Local government and business leaders have come together in a bid to ‘do data better’; aiming to turn the region into a responsible data user that learns lessons from the summer exams fiasco.
Key personnel are pledging their support for the Declaration for Responsible and Intelligent Data Practice – a shared vision for the region co-created by Open Data Manchester (ODM) with expert practitioners from multiple sectors.
The Declaration seeks to differentiate ‘the good’ from ‘the bad’ among those that use data and turn Greater Manchester into a ‘pioneer’.
Its 23 principles have been created to prevent repeats of issues like those seen with the disastrous exam results algorithm earlier this year.
Launching with the support of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), along with tech trade body Manchester Digital, the Declaration represents public and private-sector commitment to making good decisions.
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Councillor Sean Fielding, GMCA Lead for Employment, Skills and Digital, said: “For Greater Manchester to achieve its digital ambitions we need the whole ecosystem to pull together and it’s fantastic to see collaboration of this kind informing how we ‘do data better’ across the region.
“It’s vital that our people have absolute confidence in what’s happening to their information and that our professionals use data responsibly and effectively to improve decision-making, supporting those most in need.
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“The commitments made in this declaration will help us create a digital city region for everyone. A region that takes an approach to digital that ensures no one gets left behind.”
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson came in for criticism following the exam results fiasco – Flickr
Katie Gallagher, Managing Director of Manchester Digital, added: “This is pioneering piece of work that puts the region at the forefront of responsible data use.
“Adopting these principles will further enhance and differentiate the region’s reputation for being a leading technology hub.
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“Manchester Digital is delighted to support this work and we look forward to working with Open Data Manchester to encourage businesses to adopt the declaration in the coming months.”
The UK government launched a consultation on a new National Data Strategy earlier this month – which has ‘responsible data use’ as one of its themes.
The government’s consultation closes in December and the results will be shared next year.
To explore the issue further, Open Data Manchester is launching a series of events called Demistifying the Algorithm, including one called Policy, Politics and the Algorithm.
Visit the official website for the Declaration here.
News
Five Manchester bars have just been named in the UK’s Top 50 Cocktail Bars
Daisy Jackson
Five bars in Manchester have just received one of the industry’s highest accolades – a place in the UK’s Top 50 Cocktail Bars.
In a glittering ceremony down in London today, the best in the cocktail industry were crowned, and our city has a lot to be proud of.
Manchester now has five cocktail bars in the Top 50, with two new entries this year.
And while Schofield’s has been toppled from the top spot this year, this award-winning bar on Quay Street is still heading home with a podium finish, now ranked the third-best bar in the entire UK.
One of the new faces on the prestigious list is Stray, a beautiful cocktail bar tucked into a corner of Mackie Mayor.
Famed for its tomato vine margaritas, as well as the pain-staking effort the team goes to to infuse their own spirits and make their own cordials, Stray has deservedly debuted at number 25. And we have a feeling they’re just getting started.
Red Light is another new name on the list, after taking home the coveted ‘One To Watch’ award in 2024.
Red LightStrayBlinker
The gorgeous LGBTQ+ cocktail bar on Little David Street at Kampus has placed 40th.
Blinker has held on to a place in the Top 50 Cocktail Bars list, dropping down to 22nd – still a phenomenal achievement for the Spring Gardens boozer.
Blinker has a dedicated martini menu, and also serves them alongside retro Breville toasties.
And finally, Speak In Code on Jackson’s Row jumped up into 11th place.
There were also amazing results for our sister cities in Sheffield and Leeds, with The Pearl at Parkhill at 44 and Public at 39 for the former, and Tabula Rasa at 27 and Below Stairs at 11 for the latter.
A huge congratulations to all these very worthy winners.
Salford named one of the most expensive UK cities to rent in
Emily Sergeant
One of Greater Manchester’s major cities has been named among the most expensive UK cities to rent a property in.
It was just last week that the Greater Manchester town of Swinton was named a ‘property hotspot’ for 2025 by Rightmove, after house prices there increased by nearly 10% on average last year, and now, the city of Salford itself is also being put under the property spotlight.
That’s because the leading property listing platform has highlighted the city as being one of the most expensive for renters in the whole of the UK.
With 2025 set to be a year of relocation for many, Rightmove has looked at rental costs across more than 50 cities in Great Britain in a bid to find the cheapest – and by contrast, the most expensive – places to rent right now.
Salford has been named one of the most expensive UK cities to rent in / Credit: Benjamin Elliott | Pexels
When it comes to the most expensive UK city to rent in, we doubt it’ll come as a shock to you that the English capital of London takes the top spot.
Some of the other expected cities featuring in the top 10 list, according to Rightmove’s research, include Oxford, Brighton, Cambridge, and the Scottish capital on Edinburgh, but a more surprising entry for Greater Manchester residents is the fact that Salford takes up the eighth spot – with an average monthly rental price of £1,739.
Top 10 most expensive UK cities to rent in
London (£2,695)
St. Albans (£2,330)
Oxford (£2,041)
Winchester (£1,985)
Brighton (£1,880)
Cambridge (£1,870)
Chelmsford (£1,857)
Salford (£1,739)
Milton Keynes (£1,641)
Edinburgh (£1,620)
What's happening in the rental market? 🏡
👉 The average advertised rent of properties coming to market outside of London has fallen for the first time since pre-pandemic 2019, dropping by 0.2% to £1,341 per calendar month.
On the other end of the spectrum, the cheapest UK city to rent a property in is Hull, with the average monthly rental price there being £799, while some of the other North West cities featuring in the top 10 include Preston, Lancaster, and Carlisle.
When taking a look nationally, the average advertised rent per calendar month stands at £1,526, as of January 2025 – which is up 4.3% compared with this time year last year.
But Rightmove says that price changes, as well as average rental prices, vary significantly depending on the location.
Take Salford for example, which is one of the most expensive cities for renting, the monthly cost of renting has jumped by 30.5% in the last year, whereas in Dundee, prices have dropped by 3.7% during the same period.
The Manc -
2nd October 2020 
