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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Tory donor gets a boost from tax disc abolition
An Osborne ‘efficiency move’ has actually led to decreased tax revenue – but has had a beneficial side effect for a Tory-supporting company called Marstons. SOLOMON HUGHES reports
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
THE Financial Times uncovered a £223 million drop in vehicle tax collected in the first six months since George Osborne abolished the paper tax disc — a move that was supposed to “save” money through efficiency. The FT’s figures, unearthed by its motoring correspondent Peter Campbell through freedom of information, were widely reported, including by the BBC, Mirror and the Daily Mail.
Unfortunately, nobody followed up the second part of his story, which showed that while the taxman was losing out, a Tory donor’s firm was doing well.
The FT’s freedom of information request showed that, in the six months since the tax disc was abolished, vehicle tax collected had fallen by about 8 per cent on the previous six months — a possible loss of around £223m.
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