Secret consultation documents finally released after the Morning Star’s two-year freedom of information battle show the Home Office misrepresented public opinion, claiming support for policies that most respondents actually strongly criticised as dangerous and unfair, writes SOLOMON HUGHES

WHEN the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) killed seven aid workers from World Central Kitchen (WCK) in Gaza this month it brought IDF-backed plans to deliver Gaza aid by sea to a temporary halt.
The IDF is promoting both sea and air aid deliveries, even though all aid groups agree they are much less effective than bringing lorry loads to Gaza by land. It’s arguable that the IDF backs these eye-catching but inefficient sea and air routes because they get lots of press coverage while delivering limited aid.
Aid groups will try any method they are allowed to get food into Gaza, but by pushing them towards these sea and air routes, the IDF generate news stories about aid being delivered, while actually squeezing aid deliveries.
The “sea” route from Cyprus to Gaza was opened by two charities: Open Arms ran the ship while WCK built the temporary jetty from the rubble of bombed buildings and distributed the food.

Secret consultation documents finally released after the Morning Star’s two-year freedom of information battle show the Home Office misrepresented public opinion, claiming support for policies that most respondents actually strongly criticised as dangerous and unfair, writes SOLOMON HUGHES

SOLOMON HUGHES highlights a 1995 Sunday Times story about the disappearance of ‘defecting Iraqi nuclear scientist.’ Even though the story was debunked, it was widely repeated across the mainstream press, creating the false – and deadly – narrative of Iraqi WMD that eventually led to war

Despite Labour’s promises to bring things ‘in-house,’ the Justice Secretary has awarded notorious outsourcing outfit Mitie a £329 million contract to run a new prison — despite its track record of abuse and neglect in its migrant facilities, reports SOLOMON HUGHES
