Today marks the centenary of World War I as millions of people up and down the country attend events in remembrance of Britain’s war dead. The decision to wear a poppy in tribute is a personal one, but many choose to instead wear the white poppy of peace or no poppy at all out of principle. Some public figures have been shamed for refusing to wear a poppy, but Jonny Smart argues it’s been used to fuel British nationalism and legitimise the continuation of imperialist foreign policies…

This year marks a century since John Maclean returned to Glasgow after suffering imprisonment, force feeding and hard labour at Peterhead Prison. One of the great revolutionaries of the Red Clydeside era, Maclean was revered by Lenin and Trotsky and described as the British Military Intelligence as 'the most dangerous man in Britain’. Henry Bell, whose book 'John Maclean: Hero of Red Clydeside' is out now, writes for Conter about what inspired him to study the iconic figure, and why he believes his message still matters...