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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In 2022, the left should be confident that we have the answers to this crisis
We need to step up the fight for progressive solutions to the health and cost-of-living crisis, argues RICHARD BURGON MP
Richard Burgon with fellow MP Barry Gardiner at an anti-Conservative Party march in Manchester last year
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
AT THE start of every year, we all hope for a better year for ourselves, for our friends, families, colleagues and wider society.
But as I write, our communities face two immediate crises — a public health crisis now entering its third year and a cost-of-living crisis affecting those who can least afford it.
Both are hitting working-class communities hard. There is the immediate health risk of Covid as cases hit an eye-watering three million per week, as well as the wider impact on healthcare provision as waiting lists soar and hospitals declare “critical incidents” — their highest level of alert.
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RICHARD BURGON MP points to the recent relative success of widespread opposition to the Labour leadership’s regressive policies as the blueprint for exacting the changes required to build a fairer society
Incoming Usdaw general secretary JOANNE THOMAS talks to Ben Chacko about workers’ rights, Labour and how to arrest the decline of the high street
GAWAIN LITTLE argues that the prolonged economic crisis we have been experiencing presents opportunities for a working-class fightback