UK politics - live: Michael Gove accused of ‘witch-hunt’ as he vows ‘pro-Palestinian marchers will pay’
A damning public inquiry has revealed government failings are the worst treatment disaster in NHS history
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Your support makes all the difference.Michael Gove has been accused of a ‘witch hunt’ after saying he wanted pro-Palestinian marchers to pay for the massive weekly protests.
The secretary of state for levelling up labelled pro-Palestine university encampments as ‘antisemitism repurposed for the Instagram age’ and he accused activists of hostility towards Jewish students.
In a speech on Tuesday, Mr Gove also accused organisers of not doing enough to stop some demonstrators spreading anti-Jewish messages, which he claims, included chants calling for the “annihilation of Israel”. His remarks have sparked furore among organisations supporting Palestinians in Gaza, who have been holding huge protests in London every weekend since the 7 October Hamas attacks.
His speech came ahead of the publication of the Lord Walney review into political violence, which recommended government tighten laws to ban Gaza protests taking place on certain days as well as calling for powers to help businesses claim damages from protest organisers.
But on the same day, the High Court ruled the Home Office had acted unlawfully when it implemented regulations to lower the threshold for police intervening in protests.
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‘Anti-semitism is a cancer but Israel actions can’t be overlooked,’ councillor says
Liverpool Cllr Alan Gibbons has reacted to Michael Gove’s speech.
Taking to social media, he said antisemitism is a cancer but actions of Israel can’t be forgotten.
Protests crackdown: Lord Wanly recommends creating buffer zones
The government’s adviser on political violence Lord Walney has outlined new measures in a bid to “protect our democratic values from intimidation”.
The tough guidance could include:
- Making protest buffer zones around MPs’ constituency offices and local council chambers.
- Force organisers pay towards policing.
- A review of undercover surveillance of activist groups.
- A blanket ban on face coverings at protests.
- Making it easier for businesses or members of the public claim damages from activist groups.
- Measures to restrict the ability of some groups to organized fundraise.
In his 292-page report on political violence and disruption, he also claims law enforcement do not know enough about “the extreme left”.
Just Stop Oil said it did not recognise the legitimacy of the report because of the links.
In full: What did Michael Gove say about pro-Palestine marches?
The communities secretary has used his time at the Jewish community centre in North London to attack organisers.
In his speech, he said: “The organisers of the marches say that there are Jewish people on their demonstrations.
“But they are only safe if they deny what is dear to so many Jewish people - the safety of people in Israel. If they are to be accepted on these marches then they must knuckle under, accept the calls to globalise the intifada or end the Zionist entity.
“They have to obey the rules laid down by others - those march organisers. Who reserve the right to tell Jews both where they should live in the world and how they should live on our streets.
“It is a classic antisemitic trope to set the terms on which Jews will be accepted. Safe, provided they live in their ghetto. Safe, provided they don’t get above themselves. Safe, provided they don’t contemplate the use of force in self-defence.
“Until, of course, they aren’t safe anymore.”
Pro-Palestine march organisers hit out at Michael Gove after antisemitism speech
Organisers of the massive London marches Palestine Solidarity Campaign have slammed the Tory MP.
Director of PSC Ben Jamal tells the The Independent: “Nobody truly committed to anti-racism and to suppressing hatred is going to take any lessons from Michael Gove, a politician with an egregious track record of promoting Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism.
“That he should choose to issue his speech at a moment when Israel is on trial in the world’s highest court for the crime of genocide and the day after its leader has been threatened with arrest warrants for war crimes from the ICC, is grotesque, but given his track record, unsurprising. He should be devoting his energies at the moment to ensuring his Government upholds its responsibilities under international law rather than trying to smear those who are protesting against the current genocide.
“Furthermore, his attempts to use his speech to once again push the arguments for the pernicious anti-boycott bill to become law, reveals his agenda.
“This bill contains a clause that seeks to uniquely protect Israel above all other states in the world from the peaceful, ethical tactic of divestment and boycott, even whilst it commits genocide. Mr Gove discredits himself, not the Palestinian solidarity movement.”
Infected blood scandal: MPs urge Gov to introduce NHS passports for victims
The Father of the House of Commons Sir Peter Bottomley has called on the government to launch NHS passports for those impacted by the infected blood scandal.
The move would protect victims from intrusive questions every time they seek medical attention.
The Conservative MP said: “It is important, I think, that those who are young in conditions should actually understand that if you see that there’s a haemophilia or a whole blood infection, that you can take for granted a lot of things which you don’t need to ask. That humanity, I think, needs to be spread.”
He also urged to help compensated victims through the process of receiving the funds because “families sometimes don’t find it easy to decide how money should be shared”.
Watch: Moment John Glen announces infected blood scandal compensation
In case you missed it: Austrian leader lauds UK’s efforts on migration and cites its plan for deportations to Rwanda
Austria’s leader praised Britain Tuesday as a “pioneer” in outsourcing asylum proceedings to places outside Europe, citing a U.K. bill to send migrants to Rwanda as he hosted Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in Vienna.
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer’s conservative party has long taken a hard line on migration and faces a strong challenge from the far-right Freedom Party in an election expected this fall.
Calls grow to strip Ken Clarke of his peerage
Calls are growing for Ken Clarke to be stripped of his peerage after he was condemned for “indefensible” actions during the infected blood scandal.
A cabinet minister has said demands to kick the former health secretary out of the House of Lords “totally understandable”.
Mel Stride also said the Tory grandee still had questions to answer over the biggest healthcare failure in UK history.
Calls grow for Ken Clarke to be stripped of his peerage over infected blood scandal
Damning final report of the official inquiry into the tragedy accused the Tory grandee of ‘indefensible’ actions and ‘misleading’ the public
Lord Walney report: Further recommendations from the Independent Advisor on Political Violence
- Crackdown on people who praise terror groups or individuals.
- Those who suffer loss or damage from extreme protest movements should be able to get redress from the group who organised the action.
- Government should consider making protest organisers contribute to the policing costs of their demonstration.
- Improve the recording and reporting of harassment and intimidation directed against MPs.
- Don’t automatically suspend teachers if they are involved in blasphemy-related incidents.
Watch: Mel Stride grilled over infected blood scandal compensations
Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride has been asked about where the compensation money for victims of the infected blood scandal will come from.
The Tory minister was quizzed about how the government plans to pay millions of pounds of compensation to those impacted when he appeared on Good Morning Britain on Tuesday (21 May).
Host Susanna Reid asked him: “We are talking ten billion pounds, how will we pay for it?
“Does it mean borrowing money or do people get taxed for it?”
Richard Madeley asked: “Will you go after the pharmaceutical companies?”
Mr Stride replied: “It doesn’t need to be about that.”
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