After years hidden away, Oldham’s memorial to six local volunteers who died fighting fascism in the Spanish civil war has been restored to public view, marking both a victory for campaigners and a renewed tribute to the town’s proud International Brigade heritage, says ROB HARGREAVES
AS an MP I met lots of constituents who had just lost someone close. Bereavement and grief took many forms.
Some wanted a shoulder to lean on. Some wanted failures in the care system to be put right. Some wanted compensation. Some wanted redress. Most wanted their loved one back and their grief to lessen.
The most difficult were those caught somewhere between anger and despair. Politically, this is the space Brexit has taken us into.
The unifying victory of Irish progressive forces in the presidential campaign should be a salutary lesson to the left in this country, argues MARY GRIFFITHS CLARKE
VINCE MILLS cautions over the perils and pitfalls of ‘a new left party’
While Reform poses as a workers’ party, a credible left alternative rooted in working-class communities would expose their sham — and Corbyn’s stature will be crucial to its appeal, argues CHELLEY RYAN



