With the death of Pope Francis, the world loses not only a church leader but also a moral compass
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A (hospital) bed for the night
People know that today’s disputes are not the cause of a crisis within the NHS – it is the crisis of NHS underfunding that led to the disputes, argues ALAN SIMPSON
Nurses on strike outside St Thomas's hospital in central London
LYNNE WALSH previews the Bristol Radical History Conference this weekend
Keir Starmer’s £120 million to Sudan cannot cover the government’s complicity in the RSF genocide or atone for the long shadow of British colonialism and imperialism, writes CLAUDIA WEBBE
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Ecuador’s election wasn’t free — and its people will pay the price under President Noboa
Mountains of research show that hardcore material harms children, yet there are still no simple measures in place
We face austerity, privatisation, and toxic influence. But we are growing, and cannot be beaten
I hear that in New York
At the corner of 26th street and Broadway
A man stands every evening during the winter months And gets beds for the homeless there
By appealing to passers-by.
–
A few people have a bed for the night
For a night the wind is kept from them
The snow meant for them falls on the roadway But it won’t change the world
It won’t improve relations among men
It will not shorten the age of exploitation.
Bertolt Brecht’s poem (A Bed for the Night) wasn’t written for today’s NHS disputes but it does address the same contradictions.
Brecht’s reflections offer a stark contrast to the fatuous claims of John Redwood MP that if there’s a shortage of NHS beds, just buy some more. Here is a politician who clearly understands nothing.
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