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 policies of Rishi Sunak will not offer a way out of the crisis. They will not be very different from those of Liz Truss, except in one important area. They will also make the current crisis substantially worse.
It is imperative that the labour movement as a whole develops not just a thorough critique of “Sunakism,” which is an important starting point. It must also seek fundamental change in order to reverse this crisis.
The appointment of Sunak’s Cabinet tells us precisely where he stands on social questions. The government as a whole is going to press ahead with legislation curbing trade union rights. With barely a murmur it has already pushed through the draconian public order Act.
The 2025 Budget shores up the PM’s political position with headline-grabbing welfare U-turns, but with no improvements on offer to declining public services or living standards, writes MICHAEL BURKE
Exempting military expenditure from austerity while slashing welfare represents a fundamental misallocation of resources that guarantees continued decline, argues MICHAEL BURKE



