Month: January 2026

Latest arms trade news


Latest CAAT newsletter reveals UK role in killing around the world

January 2026

The Winter 2025 edition of the Campaign Against the Arms Trade (CAAT) news discusses the many issues to do with the supply of arms by the UK and others internationally. The government frequently claims to employ ‘robust’ measures to control the trade which has much potential to cause misery around the world, but the facts seem to suggest otherwise: CAAT reveals the top two purchasers of weapons are two nations which have abysmal human rights records. In the period 2020 – 2025, the top country for our weapons was Saudi Arabia at £6.4bn and second was Qatar at £4.1bn. Further down the list, is UAE at £825m.

All these countries do not permit opposition to exist, torture is widely practised, human rights lawyers and activists are routinely arrested, and women are not equal citizens. Foreign workers are treated dreadfully and the gleaming towers which feature in their promotional videos involve the deaths of many hundreds of indentured labourers.

Needless to say, Israel features and the UK governments continued support for arms sales despite the genocide taking place there. Interestingly, they report that Spain has ceased all arms sales and Germany likewise. It had been reported that the German Chancellor has reduced sales but CAAT report that no new exports have been approved.

The claim by the UK government that it has ‘robust’ controls is contradicted by the use of the secretive Open General Export Licences (OGEL). Looking at the list of restricted destinations [accessed 23 January] one finds that Israel is not listed. CAAT say that around half our exports to Israel are by this method.

Revolving door

The scandal of the revolving door continues. This concerns senior individuals in government or the forces taking up roles for arms companies following their retirement. There is a set of rules, which are largely sidestepped, to prevent abuse by people using their contacts to further the interests of the arms companies. These are set to be abolished this year and a new system introduced following a long list of scandals. We await to see how effective the new system will be. CAAT reveals the names of two new entrants to this hall of shame: Sir Simon Bollom, Head of the MOD’s Defence Equipment and Support, and Sir Mark Poffley formerly Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff. They will be joining Elbit Systems the Israeli arms firm which has facilities in the UK. They can use their influence to promote the interests of Elbit Systems. CAAT say there is no suggestion of impropriety.

A lengthy Private Eye report on this corruption, lists many names of politicians and others involved.

RAF flights over Gaza

The RAF continues to overfly GAZA and there are reports that the information gathered is being used to assist the Israeli IDF. The Ministry of Defence maintains that these flights were “solely to locate hostages,” yet the scale, timing and persistence of the flights raises questions as to how much they aided Israel’s military operations despite being conducted under the banner of humanitarian intent. It is not clear that any hostages were identified by the RAF.

The CAAT newsletter, together with previous newsletters and reports, paints a picture of the UK government which is more interested in supporting sales of weapons as part of its growth policy, than in the humanitarian effects these weapons have on the millions who suffer from their use. The high use of open licences means few meaningful controls are in place. They also proudly promote and support the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) each year in London with the innocent sounding claim that it ‘promotes the UK’s defence ethos, agenda and leadership while encouraging opportunity and cooperation with our global allies‘. ​(Source, DSEI 2027 Home page).

The sums involved are large and defence firms are a key part in some local economies. Controls based on a sense of moral purpose and a proper exercise of end user certificates would curtail their activities and hence employment. It is a tail wagging a somewhat compliant dog.

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Iran adds to the turmoil in the Middle East


Severe turmoil in Iran with grievous human rights abuses

January 2026

Events are moving fast on the world stage. Last week saw huge uprisings in many towns and cities throughout Iran with security forces using violence in an attempt to quell them. Numbers of dead are unknown due to the internet and phone cut offs but are estimated to be at least 2,000. Help was promised by the US president but so far none has appeared and it is difficult to imagine how outside help of any kind would improve matters.

In Gaza, violence continues and 450 have died since the ceasefire. Life for people living there is desperate with inadequate food and medical supplies and living in tented communities. Over 71,000 dead who are known about, thousands more lie in the rubble. Israel is reported to be considering a fresh assault on Gaza City.

News of the Board of Peace was available and names include Donald Trump as chair and other are Tony Blair, Marco Rubio. Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. There are no Palestinian names on the lists of the Board itself or on the subcommittees. Prospects for its success are dim. Vladimir Putin is reported to have been invited.

Vigil

We continue with our vigil and we held the 111th on Saturday with around 40 in attendance. One of the regular attendees has written to the local MP Mr John Glen to ask why he has never responded to emails about the vigils:

“You seem to have taken a policy of not responding to these emails.  I would be interested in your thoughts on the current situation in Gaza and to learn something of the extent to which you are able to transmit these messages from a group of your constituents to your parliamentary colleagues.  As you are my MP, this doesn’t seem a lot to ask.  I will put this letter on Salisbury CND’s website and add your reply to it, should such a reply be forthcoming“.

Mr Glen has never acknowledged the vigils in his weekly Salisbury Journal and a search of They Work for You website reveals that he has made no meaningful contribution in Parliament to the grievous situation there. He is reported to be a member of the Conservative Friends of Israel, the largest such lobby group in Parliament. A previous post analysing our three MPs and their voting record on this topic can be read here.

A video of the vigil can be accessed here. Video and image courtesy of Peter Gloyns.

Past event

Talk by Peter Oborne on Wednesday at 7pm. Copies of his book will be available at the discounted price of £10 (cash only).

Oborne flyerDownload
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Talk about ‘Complicit’


Past event

January 2026

THIS EVENING

This evening, Wednesday the 21st, we shall be welcoming Peter Oborne, the journalist and author, who will be discussing his new book ‘Complicit’ which discusses the role successive British governments have played in the destruction of Gaza. A review of the book by Byline Times explains the main arguments in it and for those used to getting their news from mainstream media and the BBC, it will come as something of a shock the extent to which the facts have been seriously distorted by misuse of language and highly selective reporting. The book has not been reviewed by mainstream media.

It takes place in the Methodist Church in St Edmund’s Church Street tomorrow, 21st, starting at 7pm. It is free with a parting collection.

A report about this event appeared in the Salisbury Journal on 15th.

Copies of the book will be on sale at the discounted price of £10. We can only take cash unfortunately or a cheque.

Article about the talk is in the Salisbury Journal online

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The vigils continue


Another strong turn out for the 110th vigil

January 2026

On a cold evening around 35 turned out for the latest vigil. Peace talks seemed to have stalled according to several media outlets. Killings continue albeit at a slower pace. 425 have now been killed since the October ceasefire. Eight were killed in Khan Younis a few days ago including 4 children when an Israeli drone hit a tent. Thirty Canadians, including 6 members of parliament, were denied entry to the West Bank for security reasons it has been reported.

The Chief Rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, in a Daily Mail article has hit out at critics of Israel for calling their actions in Gaza genocide. He said it reduces humanity’s greatest crime to a ‘political insult’. He repeated the assertion that the current war started with the October 7th massacre. He lashed out, the Mail reports, at ‘so-called ‘human rights‘ organisations who appear to revel in misappropriating the term genocide because it has proven such an effective rallying call for them. The Mail did not seek comments from any of the human rights organisations.

Genocide occurs where there is specific ‘intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group’. The UN has concluded that is the case.

The local MP, Mr John Glen has never appeared at any of the 110 vigils. He has never referred to them in his weekly column in the Salisbury Journal. He is reported to be a member of the largest parliamentary lobby group, Conservative Friends of Israel [a Declassified report]. A video of the vigil is sent to him after each week.

Picture courtesy of Peter Gloyns

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Florida kicks the year off with an execution


Florida continues its record breaking run

January 2026

Last night (January 10th), Governor DeSantis signed the first execution warrant of 2026. Ronald Palmer Heath is scheduled to be executed at 6 pm on Tuesday, February 10th for the 1989 murder of Michael Sheridan in Alachua County. Last year saw a record number of executions in Florida exceeding all others in the US. Several US papers refer to the killings as a ‘spree’.

If the execution proceeds, it will mark the 28th execution under Gov. Ron DeSantis — part of an unprecedented escalation in Florida’s use of the death penalty. The murder of Michael Sheridan was a tragedy, and his loss is still being grieved to this day. But, killing Ronnie will not bring Michael back.

It seems to be part of the Governor’s desire to show he’s tough on crime and help in his desire to become president.

Amnesty is opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances. It is not a deterrent. Mistakes, and there are many, cannot be rectified. The justice system in the State is less than satisfactory and the jury in this case was split on the subject of execution.

Source: Floridians Against the Death Penalty and AP. On the FADP site there is the opportunity to sign a petition. We are grateful to FADP for some of the text used in this post.

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Group minutes and newsletter


January minutes and newsletter with details of forthcoming events

January 2026

We are pleased to attach our latest minutes and newsletter thanks to group member Lesley for compiling them and for other members Andrew and Fiona for their contributions. We do not produce a newsletter as such so they contain more material than you would ordinarily find in minutes. They contain notice of forthcoming events which you will find at the end. The next meeting is on 12th February at 2pm in Victoria Road.

January minutes and newsletter (Word)Download

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Human Rights Concerns in UK Protest Laws


Concerns about latest bill and affects on right to protest

January 2026

Liberty and other human rights organisations argue that proposals in this bill, currently going through the Lords, will block countless people from exercising their fundamental right to protest, risk criminalising marginalised communities, and prevent meaningful change.

Repeat Protests 

Clause 372 of the Crime and Policing Bill would give police the power ban repeat demonstrations in a designated area. If this is voted into law, senior police officers must consider the “cumulative disruption” caused by previous – or even future – protests in the area as a reason to ban a demonstration, regardless of whether they were organised by the same people or focused on the same issues. They would also decide what area is restricted, with no clear rules on its size. This means there could be borough or city-wide bans on protests, simply because a different demonstration took place the week before. This won’t just impact frequent large-scale marches; it could restrict emergency demonstrations on issues of grave importance, or the right to organise counter protests.

Since change is rarely achieved by a one-off demonstration outside Parliament (votes for women took nearly a century to achieve, as did a two-day weekend) this clause is viewed as inhibiting persistent lawful protest.

Face coverings at protests

Sections 118-120 of the Crime and Policing Bill will make it a criminal offence to wear a face covering at designated protests, and police will have the power to arrest or fine anyone breaching this condition. The lack of adequate safeguards in the Bill will particularly impact anyone who has to wear a face covering for health, religious, or privacy reasons. This could result in Muslim women, disabled people, and political dissidents being criminalised for attending protests with face coverings. Police already have the ability to require people to remove items if they believe they’re being used to hide their identity.

Demos polling shows that 86% of people believe everyone has the right to voice their opinion and raise awareness of issues. The Crime and Policing Bill will strip this right away from those who can only protest safely with a face covering.

Protests outside places of worship 

Section 124 of the Bill also proposes giving the police powers to restrict protests ‘in the vicinity’ of places of worship. Police already have the power to restrict protests based on their intention; this prevents genuine harm or disruption to religious communities. This new clause would instead ban protests based on the fact there is a place of worship nearby, regardless of intention, with the only criteria being that these protests could be considered ‘intimidating’.

This very low threshold could capture almost any protest in towns or cities across the country. Regular demonstrations outside Parliament could now be restricted due to the numerous places of worship nearby, with no requirement to prove they are being targeted by protests.

Other amendments 382 A-D would make it harder to organise processions quickly in response to current events, and remove the vital “reasonable excuse” safeguard that helps prevent the criminalisation of peaceful protest.

CITIZENSHIP RIGHTS

The British Egyptian activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah will not be stripped of his citizenship as, according to the Home Secretary Shabana Mahmoud. His ‘abhorrent’ social media posts of a decade ago do not meet the legal bar for revocation. The necessary criteria would include fraudulent acquiring of citizenship or terrorism charges or links with serious organised crime.

The British government helped secure the activist’s release from years in an Egyptian jail but after his arrival in London from Egypt on Boxing Day, opposition parties called for him to be deported and his citizenship revoked, citing tweets in which he called for Zionists to be killed. El-Fattah who was granted British citizenship while in prison in 2021 through his mother’s birth in the UK, has apologised for past social media posts.

Government sources said the bar on removing citizenship was set high to provide the necessary safeguards. There is a right of appeal against the decision to revoke citizenship. Shamima Begum’s appeal was rejected by the former home secretary Sajid Javid in 2019.

PROTESTS ON BEHALF OF HUNGER STRIKERS

A 500-strong protest was held outside Pentonville prison to express urgent concern at the government’s continued inaction in the face of the imminent death of three remaining hunger strikers of the so-called Filton 24. They have now been on strike for over 45, 59 and 66 days respectively (8 January). 800 medical personnel have signed a letter criticising the government’s handling of the hunger strikers.

Campaigners have called their treatment ‘punishment by process’ since none has yet been charged with a terrorist offence, only with burglary, criminal damage and violent disorder, relating to their entry into a factory run by Elbit Systems, the Israeli arms manufacturer.

While the CPS sets a maximum of six months on remand, the hunger strikers have already been imprisoned without trial since November 2024. Their actions took place before the banning of their pro-Gaza protest group, Palestine Action, a banning which is currently being investigated after an appeal supported by Liberty and Amnesty.

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On 21st January, we are hosting a talk by the author and journalist Peter Oborne about his new book ‘Complicit’. For details see the post about Britain’s role above. It is free with a parting collection.

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Asylum Seekers: UK Policy Changes and Impact in 2026


Some positive news on refugees and asylum seekers

January 2026

With the events in Venezuela, threats to occupy Greenland and continuing conflict in Ukraine, news about small boat arrivals and immigrants generally has dropped out of the news recently. Problems remain however.

Firstly, the final figure for irregular arrivals in the UK by small boats in 2025 was 41,000, the second-highest annual total ever.  The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act is now in force, with new measures allowing Border Force to seize phones and SIM cards from irregular arrivals, ostensibly to help in tracking down smugglers.  Seizures of cash and assets of convicted smugglers are up 33% in year to September, compared to the previous year.

More positively, 5 local councils in England and Wales have declared an interest in a pilot scheme to use new build and refurbished council homes for asylum seekers as a way of removing them from hotels. The homes would be built with government money, leased to the Home Office, and then added to LA stock. The views of other prospective council home tenants have not yet been noted.

In the EU, heads of state met on 8 January to discuss its Common European System for Returns, instituted last March.  The Commission claims that only 20% of those designated for deportation actually are removed.  The effectiveness of the new system is not yet clear.  The UK government claims to have removed 50,000 claimants since it came into office in July 2024.

On the global level, Sherif A Wahab has calculated that the numbers of Displaced Persons is now double what it was in 2012; one-third of them are refugees (i.e. outside their country). Likewise the number of refugees who have been in exile for more than 5 years has doubled over the last decade; reasons for this include conflicts lasting longer; lack of strategy at local and national levels; refusals of permanent residency and other repressive policies. Of the world’s 32 million refugees only 204,000 returned home or settled permanently in 2022 (latest figures).

‘failure of imagination and ambition’

The head of the UNHCR, Filippo Grandi – on retiring last month – expressed his views on what he saw as a failure of imagination and ambition; “the international community should invest in asylum systems to make them faster, more efficient and better able to return people who do not need the help”  In his view, governmental responsibility does not impinge on sovereignty, but is an extension of it.

The link below to an article from The Guardian looks at the working of community sponsorship schemes; it implies that the government is still committed to legal routes to resettlement.  The Home Secretary said last November that she hoped to develop this model further.

“With control [over Britain’s borders] restored, we will open up new, capped routes for refugees for whom this country will be the first, safe haven they encounter.  We will make community sponsorship the norm, so we know that the pace and scale of change does not exceed what a local area is willing to accept,” she said.

‘It takes a town to raise a family’: the community sponsors supporting refugees in the UK | Communities | The Guardian

On the campaigning front, Safe Passage International have produced for the new year a Resolutions Generator, which, when pressed, will offer a small way in which one can help or understand better.

And here’s a petition against deportations from WeMoveEurope:

Say No to Mass Deportations in Europe | WeMove Europe

AH

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Talk by Peter Oborne in Salisbury on 21st about his new book ‘Complicit’

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Latest death penalty report


January 2026

We are pleased to attach the latest death penalty report thanks to group member Lesley for the work in compiling it. Florida is a feature this month with the rapid increase in the number of executions. Saudi has executed a huge number of people – almost one a day. We note as ever that China executes more of its people than the rest of the world combined but details are a state secret.

Mid December to mid January. WordDownload
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Britain’s role in the destruction of Gaza


Talk by author and journalist Peter Oborne

January 2026

We have posted a number of items on this site about the horrific events in Gaza and the West Bank. 109 vigils have now taken place in Salisbury attended by many concerned at the scale of death and destruction which has taken place. The current phase started with the horrific attack by Hamas on 7th October 2023 in which over 1,200 Israelis were killed and 251 hostages seized. The conflict has deeper roots however going back to the formation of Israel in 1948 and the ensuing killing and displacement of many hundreds of thousands of Arabs and Palestinians: the number is put at between 750,000 and 1 million. Many of those displaced ended up in Gaza. We can go back even further to the Balfour Declaration in 1917.

Gaza is now a wasteland. Over 71,000 have died and around 171,000 injured many with serious wounds. Israel has just revoked the licenses of 37 aid organisations including MSF. There is a peace arrangement of sorts but there does not seem to be any realistic prospect of a permanent end to the hostilities. Israel is the local super power with a considerable armoury of the latest weapons including the F-35 jet. About 15% of the parts for the fighter are made in the UK. Statements from leading Israeli politicians do not show signs of a compromise. The prospects for a Palestinian state look remote.

Complicit

Peter Oborne’s new book ‘Complicit’ looks at Britain’s role in the conflict and the destruction of Gaza. There are two main threads in his book: the role of the government and secondly, the treatment and reporting by the British press and media including the BBC. Part of the way it is reported concerns the language used. We have noted on this site that Hamas seized 251 ‘hostages’ which is correct, but seizures by IDF soldiers of Palestinians are referred to as ‘prisoners’ implying some kind of legal process has taken place. It hasn’t, and over a thousand have been imprisoned and tortured in a variety of prisons with no charges made and no judicial process taking place.

Oborne (pictured: image New Statesman) refers to what he term ‘two tier reporting’. For example the BBC used the word ‘massacre’ eighteen times more for Israeli victims than Palestinian despite the massive difference in numbers. Israel is always described as responding to violence never to initiating it. ‘BBC’s coverage of Gaza has been a reporting disaster and a moral calamity’ he says. They are not the only ones and the roll call of biased reporting includes much of Fleet St and the media more widely.

Chapters include ‘The Pro-Israel Lobby in Britain’, ‘British Complicity Before October 7th’, ‘Moral Panic at Westminster’.

The Event

The talk will take place today, Wednesday 21st January starting at 7pm. It will be held at the Salisbury Methodist Church in St Edmund’s Church Street and is free with a parting collection. There is disabled access and the car park is nearby.

Copies of the book will be available for purchase at the discounted price of £10. We can only accept cash or a cheque if you live locally.

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