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
The epidemic of Tory hand in glove
The elite's class solidarity is as impressive as it is depressingly corrupt and amoral, writes SOLOMON HUGHES
Dido Harding
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
According to a 2007 Times profile, Dido Harding was “known as an accomplished networker”. Since then Harding’s big breakthroughs, culminating in her key government Coronavirus role, came from people close to David Cameron. Harding went to Oxford with Cameron. In 1995 Harding married John Penrose, who became a Tory MP in 2005 and a junior Minister under Cameron in 2010.
Harding worked at management consultants McKinsey (where she met Penrose) and then at retail firms like Tesco. Her big leap came in 2010 when Harding was the “surprise” choice as Chief Executive of mobile and broadband firm Talk Talk.
Charles Dunstone was the billionaire behind Talk Talk backing Harding’s appointment: he was a former “New Labour”-supporting businessman, but switched allegiance to Cameron (who attended his 2009 wedding). Dunstone became a key member of Cameron’s “Chipping Norton Set.”
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
