Acknowledged as the “most important debate in Manchester” in living memory, the controversy surrounding the proposed creation of a Manchester ‘Congestion Charge Zone’ continues to divide public opinion.
Today, the Manchester Debating Union hosted a star – studded panel to ascertain whether the charge could hope to provide a sustainable solution to crippling congestion on our fair city’s roads.
But first, what is the Manchester Congestion Charge? And how, if at all, is it different to its predecessor in London?
Continue reading ‘Manchester Congestion Charge Debate’
On Monday evening, the Marxist Radical Forum in conjunction with Manchester UMSU Women’s Rights Collective - The Riveters - hosted an event ‘Sex and the Revolution’ in the Student Union to discuss whether sex work and the revolution can go hand in hand, whether prostitution is just another form of work and whether prostitution should be decriminalised or even legalised.
UMSU Women’s Officer, Jennie Killip, got the meeting underway by introducing the four speakers; Vicky, a Religions and Theology student from the Marxist Radical Forum, and other speakers from the International Union of Sex Workers and the English Collective of Prostitutes.
Continue reading ‘Sex and the Revolution’
On Tuesday, in another event coinciding with the Labour Party’s Annual Conference in Manchester, Ed Miliband MP (and also Minister in the Cabinet Office and Labour’s Manifesto Coordinator), along with Lucy Powell, Labour’s Parliamentary candidate for Withington, came to Manchester University’s Students’ Union to discuss the future for the Labour Party and for Britain; he reminded people of the ‘big causes’ in society and why apathy is the biggest peril for political progress. During the one-hour discussion, more than a hundred students seized the opportunity to get answers from a politician at the heart of Labour’s campaign for a fourth-term. The event was hosted by Manchester Labour Students and the Politics Society.
Following an opening speech from Mike Joslin, the current Chair of Manchester Labour Students, Miliband began to explain why he is a member of the Labour party (and specifically not the Conservatives), saying that he believes “we do things better together than alone.” Miliband attempted to stick to his principles of making politics less distant by devoting most of his time to a Q&A session rather than a long winded speech. He claimed that “unfortunately, these days we tend to have ‘talk-not-listen’ politics. But not tonight” and claimed that politics really matters as only by getting involved we can genuinely change the things in society that we don’t like. Lucy Powell addressed the audience, saying that “this [event] is in a way more important than the Conference platform because you are Manchester’s future; you are the ones who help shape this city.”
Continue reading ‘An Evening with Ed Miliband’
In another protest timed to coincide with the Labour Party conference in Manchester this week, about 100 protesters from the group “Stop Airport Expansion Now” took part in a flashmob of the town hall in Albert Square.
The group, which included three UMSU Executive Officers (Robbie Gillett, Dan Lee and Jennie Killip), converged on Albert Square at 12.45PM and revealed hidden red t-shirts with the words “Stop Airport Expansion” on the front. In particular, the group was protesting against plans to expand Manchester Airport, citing the negative impact that the aviation industry has on the environment with its high carbon emissions.
Continue reading ‘Climate Change Flash-Mob’
Thousands of protesters from all over the UK descended on Manchester and gathered at All Saints Park on Saturday for the Stop the War demonstration with the aim of sending a message to the Labour Party, who are hosting their annual conference in Manchester this week.
The Stop the War Coalition marched with an aim to persuade the government to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and to stop the spread of War. They urged the people to “March with us and become part of the worldwide movement for peace”.
Continue reading ‘Stop the War Demonstration’
This afternoon, some members of the Riveters (the UMSU Women’s Rights Group) dressed up as suffragettes for a women-led climate change protest. They marched to publicise the Climate Rush event being held in London in October which will present the Government with demands such as no airport expansion and no new coal –fire power stations. The small group of activists who all looked very peculiar in their suffragette costumes, walked into the Energy Question Time headed by the Minsiter of Energy, Malcolm Wickes and put their views across to panel of high profile climate change experts.
The views expressed in this article are the views of the author and not the views of the Politics Society.
Hi all, and thanks for taking the time to read my article! My name’s Rob Pinfold and I’m (as of about three weeks ago) The General Secretary of the University of Manchester Students’ Union. I’ve been invited by the Politics Society to lay out my positions on some issues as well as some of the (many!) things I want to achieve in my year of office.
Continue reading ‘GenSec’s Plans for 2008/2009′
