Tag: agression

Complicit: UK gives green light to US bomber flights from British bases

“The United States has requested permission to use British bases for that specific and limited defensive purpose. We have taken the decision to accept this request“

STARMER STATEMENT 1st MARCH

Yesterday, I spoke to you about the situation in the Gulf and explained that the United Kingdom was not involved in the strikes on Iran. That remains the case.

Over the last two days Iran has launched sustained attacks across the region at countries who did not attack them.

They’ve hit airports and hotels where British citizens are staying. 

This is clearly a dangerous situation. 

We have at least 200,000 British citizens in the region – residents, families on holiday, and those in transit. 

I ask all our people in the region to please register your presence and follow Foreign Office travel advice.  

I know this is a deeply worrying time and we will continue to do all we can to support you.

Our Armed Forces who are located across the region are also being put at risk by Iran’s actions.  

Yesterday Iran hit a military base in Bahrain, narrowly missing British personnel.

The death of the Supreme Leader will not stop Iran from launching these strikes. 

Their approach is becoming even more reckless – and more dangerous to civilians.

Our decision that the UK would not be involved with the strikes on Iran was deliberate.

Not least because we believe that the best way forward for the region and for the world is a negotiated settlement.

One in which Iran agrees to give up any aspirations to develop a nuclear weapon.

But Iran is striking British interests nonetheless, and putting British people at huge risk, along with our allies across the region. 

That is the situation we face today. 

Our partners in the Gulf have asked us to do more to defend them, and it is my duty to protect British lives.  

We have British jets in the air as part of coordinated defensive operations which have already successfully intercepted Iranian strikes. 

But the only way to stop the threat is to destroy the missiles at source – in their storage depots or the launchers which used to fire the missiles.

The United States has requested permission to use British bases for that specific and limited defensive purpose. 

We have taken the decision to accept this request – to prevent Iran firing missiles across the region, killing innocent civilians, putting British lives at risk, and hitting countries that have not been involved.

The basis of our decision is the collective self-defence of longstanding friends and allies, and protecting British lives.

That is in accordance with international law. And we are publishing a summary of our legal advice.

We are not joining these strikes, but we will continue with our defensive actions in the region.

And we will also bring experts from Ukraine together with our own experts to help Gulf partners shoot down Iranian drones attacking them.

I want to be very clear: we all remember the mistakes of Iraq. 

And we have learned those lessons. 

We were not involved in the initial strikes on Iran and we will not join offensive action now.

But Iran is pursuing a scorched earth strategy – so we are supporting the collective self-defence of our allies and our people in the region. 

Because that is our duty to the British people.

It is the best way to eliminate the urgent threat and prevent the situation spiralling further.

This is the British government protecting British interests and British lives.

Ambulance staff subjected to violence and harassment on alcohol-related callouts

  • Ambulance staff subjected to violence and harassment on alcohol-related callouts, study finds
  • Stronger regulation of late-night alcohol sales and marketing likely to help

Scottish ambulance staff are frequently being subjected to violence, aggression and sexual harassment when they attend alcohol-related callouts, according to new research.

The first-of-its-kind study by the University of Stirling reveals anxiety and frustration among ambulance staff and warns that alcohol-related ambulance callouts have knock-on effects on responses to other patients.

The authors of the study highlight the need for improved support options for patients with chronic alcohol problems, as well as stronger government regulation. Limiting the sale of alcohol after midnight to fewer premises, and introducing restrictions on alcohol marketing, would help reduce this demand for ambulances over time, they say.

The qualitative study, funded by the Chief Scientist Office, part of Scottish Government, is believed to be the first to give voice to ambulance staff on the challenges of dealing with emergency callouts linked to alcohol consumption.

Researchers interviewed 27 frontline ambulance clinicians across Scotland, including paramedics and paramedic technicians, as well as four senior Scottish Ambulance Service staff.

Interviewees reported unpredictable behaviour from intoxicated patients, with callouts taking place in difficult environments – bars, clubs and streets – where ambulance staff regularly experienced violence and harassment from patients and bystanders.

One male paramedic technician who took part in the study said: “The only times I’ve been physically threatened, if not assaulted, have always been drunk patients.

“I’ve been punched, I’ve been kicked, I’ve been bit(ten). I’ve been chased with knives due to drunk people.”

Sexual harassment was more commonly reported by female staff. One female paramedic technician said: “The thing is that you don’t know how [intoxicated patients] are going to turn, ‘cause one minute they can be nice and the next minute they can be…It’s almost like the flick of a switch and they can just turn so nasty.”

The frequency and repetitive nature of callouts – with the same patient often needing to be attended to multiple times –­­­ were seen as having a huge impact on the ambulance service, adding significantly to an already very heavy workload. This was the case all year round but exacerbated by certain events.

One female paramedic technician said: “I think when we are stretched to the limit, resources-wise, we are getting these calls through.

“We feel that they are having a massive impact on our staffing, our resources…sometimes we can go to two and three and four alcohol-related call-outs in a row. It gets to the stage where you’re thinking, oh no, not another one.”

She added: “We kind of dread the football matches and we think, oh no, where are they playing? Are they playing at home this day?

“Or we dread New Year, or we dread the Christmas season, where we’re having the office parties and you’re thinking, oh, here we go.”

Calls to patients with alcohol dependence were particularly time-consuming due to the complexities of these patients’ needs, commonly including mental ill-health – with ambulance staff reporting that they take a lot longer than other jobs.

One male paramedic explained: “You go to someone who’s got chest pain and is an alcoholic [sic] that could potentially go up to two hours, two and a half hours because it’s really hard to do the assessment, it just slows everything down.

“And you’ve got the ones that don’t want to travel, and they have to travel or they’re being awkward, or you end up with the police there as well.”

Dr Isabelle Uny, Research Fellow at the University of Stirling’s Institute for Social Marketing and Health (ISMH) and lead author of the paper, said: “Our findings show the extent to which alcohol consumption, both on social occasions and by people with alcohol dependence, adds to the pressure on ambulance services and staff.

“We found that ambulance staff displayed a deep duty of care to these patients, despite the frustrations, challenges and aggression, and often treated experience of violence or harassment as routine.”

One in six ambulance callouts in Scotland are alcohol-related, according to previous research by the University of Stirling.

The findings come as the Scottish Government considers further action to restrict alcohol marketing, which, if implemented, is likely to be helpful over time.

The UK government is currently seeking evidence on reforms to the alcohol licensing system in England and Wales that Stirling researchers say would have the opposite effect – further increasing the numbers of premises selling alcohol from an already record high and making it harder for local authorities to regulate late-night sales.

Professor Niamh Fitzgerald, the principal investigator on the study, and Director of ISMH, said “The latest UK government proposals to further liberalise the alcohol licensing system are likely to increase pressure on ambulance services in England and Wales – making alcohol even more easily available twenty-four seven, including from shops and via rapid delivery.

“These findings remind us that this would be bad news for efforts to reduce ambulance waiting times.

“We already know what measures work to reduce the harmful impacts of alcohol – restricting availability, increasing price, and reducing marketing – it is up to both local and national governments to decide to take those measures.”

Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, Chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance UK, said: “This research provides a stark reminder of the profound impact alcohol has on our emergency services – placing an avoidable strain on hospitals, paramedics, and other frontline staff, and diverting vital resources away from patients with other urgent medical needs.

“Current UK Government plans to make alcohol even more accessible are deeply concerning. These proposals risk exacerbating the pressures on emergency services and making it harder for frontline workers to do their jobs and protect the public.”

A Scottish Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We recognise the impact of alcohol-related harm and addiction in Scotland, and we strongly condemn violence and aggression against our staff. It is not acceptable.

“These incidents can have a significant and lasting impact on our people, sometimes even leading them to leave the ambulance service.

“They have the right to carry out their work helping patients and saving lives without fear of assault or abuse, and we will work with Police Scotland to take action against perpetrators.”

Nations unite to call for halt to Israel’s West Bank expansion

A joint statement with France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories:

France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom, express their grave concern in the face of the continuing, growing violence in the occupied Palestinian territories.

We strongly condemn recent terrorist attacks that killed Israeli citizens. Terrorism can under no circumstance be justified.

We also strongly condemn indiscriminate violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians, including destruction of homes and properties.

We are saddened by all loss of life. These acts can lead nowhere, except to more violence. Those responsible must face full accountability and legal prosecution. All unilateral actions that threaten peace and incitement to violence must cease.

There has been a spark of hope coming from the recent meeting in Aqaba, where Israelis and Palestinians both affirmed reciprocal commitments, including on efforts to de-escalate and work towards a just and lasting peace.

Such a result is a first in many years, and we thank the United States of America and Kingdom of Jordan for making it possible. We urge all parties to refrain from making this fragile process derail, and call on all parties to make good on the commitments they made in the Aqaba meeting by de-escalating in words and deeds and to restore calm, in order for those efforts to blossom and to make the next meeting in Egypt a success.

There can be no desirable outcome other than a just and lasting peace for all. In this regard, we also reiterate our strong opposition to all unilateral measures that undermine the Two-state solution, including expansion of settlements which are illegal under international law.

We urge the Israeli government to reverse its recent decision to advance the construction of more than 7,000 settlement building units across the occupied West Bank and to legalize settlement outposts.