‘We’ve had enough of experts’ – US-style Mike Phipps reviews American Carnage: How Trump, Musk, and DOGE Butchered the US Government, by Sasha Abramsky, published by OR Books. Within days of taking office, President Trump empowered Elon Musk to make swingeing cuts to the US’s most important government agencies. The ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ (DOGE) was not a properly constituted government department, set by Congress. It was a shadow government agency, aimed at destroying government functionality. For those on the receiving end, some of its operations were truly Orwellian. Workers at the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau were told not to come into the office, which was closed, and not to perform any work tasks.

‘We’ve had enough of experts’ – US-style

Mike Phipps reviews American Carnage: How Trump, Musk, and DOGE Butchered the US Government, by Sasha Abramsky, published by OR Books. Within days of taking office, President Trump empowered Elon Musk to make swingeing cuts to the US’s most important…

This is more than just a story about local corruption in Croydon

It highlights just how easy it was to rig the system that was used to select many Labour candidates for the 2024 election

In Croydon they got caught but, given all the complaints about Anonyvoter, did some get away with it elsewhere?

This has been Starmer's modus operandi since day one.

Who can forget him trying to sack Angela Rayner for the Hartlepool by-election defeat in 2021?

There's always someone else to blame with Starmer.

London Labour activists charged over Croydon candidate selection irregularities - LabourList Four senior London Labour figures have been charged in connection to an investigation into irregularities for a candidate selection process for the general election.

London Labour activists charged over Croydon candidate selection irregularities labourlist.org/2026/04/lond... – via LabourList

Locals protest closure of the Walsall Leather Museum With the planned relocation of Walsall Leather Museum, locals and politicians rally against it

Locals protest closure of the Walsall Leather Museum centralbylines.co.uk/region/west-...

Tech giants and giant slayers: the case for digital sovereignty Digital Sovereignty – control over a country’s digital infrastructure, data and technology – is critical for economic and national security

Tech giants and giant slayers: the case for digital sovereignty eastangliabylines.co.uk/technology/t...

One in four young women juggling multiple jobs, finds new analysis By the Women’s Budget Group One in four young women in Great Britain have experiences of working in more than one job over the course of a tax year, according to new analysis by the Universities of Birmingham and Nottingham and the UK Women’s Budget Group that highlights the growing pressures facing young workers. The research casts new light on the scale of the issue, as standard labour market statistics fail to capture the full extent of multiple jobholding and the risk to young women who do so in securing an income.

One in four young women juggling multiple jobs, finds new analysis

By the Women’s Budget Group One in four young women in Great Britain have experiences of working in more than one job over the course of a tax year, according to new analysis by the Universities of Birmingham and Nottingham and the…

'A New World Is Possible': NJ Voters Elect Progressive, Pro-Palestinian Organizer Analilia Mejia | Common Dreams Progressive organizer Analilia Mejia's landslide victory in New Jersey's 11th Congressional District proves that working-class advocates can win big. Will her bold stance on Medicare for All, student ...

'A New World Is Possible': NJ Voters Elect Progressive, Pro-Palestinian Organizer Analilia Mejia www.commondreams.org/news/analili...

Emily Thornberry noted in her question that neither the statement nor press release announcing Mandelson as US Ambassador said it was dependent on clearing security vetting

Yet Starmer says he would never have appointed Mandelson if he'd known he failed, even though he appointed him without it ...

John McDonnell spoke of this being a political appointment, and that point was communicated across Government.

That accords with what Olly Robbins told the Foreign Affairs Committee in November: “It was clear the PM wanted to make the appointment himself.”

The problem for Starmer is that the Developed Vetting only highlighted what was in the public domain about Mandelson.

And despite Starmer knowing about Mandelson's links to Epstein, to Chinese and Russian business interests, and his two resignations in disgrace, he wanted him appointed.

Outrage over Israeli soldier's vandalism of Jesus statue in Lebanon The Israeli military says it views with

US politicians outraged that a statue has been attacked.

Not outraged that thousands of innocent human beings have been slaughtered, Christians, Muslims and atheists among them.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Sánchez, Lula Lead 'Work for Peace' and Equality at Gathering of Global Progressive Leaders in Spain | Common Dreams Join progressive leaders from around the world in Barcelona this weekend as they unite against extremism, inequality, and misinformation. Can democracy prevail in the face of rising authoritarianism? ...

Sánchez, Lula Lead 'Work for Peace' and Equality at Gathering of Global Progressive Leaders in Spain www.commondreams.org/news/summit-...

Free public transport can help tackle the fuel prices crisis Public support has also grown for other forms of Government help to tackle the energy crisis. Scrapping fares on public transport is an ideal way to respond to the soaring fuel prices caused by the war in the Gulf, Fare Free London says. Abolishing fares makes public transport more attractive to drivers, as well as giving instant support to public transport users, whose journeys are far less fuel-intensive. “Free public transport would reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, and on world markets where prices are set by events outside our control”, Pearl Ahrens of Fare Free London said.

Free public transport can help tackle the fuel prices crisis

Public support has also grown for other forms of Government help to tackle the energy crisis. Scrapping fares on public transport is an ideal way to respond to the soaring fuel prices caused by the war in the Gulf, Fare Free London says.…

News from Ukraine bulletin 192 (20 April) DOWNLOAD THE BULLETIN AS A PDF HERE A Digest of News from Ukrainian sources – also attached as a PDF In this week’s bulletin: Davyd Chychkan remembered/ In Bakhmut town/ Housing in Ukraine/ Childre…

Our bulletin #192: Davyd Chychkan remembered/ In Bakhmut town/ Housing in Ukraine/ Children abducted by Russia/ How Russia took over Ukrainian schools/ Occupation summary/ Meatgrinders with VPNs/ Ukraine hits Russian forces 300km behind lines/ & more ukraine-solidarity.org/2026/04/20/n...

Surely this the end of the Starmer Project – but will it take the Labour Party down with it? Frank Hansen explains why the Prime Minister’s claims of ignorance about Mandelson’s vetting process are not credible. As the ‘Starmer Project’ staggers towards its death agony following the latest revelations concerning the security vetting of Mandelson, plus the likelihood of a massive defeat in the May local elections, this provides both an opportunity and a threat for the Labour Party. Starmer probably won’t be resigning soon due to external factors and the effect of his project on the Labour Party itself. The Iran debacle, local elections and above all the suppression of Party democracy have left a lack of an effective opposition in the Parliamentary Labour Party - destroyed by the Starmer Project's manipulation of selection procedures - and a shortage of challengers for the leadership, who can bring about the radical change needed if Labour is to continue as a party of Government both now and in the longer term.

Surely this the end of the Starmer Project – but will it take the Labour Party down with it?

Frank Hansen explains why the Prime Minister’s claims of ignorance about Mandelson’s vetting process are not credible. As the ‘Starmer Project’ staggers towards its death agony following the latest…

Israel’s war on children: a month in a Gaza hospital Mike Phipps reviews Gaza: A Doctor’s Diary, by Salman Khalid, published by Pluto. The author of the Foreword of this book, Dr. Fozia Alvi, had worked with the survivors of genocide before, bringing medical aid to the Rohingya refugees. But nothing prepared him for what he found in Gaza: “the heart-wrenching reality of encountering so many children— innocent lives shattered with shrapnel and bullet wounds. I witnessed a generation of amputees, children robbed of their childhood and broken in unmendable ways. I saw mothers consumed with grief, unsure of which of their children to mourn—the ones killed, the ones clinging to life, or the ones left broken, with limbs torn away.”

Israel’s war on children: a month in a Gaza hospital

Mike Phipps reviews Gaza: A Doctor’s Diary, by Salman Khalid, published by Pluto. The author of the Foreword of this book, Dr. Fozia Alvi, had worked with the survivors of genocide before, bringing medical aid to the Rohingya refugees. But…

EXPOSED: How Viktor Orbán Bankrolled the Network Around Reform UK As Hungary’s Prime Minister suffers a historic electoral defeat, Byline Times maps out how his government’s funding arm channelled hundreds of thousands of pounds into organisations at the heart of Br...

EXPOSED: How Viktor Orbán Bankrolled the Network Around Reform UK – Byline Times bylinetimes.com/2026/04/14/e...

Reform-Run Kent Council Sells Off Antony Gormley Sculpture After Raising Taxes Nigel Farage's flagship council quietly sold Two Stones, one of the sculptor's earliest commissions, as part of a wave of publicly owned art disposals that critics call "shameful"

Reform-Run Kent Council Sells Off Antony Gormley Sculpture After Raising Taxes – Byline Times bylinetimes.com/2026/04/14/r...

New report exposes asylum brutality Refugee Action have launched a new report: Locked Out and Locked Up: Experiences of asylum policy and systemic racism in the UK and northern France. Based on a year of research, co-led by people with lived experience, and with interviews with 32 people across UK asylum hotels and northern France, it exposes how current UK asylum policies are impacting people’s lives and driving systemic racism. In northern France, people are forced to survive in brutal conditions. Police raids happen every 48 hours. Tents are destroyed. Belongings are taken. Teargas is used.

New report exposes asylum brutality

Refugee Action have launched a new report: Locked Out and Locked Up: Experiences of asylum policy and systemic racism in the UK and northern France. Based on a year of research, co-led by people with lived experience, and with interviews with 32 people across UK…

The Western Australia Playbook: How to Win and Keep Power What lessons might the UK’s beleaguered Labour Party be able to learn from its Australian counterpart? Peter White draws on his experiences in last year’s Western Australia state elections. How does Western Australia keep bucking the trend and returning progressive Labor governments in the face of an onslaught from the hard right, billionaire-backed campaigns and the bot-driven noise of the internet? The answer is simple. A relentless, positive campaign that clearly and consistently demonstrates the benefits of Labor, while exposing the inadequacies of the opposition. The number one issue on the doorstep, no matter which electorate you were campaigning in, was the cost of living.

The Western Australia Playbook: How to Win and Keep Power

What lessons might the UK’s beleaguered Labour Party be able to learn from its Australian counterpart? Peter White draws on his experiences in last year’s Western Australia state elections. How does Western Australia keep bucking the trend…

New Evidence Bolsters Claim That US Lied About Another Iran Airstrike Massacre | Common Dreams Munitions experts and The New York Times say a US missile designed to inflict maximum casualties was used in a February bombing that killed 21 people, including at least five children.

New Evidence Bolsters Claim That US Lied About Another Iran Airstrike Massacre www.commondreams.org/news/us-lied...

Private firms providing services to NHS made £1.6bn profit in two years, research finds Exclusive: MPs say profit-making levels in England are ‘scandalous’ and call for cap on amount private companies can make from NHS

Private firms got £12bn NHS contracts.

Private equity, offshore tax haven firms big winners. Donations to Ministers pay dividends.

£1.6bn profit in 2 yrs. Enough to pay for 9,178 doctors or 19,428 nurses

Health service “taken for a ride”.

Say NO to privatisation. Must expand NHS capacity

Five UK water companies spent more than £32mn on appeal to raise bills Utilities argued for additional increases to attract investors and avoid breaching licence conditions

Privatisation in a nutshell.

Five UK water companies funded by your bills spending millions just so they can raise those bills even higher.

It will feel like a slap in the face for Norwich residents to see that Anglian Water are one of the worst offenders.

Read here: www.ft.com/content/0094...

Rent controls don't work and Polanski is wrong, says Labour Party chair Anna Turley admits Labour is facing a difficult set of local elections in May

The problem with Anna Turley attacking the Greens in this way is:

1) it's wrong; and
2) Labour mayors like Sadiq Khan and Andy Burnham have called for the exact same policy

inews.co.uk/news/politic...

How 51 Seconds at a Pro-Palestine Protest Could Send a Muslim Student to Prison for 34 years Former University of Pittsburgh student Muhammad Ali faces three felonies for a brief tug-of-war with an officer over a metal barrier.

How 51 Seconds at a Pro-Palestine Protest Could Send a Muslim Student to Prison for 34 years
open.substack.com/pub/dropsite...

SHAC Investigation Finds Landlords Engaged in Housing Benefit Service Charge Abuse An investigation by housing campaign group SHAC has exposed a systemic failure in the UK welfare system. It reveals that landlords are siphoning off millions of pounds in inflated and illegitimate service charges through Housing Benefit, which is funded directly by the taxpayer. Despite the government’s focus on cutting individual benefits, SHAC’s research highlights a massive and neglected hole in the welfare system. Data obtained from 225 Freedom of Information requests reveals that while local authorities check that service charges are eligible for Housing Benefit, almost none check whether the services actually exist.

SHAC Investigation Finds Landlords Engaged in Housing Benefit Service Charge Abuse

An investigation by housing campaign group SHAC has exposed a systemic failure in the UK welfare system. It reveals that landlords are siphoning off millions of pounds in inflated and illegitimate service charges…

National housing demonstration: Rent controls now! Council housing, not luxury flats! More than 70 organisations, including six national trades unions, are supporting the national housing demonstration on April 18th. Martin Wicks reports. The national housing demonstration brings together a host of tenant groups, housing campaigns and national trades unions. It is an expression of the widespread frustration that the government's housing policy fails to focus on a council housing programme, instead, looking to the market to resolve the housing crisis. Interviewed on ITV, Minister Steve Reed was asked directly, “Why don't you do what the Attlee government did – build council housing?” Reed's response was that people have “different aspirations” today.

National housing demonstration: Rent controls now! Council housing, not luxury flats!

More than 70 organisations, including six national trades unions, are supporting the national housing demonstration on April 18th. Martin Wicks reports. The national housing demonstration brings together a host…

An Clogán An Clogán is a new Irish socialist republican print and online magazine of politics and culture, focused on Ireland but with an international perspective. The first issue is devoted to the theme of “The Republic”, runs to almost 200 well-designed pages and includes a wide range of articles from scholars and activists. There are interviews with internationally renowned political philosopher Philipp Pettit and former Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams, as well as pieces by filmmaker and former IRA prisoner Deaglán Ó Mocháin, sociologist Claire Mitchell, former MEP Clare Daly and Sara Muthi, a Curatorial Fellow at the Irish Museum of Modern Art.

An Clogán

An Clogán is a new Irish socialist republican print and online magazine of politics and culture, focused on Ireland but with an international perspective. The first issue is devoted to the theme of “The Republic”, runs to almost 200 well-designed pages and includes a wide range of…

A Hundred Airstrikes in Ten Minutes www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2026/ap...