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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The cunning wren – king of the birds
Wrens were often ritually slaughtered at the turn of the year. PETER FROST unravels the politics and mystery of these tiny but amazing birds
Wrens are famous for their singing voices
[Natural England/Allan Drewitt/Creative Commons]
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
I HAD a few wrens (Troglodytes troglodytes) picking among my holly bushes the other morning.
From my kitchen door I thought at first they were mice hunting berries, but the binoculars showed tiny chestnut-coloured birds that looked remarkably like microscopic emus. OK, a bit of a romantic view but the wren is certainly one of our most romantic birds.
Weigh a pound coin in your hand. That’s what a fully grown adult wren will weigh. It isn’t actually Britain’s smallest bird — that honour goes to the goldcrest (Regulus regulus) — but the wren is Britain’s most common wild breeding bird.
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