Labour will find increases in the state pension age are unacceptable, just as cuts to the Winter Fuel Allowance, personal independence payments and universal credit are — it needs to change direction immediately, writes PCS general secretary FRAN HEATHCOTE

THOSE who recall Andrew Fisher’s histrionic resignation as Labour Party policy director in autumn 2019, delivered in such a way as to be inevitably leaked and thereby do significant damage to the then-struggling Corbyn leadership of the party, should not have been surprised at his latest sally.
Fisher has demanded that the Stop the War Coalition disband itself, and abused the “warped minds of the withered remnants” of its leadership, because it does not speak in his name in relation to the Ukraine war, in which he supports Nato policy.
This particular warped, withered remnant was not shocked — “Cowards will flinch, traitors will sneer” after all. Check the story of the frog and the scorpion for details. Such response as Fisher’s article requires can be found at Stopwar.org.uk for those interested.

Rocky start to conference with protests and plummeting polls