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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Hawthorn and Huawei
Don't be fooled by bellicose statements on the East, writes SOLOMON HUGHES, many of the top Tories are already working for Chinese companies
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
WILL the Tories really try and trim Chinese influence in Britain? I think the government is really, genuinely worried about Chinese corporations having a major role in country’s “critical infrastructure” like nuclear power or 5G mobile networks.
It’s not because they are worried about “human rights” in China or anything, it’s because they have become nervous that China has become a powerful economic and political rival. However, I am sceptical they will do much, because that would mean that firstly they would have to invest in British nuclear and 5G technology themselves — and secondly, they would have to turn down Chinese corporate cash.
The Daily Mirror recently reported that Hawthorn, a lobbying company with close Tory links, is now working to persuade MPs not to be mean to Huawei, the Chinese corporation with a role in rolling out 5G: the Register of Lobbyists confirms Hawthorn were hired by Huawei.
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