Specialist refugee health centre under threat

Salford’s Horizon Primary Care Centre, a provider of specialist healthcare for asylum seekers in the city since 2004, could face closure in an attempt to cut NHS costs.

Lib Dems hammered as Manchester rejects mayor

Manchester narrowly voted against having a directly elected mayor last night as the Liberal Democrats were reduced to a rump of just nine out of the city’s 96 councillors.

Legal action threatened over FC United stadium

Members of a Moston residents’ group are threatening to take Manchester City Council to court over the decision to allow FC United to build their new stadium on playing fields near their homes.

Law centre wins right to day in court against council

South Manchester Law Centre has won its right to a judicial review of Manchester City Council’s decision to end funding for specialist immigration advice described by the judge as “unique”.

Law centre launches bid for legal challenge against council cuts

A nationally renowned law centre that has provided free and impartial legal advice to Manchester residents since the 70s is applying to take Manchester City Council to court over funding cuts.

Parents to lobby Chorlton High School governors ahead of crucial academy meeting

Parents and campaigners opposed to the conversion of Chorlton High School into an academy are to lobby the school’s board of governors next Tuesday at a key meeting to decide whether or not to proceed with the application.

Legal aid campaigners urge action ahead of crunch Commons vote

Human rights lawyers, local MPs and Manchester campaigners Access to Advice have called an urgent meeting to curb the “devastating impact” of the government’s Legal Aid Bill as it approaches its final stages in Parliament.

What might a mayor mean for Manchester?

This week the people of Manchester will make a decision that will change the face of the city for the foreseeable future. Along with 12 other major UK cities, Manchester will decide whether or not to replace the current council leader with a directly elected mayor through a Mayoral Referendum on Thursday 3 May.

Elected mayors: a sticking plaster on the north-south divide

Referendums on whether or not to have directly elected mayors will take place in 10 English cities this week. Underlying the political gamesmanship, the elected mayors issue reveals a delusional approach to the north south divide.

Who should investigate murder — the police, or a private security company?

Senior police officers were quick to play down the implications of plans exposed in the press last March to outsource whole swathes of policing tasks to the private sector, yet despite the assurances major companies such as the security giant G4S are gaining disturbing new powers.

Millions spent on PFI “white elephants” as fire service staff face sack

Hundreds of local frontline fire service staff face the sack despite millions of pounds of public money used to bailout a national initiative undertaken by the previous government and denounced by Parliamentary watchdogs as “one of the worst cases of project failure” they have seen “in many years”.

Serco wins UKBA contract to house asylum seekers across the North West

A company which already detains and deports asylum seekers in the UK has been awarded a government contract worth £175m to provide and manage accommodation, as well as transport, for asylum seekers in Manchester and the North West over the next five years.