A city on the brink of collapse

Dear readers — those of you who have been with us for a while now will be no stranger to David Rudlin, the Urban Planner turned Mill-regular-freelancer, who we call up for help whenever we’ve been writing a little too much news. And boy does he deliver. Today Rudlin takes us on a journey he went on forty years ago, and then just recently again, from the heart of the city (aka Albert Square) to the cusp of it (Barton Aqueduct). In doing so he tracks the changes Manchester has gone through over the last four decades. It’s a poignant tale — and one that Mill members can read right after your briefing, which is for everyone.

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Let the Universally Manchester Festival blow your mind 

What are asteroids made of? How can we save the world’s frogs? And can you master the psychology to win The Traitors? These are just some of the questions being asked at the Universally Manchester Festival later this month. Fun for all the family, this one-day festival showcases The University of Manchester’s research, teaching, and cultural work, and invites us to marvel at the discoveries that shape our everyday life. With over 80 hands-on activities including creative sessions, live science experiments and heritage tours – there’s something to pique everyone's curiosity.

Head down to The University of Manchester’s Oxford Road campus on 13th June to join the fun. Click below to see the full programme – who knows what you’ll discover.

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Your briefing

🔬 Robert Kenyon — Reform UK’s candidate in Makerfield — was quizzed by the BBC about his previous comments on everything from Russia’s foreign policy, Brexit and misogyny. On all fronts, Kenyon seemed unsure. He said his views on Russia, having previously supported the annexation of Crimea, changed since serving in the army reserves. He previously said that the Leave campaign peddled “nationalistic pish”, but now swears he voted for Brexit and that he is “not sure what nationalistic pish means”. He also said “I have not made sexual remarks about Carol Vorderman”, but that he responded to someone else’s remarks with a crass joke. Overall, Kenyon said all of these things happened before he entered politics and came under the attendant scrutiny. Now, as a councillor and prospective MP, he says he “won’t make crass comments because everything you do and say is under a microscope”. Whether that explanation will fly with voters come 18 June is to be seen.

📱 And more students at the University of Manchester have reported threatening late-night phone calls, following a medical student’s open letter to the vice-chancellor about a “pervasive culture of sexual harassment in the School of Medical Sciences”. Charlotte Buttercase, who wrote the letter, told The Mill that more than 30 women have since come forward with testimony, though she believes this figure underestimates the scale of the issue. The students all receive anonymous calls in the middle of the night, which allegedly include men “screaming gender-based slurs” at them and asking them to perform sexual favours. The BBC reports that GMP has said no cases so far have passed the threshold for a criminal investigation. We’ll be reporting on this story in-depth very soon, so get in touch if you know more.