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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We must defeat the Policing Bill in its entirety
The Tories are fighting ferociously for their class. We must demonstrate the same determination and ferocity for our class – and defend our civil liberties, says ROGER McKENZIE
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
I RECENTLY took part in a demonstration of around 2,000 people along the Thames to protest over the local water company allowing sewage to pollute the river.
It was a very polite and almost genteel affair. There was a little bit of slogan-shouting but nothing major. In fact, at one point, I was startled when someone behind us shouted something. I’m just not used to such quiet and polite protests.
A number of things occurred to me about the protest. The first thing was it is the least diverse demonstration that I can remember attending in terms of the number of obviously black people. I will write about black involvement in the environmental and climate change movement in the weeks to come.
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Labour must not allow unelected members of the upper house to erode a single provision of the Employment Rights Bill, argues ANDY MCDONALD MP
