SOLOMON HUGHES recommends Sunjeev Sahota’s recent novel set in a trade union election campaign for its fresh approach to what unites and divides workers, but wishes the union backdrop was truer to life
PENSIONERS UNITED opens with Tony Benn describing the NHS as “pure socialism.” This marks the fundamental theme of Hazuan Hashim and Phil Maxwell’s 90-minute documentary.
Using extensive footage and interviews with grassroots campaigners, the film argues that we’re in a critical fight to defend the post-war welfare state.
The fact that most of the people making that argument are old enough to have seen dramatic changes in our society only adds weight.
Once again Tower Hamlets is being targeted by anti-Islam campaigners, this time a revamped and radicalised version of Ukip — the far-right event is now banned by the police, but we’ll be assembling this Saturday to make sure they stay away, says JAYDEE SEAFORTH
KEVIN COURTNEY of Stand Up to Racism and JOHN PAGE of the Ella Baker School of Organising announce a joint project aiming to unite trade unions and social movements in creating new narratives to fight the divisive rhetoric of the far right
Millions of ordinary English people of all backgrounds consider the cross their own — abandoning it, and its left-wing history that includes the peasants’ revolt, concedes vital ground to the right, argues SIMON BRIGNELL
PHIL KATZ describes the unity of the home front and the war front in a People’s War



