Greater Manchester’s local authority pension fund is ‘Fuelling the Fire’ of global climate change by heavily investing in the fossil fuel industry, claims a consortium of environmental campaigners. Describing the GM fund as being “the dirtiest in the UK” due to the £1.8 billion invested in “climate wrecking companies”, which is over 10% of its […]
Designer donates his heart to benefit Manchester
Manchester based designer Liam Hopkins is auctioning off his Manchester Heart sculpture, in aid of a local charity. Liam created the piece the day after the terror attack in Manchester Arena in May this year. It joined the many expressions of love made by Mancunians in response to the bombing, overpowering those of hate which […]
Tory conference ends to a wall of sound and silence
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 […]
Carnival raises spirits at Preston New Road fracking site
A month of rolling protest at Cuadrilla’s hotly disputed fracking site at Preston New Road in Fylde culminated in a Carnival For A Frack Free Future demonstration on Friday 28 July. Amongst the diverse and colourful attractions at the Carnival were a larger-than-life hare, a Mr Blobby impersonator and a world record conga team – […]
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. […]
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 […]
Hulme community activist facing eviction for DIY to his own home
A vulnerable man living on the Bentley House Estate in Hulme since 1996 is threatened with eviction from a flat he bought in 2006, due to DIY changes he carried out to the property. After a long fought battle with the Registered Social Landlords owning the building containing the flat, he is faced with destitution […]
Guide to Supplementary Voting and candidates in the GM mayoral election
The big day for Greater Manchester is upon us tomorrow, the 4 May, when we vote for our first democratically elected mayor of the region. Supplementary Voting will be used in this election rather than the First Past the Post (FPTP) system used in parliamentary and local elections. You may not be familiar with the […]