Renationalise English water

This article of mine appears over at The Guardian's Comment is Free website.

Neil Clark: The obscene commodification of a natural resource has gone on long enough, ripping off ordinary people




Here we go again. In the past 12 months, we've had significant hikes in our gas and electricity bills (not reversed by recent cuts due to a fall in wholesale prices) and above-inflation increases in train fares – which are already the highest in Europe. Now it's time for the water companies to put the boot in.


Ofwat has announced that average household water and sewerage bills in England and Wales are to increase by an average of 5.7% from April. As in the case with the rail fares, we're told that the reason that prices are rising is to enable more "investment" by the water companies. But a closer inspection is highly revealing.



You can read the whole article here.

The Agenda: Should Cameron scrap the UK's nuclear weapons?

Above you can watch me debating the issue on Press TV’s The Agenda programme, along with Bruce Kent, Vice-President of CND and Neil O’Shea.

Belarus regrets the EU's economic sanctions against Iran

At least there's one country in Europe not kow-towing to the US and the pro-Israel lobby on Iran. 

The Republic of Belarus regrets the introduction by the European Union of large-scale economic sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran, says a statement of the press service of the Foreign Ministry of Belarus, BelTA has learnt.



The Foreign Ministry noted that the introduction of unilateral sanctions against Iran can escalate the situation in the strategic region of the Middle East and lead to unpredictable consequences for the entire world.

The economic sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran have nothing to do with nuclear non-proliferation, but will only deliver a blow to the national economy and ordinary people,” the Foreign Ministry emphasized.

More here.


It’s a bit of a no brainer to work out why the neocons and ‘Israel-firsters’ hate Belarus so much and pump out so much negative propaganda about the country. The great crime of President Lukashenko is not that he’s a "dictator''- he’s not- but that he doesn’t have the ‘right’ foreign policy, particularly in relation to Iran.

Hands off Syria and Iran!: Support Stop the War's emergency protest

2 - 4pm, Saturday 28th January, US Embassy
Grosvenor Square
London W1K 2

If you’re able to get to London on Saturday do try and take part in this important event, which has been called by the Stop the War coalition and is supported by UNITE the Union, War on Want, Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Campaign against Sanctions and Military Intervention on Iran, Friends of
Al-Aqsa, Goldsmiths Student Union and SOAS Student Union.


And anti-war readers based in other countries, please let us know of any similar events taking place in your towns and cities.

Stop the War's Press release says:

The growing threats against Iran in recent weeks have been backed up with increased sanctions. As we know from Iraq, these are a prelude to war, not an alternative to it. There are signs of covert intervention already in Iran, as there are in Syria. Stop the War opposes all military intervention from the west in the region, for which there is absolutely no justification.

A new uprising in Libya?: Anti-government rebels take Bani Walid

 From the Guardian:

Reports say at least four people killed in clashes between besieged NTC forces and well-organised pro-Gaddafi fighters........

Bani Walid, a former regime stronghold 110 miles south-east of Tripoli, was one of the last to succumb to pro-government forces after the capital fell in August. The latest clashes mark the most significant loyalist attack since Libya was officially "liberated" on 23 October. It appears further evidence of the NTC's weakness, incapacity and internal divisions ahead of supposed national elections later this year.

More on the story over at Russia Today.

The question is: will William Hague, our oh so ‘tough’ neocon Foreign Secretary who’s currently threatening Iran, and the little gang of  ‘something must be done’ 'muscular liberals'  be calling for NATO intervention to help the anti-government Libyan rebels?

I’m only asking……

Ofcom removes Press TV’s licence: A black day for press freedom on Britain

Well, the neocons finally got their way. No Press TV in Britain. In this great ‘liberal democracy’ we can’t have people watching tv stations which put forward an alternative view of Middle East events can we- or which challenge the ‘dominant narrative’ that Iran’s non-existent nuclear weapons programme is a ‘grave threat’ to the west.


I wonder what the hilariously mis-named ‘Index on Censorship’ will say about this blatant form of political Censorship. Don’t hold your breath for those highly selective advocates of 'free speech' to denounce it.


Meanwhile you can stick two fingers up at the Britain’s illiberal liberals by watching Press TV here.

More details on how to watch Press TV can be found here here.
Remember, Britain‘s neocons - those bellicose champions of ‘freedom’ and ‘democracy’ really don’t want you to watch Press TV. All the more reason, I think for watching it. I’ll be tuning in on a daily basis from now on.


Update: George Galloway, the anti-war politician and Press TV presenter, writes:
 
Champions of liberty the British govt have now taken Press TV off Sky. Follow us at www.presstv.ir and other platforms.
 
We'll do just that George.

The EU demanded austerity in Romania - now there are riots

This piece of mine appears in The Week/The First Post

Neil Clark:  Thousands are demonstrating across Romania – is this the start of a European Spring?



ONE YEAR AGO this week, President Ben Ali of Tunisia became the first casualty of the 2011 Arab Spring. Could we now be witnessing in Romania the first shoots of a European Spring?



Over the last few days, the republic in south-eastern Europe – a member of the EU for the past five years - has witnessed large-scale public protests against the government‘s harsh austerity programme.

You can read the whole article here.