Sunday 24 May

The Metropolitan Police has announced, 9 years after the event that 57 individuals and 20 companies may face criminal charges over the Grenfell Tower disaster. The Met are almost ready to hand files over to the Crown Prosecution Service but the CPS is not expected to make charging decisions until June 2027 – the 10th anniversary of the fire. Any criminal trials may not begin until 2029 because of the severe backlog within the court system. For survivors and bereaved families the overwhelming feeling is not relief but frustration that it’s taken so long. Like Hillsborough families, they’re justified in complaining that justice deferred is justice denied!

Monday 25 May

Kew Gardens has provisionally hit 34.8°C today, making it the hottest May day ever recorded in the UK. This kind of heat would be extreme even in the middle of summer.

Tuesday 26 May

Sadiq Khan has blocked plans for a major Metropolitan Police contract with Palantir after concerns were raised over procurement, accountability and public trust. The government should follow his lead – look at who Palantir is and what it stands for before deciding whether public money should be going there. (Source: Amnesty International UK)

The Canary, Britain’s newest left-wing tabloid, launched today, newsagents reported selling out in hours!

Greens have selected a new candidate to contest the Makerfield by-election, her name is Sarah Wakefield.

Thursday 28 May

Europa Oil and Gas’s plans for so-called low-level fracking in Burniston, near Scarborough, risked being approved because of a loophole in England’s fracking ban. North Yorkshire County Council has made its formal decision and it’s a NO! ✊ Via Friends of the Earth.

Today in Edinburgh, a motion from the UK Govt to pause the Scottish judicial review of the proscription of Palestine Action was approved. This means the case will not proceed until proceedings in England have fully run their course. Advocate General Catherine Smith KC argued that it would be “constitutionally undesirable” for Scottish courts to reach a different view from their counterparts in England. Via Defend Our Juries

Monday 1 June

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Foreign Minister Penny Wong and others have been referred to the International Criminal Court by law firm Birchgrove Legal. Over 100 lawyers support the claim which charges Albanese et al with “aiding genocide via the cutting of funding to UNRWA, the main aid channel into Gaza, while ambiguously deploying a military contingent, permitting Australians to fight for Israel and providing unequivocal support to it.” Via Sydney Criminal Lawyers website.

Wednesday 3 June

Another record breaking post, and I was posting this one for the first time. I noticed that many who responded were Americans who appeared surprised that this was happening in the UK rather than USA.

Happy birthday to Raul Castro, born on this day in 1931. Viva Cuba Libre 🇨🇺✊

Friday 5 June

The European Legal Support Centre and Public Interest Law Centre have filed a complaint with the Bar Standards Board, the legal regulator, against Lord David Pannick KC, Lord Anthony Grabiner KC and Stephen Hockman KC in their capacity as patrons of UK Lawyers for Israel. The complaint accuses UKLFI of leveraging the names and reputations of the senior barristers to pressure institutions, businesses and individuals supportive of Palestine. Via Declassified UK

I am still donating regularly to Refuser Solidarity Network, a network of young Israelis who choose prison over participation in genocide, but I’ve had no further news from them since the commencement of the ‘ceasefire’.