Economists estimate extreme poverty could be drastically reduced for a fraction of global defence spending, yet military budgets continue to expand year on year, says JON TRICKETT MP, ahead of the Stop the War International Conference on Saturday
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Rats! They're everywhere!
The rodent population has boomed thanks to the nesting and breeding spaces afforded to it during the pandemic. But what do we know — and what can be done — about rats, the most problematic of the mini-mammal gang? PETER FROST investigates
As Unison launches its Year of Women Workers, ANNIE COGAN-THOMAS argues that stronger organisation and collective bargaining are essential to winning equality
Trade unions, trades councils and community organisations must work together to build lasting solidarity and resistance to the far right, argues DREW GILCHRIST
Recent violence in Belfast was not spontaneous — it was built on years of failure and political neglect, argues STIOFAN O NUALLAIN
As delegates meet in Brighton this week, Unison faces pressing questions about pay, organising, workers’ rights and political representation, explains ANDY CHAFFER
Andy Burnham’s growing stature has fuelled hopes of a Labour revival – but ALAN SIMPSON warns that Britain’s crisis runs far deeper than just its leadership and traces its roots to decades of financialised capitalism
RECENTLY I have heard from many friends and acquaintances about plagues of rats and mice. It seems that uncared for gardens, particularly unkempt compost heaps, spare parcels of land and disused or empty buildings are providing perfect breeding conditions for rats, mice and other rodents.
Just how many rats and mice there are isn’t ever easy to quantify. Counting populations of any of our native mammals isn’t easy except in one exceptional case.
We do have fairly accurate figures for one of Britain’s most numerous mammals and certainly the most destructive: there are just under 70 million human beings living here — and that includes you and me.
There are only just a few wild mammals that outnumber we humans and a dozen or so mammals get near that 70m human population figure.
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