Donald Trump the puppeteer was recently seen in Manchester pulling strings to control Theresa May and Liam Fox (International Trade Secretary) who are both desperate to secure trade deals with the USA due to Brexit looming. The political satire, performed in Market St and St Peter’s square, was recorded to provide recruiting material for a […]
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 […]
Christopher Eccleston reads Riot Act at Peterloo Memorial
Guest article from the irrepressible Salford Star: Hundreds of people gathered in Albert Square, Manchester, for the annual commemoration of the Peterloo Massacre. Christopher Eccleston was loudly booed as he read the Riot Act from a window in Manchester Town Hall, while Maxine Peake relayed a message from Salford director Mike Leigh, who is currently […]
‘Our Sam – The Middleton Man’: Community needed to help bring Middleton’s most famous son back to life
“In ten minutes from the commencement of the havoc the field was an open and almost deserted space. The sun looked down through sultry and motionless air. Several mounds of human being still remained where they had fallen, crushed down and smothered. Some of these still groaning, others with staring eyes, were gasping for breath, […]
The Historical Echoes Of The Peterloo Massacre
Originally published on the Morning Star website. On 16 August 1819 Mary Fildes and members of the Female Reform Society marched to St.Peter’s Fields in the centre of Manchester with many other people to angrily demand the end of political corruption , hunger and unemployment. The women said, “Every succeeding night brings with it new […]
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. […]
Days of Hope: Manchester’s Mary Quaile reports on her visit to the Soviet Union in 1925
The year 2017 is the 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution and it is difficult today to understand the hope that the revolution gave to ordinary women and men across the world. One of those women was Mary Quaile. An Irish immigrant who left school at 12, and, because of her commitment to improving […]
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 […]