Secret consultation documents finally released after the Morning Star’s two-year freedom of information battle show the Home Office misrepresented public opinion, claiming support for policies that most respondents actually strongly criticised as dangerous and unfair, writes SOLOMON HUGHES
Far-right riots and the state’s response both pose a threat to our civil liberties
The shortsighted moves of out-of-touch politicians put in jeopardy the great traditions of dissent that have long been a hallmark of this country, argue DAVID MORGAN and ESTELLA SCHMID
MASS TURNOUT: Anti-racism protesters during a march in Birmingham earlier this month
Our groundbreaking report reveals how private rail companies are bleeding millions from public coffers through exploitative leasing practices — but we have the solutions, writes Aslef Scottish organiser KEVIN LINDSAY
With Reform UK surging and Labour determined not to offer anything different from the status quo, a clear opportunity opens for the left, argues CLAUDIA WEBBE
Reform’s rise speaks to a deep crisis in Establishment parties – but relies on appealing to social and economic grievances the left should make its own, argues NICK WRIGHT
This year’s Bristol Radical History Festival focused on the persistent threats of racism, xenophobia and, of course, our radical collective resistance to it across Ireland and Britain, reports LYNNE WALSH
A maverick’s self-inflicted snake bites could unlock breakthrough treatments – but they also reveal deeper tensions between noble scientific curiosity and cold corporate callousness, write ROX MIDDLETON, LIAM SHAW and MIRIAM GAUNTLETT
The FBU is demanding 52 weeks of full pay for women firefighters, highlighting the unique health risks they face — and the continuing need to recruit and retain more women if policies like this are still not in place, writes SEONA HART
THE violent riots that broke out following the shocking fatal stabbing of three young girls in the seaside town of Southport were truly distressing. The mass disorder rapidly spread across the country with incidents taking place in Southport itself and in cities as far afield as Plymouth, Sunderland and Belfast. They were confined to England and Northern Ireland, with no outbreaks recorded in Wales or Scotland.
What became clear from the outset was that the incidents took place in areas of extreme social deprivation, where communities have the feeling of being left behind and not sharing in the prosperity enjoyed elsewhere in the country; long-term unemployment, deindustrialisation, urban decay and long-term neglect of local infrastructure are characteristics of these areas.
Indeed, during radio phone-in discussions about the causes of the riots, several contributors cited the government’s removal of the winter fuel payment for pensioners and the retention of the cruel two-child benefit cap as factors that added to existing discontent.
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Over 100 arrests made after fascists seize on Southport stabbings to stir hatred