For MARIA GOULDING, John Clare’s poetry is not only uplifting and restorative, but deeply relevant in our age of environmental uncertainty and social unease....
Coronavirus: Austerity, Crisis and the NHS
Why has the UK failed so conspicuously to cope with this pandemic? HILARY CAVE points the finger at decades of neoliberalism and 10 years of Tory-led austerity....
Coronavirus: Leeds United to Meet the Lockdown Challenge
JEANNINE SUDWORTH reports from Leeds where council, club and community groups are coming together to help the city’s vulnerable survive the Covid-19 pandemic....
Coronavirus: Surviving Interesting Times in Great Yarmouth
MIKE WADSWORTH reports from the Norfolk coast where a region that relies on tourism fears a visitor-sparked second wave of Covid cases if lockdown is eased too much too soon....
The Root of the Problem
MARIA GOULDING reviews The Overstory by Richard Powers – probably ‘the best novel ever written about trees’, a tale with a compelling political message for our lockdown times. The characters and narrative are engrossing, and the big themes are of urgent contemporary relevance....
Coronavirus: Street Level Aid Breaks Barriers in Hackney
MATTHEW BROWN reports from east London where Labour members have developed a ‘hyper local’ model of mutual aid that could help reconnect the Party with its communities....
Beyond the Boundaries
In his new book, the shadow justice minister and MP for Tottenham claims we need to reach across society’s tribal lines to create inclusive and dynamic communities. BARRY WINTER reviews David Lammy’s Tribes....
Coronavirus: ‘Sheer Goodness’ Shines Through in Beverley
STEPHEN DEAS reports from East Yorkshire where an outbreak of neighbourliness and co-operation are helping the market town of Beverley endure the lockdown. ‘There are lessons for all in this, including socialists.’...
Coronavirus: Tackling Domestic Abuse During Lockdown
There has been a worrying growth in domestic abuse during the Covid-19 lockdown. The government’s response has been poor, says MARY HULL, but Labour has an important role to play....
Coronavirus: Community & Solidarity in County Durham
MARY STRATFORD reports from the north east where the spirit of ’84 has stirred local communities and Labour members into building support groups and solidarity networks in response to the Covid crisis....
Coronavirus: Calderdale Under Lockdown
In the third in our series on local responses to Covid-19, ANNE-MARIE GRAHAM reports from West Yorkshire where community groups are adapting fast to meet the needs of vulnerable people....
Coronavirus: Dronfield Still Blathering Despite the Lockdown
HARRY BARNES reports from North Derbyshire, where the area’s former Labour MP is doing his bit to remain politically active in the face of Covid-19....