The imposition of austerity measures as a neoliberal response to the crisis of 2008 has had multiple effects, not least upon the industrial north, which was already reeling from the effects of Thatcherism, in particular due to the loss of its industrial base.

A particular effect of this has been the rise in homelessness in Manchester, which has gone up 41 per cent since 2016, though experts estimate that official figures are approximately half of the actual total of rough sleepers.

Since 2010/11 the city council’s budget has been cut by nearly a third, with an attendant cut of just over a third of its workforce. As well as cuts limiting the amount of services it can provide, just under 3,000 people have been made increasingly vulnerable due to these job losses.