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
THE election of Donald Trump as US president will undoubtedly benefit the billionaires, corporations and fossil fuel companies that dominate US economic life.
However, its roots lie in the disenchantment felt by large numbers of voters who previously backed the Democrats but didn’t this time after living standards took a hit in recent years.
A key lesson for our new government to learn from Trump’s election is the need to drive up living standards throughout this Parliament.
The 2025 Budget shores up the PM’s political position with headline-grabbing welfare U-turns, but with no improvements on offer to declining public services or living standards, writes MICHAEL BURKE
We cannot refuse to abolish the unjustifiable two-child benefit cap that pushes children into poverty while finding billions of pounds for defence spending — the membership and the public expect better from Labour, writes JON TRICKETT MP
RICHARD BURGON MP points to the recent relative success of widespread opposition to the Labour leadership’s regressive policies as the blueprint for exacting the changes required to build a fairer society
Under current policy, welfare cuts are just a small downpayment on future austerity, argues MICHAEL BURKE


