After years hidden away, Oldham’s memorial to six local volunteers who died fighting fascism in the Spanish civil war has been restored to public view, marking both a victory for campaigners and a renewed tribute to the town’s proud International Brigade heritage, says ROB HARGREAVES
Latest editorial
Is the government finally going to remove a silent killer?
HANK ROBERTS welcomes news that asbestos has been judged too dangerous to leave in situ in schools and public buildings, and issues a clarion call to readers to help make sure action is actually taken
MAKING PROGRESS: A conference organised by Barking and Dagenham and Havering Trades Council November last year. This shows delegates holding up placards about the Cape asbestos scandal
[BDHTUC]
While pretending to seek peace, Europe is heading toward a collision course with Russia – using security guarantees, troop deployments, expropriation and censorship as tools, writes SEVIM DAGDELEN
Alba party leader KENNY MacASKILL makes some suggestions on how to save our pubs and reduce irresponsible drinking
The catastrophe unfolding in Gaza – where Palestinians are freezing to death in tents – is not a natural disaster but a calculated outcome of Israel’s ongoing blockade, aid restrictions and continued violence, argues CLAUDIA WEBBE
Opinion polls point to electoral collapse, parliamentary rebellion and a looming leadership challenge as Starmer’s Labour haemorrhages working-class support and the far right exploits the vacuum left by a hollowed-out party, says NICK WRIGHT
The long-term effects of chemical weapons such as Agent Orange mean that the impact of war lasts well beyond a ceasefire
AT LAST! After more than a century of dissembling, downright lies and cover-ups, the government has admitted that asbestos is too dangerous to be left in schools and public buildings. It must all be removed and cannot be safely managed in situ.
With around 40,000 schools and educational premises, and with government research stating that an estimated 80 per cent contain the deadly asbestos, we know this is a massive task.
One of the people who has led this fight is Sir Stephen Timms MP who, in 2022 as the chair of the all-party parliamentary work and pensions committee, called for all asbestos to be removed from educational buildings within 40 years, starting with the most dangerous first.
Similar stories
Research reveals stress kills three times the number of people than physical accidents at work