The focus this week has been on the Labour Party Conference and what it would be like since the general election. Unfortunately, most of the media were obsessed with claiming that there were divisions within the party over Brexit and claims of anti-Semitism were rife. However, these were manufactured and several quotes were taken out of context. This has taken the focus away from what was a hope-laden event and the mess the Conservatives are making of government.
Meanwhile, in the world there has been progress in Saudi Arabia and for the Kurdish in Iraq.
The Spanish government are at odds with Catalonia, Germany held its general election and in America, there was divide in the Republican party over Obamacare.
Labour conference and Conservative divides
From those we have spoken to, the Labour conference has been described as buoyant and hopeful, but the media chose t focus on Brexit, ignoring the mess the government are making of it and reporting supposed 'divides' within Labour. The reality is that they have announced that there they would have unimpeded access to the single market and there would be a transition period of 2 - 4 years, clear and concise with many in agreement.
Several policy announcements included, Tom Watsons pledge to make gambling firms pay a levy to help fight gambling addiction, this was after he took aim and said they target the poorest and most vulnerable in society.
John McDonnell announced that Labour would bring PFI contracts back into government control, Jeremy Corbyn used his speech to announced council flat residents would be able to vote against developer's knocking blocks down, in a bid to combat gentrification. He continued by saying that the NEC would draw up plans to combat rising rents, looking at models used by Berlin and Ontario.
Furthermore, he said that Labour would create an opt-in system for organ donation and he said that he would make firms audit their gender pay gap and could issue fines if a company doesn't comply.
Away from Labour, the Conservatives divides deepen after Boris Johnson published four points they must gain from Brexit, with further claims that he is undermining Theresa May and beginning his leadership bid.
Theresa May stated in a bizarre admission that they weren't ready for the general election, despite calling it and said there weren't enough debates even though she refused to debate Jeremy Corbyn directly and appear on televised debates. They have also given G4S and Serco and £290 million contract that will see them given powers to arrest citizens, in short, a private company are given powers to police the state but with no public accountability.
World news
Saudi Arabia announced that they are to remove the ban on women driving, influential clerics have long argued that the ban stops wives from committing adultery. Interpol recognises the state of Palestine. The Kurdish region in northern Iraq voted in a non-binding referendum to secede from Iraq, the timing could cause further destabilisation to the region but they do have previously promised rights to autonomy.
The Republicans have ditched their lasted and probably last attempts to repeal Obamacare, this came after John McCain joined two other steadfast opponents of repeal.
The German general election was held and Angela Merkel won another term as Chancellor but with a reduced majority. The election saw the rise in the far-right Nazi sympathisers, AfD, who won 90 seats in the Bundestag. What is concerning is that many people in the UK and around the world, including people like Nigel Farage were celebrating their improvements. Signalling the return of fascism as a mainstream ideology. In Spain, Catalonia prepare to vote in an unconstitutional referendum that has been condemned by the Spanish government, ignoring their wishes could cause further divides within the country.
