Andy Burnham is leading a group of five mayors who are taking legal action over the proposed closure of train station ticket offices.
The Mayor of Greater Manchester and Liverpool city region Mayor Steve Rotheram are two of the local mayors forming part of the campaign after the government-run Rail Delivery Group (RDG) unveiled plans last week to “bring station staff closer to customers” by moving them out of ticket offices and onto platforms and concourses instead.
Around three out of five train stations in England currently have a staffed ticket office, but all that could change moving forward with just under 1,000 of them earmarked to close – including at some of the UK’s busiest stations, such as Manchester Piccadilly.
In a letter penned to Transport Secretary Mark Harper to express his discontent at the proposed closures last week, the Greater Manchester Mayor also called for an “immediate suspension” to rail operator Northern‘s process.
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He then threatened that otherwise, he will “have no other option” but to consider legal action.
🗣️ "Passengers and staff have been taken aback by the scale of the proposed changes. To announce them without prior warning and head straight into a 21-day consultation period feels wholly inadequate to an issue of this seriousness."
— Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham (@MayorofGM) July 6, 2023
Now, it seems that that consideration has become a reality, as Mr Burnham has teamed up with four other regional mayors to take charge.
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As well as Andy Burnham and Steve Rotheram, the other regional mayors forming part of the legal campaign group are the Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin, the Mayor of South Yorkshire Oliver Coppard, and the Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Dr Nik Johnson.
According to the group, the campaign will take action against Northern, Thameslink, LNER, TransPennine Express, Greater Anglia, Avanti, and EMR.
Andy Burnham is taking legal action over proposed rail ticket office closures / Credit: RDG
“For the good of the country, it’s a campaign we must win,” Mr Burnham wrote in the Daily Mirror today.
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“If the Government and the rail industry get their way, it will erode what remains of public trust in travelling by train, and hasten Britain towards a faceless, soulless society.
“We do not believe the train operators have taken the required steps in law to make a change on this scale and hear the voices of those most affected.
Together with other Mayors, I’m initiating legal action against the train operators and their 21-day “consultation” on ticket office closures.
We’ll explain more tomorrow about why we believe we have a strong case to get the current process stopped.https://t.co/NGvlKXYRdG
Mr Burnham said a 21-day consultation on the plans were not long enough to consider the full implication of the closures, adding that “those in charge” are on a mission to “run [railway stations] down” and “turn passengers away so they can just focus on the most profitable parts”.
“The rail operators may be fronting up these plans,” he concluded, “but make no mistake, the Government is standing behind them and handing over the axe.”
Featured Image – RDG
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Women can now get the ‘morning after pill’ free on the NHS at high street pharmacies
Emily Sergeant
Women can now get the ‘morning after pill’ free of charge on the NHS in high street pharmacies across England.
As part of a major expansion of pharmacy services announced by the NHS in what is said to be the biggest change to sexual health services since the 1960s, the oral emergency contraception pill is now available for free to women from almost 10,000 pharmacies across the country without needing to see their GP or get an appointment at a sexual health clinic.
The initiative is part of a wider package of support for community pharmacies, helping people to get the care they need in ‘convenient’ and ‘familiar’ settings.
Dr Sue Mann, who is an NHS National Clinical Director in Women’s Health called this move a ‘game-changer’ in making reproductive healthcare more easily accessible for women.
“Instead of trying to search for women’s services or explain their needs, from today women can just pop into their local pharmacy and get the oral emergency contraceptive pill free of charge without needing to make an appointment,” she added.
From today, women in England can get the emergency contraceptive pill for free from pharmacies, without needing a GP appointment.
This is part of ongoing work to expand NHS services through community pharmacies.
Free morning after pills aren’t the only change to pharmacies’ services this week, as people who have been newly prescribed antidepressants will also be able to seek additional advice and support about their medication and healthy lifestyle changes from their local pharmacist too.
As well as over-the-counter support and treatment for minor health concerns, community pharmacy services can also supply medicines to treat common conditions.
All of these changes follow a record funding boost by the Government to pharmacies of £617 million over two years, which is supported by Community Pharmacy England.
“This is a major step forward that removes barriers of access to reproductive care that have let women down for too long,” commented Minister for Care, Stephen Kinnock.
“Pharmacies play a central role in communities, trusted by local people and easy to access [and] that’s why it’s vital there are a wide range of services and medications available.
“These changes will make it easier for people to get the advice and medications they need, while also reducing unnecessary pressure on GPs.”
Featured Image – Rawpixel
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Salford Red Devils granted another adjournment over unpaid debts
Danny Jones
Salford Red Devils have been given one more adjournment and yet another stay of execution, being given another two weeks to find the money to cover their unpaid debts.
The local rugby league side, which has been wrapped in all manner of struggles both on and off-pitch over the past year or so, reportedly needs to pay around £700,000 to HMRC alone and still owes roughly £5 million in total to various creditors.
To no surprise, regular matchgoers, neutrals and even rivals alike have expressed their continued disappointment with the club, mainly at the lack of transparency and clarity from the organisation throughout this long, drawn-out process.
This is coming from a wire fan but no club deserves to be left in the dark even longer than they already have done it’s nothing but a disgrace to the sport of rugby those owners and the court should be ashamed of themselves.
Updating fans on social media, this is all the information they have communicated at this time: “Salford Red Devils can confirm that HMRC have granted the club a two-week adjournment, providing additional time in which to secure the necessary funds.
“We would like to reassure supporters that we are working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure a positive resolution. Further updates will be shared as soon as possible.”
It’s worth noting that the current owners have reiterated that they inheited around £3m in existing debt before they took over the club, but assurances over their own investments have still come to nothing; meanwhile, with many still waiting on wages, players and staff alike have now left.
Having been propped up by loan players and emergency loans, the team is now closer to a skeleton crew than it is an outfit capable of competing in the premier division.
Either way, the outrage remains and is only growing stronger. One user wrote on X: “A good approach by them if they was legit would be to engage and bring in The 1873 to bridge the communication black hole (they created).
“The problem with that is if they did it would expose them for what they are… Extortionists using the club as a vehicle.”
More alarm bells were raised recently when assistant coach and Krisnan Inu – who was also director of the company set up to take over the business – withdrew himself from a key position behind the scenes.
Speaking of The 1873, the outspoken supporters trust took no time at all in issuing a response of their own, adding: “The judge presiding over today’s case has adjourned by 14 days. This adjournment has dragged the uncertainty on even longer.
“Every delay makes planning for 2026 harder and keeps the club stuck in limbo when it desperately needs clarity and direction.
“The fans, the players and the future all deserve better — The 1873.”
You can see the rest of their statement in full down below, but for now, what do you make of this seemingly neverending saga, Salfordians?
Emily Sergeant -
18th July 2023 
