Fownhope’s Heart of Oak Society traces its roots to the age of friendly societies, when communities provided their own safety net. Its anniversary celebrations reveal a tradition still very much alive, says MARK SEDDON
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An open letter to Labour MEPs from the trade unions
By Guy Taylor
ANGUS REID explains the significance of Cuba’s egalitarian in letter and spirit Family Code and the pertinent lessons it holds for democracies anywhere in the world
Special report by PEOPLE’S WORLD
NICK WRIGHT considers how the isolation of Israel and a new film on the controversial Italian communist leader are creating new reference points for Italy’s left
CARLOS MARTINEZ says Cuba’s achievements in the face of a criminal blockade are startling, but the island’s future if the United States succeeds in crushing it looks bleak
AMNON BROWNFIELD STEIN reports that far-right MPs who mobbed the event organised by Hadash may have helped raise awareness of the brutality of the Israeli right
TODAY, the European Parliament votes on whether to ratify or not the free trade deal known as the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (Ceta).
The largest group of undecided MEPs among Britain’s representatives are the Labour Party. The group seems split with advocates and critics of Ceta ready to argue their case.
On Tuesday, 12 general secretaries from Britain’s national trade unions wrote to the Labour MEPs to ask that they vote against Ceta. The letter is clear and persuasive and reproduced below. We hope this adds to the huge pressure to secure a no vote from the 20 Labour MEPs.
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