Cable Street shows us we have to tackle racism head on
JEREMY CORBYN on the lessons of the day the East End beat the Blackshirts
The Battle of Cable Street has a deep personal significance to me, as I learned all about this historic event on 4 October 1936 from my mother, who was there herself.
84 years ago she stood alongside many others, and later recalled how tens of thousands of people from an incredibly diverse range of community organisations, faith groups, trade unions, the Labour Party, left wing groups and others had come together against the planned march by Oswald Mosley’s Union of British fascists – and those police guarding it – through a heavily Jewish neighbourhood.
Communities joined together to support each other with one simple aim – to stop the fascists from marching through the East End – and determinedly say they wouldn’t let them pass.
Barricades were erected to halt the march, and so it was eventually abandoned in a great victory for the anti-fascists.
My mother Naomi stood alongside so many others because she wanted to live in a world, as we all do, free from xenophobia and free from ate.
As I said at the tremendous event to mark the Battle of Cable’s Street 80th anniversary in 2016, “The principles that brought those people on to the streets runs through my DNA.”
Those who stood there in Cable Street, all those years ago, did so as an act of defiance and an act of principal, and we walk in their shadow.
We must never forget their enormous service to the whole country and its future. They showed us without doubt that unity is strength, and that in today’s increasingly dangerous world – with both the far-right and racism again on the rise in many countries – we must stand united and strong again.
We should be pleased to live in one society with many cultures, and side by side in a multi-faith society.
As Gary Lineker’s recent brilliant “Fish and Chips” video showed, many things we regard as essential to British life wouldn’t be as they are without refugees and migrants.
London and Islington North which I have the privilege to represent in the House of Commons has always been, and should always be, a melting-pot for people from all over the world to make it their home and make their contribution. We must celebrate our diversity, which makes the capital great in so many ways.
In recent months, we have again seen a rise in those who wish to scapegoat and blame migrants for the problems we are facing as a country and A society.
In particular in the last few weeks we have seen a notable increase in hostility towards refugees, including a wave of negative and misleading media stories encouraged by the Tories and their allies.
These are just the latest examples of the age-old right-wing divide and rule tactic and it is of course an approach straight out of the Trump play book.
As we approach a massive unemployment crisis, as socialists we have a duty to say that this – and other issues such as housing shortages, NHS under-funding and many more besides – are the fault of a decade of ideologically-driven austerity and this Tory Government’s wrong priorities; not the fault of migrants or refugees.
To put it simply, these economic and social problems are the result of a rigged and broken system that needs to change.
Indeed, a lot of these problems would be much worse without the contribution migrants, their children and their grandchildren have made and continue to make to our economy and society, not least to our public services including our beloved NHS.
This means that we must never turn our back on those values that bring us together, and we must never stop standing up to those who seek to scapegoat some of the most vulnerable people in our society and drive a wedge between different communities.
The only way to defeat division and hate is to confront head-on those who fan the flames of racism and xenophobia.
It is not enough to just declare on anniversaries like this our strength of community and unity; it is about our ability and willingness to do that every day, all the time, if we want to live in the decent non-racist society that we all crave.
We have a duty to the reach out the hand of humanity to the Rohingya
By Jeremy Corbyn MP
The suffering of refugees throughout history has been among the most cruel and persistent evils of humanity.
In the world today 65 million people are refugees or internally displaced, the largest number in recorded history. The situation could get even worse as global inequality becomes greater, and the climate emergency leads to more climate refugees.
Amongst the many refugee crises across the world, there are some that we seldom hear about on the news, and one of these – despite it being among the largest and fastest movements of people in recent history – is the Rohingya refugee crisis. It is for this reason that on Thursday I will be leading a Parliamentary debate on this issue.
Four years after the Myanmar military unleashed a wave of violence against Rohingya civilians, killing thousands and burning entire villages to the ground, there are millions of Rohingya still displaced across the region. It is estimated that there are over 1.2 million in Bangladesh, over 100,000 in Malaysia, 200,000 in Pakistan and between 100–200,000 in India.
Whilst Bangladesh is hosting a million refugees, sadly, Governments in countries such as Thailand and Malaysia have been very hostile to Rohingya refugees.
The scale of the humanitarian crisis that has unfolded in Myanmar is unprecedented.
According to UNICEF, an estimated 30 per cent of children living in the camps suffer from chronic malnutrition, and over 11 per cent suffer from acute malnutrition. An entire generation is growing up without access to education, and babies under 6 months are among the most vulnerable and have malnutrition rates near 50%.
It is also deeply concerning that, sexual abuse, human trafficking, exploitation of children and violence against women have all been reported within the refugee camps.
There are also serious concerns regarding the fencing being erected around the camps, and it restricting the Rohingya’s legitimate freedom of movement and access to services. The UK should urge the Bangladesh authorities to urgently review their approach to security.
International efforts to support the Government of Bangladesh, the UN, and international agencies in providing assistance must be scaled up and expanded to protect refugees.
Furthermore, the UN, partner organisations, host countries and the international community must increase its efforts and support to ensure that the human rights of the Rohingya are respected, and that this already vulnerable group are not left to go from one unsafe and dangerous environment to another.
The origins and the solutions to this crisis lie in Myanmar. The UK government recently imposed sanctions against two Myanmar military generals, which is a very important symbolical measure, especially for the victims. However, further and more meaningful action must be taken. The UK government should, for instance, prevent British companies from trading with companies in Myanmar that are connected to the military.
Until conditions that will allow for the refugees’ eventual voluntary return in safety and dignity are met, the UK government must continue and increase its support towards the Rohingya, and intensify its efforts to bring a peaceful solution to their plight.
The UK government must also engage with UN, and the Governments of both Bangladesh and Myanmar to stress the importance of including the Rohingya in discussions about their future. These governments have been largely excluded from high level discussions about their group’s future, which will not help bring about a resolution.
We must step our campaigning in defence of refugees and against right-wing scapegoating writes Jeremy Corbyn.
The global and ongoing refugee crisis has been back in the headlines in recent weeks, because of tragic scenes of the fire in a refugee camp in Moria, Lesbos. But refugees have also been the focus of more media attention here because of a wave of hostility encouraged by the Tories and their allies.
The scapegoating of refugees has reached fever-pitch in recent weeks as the Tories employ their age-old divide and rule tactics, seeking to deflect attention from their disastrous and deadly handling of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Tory MP after Tory MP took to the airwaves to argue for deploying military vessels to deter people crossing the channel, rather than taking the responsible approach in line with international law to provide safe and legal routes to people seeking to claim asylum.
The Tory reactionary and divisive approach is of course straight out of the Trump play book.
And in Europe, Right-wing governments in Hungary and Poland have joined in, also proclaiming they will not accept any asylum seekers, in keeping with the rise of the Xenophobic Right across much of the globe.
What all these right-wing governments – and much of the media as well – fail to mention is that refugees have a legal right to claim asylum here, and our Government has international obligations in this regard.
And I would argue we also have a moral and humanitarian duty to give people the right to claim asylum.
The heart-breaking scenes earlier this month after the fire in Moria, Lesbos were just a small glimpse into the desperate lives many refugees in these camps are living.
Our solidarity is with all those gravely affected by the fire, among them are 400 unaccompanied children who face a horrendous situation. As Lord Alf Dubbs has said again and again, it’s time for the UK Government to meet our obligations to these child refugees and those in Calais and elsewhere.
These conditions are faced by refugees here in Europe, but there are also over 65 million refugees around the world that are too often forgotten.
For this reason, this week in Parliament, I will be leading a debate on the plight facing the Rohinga refugees. Their plight does not get the attention they deserve, even though there are over 1 million in Bangladesh today.
In these refugee camps, over 25% of Rohingya children are malnourished. Over 12% are suffering from severe stunting, a condition resulting from starvation and malnutrition. Babies under 6 months are among the most vulnerable and have malnutrition rates near 50%.
This is a massive humanitarian crisis and the international community simply must do more.
And we must never forget the Palestinian Refugees who were located in camps in Lebanon, Jordan and Gaza in 1948. Now they house the great grandchildren of the first arrivals, with still no prospect of returning home, and meanwhile Trump is cutting vital funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Middle East (UNRWA) which does so much work to give them basic support and services.
Fundamentally, if Governments internationally do not change their approach to tackling the key issues of our time, there will be even more refugees internationally.
The Climate emergency, unless averted by urgent international governmental cooperation on a massive scale, will mean further crises, leading to more and more climate refugees.
In Brazil, for example, if the far-right Bolsonaro regime continues its approach of encouraging Agri-business in Amazon deforestation, we can expect the Amazon fires to reach higher and higher levels, meaning that increasing numbers of people will have to leave their homes.
In this sense, solutions to climate chaos based around local, regional, national and international Green New Deals are as important here as they are in other regions.
We should also acknowledge that Britain’s support for numerous US-led wars and military interventions in the Middle East and elsewhere has contributed to many people having to flee their homes and countries.
Furthermore, arms sales fuel even more conflicts and wars; UK arms sales to places like Saudi Arabia are set to resume even though they are used in the disastrous war on Yemen, which is now one of the worst humanitarian disasters on the planet.
Standing with refugees, saying they are welcome here and that refugees lives matter must therefore be central to our internationalist approach to the world.
When we see pictures of starving refugees on the television, see a dead refugee’s body on the beach in Kent, and see starving refugees our streets, surely it’s time to recognise our common humanity?Originally published at https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/refugee-lives-matter
Parliament resumed last week and an unusual summer break, is now behind us.Caution, and ongoing Covid-19 restrictions are continuing everywhere including of course in the Houses of Parliament.
Dissenting voices among government ranks are complaining about the lack of parliamentary scrutiny of lockdown rules. Between towns and regions there are also intermittent variations on these restrictions as the government struggles to deal with a crisis which has now been ongoing since early this year.
The Sirco Track and Trace system is failing abysmally, and the confusing rhetoric being served up to the public is focused on targets almost always unmet. Indeed, the track and trace test that so many countries manage to use successfully remains out of the reach of many of us, and winter approaches. According to the NHS the test is: “not 100% accurate; at present it is thought to detect approximately 70% of coronavirus infections. A negative test does not mean that you stop self-isolating if you have coronavirus symptoms”. We all need to need to be vigilant in going about our business.
Brexit is very much back on the agenda, and it is right to fear the worst whilst campaigning against it as the government proposes to ride roughshod over the current Withdrawal bill. Ahead of this report being mailed out there’ll have been much behind the scenes effort to ensure this doesn’t happen, including the tabling of an amendment by a former Tory minister aiming to avert the worst. UK relations with both Ireland, and the EU are not going well and the prospect of the government taking control over Brexit-Ireland border arrangements is, quite simply, illegal, and wrong.
The business of flouting international law is not new to the Conservatives despite them labelling themselves as the party of law and order over many years.
When the International Court of Justice and the United Nationals General Assembly effectively quashed Britain’s claim to the Chagos Islands last year, the government refused to accept the decision. We are acting illegally every day on which this matter remains outstanding. The remedy is really not complicated but there exists an ongoing determination to turn a blind eye on this when few other countries do.
At the end of August I wrote to the PM to address the fact that our government has been found responsible for providing military training to countries with the most appalling human rights records and the most inhumane treatment of their peoples is an abomination. I put it to him that this was shameful and must be addressed, and relates to Bahrain; Saudi Arabia; Egypt; China; Belarus; Turkey I await his reply.
On Climate Change, I remain extremely concerned about the growing threat climate change poses to our world and I am therefore supporting the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill which has been drafted by leading climate scientists, academics and lawyers. If this bill is successfully passed into law, it will represent a significant step forward in ensuring that the government brings about a proper strategy to dramatically reduce emissions.
In 2019 I tabled a motion which was passed, and which meant that the House of Commons became the first Parliament to declare a formal climate and environment emergency. I am also proud that in 2019 Islington Council passed a unanimous motion declaring a climate emergency and pledged to work towards becoming a net zero borough by 2030, in line with the recommendations of the UN’s Intergovernmental Committee on Climate Change.
Subsequently, our manifesto was clear about both the threat of the climate emergency, and the radical action necessary to address that threat – coming out top in Friends of the Earth’s environmental assessment of the main UK-wide party manifestos.
In keeping with this I support the calls by climate campaigners for our government to do more to meet international obligations in this. I have been concerned by the pace of progress so far and have added my voice to those calling for urgent action to be taken.
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I was pleased to speak at the launch of the Northern England Labour Left conference on 5th September. Other speakers during the day included John McDonnell MP, Clive Lewis MP, Jamie Driscoll (Metro Mayor of the North of Tyne) and NEC candidate Laura Pidcock.
Topics discussed included democratising the Labour Party, the need to prioritise a Green New Deal as part of our socialist solutions to the crisis, and the importance of community and local politics and organising in resisting the Tories and building support for progressive alternatives. I spoke in a virtual international conference in Irkutsk entitled: ‘The Current Pandemic Crisis: Analysis and Policy Responses’ (2nd September) alongside a number of interesting panellists from around the world. I pointed out this new and greater sense of international solidarity and understanding and communication in the world, and the fact that meetings in Britain now routinely have international speakers from different continents; a trend I hope continues when the crisis is no longer.
The issues we face are global and require a global response to them be they of an economic, security, environment or human rights nature. The pandemic has highlighted the needs of the underprivileged in a way we could not have imagined, and among other things, exposed the vulnerability of health and care systems to underfunding by their own governments. At the outset there was limited scope for dealing with this crisis and the ability of the health service to cope was achieved essentially by a huge and voluntary effort by health workers, delivery workers and other key workers. There has been a rise in deaths from other causes because of the lack of capacity at the outset. The NHS is now desperately trying to catch up.
The volunteers and individuals in our community and in the health service have excelled themselves. I made this point to the Prime Minister in parliament earlier in the year, and continue to repeat it.
A greater sense of community and interdependence has now come about and is at the heart of this political moment; against a backdrop of greater levels of inequality and a jobs crisis. We have much to do, in Islington and beyond.
I also participated in a Palestine Solidarity Campaign Rally (1st September) entitled: End the Siege Now. The situation in Palestine, and significantly Gaza: a strip of land within which live 2 million Palestinians under blockade, now facing a potential Covid-19 crisis is dire. The “strip” (as it’s often referred to) lacks many resources to deal with the most basic needs so a recent surge of cases should have all of us worried, and actively speaking up and lobbying on their behalf. That is precisely why I took part in this rally.
Lottie Stables organised a virtual Barnet Transformed launch event (26 August) and I was pleased to speak on a myriad of different issues including local government spending, the importance of international solidarity, and my reflections on having worked as a union organiser fighting cutbacks in public services in Barnet earlier on in my career. I was joined by a number of interesting guests on the panel.
I joined a Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) Strike outside the Tate (22 August): where workers and others gathered to demonstrate my support to these workers resisting unjust redundancies and cuts. The PCS union argues that the redundancies at the Tate are unnecessary, and are asking for just 10% of the expected government bailout of the gallery to save hundreds of jobs. Members of the union and the public alike are right to ask, if the financial situation at the gallery is so dire, then why are their senior executives still earning eye watering salaries way over £100,000?
I was delighted to be nominated for the ‘MP for the Year Award’, and being voted ‘Best Prime Minister We Never Had” in a Sky Twitter Poll remains an interesting experience!
LOCALLY:
Over the past few months I have had regular conference calls with various authorities though most frequently with Islington Council and the Whittington Hospital, and both have managed the pandemic with extraordinary skills. However, when the NHS Parliamentary Awards were announced, the tireless dedication of the Whittington hospital, and especially their commitment, and their dedication to the care of both their staff and their patients was in the forefront of my mind. I expect the awards are quite competitive but regardless, the Whittington Health is now in the running for an Excellence in Urgent and Emergency Care Award.
I had a brief conversation (4th September) about the Council’s People Friendly Streets scheme with Cllr Richard Watts – Islington Council leader, and Councillor Rowena Champion, Executive Member for Environment and Transport. In the last couple of months the scheme has been rolling out in Islington South, and some of you will be aware of the ongoing discussions with residents about extending this to Highbury Hill.
I appreciate the Council’s efforts to reduce air pollution in our borough and to use the opportunities the otherwise devastating pandemic has presented to introduce long-lasting change that will improve the environment for all. Similarly I am aware of concerns raised by local residents in anticipation of the new scheme. I look forward to spending the next couple of weeks speaking to residents in Highbury Hill to find out more on their thoughts and expectations. The Council has developed an online tool inviting comments on the proposed scheme which you can access here. If you live in the area and will be affected by the changes I would encourage you to make a contribution.
I also had the great pleasure of having a zoom meeting on 4th September with Lawrence Curtis, founder of social enterprise Healthy Minds Healthy Bodies (HMHB). The project has been very successful supporting people, mostly focusing on those who are unemployed, by promoting a healthy lifestyle through access to health, fitness, budget and nutrition advice. I was very pleased to hear the project continues to be successful and that more organisations are interested in setting up partnerships with them. I wish them all the best and look forward to seeing how the project will expand.
I visited the Islington Somali Community(1st September) to congratulate them in person for winning the National Lottery Fund. They have been doing a fantastic job supporting the Somali community in Islington since 1990 and I was very pleased to hear that they have been working even harder during the pandemic, providing support to the elderly with medicine collection, delivering food parcels to families, and providing IT equipment and tutoring to youth and children. It is important to recognise that just as their demand has increased so has their need for more resources. I therefore look forward to supporting them in any way I can so that they can continue to provide invaluable support to the Somali community in Islington during the difficult and challenging times we are facing.
I was delighted to learn that Sunnyside Community Gardens received a People’s Postcode Lottery award of £18,887 to increase access to and improve natural spaces in Islington. They announced that this would enable them to employ a community gardener two days a week to run volunteer gardening and conservation sessions for local people who live nearby with no or very small gardens. This project will help to build Sunnyside as a community hub where people from many different backgrounds can take part, and in doing so socialise with their neighbours in the outdoors whilst social distancing.
I continue to support the organisations I am a Trustee of and to this end I spent time with the wonderful team at the Light Project International.
HAPPILY: Two wonderful individuals entered their 91st year recently:
Our beloved Annette Thomas who remains an active and dedicated member of Islington North CLP marked her 90th birthday in the company of close friends and relatives, with myself and Laura calling in briefly. I have tried to retire Annette from her volunteering at my Advice Sessions but it remains a difficult task, such is her enthusiasm. Never mind the fact that my local team are too attached to her! Some of you may also know Maggie Bowden though she’s not an Islington resident. On the back of an interesting political and legal career, Maggie headed up Liberation for the past decade and has slowly and unwillingly stepped aside, handing over the reins to Katie Ferola.
CONTACTING JEREMY CORBYN MP My contact details remain unchanged and due to Covid-19 restrictions my Advice Sessions are being held over the telephone. e-mail: jeremy.corbyn.mp@parliament.uk Constituency Office Tel: 0207 561 7488 (Mon, Tues, Thurs 10am – 12pm) Postal address: The Rt Hon Jeremy Corbyn MP, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA
The past few weeks have not been at all typical of summer months in years gone by. The country is experiencing record high temperatures, and Covid-19 pandemic lockdown restrictions continue to dominate our lives. Solutions to the pandemic are slow in the making and in the absence of a vaccine, or a massive shift in the numbers of people with Covid-19, we are required to exercise ongoing caution in much of our behaviour.
Parliament adjourned on 22nd July (to return at the beginning of September) for its summer recess and the work goes on remotely by MPs and staff. Where possible, we aim to take turns incatching some time off at this time.
For many across the world who flee persecution and poverty, the summer months can be life changing: 11/08/2020 Socialist Campaign Group Statement on the “Migrant Crisis”
“We stand in solidarity with migrants, including refugees and asylum seekers, and reaffirm the moral and legal right for refugees to claim asylum in the UK.
While the Conservative government and their billionaire press baron allies try to whip up fear about a “migrant crisis”, we know that the real crisis is the war, poverty and persecution that forces people to flee their homes and take dangerous journeys in search of a better life.
Rather than treating these people with hostility, with threats to deploy military vessels to deter crossings, the UK should provide safe and legal routes to people seeking to claim asylum.
The UK must do its fair share in providing a welcoming home to refugees. The current support for asylum seekers – £37.75 a week – and the ban on their right to work is inhumane.
The fact that it is often aggressive wars led by the UK and our allies that forces people to flee their homes give us a special responsibility to these people.
This latest drive by the Conservatives is a blatant attempt to distract the public from their calamitous handling of Coronavirus, which is leading to economic turmoil that will devastate working peoples’ livelihoods.
This divide and rule tactic must be fought by the entire labour movement. The real cause of problems working class people face is an economic system rigged for the super-rich, not migrants.“
Dawn Butler MP has been in my thoughts this past week since being stopped by the police while travelling in a car driven by a friend. Dawn is a colleague, friend and a hard working MP who has used the experience in a positive way in order to raise the issue of racial profiling. She has my full support and that of so many of her colleagues in doing so. To have subsequently had to endure negative, and inappropriate comments on her experience is an indication of how significant the Black Lives Matter movement is in educating the public toward achieving a racist free world.
A significant number of local, national, and international meetings have continued apace. Technology continues to dominate what we do, with the exception of mutual aid groups and food banks. Locally, I continue to visit foodbanks in Islington and assist at some including Brickworks, Sunnyside, and the Light Project. My visits continue to be a wonderful opportunity to see the brilliant work local residents, the Council, community organisers, and ward councillors are doing to continue supporting the most vulnerable during this pandemic.
Every year I attend the anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombing and this year was the 75th anniversary. I broadcast live to the CND event from the Elthorne Park Peace Garden on 6th August. Organised by the very capable Carol Turner, CND commemorated the lives lost in the bombings.
It was an opportunity to campaign for a nuclear free world, which is something we must actively do at all times to send a clear message to government across the globe that never again must we allow another tragedy of this nature to reoccur.
I spoke at a virtual meeting Stop the War held to discuss the very serious and urgent issue of the Yemen humanitarian crisis on 29th July. I highlighted the fact that Covid-19 has exposed problems of people in Yemen just as it has exposed injustice and health poverty all over the world. The situation in Yemen is deeply concerning and we must demand an end to the UK’s arms sale. Our media has also been slow to report what’s happening in Yemen and it is therefore up to us to raise our voice. We need to look at global action. On 21 July I did an online interview as part of a series on what the world after COVID-19 might look like which is being done by the School of Global Studies at Boston University. You can watch parts one and two on YouTube, and we discussed issues ranging from the refugee crisis to global health inequalities, to the future of the NHS and public services here in Britain. I took parliament’s Valuing Everyone course virtually (23/07). All MPs are doing this 2 hour training course, which as its name suggests, can only be a good thing.
The People’s Assembly Against Austerity hosted a key event on July 23 on why we must keep fighting NHS privatisation and the prospect of our NHS being sold-off to Trump in a one-sided free trade deal. The People’s Assembly have played a vital role in opposing the government in recent years, and it was great to also be joined by representatives of Keep Our NHS Public and We Own It on the panel.
The Rohingya crisis: I have become increasingly concerned about the Rohingya and as part of my research I had a virtual meeting Wai Wai Nu, a Burmese activist who advocates for the rights and equality of all people in Myanmar, including the Rohingya. Ours was a very productive meeting on 24th July and I hope to continue working on this very important issue. We must continue to campaign internationally for the Rohingya people.
On 27 July I joined an international panel to discuss Cuba’s health internationalism and effects of the US blockade on the island during the Coronavirus crisis, alongside Fernando González (previously one of the famous Miami Five Cuban prisoners in the US,) Her Excellency Bárbara Elena Montalvo Álvarez, Cuban ambassador to the United Kingdom and Gail Walker, from Pastors for Peace in the USA.
I also conducted two interviews (on July 28 and 3 August) which will be released in the autumn – one for the next print issue of Tribune magazine on next steps for Labour and the Left, and the other for the economist Grace Blakeley’s new podcast – ‘A World To Win’, on Britain and the world after the Coronavirus crisis.
LOCALLY
I hosted an Islington North Environmental Forum (20 July) inspired by Beto Cortez, which was very well attended by constituents, and supported by party members. We had an excellent discussion as well as a Q & A in which we covered much ground including the issue of the proposed North London Waste Authority (NLWA) incinerator plans; Cop 26; and local pollution issues. Considerable support was evident for: local anti-pollution and sustainability measures in all places throughout the borough; Islington Council on traffic reduction measures; as well as Transport for London on pavement extensions. There is pressure on Transport for London regarding the levels of pollution which is of course at its worse along the Holloway / Seven Sisters Rd including of course the Nags Head gyratory.
I am also getting in touch with Network Rail who have today contacted my office to advise me of some “upcoming vegetation clearance work we’ll be undertaking around Canonbury station”!
Separately I also had a virtual discussion with Cllrs Rowena Champion and Richard Watts specifically on the matter of the NLWA incinerator going forward.
Elthorne Park walkabout (21/07): I have been in conversation with Council officers and local ward councillors of Elthorne Park regarding the re-installation of the “Upon Reflection” statue by Kevin Atherton to its original position. It is also hoped that the height of the wall that surrounds the garden can be lowered to make the garden more accessible.
I visited Sunnyside Gardens (27/07) where the team have been extremely supportive and I am grateful for their involvement in the Elthorne Peace Project. I look forward to seeing the changes to the Peace Garden and more people making use of such a wonderful space.
I am also delighted to learn today that the Gardens have been awarded lottery funding (the Postcode Local Trust)of £18,887.00 for their Increasing access to and improving natural spaces in Islington project.
Among the other events I have attended were: Islington Stakeholder meeting on Coronavirus The Bedford Pub (30/07) opened its doors and social distancing is of course being enforced in all pubs for the foreseeable. Light Project International trustee meeting (31/07).
Working with other volunteers in the Philip Noel Baker Peace Garden
CONTACTING JEREMY CORBYN MP My contact details remain unchanged and Advice Sessions are being held over the telephone with my staff. e-mail: jeremy.corbyn.mp@parliament.uk Constituency Office Tel: 0207 561 7488 (Mon, Tues, Thurs 10am – 12pm) Postal address: The Rt Hon Jeremy Corbyn MP, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0A
Nuclear Weapons Cannot Solve the Crises of Our Time
It’s time to step up our campaigning for peace and disarmament writes Jeremy Corbyn MP.
On Hiroshima Day each August we remember the anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which indiscriminately killed over 100,000 civilians and military personnel.
Still today, many survivors live with the horrific humanitarian consequences, including cancer caused by the exposure to nuclear radiation.
We must never forget these atrocities, and we must never give up on the mission to rid our world of nuclear weapons.
Hiroshima Day is so important because it involves us collectively thinking about what a nuclear weapon actually is. It is a weapon of mass destruction that if ever used can only kill large numbers of civilians.
If a nuclear war ever again took place there would be mass destruction on both sides of the conflict and the humanitarian effects would be disastrous.
Within this context, for those of us campaigning for peace and disarmament we should see the 2021 review of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) as an opportunity to push our demands back up the agenda.
The Coronavirus pandemic has demonstrated many things in a way that years of campaigning could not.
It has shown our planet is inter-dependent on each other and there is no complete hiding place from a hitherto unknown virus.
Crucially it has shown how all the weapons in the world are useless in the face of a dangerous virus.
Alongside this, the economic impact of COVID is enormous. Even in the better off western societies the inequalities have been stark. A huge increase in food bank usage is but one example.
In poorer societies the extremely poor have become destitute and in the refugee camps around the world the fear of the unknown future is compounded by the fear of a virus with no defence.
With this new reality the next NPT will be held and we must put the issue of nuclear disarmament back on the agenda in the run-up to it.
The NPT, ground-breaking in the 1960’s was designed to create, ultimately, a world without nuclear weapons.
Obviously at the grand level of the elimination of nuclear weapons it has not succeeded but enormous progress has been made.
I was part of a fascinating zoom conference with the UN Disarmament Commissioner Itzumi Nakamitsec and Jonathan Granoff from the American Bar Association in discussion about global security. Jonathan made the point that the NPT of 1968, done at an intense period of the cold war, had succeeded in creating nuclear free zones in Africa, Latin America, and Central Asia. as in many areas.
The Conference next year will be faced with huge issues.
The six party talks on Korea were at least engagement, and bizarre as the circumstances were Trump meeting Kim Jon Ung is a form of progress and one hopes that there can be progress towards a nuclear free Korean peninsula. This would require a significant reduction in the tensions between the US and China, and Trump pulling back from his inflammatory anti-Chinese rhetoric when it comes to the Coronavirus crisis.
The nuclearization of the conflict between India and Pakistan must be accompanied by a peace process over Kashmir, and the rights and needs of the people of Kashmir as part of that process.
The Middle East Weapons of Mass Destruction Free Zone has been an active debating point at every NPT Review Conference since 2010 and is given more urgency by the Trump administration continuing to impose sanctions on Iran and end the multilateral agreement. A strong declaration in support of the agreement will give impetus to a wider conference including Israel and its nuclear weapons.
Article VI of the NPT requires the five declared nuclear weapons states to take steps towards disarmament. The UN General Assembly has voted by a huge majority on the principle of ridding the world of nuclear weapons. The baton now passes back to the five permanent members of the Security Council.
Despite the binding obligation under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and technology, many nuclear weapons states including the UK are failing to live up to this commitment and even attempting to undermine efforts. This is hard to justify when we reflect on the horrors of nuclear mass destruction.
All the nuclear weapons states and members of the Security Council face huge economic issues, as does the whole world, post COVID. It would be a strange sense of priorities for all countries if – at a time of desperate need for an effective global health system, support for the 65 million refugees around the world and attention needed on the environment – the result was yet another round of re-armament.
Now more than ever, we must redouble our efforts to build a world that genuinely meets the security needs of its people.
Poverty, human rights abuses, environmental destruction, cyber terrorism and disease are all security threats. None of those issues can be solved by nuclear weapons or the threat of their use.
When the NPT reconvenes next year surely there must be a realisation that an interdependent world needs to direct resources and skills at saving, preserving and extending life in addition to addressing the global environmental challenge.
Here in Britain the next Strategic Defence and Security Review is due this year, and we need to argue for an end to wasteful spending on nuclear weapons, through defence diversification and with greater public procurement in the UK to protect jobs and industries.
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