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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Cosy links in the world of think tanks
David Cameron addressing a Centre for Policy Studies event in 2006. His former special adviser on housing Alex Morton is now head of policy at the Thatcherite think tank
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
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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
DAVID CAMERON’S former special adviser on housing is now simultaneously head of policy at leading think tank the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) and a consultant at a lobbying company which helps businesses with “political influencing” — it’s a clear illustration of the ecosystem linking corporate lobbyists, think tanks and No 10.
Alex Morton was Cameron’s housing special adviser from 2014-16. He helped to draft the housing bits of the 2015 manifesto and is a frequent commenter in Conservative circles, writing frequently for Tory website ConservativeHome.
In April 2016 Morton left No 10 to join a lobbying company, Field Consulting, which offers to help companies “influence a political decision.”
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