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
Privatising the pandemic: a Mitie bad mess
SOLOMON HUGHES reveals that far from re-evaluating public services and the NHS during the Covid-19 crisis, the Tories have pushed ahead with their agenda — putting notorious outsourcing firms in charge
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 Conservatives’ main response to the coronavirus crisis has been handing out contracts to their favoured corporations: instead of strengthening the NHS and other public health authorities that are our best defence against infection, the government is increasing privatisation.
What qualifies these corporations to get public cash to fight the pandemic above the NHS or local authorities? If you look at one firm, Mitie, the two main qualifications seem to be employing Tory insiders and a record of dirty, badly run services.
Mitie are one of the contractors getting coronavirus work: the key to controlling coronavirus is a “test and trace” system, with widespread testing to find those — possibly unknowingly — infected with coronavirus, and then tracing all their contacts to stop the disease spreading.
First the government were late to develop this. Then they decided to do it through a “car park and call centre” approach: other nations have successful test and trace regimes run by local health officials. Our government has turned to our big generic privatisers.
Similar stories
As Palestine Action prisoners go weeks without food, alleging dangerous neglect and detention without trial, campaigners warn that a near-total media blackout is hiding a crisis that could turn fatal – and fuel a growing wave of public anger. ELIZABETH SHORT reports
