Manchester bomber was a UK ally

Salman Abedi and his closest family were part of Libyan militias benefitting from British covert military support six years before he murdered 22 people at the Manchester Arena in 2017. He is likely to have been radicalised by his experience.

Part 1 of Declassified UK’s investigation into the Manchester bombing.

Council gets personal in row over Central Retail Park

As expected, the redevelopment of the former Central Retail Park was approved by Manchester City Council’s executive. But it was not without drama, as terse words were exchanged between Labour councillors and the opposition Liberal Democrat representative.

Manchester together: one year on from the arena attack

A sunny day in beautiful Manchester. The skies are blue and the sun is shining but the people are downcast and sombre. This is the saddest day that I have ever entered the city. Today marks the one-year anniversary of the bomb explosion at the Ariana Grande concert at the Manchester Arena. 22 people died […]

How do you explain it to a kid?

“How do you spell condolences?” It’s the morning of the 23 May 2017. Last night a bomb went off in Manchester Arena. When I’d fallen asleep, there were conflicting rumours about what had happened. It still seemed possible that the ‘bang’ was a burst balloon or a faulty speaker. This morning I’m on the other […]

Hugs conquer hate in Manchester

Sitting and watching Sarah Whitehead and her team of volunteers giving out free hugs, it became clear to me that the spirit of this city will not be broken. Mancunians were visibly embracing the advice of poet Tony Walsh when he said “Choose love Manchester” at a vigil to those killed and injured in the […]