Ah, Tories in bed with the country who are funding the current Terror we're suffering around the world, and folk are still wrapped up in JC quest for peace in Ireland many years ago.
****ing delusional
****ing delusional
Off Topic General election
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Austerity has strangled Britain. Only Labour will consign it to history
Joseph Stiglitz
Neoliberalism was a creature of the Reagan and Thatcher era. Austerity is its death rattle. Before it does any more damage, Britain needs a plan for growth
A People’s Assembly protest about energy bills in 2013. Photograph: Photofusion/Rex Features
Under Ronald Reagan in the United States and Margaret Thatcher in the UK, there was a rewriting of the basic rules of capitalism. These two governments changed the rules governing labour bargaining, weakening trade unions; and they weakened anti-trust enforcement, allowing more monopolies to be created. In our economy today we can see industries with one or two or three firms with market power. This gives them the power to raise prices – and as they raise prices, people’s incomes fall, in terms of what they can buy.
Changes to how our corporations are governed have allowed chief executives to take a larger and larger fraction of the corporate pie, leaving less and less to be reinvested in the company, and less to pay to workers. Monetary policy has been conducted with a focus on inflation rather than on employment.
Over three decades later, it is clear that the rules were rewritten in ways that slowed our economy. These changes encourage financialisation, with firms chasing only profits; and they promote short-termism, with companies unwilling to invest over the longer term. Both contribute to this slowdown. And as the economy has grown more slowly, it has been divided more unequally.
The set of ideas that came to dominate has been called neoliberalism. By boosting inequality and a dependency on finance, the ideas of neoliberalism fed directly into the crash of 2008. The ideas have now been shown to be wrong, to have failed for over a third of a century. It’s time for us to think about alternatives.
Put simply, there needs to be an appropriate balance between government and market. When an economy is weak, as it has been in recent years, there is a need for governments to invest in people, technology and infrastructure. This not only grows the economy today, but also in the future.
Instead, since the crash, many governments have turned to austerity. Across Europe, and in Britain, they have tried frantically to cut their spending, allegedly to repay debts run up as a result of the crisis.
Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher in 1984. Photograph: Bettmann/Bettmann Archive
The idea that government debt is a particular burden has a kind of intuitive appeal. The former Conservative chancellor George Osborne would talk about “maxing out the credit card”, so governments would have to balance the books, and couldn’t borrow. But an economy is different from a family. In an economy, when the government spends more and invests in the economy, that money circulates, and recirculates again and again. So not only does it create jobs once: the investment creates jobs multiple times.
The result of that is that the economy grows by a multiple of the initial spending, and public finances turn out to be stronger: as the economy grows, fiscal revenues increase, and demands for the government to pay unemployment benefits, or fund social programmes to help the poor and needy, go down. As tax revenues go up as a result of growth, and as these expenditures decrease, the government’s fiscal position strengthens.
Austerity has the opposite impact. The evidence on this point is very clear. Austerity has not only damaged the European economies, including the UK, but actually threatens future growth. For instance, when you have young people not learning, or in jobs inappropriate to their skills, they’re not increasing their human capital in the way they could be. Without that human capital, future economic growth will be lower than it could have been. It is remarkable that there are still governments, including here in the UK, that still believe in austerity.
Paul Krugman: The austerity delusion
Read moreThere is a need for a break with the past. With neoliberalism discredited and austerity failed, we need to rewrite the rules of the economy once again. But this time in the right way. We need rules that focus on long-term economic growth, and the only kind of sustainable prosperity is shared prosperity.
Even if you have to borrow, if the value of your investments – in people, in technology, in infrastructure – increases, then the economy is in a stronger position for the future. Focusing only on the debt side of the balance sheet misses this, and damages the economy.
There’s a long list of investments that governments could and should be making. There is strengthening infrastructure, such as transport and communications; there is investment in education; there is investment in families, particularly putting measures in place that free women from having to make the choice between raising a family and work. If that is done, it increases the labour supply. And that is not only better for society – it’s better for the economy.
In this election, it is Labour that is advocating the kind of economic plan that is right for the UK. I’ve been impressed with how the party proposes to finance its plans: it’s not on the basis of “magic money”, but on carefully thought-out proposals based on taxing those at the top and ensuring that corporations pay what they should. The evidence shows that these actions will not slow down growth but will help strengthen the UK economy.
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Neoliberalism was a creature of the Reagan and Thatcher era. Austerity is its death rattle. Before it does any more damage, Britain needs a plan for growth
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A People’s Assembly protest about energy bills in 2013. Photograph: Photofusion/Rex Features
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T
he choice facing the voters in this election is clear – between more failed austerity or a Labour party advancing an economic agenda that is right for the UK. To understand why Labour is right, we first need to look back to the 1980s.Under Ronald Reagan in the United States and Margaret Thatcher in the UK, there was a rewriting of the basic rules of capitalism. These two governments changed the rules governing labour bargaining, weakening trade unions; and they weakened anti-trust enforcement, allowing more monopolies to be created. In our economy today we can see industries with one or two or three firms with market power. This gives them the power to raise prices – and as they raise prices, people’s incomes fall, in terms of what they can buy.
Changes to how our corporations are governed have allowed chief executives to take a larger and larger fraction of the corporate pie, leaving less and less to be reinvested in the company, and less to pay to workers. Monetary policy has been conducted with a focus on inflation rather than on employment.
Austerity has not only damaged the European economies, including the UK, but actually threatens future growth
The set of ideas that came to dominate has been called neoliberalism. By boosting inequality and a dependency on finance, the ideas of neoliberalism fed directly into the crash of 2008. The ideas have now been shown to be wrong, to have failed for over a third of a century. It’s time for us to think about alternatives.
Put simply, there needs to be an appropriate balance between government and market. When an economy is weak, as it has been in recent years, there is a need for governments to invest in people, technology and infrastructure. This not only grows the economy today, but also in the future.
Instead, since the crash, many governments have turned to austerity. Across Europe, and in Britain, they have tried frantically to cut their spending, allegedly to repay debts run up as a result of the crisis.
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Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher in 1984. Photograph: Bettmann/Bettmann Archive
The idea that government debt is a particular burden has a kind of intuitive appeal. The former Conservative chancellor George Osborne would talk about “maxing out the credit card”, so governments would have to balance the books, and couldn’t borrow. But an economy is different from a family. In an economy, when the government spends more and invests in the economy, that money circulates, and recirculates again and again. So not only does it create jobs once: the investment creates jobs multiple times.
The result of that is that the economy grows by a multiple of the initial spending, and public finances turn out to be stronger: as the economy grows, fiscal revenues increase, and demands for the government to pay unemployment benefits, or fund social programmes to help the poor and needy, go down. As tax revenues go up as a result of growth, and as these expenditures decrease, the government’s fiscal position strengthens.
Austerity has the opposite impact. The evidence on this point is very clear. Austerity has not only damaged the European economies, including the UK, but actually threatens future growth. For instance, when you have young people not learning, or in jobs inappropriate to their skills, they’re not increasing their human capital in the way they could be. Without that human capital, future economic growth will be lower than it could have been. It is remarkable that there are still governments, including here in the UK, that still believe in austerity.
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Paul Krugman: The austerity delusion
Read more
Even if you have to borrow, if the value of your investments – in people, in technology, in infrastructure – increases, then the economy is in a stronger position for the future. Focusing only on the debt side of the balance sheet misses this, and damages the economy.
There’s a long list of investments that governments could and should be making. There is strengthening infrastructure, such as transport and communications; there is investment in education; there is investment in families, particularly putting measures in place that free women from having to make the choice between raising a family and work. If that is done, it increases the labour supply. And that is not only better for society – it’s better for the economy.
In this election, it is Labour that is advocating the kind of economic plan that is right for the UK. I’ve been impressed with how the party proposes to finance its plans: it’s not on the basis of “magic money”, but on carefully thought-out proposals based on taxing those at the top and ensuring that corporations pay what they should. The evidence shows that these actions will not slow down growth but will help strengthen the UK economy.
We all have our own opinions Bri. But i didn't vote for the man who said under no circumstances would he use trident as a 1st use. He more or less said he wouldn't use it full stop. Even though his own party voted to keep it. And he said he would rather "talk things through" and use dialogue. Problem is though that you can't reason with some nutters!Ah, Tories in bed with the country who are funding the current Terror we're suffering around the world, and folk are still wrapped up in JC quest for peace in Ireland many years ago.
****ing delusional
It would take a madman to use nuclear weapons as a first strike option, but I agree that he should have came out and said that he would use it in retaliation if attacked first...Even if he wouldn't do that he should have said he would otherwise the deterrent factor goes out of the window..This was one of his weak links, but compared to this failing useless government it nothing..
Tories are in bed with the country funding the Terror in our country. It's not opinion, it's coming out, you'll see. You think the media are going to maintain their alliance to May after this election? They've got 5 years before they need to party align again. They won't hold back. Bookmark this for the **** storm ahead. It's coming out.
I don't want a government who will nuke innocent children myself. I'm not a monster.
We have allies for a reason, unless we suddenly find ourselves without a nuclear friend nobody is dropping nukes on anybody it's as simple as that. It's such a non issue. As long as we have it and we do (and it's not going anywhere, even if JC wanted to he couldn't) we'll be fine.
If people are voting around this it's such a waste of vote imo. We'll have trident long beyond the time Cobyn would be in power. It's barley fit for purpose anyway thanks to the Tories ****ing off it's maintenance. I understand it still runs on windows xp. More fantastic 'protection' from the tories.
i voted labour all my life......simply couldn't contribute to helping Corbyn get elected...the guy is a terrorist sympathising fantasist, not fit to govern the country
It is May who is friends with the biggest funders of ISIS mate..
Just got in from work nice to see you lads still chopping away at each other.
I notice nobody ever replies to that information. They suit May down to the ground. Debate dodgers.
I am no Labour fan however the misconceptions regarding Corbyn, which are flying around here, are laughable.
‘Hundreds’ of students reportedly turned away at polling stations despite being eligible to vote
Polling station
ByLuke Morgan BrittonJun 8, 2017
Labour’s candidate in the constituency, Paul Farrelly, said: “The electoral services department here in Newcastle is a shambles and there is chaos, which is denying people votes on a scale unprecedented in my 30 years fighting and organising elections. We have spent the past week firefighting over scores of postal votes, which have not arrived and we not only have lots of registration applications that have not been processed but people – including students – being turned away when they are indeed registered.”
Newcastle Borough Council have advised this could be a problem with late registrations not being included on the lists sent out (2/2)
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@BBCNews By 11am they'd turned away 20+ voters! Reckoned to be in the 100s now! This is not good!
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You’re going to vote, but are your mates? Polling stations are open until 10pm tonight so be sure to get down to your local village hall, school or wherever your polling station is to cast your vote and have a say in what happens to your future.
Hmmm, voters of certain generation being told they can't vote in a constituency with marginal seats. <whislte>
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ByLuke Morgan BrittonJun 8, 2017
There have been reports of “hundreds” of students being turned away from polling stations at Keele University despite allegedly being eligible to vote.
According to social media users, eye witnesses and university staff, numerous potential voters were turned away after their names were not found on the registers, despite many coming equipped with their polling cards.
The affected university is in the Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency where Labour beat the Conservatives by just 650 votes in 2015.
Ben Anderson, a history lecturer at Keele University, told the Guardian: “There have been students who haven’t been able to vote because they haven’t appeared on the registers supplied to officers. The polling officers have been doing their best to sort that out but there’s clearly an issue. There were a number there holding their polling cards so I am sure there were genuine because the assumption is that they registered too late (and were not on the list for that reason).”
According to social media users, eye witnesses and university staff, numerous potential voters were turned away after their names were not found on the registers, despite many coming equipped with their polling cards.
The affected university is in the Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency where Labour beat the Conservatives by just 650 votes in 2015.
Ben Anderson, a history lecturer at Keele University, told the Guardian: “There have been students who haven’t been able to vote because they haven’t appeared on the registers supplied to officers. The polling officers have been doing their best to sort that out but there’s clearly an issue. There were a number there holding their polling cards so I am sure there were genuine because the assumption is that they registered too late (and were not on the list for that reason).”
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“Each passing hour is not only spoiling election day, but just adding to the issues for complaint, which I will be referring tomorrow to the Electoral Commission and other bodies for an independent, outside investigation. The reality is that electoral services in Newcastle have been all over the place since a licensing fiasco led to the departure of good, experienced staff last summer.”
The local Labour Party has offered advices to voters, suggesting that the polling station staff may be using an out-of-date register and that they should contact the council to confirm any registration disputes.
The local Labour Party has offered advices to voters, suggesting that the polling station staff may be using an out-of-date register and that they should contact the council to confirm any registration disputes.
3h
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Keele English @English_KeeleStudents: if you've been turned away from polling stations with a polling card, ask to speak to the presiding officer... (1/2)
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Keele English @English_Keele6h
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Andrew Niblett @andnib@BBCNews so I went to vote today and got turned away. Registered online and received confirmation email. Happened to many Keele uni students
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Andrew Niblett @andnib100s of newly-registered voters turned away in marginal Newcastle u. L. See below for advice! [HASHTAG]#Vote2017[/HASHTAG] @e_horsfall
Twitter Ads info and privacyYou’re going to vote, but are your mates? Polling stations are open until 10pm tonight so be sure to get down to your local village hall, school or wherever your polling station is to cast your vote and have a say in what happens to your future.
Hmmm, voters of certain generation being told they can't vote in a constituency with marginal seats. <whislte>
The yanks have just done a $100Bn+ arms deal with them. You really think anyone's going **** that up? The Arabs have a ridiculous amount of influence, because they have a ridiculous amount of money. Successive UK governments haven't had the balls to point the finger and Corbyn would be just the same if he wins. Apart from the financial clout they have, JC has long been pro-Arab and pretty much anti-Israeli. The weak response to Ken Livingstone's rant hasn't helped either...
I don't care what the yanks do. They can crack on.
So you're deciding what somebody else is going to do before they've been put in that position? What a ridiculous argument.
So why has Pro Arab JC pledged in his manifesto he'll stop selling them arms? Because he's pro peace, not pro arab. The Tories accept personal gifts from the people who fund Terror. You're still dodging that fact. Which proves my point in the comment you responded to.
Tory ministers accept 20 luxury food hampers from Saudi Arabian regime worsening famine in Yemen
Campaigners said the gifts were a symbol of the government’s close relationship with the autocracy
- Jon Stone Political Correspondent
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Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and International Trade Secretary Liam Fox are among ministers who accepted hampers since the bombing in Yemen began AFP/Getty
Senior Tory ministers including Boris Johnson and Liam Fox have accepted luxury food hampers as gifts from the Saudi Arabian government despite criticism of the country for its human rights’ record and contributing to a famine by bombing civilians in neighbouring Yemen.
The Saudis have gifted Conservative ministers 20 luxury food hampers costing around £200 each since the party came to power in 2010, according to official government records analysed by The Independent.
Campaigners said the hampers were a “garish sign of friendship” between the autocracy and Whitehall, noting the irony of food hampers being given while millions starved due to Saudi bombs.
Fallon says Saudi Arabia is 'just defending itself' by bombing YemenThe Saudis have gifted Conservative ministers 20 luxury food hampers costing around £200 each since the party came to power in 2010, according to official government records analysed by The Independent.
Campaigners said the hampers were a “garish sign of friendship” between the autocracy and Whitehall, noting the irony of food hampers being given while millions starved due to Saudi bombs.
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The United Nations has warned that seven million people are in danger of starving to death in Yemen, which has been the subject of a bombardment by Saudi Arabian warplanes since 2015.
In January the UN said the death toll from the intervention, on the side of the internationally-recognised Yemeni government, had reached 10,000 people. It has also said the Saudi-led coalition is responsible for most of the civilian casualties in the conflict against Houthi rebels.
Ministers Mr Johnson, Mr Fox, Greg Hands and Tobias Ellwood have all accepted hampers since the start of the Saudi bombardment of Yemen in April 2015, with the other ministers accepting them before. Lib Dem Vince Cable also accepted a hamper in 2011. After being accepted most of the hampers were retained by the ministers’ departments, with some used for hospitality or passed on elsewhere.
READ MORE
Ministers Mr Johnson, Mr Fox, Greg Hands and Tobias Ellwood have all accepted hampers since the start of the Saudi bombardment of Yemen in April 2015, with the other ministers accepting them before. Lib Dem Vince Cable also accepted a hamper in 2011. After being accepted most of the hampers were retained by the ministers’ departments, with some used for hospitality or passed on elsewhere.
READ MORE
“The Saudi dictatorship has one of the worst human rights records in the world – it executes its critics and treats women appallingly. Its bombing campaign in Yemen has killed thousands and pushed millions to the edge of starvation,” Joe Lo of Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) told The Independent.
“This garish sign of friendship is all too typical of the close-knit relationship between Whitehall and the Saudi regime. The UK Government should be using its influence to stand up for those suffering in Yemen, not accepting luxury hampers from those that are bombing them.”
The Government is currently defending a High Court legal challenge against CAAT over the issue of arms exports to Saudi Arabia. Ministers have continued to sign off arms exports to the country despite reports of the bombing of civilians and advice from the chief civil servant in charge of export control that it should be paused.
As many as 460,000 children face severe malnutrition in Yemen and 70 per cent of the population struggle to feed themselves (Reuters)
Targets reportedly hit by the Saudi Arabian coalition in Yemen include schools, hospitals, wedding parties and food factories.
Theresa May last month defended Britain’s ties to the autocratic country, while Donald Trump made the nation the first stop on his first foreign tour.
“Rather than just standing on the sidelines and sniping, it’s important to engage, to talk to people, to talk about our interests and to raise, yes, difficult issues when we feel it’s necessary to do so,” the Prime Minister said.
The situation in Yemen
“This garish sign of friendship is all too typical of the close-knit relationship between Whitehall and the Saudi regime. The UK Government should be using its influence to stand up for those suffering in Yemen, not accepting luxury hampers from those that are bombing them.”
The Government is currently defending a High Court legal challenge against CAAT over the issue of arms exports to Saudi Arabia. Ministers have continued to sign off arms exports to the country despite reports of the bombing of civilians and advice from the chief civil servant in charge of export control that it should be paused.
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As many as 460,000 children face severe malnutrition in Yemen and 70 per cent of the population struggle to feed themselves (Reuters)
Targets reportedly hit by the Saudi Arabian coalition in Yemen include schools, hospitals, wedding parties and food factories.
Theresa May last month defended Britain’s ties to the autocratic country, while Donald Trump made the nation the first stop on his first foreign tour.
“Rather than just standing on the sidelines and sniping, it’s important to engage, to talk to people, to talk about our interests and to raise, yes, difficult issues when we feel it’s necessary to do so,” the Prime Minister said.
The situation in Yemen
An HM Government spokesperson said: “The Government has clear and strict rules in place on ministers accepting gifts or hospitality and all gifts are received in accordance with the Ministerial Code.”
A Conservative spokesman said: “These are not personal gifts that ministers have received – the goods are typically donated to charity or retained by departments. Governments of all political colours routinely receive gifts from diplomats.”
UK bombs sold to Saudi Arabia contributed to ‘81 unlawful attacks in Yemen’, say human rights activists
The UK has been criticised for selling £3 billion worth of arms to the Kingdom over two years
A Conservative spokesman said: “These are not personal gifts that ministers have received – the goods are typically donated to charity or retained by departments. Governments of all political colours routinely receive gifts from diplomats.”
UK bombs sold to Saudi Arabia contributed to ‘81 unlawful attacks in Yemen’, say human rights activists
The UK has been criticised for selling £3 billion worth of arms to the Kingdom over two years
- 2 days ago
The Independent Online
Scene of destruction after a mortar shell hits city of Taiz in Yemen last year Getty
More than 80 allegedly unlawful attacks in Yemen have been carried out by the Saudis, human rights activists have discovered, and some attacks have used UK-made bombs.
Since the spring of 2015, Saudi Arabia has launched what campaigners described as a “devastating aerial campaign”, targeting areas crowded with civilians including schools, hospitals, weddings and markets.
Many of those attacks, which allegedly breach international law, used bombs and cluster munitions made in the UK, worth £3 billion to the UK economy over the past two years.
Fallon says Saudi Arabia is 'just defending itself' by bombing Yemen
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Scene of destruction after a mortar shell hits city of Taiz in Yemen last year Getty
More than 80 allegedly unlawful attacks in Yemen have been carried out by the Saudis, human rights activists have discovered, and some attacks have used UK-made bombs.
Since the spring of 2015, Saudi Arabia has launched what campaigners described as a “devastating aerial campaign”, targeting areas crowded with civilians including schools, hospitals, weddings and markets.
Many of those attacks, which allegedly breach international law, used bombs and cluster munitions made in the UK, worth £3 billion to the UK economy over the past two years.
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The Campaign Against Arms Trade has challenged the UK Government over its alleged complicity in human rights crimes in Yemen, where more than 10,000 civilians have died as of January, and the verdict is pending.
Home Secretary Amber Rudd said she was “confident” the verdict would be in the government’s favour.
Kristine Beckerle, Yemen and Kuwait Researcher at Human Rights Watch, said Yemen is struggling from war, famine and cholera and the UK should stop selling arms to the Saudis.
“It’s not just a question of the right thing to do, it’s also a question of legal liability,” she said.
Kristine Beckerle, Yemen and Kuwait Researcher at Human Rights Watch, said Yemen is struggling from war, famine and cholera and the UK should stop selling arms to the Saudis.
“It’s not just a question of the right thing to do, it’s also a question of legal liability,” she said.
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Independent candidate claims Amber Rudd shut down his speech about arms sales to Saudi Arabia
Asked if the coalition air strikes could breed terrorism in Yemen, she replied: “Do those conditions make it very, very difficult for civilians to live and get on with their lives? Absolutely. Impossible.”
Home Secretary Amber Rudd, when questioned during a BBC leaders debate last week on the issue, replied that selling arms was “good for our industry”.
On the BBC Woman’s Hour radio debate on Tuesday, Ms Rudd added that the UK had the “toughest form of export licences in the world” and the UK sold arms in a way that was “robust and correct”.
10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses
Asked if the coalition air strikes could breed terrorism in Yemen, she replied: “Do those conditions make it very, very difficult for civilians to live and get on with their lives? Absolutely. Impossible.”
Home Secretary Amber Rudd, when questioned during a BBC leaders debate last week on the issue, replied that selling arms was “good for our industry”.
On the BBC Woman’s Hour radio debate on Tuesday, Ms Rudd added that the UK had the “toughest form of export licences in the world” and the UK sold arms in a way that was “robust and correct”.
10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses
She was also questioned on the funding links to terrorism.
“Well, we’ve managed to reduce that, the funding links,” she said.
“We are always watchful to make sure that their [the Saudis'] influence, where it’s bad, is going to be limited, but you say that we should somehow distance ourselves from them because of their human rights approach to women and other elements – how do we do that, how do we change that? By influencing. By engaging.”
“Well, we’ve managed to reduce that, the funding links,” she said.
“We are always watchful to make sure that their [the Saudis'] influence, where it’s bad, is going to be limited, but you say that we should somehow distance ourselves from them because of their human rights approach to women and other elements – how do we do that, how do we change that? By influencing. By engaging.”
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The child victims of Yemen’s civil war
Conservatives are being pushed to make public a report, commissioned by former Prime Minister David Cameron, that investigates whether Saudi Arabia funds terrorist groups. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said the report was confidential, and Ms Rudd said the report was “never meant to be seen”.
In the wake of several terrorist attacks on UK soil, Theresa May said people needed to have "frankly embarrassing conversations".
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn responded on Twitter: “We need to have some difficult conversations, starting with Saudi Arabia & other Gulf states that have funded and fuelled extremist ideology."
Conservatives are being pushed to make public a report, commissioned by former Prime Minister David Cameron, that investigates whether Saudi Arabia funds terrorist groups. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said the report was confidential, and Ms Rudd said the report was “never meant to be seen”.
In the wake of several terrorist attacks on UK soil, Theresa May said people needed to have "frankly embarrassing conversations".
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn responded on Twitter: “We need to have some difficult conversations, starting with Saudi Arabia & other Gulf states that have funded and fuelled extremist ideology."
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Caroline Lucas asks Amber Rudd 'how can you sleep at night' when dealing arms with Saudi Arabia
Since Saudi Arabia has been subject to direct attacks from al-Qaida starting May 2003, the country has become much more involved in combating extremism and in partnership with western allies.
But Adam Coogle, Middle East Researcher from Human Rights Watch, told The Independent that the Kingdom's new anti-terrorism apparatus – including a dedicated court and rehabilitation centre – was also being used to quash dissent and punish human rights activists.
“While Saudi Arabia may be affecting to help fight groups like Isis and al-Qaida in the country and in the region at large, there are very problematic ways in which Saudi clerics and government officials continue to propagate a very extremist, narrow interpretation of Islam that castigates non-Sunni Muslims as unbelievers,” he said.
Since Saudi Arabia has been subject to direct attacks from al-Qaida starting May 2003, the country has become much more involved in combating extremism and in partnership with western allies.
But Adam Coogle, Middle East Researcher from Human Rights Watch, told The Independent that the Kingdom's new anti-terrorism apparatus – including a dedicated court and rehabilitation centre – was also being used to quash dissent and punish human rights activists.
“While Saudi Arabia may be affecting to help fight groups like Isis and al-Qaida in the country and in the region at large, there are very problematic ways in which Saudi clerics and government officials continue to propagate a very extremist, narrow interpretation of Islam that castigates non-Sunni Muslims as unbelievers,” he said.
READ MORE
The US has also sold $100 billion in arms to the Kingdom during the Barack Obama administration, and Mr Trump negotiated a further $100 billion deal in May.
Mr Trump finalised the deal in Riyadh, before giving a speech on how to fight radical Islamic extremism and terrorism around the world. Saudi Arabia’s human rights violations in Yemen were not mentioned at the conference.
And folk dare to point the finger at JC for his quest for peace. Idiotic.
Mr Trump finalised the deal in Riyadh, before giving a speech on how to fight radical Islamic extremism and terrorism around the world. Saudi Arabia’s human rights violations in Yemen were not mentioned at the conference.
And folk dare to point the finger at JC for his quest for peace. Idiotic.
Eh? Must be missing your point. Whatever. If JC doesn't want to sell them arms he can find something else for BAE et al to do. And I don't know why you bother with the massive amount of detail you cut and pasted. I don't need convincing that the Saudis are a bunch of tossers - I can remember as far back as "Death of a Princess". The reality is that they're too important to look too hard at, just like the Russians and Chinese. Their human rights records and sponsorship of dodgy causes is a matter of record, but you think we're going to put trade with them in jeopardy?I don't care what the yanks do. They can crack on.
So you're deciding what somebody else is going to do before they've been put in that position? What a ridiculous argument.
So why has Pro Arab JC pledged in his manifesto he'll stop selling them arms? Because he's pro peace, not pro arab. The Tories accept personal gifts from the people who fund Terror. You're still dodging that fact. Which proves my point in the comment you responded to.
Tory ministers accept 20 luxury food hampers from Saudi Arabian regime worsening famine in Yemen
Campaigners said the gifts were a symbol of the government’s close relationship with the autocracy
Indy Politics
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Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and International Trade Secretary Liam Fox are among ministers who accepted hampers since the bombing in Yemen began AFP/Getty
Senior Tory ministers including Boris Johnson and Liam Fox have accepted luxury food hampers as gifts from the Saudi Arabian government despite criticism of the country for its human rights’ record and contributing to a famine by bombing civilians in neighbouring Yemen.Fallon says Saudi Arabia is 'just defending itself' by bombing Yemen
The Saudis have gifted Conservative ministers 20 luxury food hampers costing around £200 each since the party came to power in 2010, according to official government records analysed by The Independent.
Campaigners said the hampers were a “garish sign of friendship” between the autocracy and Whitehall, noting the irony of food hampers being given while millions starved due to Saudi bombs.
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The United Nations has warned that seven million people are in danger of starving to death in Yemen, which has been the subject of a bombardment by Saudi Arabian warplanes since 2015.
In January the UN said the death toll from the intervention, on the side of the internationally-recognised Yemeni government, had reached 10,000 people. It has also said the Saudi-led coalition is responsible for most of the civilian casualties in the conflict against Houthi rebels.
Ministers Mr Johnson, Mr Fox, Greg Hands and Tobias Ellwood have all accepted hampers since the start of the Saudi bombardment of Yemen in April 2015, with the other ministers accepting them before. Lib Dem Vince Cable also accepted a hamper in 2011. After being accepted most of the hampers were retained by the ministers’ departments, with some used for hospitality or passed on elsewhere.
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The Foreign Secretary was also given a “solid metal/silver horse ornament” in September last year by the country’s foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir. The horse is being held by the Foreign Office.
“The Saudi dictatorship has one of the worst human rights records in the world – it executes its critics and treats women appallingly. Its bombing campaign in Yemen has killed thousands and pushed millions to the edge of starvation,” Joe Lo of Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) told The Independent.
“This garish sign of friendship is all too typical of the close-knit relationship between Whitehall and the Saudi regime. The UK Government should be using its influence to stand up for those suffering in Yemen, not accepting luxury hampers from those that are bombing them.”
The Government is currently defending a High Court legal challenge against CAAT over the issue of arms exports to Saudi Arabia. Ministers have continued to sign off arms exports to the country despite reports of the bombing of civilians and advice from the chief civil servant in charge of export control that it should be paused.
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As many as 460,000 children face severe malnutrition in Yemen and 70 per cent of the population struggle to feed themselves (Reuters)
Targets reportedly hit by the Saudi Arabian coalition in Yemen include schools, hospitals, wedding parties and food factories.
Theresa May last month defended Britain’s ties to the autocratic country, while Donald Trump made the nation the first stop on his first foreign tour.
“Rather than just standing on the sidelines and sniping, it’s important to engage, to talk to people, to talk about our interests and to raise, yes, difficult issues when we feel it’s necessary to do so,” the Prime Minister said.
The situation in Yemen
An HM Government spokesperson said: “The Government has clear and strict rules in place on ministers accepting gifts or hospitality and all gifts are received in accordance with the Ministerial Code.”
A Conservative spokesman said: “These are not personal gifts that ministers have received – the goods are typically donated to charity or retained by departments. Governments of all political colours routinely receive gifts from diplomats.”
UK bombs sold to Saudi Arabia contributed to ‘81 unlawful attacks in Yemen’, say human rights activists
The UK has been criticised for selling £3 billion worth of arms to the Kingdom over two years
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The Independent OnlineFallon says Saudi Arabia is 'just defending itself' by bombing Yemen
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Scene of destruction after a mortar shell hits city of Taiz in Yemen last year Getty
More than 80 allegedly unlawful attacks in Yemen have been carried out by the Saudis, human rights activists have discovered, and some attacks have used UK-made bombs.
Since the spring of 2015, Saudi Arabia has launched what campaigners described as a “devastating aerial campaign”, targeting areas crowded with civilians including schools, hospitals, weddings and markets.
Many of those attacks, which allegedly breach international law, used bombs and cluster munitions made in the UK, worth £3 billion to the UK economy over the past two years.
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The Campaign Against Arms Trade has challenged the UK Government over its alleged complicity in human rights crimes in Yemen, where more than 10,000 civilians have died as of January, and the verdict is pending.
Home Secretary Amber Rudd said she was “confident” the verdict would be in the government’s favour.
Kristine Beckerle, Yemen and Kuwait Researcher at Human Rights Watch, said Yemen is struggling from war, famine and cholera and the UK should stop selling arms to the Saudis.
“It’s not just a question of the right thing to do, it’s also a question of legal liability,” she said.0:00
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1:32Independent candidate claims Amber Rudd shut down his speech about arms sales to Saudi Arabia
Asked if the coalition air strikes could breed terrorism in Yemen, she replied: “Do those conditions make it very, very difficult for civilians to live and get on with their lives? Absolutely. Impossible.”
Home Secretary Amber Rudd, when questioned during a BBC leaders debate last week on the issue, replied that selling arms was “good for our industry”.
On the BBC Woman’s Hour radio debate on Tuesday, Ms Rudd added that the UK had the “toughest form of export licences in the world” and the UK sold arms in a way that was “robust and correct”.
10 examples of Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses
She was also questioned on the funding links to terrorism.
“Well, we’ve managed to reduce that, the funding links,” she said.
“We are always watchful to make sure that their [the Saudis'] influence, where it’s bad, is going to be limited, but you say that we should somehow distance ourselves from them because of their human rights approach to women and other elements – how do we do that, how do we change that? By influencing. By engaging.”0:00
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1:38The child victims of Yemen’s civil war
Conservatives are being pushed to make public a report, commissioned by former Prime Minister David Cameron, that investigates whether Saudi Arabia funds terrorist groups. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said the report was confidential, and Ms Rudd said the report was “never meant to be seen”.
In the wake of several terrorist attacks on UK soil, Theresa May said people needed to have "frankly embarrassing conversations".
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn responded on Twitter: “We need to have some difficult conversations, starting with Saudi Arabia & other Gulf states that have funded and fuelled extremist ideology."0:00
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1:00Caroline Lucas asks Amber Rudd 'how can you sleep at night' when dealing arms with Saudi Arabia
Since Saudi Arabia has been subject to direct attacks from al-Qaida starting May 2003, the country has become much more involved in combating extremism and in partnership with western allies.
But Adam Coogle, Middle East Researcher from Human Rights Watch, told The Independent that the Kingdom's new anti-terrorism apparatus – including a dedicated court and rehabilitation centre – was also being used to quash dissent and punish human rights activists.
“While Saudi Arabia may be affecting to help fight groups like Isis and al-Qaida in the country and in the region at large, there are very problematic ways in which Saudi clerics and government officials continue to propagate a very extremist, narrow interpretation of Islam that castigates non-Sunni Muslims as unbelievers,” he said. READ MORE
“To be clear I would never accuse Saudi Arabia of supporting or funding Isis as there has never been any evidence to suggest this is true, but if you look at the way Saudi [school] textbooks describe Shia Muslims and the way Isis talks about them, there’s not a lot of difference.”
The US has also sold $100 billion in arms to the Kingdom during the Barack Obama administration, and Mr Trump negotiated a further $100 billion deal in May.
Mr Trump finalised the deal in Riyadh, before giving a speech on how to fight radical Islamic extremism and terrorism around the world. Saudi Arabia’s human rights violations in Yemen were not mentioned at the conference.
And folk dare to point the finger at JC for his quest for peace. Idiotic.
I sometimes think it takes two or three Labour goverments to be in power before the penny drops that they are s hite but then I am old enough to realize this the other lads on here will be one day as well.