Podcasts about Greater Manchester

Helen Pidd goes to Makerfield where the Labour candidate and would-be prime minister Andy Burnham faces Reform UK in a crucial byelection. With reporting from Josh Halliday. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

After nights of violence across Belfast this week, politicians continue to call for calm, but what else can be done to stop the violence spreading? Plus, Jessica Elgot has been to Makerfield and spoken to undecided voters on the doorstep. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/politicspod

This week Nick and Emma talk about list cleaning, after an analysis by Nick showed that 350,000 patients have been removed from GP practice lists, resulting in a loss of around £45m from practice funding. Nick explains why this happens and the impact it has on individual practices.They discuss GP contracts, looking at the first area in England that has agreed a local variation to PCN contracts, BMA fears about what neighbourhood and integrated health organisation contracts could mean for general practice and whether financial pressures on the current GP contract could make GPs back an alternative model.And they look at the impact successive governments' obsession with GP access has had, after a report from the House of Commons public accounts committee found that practices struggle to provide the care frail, older patients need because they are overwhelmed with targets linked to improving access.Our good news story this week is about an initiative in Greater Manchester that has helped cut hazardous prescribing.This episode was presented by GPonline editor Emma Bower and deputy editor Nick Bostock. It was produced by Czarina Deen.Useful links'Aggressive' list-cleaning drive strips 350,000 patients from GP practices'We're overwhelmed' - practices swamped by scale of patient removalsGPs agree first local PCN contract variation in £10m neighbourhood dealHospital-led general practice 'likely' outcome of government NHS plans, warns BMANHS England has overloaded GPs with access targets, MPs warn Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're at a pivotal moment in world geopolitics. Increasingly the masks and the gloves are both off - but it's not a binary choice any more between two sets of suits in slightly different coloured ties: now we have the right showing its true colours  - and a chance for the progressive majority in this country to find its feet and lead us towards a genuinely thoughtful, emotionally literate, high-bandwidth politics that ditches the toxic tribalism and instead lays the ground for a future that could actually work. We're joined this week by Neal Lawson, co-founder and Executive Director of the progressive pressure group, Compass; and Rupert Read, Co-Director of the Climate Majority Project. Neal is a member of the Labour Party, and Rupert of the Green party and we came together to discuss the forthcoming by-election in Makerfield, where Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester is standing as a candidate, with a view to standing for leadership of the Labour Party if he wins.  His main challenger is the Reform party led by Nigel Farage.  The Greens are newly invigorated after their recent win in the Gorton and Denton by-election in Manchester, so there has been a lot of conversation in progressive circles as to whether the Greens should step away to give Burnham a clear run. This seemed a good moment to have a vigorous conversation - to explore the possibilities and potential and the routes forward should Burnham win. CompassThe Climate Majority ProjectAndy Burnham in the Observer committing to PR Jamie Driscoll's post in The Canary - There's Nothing Pragmatic About Centrism The Fraud by Paul Holden —About Accidental Gods—We offer three strands all rooted in the same soil, drawing from the same river: Accidental Gods, Dreaming Awake and the Thrutopia Writing Masterclass Our next Open Gathering offered as part of our Accidental Gods Programme is 'WALKING THE PATH OF THE INNER WARRIOR' which will run on Sunday 28th June 2026 from 16:00 - 20:00 GMT - details are here. You don't have to be a member of Accidental Gods to come along - but if you are, all Gatherings are half price.If you'd like to join us at Accidental Gods, this is the membership where we endeavour to help you to connect fully with the living web of life. If you'd like to train more deeply in the contemporary shamanic work at Dreaming Awake, you'll find us here. If you'd like to explore the recordings from our last Thrutopia Writing Masterclass, the details are hereManda and Louise both offer one-to-one Mentoring Calls.  Manda is fully booked just now, but if you'd like to contact Louise, details are here.

If you are worried about China taking over due to having better robots than the yanks, I got mixed messages for ya here. This was created using DeepSeek v4 Pro. Remember when DeepSeek could do the same thing as chatGPT but on shitty processors and not much RAM? All those stocks shit themselves? Oh what memories. Would have been a great time to buy NVIDIA stocks. I didn't, if you're asking....It's pretty good but it really didn't follow the instruction in the prompt that Joel Hill is Jack the Insider on the transcript. So that's a minus point. But also, this took fucking ages to generate. It's better than lots of the yankee slop but damn son this took MINUTES. So they might take over if we are patient or whatever. Enjoy the episode. ----------------------------------------------Joel Hill (Jack the Insider) and Hong Kong Jack return for a sprawling episode that tackles two of the biggest stories shaping politics in 2026. The pair open with the jaw-dropping Redbridge poll putting One Nation at 31% of the primary vote — a number that would all but wipe the National Party off the federal map and potentially deliver Anthony Albanese a strengthened majority government by splintering the right. Joel and Jack clash over whether culture-war grievances or material concerns are driving the surge, while drawing historical parallels to Joh for Canberra and the DLP split of the 1950s.The conversation then crosses hemispheres for a tour through UK chaos: Peter Mandelson's leaked dossier exposing a rudderless No. 10 under Keir Starmer, Nicola Sturgeon's estranged husband pleading guilty to embezzling SNP donations on a surreal shopping spree of Lalique salt shakers, seven Dysons, and a motorhome with four miles on the clock, and a deeply troubling police body-cam incident that has reignited the two-tier policing debate ahead of three critical by-elections.The centrepiece of the episode is a sober, hour-long deep dive into the COVID-19 pandemic and what Australia has refused to learn. The Two Jacks lay out the true death toll (perhaps 22 to 69 million globally), the devastating scale of long COVID, the vaccine rollout failures, the absurdities of hotel quarantine with rubbish bags over heads, and why governments and public health officials are desperate to avoid a Royal Commission. They close by asking whether the next pandemic will meet a population that has permanently lost trust in its leaders — and whether we'll simply repeat the mistakes of both COVID and the Spanish flu.Sport provides a lighter coda: the Carlton revival under an interim coach, James Hird's awkward candidacy at Essendon, the expanded 48-team World Cup that nobody seems excited about, and a formidable New Zealand Test side taking on England at Lord's.00:00:25 — Introduction Joel welcomes listeners to Episode 159, recorded 4 June. Today: Australian political news, a check-in on the UK, and a deep dive into the COVID-19 pandemic.00:01:21 — The Redbridge Poll: One Nation at 31% The AFR's Redbridge poll: One Nation 31%, Labor 28%, LNP 20%, Greens 12%. The two-party preferred is now being calculated as One Nation versus Labor — a seismic shift in how Australian politics is measured.00:03:12 — Not Just a Protest Vote Jack argues this is real, not a re-run of Hanson's 1990s flash-in-the-pan. The South Australian state election and the Farrah by-election suggest One Nation support is durable. Joel counters that protest votes can be expressed at the ballot box and that Australians are tiring of pluralism.00:04:09 — If One Nation Succeeds, Labor Wins The cruel irony: One Nation's rise probably delivers Labor government. The National Party could simply disappear. The DLP kept the Coalition in power for decades as an anti-Labor party; One Nation may do the reverse.00:05:46 — Scrutiny and Splintering Joel notes One Nation's policies are "two-sentence fragments" and motherhood statements. When proper scrutiny arrives, the contradictions will surface. Hanson's parliamentary attendance is as poor as imaginable.00:08:22 — The Third Rail Jack argues populists succeed because they discuss what polite society won't: immigration, culture wars, welcome to country rituals. The major parties must engage these topics or cede the ground entirely.00:11:34 — Feeling Unheard The core driver, Jack contends: voters feel sneered at and silenced by mainstream politics. It's not about flag counts, it's about being listened to.00:13:50 — What Actually Drives Votes Joel pushes back: voting determinants are the household economy, migration, climate change — not culture war trivia. Culture wars "don't amount to a hill of beans" at the ballot box.00:14:51 — The DLP Parallel Both agree the One Nation phenomenon most closely resembles the DLP split of the 1950s and 60s — a right-wing fracture that delivered Labor government after Labor government.00:17:18 — The Republic Referendum Lesson Jack recalls the 1999 republic referendum: pro-republicans split between models rather than uniting, scuppering the whole project. Voters will vote their preference even knowing it helps their enemy.00:19:32 — UK Parallels: Accommodate or Fight? Significant figures in the UK Tory party are debating whether to fight Reform or reach an accommodation. Tony Abbott recently said the Liberal Party won't criticise Pauline Hanson.00:21:48 — Joh for Canberra Redux Imre Salusinszky's comparison: this is "Joh for Canberra" all over again. But Joel notes Joh's moment lasted months; One Nation's has already lasted years.00:24:08 — State Election Previews Joel predicts the Victorian state election will be chaotic and peculiar — a government that's been in power too long, an opposition that may not be up to the task, and One Nation peeling votes from safe Labor seats. NSW will give a clearer reading.00:25:44 — Hanson "Ready to Govern" — from the Senate? Pauline Hanson announced she's ready to govern. Joel asks: shouldn't she contest a lower-house seat first? Jack recalls the only precedent: John Gorton became PM while still a senator, but had to be eased into Kooyong.00:28:20 — The Mandelson Dossier: Starmer's Empty Suit Jack's read of the leaked Mandelson documents: ministers don't know what the PM wants, there's zero respect or fear of his authority. Starmer comes across as an empty chair. One minister's text: "Every meeting with Labour MPs — it's all about who can we tax to pay benefits to other people."00:30:50 — Mandelson's Legal Peril Mandelson is under police investigation for misconduct in public office. Could face charges — the seriousness depends on whether it's mere misconduct or genuine bribery for foreign interests.00:31:49 — The Nicola Sturgeon Saga Her estranged husband has pleaded guilty to embezzling roughly £400,000 in SNP donations. The shopping list: six high-end coffee machines, seven Dyson vacuums, Lalique salt and pepper shakers, Montblanc pens, Swiss watches, an iJag, part of a Volkswagen, and a motorhome with four miles on the clock parked at his 92-year-old mother's house. Nicola claims she "didn't go in the kitchen much."00:34:20 — The BBC Interview Laura Kuenssberg's forensic interview with Sturgeon — "not quite Prince Andrew, but not much better." Sturgeon has been cleared by Police Scotland, but her reputation, already damaged by the Alex Salmond trial, is now in tatters.00:35:05 — Will He Go to Prison? £400,000 is a substantial sum. With another £600,000 unaccounted for, a custodial sentence seems likely. The money was ring-fenced for a second independence referendum push.00:36:50 — Money Laundering or Conspicuous Consumption? Joel wonders if the bizarre purchases — multiple watches on the same day — were an amateur money-laundering attempt: buy goods with SNP funds, sell them quietly for cash.00:38:23 — UK By-elections: Makerfield Looms Three by-elections on 18 June, including the critical Makerfield contest. Andy Burnham, Greater Manchester's high-profile mayor, is the tepid favourite. Low turnout could help him return to Westminster.00:39:30 — The Body-Cam Incident A white teenager accused of racially vilifying a Sikh man was stabbed — and police arrested the bleeding victim, not the attacker. Body-cam footage shows the victim saying "I can't breathe, I've been stabbed" while officers dismiss him. Joel calls the footage "just awful."00:41:22 — Two-Tier Policing Jack traces UK policing's overcorrection: after the Macpherson/Lawrence report, guidelines were rewritten so aggressively that they've produced a pattern of questionable enforcement that devastates community trust — and plays directly into Tommy Robinson's hands.00:42:08 — NSW Police on Four Corners Joel recommends the harrowing Four Corners investigation: bashings in custody, false arrests, an officer who threw body-cam footage into Sydney Harbour, and two undercover officers jailed for a savage assault. The problem today is general duties policing, not the specialist squads of the 1980s. Some command areas are far worse than others — a leadership failure.00:44:55 — Victoria Police: Under-Resourced, Not Corrupt Joel shares an anecdote: two divisional vans for 80,000 people in outer-east Melbourne. Tough work being a police officer; even tougher being a good one.The COVID-19 Reckoning00:45:09 — Why This Matters Joel sets the frame: we parked COVID in 2023 with a hangover but never understood what we'd been through. Today's episode aims to crack that problem.00:45:51 — The True Death Toll Officially: 7 million dead. But most countries stopped testing and stopped reporting cause-of-death data to the WHO. Using excess mortality, the real toll is between 22 and 69 million — at the high end, exceeding the Spanish flu.00:47:02 — Long COVID's Shadow Roughly 400 million people globally (6% of the population) have experienced long COVID. In Australia alone, between 200,000 and 500,000 people are living with or have lived with the condition. Second infections can be worse. Emerging links to cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and accelerated dementia.00:49:43 — The Collective Amnesia Governments worldwide have "a collective embarrassment" about how they handled the pandemic, Jack says. They want it in the history books and forgotten. Joel says this is a grave mistake for public trust — and for public health, given COVID is now a permanent fixture alongside flu season.00:50:50 — Why Excess Deaths Are the Only Honest Metric All other figures are "kind of made up" because attribution methods vary wildly between countries. Excess deaths remain elevated in Australia and most nations.00:51:25 — Children and COVID Bobby Kennedy Jr. removed under-18s from government-supported vaccines in the US. Joel argues this is a disastrous move given mounting evidence that childhood COVID infection leads to higher rates of long-term chronic illness.00:52:47 — Why No Royal Commission? Not just politicians protecting themselves — public health officials and much of the media wanted to avoid scrutiny of their judgments and actions during the pandemic.00:53:32 — The Media's Abdication Jack watched "a lot" of Daniel Andrews's daily press conferences. Only two journalists ever asked pertinent questions: Rachel Baxendale and Leigh Sales. Nobody asked why curfews, why beach arrests, why the disparate impact on tradies and cafe owners while the "laptop class" actually made money working from home.00:56:14 — Andrews's Immense Popularity Joel adds context: Andrews was wildly popular at the time, which partly explains the media's deference — though Jack insists that shouldn't have mattered.00:57:34 — The Curfew Nonsense Curfews were about giving law enforcement the easiest possible environment, Joel says — and should have been acknowledged as such and wound back sooner. Meanwhile, Bondi's wealthy swam en masse while Western Sydney's working-class communities were treated harshly.00:57:59 — The Vaccine Rollout Failure The Morrison government bet everything on AstraZeneca — the non-mRNA, first-available vaccine. Then rare blood-clotting issues emerged (seven deaths, mainly men aged 40–49). Meanwhile, Australia was left waiting for Pfizer and other mRNA vaccines because no other supply deals had been secured.00:59:37 — Omicron Breaks the Pandemic's Back The Omicron variant emerged from South Africa: more infectious but far less lethal. Combined with 95%+ vaccination rates among Australians over 18, it effectively ended the acute phase — though at the cost of entrenched mistrust.01:00:38 — Government Overreach and Broken Trust Jack's core criticism: governments outsourced decision-making to public health officials rather than making political judgments that balanced competing interests. Joel counters that it would have been a "bold move" for politicians with no scientific background to contradict public health advice.01:02:19 — "Just Let It Rip" Was Never an Option The three countries with the highest COVID mortality — Brazil (highest), United States (second), India (third) — were all led by populist governments that largely refused mandates. Letting it rip was devastating.01:03:27 — The ADF Quarantine Scandal Scott Morrison refused to allow ADF quarantine facilities to be used for returning travellers. Instead, people were crammed into hotels with gaps under the doors. Joel recalls the "rubbish bags over heads" episode in Victoria — dark green plastic bags as infection control.01:05:00 — The Inquiry's Recommendations Create a proper Australian CDC. Release expert advice publicly. Better national planning with clear political accountability. And critically: politicians must own the big decisions on freedoms and spending instead of hiding behind experts.01:06:01 — The Next Pandemic There will be another one. If it's a respiratory, airborne pathogen like COVID, similar circumstances will return. Are we ready? Probably not. Will we close the country again? The economic damage — unemployment hitting 7.5% in 2020 — was enormous, even if it recovered to 3.5% by pandemic's end.01:08:06 — Who Was Left Behind? The arts community was inexplicably excluded from JobSeeker and JobKeeper. Meanwhile, the "laptop class" working from home effectively got a 15% pay rise by eliminating commuting costs. Bunnings did very well; so did companies that kept JobKeeper without passing it to employees.01:11:14 — The Human Cost of Lockdowns Public housing towers in Flemington were locked down. Joel recalls one family: an African-Australian single mother with nine children in a two-bedroom commission flat, trapped. Jack calls what happened with schools "disgraceful." But Joel notes the evidence now shows childhood COVID infection has serious long-term health consequences, complicating the retrospective judgment.01:13:59 — Will We Learn Anything? Jack's bleak prediction: the next pandemic is probably far enough away that we'll take no notice of COVID's lessons and make the same mistakes. Joel agrees — we didn't learn from the Spanish flu a century ago either.01:15:51 — Malcolm Roberts and Vaccine Misinformation The One Nation senator claims 70,000 Australians died from COVID vaccines — a figure with no evidentiary support, built by misattributing excess deaths. In reality, mRNA technology is now being deployed as a cancer treatment, showing promise against bowel and pancreatic cancers.01:17:36 — Trust Destroyed If the next pandemic arrives within this generation, governments will face a population that has lost faith. If it takes 50 years, the damage may have faded. Western Australia, meanwhile, locked itself down with negligible deaths and actually loved the isolation — provided the iron ore and LNG ships kept moving.01:20:37 — The Spanish Flu Echo Joel's closing historical note: Australia's response to the Spanish flu in 1919–1921 was nearly identical to COVID — lockdown disputes, police arresting people for not wearing masks, states fighting the newly created federal Department of Health. The whole thing collapsed into acrimony the moment state rivalries flared. A century later, nothing had changed.01:21:48 — Federation as Fatal Flaw Jack adds: the three high-mortality COVID countries (US, Brazil, India) share a feature beyond populist leaders — they're all federations where central government power is limited. When "the emperor is far away and the mountains are high," coordinated pandemic response is nearly impossible.01:23:40 — No Appetite for Truth Jack's final word: nobody wants a proper inquiry. Not politicians, not public health officials, not much of the media. Joel disagrees on the importance — the pandemic's legacy still shapes how Australians think, vote, and trust.Sport01:27:40 — AFL Coaching Carousel Essendon and Carlton both need permanent coaches. Joel asks: is James Hird the right man for Essendon? Jack: 17 other clubs wouldn't give him an interview, but the Bombers may have backed themselves into a corner where appointing him is the only way out.01:28:53 — Merit vs Member Sentiment Rowan Connolly's question: would you take James Hird or John Longmire (five grand finals, one premiership, 60%+ win rate)? The answer is obvious on merit — but members and fans want the fairy tale.01:29:47 — Carlton's Astonishing Revival Three straight wins. Ranked 16th in forward-50 entries a month ago; now second. The game style is unrecognisable — no more bombing the ball to non-existent power forwards. Mitch McGovern's low, flat kick to Patrick Cripps for the match-winner against Geelong was emblematic of the transformation. Seven players aged 21 or younger are now getting games and bringing energy.01:33:18 — FIFA World Cup 2026: Nobody's Excited Expanded to 48 teams, Scotland are going — and a Scot in his 30s told Jack that neither he nor any of his mates (all doing well financially, normally first on the plane) have any interest. Ticket prices are "extraordinary." The final is at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey — which Jack describes as "Waverley on steroids, but even more bleak."01:36:08 — Australia's Draw Socceroos face Turkey first up, then the United States. Jack suggests marketing it as "Gallipoli Round Two." Spain are favourites; England, Brazil, and Germany are in the chasing pack.01:37:06 — Cricket: England v New Zealand, First Test at Lord's Joel runs through New Zealand's likely top seven — Latham, Conway, Williamson, Ravindra, Mitchell, Blundell — noting the first four have all made Test double-centuries. "Just about the best first six in Test cricket." With O'Rourke's express pace and Henry's quality, this is a formidable Black Caps side.01:38:40 — Stump Speech & Next Week Listener mail (including an "exposé of who Jack is") held over for next episode. For the record: Hong Kong Jack's CV includes HSC at Assumption College Kilmore, a stint as a carpenter, a law degree from Melbourne University, stints at Holding Redlich and Slater & Gordon, work as a litigation and immigration lawyer, and an appointment to the Refugee Review Tribunal as a federal cabinet appointee.01:40:39 — Outro Joel thanks listeners for hanging in for an extra ten minutes. Back next week.The Two Jacks is recorded weekly. Send your questions and feedback to the show.

In this week's Media Confidential Alan and Lionel are joined by Joshi Hermann, founder of The Mill. The three discuss how The Mill has expanded out from Manchester to seven cities in just three years and it's plans to revitalise and redefine local reporting. They also discuss The Mill's funding model and why Joshi believes the method is sustainable, and how he is ensuring that essential public interest journalism is still freely available to read.They'll discuss the Mill's investigative work, how they fund and fight their legal battles and what the business is doing to utilise AI without being overwhelmed by it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer is fighting for his political life as a rival Labour superstar comes for his job - and the PM’s latest move is to announce an Australian-style social media ban for under-16s. Today, we look at Andy Burnham, the so-called King of the North, who’s lining himself up to destroy Starmer and remake the United Kingdom. Richard Ferguson’s here in just a moment. Read more about this story at theaustralian.com.au and see the video by subscribing to our YouTube channel. Andy Burnham wants to be Makerfield’s MP: but do the voters want him? Henry Nowak death: The left is to blame for this terrible tragedy ‘Manchesterism’ pain in store if Andy Burnham marches on Fallout over Henry Nowak murder the fight Reform has been waiting for This episode of The Front is presented by Claire Harvey, produced by Kristen Amiet and edited by Lia Tsamoglou. Our team includes Kristen Amiet, Tiffany Dimmack, Joshua Burton and Jasper Leak, who also composed our music. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With three weeks to go until the Makerfield byelection, where an Andy Burnham victory could change the direction of the Labour party, Pippa Crerar joins him on the campaign trail in Wigan and Leigh, speaking to voters on their doorsteps. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/politicspod

Despite some encouraging signs of progress, the Iran war continues to drag on without a clear end in sight. Investors are exhibiting an element of headline fatigue, as the sort of headlines that would have previously been greeted with wild gyrations in markets are now being either roundly ignored or treated with caution. EUR/USD has subsequently traded within a tight range - we discuss what could trigger a breakout. This month is also a big month in the UK. The Bank of England looks set to hold policy steady, but the real focus will be on the Makerfield by-election. A victory for Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham could clear his path to Number 10. But what does this mean for the pound and gilts?We'd like to hear from you! Provide us with feedback so we can improve the podcast: https://linktr.ee/fxtalk  Liked this show? Please leave us a review here – even one sentence helps! 

Daniel Trilling on the far-right party threatening Reform's chances in the Makerfield byelection. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

Beth has a punchy exclusive interview with Andy Burnham for this extra episode of Electoral Dysfunction.Saying the quiet bit out loud, Beth asks if Burnham is using this as his path to Number 10 Downing Street or whether he would be loyal as an MP and serve in Keir Starmer's cabinet? You might want to watch on YouTube to see his response...She also asks how Burnham's ideas for the country are different to what we already have in government.Plus, what does the current Mayor of Greater Manchester think about Reform and Nigel Farage's chances in a future Mayoral race after the party did so well at the local elections there?And this race to be an MP isn't just about Andy Burnham – whilst Beth is in Makerfield, she's interviewing a number of other candidates too, but Reform and Restore UK's candidates weren't available.For a full list of candidates standing in Makerfield, visit the Electoral Commission website.Got a question for the burner phone? WhatsApp 07934 200 444 or email electoraldysfunction@sky.uk.

Your morning briefing. All the news you need to start your day.On today's podcast:(1) Stocks rose to a record as investors doubled down on the artificial intelligence trade that’s powered equities to all-time highs. Oil climbed as a US-Iran ceasefire deal remained elusive. (2) The US and Iran traded messages over the weekend seeking changes to a draft agreement that would extend a ceasefire and open the Strait of Hormuz, but it was unclear whether the sides were making much progress.(3) Europe is rushing to rearm but needs time and clarity from the US to do so, Germany’s Chief of Defense Carsten Breuer said in an interview with Bloomberg TV on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue defense conference.(4) Andy Burnham, the Greater Manchester mayor who wants to replace Keir Starmer as UK prime minister this summer, has left open the possibility that he could call an early general election if he wins power.(5) Congo’s Ebola outbreak is being detected across a widening swath of the country’s conflict-hit east as health authorities struggle to trace exposed contacts and determine the true scale of the epidemic.Podcast Conversation: Hands Are Physical AI's Anti-Hype Test: Catherine ThorbeckeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join our hosts for Monday's show where we will be discussing: 'Child Obesity' and 'Parenting in a digital world ' Parenting in a digital world In today's digital age, children are spending more time online than ever before. From online learning and to social media addiction and mental health pressures we ask how parents can guide their children through it. Child Obesity Childhood obesity is rising rapidly, with unhealthy diets, low physical activity and increased screen time putting children at risk of serious health problems. Join us as we discuss what needs to be done. Guests: James Emmett - He is the Clinical Lead at the Place2Be charity. Dr.Muddassar Ahmed - general practitioner and clinical lead at premier private gp clinic. Soban Bashir - He's a cybersecurity expert and regional leader for the Smartphone Free Childhood movement in Greater Manchester. Mazz Malik - First year Foundation year doctor studied from Brighton and Sussex Medical School and also has a BSc in Neuroscience. Jeremy Tod - Managing Director of the Coram Family Lives charity. Producers: Manahil Khalid, Mutbashra Ahmed and Maryam Syed

Meet Jamie Fisher, the Precinct Operations Coordinator at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, one of the world's most iconic sporting venues.Born and raised in Greater Manchester, Jamie relocated to Australia in 2019 with a working holiday visa, no fixed plan, and a determination to never work another bar shift. He's built one of the most diverse and decorated event careers you'll find, working with Manchester City Football Club, the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup, Tennis Australia, FIFA Women's World Cup™, the Australian Grand Prix Corporation and now the Melbourne Cricket Club.He's stood on the roof of the 'G in front of 100,000 people raising the flag on ANZAC Day, managed Manchester City's title parade as the official bus manager, and somehow hitched a ride from Melbourne to Sydney in a stranger's Suzuki Swift during a COVID lockdown.In this episode, Jamie breaks down exactly how he used casual promo work and brand ambassador work as a backdoor into major events and why saying 'yes' before you've thought it through is actually a career strategy that pays off.We cover:(03:17) - Interview begins(05:50) - Quick Fire Questions(11:21) - Insight into Jamie's early career working in sport(13:18) - How Jamie beat 500 applicants to land his role at Man City(19:34) - Dream moments working with Man City(25:42) - Jamie roles at the Premier League and the Cricket World Cup(28:01) - How Jamie landed his first role in sport after moving to Australia(32:41) - How Jamie found contract work at major sporting events(37:27) - Jamie's role at the Melbourne Cricket Ground(43:26) - What makes it difficult to get a job in sport(44:16) - How Jamie decided working in sport was the path he wanted to take(49:22) - Impact of mentors on Jamie's journey(50:14) - How to land a job in sports events in the next 30 days(51:13) - Biggest 'pinch me' moment working in sport(53:31) - What would life look like if not a career in sport(54:11) - What at the time felt like the biggest mistake in your career, that either turned into the best reroute/diversion or the biggest lesson for you down the track in your career(55:41) - Jamie's question for next guestIf you like this ep, give these a go next:#252: What it's like to work on the FIFA Women's World Cup with Media Volunteer, Vi Truong#289: How to move from London to Australia and work in sport with George Ludlow#296: Manchester City FC Head of Research Tom Wilkins on using fan insights for business growthWant a job in sport? Click here.Follow SportsGrad on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTokFollow Reuben on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTokThanks for listening, much love! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, we find out more about Reform's candidate Robert Kenyon back story and why his old posts on social media are making headlines. Plus, what impact could Restore Britain have on the Reform UK vote and how Andy Burnham has outgrown Mayor of Greater Manchester. Adam is joined by Annabel Tiffin, political editor for BBC Northwest, Lara Spirit, the Deputy Political Editor for The Sunday Times, and More in Common's Luke Tryl. A full list of candidates and loads more information about the Makerfield by-election is available here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgrp1z8n4w2oYou can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers. You can join our Newscast online community here: https://bbc.in/newscastdiscordGet in touch with Newscast by emailing newscast@bbc.co.uk or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480.New episodes are released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenter was Adam Fleming. It was made by Miranda Slade and Chris Gray with Gabriel Purcell-Davis. The social producer was Joe Wilkinson. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

For Mental Health Awareness Month, Tom Raffio interviews Jonathan Routhier, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of The Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester.

How do you create a community that helps women across Greater Manchester feel seen, heard and valued?Emma Neville is a menopause coach and trained counsellor, whose work is centred around listening to and supporting women. Hear about the lessons she's learnt from spending years giving her time to supporting people across Manchester from inside some of the city's most important charities, and from raising two girls in a family that's always on the move. After struggling with early menopause, Emma is on a mission to get this generation of Manc women to be the ones to make menopause matter. You'll learn why Emma is calling this chapter of her life 'untamed' and why saying ‘no' can be a full sentence. From creating her community and holding This Is Me parties, Emma has come to understand the power of bringing a room full of Manchester women together. She tells Lisa why bottling that energy could be Manchester's next biggest export. --------------------Your host, Lisa Morton, started PR company Roland Dransfield in 1996, one month after the fateful IRA bomb that tore apart the city centre. From that point, the business and its team members have been involved in helping to support the creation of Modern Manchester – across regeneration, business, charity, leisure and hospitality, sport and culture.To celebrate the 30 years that Roland Dransfield has spent creating these bonds, Lisa is gathering together some of her Greater Mancunian ‘family' and will be exploring how they have created their own purposeful relationships with the best place in the world.Connect with Emma, and This Is MeOn InstagramOn LinkedInVia her newsletter & CommunityConnect with Lisa and Roland Dransfield: Via our websiteOn InstagramOn X

Andy Burnham is the man on everyone's lips in Westminster. As he campaigns to return to parliament in the Makerfield by-election, Tim and James bring you the definitive guide to Burnham – and what could happen next.They're joined by Joshi Herrmann, founder and editor of Mill Media, whose profile of Burnham had Westminster buzzing over the weekend. He shares his view of the Greater Manchester mayor's ‘unusual gifts and glaring weaknesses', whether ‘Burnhamism' really exists, and if Burnham's emotional style of politics could survive the brutality of No. 10.Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts.Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

UK correspondent Rob Watson looks at the Makerfield by-election which could return Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham to Parliament for a Labour leadership contest. Former Labour PM Tony Blair has put his thoughts on the leadership issue into a 5,700-word scathing assessment of where the party is at. Rob also has the latest reports on the vetting of Peter Mandelson and how a possible social media ban is shaping up. Rob Watson is a BBC political correspondent

In this episode, we hear from Kate Green, Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester responsible for safer and stronger communities. In this discussion, Edwina and Kate explore how Greater Manchester is reshaping its response to domestic abuse and housing. Kate outlines an innovative housing scheme that protects survivors' priority on social housing lists when they move across Greater Manchester, and new orders that enables survivors to stay in the family home while perpetrators are housed elsewhere. Edwina and Kate discuss gender‑based violence, youth offending, the distinct challenges faced by women in the criminal justice system, and the system‑wide reforms required to address them. Kate discusses the inclusive 10‑year gender-based violence strategy, early intervention with children and young people, Housing First for women leaving prison, and a whole system diversion approach that tackles the root causes of women's involvement in the justice system through housing, substance use support, employment support and peer mentoring. Kate also reflects on the profound impact of maternal imprisonment on children, the success of family drug and alcohol courts, and how the mayoral model in Greater Manchester enables police, housing, probation and other services to work together to create safer, more supportive communities, offering a blueprint that could be replicated across the country. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Josh Halliday on why Manchester mayor Andy Burnham is tipped to be the future Labour leader … if he wins the Makerfield byelection. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

In March, Index on Censorship reported on a school in Greater Manchester that had pulled 200 books from the school library shelves after the Head raised an issue with one book. With huge parental pressure in the US to censor young people's access to certain literature, particularly that relating to race, gender and sexuality, is the UK following suit in this worrying trend? In a world where our young people carry access to a whole world of unrestricted material in their pockets, why has the war been waged on literature rather than smartphones and social media?

‘It takes a village, it takes a city'How do you create your big Manchester Family?Fresh from the Big Manc Chippy tea event, which celebrated reaching 100 Mancs on the podcast, Lisa Morton is turning the tables in this episode. For the first time, she's the one answering questions on values, relationships, purpose, legacy and of course, the all-important chippy order.Lisa is joined by her daughter, Nina, and together they reflect on the belief systems and values that have been crucial in Lisa's life, both personally and professionally, and how those same values have helped Nina build her own relationships across Greater Manchester.You'll hear about what inspired Lisa to set up Roland Dransfield 30 years ago, the moments that have made her proud to be a manc, and those that have knocked her down. This episode is about the people who helped her back up, and the community she now calls her ‘Manchester family'.After sitting down with 100 born, bred or adopted Mancunians, find out how Lisa's view of the city region and its people has changed and what she believes it takes to build something special here.--------------------Your host, Lisa Morton, started PR company Roland Dransfield in 1996, one month after the fateful IRA bomb that tore apart the city centre. From that point, the business and its team members have been involved in helping to support the creation of Modern Manchester – across regeneration, business, charity, leisure and hospitality, sport and culture.To celebrate the 30 years that Roland Dransfield has spent creating these bonds, Lisa is gathering together some of her Greater Mancunian ‘family' and will be exploring how they have created their own purposeful relationships with the best place in the world.Connect with Lisa and Roland Dransfield:Via our websiteOn InstagramOn X FKA Twitter

EP — Adam Pope on why Manchester outperforms cities twice its size.Manchester's business culture is built on graft, confidence and doing things without waiting for permission. Adam Pope explains why the city's attitude consistently turns small firms into serious operators and why founders underestimate the Northern Powerhouse region at their cost.The conversation covers how Greater Manchester's geography, talent pool, transport links and industrial heritage shape commercial behaviour, plus the practical realities of scaling outside London. We also look at hiring, governance, legal blind spots and how AI is already changing professional services.What You'll Learn in This Episode:• Spot the cultural traits that drive Manchester's commercial confidence• Judge when to base operations inside or outside the city centre• Avoid common legal and governance gaps that derail SMEs• Use AI without weakening decision‑making or risk controls• Build trust in a region where people value straight dealingThis episode is for UK founders deciding where to build, scale or expand — especially if you're considering life outside the M25.*For Apple Podcast chapters, access them from the menu in the bottom right corner of your player*Spotify Video Chapters:0:00 Manchester isn't trying to be London01:34 Industrial heritage and tech investment04:02 Greater Manchester's expansion06:23 Culture, friendliness and swagger10:11 Wealth, influence and the city's vibe15:21 Starting and hiring in Manchester18:10 Northern Powerhouse and regional funding22:47 HS2, infrastructure and wasted budgets24:58 What high‑speed rail would really change32:18 Scaling across the North33:24 Trust, class and regional attitudes39:04 Legal sector differences48:35 AI, law and Adam's Clause platform57:13 Automation, headcount and future roles1:03:43 Where SMEs go wrong legally1:13:33 Business or BullshitWatch and subscribe to us on YouTubeFollow us:InstagramTikTokLinkedInTwitterFacebookIf you'd like to be on the show, get in contact - mail@businesswithoutbullshit.me

Today, we're speaking to Dr Charlotte Morris, a GP and academic based at the University of Manchester.Title of paper: Experiences of primary care for people with dementia from socioeconomically disadvantaged areas: a qualitative studyAvailable at: https://doi.org/10.3399/BJGP.2025.0407Existing national guidance recommends primary care-led dementia health care, but little is known about the experience of this for people living in socioeconomically deprived areas. This study highlights that people with dementia, and their carers, in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas want to maintain identity and understand their decline. Support from healthcare services often diminishes over time, with difficulties accessing and navigating healthcare systems when needed. There was uncertainty about primary care's role in dementia health care. Clearer communication and proactive support from primary care may improve experiences for these patients.TranscriptThis transcript was generated using AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Please be aware it may contain errors or omissions.Speaker A00:00:00.320 - 00:00:32.850Hello and welcome to BJ GP Interviews. I'm Ewan Lawson and I'm the editor of the BJ gp. Thanks for listening to the podcast today. In this episode, we are speaking to Charlotte Morris.Charlotte is a GP and doctoral research fellow at the University of Manchester and we have recently published her paper, Experiences of Primary Care for People with Dementia from Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Areas A Qualitative Study.So, Charlotte, first of all, what I'd like to ask you is how did you come to focus on people with dementia in deprived areas specifically, and what surprised you most in the interviews?Speaker B00:00:33.170 - 00:02:03.470Thanks, Ewan. Thanks so much to you and the BJGP for inviting me to do the podcast and publishing the paper.So, I guess my interest in people with dementia started when I finished my foundation training and I did a clinical fellowship year in London where I worked on a ward with people with dementia specifically. And at that time I wanted to be a care of the elderly doctor.But I was struck by how many people kept coming in and out of hospital with dementia regularly. We'd spend ages trying to get them home. They go home for maybe one or two days and then sadly come back on this cycle.And I think in reality, a lot of those people would probably have been better at home, even if that shortened their lives very sadly.And it made me realise I wanted to work in the community with people with dementia, trying to improve healthcare in terms of advanced care planning and kind of planning for progression. So that's where my interest in dementia came in.And I work in a practice in a relatively deprived area of Greater Manchester, and I always had an interest in health equity for kind of various reasons and health equity in terms of various lenses as well.So when I was designing my PhD project, I decided to kind of focus on both aspects, so health inequalities in terms of deprivation and primary care for people with dementia.Speaker A00:02:03.870 - 00:02:08.270I mean, I know we're going to touch another on some other stuff, but. Yeah. What surprised you most in the interviews?Speaker B00:02:09.390 - 00:02:47.530I think in terms of what surprised me most in the interviews, I think I was actually struck by how much people wanted more health care from their primary care teams. It's not like they felt they were getting the best care or they were really kind of thrilled with what they were getting in lot of times.But they were actually very trusting of their primary care teams and they really, really wanted more of that health care, which kind of struck me, really.And I actually found it kind of quite touching and humbling, as a practicing GP myself, to know that we were really valued and that the care that we provide, people tend to want more of it rather than less.Speaker A00:02:47.610 - 00:03:21.390Yeah, so that leads in nicely, because I wanted to ask you about one of the themes in your paper, which was the kind of proactive continuity.And several of your participants described your wanting their GP to take the initiative, you know, to call them, to know them, so just to anchor their sense of self while the dementia progresses. There was a one man who had Alzheimer's who named it Ali. Was a kind of a. Was a striking example. You know, what, what kind of sense?What does that tell us about what primary care needs to be doing? I mean, you mentioned there about how much it was appreciated, but what kind of. What do you think they can do more of?Speaker B00:03:22.000 - 00:04:42.080Yeah, I think that kind of theme of proactive continuity splits into two, really. So I think the idea of being proactive is really important and people wanted their GPs not only to know them, but to actively contact them.Sorry, I mean, not just their gps, actually their whole primary care team recognising that we all work together in our practices as well as that proactivity.They wanted somebody who knew them, knew their family, knew their kind of history, knew the kind of outside of their life, rather than just their medical condition or their dementia. And that was really striking and came through kind of very strongly from most people who were interviewed, really.And I interviewed people with dementia and carers and from both sides. That idea of being known by their primary care team did come through very strongly.And I think for me as the interviewer and for me as a practicing gp, I also really like that side.You know, knowing our patients, knowing that person, and being there for the kind of entire journey of a diagnosis to dementia all the way through to that progressing. It's a real privilege and I think it's something really precious for us as, as primary care teams, that continuity.Speaker A00:04:42.240 - 00:05:02.930There was a bit of a gap. There wasn't. There's this kind of, oh, you know, there's potential gap in that.And you mentioned this in the paper about the falling away support, that sometimes participants went to the memory clinic, then they were discharged, and then they felt a little bit like they, you know, they weren't picked up necessarily. I wondered if you could tell us a little bit more how that showed up in your interviews.Speaker B00:05:03.570 - 00:06:27.830Yeah, yeah, for sure. So I guess everybody, everyone did describe a kind of different journey.And I don't want to just generalize, but the sentiment or the feeling I got from most people was that there was concern around a possible diagnosis, a kind of flurry of activity around when the diagnosis was made, referral to memory clinic, lots of calls.Somebody described a mind boggling array of things being offered around that time of diagnosis and then after that things seeming to kind of fall away. So somebody described the specialist dropped them and they were seen by memory clinic, started on medication and then just left back to the gp.So that idea of kind of there being a flurry of activity and then things gradually dropping away and that being a paradox because actually people felt that their needs generally increased as time went on. So that was very interesting really. And I've also done.It's kind of not a published paper yet and it's still being worked up, but I've done some interviews with primary care providers as well and that seemed to kind of come through as well from them and that there is a flurry of activity around one point around diagnosis. But then as time goes on do things do seem to kind of drop off and change. So it's perhaps felt from both sides as well.Speaker A00:06:27.830 - 00:07:03.200Yeah. Let's talk a little bit about when sometimes it doesn't happen so much or people who knew the system.And there was definitely an interesting rather novel finding that came out and I guess it's something we might be aware of, but I haven't seen too many papers that have highlighted it, that if there was someone in the family who knew the system, that was often perceived as crucial and it sort of implies a system rewards social capital or maybe it's just very specific to medical systems. But I wondered if you could, you know, how worried should we be about that? What can primary care do to address it or to flatten those kind of.Those kind of flatten it out. If there is a. If it is an inequality.Speaker B00:07:04.000 - 00:08:54.200Yeah, I think a great question and I also thought this was one of the most interesting themes to come out of the paper actually.So just to kind of describe it, a lot of people described how if they had a family member or a friend who knew a little bit about the healthcare system, so if they'd worked in research or if they'd worked in social care, they would be called upon to kind of navigate this complexity of the system and it kind of came through that they would know who to contact, know how much to push, know what strings to pull to get somebody seen. And that insider knowledge, how we termed it, seemed crucial in kind of getting things done.And, and that was described in detail by one...

The by-election in Makerfield is shaping up to be one of the most consequential contests in recent political history. On paper, the seat should be fertile ground for Reform: heavily Leave-voting, older than average and exactly the sort of ‘left behind' constituency Nigel Farage hopes to win. But there is one complicating factor: Andy Burnham.The Mayor of Greater Manchester is hoping that his personal popularity can defy the political gravity of the seat and carry him back to Westminster – where, if he wins, Labour MPs may well carry him straight towards No. 10. But can Burnham survive Reform's attacks on immigration, Brexit and his record? And could Wes Streeting's intervention on rejoining the EU prove fatal in a seat like Makerfield?Tim Shipman is joined by Luke Tryl, executive director of More in Common, to discuss why this by-election could decide not just Labour's next leader, but the future shape of British politics.Produced by Oscar Edmondson.Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts.Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Despite the Makerfield by-election not even having been officially announced, and despite the fact Andy Burnham is not yet officially standing, the campaign has begun and Labour figures are already kicking lumps out of each other.In a soft launch of his own leadership campaign,Wes Streeting, the former health secretary, announced he wanted Britain to rejoin the EU. Mr Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, has now backtracked on his support for the idea two days after saying that “one day” Britain should indeed be a part of the bloc again. Sir Keir Starmer, meanwhile, is pretending nothing is happening.Camilla Tominey and Tim Stanley speak to Matt Goodwin, Reform's candidate for the Gorton and Denton by-election, who says this is an absolute gift for his party. He says that Labour is “self-indulgent and self-absorbed” with “no serious interest in its heartlands” and is heading for electoral disaster in Makerfield.We want to hear from you! Email us at thedailyt@telegraph.co.uk or find @dailytpodcast on TikTok, Instagram and X► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditorProducer: Georgia CoanSocial Media Producer: Conor ClarkSenior Producer: John CadiganExecutive Producer: Charlotte SeligmanVideo Producer: Will WaltersStudio Operator: Meghan SearleEditor: Camilla TomineyHighlightsMatt Goodwin says Labour are "self-indulgent and self-absorbed"The Makerfield by-election is on a knife-edge for Reform Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wes Streeting has confirmed he'll challenge Sir Keir Starmer for the Labour leadership. The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, has said he is standing in the Makerfield constitutency to "save" the party. A massive police operation has taken place in central London where two major protest marches -- one led by the right wing activist, Tommy Robinson and the other a pro-Palestinian rally -- have passed off largely without incident. More than 30 people have been arrested. The last senior Hamas leader thought to have been involved in planning the October the 7th attacks has been killed in an Israeli air strike in Gaza.

In this special episode of The Outdoors Fix to mark the end of the current run of conversations, I wanted to pick out my highlights from the past year. I've had so much fun heading out to record conversations in all sorts of outdoor places — from a hillside in the Howgill Fells in Cumbria, to a reservoir on the edge of Greater Manchester, to a valley in Eryri — or Snowdonia — and a woodland in London. Along the way, I've met some extraordinary people whose lives have been profoundly shaped by the outdoors, and who are now encouraging and enabling others to experience nature too. So, I've gone back through the archive and picked out some of my favourite moments from the past year — as well as the conversations that have had the biggest impact on me personally in making the outdoors a bigger part of my own life. I've also shared a few behind-the-scenes stories along the way. I really hope you enjoy this special episode — and don't forget to stay tuned for the Sounds of Nature moment at the end of the episode: a small pocket of calm to help you pause, unwind and breathe in the outdoors, wherever you are. I'll be sharing some new episodes with you in the not too distant future, but in the meantime, if you know someone who'd be a great guest, let me know! Thanks again for listening, Liv x The Outdoors Fix is a podcast produced and hosted by Liv Bolton @liv_outsideuk This episode of The Outdoors Fix is kindly supported by outdoor footwear brand Merrell. If you enjoy this episode, it would fantastic if you could subscribe. And do tell your family and friends about it - thank you! You can find photos of the guests on Instagram @TheOutdoorsFix The Outdoors Fix book is out now: http://bit.ly/3GJDLJc The post Liv's highlights from the past year of The Outdoors Fix podcast appeared first on The Outdoors Fix.

As the Labour Party launches a battle for the soul of Britain, former trade unionist Mick Lynch talks to Brendan about whether Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, will be the next leader of the Labour party and how deep the damage to the party really goes.

Andy Burnham may have a route back to Westminster – and a path to the Labour leadership. But first the Greater Manchester mayor must win a byelection in Makerfield, where Nigel Farage has vowed Reform UK will ‘throw absolutely everything' at the contest. Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian's north of England correspondent Hannah al-Othman, who has been talking to voters in the constituency. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

Jack Horgan-Jones and Mark Paul join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:· The findings of the Irish Times and TG4 by Ipsos B&A poll throws up some interesting permutations for the Dublin Central byelection. Sinn Féin's Janice Boylan leads the first preference vote at 21 per cent, Daniel Ennis of the Social Democrats is in second place on 18 per cent, but as Jack explains, ‘second preference intention' could be vital for both. · It is now a question of when and not if for Keir Starmer after disastrous local and parliamentary election results prompted a slew of Labour MPs to call on the prime minister to resign. A defiant speech on Monday did little to inspire party members as Starmer vowed to fight any leadership challenge. Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has been given a route to challenge Starmer following Josh Simons' decision to step down as MP for Makerfield.· And speaking to The Irish Times on Wednesday, former taoiseach Bertie Ahern addressed his recent comments on immigration, made while out on a canvass last week in Dublin Central. And while no apology was forthcoming, he did point out that he had “no problem with people from the Congo or Africa or anywhere else. I've good friends around Drumcondra, there's a lot of the clergy in from Africa.” Could this controversy overshadow Fianna Fáil's Ard Fheis taking place today and tomorrow as the party marks its 100th year in existence?Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:· One Dublin mother's 14-year wait for a bigger council house, the challenges for Ireland of a Reform-led UK government, and how difficult it has become for Irish diaspora to return home.Would you like to receive daily insights into world events delivered to your inbox? Sign up for Denis Staunton's Global Briefing newsletter here: irishtimes.com/newsletters/global-briefing/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a dramatic week at Westminster, Wes Streeting has quit as health secretary and ex-deputy prime minister Angela Rayner has said her wrangling with HMRC is finally over – but neither has launched a leadership challenge. Instead, all eyes are now on Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham as he attempts to chart a path back to the Commons, leaving Sir Keir Starmer's premiership under severe pressure. Host Lucy Fisher is joined by political correspondent Anna Gross, deputy opinion editor Miranda Green and deputy political editor Jim Pickard to discuss the latest developments. The team also examines Reform UK leader Nigel Farage's shifting story about his £5mn personal gift from a Thailand-based crypto investor in 2024, and looks ahead to consider what a Reform government would do. Follow: Lucy @LOS_Fisher or @lucyfisher.ft.com; Anna @annasophiagross; Miranda @greenmiranda & @greenmirandahere.bsky.social and Jim @pickardJE Want more? Burnham's return to Westminster will not be so easy Labour set to approve Andy Burnham's by-election runStarmer crisis as it happened: premier appoints new health secretary Angela Rayner says she has been cleared over tax affairsWes Streeting: the confident performer with a mixed record of reform To beat the populist right, Labour must be an insurgent government Zack Polanski admits ‘mistake' over houseboat council taxFT Series: Reform UK up close Sign up here for Stephen Bush's morning newsletter Inside Politics for straight-talking insight into the stories that matter, plus puns and tongue (mostly) in cheek views. Get 30 days free.Political Fix was presented by Lucy Fisher and produced by Nisha Patel. Manuela Saragosa is the executive producer. Original music and sound engineering by Breen Turner. The broadcast engineers are Andrew Georgiades and Bianca Wakeman. Cheryl Brumley is the FT's global head of audio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Labour psychodrama continues. Wes Streeting resigned as health secretary on Thursday afternoon, stating that it was clear Sir Keir Starmer would not lead the Labour Party into the next general election. However he has not yet triggered a leadership contest. Meanwhile, Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said he'll plan to run for a parliamentary seat in a by-election. So, where does this leave the party? And what will happen next?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryGuest: Lara Spirit, deputy political editor, The Sunday TimesHost: Manveen RanaProducers: Sophie McNulty, Harry BlighWe want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: Keir Starmer latest - live pageFurther listening: What the hell's going on in Westminster? Clips: Sky News, BBC, C4 News, Times RadioPhoto: Getty Images.This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andy Burnham has announced his intention to stand in a by-election in Makerfield after Josh Simons, the Labour MP and former Cabinet Office minister, stood down to clear his path back to Westminster.The Mayor of Greater Manchester is by far the most popular Labour politician and would be confident of success in a leadership contest against Sir Keir Starmer. But first he has to be allowed to fight the seat – which is in his own backyard – by the party's National Executive Committee, and then beat Reform, which won the Makerfield wards in last week's local elections.Camilla Tominey and Tim Stanley assess the chances of Burnham securing the nomination for and then winning Makerfield, as well as the role that Ed Miliband has played and where it leaves Wes Streeting after his resignation as health secretary on Thursday.We want to hear from you! Email us at thedailyt@telegraph.co.uk or find @dailytpodcast on TikTok, Instagram and X► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditorProducer: Georgia CoanSocial Media Producer: Nada AggourSenior Producer: John CadiganExecutive Producer: Charlotte SeligmanVideo Producer: Will WaltersStudio Operator: Meghan SearleEditor: Camilla TomineyHighlightsAndy Burnham announces his intention to stand in MakerfieldHow confident should he be of beating Reform? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President Trump and President Xi conclude their two-day summit in Beijing with U.S. officials touting deals aimed at maintaining the two nations' trade truce. In the UK, Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham sets his sights on No.10 after the resignation of Health Secretary Wes Streeting. Sterling suffers its biggest drop in more than 3 months with gilts also set for losses. U.S. deep-learning A.I. company Cerebras shares soar on its Wall Street debut which launches a slew of A.I. companies' IPOs due later this year.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The constituency of Makerfield has been a Labour safe seat for generations, but in the May elections, Reform UK won nearly every seat that was up for grabs at the local council. So how much of a gamble is it for Andy Burnham to try to stage a Commons return here? In his favour is his personal popularity in Greater Manchester and the fact he grew up in the area. Against him is the momentum of Reform and the fact that Makerfield hasn't benefitted from some of Burnham's key policies as mayor of the city. To discuss his chances, Niall speaks to Rob Ford, professor of political science at the University of Manchester. Have you got a question for Niall? Email the show - why@sky.uk

A sitting Labour MP has resigned from his seat, paving the way for Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham to potentially return to Westminster and mount a challenge to prime minister Keir Starmer's Labour leadership Lucy Fisher, Whitehall Editor of the Financial Times joined Anton

A sitting Labour MP has resigned from his seat, paving the way for Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham to potentially return to Westminster and mount a challenge to prime minister Keir Starmer's Labour leadership. Stephen Pound, Former Labour MP for Ealing North & Former Shadow Minister for Northern Ireland for 10 years joined Anton.

The Labour MP for Makerfield has offered to give up his seat to allow the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, a chance to get into Parliament and possibly bid for the Labour leadership. Also: Wes Streeting resigns as the Health Secretary, saying he has "lost confidence" in Sir Keir Starmer's leadership. And Madonna, BTS and Shakira will headline the first ever football World Cup Final half time show.

What is Alastair's plea to Labour politicians, after this week's turmoil? After Wes Streeting's resignation from the cabinet, will he still run against the ‘King of the North', Andy Burnham, and how bruising would a leadership contest be for the government? How risky is this for Burnham, and can he beat Reform in Greater Manchester? Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all these questions and more in this emergency episode. __________ Go deeper into the world of The Rest Is Politics by signing up for our free newsletter HERE, featuring exclusive interviews, analysis and weekend reads from Alastair and Rory. Join The Rest Is Politics Plus. Start your free trial at therestispolitics.com to unlock exclusive bonus content – including Rory and Alastair's miniseries – plus ad-free listening, early access to episodes and live show tickets, exclusive newsletters, discounted book prices, and a private chatroom on Discord. The Rest Is Politics is powered by Fuse Energy. Stop overpaying for energy. Switch at fuseenergy.com/politics and get a free TRIP+ subscription. Get our exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ nordvpn.com/restispolitics It's risk-free with Nord's 30 day money back guarantee ✅ __________ Instagram: @restispolitics Twitter: @restispolitics Email: therestispolitics@goalhanger.com __________ Social Producer: Celine Charles Video Editor: Vasco Andrade Assistant Producer: Daisy Alston-Horne Producer: Evan Green Exec Producer: Emily Kent Smith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, we sit down with Sasha Lord, the founder of Warehouse Project and Parklife Festival, who went from running illegal raves to building the biggest metropolitan festival in the UK and becoming Greater Manchester's first Night Time Economy Advisor. Sasha breaks down what it really takes to survive in the hospitality industry, from handling petrol bombs and gang intimidation in the early days to navigating police raids, environmental health shutdowns, and complaints from Strangeways Prison. He explains why the nighttime economy is on its knees, how the national insurance increase is destroying venues, and why we're losing one pub every single day in the UK. We discuss the relationship between music, drugs, and nightlife, why Instagram and TikTok are killing dance floors, and how the energy in clubs has completely changed. Sasha shares stories from the Hacienda, the explosion of house music and ecstasy, and why the best promoters today are the ones who know every staff member's name and stay sober whilst everyone else is partying. He opens up about selling Warehouse Project and Parklife, why he walked away at 50, and how taking a year off to be a full time dad gave him clarity on what actually matters. We also dive into his legal battle with Matt Hancock during the pandemic, why the 10pm curfew and scotch egg rule were absolute nonsense, and how he forced the government to reverse both decisions in the High Court. If you're trying to build something from nothing, navigating a tough industry, or wondering whether success is worth the sacrifice, this episode will give you the unfiltered truth from someone who's lived it all. More from Sasha: Book: Dance Floor by Sasha Lord, available on Amazon; https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tales-Dancefloor-bestselling-nightclub-Manchester/dp/0008656355/ref=asc_df_0008656355?mcid=44d5ec39cea03c0cabe7aa392389e106&tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=718870440885&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2663692099079957983&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006634&hvtargid=pla-2393997496693&psc=1&hvocijid=2663692099079957983-0008656355-&hvexpln=0&gad_source=1 Hear more from the Hosts: Jack https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-frimston-5010177b/?originalSubdomain=uk Zac https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-thompson-33a9a39b/ Brought to you by our amazing sponsors: *Prospeo,* the easiest way to find verified emails and contact data for outbound and lead generation. 98% more effective at finding mobile numbers and email addresses. Try it free at https://www.prospeo.io/wham *Nooks* The AI-powered platform helping teams automate outbound sales and book more qualified meetings. To learn more visit : https://www.nooks.ai/wehaveameeting

On today's programme, Adrian is joined with a poet, an actor and a woman who has been through a military coup in the 1960s. Joseph Coelho the poet was raised in a tower block in Roehampton. He wrote his way into the role of children's laureate and fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. Lesley Nicol, the actress, grew up in Irlam, Greater Manchester and ended up in Downtown Abbey. Some journey that for Mrs Patmore, the cook who, disappointingly, can't cook in real life. And Tari Lang who grew up in Jakarta and has written a coming of age memoir in the middle of the military coup which saw at least half-a-million people lose their lives in Indonesia. Plus the Inheritance Tracks from the singer-songwriter Laura Mvula. Producer: Gareth Nelson-Davies Assistant Producers: Ribika Moktan and Lowri Morgan Researcher: Jesse Edwards Editor: Andrea Kennedy

CONTENT WARNING: This episode does include a small amount of language unsuitable for childrenThis week, as campaigning ahead of the May elections began in earnest, the rare sight of Keir Starmer, Andy Burnham and Angela Rayner all together in one room was spotted at a primary school in greater Manchester as they celebrated the launch of Labour's new breakfast clubs.But despite the public show of unity, behind the scenes the jostling by the Prime Minister's rivals to replace him continues, so to discuss whether the Greater Manchester mayor and so-called ‘king of the north' will make it back down to Westminster, or whether Starmer will be able to hold off the threat to his leadership from Burnham et al if results next month are as bad as feared, host Alain Tolhurst is joined by two colleagues; Sienna Rodgers, deputy editor of The House magazine, and Tom Scotson, political reporter at PolHome, who have who have both written about Andy Burnham this week.And alongside them are the MP Karl Turner, who last month lost the Labour whip after becoming an all-too frequent critic of Keir Starmer for the party's liking, in particular on the government's policy to scrap some jury trials, as well as Jane Green, Professor at Nuffield College at Oxford University, and a member of the leadership team of the British Election Study.To sign up for our newsletters click hereRead Tom's piece here, and Sienna's herePresented by Alain Tolhurst, produced by Nick Hilton and edited by Ewan Cameron for Podot

Topped and tailed by Russ and Pete waffling on about Albion's and Worthing's very happy weekends and the evolving drama in both the PL & EFL, we also have the pleasure once again of Greater Manchester's finest Seagullians Al and Nick, to take us through the unfolding narrative that was Albion's latest triumph (5 wins in 6 now, don't you know?!!) at Turf Moor. Stand or fall UTA! Down with the Tottenham! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the fourth episode of Season 12 of the Meet the Mancunian podcast, host Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe speaks with Alun Morris, creator of the Red Lane Growing Project in Bolton and a community engagement worker with Bolton at Home. Alunshares how moving from Buckinghamshire led him into outdoor volunteering and conservation, and how a derelict former playground became a secure community growing space.  He describes the project's evolving focus, including a “grow it, cook it, eat it” approach, family activities drawing around 2,000 visits a year, plant giveaways, and plans to expand beekeeping classes. The conversation covers impact on community connection and mental health, challenges, the value of flexible “drop-in” volunteering, and Alun's view of Greater Manchester's superpower as community, alongside a call for greater patience and tolerance. Did you know:  ·     Community gardens are shared plots of land, often managed by local volunteers, where people grow fresh produce, herbs, and flowers. ·     Found in urban or suburban areas, thesespaces—ranging from allotments to rooftop gardens—foster social connection, promote environmental sustainability, and provide access to nutritious food while revitalising unused spaces.Key resource:The Red Lane Growing Project Time stamps of key moments in the podcast episode &transcript:(01:37) Alan's volunteering roots(02:42) Red Lane origins(03:44) Grow Cook Eat together(05:17) Measuring community impact(07:55) Safe space and wellbeing(11:05) Funding, volunteers, motivation(14:34) Beekeeping and how to help(21:07) Signature Questions

Helllo friends! Welcome to the EIChapel! This week we're making a vow to you all to cover interesting stories, dive deep into the discourse and share yet another bouquet of excellent recommendations.First up we're discussing a pretty grim story out of Manchester, after a school librarian revealed she had been asked to remove a host of book titles from her shelves. These books included Heartstopper, The Da Vinci Code, 1984, We Should All Be Feminists and Men Who Hate Women by Laura Bates. We discuss the importance of reading beyond your age group and why we think these decisions fail children rather than protect them.Secondly we're untangling some thorny feminist internet discourse, after one Gen Z account accused millennial feminism of being sex-obsessed, shallow and misguided. They wrote "Gen Z is kinda clocking millennial/Gen X feminists tea. Y'all said/say men are trash but then advocate for having casual sex with many of them and partaking in kinks that may be harmful. It never made sense." We unpack this idea and interrogate the feminist messaging that we grew up with and whether our attitudes to sex really have been harmful to younger generations.And finally- Kristoffer Borgli's new Zendaya/R-Pattz fronted film The Drama. If you've not heard about it, then congratulations on being born literally this morning. To catch you up: what starts as a gorgeous meet-cute becomes something else after Emma (Zendaya) shares the worst thing she's ever done during a pre-wedding dinner with her maid of honour (Alana Haim), her husband (Mamoudou Athie), and Charlie (Edward Cullen Robert Pattinson). Don't worry- we signpost our spoilers very clearly.Thanks so much to Cue Podcasts for the edit and for all of you listening at home!----------This week Ruchira was loving MAFs and reformer pilates, Oenone was loving The XX radio on Spotify and hating Leave The World Behind, and Beth was loving learning her lesson about ChatGPT and Dandelion Is Dead by Rosie Storey.School book banning escalates in the UK as Greater Manchester secondary school censors scores of books - Index on CensorshipQueer author from Essex devastated after school removes book - BBC NewsMen Who Hate Women by Laura BatesNo, Millennial Feminism Did Not Trick You by Michaele Makusha on SubstackRoger Ebert - The Drama review by Robert Daniels Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ralph welcomes sociologist and historian Behrooz Ghamari-Tabrizi to discuss the United States' war of aggression on Iran.Behrooz Ghamari-Tabrizi is an Iranian-born American historian and sociologist. He is a Research Fellow at the Center for Place, Culture, and Politics at the CUNY Graduate Center. He was the Chair of the Department of Near Eastern Studies and Director of the Sharmin and Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Iran and Persian Gulf Studies at Princeton University. He is the author of four books on different aspects and historical context of the Iranian revolution of 1979 and its aftermath.The only countries that I see that are in constant violation of international law is the United States and Israel. And frankly, I am speechless, although I'm speaking, but I am speechless—in what universe can this war be justified as self-defense? You listened to Secretary Rubio's speech in Munich where he laments 400 years of colonial rule being lost to this international law and laws of fighting wars because they want to go back to the way things were in the 18th and 19th century. This is a naked expansionist, extortionist administration here, and that's the only reason they have launched this war, and there is absolutely no justification for it.Behrooz Ghamari-TabriziFor years and years, the Israelis have been assassinating Iranian scientists. They were sabotaging Iranian industries. And actually, the Iranian government showed tremendous restraint in responding to these Israeli provocations because they didn't want to create the situation in which we find ourselves today. But then at the end of the day, calling Iran the aggressor here I think is a total ignorance of history and the context in which this war has started.Behrooz Ghamari-TabriziAll these things are not to suggest that the Iranian government in any form or shape is a democratic and just state. But the question here is about the sovereignty of the Iranian state. And the only inheritance of the revolution that has been kept throughout these forty-odd years was the question of sovereignty. Because that was one of the demands of the revolution. The question of social justice was thrown out of the window after the revolution. The question of civil liberties was thrown out of the window after the revolution. The only thing that is left is Iranian sovereignty. And according to every single intelligence study, what Iranians do outside their borders is a defensive posture. Iran does not have an expansionist agenda.Behrooz Ghamari-TabriziNews 3/6/26* Last week, Bill and Hillary Clinton testified before the House Oversight Committee on their respective relationships with financier and sexual predator, Jeffrey Epstein. Hillary Clinton, in a deposition described as contentious, maintained that she had virtually zero connections with Epstein, stating at one point “I am so tired of answering that question,” per PBS. Former President Bill Clinton meanwhile, tried to downplay his relationship with Epstein, describing it as “cordial,” and claiming that he had come to an arrangement with Epstein where the financier provided his private jet for humanitarian trips in exchange for Clinton discussing politics and economics with him. The committee pressed Clinton on this point, noting that Epstein visited the White House numerous times during Clinton's presidency and that there are photos of the two men shaking hands. Clinton told lawmakers he “did not recall those interactions.” These answers leave much to be desired.* Meanwhile, another Epstein associate occupies the Oval Office today – Donald Trump – and on February 26th the Wall Street Journal reported that the Department of Justice, under the stewardship of Attorney General Pam Bondi, has been withholding interviews with a woman who accused President Donald Trump of sexual assault back in the 1980s. As the Journal writes, the suppression of this interview “raises new questions about the Justice Department's handling of the Epstein files release and the pages that have been kept private.” The Journal adds that “Trump officials initially opposed the release of the files and then fumbled their response, including inconsistent redactions that exposed dozens of Epstein victims and initially kept some prominent men's names hidden.” However, on March 5th, POLITICO reported that the FBI has now published a trio of FBI interviews with the woman who accused the president of sexually assaulting her in collusion with Jeffrey Epstein. Trump and his allies categorically deny any wrongdoing on the part of the president, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt calling the allegations “completely baseless…backed by zero credible evidence, from a sadly disturbed woman who has an extensive criminal history.” This story also highlights what is sure to be the next flashpoint in this saga: on Wednesday, a House committee voted to subpoena Attorney General Pam Bondi to testify about her handling of the Epstein files.* Turning to media news, last week we covered how Paramount-Skydance, led by the Ellison family and backed by the Trump administration, outmaneuvered Netflix to close a deal acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery – including CNN. Throughout this process, many have raised the alarm that if the Ellisons were to get their hands on CNN, they would turn it over to their ideological attack dog, Bari Weiss, as they did with CBS News. Variety is now echoing those concerns, reporting that “It's expected that Weiss will have a big role in steering CNN.” Just what exactly this role will be remains to be seen, but given her tenure as editor-in-chief of CBS News, there is much cause for concern.* In related news, Variety reports Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav has filed to sell 4,004,149 shares – over $114 million worth of stock – in the company following the announcement of the sale to Paramount, including Paramount's eye-popping offer of $31 per share. Zaslav retains additional stock and options which he could cash out as the deal moves forward. Curiously, even as the Trump administration backed the Paramount buyout over the Netflix deal, the president himself continues to bank on the fiscal stability of the streaming giant, with the Hollywood Reporter documenting that Trump bought between $600,000 and $1.25 million worth of Netflix debt in January, adding to the $500,000 to $1 million in Netflix bonds that he purchased in December. This story notes that while the Netflix-Warner deal fell through, Netflix walked away with a $2.8 billion “break-up fee,” and an investment grade credit rating, unlike both WBD and Paramount.* Looking at domestic politics, this week primaries were held in Texas and North Carolina which yielded the nomination of James Talarico in Texas, beating out Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett for the Democratic nod, and the razor thin victory of incumbent Valerie Foushee over her progressive challenger Nida Allam in the Durham-Chapel Hill region. But many more primary battles lay ahead, perhaps the most interesting of which is unfolding in Maine, where the Bernie Sanders-backed veteran-turned-oysterman Graham Platner is duking it out with Chuck Schumer's preferred candidate, outgoing Governor Janet Mills. Platner, despite damaging stories, has continued to draw massive crowds and enjoys a huge polling advantage. Last week, Platner's allies, led by United Autoworkers President Shawn Fain, staged a sort of intervention with Schumer, with Fain lambasting the “shortcomings” in Democratic leaders' approach to the 2026 midterms, “particularly their failure to adequately listen to working-class voters.” Michael Monahan, a high-level official in the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, also sent a letter to the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee strongly urging the DSCC to “refrain from intervening further in [the Maine] primary.” A mid-February independent poll found Platner with a 38-point lead over Mills among likely Democratic primary voters, yet the party continues to back Mills to the hilt. This from NBC.* Our remaining stories this week concern foreign affairs. First, in South Africa, it seems the forces of the Left are looking to pool their support by entering into a political alliance. According to TimesLIVE, a prominent South African online newspaper, the country's largest standalone Left party, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has convened with the South African Communist Party (SACP) to discuss such an electoral pact. The SACP has long participated in a tripartite alliance with the African National Congress party (ANC), which has ruled South Africa since the end of Apartheid, but recently announced they would contest elections independently. The EFF and SACP emphasized that their priorities align on the “deep crises confronting South Africa: de-industrialisation, austerity-driven fiscal consolidation, collapsing energy security, mass unemployment, and extreme poverty.”* In another major political realignment, the Green Party of England and Wales is surging as the Labour Party, under the centrist leadership of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, continues to lose ground to the Nigel Farage-led far right party, Reform UK. The rise of the Green Party has been bubbling for some time, as progressive voters feel betrayed by Labour and the momentum behind Jeremy Corbyn's “Your Party” has fizzled, but the first major test occurred recently in the Labour stronghold riding of Groton and Denton in Greater Manchester. According to the BBC, this marks the first ever win for the Greens in a by-election, with 34-year-old plumber Hannah Spencer becoming the party's first ever MP in northern England. Reform ran second, with Labour dropping by 25% into third place. Moreover, Zeteo reports the Greens have leapfrogged ahead of Labour in national polling, second only to Reform and has become the single most popular party among voters under 50. For the past five months, the Greens have been led by self-described “eco-populist” Zack Polanski, and have espoused policies including giving councils the power to control rents, extending free school meals to all children, and imposing a new ‘wealth tax' on assets above £10m.* In Congress, Representative Ro Khanna has introduced the West Bank Human Rights Resolution to Condemn Israeli Settlement Expansion. This resolution is described as utilizing far more specific language to condemn “Israeli settler violence and referencing potential sanctions tools while also calling for a review of US policies that may indirectly subsidise settlement activity,” per the Middle East Eye. In part, this resolution is a response to the Israeli government's February 8th approval of “sweeping changes to land registration and civil control in Areas A and B of the West Bank, which Palestinians say breach the Oslo Accords and advance de facto annexation.” This resolution was drafted in conjunction with Cameron Kasky, the survivor of the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting who has become a leading activist on rights for Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. In a statement upon the introduction of this resolution, Kasky wrote “this is a necessary measure for Democrats and Republicans to unite behind the upholding of international law. Democrats and Republicans can agree that U.S. taxpayer money being used to subsidize the violation of international law is an outrage.”* Our final two stories concern the U.S. attacks on Iran. First, a bizarre sequence of conflicting claims between the U.S. and Spain have left many observers puzzled. First, on March 3rd, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez addressed the Iberian nation, saying “Very often great wars start with a chain of events spiralling out of control due to miscalculations, technical failures, and unforeseen circumstances. Therefore, we must learn from history and cannot play Russian roulette with the fate of millions.” Sánchez warned of “repeating the mistakes of the past,” and drew a comparison with the invasion of Iraq, concluding his government's position is “No to war,” per CNBC. More pointedly, the Spanish government prevented two jointly operated bases in its territory from being used in the strikes on Iran. Trump responded on the 4th by vowing to cut off all trade with Madrid, saying “Spain has been terrible…We don't want anything to do with Spain.” Then, on March 5th, Karoline Leavitt told the press that “With respect to Spain, I think they heard the president's message yesterday loud and clear, and it's my understanding, over the past several hours, they've agreed to cooperate with the U.S. military.” Yet, the Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares immediately responded that “The Spanish government's position on the war in the Middle East ... and the use of our bases has not changed at all.” This also from CNBC. Trump's threat to cut off trade with Spain would be difficult to follow through on, given that the 27 nations in the European Union negotiate trade agreements collectively,* Finally, far from assuaging concerns about the attacks on Iran leading to blowback, the Hill reports that, when asked during a phone call with Time magazine about whether Americans should be worried about a potential strike on the homeland, Trump replied, “I guess.” Trump went on to say “We think about it all the time. We plan for it. But yeah…we expect some things…some people will die. When you go to war, some people will die.” Stunningly, despite Trump openly declaring that we are at war with Iran sans congressional authorization and even casually admitting Americans could be killed on home soil, the feckless Congress has voted down War Powers resolutions in the House and Senate. In the upper house, the bill introduced by Democratic Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, failed 47-53, with Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky crossing party lines to support it while Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania crossed party lines to vote nay, per the AP. A similar measure in the House, introduced by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie – the duo behind the Epstein Files Transparency Act and other war powers resolutions including on Venezuela – failed by a vote of 212-219. In addition to Massie, Republican Rep. Warren Davison of Ohio voted in favor of the resolution, while four House Democrats voted nay, per Axios. Again the question is presented to us, if this won't shock Congress to action, what will?This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

Reform and the Greens both insist they can win the Greater Manchester seat of Gorton and Denton from Labour – and if they do, it could be another nail in the prime minister's coffin. Helen Pidd reports on how the candidates and voters are feeling. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

The Guardian's community affairs correspondent, Chris Osuh, reports on the plot by two IS terrorists to massacre Jews in Manchester, and how it was thwarted by an undercover sting. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus