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Day: 7 February 2018

EXCLUSIVE: The Mancunion visits Manchester’s animal research facility

After a Mancunion news article created somewhat of a storm in the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health last semester, I was asked to have a tour of the Stopford Animal Research Facility to see for myself the work they do there.

I was the first journalist to be given such unfettered access to the facility. To say I was apprehensive would be an understatement. I’d had lots of chats with friends and colleagues about the ethics of animal testing in the run up to the tour, and although I agreed with many people’s argument that it’s a ‘necessary evil’ in order to make some real tangible changes in the medical world, the visceral reaction to hearing animals being repeatedly experimented on in sometimes gruesome ways is something that I couldn’t really shake.

Nonetheless, I wanted to go into my morning there with an open mind, to try to understand what an animal testing facility does.

I was shown around by Graham Morrissey, Director of the Biological Services Facility (BSF). He is also the facility’s named animal care and welfare officer, or NACWO. He explains that it’s his job to, “make sure that… animals can’t be suffering”. I initially found this hard to believe because, to me, suffering would be an inherent part of any experimental procedure that is forcibly performed on an animal.

But he tells me that not only do all animals need to be anaesthetised (or a very good reason has to be provided if they’re not) but that there are people employed by the university to find ways in which less animals can be used in research. In fact, a lot of the aims of people on the AWERB board is to reduce the animals used as much as possible.

It seems an odd paradox that the majority of people working in animal testing both care deeply about animals and want to help abolish the testing of them altogether. Graham made a point of telling me that lots of the people working there were vegetarians, which at first seemed ridiculous to me.

But thinking about it more, it does actually make some sort of sense: whilst some of these experiements may seem cruel, at least they have a tangible benefit to mankind as a result (as of course, if they didn’t, the project licence wouldn’t be awarded in the first place). I myself eat meat, so it would be hard for me to get on my high horse about animal testing, given that I implicitly endorse the killing of animals for one solitary meal. At least in this institute, cures for cancer are the potential rewards reaped, rather than a full stomach.

The University of Manchester houses an extraordinary amount of animals. According to Graham there are 60,000 mice, around 2000 rats, over 80,000 Zebrafish, and about ten sheep. But I went to visit in their least busy period, as quite a lot of experiments fnish just before the Christmas break, so some animals such as pigs that would tend to be there were not when I was shown around.

Photo: FBMH
Photo: FBMH

I asked Graham what is a sufficient reason for needing to use a farm animal rather than “less sentient animals” (as he describes them) such as mice and zebra fish. He told me that, for example, cardiology work needs to take place on a sheep because the heart is a very delicate organ, and it’s too difficult to see what you’re doing when you try and do the same work on a mouses’ heart.

He explained that in the past, animal researches would have typically used dogs for cardiology research, and internally I squirmed at the thought. But this type of hypocrisy is something that really annoys people like Graham. He later lamented to me that people have a different moral standard with different animals – there are far fewer people who would get up in arms about a mouse than there would be for a dog.

He’s right, of course. I guess it comes down to the obviousness of the pain an animal feels. To put it bluntly, a zebrafish can’t really express pain or pleasure, and therefore we have less to react to. But whilst we were in the facility, I overheard a rat being injected with a drug that would induce schizophrenia in it, and it shook me to my core. It was such a high pitched and heartbreaking noise.

I don’t think it will ever be possible to fully separate the knowledge that animal testing produces an inherent good, from the visceral reaction of witnessing an animal in such suffering. But I think the common misconception that I myself have made in the past, is that people involved in animal research don’t feel the same way.

And there was so much in the facility that didn’t involve suffering. For example, there was an incredible experiment being done with embryonic Zebrafish, which were waiting to be hatched in different tanks with water at different temperatures, in order to measure how climate change affects growth. I was fascinated by this and hadn’t ever thought it was something that was done in a facility such as this.

Photo: FBMH
Photo: FBMH

I had an opportunity to pick Graham’s brain at the end of the tour. He (somewhat reluctantly) told me he had been working at the university for 39 years (since he was just 16) and they had been very good to him, helping him through a degree and a masters course. He told me that he “wanted to be a vet but didn’t work hard enough at school”, reiterating what he had told me earlier – that he genuinely cared about the welfare of animals.

I asked him what he’d say to those who don’t quite buy the idea that animal researchers can care about the animals they test on. He told me that welfare of animals is impressed upon every one of the 40 members of research staff from day one, and that people really need to look at the quantifiable benefits of the research that they’re doing.

“At the end of the day, if we don’t advance the medicines and the technology, then… you’re not going to find a cure for disease, prevent scarring… If someone suffers a scar through a street attack it could really affect the way that person looks at the rest of their life and if we come up with a wound healing technique at Manchester and better intervention then hopefully that would help that person.

“If we didn’t have these novel drugs coming through, then we’d be stuck in a rut.”

He also pointed out that there are organisations that will give funding for non-animal work, which he fully endorses.

I asked him if, in some far off hypothetical future, would he like to see a complete move away from animal testing? He replied: “Totally! I’d be out of a job if animals were never going to be used again, but I’d be more than happy.”

The university are also endeavouring to be more open about their research, with the release of a new 360 online tour coming soon, and the aim to have more tours of the facility like the one I had.

So, what’s Graham’s advice to those who still aren’t convinced? “Come and have a look!”

Patagonia comes to Manchester: an interview with Alex Weller

With the doomsday clock now 30 seconds closer to midnight, issues of social justice and political unrest are more pressing than ever. But in the midst of the 24-hour news cycle, it’s easy to forget one of the most important crises we face as a planet: the environmental crisis.

Patagonia is not only an outdoor clothing store, but a company dedicated to the pursuit of environmental sustainability. Through funding activism and raising awareness, the company hopes to affect change across the world. Ahead of the launch of their first UK mono-brand store, I sat down with Alex Weller, marketing director for Patagonia in Europe, to find out more about their ethos.

Regarding the decision to open their first mono-brand store in Manchester, Weller tells me, “we haven’t had an owned and operated store in the UK for four years now and we’ve been wanting to open a store here for a while. Our UK head office is here in the city centre, so having a retail store in our own backyard was quite important to us.”

More specifically, he notes, “Manchester is a really important city for a variety of reasons. One is, of course, its size — it’s the largest city in the north of England — but also for its proximity to outdoor sports. There’s a strong outdoors community here so whether it’s being up on the moors, running, mountain biking, or that we’re close enough to the peak district for climbing.

“In actual fact, you don’t have to go very far from here to surf on either coast of the UK, so it’s perfectly located for all of the sports communities that we serve. Ultimately, Manchester is a very dynamic city.”

Of the company’s core values he says “we as a brand have a lot of important things to say, we’re deeply committed to issues of environmental sustainability and social justice and we feel that the vibrancy and progressive mindset of this city means that communities here will engage with the same issues that we’re interested in.”

Environmental activism may not seem like the most obvious focus for a high street store, but Weller tells me, “we firmly believe that what we would define as the environmental crisis is the most pressing issue of our time. While some positive change can be affected from the top through political lobbying and petitioning the government, we strongly believe that the most effective change comes from the bottom, where environmental activism exists.

“There are a huge number of environmental activists, grassroots groups and NGOs fighting incredibly important issues with a limited amount of resources, and by supporting those groups we can enable a lot more change, a lot more quickly, and across a much wider range of topics than by trying to affect change at the policy level.”

Patagonia boasts its own coffee station Photo:
Patagonia boasts its own coffee station
Photo:

Patagonia is the original founding partner of 1% For The Planet, a pledge from Patagonia to donate 1 per cent of its gross revenue to environmental organisations around the world. Weller says “we currently support just under 1000 organisations globally, 100 in Europe and 20 here in the UK. Sometimes it’s one person or two or five but we also support some larger ones. Our front shop window at the moment has a big mural that says save our rivers, in support of an NGO based in North Wales.”

While a wider focus on environmental activism is admirable, to say the least, I was interested to find out the ways in which we’ll see Patagonia’s efforts manifest themselves in Manchester.

Weller tells me the store has already started on this: “we enable our stores to run grant programmes by themselves. Each store usually supports three to five NGOs at one time and they have their own individual grant-giving budget. With this store just opening, we’re starting our first round of grant applications right now and we will give away around 5000 euros to each grantee to use in pursuit of their issues.

“We primarily support them with cash donations that come with specific requirements in terms of what that money is used for but we also support them with expertise. Within the company, we have the environmental internship programme through which every Patagonia employee is able to spend two weeks of their working year directly supporting an NGO that we grant to.”

I was impressed with the scope of the company’s aims and nobility of their cause but wasn’t entirely sure on how this message would resonate within the student community. Weller, however, was confident.

“We’ve found that younger communities are more engaged, involved, and passionate about the environmental crisis than those who are older. People of my age weren’t born into the environmental crisis. It was something we learned about as we got older and as the issues became apparent. But the younger generation has known nothing else.

“There’s a large, young outdoor sport community in Manchester, we have a dedicated community space in the ground floor of the store and we will run frequent events to increase our presence within the community. Whether that be through athlete presentations, events with NGOs or even film screenings.

“I think beyond coming to experience our products here at the store, people will be able to get inspired about the things we as a company are passionate about.”

If that weren’t enough to convince you, Patagonia also houses an in-store seamstress, Martina Clarissa, who repairs clothes free of charge. Part of their pledge towards sustainability is encouraging people to repair and re-wear things, rather than throw them away.

The opening of the Manchester store brings Patagonia’s total to 8 owned and operated stores in Europe (with a further 12 partner stores). Readers wanting to learn more, try products, or join the fight for environmental sustainability can find them at 51 King Street.

Free Ahed Tamimi protest

Protesters met on Saturday the 6th of January at Piccadilly Gardens to protest the arrest of Ahed Tamimi and raise awareness of the wider campaign ‘Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions’ (BDS).

Ahed Tamimi, a 16-year-old Palestinian activist, has been detained and charged with assault following a confrontation with two Israeli soldiers. She was arrested during a raid of her family’s premises after a video showing her slap an armed Israeli soldier went viral. According to The Independent, the charge sheet against Ahed includes ‘counts of aggravated assault against a soldier…obstructing soldier in the performance of his duty, and throwing stones at troops.’

Huda Ammori, a member of BDS University of Manchester, says she doesn’t believe Ahed should be detained at all. She defends Ahed’s actions, noting in particular how Ahed’s cousin had been shot in the head only moments before the video was taken.
When asked why student’s at the University of Manchester should be aware of Ahed’s detainment, Huda said ‘all students and people of conscience’ should be aware of the ‘university’s investment in Israel’s war crimes.’ Another student at the protest was also concerned that her tuition fees were contributing to the occupation.

After meeting in Piccadilly Gardens, the protest moved to outside Barclays bank. Part of the wider BDS campaign has involved a boycott of Barclays and HSBC. Barclays currently invest in BAE systems, who provide aircraft components to Israel. HSBC currently hold shares in Israeli arms company Elbit systems.

Adie Nistelrooy, who helped organise the protest, encouraged people to join the boycott. He talked of being in Gaza and seeing people being ‘dragged from the rubble,’ stating ‘the connect’ between these scenes and the investments made by HSBC and Barclays, ‘was very real’.

Huda said the boycott was a ‘non-violent means of pressuring Israel’. But specified, that if you were an HSBC or Barclays customer, this didn’t mean you had to leave the bank. ‘If you’re a customer, complain … or engage with them on social media.’

Huda then shared BDS Manchester’s plans for the future. She said ‘the number one goal’ was to pressure the University to divest from Caterpillar, who provide armoured bulldozers to Israel. They will also be launching a campaign against the university’s ties with Technion Israel Institute of Technology. According to Huda, these ties go ‘against Manchester’s own social responsibility code’ and said the ‘BDS campaign will continue until all links with Israel’s war crimes have ended.’

According to a document provided by BDS, “the University of Manchester invests approximately £2,113,435.79 in Caterpillar – according to the no. of shares (24900) invested and the share price ($107.49) at the end of the Fiscal year 2016.”

“By knowingly and consistently providing equipment used to enact systematic human rights violations, Caterpillar is complicit in these violations, as a co-actor in Israel’s actions. In doing so, Caterpillar are a company that exhibits corporate behaviour that amounts to:

  • Human rights violations
  • Racial or sexual discrimination
  • The institutionalisation of poverty through discriminatory market practices.
  • Armament sales to military regimes”

The above are listed as Environmental and Social Governance (ESG) issues the University seeks to minimise in corporate behaviour as part of their social responsibility code.

Despite these allegations, a University spokesperson said: ‘We do not believe any of our current investments or partnerships are in breach of our Socially Responsible Investment Policy’.

Huda Ammori encourages students to get involved with the BDS campaign by watching out for events, such as Israel Apartheid week, and by sharing the hashtag #UoMDivestNow.

Modern romance is broken

It is probably safe to say that we currently live in an era where the definition of romantic love is wider than ever before. In many parts of the world, there is a positive trend towards reforming both an individual’s legal and social rights to love freely. And yet, increasingly, the pursuit of an idealised and often distorted form of romantic love has become the centrepiece of ‘the good life’.

As a truly modern malaise, romanticism’s influence in how we conceive of our own happiness and how we form the other equally meaningful relationships is deeply damaging.

The modern conception of romantic love is incredibly defined: a life-long monogamous partner who serves as a nucleus of emotional support, spiritual fulfilment, and often sexualised passion. They are meant to understand and accept us in profound ways that no other person can, and the epitome of our romantic expression should always be — or eventually be — marriage.

Even when optimistic, it shouldn’t take much convincing for many people to accept that this understanding of love is unrealistic — life-long partners struggle to be their spouses’ single source of abstract happiness, and even after decades of being together, fail to know or love each other in the specific way their partner needs.

The temptation to believe in this myth of a romantic soulmate comes from our propensity to believe that, by ourselves, we are inherently incomplete. There is just a rather depressing truth that many of us grapple with in our everyday lives where we feel lonely, flawed, and desperately insecure. Therefore, we idealise a partner who will unconditionally accept us no matter what.

This is exacerbated by how difficult people find it to connect with others in an intimate way — due to fear or an inability to articulate ourselves to another person. We therefore often rely on the hope of a soulmate as a crutch.

This glorified illusion on which we become dependent damages our relationships with our significant others, our friends, family, and most importantly, ourselves. We hold our romantic partners to unrealistic — almost delusional — standards of perfection when catering to our needs.

We expect them to be able to know how we feel and our relationships to be able to sustain long-term passion without any concerted effort. Obviously, this leads to people undervaluing the time and commitment needed to make a relationship work, and often being insecure in the authenticity of their love.

In reality, often people find that the best relationships are dynamic — where there isn’t an expectation that we should be loved as we are but that love is a process of self-development and exploration with others. In this way, it is possible to define one’s life outside the confines of the pursuit of love.

Love acts as an amplifier or an enabler to more self-directed forms of fulfilment — like a career, or a passion. The value we find in our own lives isn’t just concentrated on the validation or performance of an idealised Other. It is possible to create our own happiness.

The conception of romance also detriments other relationships that we form. Its appeal works by artificially limiting the emotional intimacies we are allowed to explore with others. Our romantic partners should be the ones whom we reserve our deepest secrets for, our most vulnerable moments, as well as most expressions of physical affection.

If we were to expend these on our friends or family, our love for our partner would be less meaningful as they wouldn’t be the only cradle of comfort from the harsh outside world that we have. In this way, modern romance actively makes all other relationships less rewarding by making false promises of a future soulmate.

The artificial scarcity created is a toxic way for us to relate to the vast majority of people in our lives — it promotes unhealthy possessiveness over our romantic partners if they have other close bonds, and it arbitrarily sets limits on what could otherwise be intensely beneficial interactions we could have with others.

Most importantly, this illusion presumes that we should be frantically unhappy with ourselves. Our need for an easy and singular solution for the loneliness that comes with the human condition is often exploited by romantic narratives sold in the forms of Hollywood films and literature.

The illusion is not insulated from other oppressive structures of power either. Often, representations of idealised romance are hetero-normative and monogamous and put a premium on female ‘purity’ — both emotional and physical. Modern romantic love is a construct so deeply entrenched and powerful because it is rooted in personal insecurity, and we should rid ourselves of its shackles.

Shakira Martin faces allegations of bullying

The NUS is in the spotlight again after several officers have launched allegations of bullying and intimidation against Shakira Martin. Among them is campaigns officer at the University of Manchester, and NUS parents and carers’ representative, Deej Malik-Johnson.

Hareem Ghani, NUS women’s officer, has submitted evidence as part of an internal complaint into Martin’s behaviour. Ghani detailed to Varsity (Cambridge University’s student newspaper) her full allegations against Martin, which include:

  • Sending foul-mouthed rants in voice notes to officers
  • Reducing staff and officers to tears
  • Making gun signs at officers with whom she disagrees
  • Throwing out motions with which she disagrees
  • Threatening to beat someone up during an office Christmas party
  • Shouting and swearing at officers during meetings and conversations

Ghani said “The only reason I decided to air my grievances publicly was because her behaviour over the last two months has escalated, and it has been a breaking point for many officers and NEC members,”

However, Varsity reported that Ghani said that she has no “faith in the system” and does not believe the NUS will “respond effectively”.

Other members who have spoken out against Martin in the last four days also include NUS LGBT+ officer Noorulann Shahid, NUS National Executive Council (NEC) member, Myriam Kane, NUS NEC member Amelia Horgan.

Myriam Kane took to Facebook to accuse Martin. She said she has received abuse from both Martin and Martin’s mother. Kane attached a twitter screenshot to her post, in which Martin says “you’re not that important”.
Martin has called for the allegations on social media to be investigated.

In a Facebook live video posted on the 29th of January, Martin says the allegations are all “lies”. She talks of the “anti-blackness and racism” she has faced during her term as President and says her name has been “tarnished” “for election purposes”.

In a post following the video, she said: “I have been baited and provoked on purpose and recorded in my own workplace by those who claim to support working-class black women like myself but would happily push me to the limit and watch me break.”

Deej Malik-Johnson also took to Facebook on the 29th January, detailing the alleged abuse he received from Martin.
Malik-Johnson needed a character reference as part of a  “legal battle in an attempt to re-establish contact with my daughter”. After Martin agreed to write the reference, that’s when “things got weird.”

Malik-Johnson said Martin would “call me at weird hours on the phone about me being ‘funny’ and ‘knowing what side I’m on'”. Things escalated after Malik-Jonson attended the National Free Education Demo. Martin apparently called again.

“She stated that she would no longer help me or write a statement to help with Dillara. She said it was because we are apparently ‘enemies’ and I’m “on the wrong side”. And so I’ve received no support and I’ve stayed silent at the hands of a bully — because let’s call it what it is — because whilst if she had said no from the start for want of time or concerns she chose to agree and only then refuse after an attempt of political coercion.”

Malik-Johnson has been on leave this week and so has not been able to provide further comment for The Mancunion.

Whilst the investigation is still ongoing, the NUS has said: “all officers will be working from home this week”.

Wonder Women 2018

Sure, we’re all feminists, right? But feminism needs to become more than just a word we attach ourselves to, it needs to be productive — and this is the concept that the 2018 Wonder Woman Festival is founded on.

Throughout the month of March, the city will be taken over by a programme that puts women at the centre of culture and art in Manchester. Amplifying those voices which are so often unrecognised, this festival is a platform which recognises the female narrative.

As the birthplace of Emmeline Pankhurst — who lived just off Oxford Rd —, Manchester is bound inextricably to the legacy of the suffragette movement and the history of female liberation. This year is especially pertinent as it marks the 100-year anniversary of the Representation of the People Act, which was a landmark for gender equality and females entering the political sphere.

This historical moment will be felt from a contemporary perspective through a series of performances, screenings, exhibitions, and talks. All provoking us to consider how females are represented in our culture today.

Help forge a new historical moment by showing your support to the range of productions which will be running, here are our highlights:

  • Feminist Takeover and Wonder Woman 2018 Festival Launch
    Manchester Art Gallery, the 1st of March 6-8pm
    As the retrospective work of artist and campaigner Annie Swynnerton takes centre stage in the gallery, this opening evening is curated by Instigate Arts, who will hold a panel discussion asking whether feminist festivals are a form of activism in their own right?
  • Sylvia – Jacqueline Mulhallen
    Lynx Theatre, the 3rd of March 2-4pm
    A one-woman play looking back at the early life of Emmeline Pankhurst, immersed against over 250 projected slides of Pankhurst’s own photographs and paintings.
  • The Ongoing Nakba
    The People’s History Museum, the 8th of March 2-4pm
    An afternoon exchanging stories presented by Palestinian refugee women to commemorate the 1948 Palestinian Exodus; accompanied by a moving visual installation, this evening provides a platform for the plight and resilience of women refugees.
  • If this is the last thing I say? – Ruth Barker
    Castlefield Gallery, the 8th of March 6-8pm
    A spoken word and soundscape which enacts contemporary female anxieties surrounding motherhood, illness, and isolation.
  • Film Focus: Hooligan Sparrow
    CFCCA (Centre for Chinese Contemporary Artists), the 8th of March 6:30-8pm
    An exclusive screening of one of China’s most prominent female rights activists — Hooligan Sparrow —, who exposes female sex workers and the abuse of children in a shocking documentary.

Fail: Manchester University apologises for exam errors

The University of Manchester has issued an apology after several exams taken in January of 2018 contained errors.

Third year Textile Science and Technology students were given only 20 minutes to answer a replacement question having noticed that the same essay title had come up twice in a row, in a set of seven sub-questions.

Some students, having left the exam hall early, simply believed it was a mistake and didn’t bother answering the question, whereas some answered it twice. Students later raised the issue as to whether the marks should count for that question or not.

The Spanish exam this year had a spelling mistake in translation which led to students contacting Emma Atkins, the Students’ Union Exec Officer.

Students have been advised to write to the Head of School and Programme Director, so if any students made errors with that particular question, they shouldn’t be accounted for in the overall mark.

Speaking to The Mancunion, Emma Atkins has advised that “if students ever have issues with their exams, they should contact [her] or the Advice Service offered by the University.”

Atkins also stated that she is “not aware of the exact process for creating exam papers, but each programme does it differently. However, it’s only fair for students to expect a well-written exam paper!”

“Mark schemes, model answers and examples are ideal for students to know what is expected of them, and if students don’t have access to any of them they should speak to staff, add those comments in unit surveys and raise it with student reps.”

When questioned about whether content taught during the period of strikes over staff cuts should be used in exam papers, Atkins stated that “strikes are meant to be disruptive — I think if the university wants to make sure students don’t miss out, they should negotiate better with UCU so strikes don’t happen!”

The recent Genes, Evolution and Development paper confused students, when they realised were given a question from content which had not been taught.

With a number of students having emailed their professor after the exam, it was later decided that the question will not be accounted for in the overall mark, although this makes each mark lost costlier, as the total number of marks has been lowered.

A University spokesperson said: “The University would like to apologise to the students affected by this error. It is most regrettable that these incidents should have occurred. They were dealt with in the examination room according to established procedure.

“However, any students who remain concerned should raise the matter directly with relevant staff in their School.”

Italy’s awakening

On the 4th of March, Italians will vote in a closely watched election that will no doubt shake the European Union and be seen as another test of the anti-establishment populist forces in Europe. 2017 was a good year for populist parties in Europe. In Austria, the right-wing Freedom Party entered government, and in Germany, the AFD entered the Bundestag for the first time with 12 per cent of the vote.

Italy has had four prime ministers since 2013 and a failed attempt to reform its constitution. Meanwhile, its economy has staggered and the influx of refugees has not been slashed. All this has created a flourishing environment for populism to thrive and it has become a powerful force in the run-up to the Italian election.

Italy is the next test for the European Union and if the polls are correct, the anti-establishment and populist Five-star movement will become the largest single party in the Italian parliament for the first time. However, despite this, they are not the favourites to win and instead it is one Silvio Berlusconi.

After years in political exile and personal scandal, he has returned and while his party will not have a majority, it is likely that the right-leaning alliance composed of Forza Italia, Lega Nord, and other minor right-wing parties will. Berlusconi cannot serve as prime minister or as a minister because of a ban that disallows him from serving in public office due to his past criminal convictions.

Despite this, whoever becomes prime minister will be someone of his choosing and under his influence, meaning he will be kingmaker once again.

Instability has plagued Italy’s centre-left government since it came to power in 2013, with four prime ministers and a failed referendum on reforming the constitution. The economy is sluggish despite reforms implemented by the Democratic Party, and it is unlikely the centre-left led by the former prime minister, Matteo Renzi, will return to government after this election.

His attempts to reform the constitution failed due to the public voting against it in a referendum. If other European elections are anything to go by, this election will be a battering for the centre-left, like in both France and Germany where centre-left social democratic parties suffered their worst results in recent history.

However, there is one party that is being underestimated in terms of its influence on the Italian political scene, and that is Berlusconi’s would-be coalition partner, Lega Nord led by Matteo Salvini. Lega Nord, emerged in the late 1980s as a separatist force for the wealthier northern regions of Italy and propped up many of Berlusconi’s previous governments.

However, both the migrant and Eurozone crisis have given the party a huge boost in support, and while, currently, it is likely to support Berlusconi, it could also prop up a coalition with the Five-star movement. It would be the first of its kind. Previously, the Five-star movement has traditionally ruled out any possibility of a political coalition.

For Brussels, either outcome is not a perfectly good outcome. If the right-wing alliance under Berlusconi is victorious, the only thing they will be smiling about is the fact the Five-star movement is not in power: the lesser of two evils. For Brussels, either scenario presents a problem for them especially when it comes to Eurozone reform and the refugee crisis.

Like the new coalition in Austria, the Italians have no interest in seeing a further integrated EU dominated by Macron’s France and Merkel’s Germany.

If the Five-star movement somehow are victorious in forming a coalition, which at this stage remains unlikely, it would be Brussels’ worst nightmare and would cause chaos as Italy would become a ‘rouge member state’ likely to resist EU measures over migration and debt reductions with an extremely eurosceptic outlook, doing its best to halt or block any reforms proposed.

They will most likely aim to make the EU un-workable and even more unpopular, and might even hold a referendum on EU membership as the party has stated it would like to take Italy out of the Eurozone.

If the current polls are to be believed, the election is a close race between the Five-star movement, the Democratic Party and its allies, and Berlusconi’s right-leaning alliance. At the current time, it is not even clear if a coalition between the centre-right and centre-left would receive enough votes to hold a majority in parliament.

Whichever party wins the largest share of the vote, Italy will likely be plagued by months of instability as a coalition of some sort is forced to come together. However, the success of the Five-star movement and the Northern League, both populist parties, will determine how pro-European Italy’s next government will be even if they take a place in opposition.

The only clear victor in this election will be populism; whether it is Berlusconi or the Five-star movement, Italy will be the next victim of the populist onslaught consuming Europe.

I.Am.Gia: a hidden story of drug addiction and celebrity

Australia’s darling has just been released in the UK. The enigmatic women’s fashion brand I.Am.Gia is fresh, sexy and, most importantly, affordable. I first discovered the label on Instagram at two in the morning. Scrolling through post upon post of cutting edge pieces modelled by ‘It girl’ celebrities I got that sinking ‘well obviously can’t afford this but cheers mate for tantalising me, nice one yeah’ feeling.

Yet another celebrity-endorsed, financially unattainable brand we drool over which eventually trickles down to cheap high street emulations so that Will from High Wycombe can wear a Topman hoodie that looks like one worth the same price as his parents car. There always seems to be a sort of glass ceiling between the ordinary folk like us students and quality high fashion.

Most of us don’t have a personal stylist with an unlimited budget and access to the catwalk samples. We have The Arndale Centre and three-five working days delivery followed by a note through the door from Keith the DPD driver saying I missed my delivery even though I specifically requested it be left in a safe place. Despite fast high street fashion, they always just miss it don’t they.

Well when I clicked on the link to the I.Am.Gia online shop for a laugh, I nearly rolled out of bed. For high quality, cutting edge fashion the prices were the same as you would find in any high street shop. My shopping bag frenzy began. IZAR TANK TOP £28? Add. JAGGER MINI SKIRT £45? Sold. CHER BANDEAU £34? Jackpot.

The clothes are named and based often on celebrities, for example the Uma pants based on THE yellow trousers in Kill Bill, the Cobain dungarees and the Gwen combat trousers. Visually, the website has all the trappings of a high fashion brand but without the price tag. For example, the Dazed magazine-esque photography and small collection make browsing feel like a classy, uncluttered and leaisurly shopping experience.

So what is this brand? A miracle sent from the cosmos? Well little is known about the labels origins, it remains tantalisingly secretive, adding to its allure all the more. What has been disclosed however, by the co-founder and designer Alana Pallister, is that the concept is based on the first supermodel Gia Carangi, a woman whose meteoric rise and catastrophic fall captured and embodied the fast living generation of the 1980’s. The idea is to create a ‘Gia of our time’ Pallister divulges.

This is a controversial concept because the supermodel had a debilitating addiction to class A drugs, ultimately contributing to her tragic death at the tender age of 26. It is now known that the raised needle bumps from the crook of her arm had to be airbrushed out of photographs. She wept and raged on set. She left mid-shoot in desperation for her fix. The reality was quite far from the glamorous images we are left with and from which the brand takes its inspiration.

It would be easy to say that the company is promoting a bad image for girls, especially with the 16 year old Kaia Gerber as the brands top ambassador (also the chilling spitting image of Gia herself. An innocent coincidence? Who knows). However, I think what they mean to do is look beneath the taboo and the tragedy, instead focusing on the soul of a woman who’s vibrancy and individuality captured the fashion world.

The story of the brand’s concept was kept secret for a long time and is still unknown to many, perhaps for the obvious reasons. Whether young supermodels or indeed ordinary women are aware of this darker side to the brand, I don’t know. However, I think to openly state Gia Carangi as its main inspiration and indeed name the label after her is a statement we should be aware of for whatever reasons, good or bad. There is more to come from I.Am.Gia. Just you watch.