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Day: 26 February 2016

Open letter criticises Tatchell for bringing media storm against Fran Cowling

Written by Charlie Spargo on . Posted in News.

An open letter signed by more than 150 academics and campaigners has criticised LGBT* activist Peter Tatchell for the way he has conducted himself in recent weeks which has seen a media storm surrounding his supposed “no-platforming” by NUS (National Union of Students) LGBT Officer, Fran Cowling.

Cowling herself also published a 1,000 word blog on the NUS’s website defending herself and aiming to clarify that it is “not the case” that Tatchell has been “no-platformed” by either her or the NUS.

In her post, she explains that she had “declined an invitation to attend the ‘Re-Radicalising Queers’ event held at Canterbury Christ Church University” in a personal e-mail to the organiser, as well as the reasons she felt uncomfortable at the event at which he would be present.

“I did not seek to make my opinion of Peter public, nor have I claimed that my membership share my views, or shared the original emails between myself and the organiser with anyone else outside of NUS.

“Indeed, the only individuals I shared this belief with was the principal organiser of the event, who then shared my views with Peter. The decision to bring this situation into the public domain was never mine, it was that of Peter himself.”

She goes on to explain that her actions were not meant to be an attack on Tatchell but simply to separate her, quietly, from the event. “I was not prepared for my opinion to be shared so publicly, or for the media coverage that has ensued. I have been given unreasonable timelines, I have been lied about in that national press [sic], and have had every single aspect of my life under scrutiny ever since.”

She claims she received notification from The Observer that the e-mails were shared with them by Tatchell.

“I did not ask to be hounded via social media and be expected to explain my sexuality and gender identity to people I am not ready to talk to.”

The open letter, published on the website of sociologist and social theorist Alana Lentin, is titled ‘Open Letter on Peter Tatchell, Censorship, and Criticism’ and has been signed by 164 people at the time of writing.

In it, the signatories “strongly condemn the actions of Peter Tatchell in bullying, vilifying, and inciting a media furor against a student who criticized him in a private e-mail.

“UK media have attacked Fran Cowling, National Union of Students LGBT+ Officer (Women’s Place), for allegedly ‘no-platforming’ Tatchell from a conference on “Re-Radicalizing Queers”. These reports are simply untrue.

“The facts are these. Cowling was invited to attend the conference by the event organizer, another Canterbury Christchurch student. She declined. Her decision not to attend was informed by her belief that Peter Tatchell has engaged in problematic tactics and politics regarding Muslim, Black and trans communities, for which she provided evidence. Without permission, the other student forwarded this confidential email chain to Peter Tatchell.”

They call out the actions of the veteran campaigner, highlighting that his powerful position allowed him to call out Cowling in an extreme way, comparing it to the recent controversy surrounding Germaine Greer. “Greer can go to the Guardian; Tatchell can take his complaints to Newsnight. The risk that their voices will be ignored is nonexistent.”

A main point they make is that national media scandals surrounding accusations of “no-platforming” are an overblown tactic to demonise those who express any objection to a speaker, and are often not even true.

“Cowling has been smeared, bullied, trolled, and harassed in the national press and on social media. Tatchell has personally vilified her and encouraged others to do so, writing in the right-wing Telegraph that she posed a threat to ‘enlightenment values.’ Yet Tatchell was never censored. He spoke at the conference; he took his case to the Telegraph and Newsnight; he has not been ‘silenced.’”

However Tatchell, in a response published in LGBT* newspaper PinkNews, said that he “never said [he] was no-platformed and [he] defended Fran Cowling’s right to not share a platform.” He takes each point made in the open letter and offers his response as to why the accusations are not true.

“I have a right to defend myself against malicious, untrue accusations [of transphobia and racism]. I have done so courteously and truthfully, unlike many of my critics.”

Poor GCSE results jeopardise Northern Powerhouse

Written by Harriett Gaynor on . Posted in News.

The government’s Northern Powerhouse strategy has come under further criticism after substandard GCSE results in the Manchester and Liverpool city regions were highlighted by Ofsted chief Sir Michael Wilshaw in a keynote speech to the Institute of Public Policy Research. The criticism comes after it was found that secondary schools in Manchester and Liverpool had seen deterioration in their GCSE results, with a decline in both cities in the number of pupils gaining at least five grade Cs at GCSE.

The Northern Powerhouse strategy, led by the Conservative MP for Stockton South and Minister for the Northern Powerhouse James Wharton and championed by Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne, aims to boost economic growth across northern cities such as Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds. The main objective of the plan is to bridge the economic gap between the North and South, enhancing economic growth with investment in infrastructure, political devolution, and investment in skills.

A key package is the government’s aims to increase attractiveness for potential investors by improving pan-Northern transport links.

However, the proposals have come under sustained attack for being nothing more than rhetoric and political manoeuvring. Indeed. these GCSE results are a worrying statistic for advocates of the Northern Powerhouse, who may fail to see plans materialise if secondary school students are not provided with a sufficient set of skills. Sir Wilshaw said that if results and schools in the cities do not improve, then the Northern Powerhouse will come “spluttering to [a] halt.”

Manchester City Council has reassured critics of the plan claiming that certain procedures are in place to ensure that the decline in GCSE results is temporary.

Sir Wilshaw highlighted his frustration that cities such as Manchester and Liverpool are home to some of the best universities in the world, which offer an outstanding quality of education for students over the age of 18, yet fail to provide the same standard of education for secondary school students.

Despite the concern, Councillor Rosa Battle, of Manchester City Council, emphasised that the council and schools in the Greater Manchester area had already liaised over the past years in an attempt to improve the quality of education in schools.

In 2008, the then Labour government launched its Greater Manchester Challenge which aimed to echo its London Challenge that dramatically improved schools in London, however it was rapidly scrapped by the Coalition government in 2010. The Conservative-led academy programme has also not improved schooling in Manchester, five of Manchester’s’ academies are below the government’s minimum standard for GCSE results having been removed from council control as part of the government’s agenda.

However, figures that have recently been published highlight that the rate of improvement in these schools far outweighs that of the national rate of school improvement. Additionally, Liverpool City Council’s cabinet member for Education, Nick Small, stressed the importance of increasing the power of local councils on influencing the education system in schools, contrary to the Conservative’s academy programme which aims to do the exact opposite.

By allowing local councils increased power to intervene in schools, the Northern Powerhouse concept may still be achievable. Providing the younger generation with a solid foundation in education will ensure that these individuals are well equipped with the knowledge and set of skills needed to boost the economy in the northern regions at a later date.

 

Student Action for Refugees

Written by Yasmin Mannan on . Posted in Features.

Statistics from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) show that there are now over 19.5 million refugees worldwide, and almost 1 in every 4 refugees in the world is Syrian. Refugees to the UK have consistently come from Sudan, Pakistan, Iran, and Eritrea. Even though the ‘crisis’ has only recently become widely documented, it has always existed.

Nevertheless, 4.5 million Syrians are now refugees, and of these, only around 6,000 have been granted protection in the UK. It is almost impossible for refugees to get to Europe legally. Perhaps the most disturbing statistic is that last year 900,000 people sought safety in Europe and 3,772 people—and more than 1,000 children—drowned while trying to cross the Mediterranean.

The UNHCR claims that January 2016 has been the deadliest January so far for deaths in the Mediterranean. Worryingly, since the outpouring of support in the summer, public support for refugees has fallen dramatically—more than four in ten (44 per cent) Britons now believe that the UK should close its borders to refugees entirely. This shows that it is still imperative to raise awareness about asylum and why people are forced to leave their countries.

Student Action for Refugees (STAR) is a national organisation of around 18,000 students who welcome refugees and asylum seekers into the UK. Through STAR, students volunteer at local refugee projects, campaign to improve the lives of refugees, fundraise for campaigns, and raise awareness and educate people about refugees and asylum. STAR Action Week takes place from 29th February to 6th March 2016.

At the University of Manchester, STAR manifests itself primarily through volunteering projects, primarily the Boaz English Conversation Club, which works with refugee learners in the city of Manchester, and the Stockport English Conversation Club, which works with refugees in Stockport.

The point of an English Conversation Club is to create an informal, safe space for refugees and asylum seekers to practice English conversation and seek guidance on any work they might be doing at college, and to answer any queries they have about English ‘culture’ and language. The focus is not correcting grammar or filling out worksheets, but focusing on pronunciation and interactive teaching methods.

Alice Doherty, who has recently restarted the Boaz Conversation Club, said: “Working with Boaz is great, as you feel like you are part of a significant collective effort to improve the quality of life of asylum seekers in Manchester. We have regular volunteers paired up with regular learners, which creates an atmosphere of trust, and allows the learners to really take advantage of the sessions.”

The Stockport Conversation Club takes place every Saturday and is partnered with Tiviot Dale Church in Stockport, who run a general drop-in day for asylum-seekers in Manchester on Saturdays. Here, they provide free clothes, a free lunch, and a free bag of food. It’s also a great way of meeting other people in similar situations, extremely family-orientated with spaces for children to play, and a great way to create a network and community for vulnerable people who are too often isolated and alienated in the UK.

One of the most rewarding aspects of taking part in a project like Stockport Conversation Club is seeing the improvement of low-level learners. There is a 65 year-old grandfather, Assad, who comes to the club and teaching him how to say his address, introduce himself, and say the days of the week is one of my fondest memories of the club so far. He visibly improves every week.

Splitting the learners up into groups is also really important, so that high-level learners are challenged and low-level learners don’t feel embarrassed to speak English. Projects like the Boaz and Stockport make a visible, worthwhile difference in the lives of Manchester-based refugees and asylum seekers.

Jayne Silva, who is an English teaching specialist and works closely with STAR and with both Manchester groups, describes how “volunteers gain an insight into the reality of life as a refugee or asylum seeker in the UK” and that “the more young people can develop this awareness and share it among their peers, the less ignorance and victimisation there will be towards vulnerable people.”

Although I have talked mainly about STAR in Manchester, it’s impossible to say that STAR’s influence is limited to university campuses. For example, last year STAR worked with the BBC to produce six podcasts with stories of refugees living in Manchester, and their friends in the local community. These were broadcast every day for a week on BBC Radio Manchester, after which there was an interactive audience debate, ‘Does the UK have a moral duty to welcome refugees?’

Two stories were broadcast in greater depth on BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour, and three local radio stations broadcast the stories and featured live guests or additional material. As a result millions of people were reached with information regarding real life refugee stories and the communities which welcomed them. This created the opportunity to inform listeners about the reasons people seek safety and what they can do to make people feel welcome in the UK.

Look out for events between the 29th of February and the 6th of March for STAR Action week, and spread the message on social media to get involved in raising awareness. You can support STAR’s campaign for safe routes for refugees to the UK by signing this petition and further supporting the campaign for safe routes on STAR’s Thunderclap for the campaign for safe routes.

STAR operates on a small budget and some if its partners, including the Refugee Council, have suffered under the government’s cuts to charities so there will be fundraising opportunities too.

On the 12th of March the University of Manchester are organising subsidised travel to Yarl’s Wood, where a demonstration will take place to organised by Movement for Justice. Yarl’s Wood is an immigration removal detention centre for people who may be deported but, while they’re in the UK, they are treated awfully. You can sign up here.

On the 19th of March there is a Stand Up To Racism demonstration in London to stand up for refugees rights and urge the UK government to do more to ensure the safety of refugees on their journey to the UK and when they get here. Student Action are organising subsidised coaches to London if you would like to take part.

It is really important that we don’t dismiss the ‘refugee crisis’ as a current affairs sensation whose days are past. The lives of thousands of men, women and children hang in the balance.

To find out more about STAR and their work you can visit their Facebook or Twitter pages.

Classic Review: Purple Noon

Written by Jake Sanders on . Posted in Film.

Like a lot of the best French cinema, Purple Noon offers an exciting blend of pulpy thrills with art house touches, and it’s no surprise that Scorsese is a member of this film’s considerably cult following. Based on the Patricia Highsmith novel The Talented Mr. Ripley, Alain Delon plays Tom Ripley, a con artist with a desire for the comforts afforded to the upper class. Having been tasked with returning the rich layabout Philippe Greenleaf (Maurice Ronet) to his father, Ripley sees an opportunity to take what he wants by murdering him and stealing his identity.

It would be easier to feel bad for Greenleaf were he not such a brat, and Delon’s portrayal as Ripley is not so eerily captivating. Director René Clément and Delon present Ripley as a kind of proto-Patrick Bateman, with Delon’s fascinating beauty masking his almost comical levels of insanity. Exactly what motivates Ripley also makes him a more compelling character than if he were simply after Greenleaf’s money. Ripley seeks out for something that he can never steal or forge: a complete acceptance into the world of the bourgeoisie.

As an audience, we might be impressed by Ripley’s ability to disappear into his new persona. But we are shown, time and time again, that it will not be sufficient for him to fake his way into the world of the wealthy. One of the film’s strongest scenes involves Ripley strolling through a fish market, sampling the food, talking with the vendors, surrounded by both the working classes and the blood-and-guts reality of the world. In a later scene, we see a rich couple completely turn their noses up at a vendor who offers them a taster. Though Ripley is clearly talented and completely unfettered in his ambition it becomes increasingly clear that his quest of integrating into society’s upper echelons is a doomed one.

Clement could justifiably be criticised for sidelining Marge (Marie Laforet), the only prominent female character to simply another conquest in Ripley’s journey. Ripley’s interest in her only seems to relate to her relationship to Greenleaf and Greenleaf’s lifestyle. An earlier scene where Ripley impersonates Greenleaf before kissing a mirror is prime material for queer interpretations, but I would argue that Ripley is in love with only what Greenleaf represents—hence his general indifference to stabbing him to death. Therefore, in Ripley’s eyes, Marge is simply another means to complete his transformation into Greenleaf.

Though Purple Noon has some interesting ideas about class divides and upward mobility, it is at its most successful when it deals out simple pleasures. It is a film of uncommon beauty, with the action playing out across the canvas of the Italian coast and the central trio of Ripley, Greenleaf and Marge both looking enviably tanned and gorgeous as they lounge around in the sun. Clement clearly has a great time having it both ways; simultaneously condemning Ripley’s actions whilst allowing the audience to vicariously experience his triumphs. Murder and identity theft have never looked this good.

Live: Vitamin

Written by Katie Muir on . Posted in Music.

Last week Vitamin brought their buzz to COW vintage shops, performing intimate gigs across the north of England. The Leeds based indie-rock quartet Vitamin first formed in 2014 whilst at college, but have known each other since they were 12. Since leaving their studies to pursue their passion for music, they have received regular airtime on Huw Stephens Radio One show and played Leeds and Reading Festival BBC Introducing stage, gaining a large following.

Vitamin signed to record label National Anthem last year releasing their first two EPs, Giving It Up and To Believe, following in the steps of Haim and The Orwells. Vitamin have also set up their own club nights along with launching their own live residency at Brudenell Social Club. Recently touring with Sundara Karma and Rat Boy, this is the bands first headline tour.

Taking to the stage last week in Manchester’s COW vintage shop, they played a short but fruitful set. Despite the short set, Vitamin brought old and new releases including Need Air, Giving It Up, Miss You and To Believe. Front man, Jared Laville’s enthusiasm could not go unnoticed as he captivates the whole room, encouraging the audience to clap along.

With their catchy riffs and choruses, it is impossible not to dance along to these groovy, upbeat tracks. Performing in such an intimate environment seemed quite appropriate for the type of band Vitamin are. The well loved COW vintage shop appeared more like a music venue, creating a unique atmosphere in the shop.

It is obvious the room is filled with fans who have supported them from the start and new listeners, all standing in admiration of this bands energy on stage. After announcing free merchandise being given away along with the give away of tote-bags, the audience swarm to the back of the store to collect their free merchandise. Once the show was over, the band welcomed fans to get signings and have photos taken. There is a genuine charm and appeal to these boys that shines through in both their stage presence and their interaction with the audience.

Catching up with the band after, they tell me about the music that inspired this four-piece to pursue careers in music. The band have grown up with a wide-range of genres, all influenced by different musical backgrounds. Guitarist Cameron Frasers “grew up on a diet of The Clash and Ian Dury.” The band as a whole found common interest in bands such as The Maccabees, Foals and Bombay Bicycle Club. Drummer Theo Cookson was influenced by steel pan and R&B music. Now finding influence in other areas of music, such as techno music with the likes of Ben Klock,
the band are already set to play Live at Leeds, The Great Escape and Lost Village Festival. Once they have finished touring, they are set to release of an album later this year – 2016 is already shaping up to a big year for these boys!

Check out their latest single, ‘This Isn’t Love’.