With the rise of Reform and the flag-raising phenomenon, it’s hard not to recall my family’s struggles with racism, from Teddy Boys attacking my pregnant mother to me being told to ‘go back to the jungle’ at only five years old, writes ROGER MCKENZIE

THE first thing that struck me about Cuba was the language in which they refer to their healthcare professionals. They are constantly referred to as “heroes” and they genuinely mean it all the time — not like how we were encouraged to clap for the NHS during Covid, only to be told healthcare staff don’t deserve a pay rise today.
Additionally, the language they use is always collective. Never once were we told “I designed this vaccine” or “this team designed the vaccine” — it was always “we created five vaccines against Covid-19.”
Rightfully, the country is incredibly proud of the work it completed during the pandemic to save lives, all in the face of a brutal blockade enforced by the imperialist US.

Having endured 14 years of Tory austerity followed by Starmerite cuts, young voters are desperate for change — but Anas Sarwar’s refusal to differentiate from Westminster means Scottish Labour risks electoral catastrophe, writes LAUREN HARPER

