SALFORD STAR ON STRIKE AGAINST SALFORD COUNCIL ILLEGAL DENIAL OF INFORMATION AND MORE…

Today, the Salford Star is seven years old. And, today, the Salford Star is going on strike to show what the city would be like with no free independent press holding Salford City Council up to account.

As Salford City Mayor Ian Stewart and his cohort of Assistants and spin doctors seem determined to turn Salford into China with its idea of democracy, the Salford Star is taking a stand.

`PRAVDA' COUNCIL MAG TO BE RE-LAUNCHED AS SALFORD STAR REFUSED ACCESS

As the Government's Communities Secretary, Eric Pickles, officially condemns local council magazines as `Town Hall Pravdas', and says they are "propaganda that pours taxpayers money down the drain", Salford Council is about to re-launch its Life In Salford magazine.

After asking for `community' articles to be included in the first issue of Life, a small feature about volunteering for the Salford Star was refused by the infinitely biased publication.

NARROWGATE NIGHT SHELTER REOPENS – BUT NO THANKS TO SALFORD COUNCIL

Narrowgate Night Shelter, which had to close its doors to around 28 homeless people this month, is to reopen for three nights a week thanks to a large donation from a member of the public.

Salford Council, however, is continuing with its compassion deficit and is refusing to support the Shelter, unlike other councils.

PEEL GROUP CASHES IN ON BBC AT MEDIACITYUK

The BBC handed £500,000 to Peel Media for studio space it didn't use at MediaCityUK, according to a new National Audit Office Report.

While the media has concentrated on the huge expenses of BBC staff involved in the move to Salford, the astronomical contracts signed with its private landlord, totalling over £16million a year, have been overlooked.

A WEEK OF SALFORD OPPOSITION TO CONDEM AUSTERITY

Manchester People's Assembly
Tuesday May 21st from 5:30pm
Central Hall, Oldham Street, M/cr

Salford Bedroom Tax Meeting
Little Hulton and Walkden Tuesday May 21st 7:30pm

A week of opposition to ConDem Government policies begins tomorrow night when Salford people will be joining Mancs to hear Mark Steel, Owen Jones, Francesca Martinez and more address a packed hall. Meanwhile the Salford fight against the Bedroom Tax continues with a meeting in Little Hulton the same  night.

ADIDAS, McDONALD'S, M &S AND URBIS TARGETED FOR PROTESTS

Campaigners against Israel targeted high street stores that are sponsoring this summer's UEFA Under-21 Football Championship, before protesting outside the National Football Museum at Urbis last weekend.

FRIGHTENING PROSPECT OF HARMFUL AIR POLLUTION
 
Last week, Eric Pickles, Government Minister for Communities and Local Government, announced that Peel Holdings' incinerator, also known as the Barton Renewable Energy Plant, would go ahead, despite opposition from local communities, councils and incinerator experts.

Now Salford can expect to get the full wind-blown fall out from the plant which the Breathe Clean Air Group states "will cause harm and people may therefore leave the area..."

TOP TUNES, WORDS AND ATTITUDE AT THE KINGS ARMS

The Girobabies,
The Universal, Death To The Strange, Words Escape Me 
Thursday 23rd May from 7:30pm £5
Kings Arms

An ace two fingered salute to everything that's happening arrives in Salford this Thursday, led by Scotland's The Girobabies, Liverpool's The Universal and Salford's own Death To The Strange, with added anger from local poet Words Escape Me.

Paul Heaton, who invited The Girobabies to play at the Kings, says they "tell it like it is, like it was and more importantly like it's going to be". Don't miss!

SALFORD URBAN AND RURAL

Featuring a town and country theme, Salford Art Club's Annual Exhibition opened on Saturday, with artists inspired by everything from Buile Hill Park to Media City and most work up for sale at affordable prices.

There's also a guest painting by Salford Art Club's most famous member, LS Lowry, depicting Oldfield Road Dwelling. Gareth Lyons browsed through the collection and was well impressed.

ENGELS AND MARX WALKABOUT

Dr Marx and Mr Engels
Friday 31st May 10:45am
Oxford Rd Station, Manchester

As the Bedroom Tax bites and UKIP pushes the political agenda into the loony bin why not see the sites of abject poverty that inspired Fred Engels and his mate Karl Marx to come up with some rather drastic solutions?

SALFORD PRECINCT JEWELLERY, PLANTS AND DANCE ACTIVITIES

During the school half term Salford Shopping Centre is putting on a range of free activities for kids during 25th May and 1st June. Salford's School of Dance will be performing, and there'll be jewellery and mosaic plant pots workshops.

SALFORD PENSIONER GEORGE TAPP HOSPITALISED BY `MAD MAN'

Ordsall campaigner, George Tapp, was taken to the MRI Hospital last night with two broken legs after being callously run over by a motorist during a peaceful, lawful picket of BAM construction, one of the companies identified in blacklisting workers for trade union activity.

Protesters were handing out leaflets to motorists outside the BAM Construction site at the new Manchester City complex in Eastlands when the car accelerated into three campaigners, leaving George hospitalised. "This was an act of a mad man" says Paul Kelly who was on the protest.

A Salford Star Exclusive

OPTION TO SHUT THE GRANGE AS KIDS WITH DISABILITIES NOT `VALUE FOR MONEY'

"It is recognised that some parents might be concerned or unhappy about the potential change…" Salford Council report

Salford Council is proposing to kick kids with disabilities out of The Grange, its Brookhouse Estate based purpose built five bedded short break residential unit for children with disabilities.

A secret Council report to Mayor Ian Stewart, obtained by the Salford Star, states that facilities at The Grange "do not provide value for money".

CRIME PAYS FOR HAZEL BLEARS

Hazel Blears, who sits on Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee, as well as being a former Police and Counter Terrorism Minister, has landed a job as `Strategic Advisor' with police and crime consultants Juice Advisory Ltd, which pays £1000 per day for her services.

Juice Advisory is aiming to get privatised contracts from the new Police and Crime Commissioners, while it's also worked with the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Interior which has a less than wholesome human rights record.

SURVEY CONFIRMS COUNCILS BULLY LOCAL PRESS AND RESTRICT INFO

A devastating survey of local press editors by the Newspaper Society for Local Newspaper Week reveals that councils routinely bully local newspapers by threatening to withdraw advertising if they don't like what's written. Meanwhile, a massive 70% of editors reported that getting information out of public bodies is getting harder...

… And we thought it was just the Salford Star that was treated like Al Qaeda for daring to hold Salford Council up to account…

FIRST BEDROOM TAX SUICIDE AS BLEARS MAKES HUGE SECOND HOME PROFIT

While the first Bedroom Tax suicide is making the front pages, MPs, including Hazel Blears, have made huge profits on taxpayer subsidised second homes.

Salford and Eccles MP Blears, who claimed over £50,000 from Parliament in mortgage payments over just four years, reportedly sold her second home for a £120,000 profit – but has had to pay back only £7,664 to cover gains that the property made in value over a recent 15 month period.

PEEL HOLDINGS INCINERATOR AND ROAD FUMES COULD ESCAPE POLLUTION MEASURES

Salford, Europe's first smoke free city, could be engulfed by nitrogen dioxide as the ConDem Government intends to cut back on Air Quality Assessments.

The news comes as Salford Council is about to take over Air Quality Monitoring for the whole of Greater Manchester; while areas such as Barton, soon to be home to Port Salford and the Peel Incinerator, are already exceeding air quality limits.

QUAYS CRANES DOOMED AS OMITTED FROM HERITAGE LIST

A last minute plea for Salford Council to add the blue Salford Quays Cargo Cranes to its revised Local List of Heritage Assets has been rejected and it now looks like nothing can save the iconic reminders of the city's former dock history.

Added to the List was the Racecourse Hotel on Littleton Road, Clowes Park in Broughton and the Mark Addy pub on New Bailey Street.

SALFORD COUNCIL COMPASSION DEFICIT AS NIGHT SHELTER SHUTS

"Withdrawing support for homeless people who have fallen on hard times is clearly contrary to our values." Blackpool Council

Around 28 homeless people have been chucked back out on the streets of Salford as the Narrowgate emergency night shelter closed its doors this week, following a judgement in Wales around the classification of shelters.

Salford Council could have chosen to show compassion but, so far, has decided to do nothing…

SALIX HOMES RESIDENTS APPROVE BALLOT ON TRANSFER OF THEIR HOMES

A `test of opinion' on the transfer of residents' homes away from Salford Council's Salix Homes to a housing association not controlled by Salford Council has resulted in a move to a formal ballot on the issue.

Just 2,500 tenants took part in the survey out of an estimated 20,000 tenants, with opinions on any eventual transfer far from conclusive - despite the spin Salford Mayor, Ian Stewart, is putting on the findings.

SALFORD COUNCIL CLARENDON PRIMARY MESS FORCES ACADEMY

"We need this like a hole in the head" NUT

Salford Council's meddling with Clarendon Road Primary School in Eccles has been slammed by Salford National Union of Teachers, as the ConDem Government is now forcing the school to become an academy.

SALFORD UNIVERSITY MEMO LEAK REVEALS 75 REDUNDANCIES OVER 1000 STUDENTS AFFECTED AND POSSIBLE "LOSS OF CREDIBILITY AND CONFIDENCE IN SALFORD"

A memo leaked to the Salford Star and other media by disgruntled staff at the University of Salford reveals plans for the wholesale closure of courses in its Humanities and Law departments, 75 redundancies and over 1,000 students affected - including 245 who have already accepted offers for the soon-to-be-dead courses.

The memo adds that "Salford may be viewed as 'risky choice'" by students, agencies and sponsors.

NEW MEDIACITYUK TECH COLLEGE FOR 14-19 YEAR OLDS

A new media tech college for 14-19 year olds called UTC at MediaCityUK is to open in September 2014, backed by The Lowry, University of Salford, Salford College and the Aldridge Foundation, with young people expected to turn up 8:30am-5:30pm most days, wearing `business dress'.

A step forward or back to the 1950s?

STOP PRIVATISATION OF SALFORD MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

Public Meeting
Tuesday 7th May 6pm
Buile Hill Conference Centre

Salford's Labour councillors are currently delivering a newsletter around Salford which features an article quite rightly opposing the privatisation of Fire Services. Unfortunately the same councillors are proposing to privatise the city's Mental Health Support Services. There's a public meeting tonight where speakers will underline how privatisation will adversely affect service users.

SALFORD MAYOR IAN STEWART AND CO MAY DAY NO SHOW

Just one Salford Labour councillor attended the annual May Day Rally at Bexley Square on Saturday, as City Mayor, Ian Stewart, his Assistant Mayors and councillors blanked the traditional gathering of trade unions, workers and the wider community.

"Isn't that interesting" noted Salford Pensioners Association speaker, Alice Searle "We're in a Labour city but the councillors can't get themselves out of their beds to come and listen…"

SALFORD CITY END SEASON RUFFLING PEACOCK FEATHERS

Salford City 1 Lancaster City 0

Salford City ended a turbulent season on a high by doing the treble over Lancaster City, thanks to a Chris Thompson goal twenty seconds into the second half.

Former Newcastle United and QPR defender, Darren Peacock, managing his first game for Lancaster, had to endure chants of `You're getting sacked in the morning' from Salford fans…

BEXLEY SQUARE MAY DAY RALLY AGAINST BEDROOM TAX AND NHS CUTS

May Day Rally and March
Saturday May 4th 10am -11:15am
Bexley Square followed by march to Manchester

This year's Salford and Manchester May Day Rally has three themes which trade union organisers are hoping will bring out the crowds. The themes are Save Our NHS! Defend All Jobs and Public Services! Axe The Bedroom Tax, Scrap Welfare Reforms! Surely everyone in Salford can agree with one of those? 

SALFORD COMMUNITY LEISURE TO END UK'S FIRST FREE LIBRARY

Salford Council boasts on its website about the city having the UK's first unconditionally free library at Peel Park. But now that is to end, according to Salford City UNISON, as cuts by Salford Community Leisure hit heritage services, while Salford City Art Gallery and Museum, and Ordsall Hall face partial closure. And all done with no public consultation.

SALFORD RANGERS REAL FACTS STORM

Gena Merrett, Salford Council's Assistant Mayor for the Environment, has been at it again, with a thinly veiled attack on the Salford Star over cuts to the Salford Ranger Service.

On her webpage, the Assistant Mayor accuses "someone" of `deliberately misleading' Salford citizens… "to serve some sustained campaign against individual members of the Mayoral team"…More paranoia or did `someone' get their facts wrong?