Latest news with #StephenFlynn
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
After England's Euros win, the teardrop explodes
Last year, Stephen Flynn, the Commons SNP leader, posted a joke picture of himself pretending to cry when England's men's team were defeated by Spain in the Euros. Will Flynn, known for his Pavlovian anti-English sporting sentiment, now be crying real tears (Euros win one of the most magnificent heists in the history of English sport, 27 July)? Let's hope RedfernMelrose, Roxburghshire Jonathan Liew's piece really conjures up the emotion and mood of the Women's Euro 2025 final. He writes lyrically and almost poetically. He has to be the football equivalent of rugby union's Eddie CooperFlackwell Heath, Buckinghamshire Having been entertained by our national team and their successes for some years, I wonder when they will they stop being Lionesses and become England?David HumphreysArnside, Cumbria When I was at primary school, we were encouraged to gain confidence in oral communication by various means (Another way we are failing an entire generation: we must teach young people to speak, 24 July). As a 10-year-old I was asked to read a short speech in assembly. I was told to 'speak to the clock at the back of the room'. I don't think the clock was Polly BirdBedlington, Northumberland When listing artificial intelligence's triumphs over man, you forgot perhaps the most important game: rock, paper, scissors (Competition shows humans are still better than AI at coding – just, 26 July). Pete LavenderWoodthorpe, Nottinghamshire Have an opinion on anything you've read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
The Independent
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Stephen Flynn jokes he'll be ‘washing hair' when Donald Trump visits Scotland
Stephen Flynn joked he will be washing his hair when Donald Trump visits the UK. The Scottish National Party's (SNP) Westminster leader, who is bald, told Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg that he will find "any excuse possible" to avoid meeting the US president on his trip to Scotland. While insisting it was 'absolutely right' that First Minister John Swinney meets Mr Trump, Mr Flynn quipped that he'd be 'looking after his own toddlers' while the Republican is in the country.
Shafaq News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Gaza starvation toll hits 133 as global protests demand aid
Shafaq News – Gaza Six more Palestinians, including two children, died from starvation in the past 24 hours, raising Gaza's hunger-related death toll to 133—87 of them children—according to the Health Ministry. Dr. Munir al-Barsh, the ministry's Director-General, warned that delays in aid and medical evacuations are accelerating Gaza's collapse and costing lives. 'Every delay is measured in funerals,' he declared, urging the immediate evacuation of critical patients—especially those with brain and spinal injuries—and the urgent entry of infant formula, therapeutic nutrition, glucose, IV antibiotics, and basic proteins. He emphasized that a humanitarian truce must function as a lifeline, not a pause. The worsening crisis has sparked protests worldwide, including a demonstration in London where thousands placed over 1,000 pots and pans outside the prime minister's office to honor those who died searching for food, prompting clashes and arrests. Protesters blocked streets in Paris demanding a ceasefire and aid access, while rallies in Berlin targeted the Egyptian Embassy and Defense Ministry. Demonstrations also erupted in Yaffa, New York, Morocco, Mauritania, Jordan, Yemen, and Tunisia. Amid mounting pressure, France confirmed it will officially recognize the State of Palestine at the UN General Assembly on September 21, joining Spain, Ireland, and Norway—a move swiftly condemned by Israel and the United States. In the UK, the Scottish National Party vowed to force a parliamentary vote on recognition, with party leader Stephen Flynn accusing both major parties of moral failure and insisting recognition is 'an obligation, not an option.' In Australia, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese denounced Israel's blockade as a violation of international law and referenced the emaciated infant Muhammad Zakariya Ayyoub al-Matouq as a symbol of 'Gaza's agony,' arguing that starving children are not threatening Israel's existence. While Canberra has yet to formally recognize Palestine, Albanese said the step remains under consideration 'at the appropriate time.' Israel continues to assert that sufficient aid is reaching Gaza and faults the UN for poor distribution, a claim UN agencies reject, citing severe Israeli restrictions. Since October 7, 2023, Gaza's Health Ministry reported that more than 59,800 Palestinians—mostly women and children—have been killed, while military operations persist and humanitarian corridors remain tightly controlled despite resumed convoys and limited airdrops.
The Journal
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Journal
Scottish party to force Palestine recognition vote as UK government faces pressure on Gaza
THE SCOTTISH NATIONAL Party (SNP) is threatening to bring the fight over Palestinian statehood to Parliament in the UK, aiming to corner Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the issue. Stephen Flynn, the SNP leader, said he would table a 'Palestine Recognition Bill' in the Commons when UK parliament returns from recess unless the Prime Minister changes his position. It comes after 221 MPs – the majority Labour, along with Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, SNP, Greens, Plaid Cymru, SDLP and Independents – signed a letter calling on the Government to take the step. Starmer has faced mounting pressure after French President Emmanuel Macron announced France would formally recognise Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September, amid global anger at starvation in Gaza. The SNP said it would table the Bill to coincide with the gathering of world leaders, and Flynn said the Government could not 'stand idly by in the face of what is happening'. The UK Prime Minister has committed to recognising Palestinian statehood, but said it must be part of a peace process in the Middle East. Advertisement 'Unless Keir Starmer stops blocking UK recognition of Palestine, the SNP will introduce a Palestine Recognition Bill when Parliament returns in September and force a vote if necessary,' Flynn said. Stephen Flynn said the Government could not 'stand idly by'. PA PA He added: 'Keir Starmer must stop defending the indefensible, finally find a backbone and demand that Israel ends its war now.' Close attention will be paid to how any potential vote plays out, after the Uk parliament descended into chaos last February when the SNP used one of its Opposition Day Debates to press for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Labour, then the official opposition, responded by tabling an amendment to the motion with different wording, and the then-Tory government put forward a separate one calling for an 'immediate humanitarian pause'. Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle came under fire at the time for breaking with convention to select both the Labour and Government, which he said was to give MPs the 'widest range' of options to consider. The SNP said they were being denied an opportunity to have a vote on their motion, which was originally meant to be the focus of the debate, and the Speaker later apologised.
Al Arabiya
3 days ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
UK party threatens to ‘force vote' on recognizing Palestinian state
A minor opposition party in the British parliament on Sunday threatened to bring forward legislation on recognizing Palestinian statehood and 'force a vote' if Prime Minister Keir Starmer continues to oppose the mov e. The Scottish National Party (SNP), which pushes for the independence of Scotland, said it would table a 'Palestine Recognition Bill' when parliament returns after its summer recess if Starmer did not change his position. The prime minister has committed to recognizing Palestinian statehood but said it must be part of a peace process in the Middle East. The SNP threat comes after more than 220 British MPs, including dozens from Starmer's ruling Labour party, demanded Friday that the UK government follow France and recognize a Palestinian state. The call, in a letter signed by lawmakers from nine UK political parties, came less than 24 hours after French President Emmanuel Macron said that his country would formally do so at a UN meeting in September. 'Unless Keir Starmer stops blocking UK recognition of Palestine, the SNP will introduce a Palestine Recognition Bill when Parliament returns in September and force a vote if necessary,' said Stephen Flynn, SNP's leader in the UK parliament. 'Keir Starmer must stop defending the indefensible, finally find a backbone and demand that Israel ends its war now,' he added. If France formally recognizes a Palestinian state it would be the first G7 country -- and the most powerful European nation to date -- to make the move. Starmer has come under rising domestic and international pressure over recognizing Palestinian statehood, as opposition intensifies to the ongoing war in Gaza amid fears of mass starvation there. The UK leader on Saturday spoke to his French and German counterparts and outlined UK plans to airdrop aid to people in Gaza and evacuate sick and injured children, his office said. The SNP holds nine seats in the 650-seat UK parliament.
