Police to review £10k fine given to NHS pay protestor
Local Mayor Andy Burnham has asked the force to perform an "additional review process" of the Fixed Penalty Notices - which was issued to Karen Reissmann for organising a 40-person protest on St Peter's Square on Sunday (March 7).
A £10,000 fine was issued by police to 61-year-old Karen Reissmann for her role in organising a protest against NHS pay
The £10,000 fine handed to a 61-year-old health worker for protesting NHS pay rates is being reviewed, Greater Manchester Police have confirmed.
Local Mayor Andy Burnham has asked the force to perform an “additional review process” of the five-figure Fixed Penalty Notice issued to Karen Reissmann for organising a 40-person protest in St Peter’s Square on Sunday (March 7).
Reissmann had helped arrange the mass gathering to campaign against the government’s proposed 1% pay rise for nurses – which she called “insulting“.
Under current coronavirus legislation, maximum penalties of £10,000 can be issued to anyone who organises gatherings of over 30 people.
Reissmann was accused of showing “a degree of non-compliance” when officers aimed to disperse her protest group, with police claiming it “necessary” to issue her with a fine.
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The decision is now currently being reviewed.
A GMP spokesperson stated: “The FPN given last weekend is currently undergoing an additional review process following a request from the Mayor to do so.
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“All of our £10k FPNs are reviewed before processing so as well as this initial review we will review both the command decisions to ensure they were proportionate and commensurate with our strategy and previous operations, in addition we have asked for this to be reviewed by our legal department and provide a response back to the Mayor as to whether this was an appropriate course of action by GMP.”
A GoFundMe page has also been set up to help Reissmann pay her fine – with over £17,000 donated so far.
The fundraiser page, supported by actress Maxine Peake and over 900 others, said that extra donations would be passed on to a mental health charity.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson defended the pay increase this week, claiming the government was giving “as much as we can” during the tough conditions of the pandemic.
But The Royal College of Nursing (RCB) has repeatedly called on the government to reverse their decision and “give nursing what it deserves”.
The organisation has claimed a 1% pay rise would only amount to an extra £3.50 a week in take home pay, and a petition has been posted online calling for a much higher boost of 12.5%.
In an open letter to the Prime Minister, the RCN said that nursing staff’s wages does “not reflect the essential work they do” in “highly skilled, complex, responsible roles”.
“Many are now worse off than they were 10 years ago and are considering leaving the profession,” reads the statement.
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“Fair pay for nursing is about making sure that a safety-critical profession can reach safe staffing levels, to provide safe and effective care for all people of the United Kingdom.”
UK union UNISON is one of several groups campaigning for a show of solidarity for health workers tonight – with people urged to head to their doors and balconies for a ‘slow hand clap‘ on Thursday 11 March.
The display aims to put a sardonic spin on the ‘clap for carers’ campaign – which saw Brits applaud essential staff for their work during the pandemic.
There is also a plan for the slow handclap to be repeated on April 1 – the date NHS staff were due for a wage increase.
UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said: “Times may be tough but this deal is below-inflation and derisory.
“It’s like the worst of austerity is back.”
News
The Stone Roses’ Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield has died aged 63
Daisy Jackson
Tributes are pouring in for Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield, after it was announced that the Stone Roses legend has died at the age of 63.
The bassist, who was also part of Primal Scream, was born in Crumpsall and has been one of Manchester’s most beloved musical figures ever since finding fame in the 1980s.
Mani’s brother Greg broke the news this afternoon, writing on Facebook: “IT IS WITH THE HEAVIEST OF HEARTS THAT I HAVE TO ANNOUNCE THE SAD PASSING OF MY BROTHER GARY MANI MOUNFIELD. RIP RKID.”
Mani’s wife Imelda also passed away in late 2023 after a battle with bowel cancer, for which the pair had raised money and awareness since her diagnosis.
That included a huge star-studded fundraising party where Mani and Imelda raised more than £100k for The Christie and local NHS charities.
Mani and Imelda shared twin sons, who were born in 2012.
Tributes are now flooding in for Mani, especially from those who have also been a part of the Manchester music scene.
Stone Roses frontman Ian Brown posted on X: “REST IN PEACE MANi X”
Rowetta shared a photo with Mani and Imelda and wrote: “Back with your Imelda, Mani. Going to miss you so much. All my love to the boys, the family & all those who knew & loved him.”
Tim Burgess of The Charlatans fame said: “I shared this photo a week or so ago on Mani’s birthday. It never failed to bring a smile to my face – and that was exactly the same for the man himself.
“One of the absolute best in every way – such a beautiful friend. Love you Mani x x. Never to be forgotten”
Shaun Ryder wrote: “RIP Mani – my heartfelt condolences to his twin boys and all of his family X”
Reverend and the Makers shared: “My heart is broken. Found out this morning and just felt low as it gets all day.
“Mani was my musical hero and just a lovely genuine human. When my Dad died , he offered me the warmest and best advice. No fuss, privately, straight up and always available to everyone.
“I’m a bit ill myself at the minute and not ashamed to say I shed at tear at the news. See on the next one mate.
“A true legend of the game. RIP”
Echo and the Bunnymen wrote: “I’m absolutely gutted to hear the news about Mani, who I have always loved and always will love, deeply and forever. Like a brother.
“I am in shock to be honest. Please tell me I’m just having a bad, bad dream. My thoughts and feelings and Mani, love to all of his family from me. Mac Bunnyman Xxx”
Featured image: Paul Husband
News
Ticket touting officially banned to protect fans from rip-offs
Daisy Jackson
The government has officially banned ticket touting, making it illegal for tickets to be resold at inflated prices.
The new measures will destroy the operating model of ticket touts, who snap up tickets for theatre, sport and live music, then sell them on the secondary value for far more than their face value.
Oftentimes, touts use automated bots to buy large volumes of tickets at once, taking them away from real fans.
The government says it’s caused misery for millions of fans and damaged the live events industry.
But now, the practice is being banned, with the government making it illegal to sell tickets above face value (plus unavoidable fees like service charges).
Resale platforms will also have their service fees capped, and they’ll have a legal duty to monitor and enforce compliance with the price cap.
Individuals will also be banned from reselling more tickets than they were entitled to buy in the initial ticket sale.
Culture secretary Lisa Nandy said: “For too long, ticket touts have ripped off fans, using bots to snap up batches of tickets and resell them at sky-high prices. They’ve become a shadow industry on resale sites, acting without consequence.
“This government is putting fans first. Our new proposals will shut down the touts’ racket and make world-class music, comedy, theatre and sport affordable for everyone.”
Business Secretary Peter Kyle added: “The UK is home to a brilliant range of music, entertainers and sporting stars – but when fans are shut out – it only benefits the touts. That’s why we’re taking these bold measures to smash their model to pieces and make sure more fans can enjoy their favourite stars at a fair price.”
Dan Smith, lead singer of Bastille – who have been part of the campaign against ticket touting – said: “It’s such great news that the government has stepped up and introduced a price cap on resale tickets – something I’ve been campaigning for alongside O2 and the FanFair Alliance for a long time.
“It’s a good step towards protecting music fans from being ripped off and will allow more genuine fans to see their favourite artists perform at face value prices. I am welcoming a world where there are no more resellers snapping up all of the tickets and massively inflating their prices.”
According to analysis by the CMA, typical mark-ups on secondary market tickets exceed 50%, whilst investigations by Trading Standards has uncovered evidence of tickets being resold for up to six times their original cost.
It’s believed these new measures against ticket touts could save fans around £112 million annually, freeing up around 900,000 more tickets from the primary ticket sellers each year.
The use of strategies like dynamic pricing has also been a major source of frustration for fans – such as the method used during the Oasis reunion on-sale – and new rules mean that fans must be given 24 hours notice of tiered pricing, plus provide clearer price information during online queues.
Industry voices who have weight in today include Mumford & Sons, who said that touts have ‘taken advantage of the good will and passion of music fans for many years’; Ed Sheeran’s manager Stuart Camp, who said the announcement is ‘long overdue’; and Coldplay manager Phil Harvey, who added that the legislation will be ‘a game-changer’.
The Manc -
11th March 2021 
