As Theresa May delivered her car crash of a closing speech to the Conservative conference, where she was handed a joke P45 by a prankster, anti austerity campaigners outside the conference venue met the end of the conference with a wall of sound, delivered by pots, pans, drums, whistles and a powerful sound system. Meanwhile […]
Demo against Tory conference sees 50,000 march through Manchester
The streets of central Manchester filled with 50,000 people opposed to Tory government policies, The Peoples Assembly estimates. The national demonstration, on the 1 October, drew people from across the country including, trade unionists, anti-frackers, refugees and campaigners supporting the multitude of causes the government continues to ignore. All were determined to let the Conservative […]
Fighting unemployment, poverty and austerity
The authors of austerity are in town for their annual Conservative party conference. With their refusal to halt the roll out of Universal Credit it looks like they may be doubling down on their poverty-inducing agenda. But three speakers at a Mary Quaile Club event provided evidence that the forces of iniquity can be resisted […]
Research reveals 89% of homeless experience worsening mental health
Research has uncovered the shocking toll being homeless has on the health of this most vulnerable and growing community. The results, which included responses from those living in temporary accommodation or sleeping rough, revealed 89% of homeless people completing the survey experienced worsening mental health due to their lack of secure good quality housing. The […]
Ethical guide to reporting produced to fight the rise of poverty porn
To combat the negative images of poverty portrayed in the media, often referred to as poverty porn, a new film Reporting UK Poverty has been produced by young filmmakers from The Reporters’ Academy in collaboration with the National Union of Journalists (NUJ). Demonisation of the poor is rife in the media. They are blamed for […]
Northwards Housing tenant wrongly accused of missing rent payments uncovers system error occurring 6482 times
A social housing tenant has been repeatedly wrongly accused of missing rent payments, causing him considerable stress. Appealing to the Housing Ombudsman the tenant was told that “mistakes happen”. But the tenant has uncovered evidence that the errors occurring in Northwards Housing’s rent payment system, causing them to wrongly accuse him, have happened 6482 times. […]
Manchester’s property investment boom funded through tax dodging offshore companies and unethical international investment
Towering apartment blocks going up all over Manchester and Salford are evidence of a property investment boom underway in the midst of a housing crisis for many. Research has revealed that this boom is fueled by foreign investment capital channeled through layers of offshore holding companies that allow the lucky few involved to avoid paying […]
Serious failings in high rise fire safety at Stretford House uncovered by tenant’s investigation
A former Fire Safety Officer, Phillip Murphy, living in the high rise Stretford House in Trafford has compiled a damning report on fire safety management at the high rise block, which is a Trafford Housing Trust property. Murphy acquired a copy of the Fire Risk Assessment for the building after the Grenfell tragedy. Expecting from […]
NUJ open afternoon to discuss Greater Manchester alternative media
Guest article from The Salford Star: This Saturday, 24th June, the NUJ Manchester and Salford Branch is screening the short Pulitzer Prize-winning documentary about journalists, Below the Fold, to be followed by a discussion on Greater Manchester’s alternative media with editors from The Meteor, Salford Star and Real Media. After Grenfell Tower, the need for […]
Al Nakba 1948 : Manchester remembers the ethnic cleansing of Palestine
In 1948 a massive humanitarian disaster began when around 750,000 Palestinian Arabs were expelled from British Mandate Palestine by the actions of Israeli forces during the creation of the state of Israel. On the 13-14 May Manchester Palestine Action (MPA) commemorated those events, calling for solidarity and support from individuals and organisations to bring an […]