Tag: manchester
Report: Councils Are Paying Dodgy Bailiffs to Collect Tax Debts
by Andrew Kersley
With unpaid council tax hitting a record high, councils are turning to debt collectors. But with histories of controversy and questions over their efficacy, campaigners are demanding a stop to the practice. Andrew Kersley reports.
Report: Manchester Students Are Going on Rent Strike Again
by Rivkah Brown
Their first strike won them millions and inspired thousands of UK students to withhold their rent. Now, students at Manchester University are gearing up for round two. Rivkah Brown reports.
Report: Black People Nearly Eight Times More Likely to Be Banned From Manchester Carnival
by Moya Lothian-McLean
Novara Media has uncovered huge racial disparities in gang-related carnival bans handed out by Greater Manchester Police.
Report: Manchester Police Probably Broke the Law With ‘Racist’ Carnival Bans
by Moya Lothian-McLean
Exclusive: Manchester police are investigating whether they broke the law with 'racist' letters that banned alleged 'gang members' from carnival.
Feature: The Monkeypox Vaccine Rollout Is Unfair. But Not for the Reasons You Think
by Sophie Atkinson
Underfunded sexual health services and poor communication are breeding a parallel outbreak of frustration and resentment, reports Sophie Atkinson.
Report: After Years of Campaigning Against an Israeli Weapons Factory, It Was Direct Action That Shut It Down
by Rivkah Brown
On Monday, Elbit Systems announced the sale of its Oldham factory. Over years, local activists had been gradually building momentum for the campaign – until a direct action group turbocharged it. Rivkah Brown reports.
Novara Live: Boris Johnson Betrays the North
Boris Johnson's broken promises on high speed rail have led to accusations that he has betrayed the North. We ask HS2 expert Jon Stone about whether that's true.
Long Read: What Happened to Kill the Bill?
by Rivkah Brown
The PCSC bill is on the brink of entering law, and yet the movement to kill it has all but evaporated. Activists haven’t given up, though - they’re simply changing gear to a longer-term project of abolition. Rivkah Brown reports.
Novara Live: Manchester United Fans Shut Down Match Over Glazers
The #GlazersOut protest was the first time ever that a Premier League match has been postponed because of fans' actions. Can the movement create a revolution in club ownership?
Opinion: The Tories Treat Britain’s Regions Like Dirt Because They Think They’re Still Governing an Empire
by Aaron Bastani
On Tuesday, following a stand-off, Downing Street imposed a tier 3 lockdown on Greater Manchester without agreeing a support package with local leaders. Aaron Bastani argues the government's contempt for regional defiance is a vestige of Britain’s imperial past.
Report: Students Have Been Duped Into Returning to Halls – So They’re Refusing to Pay Rent
by Rivkah Brown
On Tuesday, the University of Manchester joined the growing list of UK universities whose students are going on rent strike during the pandemic. Rivkah Brown reports on the student movement the pandemic has restarted.
ACFM: #ACFM Microdose: Musical Cities
The #ACFM crew take you on a tour from Detroit to Manchester, considering the cultural history and politics of the musical city.
Uniting Communities: Organising for Real Change in Greater Manchester at Christmas and Beyond
by Craig Gent
This Christmas, a hard-working group of volunteers has been trying to bring some festive spirit to children and parents in their local community. It's all part of a wider effort to build up community confidence and an ethos of neighbourhood self-organisation - and an exciting example for anyone interested in community organising.
How Greater Manchester Became the Capital of Housing Action in the UK
by Isaac Rose
Known for its massive homeless population, Greater Manchester has become an icon of the UK housing crisis. But with a housing action movement gathering pace and capitalising on devolution, the city has become the heart of the resistance.
Can Devolution Solve Greater Manchester’s Housing Crisis?
by Isaac Rose
The housing crisis is no longer just a London issue. Its effects are being felt across the UK, including in Greater Manchester. There, in the context of the devolution of a wide package of powers to local government and the upcoming mayoral election, Greater Manchester Housing Action (GMHA) are organising around the issues of housing and homelessness.
5 Reasons We Are Occupying Empty Buildings
by Manchester Activist Network
As winter begins to bite, the thought of Christmas around the corner will be of little consolation to victims of the housing crisis. In Manchester, housing activists and homeless people are taking the initiative to provide safety and services, raising criticisms of the council's shortcomings in the process.