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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What to do now union bashing is back in fashion
GRANVILLE WILLIAMS warns of a clear, well co-ordinated pattern of collusion between government ministers and the right-wing press to scapegoat unions for the failings of neoliberalism
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
TRADE UNIONS are back in the news with a vengeance. Liz Truss used her acrimonious BBC Tory leadership debate with Rishi Sunak to announce she wants to curb the ability of trade unions to take strike action in key sectors of the economy like teaching, the postal service and energy.
Back in June, during the three days of strikes by the RMT, transport secretary Grant Shapps announced plans to introduce legislation to make it legal for employers to bring in agency staff to replace striking workers.
The controversial change came into force on July 21 and a day later the public service union Unison announced it would challenge the legality of the government’s action.
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The once beating heart of British journalism was undone by technological change, union battles and Murdoch’s 1986 Wapping coup – leaving London the only major capital without a press club, says TIM GOPSILL