Sacha Lord has announced today that he has joined the Labour Party, which is a move he said he has wanted to make “for a long time”.
After taking a stand on and publicly expressing his views on a number of issues concerning the region, and the city’s hospitality industry over the past couple of years – particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic – Greater Manchester’s Night Time Economy Adviser, Sacha Lord, has officially announced today that he has made the decision to announce the Labour Party.
The co-founder of Parklife Festival and Warehouse Project was appointed to the role of Night Time Economy Adviser by Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham back in 2018.
He is the first ever person to hold the position in the city-region.
Taking to Twitter this morning to share the news that he has joined the Labour Party, Sacha Lord, explained: “I have today joined the Labour Party. This is a move I’ve wanted to make for a long time.
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“We need a change in Government and I fully support Labour in their ambitions to lead the country.”
I have today joined The Labour Party.
This is a move I've wanted to make for a long time.
We need a change in Government and I fully support Labour in their ambitions to lead the country.
Mr Lord says he hopes in joining the Labour Party, he can help to give the region “a louder voice” – but has ruled out becoming an MP.
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Explaining more about his decision, Mr Lord said: “This is a move I have been wanting to make for a long time, and the current political circumstances have hastened this ambition [as] I have seen the positive difference that Andy [Burnham] has made during my time working with the mayor’s office, and I want to support him in giving Greater Manchester and the North West a louder voice.
“Young people and young families today must be given the same opportunities I was given throughout the early stages of my career under the previous Labour Government.
“Not only was entrepreneurialism encouraged, but there were policies in place to help people get their first steps on the property ladder or discover new career paths, both geographically and across industry sectors.
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“Over the past 12 years, I’ve watched the Conservatives take away these opportunities, by quashing ambition, limiting entrepreneurship, and implementing policies that restrain our cultural progress and our ability to work with our international counterparts.
“We need a change in Government and for me, the only party to deliver opportunity is the Labour Party.”
Sacha Lord, Night Time Economy Adviser to Greater Manchester / Credit: Darren Robinson Photography
Mr Lord says he “fully supports” the Labour Party in its “ambitions to lead the country”, and that he looks forward to “working even more closely with the party going forward.”
Lucy Powell – MP for Manchester Central and Shadow Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport – has also welcomed Lord to the party.
“I’m really pleased Sacha has taken the step to join Labour,” she explained.
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“He’s got enormous experience in business and has been an incredibly strong voice for hospitality and the night time economy, both during COVID and the cost-of-living crisis, and he will be a huge asset to our party.
Mr Lord’s decision to join the Labour Party also comes after former Manchester United and England star Gary Neville – who now heads up several business and property interests in Manchester city centre, alongside his work in football punditry and commentary – also famously joined the party back in January 2022.
Neville has also been vocal on a number of similar issues to Lord over the past couple of years.
Featured Image – Sacha Lord
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Trafford Centre announces opening hours for 2025/26 festive season – including Boxing Day
Emily Sergeant
Trafford Centre has published its full list of opening hours for this current festive season.
We all know that the Christmas period is one of the busiest times of the year for the retail industry, with people flocking to the shops in their millions to snap up festive gifts for their loved ones, and it only gets busier from Boxing Day onwards too when all the sales launch, offering shoppers some unmissable deals and bargains.
And nowhere in Greater Manchester gets busier during the festive season than the Trafford Centre. After all, with more than 200 stores all under one room, it’s not hard to see why.
This year, shoppers can make the most of extended opening hours at the Trafford Centre right through to New Year’s Day – with late night shopping until 11pm on selected dates in December leading up to the big day.
Alongside being a one-stop-shop for gifts, there’s also dozens of festive events and new Christmas lights to enjoy at the Trafford Centre too, so visitors can tick everything off their list and have a great day out while they’re at it.
The shopping centre will be open from 9am – 5pm on Christmas Eve, so you can whip round and grab any last-minute presents, before it’s closed fully on Christmas Day, and then opens again bright and early at 8am on Boxing Day.
Trafford Centre Christmas Opening Hours 2025/26
18 and 19 December: 10am – 11pm
20 December: 10am – 10pm
21 December: 12pm – 6pm
22 and 23 December: 10am – 11pm
Christmas: 9am – 5pm
Christmas Day: Closed
26 December: 8am – 8pm (some stores may be closed, please check with individual brands)
27 December: 10am – 9pm
28 December: 12pm – 6pm
29 and 30 December: 10pm – 10pm
New Year’s Eve: 9am – 5pm
New Year’s Day: 12pm – 6pm
It’s also worth noting, however, that not every store inside the Trafford Centre will be open on Boxing Day, so you’ll need to check with individual brands ahead of time.
For the restaurants, stores, and leisure venues that are open, you can check their specific trading hours on the Trafford Centre website here.
When it comes to festive event, The Grotto is open until Christmas Eve for pre-bookings only, and the Christmas fairground and ice rink, Big Wheel, and Gandeys Snowstorm Firebird show are all open until 4 January (closed Christmas Day).
Featured Image – Trafford Centre (Supplied)
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Greater Manchester’s ‘clean taxi’ plans backed by government funding
Danny Jones
The Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s (GMCA) ‘clean taxi’ initiative has been officially backed by the UK government, with an extra boost coming from a leading electric vehicle brand.
Millions of pounds are set to be pumped into the scheme over the coming years as the North West at large strives to become greener.
The Mayor himself, Andy Burnham, has made environmentally conscious travel a core part of his plans for the city region ever since he took up the post back in 2017; now he and his team are helping link up with connections in the capital to secure further investment.
With the new £8 million Hackney Support Fund being put into action as we speak, a further £2m is now set to go towards Manchester city centre and its surrounding boroughs via LEVC.
LEVC (London Electric Vehicle Company) have done away with classic petrol and diesel engines in their particular corner of the automotive industry, setting a more eco-friendly example for metropolitan cities up and down Great Britain.
As a result, Manchester City Council and the GMCA as a whole are looking to take a leaf out of their book as part of their wider carbon reduction targets, with local authorities having recently reaffirmed their five-year ‘climate change action plan’.
For context, the Hackney Support Fund in question is a series of government-backed grants aimed at helping taxi drivers replace older black cabs with more modern, zero-emission capable vehicles.
Not only that, but LEVC will also be offering licensed carriage drivers extended warranties on new and used TX cabs – like their new ‘eCity powetrain’ pictured above – as well as taxi scrappage allowance on other models.
Like any part of the country, our region itself has its own clean air goals, and with the continued expansion of the Bee Network continuing to advance that progress, we’re heading in the right direction.
It goes without saying that adding a fully-fledged fleet of cleaner, more energy-efficient EV taxis into that mix could help benefit these greener pursuits.
Managing Director at LEVC, Chris Allen, noted that the company has “helped the capital achieve legal air quality targets for the first time” and strongly believes that they can do the same up North.
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “Our taxi trade is a vital part of Greater Manchester’s transport network and supports the local economy.
“That’s why we’re working hard to secure funding and practical support to help drivers upgrade to cleaner, greener vehicles – improving air quality for everyone, while protecting livelihoods. By backing our taxi trade, we’re building a fairer, healthier city-region for all.”
Emily Sergeant -
2nd November 2022 
