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Mandelson: Brexit will unite Ireland

Former EU Commissioner Lord Peter Mandelson believes the impracticality of operating an EU border between the UK and Ireland will eventually lead to a united country. The forecast that economic reality will detach unionists from their loyalty to the UK…
callum
22nd February 2018
Just Jim

Don’t patronise us Boris

I’m sure most Remainers will be heartily irritated by the patronising tone of the Foreign Secretary this week. It was billed as an attempt to bridge the great divide in our nation over Brexit. It failed for a number of…
callum
15th February 2018
BlogsTotally Frank

Making a difference #1 – Ruth Turner

Downtown in Business is fortunate to have a stable of inspirational speakers who regularly rock up at our events to inspire and inform our members. A recent addition to our ‘portfolio of presenters’ is Ruth Turner, who joined us for an…
callum
15th February 2018
Just Jim

No Pardon for Suffragettes!

PARDONS. This week’s commemoration of thirty-year-old women getting the vote in 1918 was marred for me by the suggestion that the women who resorted to arson and criminal damage should be retrospectively pardoned. This is like Britain apologising for various…
callum
8th February 2018
Just Jim

Uni’s not what it’s cracked up to be

Downtown is always ahead of the game, so this week even before George Osborne identified educational attainment as the biggest issue in the North-South divide, a Manchester Downtown event had the benefit of an interesting debate about education. Our guest…
callum
1st February 2018
Just Jim

Truss gets the Downtown message

My 40 years of covering ministerial visits to the North have left me a bit jaded. They are billed as opportunities for ministers to get out of the Westminster bubble and hear what “real people” are saying. One of two…
callum
25th January 2018
Just Jim

Carillion boost for Corbyn

The political tide should be running strongly for Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. In the week when he has tightened his grip on the party’s organisation, the collapse of construction giant Carillion gives powerful weight to his arguments against privatising public…
callum
18th January 2018