The NEU kept children and teachers safe during the pandemic, yet we are disgracefully slandered by the politicians who have truly failed our children by not funding a proper education recovery programme — here’s what is needed, explains KEVIN COURTNEY
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How Public First saw our health come last
The Tories’ Covid communications were run by a true-blue Conservative ‘consultancy firm’ appointed without any bidding or competition. SOLOMON HUGHES exposes their world of ‘nods and winks’
Public First, which won the contract to run key Covid-19 communications without any competition, is a PR firm and political consultancy founded by former Cameron and Johnson adviser Rachel Wolf, with her husband James Frayne, also a former Tory adviser
The appalling bigotry and bias of London’s police force has been obvious for years – and the police leadership does not appear inclined to do anything about it, writes CLAUDIA WEBBE
As Holyrood elections approach, BRIAN LEISHMAN MP argues that Labour’s time has come — to open a new chapter which puts an end to the years of managed decline
ASSAF TALGAM talks to an Israeli Communist lawmaker about the need to use every tool of democratic and non-violent struggle; how Israeli society has changed since October 7 2023; and the persecution of the left in the parliamentary arena
Apart from a bright spark of hope in the victory of the Gaza motion, this year’s conference lacked vision and purpose — we need to urgently reconnect Labour with its roots rather than weakly aping the flag-waving right, argues KIM JOHNSON MP
In the face of funding cuts, closures and a shift into women’s centres providing criminal justice-only services rather than a holistic approach, RUTH HUNT urges women to protect existing resources, volunteer and build new networks of support
TORY-LED consultancy Public First won an £840,000 contract to run key Covid-19 communications because Boris Johnson was “cautious about who to trust” and needed to be soothed with a firm that was “in line with the Prime Minister’s agenda,” according to court documents.
“A nod and a wink” — that’s how people describe giving a contract to a friend, while not making it too obvious that friendship helped the decision.
But it looks like the government has invented a whole new set of facial expressions, tics and grimaces to make sure top Tory firms get key public contracts, while pretending it isn’t cronyism.
More from this author
The new angle from private firms shmoozing their way into public contracts was the much-trumpeted arrival of ‘artificial intelligence’ — and no-one seemed to have heard the numerous criticisms of this unproven miracle cure, reports SOLOMON HUGHES
It is rather strange that Labour continues to give prestigious roles to inappropriate, controversy-mired businessmen who are also major Tory donors. What could Labour possibly be hoping to get out of it, asks SOLOMON HUGHES
Keir Starmer’s hiring Tim Allan from Tory-led Strand Partners is another illustration of Labour’s corporate-influence world where party differences matter less than business connections, writes SOLOMON HUGHES
MBDA’s Alabama factory makes components for Boeing’s GBU-39 bombs used to kill civilians in Gaza. Its profits flow through Stevenage to Paris — and it is one of the British government’s favourite firms, reveals SOLOMON HUGHES
