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
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The reform the NHS needs is proper funding
DIANE ABBOTT MP condemns those in Labour who echo Tory rhetoric on healthcare — ‘being realistic’ and talking good fiscal sense to the taxpayer means rejecting privatisation and making the case for a truly public service
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
Alba party leader KENNY MacASKILL makes some suggestions on how to save our pubs and reduce irresponsible drinking
The catastrophe unfolding in Gaza – where Palestinians are freezing to death in tents – is not a natural disaster but a calculated outcome of Israel’s ongoing blockade, aid restrictions and continued violence, argues CLAUDIA WEBBE
Opinion polls point to electoral collapse, parliamentary rebellion and a looming leadership challenge as Starmer’s Labour haemorrhages working-class support and the far right exploits the vacuum left by a hollowed-out party, says NICK WRIGHT
The long-term effects of chemical weapons such as Agent Orange mean that the impact of war lasts well beyond a ceasefire
SOME people may be startled that Labour leader Keir Starmer is using Tory rhetoric to talk about the NHS. The key word is “reform” and phrases are used like “get real about reform.” These are euphemisms for opening up the NHS to the private sector.
For instance, it could mean insurance or co-payments — and the US model has meant that healthcare is the biggest cause of bankruptcy in that country. Pro-Starmer commentators have been anxious to reassure us all by claiming that what Starmer means by “reform” has no resemblance to Tory “reform.” But in reality, it means the same thing.
Starmer is using Tory rhetoric for a reason. And for the avoidance of doubt, he has placed his latest article calling for “reform” in the leading Tory newspaper, the Daily Telegraph.
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The BBC and OBR claim that failing to cut disability benefits could ‘destabilise the economy’ while ignoring the spendthrift approach to tens of billions on military spending that really spirals out of control, argues DIANE ABBOTT MP
Health Secretary Wes Streeting taking £53k from Tory-linked recruiter and outsourcer Peter Hearn’s OPD Group is a great example of how Labour’s rich donors shape policies targeting the poor – not their wealth, writes SOLOMON HUGHES
CARLOS MARTINEZ condemns Europe’s failure to develop genuine autonomy from US hegemony, as leaders like Starmer and Macron cling to a declining imperial order rather than building good relations with the emerging powers
