Jan 1, 2024 12:51 AM
(This post was last modified: Jan 1, 2024 06:20 PM by C C.)
Labour sets 50% British food pledge to woo farmers
https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/...08085.html
EXCERPTS: Labour has pledged to ensure British produce makes up at least half of food in schools, hospitals and prisons as it set out its “new deal” for UK farmers. The party said it would use government buying power to back agricultural businesses as it seeks to woo rural voters before a general election next year.
[...] The package of measures comes as Labour claimed the Tories are presiding over “destruction” of agricultural-related businesses, with party analysis of Office for National Statistics data suggesting more than 6,300 have been terminated since 2017. ... It [Labour] has promised to “rewire Britain” in a way that allows farmers to “rapidly plug their renewable energy into the grid”.
[...] Food minister Mark Spencer said Labour has failed to support farmers in the past and would continue to do so. “Labour are incapable of supporting British farming – in government they failed to provide the connectivity, jobs and investment rural communities needed, and years later they still have no plan to support the countryside,” he said.
“Meanwhile, the Conservatives have delivered better targeted funding for farmers, protecting our best farmland and speeding up our grid connections for those who need it most. Aside from this copy-and-paste pledge to farmers, the only plan Labour have is a £28 billion a year spending splurge – unfunded spending that would mean higher taxes.” (MORE - missing details)
Iran FM: 'UK role evident in Israeli war crimes, genocide"
https://en.irna.ir/news/85339499/UK-role...lestinians
RELEASE: Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian has discussed the Gaza war with his British counterpart, telling him that the Palestinian crisis is rooted in decades of the Israeli occupation, with the UK role being evident in that regard.
“The Palestinian crisis is not rooted in October 7 events. It is rooted in 75 years of the occupation by the Israeli regime, constant violation of the basic rights of the Palestinians, committing war crimes in Palestine and genocide against this innocent nation, and of course the UK role is evident in these issues,” Amirabdollahian told Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Cameron in a phone conversation on Sunday.
The top Iranian diplomat said that his country considers Hamas a freedom-seeking movement, which has stood up against the occupation and apartheid, and condemned certain Western states for remaining silent on the Israeli crimes against Palestinians in Gaza.
Amirabdollahian also denounced what he called double standards by the US and some Western countries towards the wars in Gaza and Ukraine.
It is not correct that the Israeli regime is allowed to commit genocide and massacre of women and children in Gaza and create tensions in the region, but stopping a Zionist ship in the Red Sea is regarded as a threat to the security of this economic waterway, he noted.
On threats against the Islamic Republic, the Iranian foreign minister said that his country will definitely give a strong response to any act of aggression and adventurism by Israel, which will make the regime regret its actions.
The British foreign secretary also elaborated on his country’s stance on the ongoing developments in Gaza and the Red Sea, and called for efforts by the Islamic Republic to help stop the spillover of the war and ensure the navigation security.
In addition to the Gaza war, the two diplomats also discussed issues of mutual interest and stressed the importance of continued negotiations over those issues.
https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/...08085.html
EXCERPTS: Labour has pledged to ensure British produce makes up at least half of food in schools, hospitals and prisons as it set out its “new deal” for UK farmers. The party said it would use government buying power to back agricultural businesses as it seeks to woo rural voters before a general election next year.
[...] The package of measures comes as Labour claimed the Tories are presiding over “destruction” of agricultural-related businesses, with party analysis of Office for National Statistics data suggesting more than 6,300 have been terminated since 2017. ... It [Labour] has promised to “rewire Britain” in a way that allows farmers to “rapidly plug their renewable energy into the grid”.
[...] Food minister Mark Spencer said Labour has failed to support farmers in the past and would continue to do so. “Labour are incapable of supporting British farming – in government they failed to provide the connectivity, jobs and investment rural communities needed, and years later they still have no plan to support the countryside,” he said.
“Meanwhile, the Conservatives have delivered better targeted funding for farmers, protecting our best farmland and speeding up our grid connections for those who need it most. Aside from this copy-and-paste pledge to farmers, the only plan Labour have is a £28 billion a year spending splurge – unfunded spending that would mean higher taxes.” (MORE - missing details)
Iran FM: 'UK role evident in Israeli war crimes, genocide"
https://en.irna.ir/news/85339499/UK-role...lestinians
RELEASE: Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian has discussed the Gaza war with his British counterpart, telling him that the Palestinian crisis is rooted in decades of the Israeli occupation, with the UK role being evident in that regard.
“The Palestinian crisis is not rooted in October 7 events. It is rooted in 75 years of the occupation by the Israeli regime, constant violation of the basic rights of the Palestinians, committing war crimes in Palestine and genocide against this innocent nation, and of course the UK role is evident in these issues,” Amirabdollahian told Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Cameron in a phone conversation on Sunday.
The top Iranian diplomat said that his country considers Hamas a freedom-seeking movement, which has stood up against the occupation and apartheid, and condemned certain Western states for remaining silent on the Israeli crimes against Palestinians in Gaza.
Amirabdollahian also denounced what he called double standards by the US and some Western countries towards the wars in Gaza and Ukraine.
It is not correct that the Israeli regime is allowed to commit genocide and massacre of women and children in Gaza and create tensions in the region, but stopping a Zionist ship in the Red Sea is regarded as a threat to the security of this economic waterway, he noted.
On threats against the Islamic Republic, the Iranian foreign minister said that his country will definitely give a strong response to any act of aggression and adventurism by Israel, which will make the regime regret its actions.
The British foreign secretary also elaborated on his country’s stance on the ongoing developments in Gaza and the Red Sea, and called for efforts by the Islamic Republic to help stop the spillover of the war and ensure the navigation security.
In addition to the Gaza war, the two diplomats also discussed issues of mutual interest and stressed the importance of continued negotiations over those issues.