Leslie Kerwin

My name is Leslie Kerwin, I’m a third-year Multimedia Journalism student based in Manchester, currently working as a freelance journalist.

I speak Spanish, and am currently learning Teeline shorthand.

Politics

The Northern Quota •

City in shock as Manchester Pride goes into voluntary administration

Manchester’s LGBTQ+ community has been left stunned after the charity behind Manchester Pride announced they have gone into administration.


The news come after dozens of artists revealed they are allegedly owed thousands in unpaid invoices by Manchester Pride Ltd following the August Bank Holiday event.


Organisers have cited rising costs and declining ticket sales as major factors in the decision to go into voluntary liquidation, and said details of suppliers and artists who are awaiting p...
Tameside Reporter •

Benefits bill changes 'shouldn't be looked at in isolation', Tameside MP says

MP Jonathan Reynolds has spoken out after the government's U-turn on its benefits bill, which will see Pip claimants better protected and some universal credit cuts reversed.

The MP for Stalybridge, Hyde, Mossley, Longdendale and Dukinfield described the current benefits system as 'not fit for purpose', and has welcomed the government's most recent changes to its original proposals.

The Universal Credit and Personal Independent Payment Bill was voted in by Parliament on Tuesday (1st July). It...
Tameside Reporter •

Tameside Council recommends new chief executive

A new permanent chief executive has been recommended for appointment at Tameside Council.

Emma Alexander currently works as managing director at Derbyshire County Council, and was recommended for the role at Tameside this week.

She has previously worked at neighbouring Oldham MBC until 2016 as executive director of corporate and commercial services and Trafford MBC until 2009 as corporate director.

Her appointment will be subject to a meeting next week (15th July), with the council hopeful sh...
Tameside Reporter •

Tameside Council announces £1.5 million SEND investment

Tameside Council has announced they will be investing £1.5 million into SEND education across the borough.

The investment will see an additional 133 school places opened up to students with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) in Tameside.

The plan was approved following a public consultation, and the first phase will take effect from September of this year.

An inspection of SEND services for children in Tameside was released last week, with Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission...
Tameside Reporter •

Senior member of Tameside Council to shift to Warrington

The interim chief executive, who first joined Tameside Council to assist after the loss of their previous CEO, has landed a government role helping other struggling councils.

Harry Catherall was appointed as a ministerial envoy via a letter sent by Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government this week.

The revelation came as Tameside Council announced that a new candidate had been put forward for the role of chief executive, which Catherall temporarily took over after previous CEO Sa...
Tameside Reporter •

Angela Rayner suspended from Unite amid Birmingham bin strike controversy

Unite the Union has suspended deputy prime minister and Ashton-Under-Lyne MP Angela Rayner in the latest escalation of the Birmingham bin strike row.

The Labour-run Birmingham Council has been in a long-running dispute with Unite the Union since January, when bin workers staged a walkout after the council announced plans to scrap Waste Cycling and Collection Officer roles - meaning some workers would see an £8,000 pay cut.

Unite the Union claimed the number of affected workers could be as high...
Glossop Chronicle •

The new permanent chief executive of Tameside Council on a salary of £195,000

Emma Alexander was approved as the new Chief Executive of Tameside Council at a full council meeting held this week.

Emma Alexander currently works as managing director at Derbyshire County Council, and was recommended for the role at Tameside last week.

Now, after a successful council meeting on Tuesday (15th July), she is officially set to start her role in November.

After previously working at both Oldham and Trafford Councils, Alexander’s new role will see her take over in overseeing issu...
Glossop Chronicle •

Council managing director sets sights on Tameside

Derbyshire County Council managing director Emma Alexander has been recommended for a senior role a Tameside Council.

Emma first joined Derbyshire County Council in September 2017 as Executive Director for Commissioning Communities and Policy. In January 2021, she became Managing Executive Director before being appointed as permanent Managing Director in December that same year.

Tameside Council announced she has been recommended for the position of Chief Executive at the council, nine months...
The Northern Quota •

Block the Block protest ahead of latest court battle over student accommodation

Members of Hulme campaign group Block the Block protested outside Manchester Civil Justice Centre on Monday ahead of their latest legal battle against the city council and proposals for a nine-storey student accommodation.


The campaign – first launched in 2020 – aims to overturn a council decision to build student accommodation on an abandoned site once home to the Gamecock pub.


Campaigners from Block the Block say the development will drive up house prices and drive out residents, and tha...
The Northern Quota •

David Conn calls for ‘duty of candour’ on officials ahead of Hillsborough Law

Reporter of the year David Conn has called for a ‘duty of candour’ to be placed on police as campaigners call for a Hillsborough law to be introduced within the year.


Conn was joined by legal experts from Garden Court North Chambers at a memorial lecture in the University of Manchester on Thursday, honouring of Hillsborough barrister Mark George, who represented 22 families following the disaster.


The lecture discussed failures in the legal system in the years after the disaster. Named the...
The Northern Quota •

Lights Up launches Levenshulme exhibition

An art exhibition empowering Manchester’s female cyclists has been launched in Levenshulme’s Station South following the success of November’s Lights Up night-time bike ride.


The exhibition was created as part of the Lights Up cycling campaign created by Manchester’s Cycling Mayor Belinda Everett, which aims to challenge the underrepresentation of female cyclists and raise awareness of the issues they face day-to-day.


On 9 November, crowds of women and allies gathered at All Saints Park to...
aAh! Magazine •

Lights Up: Exhibition celebrating women in cycling launches at Station South

The aAh! Magazine X Lights Up Exhibition celebrates the achievements of women in cycling and supports inclusivity and visibility within our community


An art exhibition empowering Manchester’s female cycling community has been unveiled in Levenshulme’s Station South, following the city’s second annual Lights Up night-time cycle event.


The exhibition was created as part of the Lights Up cycling campaign led by Manchester’s cycling mayor Belinda Everett, which aims to challenge the underrepre...
The Northern Quota •

Modern slavery 'major cause for concern' in construction and care industries

Instances of modern-day slavery have been ‘on the rise’ within the construction and care industries in Manchester, with the Deputy Mayor also outlining concern for young charity workers, a conference heard.


The conference, held on world Anti-Slavery Day (18 October) in Manchester’s HOME Gallery, saw deputy mayor Kate Green joined by various experts to discuss Greater Manchester’s response to instances of modern-day slavery.


Speaking at the panel, Angela Hughes – governance manager at Speed...
The Northern Quota •

Deputy city council leader ousted by Workers’ Party in Longsight

Labour’s Luthfur Rahman, deputy leader of Manchester City Council, has lost his council seat to Workers’ Party of Britain candidate Shabas Sarwar after he won 2,444 votes – beating Labour by 185.


It comes after the WPB took control of a further two seats in Rochdale following the 2024 local elections.


Following the election outcome, Councillor Sarwar said he was ‘proud’ of his achievement as someone “new to the political arena” and that he believed the vote had been decided by his party’s...
The Northern Quota •

Mayoral elections: Greater Manchester candidates agree ‘a set of standards’ should be placed on student accommodation after election

Current Labour mayor Andy Burnham and the Liberal Democrats’ Jake Austin have confirmed student accommodation would be included on the Good Landlord Charter if they are elected in the upcoming mayoral election.


The proposed Good Landlord Charter would put more responsibility on landlords to provide good-quality housing conditions for tenants. It would also give tenants the right to request a property check if they believe their housing conditions to be unsafe.


The promises came in the late...
The Northern Quota •

Sunak promises shorter NHS waiting times moments after Brianna Ghey trans jibe – but in Manchester it’s trans people who have to wait longest

Sunak’s promises came moments after making a transphobic comment while Brianna Ghey’s mother attended the Commons during PMQs.


Rishi Sunak attracted widespread condemnation for his refusal to apologise after making a transphobic comment in the House of Commons on Wednesday (7 February) – on the same day the mother of murdered trans teenager Brianna Ghey attended Parliament.


He also admitted his failure to bring down NHS waiting lists during his time as Prime Minister and promised to commit...