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Here's the Mancunian Way for today:
After a very quiet ‘Mad Friday’ last year, people returned to the city centre in their droves this last weekend. You can see some of the pictures from that night here.
In today’s newsletter we’ll be talking about the latest progress on Martyn’s Law; the reason paramedics are striking this week and how staff at a North Manchester school are having to intervene to help families in unfit housing.
Let’s begin.
‘It cannot come quickly enough’
Five years after Figen Murray’s life changed forever, she has finally received news that the government plans to push ahead with new a counter terror law in her son’s name.
Martyn Hett was one of 22 people killed during the Manchester Arena terror attack.
In the years that followed, Figen has campaigned for legislation that would require public venues to take simple measures to safeguard customers from potential attack.
Last week, she received a personal phone call from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who revealed his government will table draft legislation for 'Martyn's Law' in the Spring. It will require public venues with a capacity of more than 100 people to introduce training and measures to combat terrorism or face sanctions, as crime reporter John Scheerhout writes.
Figen has spent years campaigning for the legislation - which the government first committed to in 2019 - and has previously expressed frustration at the time it has taken to come to fruition.
But she received the surprise phone call from the PM last Thursday - on what would have been Martyn’s 35th birthday. "He said 'I believe it's Martyn's birthday today and it must be a difficult day',” she said.
“It was really nice he acknowledged his birthday which I think somebody in his position didn't have to do. I said that's the best birthday present for Martyn. It was very kind and I was very touched by it."
Figen, who was made an OBE in June for her work on counter terrorism, added: "I did say I would love it if this happened for the 6th anniversary. He said 'I totally get it but I can't make any promises'."
The law will place venues under a legal duty to draw up specific security plans for any terror attack. The government is proposing a two-tiered plan, one for smaller venues with a capacity of more than 100 people which will require them to 'undertake low-cost, simple yet effective activities to improve preparedness'. The second tier covers bigger venues with a capacity more than 800 which will be required to carry out a risk assessment as part of a 'thorough security plan'.
Reporter Paul Britton has spoken to Figen numerous times over the years and says this is a great victory for the campaigner.
Paul - who covered the Manchester Arena public inquiry in its entirety - says she should be applauded for her ‘tireless campaigning and tenacity’.
“She has championed the compelling and completely correct case for Martyn's Law from the very outset and refused to compromise. We should all be hugely grateful for her work in memory of her son,” he says.
Paul says Martyn's Law will make a real difference to public safety and has always seemed like ‘an absolute no-brainer’. “Places where the public gather should have stringent plans in place in case of a terrorist attack,” he says.
Figen's campaign began when she was left unimpressed with the security operation at a venue in Greater Manchester which she visited in the years following the bombing.
Paul says: “Figen is a warm, intelligent and loving mother who despite going through the agony of unspeakable tragedy, has channelled her grief into helping - and protecting - others.
“She's spoken of forgiveness and peace, toured schools to speak to pupils and inspired workshops for licenced premises in Manchester to learn how better they can protect their staff and the public.
“She was made an OBE in the New Year's Honours and graduated from a university with a Master's in counter-terrorism - an honour she dedicated to Martyn.
“Martyn's Law - after much delay - will be his, and her, legacy. It cannot come quickly enough.”
Why they are striking
“Enough is enough” - that was the clear-eyed message from one ambulance worker.
Sharon-Lee Honey says a walk out is long overdue as North West Ambulance Service staff prepare to strike this Wednesday.
“I don’t want to strike, I want to do the job that I love,” she says, in an emotional video filmed before she began a shift this week.
“I want to do the job where I do feel like I’ve helped somebody at some point during their day, and helped them out of a spot where they really need us. Like all ambulance staff do.
“We have to strike. Enough is enough.”
Sharon’s message comes just a week after North West Ambulance Service boss Chris Grant admitted 999 and 111 services were overwhelmed in a stark video shared online.
At that time, 600 people were waiting for an ambulance across the region and 100 ambulances were forced to wait outside hospitals waiting to hand over patients.
Paramedics, call handlers, emergency care assistants and other ambulance workers have voted to take industrial action over pay and patient safety, as Helena Vesty reports.
They have previously expressed concerns that patients are already unsafe after 'years' of underfunding and understaffing.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay is under increasing pressure to settle a deal with unions. Strikes by ambulance staff and some NHS workers have been called off in Scotland after members of two unions voted to accept the Scottish Government's recent pay deal.
But Mr Barclay recently said accepting the pay rises requested would mean 'taking money away from clearing the backlog.'
Marking homework
Images of bags and suitcases piled up at Manchester Airport were not an uncommon sight this year.
There were reports of people abandoning luggage during the summer holidays after long waits at baggage reclaim halls following return flights.
But the airport’s new boss Chris Woodroofe recently revealed the global director of baggage handlers Swissport was hauled in and grilled over the 'unacceptable' performance. Speaking in October, Mr Woodroofe promised to 'mark their homework' to end luggage reclaim delays.
So it’s perhaps no surprise that the airport issued a strongly-worded statement after another day of long baggage delays on Sunday.
Travellers reported waiting for hours to get their bags, leading to escalating fees for their car parking and taxi pick-ups. And there were similar long waits last week, when baggage handling firm Swissport spoke of a knock-on effect from the heavy snow which led to runways being closed.
The airport blamed ‘significant staffing challenges faced by Swissport' and said a specialist support team had been sent out to help. But they said it is ‘disappointing that - despite assurances to the contrary - Swissport is not able to provide adequate resources during the busiest weekend of the Christmas travel period’.
Apologising to passengers the airport said they are seeking ‘urgent clarification’ on how Swissport plans to resolve the challenges.
Swissport, meanwhile, apologised and blamed ‘continuing severe weather’ and staff illness.
Match day noise
West Didsbury and Chorlton AFC bought a site at Brookburn Road site in 1996.
The semi-professional side attract around 700 fans during average home games at the weekend and up to 450 midweek.
But now, neighbours say they put up with a 'tremendous' level of match day noise 'fueled by alcohol' and that the site is no longer suitable for the non-league club, as Joseph Timan reports.
They claim they have safety concerns about the 'unlit' and 'narrow' bridleway behind some of their homes which is the only way of accessing the ground. And they say spectators hurl abuse at them when parking problems arise.
The complaints emerged after the club asked Manchester Council for a more flexible alcohol licence - an application which was granted last week.
The club says nothing will change. But residents fear that the move will mean the club expands further.
Travelling this Christmas
Northern has issued a rather grim update on rail travel over the coming days.
The operator says services are not expected to get back to normal until January 9 as strikes, engineering works and the Christmas shutdown play havoc with the timetable.
As Damon Wilkinson reports, passengers in Greater Manchester are being warned not to travel on Northern services on nine days over the holidays, including Christmas Eve, Boxing Day and much of the first week of January.
Disruption is also expected on 13 other days, including New Year's Eve, with passengers being advised to check before they travel.
The company says rail strikes remain the main cause of the disruption and apologised to customers.
Weather etc
- Tuesday: Clear changing to cloudy in the afternoon. 9C.
- Christmas cracker: How did Darth Vader know what Luke Skywalker got for Christmas?
Manchester headlines
Tributes: A lollipop lady who campaigned for safer roads has died after being hit by a van in Bury. Irene Allen, 87, was hit by a Mercedes Sprinter on Walmersley Road at around 11.15am last Tuesday. The grandmother was rushed to hospital, but sadly died last Sunday. Her daughter Melanie says Mrs Allen will be missed for her 'sunny personality'. "Always putting others before herself, in the mid 1960’s Irene complained to Bury Council about the lack of safe crossings for school children across the busy Walmersley Road, and became the newsworthy first lollipop lady in Bury. This tragic irony sits with us today." A 26-year-old man, who remained at the scene after the incident, was arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by careless driving. He has since been released under investigation.
‘Cynical’: A call to pull Rochdale green belt sites from the Places for Everyone masterplan has been rejected after mooted changes to the planning system were dismissed as ‘cynical’ government electioneering. The Conservatives tabled a motion at a full council meeting urging the authority to remove all greenbelt sites from the blueprint in light of Michael Gove’s recent statement signalling his intention to scrap housing targets. Coun John Taylor told the members it was an ‘opportunity for change’ that the council ‘ought to grasp with two hands’ on behalf of the people of Rochdale. But Labour said Mr Gove’s statement changed nothing in terms of policy or legislation. Coun John Blundell, cabinet member for economy and regeneration, said it was ‘outrageous’ that Mr Gove had ‘blatantly called for a two-year review of local plans and development plans given that date would be just after the next general election’. More here.
- Next stop: Trains are to run from Cheadle for the first time since the 1960s after proposals for a new railway station were given the green light. Stockport Council’s planning committee waved through the £9m station, despite 45 public objections. Bankrolled by the government’s flagship ‘Town’s Fund’, the stop will be on the Chester to Manchester line next to the Alexandra Hospital and just 100m from Cheadle High Street. It’s set to open in 2025.
Name change: Rochdale Council wants Rochdale Boroughwide Housing to change its name following the death of Awaab Ishak so people don’t confuse the two. Council leader Neil Emmott made the suggestion as elected members debated a motion urging the shamed housing provider's current board to resign. The motion, moved by housing chief Coun Danny Meredith, also called for council representation on the RBH board as part of a ‘rolling overhaul’ of its governance and new interim chief executive Yvonne Arrowsmith to meet with council bosses ‘as a matter of urgency’ once in post. And Coun Emmott found favour with his proposal that it should include a demand for RBH to change its name, so people do not confuse it with the local authority. More here.
Worth a read
"Shame on us if we can’t do better than this," says Dr Patsy Hodson as she discusses a 21st century Britain where parents struggle to put food on the table and raise their children in rat-infested homes.
As executive vice-principal of Manchester Communication Academy, in Harpurhey, she says one of the biggest problems facing families is unfit housing.
She describes 'streets and streets' of houses owned by private landlords 'operating illegally in terms of standards - mould, heating, infestation, structural fault - with nobody holding them to account'.
The concentration of families in damp, substandard homes, is so extensive, in fact, that tackling it has become one of the school's main priorities.
Dr Hodson says she is outraged that those in poverty are seen as 'some kind of underclass responsible for their own struggle’.
Even before Covid, staff at the school were aware of 'things getting worse'. But now, as parents editor Emma Gill reports, the cost of living crisis has made things even harder - and the school is having to step up its support.
"We see families trying to make the most of where they live and keep it clean and tidy, scrubbing mould off the walls, but they're trying to be house proud in houses you can’t be proud of," she says.
You can read the full, eye-opening report here.
That's all for today
Thanks for joining me. If you have stories you would like us to look into, email beth.abbit@menmedia.co.uk.
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The answer to today's Christmas cracker joke is: He felt his presents
