Empty homes increase by 19% across Manchester in a year

The number of empty homes increases across Greater Manchester, with eight out of ten boroughs recording an increase between 2019 and 2020. National online rally to highlight the issues calls on housing campaigners to join forces and put the issue ‘on the national agenda and make the politicians listen’.

Do Manchester’s monuments and statues do the city justice?

Do you have concerns about the types of statues, monuments and memorials used in Manchester to tell its history?  If you do, then this online public meeting to discuss the issues, on 10 March, could be for you. Award winning author and former columnist at the Guardian, Gary Younge is one of the four panel […]

Breathing life back into Tom Paine’s bones – graphic novel aims to resurrect neglected political reformer

Thomas Paine was a radical human rights and political reform advocate whose work inspired the American Revolution and the formation of a democratic United States.

Artist Paul Fitzgerald is determined to re-tell the story of this forgotten hero whose work still has valid lessons to be learned in these stormy times for democracies worldwide. Kickstarter campaign aims to get this graphic novel project over the finish line. Paul answers The Meteor’s questions on why he wants to graphically re-tell Tom’s story to a new audience.

Israeli company Elbit, owner of recently occupied arms factory in Oldham, receives multi-million UK contract

Elbit Systems, the controversial arms firm with a factory in Oldham that supplies equipment to the Israeli military, has received a contract of over £100 million from the government to supply ‘battlefield technology’ to UK armed forces.

Pro-Palestinian protestors occupied the factory on Monday calling for a stop to its trade in military equipment used in attacks that kill Palestinian civilians.

The Factory arts venue faces huge funding shortfall

Originally costing £110m, The Factory arts centre is now expected to cost £186m and the project is currently tens of millions short of its target. Manchester City Council say they can’t fill the gap because of the dire financial straits they face due to Covid.