council

US dignitaries storm out of UN security council over Twitter beef with France

  • Post author:
  • Post last modified:29 July 2026
US dignitaries storm out of UN security council over Twitter beef with France

US diplomats staged a walkout of a UN meeting over French dignitaries’ criticisms of the Trump administration’s human rights record. Which is, you know, completely accurate considering the kidnap of president Maduro, strikes against civilian vessels, and unlawful imprisonment (and murder) under ICE, to name but a few. ‘Forced labour’ tariffs The ridiculous walkout stunt, which took place during a security council meeting on 27 July, was part of an ongoing feud between the two countries’ delegations. Several days beforehand, on 23 July, the Trump administration announced massive tariffs on more than 80 countries. In effect, these reinstated the previous tariffs…

Continue ReadingUS dignitaries storm out of UN security council over Twitter beef with France

Equity calls on Manchester City Council to ensure Pride performers are paid

  • Post author:
  • Post last modified:17 July 2026
Equity calls on Manchester City Council to ensure Pride performers are paid

With six weeks to go until Manchester Village Pride, performing arts union Equity is calling on Manchester City Council to ensure that performers out of pocket from last year’s Manchester Pride collapse get the pay due for their work. Pride takes place from 28-31 August this year under a new Community Interest Company rooted in Manchester’s Gay Village. This follows the collapse of Manchester Pride in 2025. The new Manchester Village Pride event will be one of the first Pride events to operate on a union agreement, after Equity and Manchester Village Pride signed a house agreement for minimum terms and…

Continue ReadingEquity calls on Manchester City Council to ensure Pride performers are paid

Greens or Reform will lead Kirklees Council, but Tories block progress

  • Post author:
  • Post last modified:6 July 2026
Greens or Reform will lead Kirklees Council, but Tories block progress

In the West Yorkshire borough of Kirklees, only the Green Party‘s group leader or Reform’s are in a position to lead the council. But Conservative councillors’ refusal to pick a side has been blocking progress, with two votes already failing to produce a winner. Ahead of another vote on 15 July, local Green leader Andrew Cooper told the Canary that Tory councillors should either “pick a side” or just “stay at home”. Green experience vs Reform incompetence In May’s local elections, Kirklees voters totally wiped out the Labour Party, whose previous administration had been incredibly controversial. On one side, this led…

Continue ReadingGreens or Reform will lead Kirklees Council, but Tories block progress

Blackpool council Reform leader exposed as BAE Systems officer, uniparty warmonger

  • Post author:
  • Post last modified:2 July 2026
Blackpool council Reform leader exposed as BAE Systems officer, uniparty warmonger

The Canary can reveal that Reform UK’s leader in Blackpool Council is an ‘officer’ employed at BAE Systems. BAE is a weapons manufacturer heavily implicated in the Gaza genocide and other war crimes. Reform’s Blackpool Council group leader is James John (‘Jim’) O’Neill, 69. He was elected as Blackpool’s first Reform councillor in 2024, taking the Marston ward from Labour. He states his employment on his sparsely detailed Register of Interests on Blackpool Council’s website as: “Officer, BAE Systems.” O’Neill was outside BAE’s Samlesbury manufacturing plant informing policing operations and notifying anti-genocide blockaders of “trespass” in the early hours of 29 June.…

Continue ReadingBlackpool council Reform leader exposed as BAE Systems officer, uniparty warmonger

First Green on South Gloucestershire Council as Labour cabinet member defects

  • Post author:
  • Post last modified:29 June 2026
First Green on South Gloucestershire Council as Labour cabinet member defects

Sean Rhodes, who has represented Kingswood since 2023, is now South Gloucestershire Council’s first Green Party councillor. Rhodes explained: As part of the South Glos Council administration, we have worked hard to improve the lives of residents in ever more difficult economic circumstances but the Labour government have absolutely failed in their promise to bring positive change to our country. The decisions made by this Labour government are making things worse for working people, and now we see them going through the same political soap opera that the Conservatives did in their end days. The Green Party has a clear focus…

Continue ReadingFirst Green on South Gloucestershire Council as Labour cabinet member defects

Council admits guga hunt ‘not in full compliance’ with food safety laws

  • Post author:
  • Post last modified:18 June 2026
Council admits guga hunt ‘not in full compliance’ with food safety laws

Officials say they are aware the traditional guga hunt operates outside current food safety regulations. But they claim that enforcing the law is impractical. The guga hunt is the UK’s last legal seabird hunt. Every year, the “Men of Ness” travel to the remote island of Sula Sgeir to kill up to 2,000 flightless gannet chicks, which locals call guga. The birds are slaughtered and butchered on the island before being transported back to the Isle of Lewis where they are sold and consumed. Historically, the hunt provided an important source of food for isolated island communities. Today, however, it continues…

Continue ReadingCouncil admits guga hunt ‘not in full compliance’ with food safety laws

Reform council accused of banning displays for Refugee Week and for Pride month

  • Post author:
  • Post last modified:9 June 2026
Reform council accused of banning displays for Refugee Week and for Pride month

The Reform-led council in St Helens has instructed all local libraries to take down displays promoting or funding anything relating to Pride or Refugee Week. This Orwellian – and bigoted – move comes just as Refugee Week is set to commence, between the 15th and 21st June, and shuts down the long-seen practice of libraries highlighting resources which increase understanding and compassion towards marginalised communities. At the same time, the council have afforded £200k of taxpayers’ money to pay a consultant to ‘educate’ elected Reform councillors on the inner workings of the council over four years. This follows a comment made…

Continue ReadingReform council accused of banning displays for Refugee Week and for Pride month

Watch: Reform’s would-be new Kirklees council leader doesn’t understand… anything much

  • Post author:
  • Post last modified:8 June 2026
Watch: Reform’s would-be new Kirklees council leader doesn’t understand… anything much

Kirklees council remains leaderless after councillors were unable to choose at a meeting yesterday; Reform are the biggest party, but short of a majority. Labour was wiped out in this month’s local elections. But the meeting saw some comedy as Reform UK’s would-be leader had to admit that neither she nor her 28 councillors understood what they were voting for. Or anything else, really: @kirkleesgreenparty Councillor Sarah Wood – Reform’s choice to lead Kirklees Council apparently doesn’t understand how the Council runs #huddersfield #westyorkshire ♬ original sound – Kirklees Green Party Reform farce Wood and her party objected that the votes…

Continue ReadingWatch: Reform’s would-be new Kirklees council leader doesn’t understand… anything much