Fownhope’s Heart of Oak Society traces its roots to the age of friendly societies, when communities provided their own safety net. Its anniversary celebrations reveal a tradition still very much alive, says MARK SEDDON
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The growth of the Gala shows that class politics remains strong
STEPHEN GUY spoke to Morning Star editor Ben Chacko about how, far from being a purely historical commemoration, this year’s Big Meeting is evidence of a growing fightback
ANGUS REID explains the significance of Cuba’s egalitarian in letter and spirit Family Code and the pertinent lessons it holds for democracies anywhere in the world
Special report by PEOPLE’S WORLD
NICK WRIGHT considers how the isolation of Israel and a new film on the controversial Italian communist leader are creating new reference points for Italy’s left
CARLOS MARTINEZ says Cuba’s achievements in the face of a criminal blockade are startling, but the island’s future if the United States succeeds in crushing it looks bleak
AMNON BROWNFIELD STEIN reports that far-right MPs who mobbed the event organised by Hadash may have helped raise awareness of the brutality of the Israeli right
IN ITS 137th year, the Big Meeting remains a lodestar for a reviving workers’ movement, Durham Miners’ Association chair Stephen Guy told the Morning Star at the weekend.
“The theme of the Gala this year is ‘rise up’ — that derives from the last 12 months of industrial struggles we’ve had.
“And if government and employers don’t change their position, I’m afraid we’re going to have another 12 months of this, if not longer.”
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Incoming Usdaw general secretary JOANNE THOMAS talks to Ben Chacko about workers’ rights, Labour and how to arrest the decline of the high street
Durham Miners’ Association general secretary ALAN MARDGHUM speaks to Ben Chacko ahead of Gala Day 2025