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Day: 7 November 2015

Open University staff vote for strike action

Written by Liam Kelly on . Posted in News.

Staff at the Open University, the largest academic institution in the UK, have voted to strike in a dispute over the proposed closure of seven regional centres. Up to 502 jobs are at risk as part of the planned move.

72 per cent of Universities and Colleges Union (UCU) members balloted voted for strike action, whilst 83 per cent supported action short of a strike.

The seven centres earmarked for closure are in Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Gateshead, Leeds, London, and Oxford.

Staff walkouts could also take place in the university’s office in Manchester, as well as Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Milton Keynes, and Nottingham.

Members of the UCU are to meet this week to decide when, where and for how long strike action will take place.

UCU Open University branch president Pauline Collins claimed that “the only people who still seem to think that axing 500 jobs and closing down seven regional Open University Centres is a good idea are the senior managers.

“The academic body at the university rejected the plans at its senate meeting and now the staff have given an overwhelming mandate for strike action for the first time in its history.”

She added, “We hope managers will now see sense and work with us to deliver changes that will not be so devastating for the staff, students or future of the Open University.”

The Open University said it was disappointed with the result of the ballot. A spokesman for the university said: “We do not believe industrial action will lead to anything positive, either for our staff or students.

“We recognise this is a difficult time for staff affected and we want to work positively with unions to look after staff in the best possible way. Our services to students would be enhanced by these proposals and no existing services to students will be withdrawn.”

A council meeting will take place on the 24th of November, where members will vote on whether the controversial plans will be put into effect.

Student raped in Fallowfield

Written by Jennifer Sterne on . Posted in News.

A 19-year-old student was raped in Fallowfield on Wednesday October the 7th between midnight and 4:30

Police are looking for a key witness who met the victim at a bus stop on Wimslow Road.

He is described as white and of slim build, with brown hair styled in a quiff, and was wearing black skinny jeans and a black leather jacket. He is thought to be around 18 or 19 years old.

Detective Inspector Damian Simpson, of GMP’s Serious Sexual Offences Unit, said: “This witness could hold vital clues to what happened to this young woman, so it is very important that we speak to him. We are doing everything we can to identify the attacker.

“We are appealing for this witness to come forward but anyone else who may have any information should get in touch. You may think your information is trivial, but it could be vital to our investigation, so please call us and tell us what you know.

“We would like to reassure the public that we believe this is an isolated incident.”

Women’s Officer Jess Lishak said: “It’s absolutely sickening to hear that yet another woman student has been raped. Unfortunately whilst these headlines are really saddening, they are no longer shocking.

“The fact that the police have referred to this as an ‘isolated incident’ is insulting to the many women students who tell me that they’re too scared to go out at night, too scared to come onto campus for late lectures and too scared to take their bins out at night.

“Sexual violence is not an isolated incident, it is an epidemic and it is symptomatic of a society that doesn’t value women’s right to say no or to decide what to do with our own bodies. Whether sexual violence happens on our streets or in our beds, by someone we’ve never met or someone that we know and trust, it is horrific and it is insidious.”

Anyone with information should call police on 0161 856 1911 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Devo Manc: One year on

Written by Ailsa McNeil on . Posted in News.

Manchester is having a moment; it is lauded as the ‘Northern Powerhouse’ by George Osborne, now forming the centrepiece of his latest financial strategy, an endorsement of the economic and cultural credentials of the city.

One year ago The Mancunion revealed that Greater Manchester would be getting an elected mayor in the scheme now known as Devo Manc. We highlighted Osborne’s plans to give Manchester devolved powers ranging from regulated buses, housing and planning powers, to business support and skills. 12 months later it’s time to take a look at how the Chancellor’s plans are progressing.

Since the Conservatives first made clear their intention to transfer further powers to the area, Manchester has attracted investment in housing and transport and plans to transform the city region into an economic stronghold are firmly underway. The vast majority of progress, though, has most certainly come from within the city itself.

A significant force for growth in the area has been Manchester Airport. In 2014 the Manchester Airport Group (MAG) injected £1.7 billion into the regional economy, a 13 per cent increase on the previous year.

Part owned by the ten boroughs of Greater Manchester, the profit generated by MAG meant that Manchester’s councils reaped a £60 million stake. This was a 100 per cent increase on the 2014 figure, with councils capitalising on record passenger numbers travelling through the airport.

A number of recent projects are contributing to continued airport extension. £1 billion is to be ploughed into the creation of a new ‘super terminal’ and the addition of new routes has cemented the airport’s position as a major transport centre. A newly arrived Metrolink line was also accompanied by the opening of additional platforms at Manchester Airport’s train station, bringing the total to 4 railway and 2 Metrolink platforms.

An EasyJet plane taxiing at Manchester Airport. Both Easyjet and Ryanair have announced they will be increasing their services at Manchester Airport. Photo: mark_ellam @Flickr

This week EasyJet announced the augmentation of their operations. The low cost airline will now take holidaymakers to Paris, Milan, and Olbia in Sardinia, in addition to their existing 40 destinations.  The new flights will be launched in time for summer 2016.

In addition, Ryanair is adding six new routes from Manchester Airport to Slovakia, Germany, Italy, France, and Malta and it is ramping up the frequency on flights to Alicante, Barcelona, Dublin, Faro, Ibiza, Madrid, Milan, Rome, Valencia, and Warsaw. Ryanair’s increase will create 400 jobs at the airport, including 325 in the terminals themselves.

There are also opportunities to travel further afield. From Manchester since late 2014, Cathay Pacific has operated the only year-long scheduled route between the UK and Hong Kong outside of London Heathrow. Services from Manchester to Mainland China directly were secured this October by Hainan Airlines, opening up the city region to future trading possibilities.

This week marked the one-year anniversary of a £400 million extension of the Metrolink, which connected Manchester Airport to the network, dubbed the ‘Airport Line’, adding 15 stops to the line taking in Wythenshawe, Baguley, and the surrounding areas. Over this last year, 1.88 million journeys have been made on the Airport Line.

A Metrolink tram serving the one-year-old Airport Line in Wythenshawe Town Centre. Photo: raver_mikey @Flickr

Metrolink is also currently constructing its second city crossing, scheduled to open in 2017, it will allow more trams through the city centre. One stop on the second city crossing is due to open later this month; Exchange Square is situated between the Arndale and the newly-refurbished Corn Exchange and an Exchange Square to Shaw and Crompton line will begin in time for Christmas shopping until the completion of the second city crossing.

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has proposed a Metrolink extension to Trafford Park via the Imperial War Museum North, Old Trafford, and the Trafford Centre. In April 2015, £300 million was signed off to construct the line, with work slated to begin in 2016 in order to be open by Christmas 2019.

Away from Metrolink, transport across the city region is undergoing a revolution. The Mancunion reported early in October that Manchester Victoria’s £44 million overhaul was successfully completed on schedule. Despite legal challenges, Network Rail’s Ordsall Chord development, which will increase capacity and reliability on Manchester’s trains, is set to be completed by 2019 among other rail projects such as the refurbishment of Manchester Oxford Road station.

Improving transport in the region is a priority owing to the huge growth expected in Greater Manchester’s economy and population in the next few years. Figures released by Deloitte reveal that residential development is at its highest in five years, as Manchester’s boom reaches all aspects of the city.

On the edge of the Northern Quarter, housing developer Mulbury has obtained planning permission for a new £30 million apartment block due to be completed by 2017. A further 238 apartments are to spring up on the corner of Princess Street and Whitworth Street in plans coordinated by construction firm Urban & Civic, on the site next to the Gay Village that has been vacant for over 20 years.

The construction for many projects is already underway. This month, work is expected to begin on prized mancunian architect Ian Simpson’s designs for a new skyscraper on River Street. The 42-storey building will match the stature of his own designed Beetham Tower, home to the Hilton Hotel and currently the highest structure in the city. The 400 apartments it will hold are expected to be ready for private rental on the completion of the project in 18 months.

The new tower on River Street was designed by Beetham Tower architect Ian Simpson aims to be completed within 18 months. Photo: Artist’s Impression

Projects including the XYZ building in Spinningfields, No. 1 Spinningfields, and Two St Peter’s Square among many others are being constructed, whilst projects such as the National Graphene Institute and One St Peter’s Square have been completed over the past year. Office takeup in Manchester is surging ahead, with the highest level of office take-up bar London, with more than 373,000 square feet let between July and September alone.

Manchester, the borough alone, is currently driving to build 60,000 new homes by 2027 and Greater Manchester is planning a £300 million region-wide housebuilding strategy too.

The channelling of private capital into housing allows residential development to keep pace with the growing population of the city—the borough of Manchester is soon expected to reach 600,000. Greater Manchester grew by 18,000 in 2014, with Salford being the city’s fastest growing borough.

With exponential investment in the city, it is unsurprising that Oxford Economics have predicted that Manchester is expected to outpace Berlin, Tokyo and Paris in terms of employment growth over the next five years. Their report revealed that Manchester is in a position to increase employment by 3.8 per cent by 2020.

Economic opportunity is not all the city has to offer either. Part of its ingénue is its cultural prowess, which is attracting businesses and visitors alike. Last month Channel Four revealed they are joining the BBC in Manchester by opening a new office in the city centre, establishing themselves at the heart of the city region.  Such a move promises to invigorate Manchester’s cultural landscape and is testament to the city’s attractiveness to the media sector.

The development seen by Manchester looks set to continue, with the prospect of further economic growth and direct private investment on the cards. The city’s place as a key global competitor seems more of a reality every day.

In terms of Devo Manc, Greater Manchester—since the signing of the initial deal—was given control of its £6 billion health and social care budget in February 2015, which will come into force in April, and appointed its interim mayor until the elections in 2017, Tony Lloyd.

Greater Manchester has also submitted a further £7 billion worth of powers to George Osborne, the results of which will be revealed in the spending review on November the 25th 2015.

95 per cent of girls groped on nights out

Written by Alexandra Bickell on . Posted in News.

According to a recent online poll by The Tab of 5,000 students, 95 per cent of girls reported that they have been “inappropriately touched” on nights out. This definition is broad, but one girl surveyed, who chose to remain anonymous, stated “I’ve had hands stuck up my dress, my boobs grabbed, my bum grabbed… all because I’m a girl.”

Over 20 per cent of male participants said that they had groped women on nights out, but conversely, only 44 per cent who responded said that they thought ‘lad culture’ was a problem. ‘Lad culture’ has become a hot topic over the last couple of years, with NUS calling for summits and reports to tackle the issue; they define it as having a “pack mentality” with “sexist, misogynist and homophobic banter.”

Yet there are still people, predominantly male, who insist that it is not an issue—this was shown clearly in the comments section under The Tab poll results, with one person suggesting that “nightclubs are… sex pits” and “nobody is forcing women to go.” However, this is only a minority, with most people considering sexism against women and ‘lad culture’ to be a “university wide problem.”

It is not only this survey that has produced worrying results with regards to sexual harassment and sex crimes directed at girls. Research for The Telegraph conducted earlier this year found that over one third of the women at universities have experienced unwanted advances or experienced sexual assault, whilst NUS stated “1 in 7 women students experience serious physical or sexual assault during their time as a student.” Whilst less frequent than female assault, physical and sexual violence towards men is also an issue, with 1 in 8 male students being subjected to “groping or unwanted advances” according to 2014 Youthsight research.

Several universities have now started to take action. The University of Oxford is running a series of workshops called ‘Good Lad’; the group’s mission statement is “to promote positive masculinity” and they have worked with several different university groups across the country, to continually positive feedback. Here at the University of Manchester, a zero-tolerance policy to sexual harassment from or towards any gender was set up last year by Women’s Officer Jess Lishak, under the campaign title ‘We Get It’. To find out more information about the campaign, or to report a case of harassment or bullying, visit manchesterstudentsunion.com/wegetit and follow the ‘report and support’ links.

The scientist sacked by the government – in conversation with Professor David Nutt

Written by Tori Blakeman on . Posted in News, Science & Tech.

Run by the university’s pioneering policy engagement arm Policy@Manchester, Policy Week 2015 played focus on Science, Technology and Public Policy. The event, held from November 2nd – 6th, encompassed five days of lectures and panel discussions from big names in public policy and academia.

The event programme was held as part of Manchester’s role as European City of Science 2016, which recognises Manchester’s contribution to scientific discovery, innovation and industry.  Over 30 discussions, lectures, workshops, and films were held throughout the week at the Manchester Museum and other venues across campus and the city.

Having sold out days prior to the event, Professor David Nutt’s ‘Notes on a Drugs Scandal’ talk, held at the Portico Library on Wednesday the 4th of November, was most definitely a highlight.

In October 2009, Professor Nutt was invited to interview with BBC Radio 4 to discuss his recent ‘Estimating Drug Harms: a Risky Business?’ lecture. When asked whether he thought alcohol was more harmful than cannabis, he replied yes.

As controversial as the statement was, it was based on true findings from his scientific work and backed up by similar studies also expressing alcohol as one of the most harmful drugs.

Despite the evidence backing Professor Nutt’s claim, such findings were not welcomed by government officials. Professor Nutt was consequentially removed from his post as Chair of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) by the then Home Secretary Alan Johnson.

Prof Nutt has since set up his own science-led drugs charity named ‘DrugScience: Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs’, which carries out groundbreaking original research into the harms and effects of drugs, completely free from political interference.  The charity also provides information on the actual harm caused of various drugs and challenges myths surrounding drug classification and legislation in the UK.

Additional to his post as Chair of DrugScience, he is also the Edmond J. Safra Professor of Neuropharmacology at Imperial College London.

Professor Nutt openly emphasises his frustration with drugs policy in the UK, and stresses how legislation is continually coloured by political and moral concerns, often ignoring or exaggerating raw evidence. By expressing the extent to which many substances are vilified in by current UK drug policy, Professor Nutt continually campaigns for a more rational approach drugs.

His book, ‘Drugs—without the hot air: Minimising the harms of legal and illegal substances’, was the British Medical Association’s highly commended Popular Medicine Book 2013, and won the 2014 Transmission Prize for Communicating Science. His two Drugs Live television programs in association Channel 4, Cannabis on Trial and The Ecstasy Trial, were equally as successful, with the latter being Channel 4’s most watched programmes to date.

Speaking in conversation with BBC News science reporter Victoria Gill last Wednesday, the pair discussed the unique challenges in advising governments on such politically sensitive issues.

Within the historical and stunning setting of the Portico Library, the intimate crowd listened intently to a candid and inspiring Professor Nutt. Speaking of his time advising the government, Nutt expressed how policymakers always moderated what he did, “policy leaders tried to control the outputs of science, for example press releases had to be authorized. But decision should always be made on science.

“I essentially got sacked for saying something Alan Johnson didn’t like” he joked. Despite losing both his place in the ACMD, and a CBE, Professor Nutt contends that he lost his job for “standing up for science.”

Nutt conveyed his pleasure to be where he is today. His 2009 sacking has opened up discussion of science policy in the UK, and has equally “gained [him] a fan club.” He also recalls conversations with other scientists who have previously worked for the government, disclosing that their advice was also ignored.

Discussing current UK drug policy, he stated: “It’s got to a point where everything is illegal, even if it’s safe. Irrational drug policy doesn’t have an impact on drug taking, but it has an enormous impact on drug harm. Policymaking is currently at such a low intellectual level—they [politicians] know what the scientists say is right, but they just want to get re-elected. The government has no interest in science; it’s an insult to democracy.”

Nutt expressed how a rational approach to drug policy, as exhibited by the legalisation of cannabis in The Netherlands and medicinal legalisation in some US states, would reduce crime and road traffic accidents. He joked, “if you’ve ever been to Amsterdam on a Friday night you’ll notice how it’s much friendlier than Manchester, London, or Bristol. Everyone is chilled, stoned, and happy, instead of angry, drunk, and vomiting all over you!”

After the entertaining talk I managed to grab a few words with Professor Nutt. Professor Nutt was pleased to be talking to me, seeming especially joyous when discovering I was a final year neuroscience student. When asked what drew him to speaking at Policy Week 2015, he stated he’d never heard of the event, but when discovering what it was, he thought it was an interesting concept. “I always try to oblige if people ask me to give talks, and doing this kind of conversation thing is always interesting.”

I asked for his opinions on the new Psychoactive Substances Bill, which sets the ban all psychoactive substances, known and unknown. Seeming displeased, he said “I think it’s the worst piece of moral legislation since the 1559 Act of Supremacy that banned the belief in the Catholic faith. I think it is outrageous and atrocious. I am amazed that so few scientists are protesting it. It is an insult to science and human experience. I’m embarrassed to live in a country that’s doing it actually—I might leave.”

After expressing his animosity with current UK drug policies during his talk, I was keen to ask Professor Nutt where he thinks UK drugs policy is heading in the future.

“We’re going backwards. We’re the only country in the world that’s gone backwards, and we’re going backwards faster than any other country. It’s appalling. The rest of the world is getting more rational, apart from a few exceptions, but most of the world is moving in the direction in which I support, which is decriminalization: Reducing imprisonment, treating addiction as an illness, and treating drug use as a health problem.

“Future drug policy should be evidence-based. Drugs are a health issue, not a crime issue. As soon as you get policing involved it makes things worse.”

I was intrigued as to why the government was so unwilling to take scientific evidence on board in drug policy reform, and so inquired as to why he thought this was. “Because they get more votes by doing what they think is going to get more votes! But they don’t know what they’re doing. But drugs policy is easy politics.”

Earlier in the talk, Nutt wittily informed how the government has “criminalised a million young people for possessing cannabis that isn’t as bad for them as the alcohol the police officers that arrest them drink!” I was intrigued by his thoughts on young people being criminalised for experimenting with illegal substances: “It’s completely pointless. A criminal record will do much more harm to their life than almost any drug they take.”

Taking a more scientific stance, I asked his opinions on the use of illegal substances in medicine: “A lot of the recreational drugs that are illegal are going to be good therapies. Most of them were therapies! We’ve got this stupid situation where we’ve got a drug people use, then doctors use it, then kids start using recreationally and all of a sudden it gets banned! Kids don’t stop using it, but the patients can’t get access to it any more. It is perverse.”

He continued by disclosing that, out of all the illegal substances, he believes cannabis has the most potential in medicine. “There’s so many different ways in which cannabis can be used; from cancer right through to pain relief. There are at least a hundred different active chemicals in a cannabis plant, and many of them can be used for therapeutics.”

Finishing up our conversation, I requested any tips he has for those wishing to get involved with science policy: “They must have a very hard skin. Learn to write well and write interesting articles, learn to tweet, interview scientists in a critical way, and challenge politicians. Maybe use things like Freedom of Information [requests], and actively engage in policies.”

And the one final message from Professor David Nutt? “Vote! Register to vote, vote in the next election, and vote for parties that tell the truth about drugs. If you don’t vote, you’re disempowered.”

If you would like to find out more about Professor David Nutt or UK Drug Policy, visit drugscience.org.uk/, or read his book, ‘Drugs—without the hot air: Minimising the harms of legal and illegal substances’, which is available in all good book shops and to loan from The University of Manchester Library.

Jeremy Hunt makes a new offer to junior doctors to avoid strikes

Written by Emily Hulme on . Posted in News.

In response to sustained criticism of his attempts to change the contracts of junior doctors, altering the definition of “unsociable hours” and allegedly leading to a pay cut of around 30 per cent.

The government states the current contract is “outdated” and needs to change to help ease the NHS’s seven-day demand. The government’s proposal seeks to increase junior doctor’s pay by 11 per cent, but this comes at a cost. The new contract attempts to increase the amount of junior doctors’ weekly hours that are deemed sociable, meaning fewer hours are counted as overtime to save on the cost of wages.

The Mancunion recently reported demonstrations against the Minister’s proposals, noting medical staff protesting in Manchester and London at the end of September. The marches seem to have generated some reconsideration as last week Mr Hunt announced that he is open to negotiations with the BMA to avoid doctors striking.

In a letter written to 50,000 junior doctors last Thursday, Hunt requests they re-look at the proposals and hopes they realise that the contract “is good for doctors”. The letter was publicised a day before the ballot to strike opened, in a last attempt to persuade doctors not to take direct action.

However the new proposal has not come without further criticism. Junior doctor Mary Aspinall has calculated what the new contract would mean for her in what has become a popular post on Facebook. She concludes that the new rules would impose a £737 pay drop every month. After Hunt’s re-work of the contract though, she looses £280 per month.

Junior doctors’ make up the majority of weekend staff in the NHS and are already renowned for being over-worked and poorly paid, compared to their colleagues in higher ranks. Doctors argue that working excessively long hours will put patient’s lives, and therefore the NHS, at risk.  They also note that junior doctors have not been given a rise in pay for six years. Further, it is feared that the contract may put off students from choosing medical careers in the NHS in the future; there is no incentive to over £60,000 worth of student fees plus long hours with no extra pay.

Rarely has the UK witnessed doctors being on strike. If members do agree to strike, doctors will still have to work but only in cases of emergency. During the 2012 doctors’ strike regarding pensions, GP appointments and non-emergency operations were affected. Similar services could be affected again. The BMA’s ballot to strike is open for two weeks and closes on the 19th of November.