The Greater Manchester mayor has shifted left over the years — but his record still shows a tendency to wobble when pressure comes from the right, says SOLOMON HUGHES
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Claimants must be central to development of a new social security system
ELLEN CLIFFORD introduces the new ‘user-led’ approach of the Experts by Experience Commission on Social Security fighting to give claimants a say in the benefits system
RAMZY BAROUD explains why Israel’s political collapse cannot be separated from its war crimes
DAVID RABY charts the ever increasing US attempts at intervention in Mexico’s internal affairs
FRANCISCO DOMINGUEZ and ROGER D HARRIS highlight how the priority for internationalists should be defending Venezuela’s government against external aggression
Established as a landmark victory for the climate movement, the CCC promised to hold governments to account. Today, it is understating the danger of climate chaos and impeding the radical action needed, says IAN SINCLAIR
ROGER McKENZIE draws attention to the much-neglected oral traditions of the global South that define the identity – and therefore the liberation – of its custodians
INITIAL proposals from a groundbreaking initiative were launched for consultation on August 12. The focus of the project — to develop proposals for the future of social security — is a subject that has received no little attention as opponents to the government’s welfare reform agenda attempt to develop alternative ideas.
What stands out about the Experts by Experience Commission on Social Security is that it is led entirely by those with lived experience of the benefits system. There were no big-name speakers at the online launch for the consultation, only benefit claimants and grassroots campaigners against the current system.
The commission is notable for its rejection of traditional approaches to policy-development where high profile advocates are prioritised above those with lived experience. A case in point is the new disability commission set up by the Centre for Social Justice, a think tank founded by Iain Duncan Smith in 2004.
The chair of this commission is Lord Kevin Shinkwin with members including former Paralympian Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson as well as representatives from City firms such as Clifford Chance and Deloitte.
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