A view of a corner flag before the Emirates FA Cup fourth round match at Old Trafford, Manchester, February 7, 2025
MANCHESTER UNITED’S identity is deeply rooted in its working-class origins.
The club, originally founded as Newton Heath Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Football Club in 1878, was primarily a recreational activity for railway employees. Engels wrote The Condition of the Working Class in England while living in Manchester.
The city was central to Chartism and was the site of the first Trade Union Congress meeting in 1868.
The basic human requirement of having a roof over one’s head is being undermined by West Northamptonshire Council – but local anti-cuts campaigners are rising above the divisive Farageist rhetoric to build unity and fight back, reports DAVID CONWAY
DAVID CONWAY explores how trades councils uniquely bring together diverse local groups to tackle everything from domestic abuse to green campaigns, but warns they must attract younger delegates and use social media more effectively
