Austerity: the false economy increasing homelessness (part one)

First article in ‘The Meteor Explores: Homelessness in Manchester‘ series. Part two can be read here. Homelessness is often described as a complex problem, usually by those tasked with reducing it, and there are no doubt a multitude of factors that contribute to someone becoming homeless. But there is a common theme to the rise […]

The Meteor Explores: Homelessness in Manchester

To see all the articles in this series, click here. Homelessness is a visibly growing problem in Manchester. When asked what concerns Mancunians have about their city, homelessness was one of the top issues mentioned. The Meteor has subsequently covered a range of stories relating to homelessness over the past year and have now been […]

Manchester artist channels the spirit of Duchamp and dada

One hundred years have passed since Marcel Duchamp had his famous urinal ‘Fountain’ refused entry into the Society of Independent Artists exhibition. The society, bound to accept all members submissions, took exception to ‘Fountain’, believing that a piece of sanitary ware associated with human waste could not be a work of art. In May, Manchester […]

Rochdale regeneration or profit before people?

When Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) announced its simultaneous proposals for the regeneration of College Bank and Lower Falinge, on the 24 June, they were presented as the only solution and as somehow being radical. The proposals are certainly radical in terms of demolition. There will be an estimated loss of 720 primarily social rent properties […]

Manchester 1, Tories 0: Take Back Manchester Festival outperforms conference in the rainy city

“Get off your arse and do something..” sang the Commoners Choir on Saturday night, at a Partisan pre-protest party entitled ‘Fuck the Tories’. The following day, an estimated 50,000 people got off their collective arse to demonstrate outside the 2017 Conservative Party Conference, under shared slogans of ‘No More Austerity’, ‘Scrap the Pay Cap’ and […]

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 […]