Latest news with #JonTrickett
Telegraph
5 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Rebel Labour MPs back Corbyn over Gaza
Labour rebels have backed Jeremy Corbyn over a campaign to launch an inquiry into the UK's involvement in the war in Gaza. Eight of the party's MPs have joined its former leader to call for a Chilcot-style hearing, held to examine Britain's involvement in the 2003 war in Iraq, into the role of the UK Government in the conflict. Mr Corbyn, who now sits as an independent MP, said history was 'repeating itself' and that Britain had 'played a highly influential role in Israel's military operations'. He made the call in a parliamentary motion, backed by figures including veteran Labour MPs Diane Abbott and Jon Trickett, demanding a 'comprehensive inquiry with the legal power to establish the truth'. Only around 35 members of the Commons and the Lords have signed the motion, making it extremely unlikely to pass. However, it demonstrates the continued frustration among some backbenchers about what they perceive as an insufficiently tough stance on the actions of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, in the war. Israel is under growing pressure from the international community to end its war against Hamas, which was launched after the terror group massacred around 1,200 Israelis on Oct 7 2023. Last month, David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, suspended trade negotiations with Israel in protest at the expansion of its military's ground operation in Gaza, which he called 'an affront to the values of British people'. In a speech to MPs, he said Israel's 'egregious' policies in Gaza and the West Bank were 'damaging' Britain's relationship with the country. Some Labour MPs have demanded a complete arms embargo, an idea ruled out by Mr Lammy in the past, as well as sanctions on Mr Netanyahu and his ministers. More than 40 MPs have signed a letter urging the Foreign Secretary to address allegations that the UK has continued to export military equipment to Israel, despite suspending some arms export licences. A Foreign Office spokesman said that the 'relevant licences for the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] that might be used to commit or facilitate violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza' had been suspended. They added that the 'vast majority' of the remaining licences for Israel were for 'civilian purposes or re-export', other than the F-35 fighter jet programme 'due to its strategic role in Nato and wider implications for international peace and security'. New military tactics by Israeli forces involving massive air strikes, along with food and aid shortages, have sapped goodwill from European allies. Mr Corbyn said an inquiry was needed to 'establish exactly what decisions have been taken, how these decisions have been made, and what consequences they have had'. His motion added: 'Many people believe that the Government has taken decisions that have implicated officials in the gravest breaches of international law '.
Telegraph
7 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
George Orwell's magazine taken over by Muslim TV channel founder
George Orwell 's former magazine has been taken over by the founder of a Muslim TV channel. Tribune has traditionally been a key publication for the Labour movement, and Orwell served as literary editor for the magazine, which published leading writers including HG Wells and George Bernard Shaw. The magazine, founded in 1937, has now been acquired by Mohamed Ali Harrath, chairman of the E Media Group, which owns the Islam Channel. The channel, which was fined £40,000 by Ofcom in 2023 for broadcasting content the regulator found to be 'anti-Semitic' and 'highly offensive', is now run by Mr Harrath's son Mohamed Harrath, who acts as chief executive. Mohamed Ali Harrath will serve as chairman for the newly acquired Tribune magazine, for which Labour MP Jon Trickett acts as an editorial adviser. He said: 'A new future for Tribune should excite anyone who wants real change, and a better and brighter future for all. 'The editorial independence and the tradition of Tribune are assured, and I'm confident that it can become an even more powerful voice for the entire progressive Left, whether inside or outside the Labour Party, as well as for the huge numbers who feel they have no voice in politics and public life.' Mr Harrath was granted refugee status by the UK in 2000 after fleeing Tunisia, where he had established the Tunisian Islamic Front, intended to provide non-violent opposition to Ben Ali's dictatorship. He founded the Islam Channel in 2004. The Islam Channel announced the news of the new magazine acquisition, stating that the new deal for ownership of Tribune would continue a 'proud tradition of anti-fascism, anti-imperialism, and advocacy for peace and equality'. Tribune plans to produce more issues than its current quarterly output, while also 'pursuing an ambitious expansion of its editorial mission', according to an editorial message on the magazine's website. Mr Trickett, chairman of the Tribune advisory board, has welcomed the takeover. He said: 'The UK is crying out for an alternative to the establishment media. The scourge of growing poverty alongside extreme wealth should be at the top of the news agenda. 'The voices of socialists, trade unionists, anti-racists, peace campaigners and anti-imperialists need to be heard far more loudly and clearly.' The takeover comes after the Islam Channel was sanctioned by Ofcom for broadcasting the documentary The Andinia Plan, the name of a conspiracy theory that claims Jews made plans to establish a state in South America. Ofcom found that the 'the theme of a world Jewish conspiracy is one which incites, promotes and justifies hatred based on anti-Semitism and anti-Israeli feeling across the globe, including in the UK'. The channel has also been the subject of a complaint to Ofcom by Dr Taj Hargey, the director of the Oxford Institute for British Islam. Dr Hargey, regarded as a liberal thinker within British Islam, has claimed that the channel consistently portrays Islam as under siege from an oppressive West, and presents Hamas, Iran and Islamist Jihadi groups as legitimate 'resistance' movements against Western democracies. Ofcom said that it is 'assessing the complaints against our rules, but are yet to decide whether or not to investigate'. The Islam Channel denied the accusations in an April rebuttal, adding that 'for many years, Islam Channel has been under sustained attack from elements of the UK media'.
Telegraph
21-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Labour Left backs Rayner's demand to tax savers
Left-wing Labour MPs have backed Angela Rayner's push for a new tax raid on savers. The Telegraph revealed the Deputy Prime Minister sent a secret memo to Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, in which she proposed eight tax increases. They included reinstating the pensions lifetime allowance and changing dividend taxes. She also suggested new raids on the million people who pay the additional rate of income tax and a higher corporation tax level for the banks. The emergence of the memo prompted an immediate backlash from Labour's political opponents but some of the party's MPs supported Ms Rayner. Andy McDonald, a Labour MP who served as Jeremy Corbyn's shadow transport secretary, told The Telegraph: 'My sense is that a lot of Labour MPs are concerned that the Chancellor's fiscal rules and spending cut proposals hit those on lower incomes. 'Proposals to increase tax revenue from the wealthy would make tax fairer and support public services. 'Ideas outlined such as increasing tax rates on dividend income so they're in line with income tax, something which should be done with capital gains tax too, would target a small number of wealthy people and bring in vital tax revenue.' Jon Trickett, a Labour MP who was Mr Corbyn's shadow business secretary, told The Telegraph: 'The leadership's fiscal strategy is a stale version of Treasury orthodoxy. 'Attacks on poor communities, pensioners and working people should never be a part of Labour's armoury. 'There needs to be an open debate not a clandestine one in closed rooms at the top but at all levels of the Labour movement which reasserts our Labour values.' Ms Rayner's memo amounts to a direct challenge to the Chancellor's approach this year of using spending cuts rather than tax rises to fill the black hole in the nation's finances.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
DWP admits thousands of Pension Credit claims 'outstanding' after sign-up drive
More than 50,000 pension-age Brits have still not received their Winter Fuel Payment, despite getting their applications for Pension Credit in by a government-imposed deadline. Labour made the decision to means-test the help with heating costs to just those claiming the benefit almost seven months ago, causing a huge 145 per cent increase in claims. Due to this surge in applications, partially driven by a large sign-up campaign, officials at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) were left with weeks to process more than 150,000 applications by the December 21 cutoff for the Winter Fuel Payment. It emerged last week that over 92,000 claims (60%) had not been reviewed by this date. With thousands of older people waiting to hear back on their claims for the benefit, which tops your State Pension income up to a minimum level, backbench Labour MP Jon Trickett asked the DWP just how many Pension Credit claims were still outstanding. READ MORE: Martin Lewis says 3 million Brits have 'lost' pensions but shares how to track them down This revealed that officials had managed to review over 30,000 more claims in just the past three weeks - meaning 41 per cent of all claims since the Chancellor's announcement are still outstanding. Responding to the written question, newly-minted DWP Under-Secretary for Pensions Torsten Bell MP said: "61,866 claims made before December 22 remained outstanding as of 19 January 2025. This includes 6,712 advanced claims." While these advanced claims were submitted by people yet to reach State Pension age and are therefore ineligible for the £200 to £300 cash assistance with heating bills, 55,154 claimants are still waiting to hear back on their Pension Credit application. Guidance from the DWP states that any claims submitted before last year's December 21 cutoff will still receive their backdated Winter Fuel Payment by January 29 - but with tens of thousands of older Brits still waiting to have their claim processed, it is not clear when they will get this much-needed financial boost. There are still thought to be around half a million eligible pensioners who are missing out on Pension Credit, which is worth around £3900 on average. This benefit is designed to raise incomes to a minimum level, with a threshold of £218 per week for individuals and £332 for couples.
