British government ministers have been complicit in millions of deaths since 1945, so don’t be surprised that they won’t face justice over coronavirus

By Mark Curtis Declassified UK, 2 May 2020 The UK government’s failure to provide protective equipment to all health staff treating coronavirus victims prompts questions whether ministers are legally culpable for failing to prevent deaths. But UK ministers routinely act with impunity and every prime minister since 1945 has been complicit in deaths abroad. At […]

Zimbabwe/Rhodesia: Declassified

Documents UK and Zimbabwe, 1979-81 (Prime Minister, Global Black History) Articles 1980s Matabeleland ‘The Matabeleland Massacres: Britain’s wilful blindness‘ (Hazel Cameron, International History Review, April 2017) ‘British policy towards Zimbabwe during Matabeleland massacre: licence to kill‘ (The Conversation, 17 September 2017) ‘UK downplayed Robert Mugabe massacre in Zimbabwe‘ (The Week, 18 May 2017) ‘Britain “turned blind eye […]

Will the Foreign Office try to stop Corbyn implementing the Labour manifesto?

In February 1974 the Permanent Under Secretary’s Planning Committee of the Foreign Office approved papers for the incoming Labour government, consisting of 42 departmental papers plus an overview of “Britain in an altered world: The outlook for Foreign Policy”. A key aspect of these papers was to argue against the new government implementing its manifesto […]

Foreign Office, ‘Britain in an altered world: The outlook for foreign policy’, 1974

FCO paper, ‘Britain in an altered world: The outlook for foreign policy’, 26 February 1974 In February 1974 the Permanent Under Secretary’s Planning Committee approved papers for the incoming Labour government, consisting of 42 departmental papers plus an overview of “Britain in an altered world: The outlook for foreign policy”. “British foreign policy is largely […]

The UN: A brief history of the UK’s long opposition

By Mark Curtis An edited extract from Unpeople: Britain’s Secret Human Rights Abuses In the mainstream, the official view is that British governments provide enduring support to the United Nations. The opposite is true: it is clear from the historical record that the UN has traditionally been seen as a major threat. Britain’s ambassador to […]