
Humza Yousaf says Westminster must review its 'moral compass' over Palestine Action ban
Humza Yousaf said Westminster's decision to ban Palestine Action, effectively branding them a terrorist organisation, was unacceptable.
The UK government's move to ban a protest group which broke into an RAF base has been described as a 'shameful abuse' of terrorism law.
Humza Yousaf said Westminster's decision to ban Palestine Action, effectively branding them a terrorist organisation, was unacceptable.
The group broke in to RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire and sprayed two military planes with red paint.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is preparing a statement for tomorrow which would make it illegal to be a member of the group if it passes in Parliament.
Yousaf said the move had 'deeply angered' him.
He said: 'We have a UK government that believes protestors who are demonstrating against genocide are terrorists and should be put on a terror proscribed list, but yet Benjamin Netanyahu, who is wanted by the international criminal court, is not only not proscribed on that list but is actively sold weapons by our government.
'As a former justcie secretary and someone who believes in civil liberties...That tells me that the UK Government needs to seriously recalibrate its moral compass, but I also question whether its got a conscience whatsoever.'
Fellow former justice secretary and now Alba party leader Kenny MacAskill said: 'Proscribing daft lads and lassies for opposing genocide while refueling the machines causing it is perverse and disgusting.'
Prime Minsiter Keir Starmer condemned Palestine Action 's activity on Friday as 'disgraceful'.
The group was previously behind a stunt at Trump Turnberry where they sprayed pro-Palestinian slogans on the golf course and damaged the turf.
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The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
RAF base vandalism not justification ] to ban Palestine Action, says ex-minister
The spray-painting of aircraft at an RAF base by a pro-Palestinian group would not provide the sole legal justification for banning it, according to a former justice secretary. The home secretary, Yvette Cooper, is expected to move to proscribe Palestine Action in the coming days after an incident on Friday at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. Jonathan Reynolds, the trade secretary, said on Sunday it was the 'fourth attack' by the group on a key UK defence asset and that those interfering over a period of time with defence infrastructure should expect 'a very robust response'. 'I would also say those people do no service to the Palestinian cause, which is a noble one,' he said in an interview on the BBC. But reports of a move to proscribe the group, which would in effectbrand it as a terrorist organisation, has been met with criticism by some, including MPs, Amnesty International and the former Scottish first minister Humza Yousaf. A Thames Valley police investigation into the incident has been taken over by counter-terrorism police while the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said it was already in the process of reviewing security at its bases. Cooper is preparing a written ministerial statement that will be placed before parliament on Monday. Palestine Action released a short video on Friday morning showing two people driving electric scooters unimpeded inside the airbase at night and spraying two military planes. The group said it had targeted RAF Voyager aircraft used for transport and refuelling, and that 'activists have interrupted Britain's direct participation in the commission of genocide and war crimes across the Middle East'. The incident is the latest action in recent years by the group, but it is also a particularly embarrassing breach of MOD security at a site that holds transport planes used by the king and prime minister. The former justice secretary Charlie Falconer said on Sunday that the 'sort of demonstration' that took place at the RAF would not justify proscription 'so there must be something else that I don't know about'. Asked whether the group's actions were 'commensurate with the need to proscribe an organisation', Lord Falconer told Sky News's Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips: 'I am not aware of what Palestine Action has done beyond the painting of things on the planes in Brize Norton, they may have done other things I didn't know.' 'I think the question will probably not be what we know about them publicly, but there would need to be something that was known by those who look at these sorts of things that we don't know about, because I mean, they got into the airbase which might suggest they've got some degree of ability to make them dangerous.' Criticism came from quarters including the MP and former Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell, who said on X: 'Prosecuting Palestine Action protestors for criminal damage for paint spraying at the airbase would be expected but putting them on a par with mass killers like Jihadis & Boko Haram & proscribing doesn't seem appropriate & not what the counter-terrorism laws were introduced for.' During a protest march in London on Saturday, Yousaf accused the UK government of 'abusing' anti-terror laws against Palestine Action. He later said on X: 'If the UK Government believes those protesting against the atrocities in Gaza are terrorists, but those killing children should be supported and provided with weapons, then this Government has not only lost its way, it has lost its conscience.' Amnesty International UK said it was 'deeply concerned at the use of counter-terrorism powers to target protest groups.' Palestine Action was founded in 2020 by Huda Ammori, whose father is Palestinian, and Richard Barnard, a leftwing activist. The organisation, which focuses its campaigns on multinational arms dealers and corporate banks, recently targeted a factory in Shenstone, Staffordshire, claiming it made drones for the Israeli army. The home secretary has been the focus of lobbying by groups pushing for Palestine Action to be banned. The Campaign Against Antisemitism said it recently wrote to her, calling for the proscription of Palestine Action under the Terrorism Act 2000 and providing her with a dossier on the group.


North Wales Chronicle
an hour ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Remains of three Israeli hostages recovered from Gaza
The military identified the remains as those of Yonatan Samerano, 21; Ofra Keidar, 70; and Shay Levinson, 19. All three were killed during Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack into Israel that ignited the ongoing war. The militant group is still holding 50 hostages, with less than half of them believed to be alive. The military did not provide any details about the recovery operation, and it is unclear if an air strike which killed four Palestinians was related to it. 'The campaign to return the hostages continues consistently and is happening alongside the campaign against Iran,' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement. Kobi Samerano said in a Facebook post that his son's remains were returned on what would have been Yonatan's 23rd birthday. Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251 people in the October 7 attack. More than half the hostages have been returned in ceasefire agreements or other deals, eight have been rescued alive and Israeli forces have recovered dozens of bodies. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 55,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which has said women and children make up more than half of the dead. It does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Four people were killed on Sunday in an air strike in the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, according to Al-Awda Hospital, where the bodies were brought. It said another 22 people were injured while waiting for aid trucks. Palestinian witnesses and health officials say Israeli forces have repeatedly opened fire on crowds seeking desperately needed food, killing hundreds of people in recent weeks. The military says it has fired warning shots at people it said approached its forces in a suspicious manner. The Hostages Families Forum, the main organization representing families of the hostages, has repeatedly called for a deal to release the remaining captives. 'Particularly against the backdrop of current military developments and the significant achievements in Iran, we want to emphasise that bringing back the remaining 50 hostages is the key to achieving any sort of victory,' it said in a statement on Sunday. Hamas has said it will only release the remaining hostages in return for more Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Mr Netanyahu has rejected those terms, saying Israel will continue the war until all the hostages are returned and Hamas is defeated or disarmed and sent into exile. Even then, he has said Israel will maintain lasting control over Gaza and facilitate what he refers to as the voluntary emigration of much of its population, plans the Palestinians and others view as forcible expulsion. Separately, World Central Kitchen, the charity run by celebrity chef Jose Andres, said it had resumed the distribution of hot meals in Gaza for the first time in six weeks after shutting down because of Israel's blockade, which was loosened last month amid fears of famine.

Leader Live
an hour ago
- Leader Live
Starmer warns of ‘risk of escalation' following US strikes against Iran
The Prime Minister urged all sides to return to negotiations but said he had taken 'all necessary measures' to protect British interests in the region if the conflict escalates. There was no British involvement in the action but the Government was informed before the US strikes. Tehran has threatened to retaliate and Mr Trump has warned of further US action if necessary, saying: 'There will either be peace or there will be tragedy for Iran.' Speaking at his Chequers country retreat, the Prime Minister said there was a 'risk of escalation' adding: 'That's a risk to the region. It's a risk beyond the region, and that's why all our focus has been on de-escalating, getting people back around to negotiate what is a very real threat in relation to the nuclear programme. 'In relation to the UK, we were not involved in the attack. We were given due notice, as we would expect, as close allies to the US, and we have been moving assets to the region to make sure we're in a position to protect our own interests, our personnel and our assets, and, of course, those of our allies.' The US action comes just days after Sir Keir, who attended the G7 summit in Canada with Mr Trump, said on Tuesday there was 'nothing' from the president to suggest he was about to get involved in the conflict. Mr Trump pushed ahead with the action anyway, which he claimed had 'completely and fully obliterated' key nuclear facilities. Asked if he had been left looking foolish by the UK's closest ally ignoring his calls for de-escalation and pushing ahead with military strikes, the Prime Minister said: 'It's clearly a fast-moving situation and there's been a huge amount of discussion in the days since the G7 ended.' The Prime Minister sought to dodge questions about whether the UK could get dragged into the conflict if Iran targeted the bases of the US, a Nato ally. 'I'm not going to speculate about what may happen, because all of my focus is on de-escalation,' he said. 'But I do want to reassure the public we have taken all necessary measures to protect UK interests, UK personnel and to work with our allies to protect their interests as well.' The US has taken action to alleviate the grave threat that Iran poses to global security. The UK did not participate in these strikes. The safety of UK personnel and bases is my top priority. Force protection is at its highest level and we deployed additional jets this week. — John Healey (@JohnHealey_MP) June 22, 2025 Extra RAF Typhoon jets have already been moved to the region and Defence Secretary John Healey said 'force protection is at its highest level' following the US strikes. Sir Keir will chair a meeting of the Government's Cobra crisis committee on Sunday afternoon and has held a series of calls with world leaders. The US attacked Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz which are linked to Iran's nuclear programme. The Tehran regime has insisted its nuclear programme is peaceful but its uranium enrichment process has gone far beyond what is required for power stations. — Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 22, 2025 The strikes followed a build-up of US military equipment, with B-2 stealth bombers – which are the only aircraft to carry a 30,000-pound bunker-buster bomb – reportedly used to target the underground facilities. The aircraft have previously used the UK-US airbase on Diego Garcia, one of the Chagos Islands, but it is understood that was not involved in these strikes. The attack on Iran also involved US submarines, which launched around 30 Tomahawk cruise missiles. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said: 'By targeting Iran's nuclear sites, the US has taken decisive action against a regime that fuels global terror and directly threatens the UK. 'Iranian operatives have plotted murders and attacks on British soil. We should stand firmly with the US and Israel.' Reform UK leader Nigel Farage also backed Mr Trump's decision to strike Iran. He said: 'Iran must not be allowed to have nuclear weapons, the future of Israel depends on it.' Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey said 'robust diplomacy' was now needed to eliminate Iran's nuclear threat, adding: 'Following the US strikes, it is essential that we work to de-escalate the conflict and achieve that diplomatic solution.' Scotland's First Minister John Swinney called for diplomacy, saying the Middle East conflict has reached 'an alarmingly greater level of danger after the US attacks on Iran'. Iran launched a ballistic missile barrage against Israel in retaliation to the US action. The foreign ministry in Tehran issued a statement condemning 'the United States' brutal military aggression against Iran's peaceful nuclear facilities'. It added: 'The Islamic Republic of Iran is resolved to defend Iran's territory, sovereignty, security and people by all force and means against the United States' criminal aggression.' Mr Trump said any retaliation would be met with 'force far greater' than that used in the initial strikes.