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Boycotts have a long history — and the Tories never like them
Boycotts are one of the oldest forms of working-class collective pressure on employers, hitting their profits in sales rather than the workplace. No wonder the party of business hates them, writes KEITH FLETT
Bishops, among the leaders of a peaceful anti-apartheid demonstration, are seen heading the 2000 marchers from Twickenham Station to the Rugby ground, before the start of the England v South Africa match in December 1969

A PIECE of legislation designed to prevent public bodies, including local authorities, from steering clear of investments in countries whose human rights records they disagree with is before Parliament.

On July 3 only 10 MPs voted against it, with many abstaining. Backers included the legislation’s sponsor Michael Gove and the parliamentary frontman for Labour Friends of Israel Steve McCabe.

The target of the legislation is not, as might be supposed, Russia — but Israel. There is a significant boycott, divestment and sanction (BDS) movement that focuses on the activities of the Israeli government, which is currently of a hard to far-right political nature. Military intervention in Jenin, part of an area Israel occupies, underlines the reality of that government’s activities.

Meanwhile the government of course is officially boycotting Russia over the war with Ukraine. There clearly remain links, however, between the Tories the Russian government and business people.

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