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
LAST WEEK saw two linked developments in global and British politics.
On the one hand, the Israeli government formalised an end to the ceasefire in Gaza, which it had been breaking regularly since it was called two months ago. The shelling yesterday saw the deaths of over 400 more Gazans — adding to the official count of nearly 47,000 lives already extinguished in the genocide.
On the other, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Liz Kendall announced £5 billion cuts to the welfare bill for disabled people — achieved in part by raising the bar on who can claim. We should be totally clear on the brutality of these cuts.
The growing argument that welfare must be sacrificed for ‘security’ is built on nothing but myth, argues MICHAEL BURKE
The new plan sets out an uncompromising bid for global dominance, casting even allies as obstacles to be subdued, writes DIANE ABBOTT
From terrifying the children of immigrants to pepper-spraying frogs, the US under Trump is rapidly descending into mayhem, writes Linda Pentz Gunter
Europe is acquiescing in Trump’s manoeuvrings — where Europe takes over the US forever war in Ukraine while Washington gets ready for a future fight with China. And it’s working people who will be left paying the price, says DIANE ABBOTT MP


