Real security comes from having a secure base at home — Keir Starmer’s reckless and renegade decision to get Britain deeper into the proxy war against Russia is as dangerous as it is wasteful, writes SALLY SPIERS

UNTIL recently, current events were held to pass into history at around the 30-year mark, which was when official government papers were released of that period.
In more recent times many documents have been opened up after 20 years, meaning that the early 2000s period of British history has now made its initial entry to the historical record.
In the 2001 general election, nearly a repeat of the result of 1997, Labour had a majority of 167. At the next election in 2005, Labour’s majority dropped to 66. Tony Blair was replaced by Gordon Brown as PM in 2006.

KEITH FLETT traces how the ‘world’s most successful political party’ has imploded since Thatcher’s fall, from nine leaders in 30 years to losing all 16 English councils, with Reform UK symbolically capturing Peel’s birthplace, Tamworth — but the beast is not dead yet

KEITH FLETT revisits the 1978 origins of Britain’s May Day bank holiday — from Michael Foot’s triumph to Thatcher’s reluctant acceptance — as Starmer’s government dodges calls to expand our working-class celebrations



KEITH FLETT traces how the ‘world’s most successful political party’ has imploded since Thatcher’s fall, from nine leaders in 30 years to losing all 16 English councils, with Reform UK symbolically capturing Peel’s birthplace, Tamworth — but the beast is not dead yet


