In Britain,

around 3,000 workers and youth demonstrated on 25 February in London at the call of the « Stop the War coalition », behind a banner proclaiming « Peace talks now, stop the war in Ukraine, no to Russian invasion, no to NATO, no to nuclear war ». Workers and youth, trade unionists and members of the Labour Party demonstrated, despite Labour Party leader Keir Starmer’s extremely violent campaign against all those who oppose his policies of sacred union with the Conservative government. A few hours before the marchers started demonstrating, the official « left » of the Labour Party, filing behind MP John McDonnell, condemned the « Stop the War » coalition and sharply swung towards sacred union with the government and with NATO. « We demand government (…) for the gifting to Ukraine of all the surplus UK military equipment due to be replaced, especially the 79 Challenger tanks, 170 Scimitar reconnaissance vehicles, all Warrior infantry fighting vehicles, Typhoon fighter aircraft etc.  » says a letter signed by McDonnell and a dozen Labour MPs and national trade union leaders. Faced with this capitulation, Lindsey German, on behalf of the coalition, declared, at the end of the demonstration: « They always have money for weapons, but never for hospitals! », while the government denies nurses any wage raise. « Who benefits from this war? The arms industry, NATO, the American empire… not the workers or the poor. » added Lindsay German. Andrew Murray, also on behalf of the coalition, insisted: « The war in Ukraine must be stopped before it turns into a nuclear conflict, before it spreads to China. We have a government determined to wage war and an opposition that supports it. The trade union movement must not follow Starmer to the brink. »