Matt Kennard addresses the Stop the War Welfare not Warfare rally

Investigative independent journalist Matt Kennard, who has done a lot of work on the RAF spy flights over Gaza, discusses how most of British defence budget goes not on defending our borders and people, but as massive subsidies to the arms companies, BAE systems in particular.

[annenunney]

I have thought that this will be the last Labour Government thanks to Starmer

[nin]

21 YEARS AGO we wore free palestine badges when the mother of all focus groups descended on london
I am SO DONE WITH THIS

[wideberth]

During 2024, I wrote to most UK disabilities charities to ask what they were doing to show solidarity with both congenitally and newly disabled Palestinians. The lack of response spoke volumes. Many didn't bother to reply - and from those that did, only one shared my grief and outrage at the UK government's participation in a genocide - informing me that a disabilities project they supported in Gaza had been bombed, with no further contact had. I am a single parent carer to a young person who has Down's syndrome. We unwillingly moved from East London to a rural location that was often cited as a comparable to Gaza's landmass at the beginning of the genocide. It has sadly been my experience here - nearly the entirety of my child's life here - that I've had to hard sell REAL left politics to the local disabled community. It's not that they have necessarily particularly favoured the right, but more that they have long felt abandoned by all political parties and largely by society. On that, I cannot disagree, other than to stress that Jeremy's beliefs were and are sincere. I predicted this move by Starmer: to hit the disabled communities hard. I saw it coming years ago, because most haven't been paying attention to the disabled in society. They are considered as forgettable, as they are an easy target. In the last election here, the boundaries were changed causing it to become 2 constituencies. In 1, the Tories came first, followed by Reform with Greens in 3rd, Labour in 4th. In the other, Labour came first and saw the election of somebody I used to consider a friend, but who now can no longer look me in the eye, as he's gone from adoring Corbyn and opposing war, to complying with everything Starmer dictates and saying nothing to oppose the genocide, pension fuel cuts, benefit cuts etc.... He's even looking to promote the local BAE systems and other aviation/nautical engineering technology firms as ripe prospects for future investment in government's 'defence' spending. It sickens me that he's sold out. That is what a stage and a bit of cash (quite considerable) in somebody's pocket does to them. I'm livid that the unions are still backing Labour. Wtf are they playing at?! We need a new party, and we need it now. I want to get involved. Many carers do. Please use us. We cannot keep floundering, constantly repeating about what needs to be done, but getting zilch done. We need to form a party and do it. The UK Greens are sadly not Jill Stein. I voted for the Greens in last election, but where is their opposition to all this demonic shit that Labour are heaping upon us? Imo, if we don't have an alternative socialist party in place for the next election we are screwed. We will never get another chance. Please, let's do this.

[wideberth]

Forgot to say, BAE systems: Butchers are 'ere. We've gone from being a 'nation of shopkeepers' to a nation of butchers.

[christinaheins]

I now support No to NATO, No to War. Galloway was the first to stand up to protect Palestinians. Galloway was the first to stand up against false allegations of Antisemitism. Galloway was the first to stand up against Apartheid in Africa and in Gaza. Whilst others sat on the fence in silence for far too long.