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Andy Burnham brings out surprise guest MC during DJ set at Manchester bar
No one was prepared for the Member of Parliament for Wigan to be filling in on MC duties
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham gave partygoers in Ancoats a bit of a surprise last night when he brought out a surprise guest to jump on the mic.
Manchester’s own ‘King of the North’ and former MP for Leigh was booked to play a set of Manchester classics at renovated MOT garage Ramona as part of the bar’s five-week ‘Ramona Radio’ series.
The show was also live-streamed on Mixcloud via Mixmag last night, but no one in the audience was prepared for the Member of Parliament for Wigan to be filling in on MC duties.
As he opened his set with Badly Drawn Boy’s ‘Tony Wilson Said’, little did the audience know that he’d soon be pulling up Lisa Nandy to join him – handing her a mic and a pair of headphones as he blasted out hits like ‘Ever Fallen IN Love’ by The Buzzcocks, ‘Transmission’ by Hot Chip and ‘1989’ by rapper Aitch.
Pictures shared online from last night’s gig show the Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities laughing as she speaks into the mic with a pair of headphones around her neck, standing next to Mr Burnham in the Ramona DJ booth.
Read more: Manchester Airport lashes out at ‘inaccurate’ documentary that featured undercover footage of baggage handling chaos
It’s not the kind of sight we’d typically expect from our politicians, but it definitely makes a refreshing change – no matter which side of the cringe debate you find yourself on.
Well-known Manchester DJ Dave Haslam was quick to chime in, joking that the ‘DJ trade union [was] not impressed’ with Andy Burnham and Lisa Nandy ‘taking jobs from our hard(ish) working colleagues’.
Another person jibed: “Nandy standing next to a trade union? Good job Starmer’s on holiday.”
A third joked “Who next? May and Iain Duncan Smith?”
Whilst a fourth rhymed: “Know your place – don’t come the big ‘un; Or you’re gonna have to deal with the Member for Wigan!’
During the course of the night, Burnham also played ‘Tart Tart’ by The Happy Mondays as a tribute to the late Paul Ryder who sadly passed away last week.
Read more: Frankie’s has opened a Breville toastie stall inside the Arndale Market
Speaking on his decision to pay tribute to Ryder during his set, Burnham said that he was “someone who played a big part in the building of the Manchester scene” before adding, “we’re all in his debt.”
He also told the crowd to huge cheers on the night: “This is a global capital of music, this is EXACTLY what the Mayor should be doing. Absolutely!”
The Mayor has since shared his full setlist online, you can see the track list from last night here and listen to the full set on Mixcloud here.
Feature image – Ramona
News
Police search for man who threw punch at Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Smith boxing match
Daisy Jackson
Police are searching for man who threw his own punch at the AO Arena after Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Smith boxing match.
The man in question is believed to have vaulted over a barrier inside the arena just as the match itself came to an end.
He then punched a man sat behind him in the face, before making off on foot.
He left two women and a man he was with behind.
Police are now appealing to witnesses of the assault on Saturday 21 January 2023 to come forward with any information.
CCTV images of the suspect have been released by GMP.
They said in a statement: “Police are appealing for witnesses to an assault at the AO Arena on Saturday 21 January 2023 after the Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Smith boxing match.
“It is reported that then man (pictured) vaulted over a barrier inside the arena just as the boxing match finished, and struck a man sat behind him in the face.
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“The offender then made off on foot, leaving two women and a man he was with, behind.
“Officers believe that the suspect is possibly from the Merseyside area. If you know the man or have any information relating to the crime, please contact GMP on 101, quoting reference number INC/0075491/23.
“Alternatively, information can be passed anonymously to the independent charity – Crimestoppers – on 0800 555 111.”
Featured image: GMP
News
Salford police officer sacked for ‘depraved’ relationship with vulnerable woman
Daisy Jackson
A police officer has been sacked after carrying out an ‘improper relationship’ with a crime victim.
Paul Banks, who worked as a PC in Salford, has been dismissed and barred after a Gross Misconduct Hearing on 24 and 25 January 2023.
In the hearing, a panel heard how Banks had advised a vulnerable woman to create an email account – which he then accessed to view images and videos, some of which were explicit, that she had uploaded.
He viewed the content more than 200 times and never reported them to his manager or the force’s Professional Standards Branch.
In the end, his own colleagues sensed that something was amiss and raised the alarm.
GMP has now slammed Banks’s ‘depraved behaviour’ and stressed that ‘there will never be a place in GMP for anybody who behaves like him’.
A statement also said that he ‘abused his position of trust’.
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Detective Chief Superintendent Michael Allen, head of GMP’s Professional Standards Branch, said: “Banks knew full well that his conduct was egregiously wrong.
“By cultivating an improper relationship with a vulnerable member of the public who he met in the course of his policing duties, the officer has been deservedly sacked from GMP.
“Not only has he disgraced himself, but his depraved behaviour dishonours policing and undermines the principled endeavours of his colleagues, who everyday do a valiant job catching criminals and protecting our communities.
“Indeed, it was Banks’ own colleagues who sensed something was amiss and triggered the first step in a process that rooted him out.
“The prudence of his colleagues is to be commended and I am grateful to the IOPC for conducting an investigation that left no stone unturned.
“No decent member of the police service wants to work with the likes of Banks and there will never be a place in GMP for anybody who behaves like him.
“He abused his position of trust and for that the Office of Constable has been rightly stripped from him.
“GMP is a better force without Banks and we will recruit a new officer into his post who will discharge their duties with honour and espouse the professional and compassionate values of the GMP workforce.”
Banks, who had been on restricted since the investigation began in December 2020, was dismissed without notice.
Featured image: Flickr
Georgina Pellant -
4th August 2022 
