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
Latest editorial
Kezia Dugdale: Scottish Labour is set against austerity – and it’s not just talk
Scottish Labour leader KEZIA DUGDALE talks to Zoe Streatfield about her plan for the May 5 Scottish Parliament elections
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
SCOTTISH Labour leader Kezia Dugdale wants voters to know that her party is changing. She says Labour now has a “clear anti-austerity message and policies to back that up.”
Dugdale recently took time during her election campaign to speak exclusively to the Star about Scottish Labour’s election manifesto pledges to end austerity, halt the Trade Union Bill and challenge private companies profiteering from public services.
When I meet her in Scottish Labour’s campaign office in Edinburgh, Dugdale tells me that her party’s “priority” is to “end austerity in Scotland.”
Similar stories
Years of underfunding are eroding Scotland’s local services and deepening inequality in communities, says VINCE MILLS
The election offers a critical chance to shape the future of pay, care and community provision in Wales, says Unison’s JESS TURNER
Ahead of next year’s parliamentary elections, ROZ FOYER warns that a bold tax policy is needed to rebuild devastated public services which can serve as the foundation of a strong, fair economy
Susan Galloway talks to ASH REGAN MSP about her “Unbuyable” Bill, seeking to tackle the commercial sexual exploitation of women in Scotland