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

THE first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine brought two significant proposals: one, a further UN general assembly resolution drafted by Ukraine in consultation with allies; the other, China’s 12-point peace plan.
Both call for a ceasefire, and both call for compliance with the UN sovereignty principle; beyond that the overlap is limited.
The UN resolution demands the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops but falls short of specifically calling for peace talks. A non-binding resolution, it was passed by 141, with 32 abstaining and seven against. As with previous UN votes on Ukraine, the large developing countries abstained — India, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Iran were joined by Cuba and most of the Central Asian states, with nearly half of the African states not giving their backing.



