Skip to main content
Work with the NEU
Inequality Street
A reminder of Penny Mordaunt’s insult to firefighters…

ON December 23 2014, I was frantically scouring my networks for a festive story to round off a year — my first working for the Morning Star.

Then I stumbled across a Facebook post from firefighters in Cosham, a northern suburb of Portsmouth. 

A tub of Quality Street had been dropped off by their local MP, with a card “wishing you peace at Christmas.” So far, so good. 

The 95th Anniversary Appeal
Support the Morning Star
You have reached the free limit.
Subscribe to continue reading.
Similar stories
Palestinians walk amid the ruins of buildings destroyed by Israeli airstrikes during the war with Hamas, in Gaza City, August 17, 2026
Voices of Scotland / 18 August 2026
18 August 2026

The evolution of the Scottish nationalist leadership into cheerleaders for Nato has led the party to betray its pledges on Palestine and social spending, writes COLL McCAIL

First Minister of Scotland and SNP Leader John Swinney arrives on the CalMac ferry MV Loch Seaforth into Stornoway Harbour, on the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides, April 8, 2026
SNP / 10 August 2026
10 August 2026
Activists from Friends of the Earth during a demonstration calling for an end to all new oil and gas projects in the North Sea outside the UK Government's Cop26 hub during the Cop26 summit in Glasgow, November 7, 2021
Scotland / 29 July 2026
29 July 2026

Is the Scottish government in favour of drilling or not? Evasiveness and incoherence are the order of the day, argues KENNY MacASKILL

Morning Star
Features / 31 October 2025
31 October 2025

Across the country readers are rallying to the People’s Paper’s cause. Star campaigns manager CALVIN TUCKER has some handy ideas on how to get involved