TUC president and POA leader STEVE GILLAN speaks to Ben Chacko on the eve of Congress 2026
FOR socialists there is a good deal to be discontented about Rachel Reeves’s policies as Chancellor. The cut in winter fuel payments has rightly caused anger and talk of cuts to spending suggests an austere 2025.
While she has been engaged with socialists who have thought a good deal about the historic roots of Britain’s crisis and what might be done — such as David Edgerton at Kings College, London — it’s difficult to discern much practical influence.
Of course, a certain portion of the attacks on her are firstly because she is the first female Chancellor and the world of finance is still largely that of men in suits. Secondly, she is a Labour Chancellor. Of what stripe is entirely irrelevant to the likes of the Mail, Telegraph and GB News: it’s just Labour of any kind they hate.
Trade unions call for windfall tax hike to fund social energy tariff to public’s energy bills
It’s not just the Starmer regime: the workers of Britain have always faced legal affronts on their right to assemble and dissent, and the Labour Party especially has meddled with our freedoms from its earliest days, writes KEITH FLETT


