PATRICK JONES recommends a vital anthology from Afghan and Iranian poets where the political and personal fuse into witness-bearing and manifesto-making
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Good instincts, bad analysis
With respect for the authors’ intentions, JOHN GREEN demonstrates the lack of class consciousness that undermines their critique of dysfunctional Britain
burnham
Head North - A Rallying Cry for a More Equal Britain
Andy Burnham and Steve Rotheram
Trapeze, £22
ANDY BURNHAM, Mayor of Greater Manchester, and his mate Steve Rotheram, Mayor of Liverpool City Region, became so disillusioned with Westminster politics that they decided together to pack in their MP day jobs and go for two mayoral positions in the north. They felt they would be able to do more up there in terms of helping their own people, and make a real difference.
I’ve always had respect and admiration for both Andy Burnham and Steve Rotherham, as two of the very few MPs who are genuinely concerned about the welfare of their constituents, have a basic decency, strong principles and a genuine humanity.
In this jointly written book, they argue strongly for a different kind of politics that would address the stark inequalities in Britain and the north-south divide.
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