University of Manchester students to vote in referendum on President Nancy Rothwell’s future
The vote is being called a "historic and unprecedented step" for students, with the referendum described as the first of its kind in almost 200 years of UoM's history.
University of Manchesterstudents will vote on a referendumof ‘no confidence’ in President Nancy Rothwell and senior staff in March.
The poll is being described as a “historic and unprecedented step” and the first of its kind in almost 200 years of UoM’s history.
Campaigners have argued a vote of no confidence in Rothwell and her team will send a “resounding message” and “make it abundantly clear that their positions are completely untenable”.
The announcement of the referendum alone has piled more pressure on the university’s key figures – who are being accused by students of “repeated failures and broken promises” throughout the pandemic.
Voting will take place from 8-11 March, with results published on 12 March.
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When contacted for comment, a University of Manchester spokesperson responded: “The pandemic has caused a great deal of disruption for students, and they have not been able to have the university experience they would have expected.
“We have all worked very hard to provide all our students with the best possible learning and student experience in these unprecedented and challenging circumstances. We have not got everything right, but we are committed to working closely with student representatives to address concerns and meet student needs.”
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On Monday 8th, nominations will open for the next Exec team, Part-Time Officers and NUS delegates.
We will also be facilitating an all-student referendum on behalf of our membership, as a result of a petition we received.
— University of Manchester Students’ Union (@ManchesterSU) February 1, 2021
Local students have experienced a disruptive academic year in 2020/21; with the vast majority required to participate in most lectures via video link due to COVID restrictions.
Relationships between students and management staff were strained early on due to isolation requirements and complaints over the quality of food parcels delivered to halls.
Other residents claimed they had experienced issues with accommodation; such as leaking roofs and flooding.
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In November, students at the university’s Fallowfield campus tore down security fences that had been put up overnight without warning.
Protest groups also occupied the derelict Owens Park to demand rent refunds for the first semester, blasting the UoM’s initial two-week reduction offer as a “slap in the face” before settling on a 30% discount.
Rothwell was also forced to issue a public apology following a ‘racial profiling’ incident at university halls in which one student was pinned up against a wall by security staff and accused of looking “like a drug dealer.”
@BenMcGowan_
UoM published a pledge at the end of 2020, admitting it “hadn’t got everything right”.
But tensions in the student community have continued into semester two; both in Manchester and beyond.
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Campaigns have been taking place across uni campuses in 2021 – being described as the “biggest student protests in 40 years.”
In January, student accommodation platform Housemates called on the government to provide urgent financial aid to students and halls during the national lockdown.
A £50 million support fund was announced last week – with the money set to be distributed by the Office for Students (OfS) directly to universities.
But the University and College Union (UCU) described the measure as a “sticking plaster”.
General secretary Jo Grady said: “Small-scale funding packages like this are simply a sticking plaster and not the answer to the widespread problems facing the sector. The Government needs to go further and provide proper funding to avoid irreparable long-term damage to the sector’s reputation.”
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Full list of road closures set to be in place for Manchester Day 2024
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Day is back for 2024 this weekend, and the full list of road closures set to be in place has been confirmed.
Now that schools are officially out across Greater Manchester, and the summer holidays are well and truly here, the hugely-popular Manchester Day is making a return once again this Saturday 27 July, and as always, it’s set to be “the day summer officially starts” in the city centre – with a massive celebration of “all things Mancunian” on the cards.
The theme of this year’s annual event is ‘Let The Games Begin’, and it’s inspired by the international summer of sport, just 2024 Olympics kicks off over in Paris.
The day will be packed full of free events and activities to get involved with.
Some city centre roads will be closed on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 July for Manchester Day.
These will include:
🛣️Deansgate 🛣️St Ann Street 🛣️St Mary’s Gate 🛣️Market Street 🛣️King Street
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) July 21, 2024
But of course, in order for the all the fun to go ahead as safely as possible, and as tends to be the case for events like these, Manchester City Council says it will need to make some temporary road closures to facilitate it.
The full list of road closures has now been confirmed by the Council, and there’s some major city centre thoroughfares set to be out of action.
Here’s everything you need to know.
Manchester Day is back for 2024 to celebrate the international summer of sport / Credit: Manchester City Council
Manchester Day 2024 – Road Closures
Saturday 27 July
From 6am to 11:59pm, Manchester City Council has confirmed that the following roads will be closed:
Deansgate (Manchester Cathedral to John Dalton Street) – access will be maintained to Marks and Spencer’s car park and Number One Deansgate.
St Ann Street (Deansgate to Cross Street)
St Mary’s Gate (Exchange Street to Deansgate)
St Mary’s Street (Southbridge Street to Deansgate)
Market Street (Exchange Street to Cross Street)
Fennel Street (Corporation Street to Cathedral Street) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cathedral Street (Fennel Street to Exchange Square) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cateaton Street (Exchange Square to Deansgate)
Barton Square (St Ann’s Square to St Ann Street)
King Street (Cross Street to Deansgate) – no access for deliveries.
All accessible bays, bus lanes, and taxi ranks within the closed areas will also be suspended during from 6pm on Friday 26 July to 11:59pm on Saturday 27 July.
The parking suspensions set to be in place are:
Deansgate (Manchester Cathedral to John Dalton Street)
St Ann Street – including the bays outside St Ann’s Church (Deansgate to Cross Street)
St Mary’s Gate (Exchange Street to Deansgate)
St Mary’s Street (Southbridge Street to Deansgate)
Southgate (St Mary’s Street to King Street West)
Market Street (Exchange Street to Cross Street)
Fennel Street (Corporation Street to Cathedral Street) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cathedral Street (Fennel Street to Exchange Square) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cateaton Street (Exchange Square to Deansgate)
Victoria Street (Cathedral Approach to Deansgate)
Todd Street (Corporation Street to Station Approach)
King Street (Spring Gardens to Southgate)
South King Street (Ridgefield to Deansgate)
Barton Square (St Ann’s Square to St Ann Street)
King Street West (Deansgate to St Mary’s Parsonage)
St James’s Square (John Dalton Street to South King Street)
Cross Street (King Street to Corporation Street)
Museum Street (Peter Street to Windmill Street)
Marsden Street (Cheapside to Brown Street)
Manchester Day 2024: Let The Games Begin! will take over the city centre on Saturday 27 July from 12pm-6pm.
Check out everything you need to know ahead of the event here.
‘Complex’ Metrolink repairs to the Rochdale via Oldham line could take weeks to complete
Emily Sergeant
Work currently underway on the Rochdale via Oldham line is expected to take several weeks to complete.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has confirmed that land movement affecting the Metrolink network near Derker has now “slowed”, and this means that detailed ground investigations and temporary repair works have been able to get underway.
In order for trams to run again on the crucial line from the city centre to the two major Greater Manchester towns, TfGM says that a small section of track has to be moved back – also known as ‘slewed’ – into its original position.
The overhead line poles also need to be repaired too, the transport operator revealed.
Rochdale line update
Land movement affecting the Metrolink network near Derker has slowed, enabling detailed ground investigations and temporary repair works to get underway.
To get trams running again, a small section of track has to be moved back into its original position… pic.twitter.com/byERjitdi1
Unfortunately though, due to the “complex” nature of these works, and despite the fact that TfGM says it’s actively looking to “accelerate” the repairs, the project is expected to take up to five weeks to complete in full.
On top of this, the detailed ground investigations will also establish whether any further work to strengthen foundations beneath the track will be needed at a later date.
TfGM has apologised for the inconvenience caused to passengers.
‘Complex’ Metrolink repairs to the Rochdale via Oldham line could take weeks to complete / Credit: TfGM
Speaking on the scale of works currently underway, and how long he expects them to continue for, Pete Sommers, who is TfGM’s Network Director for Metrolink, said: “I’m sorry for the impact this is having, and will continue to have, on people’s journeys.
“We are working to get trams running through the area again, but this remains a complex and challenging issue and it could still be a few weeks before this happens.
“We will of course keep passengers updated, and I’d encourage people to check our social media channels and website for the latest information and advice.”