The massacre of Red Crescent and civil defence aid workers has elicited little coverage and no condemnation by major powers — this is the age of lawlessness, warns JOE GILL
Why Tolpuddle Martyrs' Festival 2023 is so important
The rich cannot be allowed to dictate the terms of our impoverishment — the Martyrs stood up against injustice and so must we, writes Prison Officers’ Association general secretary STEVE GILLAN

SINCE the 1930s there has been an annual gathering to mark the story of the Tolpuddle Martyrs with wreaths laid on the grave of James Hammett followed by a procession of banners and speeches.
The struggle of the Martyrs must never be forgotten — otherwise their struggle will be in vain.
In 2023 many families are suffering from a cost-of-living crisis that wasn’t of their making. The explosion of gas and electricity prices wasn’t just a result of the Ukraine crisis nor was food inflation either, as these prices were rising well before the conflict. I recognise that the invasion of Ukraine has not helped but it is all too easy to blame that and the pandemic.
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Tory austerity triggered a crisis in our jails and only a decisive break from the past can turn this around, explains STEVE GILLAN

Stripped of their industrial muscle and left at the mercy of ministers and management, prison officers have been pushed way beyond breaking point, warns STEVE GILLAN

We can take inspiration from our forebears and win the repeal of anti-worker legislation and bring about fair pay and decent public services for all, says STEVE GILLAN

The pressure is now on the government to deliver its promises, and that pressure is not just from the unions, but from a working class that will look to the right if things under Labour don’t markedly improve, writes STEVE GILLAN