Andy Burnham is not prime minister of the UK – yet. His speech on Monday at the People’s History Museum in Manchester might be read as campaign fodder. But given his lack of opponents, the race to be Labour leader looks already over. If he enters Downing Street, the oration would be the most serious…
Today’s speech by Andy Burnham underlines that he represents a shift in vibes. What matters, however, is substance, and on that front we still have more questions than answers. Our soon-to-be prime minister made plenty of good noises. His speech was at the People’s History Museum in Manchester, which showcases the struggles of ordinary people…
Geopolitical Analysis There is something almost cinematic about Vladimir Putin’s trajectory. A child from the gray backalleys of Leningrad, the son of a factory worker and a survivor of the Nazi siege, who ends up ruling the world’s largest country for over a quarter of a century. A KGB agent trained in the culture of…
Prof Christian Enemark’s letter (‘Morale’ bombing Moscow is not justified, 25 June) articulates a position of admirable moral consistency, but one that risks being fatally disconnected from the strategic and moral realities that Ukraine faces. The professor rests his argument on a bright-line distinction between combatants and civilians – a distinction that has genuine force…
Wellington House is in north Brighton, and known to the people who frequent it as Welly. It has the austere look of an old Victorian school, but what goes on inside is all about care and empathy. The building is the home of the city’s last council-run day centre for adults with complex needs, autism…
Over decades, battles have been fought to win the rights that victims of domestic, sexual and physical violence can expect in a UK court. Separate entrances organised so victims do not have to face their abusers. The option of video evidence. Giving evidence from behind a screen. Reams of guidance for judges and legal teams…
Two weeks before Josh Simons stood down as the Makerfield MP for his benefit, Andy Burnham was at Salts Mill in Shipley celebrating the life and work of the poet Tony Harrison. It was a small gathering, with actors, directors, writers and family members paying homage. Burnham wasn’t the only politician to speak; Richard Burgon,…
King Charles has become Britain’s first monarch in modern times to reveal how much tax he pays on his private income: £24.6m over the past two years. This is not a victory for transparency but a win for those who wish to keep the curtain drawn firmly over the royal finances. What is presented as a radical…
Cuba is experiencing one of the most severe crises since its revolution. Longstanding economic, social and political challenges, alongside the tightening of the United States’ decades-long embargo, have pushed the country to the brink of humanitarian catastrophe. Now Cuba faces an astonishing exodus. About 2.75 million people have left the country since 2020. Meanwhile, those…
The painful familiarity of key themes in Donna Ockenden’s review of maternity care failures must not detract from the urgency around this issue. The 400-page report published on Wednesday is a shocking catalogue of what went wrong at Nottingham university hospitals NHS trust. Its contents range from a excruciating case study of the errors leading…
