A roundup of news from progressive outlets...

1.Tory donor’s unacceptable views fail to stop party taking his cash-openDemocracy

The Conservative Party, along with a cabinet minister and a senior MP have accepted thousands of pounds in donations from a businessman who expressed unacceptable views on Muslims and claimed that democracy faced “implosion” due to immigration.

Maurizio Bragagni, an Italian-born industrialist living in the UK, has donated nearly £700,000 to the Tory Party and individual Conservative politicians either directly or through his company, Tratos, openDemocracy reports.

Despite knowing his views, which included claims that ‘Sharia Law’ was the “de facto law” in parts of some English cities and that an ‘affinity between Islam and Labour has always existed’, implying this was a factor keeping London’s mayor Sadiq Khan in power, the Tory party has continued to accept his cash.

2. Climate Science Deniers Go Unchallenged at London ‘Green’ Summit-DeSmog

Two prominent climate science deniers were given a platform at a ‘sustainable development’ conference. The pair used the opportunity to then claim that coal-fired power is “clean” and call global warming a “religion”.

DeSmog reports that Marc Morano and Christopher Monckton were hosted at the Dorchester Hotel in Mayfair last week for the “Global Investment in Sustainable Development” event organised by Climate Change (CC) Forum, which touts itself as the “green Davos”.

The site states: “The pair were given free rein to spread climate science misinformation at the event on Tuesday, with their arguments warmly applauded by the audience. Monckton was also allowed to give a keynote speech unchallenged in which he called net zero “not possible” and likened global warming to a religious belief.”

3. The Right-Wing Bid to Capture the National Trust Exposed-Byline Times

With just days to go before the National Trust’s members choose their new council at the trust’s AGM, Brian Cathcart has written a brilliant investigative piece exposing how the Restore Trust is linked to 55 Tufton Street, home to the opaque think tanks said to be behind the disastrous economic policy of our short-lived Prime Minister Liz Truss.

Why does any of this matter? As, Cathcart explains so brilliantly: “Restore Trust’s seemingly latest attempt to unseat the management of the National Trust is nearing its climax as members of the charity vote online (they can do so here until midnight on Friday) ahead of its AGM next week. What is at stake, therefore, is the future of an organisation with 5.7 million members, which owns hundreds of historic buildings and 600,000 acres of land, and also acts as custodian to 800 miles of coastline.”

He explains why Restore Trust is a ‘right-wing’ organisation with right-wing objectives and why their takeover must be resisted.

4.The Right to Food Can’t Wait Any Longer-Tribune

With food inflation hitting 14.6%, its highest level in four decades, Francesca Newton has written a brilliant piece for Tribune on why the right to food can’t wait any longer.

A recent study from the Food Foundation found that more than 2 million adults went without food for an entire day in April because they couldn’t afford it. One in seven adults, or 7.3 million of them, are now experiencing food insecurity, a leap from 4.7 million just back in January; 2.6 million children are having smaller meals than usual, not eating when hungry or simply skipping meals altogether. The long-term consequences for their health will likely be devastating.

Francesca writes: “The Right to Food campaign’s demands are basic: universal free school meals; government-supported community kitchens instead of volunteer foodbanks; accounting for food costs in benefits and minimum wage calculations; a Secretary of State for Food Security; and independent enforcement through a Foods Standards and Security Agency to make sure that hunger is monitored and fought consistently by government.”

5. No evidence for Jacob Rees-Mogg’s fracking claims, government admits-openDemocray

There is zero evidence that anti-fracking campaigners are being funded by ‘Mr Putin’ as claimed by Jacob Rees-Mogg last month, openDemocray reveals.

The former Business Secretary used parliamentary privilege last month to make the allegation on 22 September.

OpenDemocracy says that when it contacted the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Skills (BEIS) for evidence backing up the controversial claim, it was forced to admit it held none.

Comments are closed.