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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Scottish councils need more funding unlocked
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
“COUNCILS are showing signs of increasing financial stress,” Audit Scotland, Local Government in Scotland, financial overview 2016-17.
That stark view from the dispassionate observation of the auditor should make all sit up and take notice, but the Brigadoon style of Scottish politics means that it’s ignored.
The SNP, supported by the party that likes to say Yes, the Greens, talks of a “positive settlement” and “extra money” almost as though co-ordinated. There is no such thing. Let the facts speak for themselves.
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