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Roger Waters plays in Manchester tonight despite calls for gig to be cancelled
The rockstar lashed out at 'some f***ing Labour MP in Manchester'
Roger Waters will perform a huge show at the AO Arena in Manchester tonight – despite repeated calls for his show to be cancelled.
The Pink Floyd founder has drawn criticism and caused outrage over claims he has been sharing anti-semitic views at his shows on the tour so far.
Even politicians have voiced their opinions on the rockstar, with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer saying he ‘fully condemns’ Waters for having ‘clearly espoused antisemitic views’.
Christian Wakeford, who serves as MP for Bury South, said he was ‘concerned’ that Roger Waters was still set to perform at Manchester’s AO Arena.
Waters himself lashed back at the labour MP, saying in a YouTube video that it was ‘insane’ that Mr Wakeford was ‘trying to get him banned from performing in Manchester’.
The musician said: “Some f***ing Labour MP in Manchester, Christian Wakeford…you are trying to get me banned from performing in Manchester. Me, the [bloke who] wrote Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here and Animals and the Wall and the Final Cut.
“And I’m really proud of it and it’s a huge body of work. And he wants to cancel my rock and roll show for my bothers and sisters in Manchester, it’s insane.
“If we shout the lie loud enough ‘Roger Waters is an antisemite’, we’ll be all right, we’ll get people to believe it, we can vilify him, we can probably destroy him and we will get him in the end.
“Well, no you won’t because it is a lie. You can gather as many f***ing morons as you want to repeat you lie, but it remains a vicious lie.”
It was in response to comments Christian Wakeford made in the House of Commons, when he said: “The city of Manchester has a rich and vibrant history in which those of different faiths and backgrounds have lived together as well as stood together through difficult times and times of division.
“So I am concerned to note Roger Waters is due to play at the AO Arena in Manchester.”
Roger Waters is best-known for being – as he would put it – the creative genius behind Pink Floyd, but 57 years after the band’s formation, he’ll be back in Manchester with his ‘This Is Not A Drill Tour’.
Featured image: Wikimedia Commons
News
Police appeal launched as woman dies after being hit by lorry in Bury
Daisy Jackson
A woman has tragically died after being hit by a lorry in Bury yesterday afternoon.
At around 3.45pm on Tuesday 6 October, emergency services were called to a road traffic collision in Radcliffe.
The collision was between a pedestrian and a lorry on Church Street West.
Tragically, the pedestrian – a woman in her 50s – passed away at the scene despite the efforts of emergency services.
A large cordon was in place yesterday and road has remained closed this morning.
Officers from GMP’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit are now appealing for information.
They said: “At around 3.45pm yesterday (Tuesday 6 October 2026) we were called to reports of a road traffic collision between a pedestrian and a lorry on Church Street West, Radcliffe.
“Emergency services attended but sadly the pedestrian, a woman in her 50s, passed away at the scene.
“No arrests have been made and enquiries are ongoing.
“Anyone with information including CCTV, Ring doorbell or dashcam footage is asked to contact police on 101 quoting log 2299 of 06.10.26. Reports can also be made via our website of the LiveChat function at www.gmp.police.uk.
“Alternatively you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
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Featured image: Google Maps
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New measures announced to tackle ‘rogue’ landlords across Greater Manchester
Emily Sergeant
A cohort of trained enforcement officers are set to hit the streets in all 10 boroughs to help improve the lives of the region’s renters.
Forming part of Greater Manchester‘s commitment to the highest-quality housing standards alongside the Good Landlord Charter, the newly trained enforcement officers will be tasked with protecting tenants, joining Council teams in checking rental properties, bringing enforcement action against bad landlords, and cracking down on illegal practices.
The introduction of the new enforcement officers comes after what has been ‘years of sustained pressure’ on local budgets.
Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) says it is working with the 10 councils across the region to strengthen local teams, rebuild in-house skills and expertise, and ensure that powers can be applied with consistency in all boroughs.
As mentioned, this all forms part of the Good Landlord Charter – which is GMCA’s ‘bold approach’ to drive up standards for renters across the region.
Landlords of more than half of rented properties in Greater Manchester have now signed up as supporters of the Charter, and as supporters, they have committed to going above and beyond legal minimums to improve the renting experience for hundreds of thousands of people.
“A safe place to call home is the cornerstone of a happy, healthy life,” explained Mayor Bev Craig. “But for years, people have felt trapped in poor-quality housing, and cash-strapped councils were unable to step in to help. I’m putting an end to that.
“We know there are plenty of good landlords in Greater Manchester, and many of them have already signed up to our Good Landlord Charter, but too many are just not good enough.
“That’s why we’re deploying a new generation of expert housing officers onto the streets of our towns and cities.”
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Mayor Bev Craig declared that she ‘won’t stand by and let rogue landlords take advantage of people’.
She continued: “By empowering renters, working with responsible landlords, and using our powers to crack down on the bad ones, I will make sure everyone in Greater Manchester has the foundation for a good life.”
Featured Image – Benjamin Elliott (via Unsplash)
Daisy Jackson -
10th June 2023 
