TUC general secretary PAUL NOWAK speaks to the Morning Star’s Berny Torre about the increasing frustration the trade union movement feels at a government that promised change, but has been too slow to bring it about
Blessed are the peacemakers
BOB NEWLAND welcomes the acquittal of Eta-member-turned-peace-negotiator Josu Urrutikoetxea, who was facing terrorism charges in a French court despite a supposed guarantee of immunity
Peace negotiator Josu Urrutikoetxea
DIANE ABBOTT exposes the misconceptions, rumours and downright lies perpetrated around immigration issues
With 12,000 fewer teachers since 2010 and dwindling resources, Scotland’s schools desperately need investment to support diverse learners rather than empty promises from politicians, writes ANDREA BRADLEY
Reversing outsourcing is the pre-election promise the government must honour, says Unison general secretary CHRISTINA McANEA
EMAN ABU ZAYED reminisces about the perilous time her family and neighbours endured in northern Gaza and how they were forced, in fear of their lives, to flee south
The EIS president who defended Marxist politics in the 1980s fought Thatcherite educational policies while organising Teachers for Peace rallies and ensuring Morning Star circulation in Scotland’s pit villages and factories, writes JOHN FOSTER
IN A landmark case for the Basque independence movement, Josu Urrutikoetxea, Basque activist and peace negotiator, was acquitted of all charges following his trial at the 16th Anti-Terrorist Correctional Chamber in Paris.
Urrutikoetxea’s prosecution for “criminal association with a terrorist aim” arose from his role as a peace negotiator during talks between Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (Eta) and the Spanish government.
These ended one of the bloodiest conflicts in 20th-century Europe and led to Eta’s voluntary dissolution. It is the first time that charges against a Basque militant have been dismissed.
This outcome was not simply a personal victory for Urrutikoetxea, welcome though that is. It emphasises the importance of peace negotiators in bringing about the end to conflict and for them to be granted and retain immunity for their work.
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