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The Mancunian Way

Manchester Evening News

The Mancunian Way is where Manchester’s biggest stories are given the attention they deserve. Join MEN journalist Beth Abbit as she analyses the most important things happening up here, and explains why the rest of the country needs to pay attention.


We also offer analysis from our team of expert reporters who all live and work in Greater Manchester, giving a Mancunian perspective on the stories which set the national agenda.


We hope you will come to see The Mancunian Way as ‘a friend dropping in’ each week.

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  • 12 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 32 min
  • English

Episodes 12

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  • October 16 · 30 min

    BANANAS! Have Manchester City fans been part of a SHAM? | The Mancunian Way

    What’s with all the inflatable bananas? Manchester City fans have found themselves in limbo over the club’s future - but the blue side of Manchester remain as dedicated as ever to their team. It follows Man City being found guilty by an independent commission of 'sham' commercial deals that facilitated over £900m of cheating across nearly a decade in the Premier League. This week on The Mancunian Way, Beth Abbit is joined by Manchester Evening News’ Chief Man City writer Simon Bajkowski to talk all things City - and why fans are taking inflatable bananas to matches. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  • October 12 · 38 min

    "7 minutes of terror" | Sniffer dogs, armed police, kids drilled on alarms: Surviving a terror attack

    This time last year, a terror attack at a north Manchester synagogue left two innocent men dead and three others seriously injured. Heroes Melvin Kravitz and Adrian Daulby lost their lives trying to defend their close-knit Jewish congregation. In this episode of The Mancunian Way, we speak to Marc Levy, Chief Executive of the Jewish Representative Council for Greater Manchester, and Manchester Evening News reporter Greta Simpson, who was one of the first journalists at the scene of the atrocity. They discuss the day itself, the impact of the tragedy on the community, and the worrying rise in antisemitism in Manchester and across the UK. Marc argues the community has been ignored by the ‘silent majority’, forcing Jews to ramp up security measures to protect them from radicalised individuals who are intent on causing harm. “We've been clear: we don't want to live our lives behind gates with security guards. Why should we have to lead smaller Jewish lives because individuals are being radicalised who want to target Jewish people on the streets?”, he says. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  • October 2 · 36 min

    Did Andy Burnham just put a TARGET on his back? | The Mancunian Way

    Andy Burnham's first leader's speech at Labour conference had it all: a 30-second silence as he spoke about his late father, a National Care Service, electoral reform, a possible return to the EU, and a bold plan to take back control of water and energy. But has our new PM just put a target on his back with some lofty promises? In this episode of The Mancunian Way, our reporters Rob Williams, Charlotte Hall and Iram Ramzan, who were in the hall in Liverpool, break down what happened and what it means for Burnham's premiership. 00:00 Intro 00:48 Reaction to the speech 03:22 The pause and the audience in the hall 06:18 The scale of the announcements 16:43 How Burnham got here so quickly 19:43 Protests outside the conference hall 22:40 What the speech left out 25:28 Manchesterism explained 27:22 Can the National Care Service happen? 28:55 Triple lock, empty homes and a radical agenda 30:20 Burnham's target on his back Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  • September 25 · 45 min

    DANGEROUS ENVIRONMENT | 'Our nine-month-old went to nursery and never came home' | The Mancunian WAY

    Genevieve Meehan was just nine-months-old when she was killed by a nursery worker who was supposed to protect her. Kate Roughley swaddled her, placed her face down strapped to a beanbag and left her for 90 minutes. She was jailed for 14 years after being found guilty of manslaughter. Genevieve's parents Katie Wheeler and John Meehan have suffered unimaginable heartache. Despite this, they have bravely stepped up to launch a campaign in their little girl's memory. Campaign for Gigi aims to improve safety standards in nurseries, and has already had demonstrable success in making the lives of children safer. But Gigi's parents want to do more. In the latest episode of The Mancunian Way, Katie and John pay tribute to their beautiful, strong and ‘mischievous’ girl, and outline their goals to ensure safe sleeping is at the top of the agenda in nursery settings. “I’m just a desperate mother who is desperately trying to make sense of what has happened and trying to do something for Genevieve,” Katie says. Continue reading at Manchester Evening News: Campaign for Gigi: Experts lead calls for safe sleep national campaign: https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/campaign-gigi-experts-lead-calls-34617382 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  • September 18 · 24 min

    ‘HEROIN IS OVER!’: The £5 drug TAKING OVER Manchester’s streets

    The popularity of crack cocaine is rising in Greater Manchester. And more and more people are turning to the drug as the purity of street heroin worsens, experts say. They are warning that the expensive habit could lead to more crime and have floated the idea of giving crack pipes to users - similar to a needle exchange. Manchester Evening News reporter Damon Wilkinson has delved into the latest GM Trends drugs study and learnt how one drug user has fears of a 'crack pandemic' emerging in the region. Continue reading at Manchester Evening News: The £5 rocks driving a crisis in Manchester: https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/crack-back-how-5-rocks-34580116 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  • September 11 · 26 min

    ‘It was MONUMENTAL!’ | Inside the Oasis: Don’t Look Back In Anger premiere

    She went all the way to Italy to track down the Gallagher brothers from Burnage. Our What’s On editor Jenna Campbell was one of the first people to see the Oasis documentary Don’t Look Back In Anger at the world premiere in Venice. And boy does she have a story or two to tell about the experience. Continue reading at Manchester Evening News: I went to Venice for the Oasis documentary world premiere and this is what it's really like behind the scenes https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/music-nightlife-news/went-venice-oasis-documentary-world-34579829 Despite being in the beautiful Italian city, her time there was far from glamorous, as viewers will find out. In the latest episode of The Mancunian Way, Jenna is joined by Oasis superfan Katie Butler to digest what the film means to fans, the band, and the wider Mancunian community. She also reflects on surprise moments from the film, and how one scene prompted an unexpected reaction from the audience. Warning: episode contains lot of nostalgia from the monumental Oasis tour last year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  • September 3 · 22 min

    ‘Passing on the baton’ I How Manchester Pride was reborn after losing its way

    It went from grassroots event to commercial behemoth. Then went bust. But Manchester Pride has risen from the ashes this year, with a new name and a different vibe. In 2026, Manchester Village Pride was born. In part two of our two part series on Pride, Beth Abbit sits down with LGBTQ+ reporter Adam Maidment to discuss how Pride lost its way in recent years, but how this year felt different. Beth’s also joined by Steph Kay, a long-standing businesswoman in the Village, who runs event Afternoon Delights. The fundamental question at the heart of our two part series is - why is Pride still needed today? This week’s episode also looks forward, to explore whether the event will be needed in years to come when the Pride baton is passed on to future generations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  • August 28 · 34 min

    ‘It was APPALLING!’ | How did Manchester go from AIDS panic to the gay capital?

    Pride - a key event in the Manchester calendar with a proud history of protest. But is it still needed today? To answer this question, and to help look forward, host Beth Abbit this week looks back to the roots of Pride in Manchester. From Mardis Gras to corporate giant, she asks, why do we still need Pride 40 years on? This week Beth is joined by councillor Pat Karney, who was at the forefront of Manchester Council’s work to bring gay culture out into the open in the 80s and 90s. Pat recalls the hostile environment he faced in the Thatcher era, and the pioneering work his team did to change attitudes. She’s also joined by our LGBTQ+ reporter Adam Maidment, who shares his personal memories of Pride and speaks of the pain of hearing the way establishment figures treated the community 40 years ago. This is the first part in our two part series on Pride. Next week, we will discuss Pride today - what it has become in recent years and how there has been a renewed focus on going back to its roots. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  • August 26 · 36 min

    Driven by jealousy and rage: Inside the shocking murder of Thomas Campbell

    She played the perfect grieving widow. But it was all an act. In a crime that shocked Greater Manchester, it emerged Coleen Campbell had played a key role in the murder of ex husband Thomas Campbell. The pair had lived the good life together as criminals, but things soured and they ended up separating after allegations of cheating. He moved on with his life, but in a crime motivated by jealousy and rage, Coleen plotted with criminal mastermind, John Belfield, to get Thomas back. Thomas was then ambushed on his doorstep and brutally murdered by three men. One of the men has never been caught. In this week’s episode of The Mancunian Way, lead detective DI Paul Davies details how he tracked down the killers to bring them to justice, and he gives an update on the investigation into the missing culprit. He’s joined by Andrew Bardsley, the reporter who covered the case extensively in court. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  • August 10 · 28 min

    Andy Burnham’s successor on having BIG shoes to fill | The Mancunian Way

    Greater Manchester's new mayor Bev Craig has unveiled plans for a major cost of living summit aimed at easing pressure on struggling families, as she vowed to put the city-region ahead of party politics in her dealings with Prime Minister Andy Burnham. In a wide-ranging exclusive interview with the Manchester Evening News, her first since winning last week's mayoral election, Craig revealed she will bring together businesses, charities and financial institutions in September to explore new ways of cutting household costs. She also insisted she would not hesitate to push Burnham for more powers and funding, saying: "My job isn't to be friends with the Prime Minister. It's to get the best deal" for Greater Manchester. Continue reading at Manchester Evening News: 'My job isn't to be friends with the Prime Minister - it's to get the best deal for Greater Manchester': https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/my-job-isnt-friends-prime-34417831 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Showing 1–12 of 12 episodes