News
Hundreds of people took part in a ‘Kill the Bill’ protest in Manchester city centre last night
Hundreds of protestors marched through the city
Hundreds of people joined in protest in Manchester city centre yesterday over the government’s new crime law.
The ‘Kill the Bill’ demonstration began with dozens of people walking down Market Street and Deansgate before stopping together in St Peter’s Square at 5pm last night (Tuesday 16th March).
A bill, titled the ‘Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill’, has been passed by MPs in the House of Commons.
The bill enables ‘the police to take a more proactive approach in managing highly disruptive protests causing serious disruption to the public’.
This means police have more power in imposing conditions on static protests, including managing the times and noise levels.
Plus the ‘range of circumstances’ on which this can be imposed has been widened. This means the police can impose conditions on a single person protest.
The landmark government crime bill passed its second reading – the first chance MPs get to vote on a proposed law – with 359 ayes.
The vast majority of Conservative MPs speaking on the day of the debate backed it’s proposals and accused Labour of not caring for the victims of crime by opposing it.
Labour highlighted concerns over potential overreach on gatherings, following the Metropolitan police operation against the vigil on Saturday for Sarah Everard
Labour MP, Clive Efford condemned the bill for being part of what he called ‘a Tory-led coup without guns’.
The DUP MP Gavin Robinson said: “The loose and lazy way this legislation is drafted would make a dictator blush. Protests will be noisy, protests will disrupt and no matter how offensive we may find the issue at their heart, the right to protest should be protected.”
The bill also makes defacing statues and monuments punishable by up to 10 years in jail.
Many people have pointed out that it would be theoretically possible for someone to be more harshly punished for defacing a statue than for rape.
Kerry McCarthy, Bristol East MP, spoke on the toppling of the statue of slave trader Edward Colston in Bristol last year: “We used that moment to bring the city together.
“This government is now doing the exact opposite. When the communities secretary writes an op ed for the Telegraph saying, ‘We will save Britain’s statues from the woke militants who want to censor our past,’ we know what that is about.
“It’s about stoking up social and cultural anxieties to win votes, seeking out not what we have in common, but what divides us, fanning the flames.
“And now, whether it’s Black Lives Matter or Reclaim These Streets or the school climate strikes, or if you just want to pay tribute to a woman by lighting a candle and holding a vigil, you are all now collateral in this government’s trumped-up war on woke.”
Video’s shared by TKE Media show the protestors gathered in St Peter’s Square chanted ‘Kill the Bill’ while some people made speeches.
Police officers were present but did not appear to take any enforcement action.
Responding to tonight’s protest, GMP said in a statement: “Police were made aware of a possible protest in Manchester city centre this afternoon (Tuesday 16 March).
“At around 5pm, a large number of people had begun to attend.
“Officers engaged with those present and the vast majority of those who had gathered dispersed without any further issue shortly after 6pm.”
News
Oasis announce huge reunion tour as Liam and Noel Gallagher ‘make peace’
The news we’ve all been waiting for!
After years of will-they-won’t-they speculation, Oasis are officially BACK together for a reunion tour.
The Gallagher brothers have put aside their differences in the name of music, making thousands of fans extremely happy in the process.
The band teased the news on their socials over the weekend, posting a video on Sunday morning with today’s date (Tuesday, August 27th) and the time 8am.
And now shows have been announced for multiple dates in the UK and Ireland, with tickets going live this Saturday, August 31st.
The legendary Mancunian rockers will take to the stage next summer, with gigs in Cardiff, London, Edinburgh, Dublin and, of course, Manchester.
15 years after splitting, the band confirmed they would be back for 14 shows, saying: “The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised”.
The gigs will be Oasis’s ‘only shows in Europe next year’, with tickets on sale this Saturday at 8am in Ireland and 9am in the UK.
The Oasis 2025 tour dates in full:
July
4th – Cardiff, Principality Stadium
5th – Cardiff, Principality Stadium
11th – Manchester, Heaton Park
12th – Manchester, Heaton Park
19th – Manchester, Heaton Park
20th – Manchester, Heaton Park
25th – London, Wembley Stadium
26th – London, Wembley Stadium
August
2nd – London, Wembley Stadium
3rd – London, Wembley Stadium
8th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
9th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
16th – Dublin, Croke Park
17th – Dublin, Croke Park
You can grab your tickets HERE.
News
Stagecoach hiring over 100 new bus drivers for Bee Network with £31k salaries
Fancy a career change?
Stagecoach Manchester is hiring over 100 new bus drivers to work from its Oldham depot, following the second phase of the Bee Network launch in March.
You can apply for a range of roles, from positions with no experience required to fully qualified bus drivers.
Successful applicants will receive full training as part of the job, and trainees will get paid to train. Then after only 12 months’ service at Stagecoach, drivers can expect to earn up to £16 per hour, which equates to £31.6K per year, before overtime.
As well as that, drivers that already hold a PCV licence may be eligible to receive a £1,200 joining bonus.
Stagecoach
There’s also a host of other benefits available to all Stagecoach employees, like 28 days paid holiday, generous pension and free Stagecoach bus travel for successful applicants and a companion.
Rob Jones, Managing Director at Stagecoach Manchester said: “Expanding our offering in Oldham means we’ll be investing more in the economy and supporting our local community, as well as strengthening our workforce.
“Whether you’re looking for a career change or you’re a fully qualified, experienced bus driver, there’s a role for everyone here in Oldham.
“We’re looking for personable and dedicated drivers who are ready to help us build on the success of the Bee Network and connect the people of Oldham and Greater Manchester with the places and people that are important to them.”
Stagecoach
Phil Cornwall, bus driver at Stagecoach Manchester, said: “I’ve been a driver at Stagecoach for 25 years and I couldn’t recommend it more.
“From the perks to the people to the passengers, it really is a great place to work.”
To apply, head to the Stagecoach website HERE.
Two men have now been charged with murder, following the discovery of a human torso in Kersal Dale.
As well as that, more suspected human remains were also discovered this morning, Monday April 29th, in an alleyway close to the railway lines off Worsley Road, Eccles.
This follows earlier discoveries of human remains over the past three weeks, at Kersal Dale, Blackleach Reservoir and Colliery Wood, all in Salford.
Greater Manchester Police
Michal Jaroslaw Polchowski (25/04/1956) and Marcin Majerkiewicz (10/04/1982) both of Worsley Road, Eccles, have been charged with murder.
They are set to appear at Tameside Magistrates Court this afternoon.
While formal identification is still ongoing, the remains found at Kersal Dale are believed to be of a local man in his 60s. The remains found at the other three locations are still to be tested, but police are confident they belong to the same victim.
ACC Sarah Jackson said: “We have had large numbers of officers, staff and specialists working diligently on this investigation over the last three weeks. It has been very much a large, collective effort, with the victim and family at the heart of it from the outset.
“We have specially trained officers deployed to support the family as they come to terms with this tragic news. They are aware of this morning’s further discovery and will continue to be kept up to date with how we are progressing.
“Despite the charges brought today, our work is far from over.
“The scenes we already have established in Bury and Salford will remain in place for much of this week whilst our searches and enquiries continue. Local officers will continue to patrol the impacted areas to provide reassurance.
“We will continue following every line of enquiry to recover and reunite the victim with his family, bringing a dignified end to this terrible scenario.
“I’d like to thank the communities of Salford and beyond for their cooperation throughout this investigation. I know this incident has come as a shock, and the support we’ve had from those in the area is very much appreciated.”
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