Preferable to Starmer he may be, but there is scant sign of a sharp political break in Burnham’s policies so far — while left challenges aren’t making much of a running either, finds ANDREW MURRAY. How can socialism be put back on the map?
IT WAS a privilege to have been part of a trade union and left-wing, socialist delegation to Kiev between February 19-23 2022. The group comprised Mick Whelan (Aslef general secretary), Mick Antoniw and Adam Price (both Welsh Assembly member), Julie Ward (former MEP), Paul Mason (journalist) and Yuliya Yurchenko (Greenwich University).
We all felt that given the situation it was important that we made a physical visit to the Ukraine to show our support.
It was surreal walking round Kiev the day we arrived seeing people going about their lives as normal and being able to go to a Ukrainian restaurant for our evening meal given the reports in the British press and Foreign Office advice that we had received not to travel unless essential.
The defence secretary’s resignation reveals not a split over principle but a dispute over pace of military spending, as Britain’s political Establishment unites behind deeper Nato commitments, argues NICK WRIGHT
Washington plays innocent bystander while pouring weapons and intelligence into Ukraine, just as it enables the Gaza genocide — but every US escalation leaves Ukraine weaker than the neutrality deal rejected in 2022, argue MEDEA BENJAMIN and NICOLAS JS DAVIES



