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Day: 7 June 2017

Interview: Green Party candidate Laura Bannister

Written by Georgie Hines on . Posted in Features.

With the election only three days away, I was grateful that Green Party candidate Laura Bannister had taken the time to meet me at the University of Manchester Students’ Union, straight from the train station, for a last-minute grilling on her campaign, the homelessness crisis, and climate change.

When did you join the Green Party? Why?

I joined the Green Party in 2009, after going to a workshop about economics and banking with Molly Scott Cato [Green MEP for the South West of England and Gibraltar]. It wasn’t party-political, but hearing the Green Party talked about in connection to progressive economics, it made me want to find out more about it. I fully expected it to be quite meek [Ms Bannister admits here that, like many, she associated the Green Party as predominately ‘environmental’ before her research] but found there to be radical, yet sensible and workable proposals for a different kind of economy and society that I wanted. The policies were a close fit with the values that I have and so it seemed like the logical step to join up. I’ve been there ever since.

Why did you decide to run in Manchester Withington?

I’ve lived [in Withington] for a couple of years now, but have lived in surrounding areas since I moved away from home. It’s my home in Manchester and I feel really connected to it as an area. I’ve talked to lots of people and feel connected to what’s going on, so of anywhere I’d like to represent it would be [Withington].

If elected, what are the biggest changes you would like to see in your constituency?

I think the people of Manchester Withington are a pretty broad-minded bunch so there is a lot of stuff I would want to fight for in Westminster. A very big part of that is a new economic approach that reverses the austerity cuts we’ve seen over the last seven or eight years.

So many of the issues that people have been contacting me about essentially tail back to huge funding cuts that we’ve seen in public services, the NHS, and in schools. There are so many different groups that are suffering as a result of that, including a domestic violence group I am in contact with that has had their funding cut. People are worried about health issues but there is no funding or staff. It always seems to come back to this issue of funds being taken away or not increased in line of what they need to.

The Green Party’s manifesto is fully-costed so we are not making empty promises when we’d reverse the cuts, that we’d invest in the NHS, we’d invest in schools – we’ve actually looked at the sums and what we can raise from progressive taxation. None of which are especially radical or extreme. They are all about asking people to contribute a little bit more when they are well able to and benefiting from the economy as it is.

The Green Party is particularly popular with young voters. Why do you think this is and how have you reached out to young voters during your campaign?

I think the Green Party is a very broad-looking party and we talk about change on a bigger level. When I was originally looking around at political parties, no other offered the sort of positive change that I was looking for. I think that maybe young voters tend to look at the bigger picture, and to think long-term – ‘what kind of world do I really want to live in?’ – rather than settling for immediate and smaller changes that other parties offer.

I also think that we have a lot of great policies that young people can see themselves benefiting from, like free education and writing off tuition fees. We’ve also talked recently about free travel for younger people and bringing services back into public ownership. Young people are about to go out into the world of work and are looking at where their careers are going. They want to be working in important sectors of the economy that are driving forward into a useful and workable future. You want a vision that is moving towards a world of opportunities.

I think young people respond to the same kind of messaging that everybody does. We talk to young people like we do to all people, which is frankly and realistically about what is going on. But we do try to reach people through various channels; public meetings, street stalls, and on social media, so that we are hopefully connecting with people.

You’ve mentioned during your campaign your passion for fighting against high levels of poverty and homelessness across the city. What would be your next steps if elected?

I think we’ve got to be clear about taking real action rather than just making targets and giving warm words. I really hope that Andy Burnham [who has dedicated 15 per cent of his Mayoral wage to a homeless charity] does take real action and this goes so far beyond politics. Homelessness is an immense crisis – I’ve only just come through the city centre and the sheer number of people sleeping rough and begging is a massive indictment on our society. No-one should end up living in that situation.

We need a multi-pronged approach with social housing, so that there are homes available in which to house people, and I hope that Andy Burnham and the Labour Party will take seriously the prospect of building social housing and changing the laws that allow it to be sold off so easily at the moment. There are also a lot of expertise of people who have worked with people with these problems, that is not being put to use because of cuts. It comes down to taking the problem seriously and beyond targets, to making sure the homes and services are there.

This year we saw climate change find its way into mainstream political discussion on the BBC Debate and Caroline Lucas [co-leader of the Green Party] was particularly happy of its inclusion. What are your thoughts on the issue, especially with the recent news of President Trump backing out of the Paris Climate Agreement?

It’s not really an option whether we take action on climate change or not. We can choose to ignore it, as it might not be that important as it hasn’t affected it us yet, but innocent people who are famined and have done nothing to contribute to climate change are already suffering.

I think we need to use it as an opportunity to recreate the systems of economic systems and our transport, energy, and housing, in a better way. For example, if we are going to create a new energy infrastructure, rather than having it privately owned by a few well-off individuals, we could have it in broad public or community ownership with lots of people benefiting from it. I think it’s important to bring into the debate that this is not a problem of personal morality – we need to have solutions on a political level. That’s why we need politicians like Caroline Lucas to start those discussions and then we need the policies to nod us, as individuals, in the right direction.

How do you feel about the co-leadership of the Green Party? Do you think we will see this style adopted by other parties in the suture?

I think it works brilliantly for [the Green Party]. Caroline [Lucas] and Jonathon [Bartley] work great together – they’re both great people and speakers so they complement each other well. Whether it will be adopted by other parties, I couldn’t really comment on.

What I would say is that I don’t think that parties having dual-leaderships because leaders represent different fractions in a party would create a cohesive voice – which is often what people look for when searching for a political party. It’s not a solution for a diversity of opinion.

‘Hey Nancy, leave teachers alone!’

Written by Emma Shanks on . Posted in News.

Picketers performed a parodied rendition of Pink Floyd’s protest anthem on Oxford Road, outside the Alan Gilbert Learning Commons on Monday 5th of June, in objection to the recent board of governors’ decision to axe 171 staff jobs within the month.

A group of academic staff and students from the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures called upon an alternative style of social activism by reworking the lyrics of Another Brick in the Wall in a bid to grab the attention of passers-by and encourage onlookers to get involved.

The song, sung twice in unison over a backing track recorded four days earlier, opened and closed the event, with a short poem written by the University’s Chancellor, Lemn Sissay, recited in between.

Joining the demonstration was branch secretary of the University of Manchester’s branch of the University and College Union (UCU), Adam Ozanne, who provided context to the Manchester 2020 manifesto, announced on 10th of May, which puts over 900 staff across the university at risk of possible compulsory redundancy.

“We were shocked because we thought that after the terrible IT services dispute two years ago, we had an agreement with the university that nothing untoward and sudden like this would happen, that there would be a period of notification and planning”.

He told The Mancunion that the proposals were both “flawed”, in that the university has reserves totalling £1.5bn and a recorded surplus of £59.7m for the year of 2015-16, and “antipathetic to everything that stands for in a university based on public service and collegiality”.

Close to 200 professors from the university have already signed a letter addressed to Edward Astle, the chair of the university’s board of governors, expressing their discontent with the “ill-considered and unjustified way” in which proceedings were taking place.

But Adam called upon people from everywhere in the university to “mobilise support”, even those not at risk, and praised this particular event for being a step in the right direction — “it captured the eye and was extremely helpful for spreading the message”.

Sorcha Floyd, Campaigns and Citizenship Officer for the Students’ Union, also present at the rally, spoke of how such “creative tactics” are “a fun way of getting attention” and “letting the senior management team know that people aren’t happy to lose their jobs”.

One senior lecturer, who teaches a final-year option on French Protest Music, comments on how such an approach can “forge group identities and feelings of communality — people coming together around shared interests and goals”.

“Its immediate, simultaneous, ubiquitous nature facilitates and strengthens the expression of resistance”.

Though the rain had threatened to call off the event, which was relocated last minute under shelter, the event saw a turnout of approximately 40 attendees, of which members from student activist groups made up a large number.

Jade Alleno Mortimer, a French and Italian undergraduate, there on behalf of Resist Restructuring Manchester, outlined what had already been done in solidarity with the staff at risk, including an online petition that had amassed over 5000 signatures at the time of writing.

Meanwhile, Krutik Patel, studying Genetics, there on behalf of SOS MCR (Save Our Staff Manchester), detailed what was being organised for the coming weeks, including email dumps, open letters, a banner drop and a demonstration on Wednesday 7th of June from 14:00-15:00 outside University Place.

For Jade, student participation has never been so paramount to achieving social action, “because staff jobs are at risk, they don’t feel able to speak out”, but “it’s not a risk to us, and I think it’s our duty to help them”.

In a statement a spokesperson from the University of Manchester said: “Regarding the ‘£1.5bn reserves’: this figure includes all of our buildings, all equipment, books, land and heritage assets. Our Financial Report for 2016 shows that the University’s cash reserves are £430m, but £300m of this relates to bond finance raised to enable the relocation from North Campus.”

The University’s Chair of Governors, Edward Astle, also replied personally to all of the signatories in which he wrote: “I fully recognise that some of these proposals will cause concern to some staff. To minimise the period of uncertainty, I am very supportive of the University’s efforts to proceed with consultation with the Trade Unions and to open a targeted voluntary severance scheme as soon as possible to avoid the need for compulsory redundancy if at all possible.”

Manchester attacks: “I am writing this as a Muslim, a woman, a mother”

Written by Dalal on . Posted in Opinion.

As you can probably tell from my name, I am an Arab, I am a Muslim and I am not British. The aim of this article is not to state that Islam is a religion of peace, nor to say that all these terrorist attacks do not represent me, my religion or my beliefs.

I am writing this to share my feelings. I am writing this as a Muslim, a woman, a mother, as someone who lived in Manchester for many years, as a student who learned and gained experience from the University of Manchester, and above all as a human who is feeling sad, confused, scared, but who still believes in the good of sharing feelings and thoughts that bring us all together.

The Manchester Arena bombing was devastating news. This news came seven months after me and my family left Manchester and returned to our home country, after six years living in Manchester.

During my usual morning Facebook check, I saw the news that Manchester was under attack. I immediately checked the news, and asked my sons to ask about their friends in Manchester to see if they were ok. While I was watching the news, I felt that my home was being attacked.

Those streets, alleys, hospitals, and halls, were all familiar to me. The hospital I took my son to, the street I walked on dozens of times, the shopping centre where I used to hang around, and most importantly, the people, the Mancunians who I talked with, made friends with, with whom I celebrated New Year and Christmas lights, enjoyed hot summer days and complained about the non-stop rain.

I felt that my home was under attack and didn’t know what to do. The children who were in the concert could be my children’s friends or friend of a friend. It could have been myself and my children since we went to many concerts in our days in Manchester. These children could have been the same children who came to our house, and played football with my sons.

On top of being sad and devastated for the families who lost their loved ones and for the city I love dearly, there also came the news that the attacker was a Muslim man who lived his whole life in Manchester — this alone added salt to the wound and made the pain even more severe.

The bomber had a similar name to our names, claimed to have a religion the same as mine, talked my language, but was in no way near to what I hold in my heart and mind.

Yes, the people of Manchester were betrayed by a man who lived amongst them, who attended Manchester schools, and who went to Manchester hospitals when he felt sick, who walked between people but deep inside him and in his mind he was planning ways to kill and destroy.

This man and anyone who acts or believes in what he did, betrays the communities they live in. These terrorists do not only attack and betray cities and spread horror, they betray Islam. They make Muslim communities vulnerable to hate crimes, anger and to be subjected to crimes they did not commit.

As Muslims, we now find ourselves demonized on all news channels, social networks, and in most discussions. We are attacked by both sides, by terrorists who kill our loved ones, and disrupt the stability of the countries and cities we live in, and by a society, who questions our faith in all media and conversation.

These terrorists condemn all that is important to us. Our home, loved ones, security, freedom, faith and ultimately, our identity.

As a Muslim woman and a mother, and as someone who has lived for many years in England and in the Middle East, I have to say, I am scared, powerless, angry, and I feel stuck. I am stuck in a situation that I can do nothing about. I cannot convince ISIS to stop the killing, destruction and the horrific treatment of people. I cannot tell them to stop using my beloved religion to serve their agendas and sick motives. I cannot convince the world that ISIS doesn’t represent our beliefs or us.

In the past few years, I have seen the utter anguish of an Iraqi friend who lost her father in a bombing in one of the Baghdad markets. I witnessed the pain of a relative who lost her twin boys in an ISIS attack in an Istanbul restaurant. And yet more pain for another relative who lost her cousin (a mother of two) also in an ISIS attack.

I have witnessed the rise of ISIS in my region and every time I watch the news, I feel like I am watching a horror movie from the Middle Ages. I have witnessed the deadly war in Syria and Yemen, where people of all ages are being killed, bombed, poisoned by chemical weapons, forced to flee and drown in dark seas for a war that no one knows why it started or when it will end.

I feel scared by the rise of tension between Suna and Shiaa Muslims as neighbours kill each other because of religious and racial conflicts. I feel scared by the rise of Islamophobia. I try not to read the comments on social media as I feel I am being blamed and attacked for something I will never do.

I always try not to be affected by the stories of friends who wear the Hijab and are constantly being attacked in the streets. People who get shot and stabbed because they look like Muslims and Arabs. My relatives who are doctors and students are shouted at and being called losers because they are Muslims. I feel scared for my children, my sisters, my brothers, and my friends for fear of them being bullied, discriminated against, or attacked for being Muslims.

I feel powerless. I have no power to stop ISIS. I have no power to stop the Syrian War. I have no power to stop the weapons trade. I have no power to stop corruption or disruptive ideologies. I have no power to stop discrimination and hate. I have no power to stop the media from calling ISIS or DAESH ‘Islamic State’, a name they gave to themselves but which put every Muslim and terrorist in the same box.

In the past few years, I have tried to do something and not just stay with hands folded. In 2011, I went to my boys` school in a local neighborhood in Greater Manchester. There I talked with children about Islam and tried to let them know that Muslims are not the evil people they see in the news but they are their friends and neighbors.

In 2014, I created a video by asking Muslims from different parts of the world to hold a paper saying “Bring Back our Girls” in solidarity with the girls in Nigeria who were kidnaped by Boko Haram, a terrorist organization who also use Islam as their tool to achieve their own agendas.

In 2015, I wrote an article entitled “Not In My Name” in this newspaper after the Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris saying that those attacks were not in our name and that it didn’t represent our faith or us.

In 2016, I went to a vigil in Manchester city centre after the Nice terrorist attack. I went there with my veil on to stress that I am a Muslim and I am in solidarity with the French people.

But whatever I do seems tiny and insignificant compared with the events that are taking place. The amount of lives lost, the ugly ways of killing, the attacking of places, cities, communities that we love, and the feeling of betrayal, makes me feel I am standing in front of a tsunami wave that wants to wipe out everything we hold as important.

So to anyone who is out there, feeling scared, angry and helpless, know this: you are not alone. To all mothers, who are afraid for the future of their children, who want their children to be safe and respected for who they are: you are not alone.

To anyone who hates terrorists and what they believe: you are not alone. To anyone who is sick of politics and power: you are not alone. To anyone who wishes for a better future, who believes in unity, friendship and love: you are not alone.

To anyone who is willing to stand beside me in front of the tsunami wave: I hope I am not alone.

Dalal Abbasi , has an MA in Digital Technologies for Communication and Education from the University of Manchester and a PhD in Education.