratively suspended from the Labour Party, pending an investigation. We cannot comment further while this investigation is ongoing,' a Labour Party spokesperson said. Ms Abbott was suspended by the Labour Party in 2023 after writing a letter to the Observer comparing racism experienced by people of colour with that seen by other groups. She apologised for any anguish caused by the remarks, which drew criticism from Jewish and Traveller groups, and was readmitted to the party before the 2024 general election. Advertisement But in a new interview with BBC Radio 4's Reflections programme, she said she did not look back on the incident with regret. 'No, not at all,' she told the BBC. 'Clearly, there must be a difference between racism which is about colour and other types of racism, because you can see a Traveller or a Jewish person walking down the street, you don't know. 'You don't know unless you stop to speak to them or you're in a meeting with them. Advertisement 'But if you see a black person walking down the street, you see straight away that they're black. They are different types of racism.' She added: 'I just think that it's silly to try and claim that racism which is about skin colour is the same as other types of racism.' Diane Abbott lost the whip in April 2023 (Lucy North/PA) Ms Abbott posted a clip of her BBC interview after news of her suspension emerged. She did not respond to a request for comment. UK deputy prime minister Angela Rayner was asked if she was disappointed by the comments. Advertisement 'I was. There's no place for antisemitism in the Labour Party, and obviously the Labour Party has processes for that,' she told The Guardian. 'Diane had reflected on how she'd put that article together, and said that 'was not supposed to be the version', and now to double down and say 'Well, actually I didn't mean that. I actually meant what I originally said', I think is a real challenge.'Ms Abbott is the longest-serving female MP in the Commons, having entered Parliament in 1987, and holds the honorary title of Mother of the House. She lost the whip in April 2023 after her letter to the Observer, sparking a long-running process during which she sat as an Independent MP for about a year while an internal investigation took place. She was readmitted as a Labour MP shortly before the 2024 election. Advertisement Ms Abbott suggested in the letter that Jewish, Irish and Traveller people experience prejudice, but not racism. She withdrew the remarks the same day and apologised 'for any anguish caused'. In the newly released BBC interview, she said she was 'grateful' to be a Labour MP, but that she was sure the party leadership had been 'trying to get me out'.
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Times
Occupied Territories Bill: Irish voters grow more cautious, poll shows
Voters have become more cautious on the Occupied Territories Bill in recent months, with almost half of all voters now favouring either not passing the Bill or investigating the possible consequences for Ireland before passing it. Just one-fifth of voters (20 per cent) say the Bill should be passed quickly, with a further 14 per cent saying its scope should be expanded and it should be passed quickly. About 38 per cent of people, however, say the Government 'should investigate possible consequences for Ireland before passing the Bill', while a further 10 per cent are opposed to passing the Bill at all. The Bill, which is being discussed by the Oireachtas foreign affairs committee and is due before the Dáil in the autumn, would ban trade in goods with the occupied Palestinian territories. READ MORE Pro-Palestine activists and Opposition parties want the Government to include a ban on trade in services – which Ministers have said they are open to examining. However, the Bill has been fiercely criticised as anti-Semitic by the Israeli government, by US politicians and by representatives of Jewish groups in Ireland, not least because it singles out Israel among participants in many global conflicts. There is significant nervousness in Government about the possible economic consequences of passing the legislation. There is also strong support, however, for the Palestinians and a sense that Ireland is taking a leading role in the EU in advocating on their behalf. Today's poll suggests that the public has shifted towards a more cautious position. When the subject was raised in the last Irish Times poll in April, a small majority of those who expressed a view said the Government should introduce the Bill as soon as possible, outnumbering those who favoured either pausing or dropping it altogether. Today's poll shows the balance has shifted. The 'net pass' number – including those who want the Bill passed as it is now or with the inclusion of services – is 34 per cent; the 'net don't pass' number – including those who want to wait and consider the consequences and those who want to drop it altogether – is 48 per cent. [ Taoiseach rejects US politicians' claims that Occupied Territories Bill is 'diplomatic intoxication' Opens in new window ] The poll was conducted among a representative sample of adults aged 18 years and upwards across 120 sampling points throughout all constituencies. The Irish Times/Ipsos B & A series is conducted through face-to-face sampling; personal in-home interviewing took place on July 14th and 15th. The number of interviews conducted was 1,200. The accuracy is estimated at plus or minus 2.8 per cent. Meanwhile, head of employers' group Ibec , Danny McCoy, citing concerns about the consequences for business, said the Bill was 'hypocritical'. 'We're not talking about millions here,' he declared. 'This is not about actually helping in any material way. It's symbolism and moral positioning, and so on. However, with moral positions, you can also reveal hypocrisy.' Ireland's stand on Israel is 'well intentioned', he said, but it is 'causing us significant damage. Quantifying it is really difficult, but we know it is going to have consequences'. [ Irish Times poll: Shift in public mood noted on Occupied Territories Bill Opens in new window ] The head of Amnesty International has urged Ireland to resist 'bullying' from the US and pass the Bill, which she said would be a 'precedent', in the autumn. After meetings with Taoiseach Micheál Martin, President Michael D Higgins and Attorney General Rossa Fanning, Agnes Callamard told The Irish Times she believed the Government's assessment was that the costs would be 'minimal' . 'I felt that there was a prudent recognition that the cost could be handled,' Ms Callamard said. 'That it is not something that will be a determining factor.'
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Times
Occupied Territories Bill: Irish citizens grow more cautious
Voters have become more cautious on the Occupied Territories Bill in recent months, with almost half of all voters now favouring either not passing the Bill or investigating the possible consequences for Ireland before passing it. Just one-fifth of voters (20 per cent) say the Bill should be passed quickly, with a further 14 per cent saying its scope should be expanded and it should be passed quickly. About 38 per cent of people, however, say the Government 'should investigate possible consequences for Ireland before passing the Bill', while a further 10 per cent are opposed to passing the Bill at all. The Bill, which is being discussed by the Oireachtas foreign affairs committee and is due before the Dáil in the autumn, would ban trade in goods with the occupied Palestinian territories. READ MORE Pro-Palestine activists and Opposition parties want the Government to include a ban on trade in services – which ministers have said they are open to examining. However, the Bill has been fiercely criticised as anti-Semitic by the Israeli government, by US politicians and by representatives of Jewish groups in Ireland, not least because it singles out Israel among participants in many global conflicts. There is significant nervousness in Government about the possible economic consequences of passing the legislation. There is also strong support, however, for the Palestinians and a sense that Ireland is taking a leading role in the EU in advocating on their behalf. Today's poll suggests that the public has shifted towards a more cautious position. When the subject was raised in the last Irish Times poll in April, a small majority of those who expressed a view said the Government should introduce the Bill as soon as possible, outnumbering those who favoured either pausing or dropping it altogether. Today's poll shows the balance has shifted. The 'net pass' number – including those who want the bill passed as it is now or with the inclusion of services – is 34 per cent; the 'net don't pass' number – including those who want to wait and consider the consequences and those who want to drop it altogether – is 48 per cent. [ Taoiseach rejects US politicians' claims that Occupied Territories Bill is 'diplomatic intoxication' Opens in new window ] The poll was conducted among a representative sample of adults aged 18 years and upwards across 120 sampling points throughout all constituencies. The Irish Times/Ipsos B & A series is conducted through face-to-face sampling; personal in-home interviewing took place on July 14th and 15th. The number of interviews conducted was 1,200. The accuracy is estimated at plus or minus 2.8 per cent. Meanwhile, head of employers' group Ibec , Danny McCoy, citing concerns about the consequences for business, said the Bill was 'hypocritical'. 'We're not talking about millions here,' he declared. 'This is not about actually helping in any material way. It's symbolism and moral positioning, and so on. However, with moral positions, you can also reveal hypocrisy.' Ireland's stand on Israel is 'well intentioned', he said, but it is 'causing us significant damage. Quantifying it is really difficult, but we know it is going to have consequences'. [ Irish Times poll: Shift in public mood noted on Occupied Territories Bill Opens in new window ] The head of Amnesty International has urged Ireland to resist 'bullying' from the US and pass the Bill in the autumn, which she said would be a 'precedent'. After meetings with Taoiseach Micheál Martin, President Michael D Higgins and the Attorney General Rossa Fanning, Agnes Callamard told The Irish Times she believed the Government's assessment was that the costs would be 'minimal' . 'I felt that there was a prudent recognition that the cost could be handled,' Ms Callamard said. 'That it is not something that will be a determining factor.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Diane Abbott suspended again by the Labour Party over race row letter
Diane Abbott has been suspended by the Labour Party over her claiming she stood by a controversial letter she wrote in 2023 comparing different types of racism based on colour. A Labour Party spokesperson said: 'Diane Abbott has been administratively suspended from the Labour Party, pending an investigation. We cannot comment further while this investigation is ongoing.' The move means the whip is automatically suspended in the House of Commons for the Hackney North and Stoke Newington MP, it is understood. Ms Abbott was suspended from the parliamentary Labour Party in 2023 after writing a letter to The Observer comparing racism experienced by people of colour with that seen by other groups. She apologised for any anguish caused by the remarks, which drew criticism from Jewish and Traveller groups, and was readmitted to the party before the 2024 general election. Diane Abbott speaking at the People's Assembly Against Austerity protest in central London (PA) But speaking to BBC Radio 4's Reflections on Thursday, she said she did not look back on the incident with regret. Ms Abbott told the programme: 'Clearly, there must be a difference between racism, which is about colour, and other types of racism because you can see a Traveller or a Jewish person walking down the street, you don't know. 'I just think that it's silly to try and claim that racism, which is about skin colour, is the same as other types of racism. 'I don't know why people would say that.' She apologised for any anguish caused by the remarks that drew criticism from Jewish and Traveller groups. The suspension comes less than 24 hours after the suspension of four left-wing rebels as Sir Keir Starmer attempts to reassert his authority. The mother of the House, as the longest-serving female MP in the Commons, having entered Parliament in 1987, said she got a 'bit weary' about people labelling her antisemitic and said she had 'spent a lifetime fighting racism of all kinds'. She said she was 'grateful' to be a Labour MP but was sure the party leadership had been 'trying to get me out'. Ms Abbott is a close ally of former leader Jeremy Corbyn, who is now an independent MP having been expelled from the party. He is currently setting up a new party with another former Labour rebel, Zarah Sultana. Ms Abbott served as Mr Corbyn's shadow home secretary and has been a noted anti-racism campaigner. However, she became embroiled in antisemitism allegations over her attitudes to Israel, an issue which has split the party. One ally, Shami Chakrabarti, questioned whether the current Labour leadership, which has been accused of using the language of right-wing former Tory MP Enoch Powell over immigration, is fit to pass judgement on Ms Abbott. She said: "People who are writing island of strangers speeches should be a bit slow to sit in judgement on Diane Abbott, who has been fighting racism all her life.' Another ally, journalist Owen Jones, posted: 'It is absolutely absurd that Diane Abbott was suspended for this. She's describing the lived experience of anti-Black racism. She wasn't saying Jewish people and Travellers don't experience racism. She's saying that racism takes different forms.' The Independent has contacted Ms Abbott for comment.
