UK politics

The first of two articles in which I examine how the Tory government’s vile anti-immigration policies, pursued with such vigour by Priti Patel and Suella Braverman, have their origins in the dangerous isolationism of Brexit, and its unleashing of false and disturbing notions that, post-Brexit, the UK should no longer be constrained by international law. In this first article, I look at how Brexit happened, how Theresa May paved the way for the shoddy and cruel lawlessness of Patel and Braverman, and how the Tories, even before Brexit, have consistently sought to undermine the European Convention on Human Rights, with a particular focus on Theresa May’s obsessive pursuit of the Jordanian cleric Abu Qatada.

Promoting the coordinated global vigils for the closure of the prison at Guantánamo Bay on Wednesday March 8, with an updated poster showing the 18 men still held who have been approved for release, and an updated infographic showing how long they have been held since they were told that the US no longer wanted to hold them.

My analysis of Peabody’s launch of ‘Frankham Walk’, their new housing development in Deptford, which has been carefully named to avoid any reference to Tidemill, the name of the former primary school that is being converted into flats for private sale, and, most contentiously, the school’s magical former garden, the Old Tidemill Wildlife Garden, which was occupied in 2018 to try to prevent its destruction, and violently evicted two months later. Today marks four years since its trees were torn down by a tree services company hired by Lewisham Council, although building work still didn’t begin for another year and a half, and, nearly two and a half years later, the launch of ‘Frankham Walk’ really doesn’t seem to have much to recommend it.

Marking my 60th birthday, here’s the first of three articles I’ve written looking at how awareness of the climate crisis has developed, and been supported, ignored or resisted, over my 60 years on earth. In this first part, I reflect on my birth, childhood and adolescence in the north of England, and the development of environmental awareness and activism during that time.

Photos and a report about the first coordinated protests calling for the closure of Guantánamo, and for the release of the 20 men approved for release from the prison, in London and Washington, D.C. on February 15, 2023. More coordinated protests, involving other locations. will be taking place on Wednesday March 8.

The latest fundraiser for my unique, ongoing, reader-funded photo-journalism project ‘The State of London’, which I began in May 2012, and have been posting photos with detailed accompanying essays every day since May 2017 (and, since last summer, every two days) on ‘The State of London’ Facebook and Twitter pages.

Videos of myself and Sara Birch, the convenor of the UK Guantánamo Network, speaking at the rally for the closure of Guantánamo in Trafalgar Square on Jan. 14, 2023, marking the 21st anniversary of the opening of Guantánamo, after campaigners had marched in orange jumpsuits from the Houses of Parliament, and up Whitehall via 10 Downing Street.

My photos of, and report about an inspiring march and rally for the closure of Guantánamo in central London on January 14, 2023, organised by the UK Guantánamo Network, a coalition of groups including a number of Amnesty International groups and the Close Guantánamo campaign. Also included is a statement by former prisoner Omar Deghayes, which was read out at the rally.

My first long read of 2023, looking at how thoroughly catastrophic climate change made itself apparent in 2022, and yet how, still, our political leaders and our mainstream media continue to ignore the gravity of the situation. Instead, it is left to climate scientists and climate activists to take the lead, and I review their efforts last year, via the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and via activism including road blocks, targeting oil refineries and private airports, and, most visibly, throwing soup on Van Gogh’s ’Sunflowers’, also examining whether or not these techniques are successful. I conclude by urging UK readers to consider another option: the velvet revolution envisaged by Extinction Rebellion, who are calling for 100,000 people to turn up outside Parliament on Friday April 21, and to refuse to go away until the dreadful stasis of 21st century capitalism’s toxic ‘business as usual’ is brought to an end.

Publicizing the open letter to the Biden administration, calling for the prosecution of Julian Assange to be dropped, from the five newspapers — including the New York Times and the Guardian — who worked with WikiLeaks on the release of over 250,000 US diplomatic cables 12 years ago.