International

Rally Against War on Iran and Iraq – Wellington noon Sat 25 Jan

Written By: Mike Smith - Date published: 12:27 pm, January 22nd, 2020 - 21 comments

Join people from across the globe for this international day of action to show our opposition to any new US war on the people of Iran or Iraq. Our message is simple: * No war on Iran * No war on Iraq * Troops out. More information on Facebook  here.

Bridges will talk tough to the Philippines but not China

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:36 am, January 20th, 2020 - 18 comments

Simon Bridges is visiting the Philippines.  And unlike his recent trip to China this time he has decided to talk tough to the local leaders about human rights.

Why UK Labour lost? Part 9: What the party needs to do now.

Written By: nickkelly - Date published: 10:37 am, January 17th, 2020 - 12 comments

Originally post on Nick Kelly’s blog

The broader context of this defeat is that over the last century, UK Labour has won 8 out of the last 28 general elections. Overall the Labour Party is not a successful electoral force in the UK. What makes the 2019 loss harder, is that the party lost sections of its historical base in the North of England and the Midlands.

Why UK Labour lost?  Part 8: What it takes to win

Written By: nickkelly - Date published: 7:18 am, January 16th, 2020 - 6 comments

Originally posted on Nick Kelly’s blog 

The UK Labour Party in the 2019 election assumed that like in 2017, the release of their policy manifesto would see their support increase significantly. Assuming that 2019 would be a re-run of 2017 was a foolish mistake.

Why UK Labour lost? Part 6: New Labour & Blairism

Written By: nickkelly - Date published: 10:39 am, January 15th, 2020 - 10 comments

Originally posted on Nick Kelly’s blog

Fact is that the world has moved on from the 1980s and 90s. Politics certainly has. The types of 3rd way or centre/centre right positions that Blair and Campbell think will win just won’t anymore.

Why UK Labour lost? Part 4: Ooooh Jeremy Corbyn

Written By: nickkelly - Date published: 3:13 am, January 14th, 2020 - 12 comments

Originally posted on Nick Kelly’s blog

Why UK Labour lost? Part 2: UK Labour’s Strange loyalty to First Past the Post.

Written By: nickkelly - Date published: 2:56 am, January 13th, 2020 - 13 comments

Originally posted on Nick Kelly’s Blog

Royal Move

Written By: advantage - Date published: 8:00 am, January 10th, 2020 - 28 comments

It’s great to hear Prince Harry and Meghan quitting as senior royals and going off on their own.  Maybe others in the Royal Family should think of doing the same.

Simon Bridges went to China

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:21 am, January 8th, 2020 - 44 comments

It has been revealed that Simon Bridges’trip to China last year was organised by National MP and former teacher of English to Chinese spies Jian Yang and that an offer of assistance from MFAT was declined.

Australian fires and the climate crisis everybody wanted to ignore

Written By: nickkelly - Date published: 11:05 am, January 7th, 2020 - 51 comments

Originally posted on Nick Kelly’s Blog 

Get out now

Written By: Mike Smith - Date published: 2:21 pm, January 6th, 2020 - 76 comments

General Soleimani was visiting Iraq at the request of the Iraqi Prime Minister to discuss mediation between the US and Iran. Following his assassination by the US the Iraqi Parliament has voted to ask all foreign troops to leave the country. New Zealand’s remaining troops should bring forward their scheduled departure and leave immediately.

He wasn’t here to help us, was he

Written By: weka - Date published: 7:10 am, January 4th, 2020 - 80 comments

The utter failure of the Australian Prime Minister to lead during the bushfire crisis reminds us that it’s care for our children and communities that drives climate action. When people mobilise politicians will follow.

That 1914 Feeling

Written By: Mike Smith - Date published: 10:28 pm, January 3rd, 2020 - 104 comments

President Trump personally ordered the assassination of General Qassem Soleimani, head of Iran’s elite military Quds force. He was killed by rockets fired from US drones over Baghdad Airport.  This is unlawful by any standards, as well as an act of war. Iran has promised retaliation.The doomsday clock just moved closer to midnight.

New book reveals Le Carré’s bleak view of post-Brexit world 

Written By: Simon Louisson - Date published: 9:39 am, January 3rd, 2020 - 5 comments

John le Carré’s 26^th book, Agent Running in the Field, which, according to the publishers is his take on Brexit, and suggests a dystopian future for European liberal democracies in a post-Brexit world. It follows John le Carré’s overarching theme – with friends like these, who needs enemies?

Why the Tories won the UK election?

Written By: nickkelly - Date published: 2:29 am, December 30th, 2019 - 9 comments

Originally posted on Nick Kelly’s blog