Once the bustling heart of Christian pilgrimage, Bethlehem now faces shuttered hotels, empty streets and a shrinking Christian community, while Israel’s assault on Gaza and the tightening grip of occupation destroy hopes of peace at the birthplace of Christ, writes Father GEOFF BOTTOMS
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'Levelling up' is doubling down on the impoverishment of Britain
The Conservative government has claimed that ‘levelling up’ is central to their agenda, but even a cursory look at their policies shows they are clearly responsible for instead creating record levels of inequality, writes JON TRICKETT MP
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
The June 2025 attacks on Iran have heightened the risk of a wider war, exposed the fiction of a rules-based international order and left ordinary Iranians trapped between external aggression and internal repression, says the Committee for Defence of Iranian People’s Rights
While pretending to seek peace, Europe is heading toward a collision course with Russia – using security guarantees, troop deployments, expropriation and censorship as tools, writes SEVIM DAGDELEN
A WWI hero, renowned ornithologist, medical doctor, trade union organiser and founder member of the Communist Party of Great Britain all rolled in one. MAT COWARD tells the story of a life so improbable it was once dismissed as fiction
The long-term effects of chemical weapons such as Agent Orange mean that the impact of war lasts well beyond a ceasefire
SOCIAL MOBILITY has come to an end in Britain. According to the Sutton Trust, the chances of moving down the class structure are now greater than the chances of moving up. It breaks my heart that children born into poverty in my constituency today will likely die in poverty.
Yesterday the House of Commons debated the second reading of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill that the Tories say will “reduce geographical, economic, social and health inequalities.”
The Bill is wide-reaching and includes the introduction of 12 levelling-up “missions” that will shape government policy across multiple departments. But the proposals fail to address the structural problems in our economy that are holding back the life chances of millions of people.
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