Sign in

Mark Fraser

@mark37m.bsky.social
119 followers 146 following 71 posts

Building middleton.coop @MiddCooperating Working with visionary people and organisations to transform our local community/economy in Middleton. Personal views here. Previously @MarkMark37m on the twitter.

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Mark Fraser
Refugee Action @refugeeaction.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
The housing emergency has created an expensive, poor quality and divisive asylum accommodation system. So 51 organisations have written to Andy Burnham to tell him he already has the answers to housing all people in need. Our letter is on his desk. bit.ly/4fRRMHw
Image of Andy Burnham in a a suit standing next to large text addressing him. The text says:
Dear Andy Burnham, 
You say Britain needs more social housing.  
You say communities need more local power. 
You say public services should be for the public, not profits.
We say, don't discriminate and apply these principles to all people, including people seeking safety.  
51 organisations have written to you. 
The letter is on your desk.
11512
Reposted by Mark Fraser
Tom Pollard @pollardtom.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
"The simple fact is that mental health services haven’t kept pace with rising demand" Great to hear this from @andyburnham.bsky.social Today's announcement of new neighbourhood mental health centres is a positive step towards a more open access model of support www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic...
mirror.co.uk
Burnham: 'Mental health system piles pressure on NHS - this needs to change'
New Prime Minister Andy Burnham writes for The Mirror as the government announces "a major expansion of NHS mental health services so people can get help earlier and closer to home"
194
Reposted by Mark Fraser
New Economics Foundation @neweconomics.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Burnham won't be able to change our social care system until he fixes one thing: private companies sucking profit out of this essential public service. Councils spend £34.5bn a year on care, but this cash is being sucked out of the system as profit and investor returns. 1/3
616566
Reposted by Mark Fraser
Saul Staniforth @saulstaniforth.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
The head of JPMorgan Chase defends trickle down economics, declaring: "growth always helps the lowest paid people the most" He was paid $43 million last year.
1910952
Mark Fraser @mark37m.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
Hard to disagree with what Peter Oborne says here. "Starmer was a fabricator and a fraud." www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/star...
middleeasteye.net
Starmer was a fabricator and a fraud. Good riddance
From attacking Corbyn for political gain, to abandoning the key pledges that got him elected, the UK leader leaves office in disgrace
062
Mark Fraser @mark37m.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
Come to Midd, Matt 👍
010
Reposted by Mark Fraser
Alan Rusbridger @arusbridger.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
Burnham is proposing Downing Street North. But don’t stop there. Create House of Lords North. Send them to deliberate in Rochdale or Oldham. Many will retire or resign. Sad, but I think Britain can take it. app.prospectmagazine.co.uk/story/74018/...
app.prospectmagazine.co.uk
Andy Burnham wants more power in the north—move the Lords there
For generations, governments have promised devolution while keeping every important institution in London. That can change
2323946
Reposted by Mark Fraser
Tom Pollard @pollardtom.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
People with mental health problems often wait too long for (or never get) a really good conversation about why they're struggling & what help they need I've written for @newstatesman1913.bsky.social on how a 'same-day open access' model could transform outcomes www.newstatesman.com/spotlight/20...
newstatesman.com
A cup of tea can determine whether people get the help they need
A "Same-Day Open Access" model could transform outcomes for people with mental health problems – but only if Westminster starts to value relationships
163
Reposted by Mark Fraser
Byline Times @bylinetimes.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
🔴 NEW: ‘Why Andy Burnham Must Break With Israel’ The likely incoming Prime Minister must break with Keir Starmer's "morally bankrupt" legacy on Gaza in order to restore his party's reputation with the public, argues genocide scholar Martin Shaw Read the full story below.
bylinetimes.com
'Why Andy Burnham Must Break With Israel'
The likely incoming Prime Minister must break with Keir Starmer's "morally bankrupt" legacy on Gaza in order to restore his party's reputation with the public, argues genocide scholar Martin Shaw
149930
Reposted by Mark Fraser
Co-operatives UK @cooperativesuk.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Our CEO @rosemarley.bsky.social was on Sky News earlier today talking about Andy Burnham and how #coops provide solutions. Rose covered the brilliant work of Middleton Cooperating & Middleton Co‑operative Mayoral Development Corporation + the importance of giving people agency to bring about change.
022
Reposted by Mark Fraser
Tom Pollard @pollardtom.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
If Burnham does look to devolve much of the DWP's current remit, as seems likely, he should use that as an opportunity to try to tackle deep-rooted cultural & institutional issues in the department that have constrained & distorted policy thinking & delivery for too long... 1/5
11912
Reposted by Mark Fraser
Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit (GMIAU) @gmiau.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Plans to warehouse people in disused military sites, the kind of places where time and again we've seen serious safeguarding and health crises, are a mistake that will benefit no one. People need homes and communities. Not hotels. Not barracks. Not camps. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Home Office plan to use more military bases to house asylum seekers
Three new sites in Oxfordshire, Suffolk, and Yorkshire could house about 3,750 asylum seekers if permission is granted.
131
Reposted by Mark Fraser
Zack Polanski @zackpolanski.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
The genocide in Gaza is a moral litmus test for Burnham.
In particular, something that's very important to lots of people in this country, is the genocide in Gaza, which Andy Burnham often refuses to recognise as a genocide.
38736239
Reposted by Mark Fraser
David Graeber Institute @davidgraeberinst.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
We have the stock market figures everyday. Maybe also we could have figures on the number of homeless people too. And the media can report daily on those homeless figures.
We have the stock market figures everyday. Maybe also we could have figures on the number of homeless people too. 

And the media can report daily on those homeless figures.
510340
Reposted by Mark Fraser
Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani @mayor.nyc.gov · 24/06/2026
That's why we're building affordable housing, making child care universal, and investing in the services families rely on every day. Because the best investment we can make in our economy is in the people who make this city run.
Mayor Mamdani speaks at the Choose NY summit.
546559
Mark Fraser @mark37m.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
Great to see reference to Karel Williams etc's foundational economy with clarity that "the essentials of life should be provided for need rather than profit". The community power we're building @middcooperating.bsky.social will be crucial to delivery. Read it here: actionnetwork.org/forms/the-pr...
actionnetwork.org
Read Mainstream's new paper 'The Productive State: A Framework for Manchesterism'
I've just downloaded Mainstream's new paper by Mathew Lawrence and Alex Williams - The Productive State: A Framework for Manchesterism. Read this new contribution to the debate about how Labour can b...
000
Mark Fraser @mark37m.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
I'm wondering whether it's safe to retweet this - that's how the "chilling effect" on free speech works. Repeal of the draconian powers in the 2021 Counter-Terrorism and Sentencing Act needs to be high up in Andy Burnham's very full Downing St in-tray. open.substack.com/pub/jonathan...
open.substack.com
The plot against Palestine Action
British courts have upheld the proscription of Palestine Action and sentenced four of its activists as terrorists. A series of abuses of legal process ensured these outcomes were all but predetermined
020
Reposted by Mark Fraser
Nick Plumb @nickplumb.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
Following the by-election I'm in the New Statesman this morning, urging people to dig into the thinking of Miatta Fahnbulleh, one of the central figures around Andy Burnham. I argue that Fahnbullehism is a brand of radical co-operativism, likely to be influential to AB's agenda should he become PM.
newstatesman.com
Is Miatta Fahnbulleh the brains behind Burnham?
Fahnbullehism is a philosophy rooted in the co-operative movement
2164
Mark Fraser @mark37m.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Karel Williams/David Edgerton - www.newstatesman.com/politics/lab... "thinking expertly and locally will also be vitally important as knowledge of a local economy will lead people to start from where we are and what we need to change rather than fantasies about leading the world in AI or green tech"
newstatesman.com
010
Mark Fraser @mark37m.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
Good article - described as startling by the New Statesman editor. Apparently he's startled by "the reality of Britain's modern outsourced state, where private companies offer the basics our governments no longer seem capable of providing themselves". Has he not been paying attention all this time?
000
Reposted by Mark Fraser
The New Statesman @newstatesman1913.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
HOW BRITAIN LOST CONTROL by @anooshc.bsky.social, the story of how we outsourced the state and became HMO Island Everything is broken. Nothing changes. Voters are mad as hell
newstatesman.com
How Britain lost control
Everything is broken. Nothing changes. Voters are mad as hell
297
Reposted by Mark Fraser
Stephen Frost @sfrost.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
This is how communities show up for each other. Do read this by Nicola Browne from Act Now👇
Highlighted text:

A group of literally hundreds of people has sprung into action, coordinating, donating, providing lifts for families to get somewhere safe for the night, bringing food to those who don’t want to leave the house, offering shelter, car seats, toys and arts supplies for children. Ordinary people from every background, community and colour are carrying out thousands of acts of care and repair, looking after people they do not know, and showing clearly that none of this is in their name.
5756277
Reposted by Mark Fraser
Dr Emily Elizabeth Hoyle @emilyehoyle.substack.com · 10/06/2026
I think the way the BBC discusses immigration and equality plays a part in the legitimisation of the far right. Once again I'm hearing the Today Programme on Radio 4 establish the riots and their prejudices as "real concerns." So I'm again sharing @trillingual.bsky.social's book, Tolerate This.
0206
Reposted by Mark Fraser
Andrew Fisher @fisherandrew79.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
"In one recent poll, respondents judged Blair less worth listening to than Boris Johnson. No, his sole audience, the sole group of people who consider his counsel valuable, is the political and media classes." Good piece by Aditya Chakrabortty www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Zombie Blairites still have British politics in their grip – it’s time to break free | Aditya Chakrabortty
Tony Blair’s departure as PM should have prompted a fresh start for Labour. But Starmer’s sad, backward-looking government remains in his thrall, says Guardian columnist Aditya Chakrabortty
45923
Reposted by Mark Fraser
Prof Nisreen Alwan @nisreenalwan.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
This is Clara Mattei, Professor of Economics at the University of Tulsa and founding president of the Forum for Real Economic Emancipation (FREE), The whole podcast is definitely worth a listen. @krishgm.bsky.social Ways to Change the World. youtube.com/shorts/kBXpA...
youtube.com
'Inequality is soaring' due to capitalism - explain economist
YouTube video by Channel 4 News
0177
Reposted by Mark Fraser
Abi O'Connor @drabioconnor.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
*Changes to Section 21 rights* Detailed info & support from @LRAction shorturl.at/Aixyu We know many tenants in Liverpool are facing pressure from landlords & new laws making an already stressful time, even more stressful. Get in touch if you need support. Please share
shorturl.at
New Section 21 Rights – Liverpool Residents Action
011
Mark Fraser @mark37m.bsky.social · 16/05/2026
Why do prime ministers keep failing? open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/w...
open.substack.com
Why do prime ministers keep failing?
So here we are again in another protracted leadership contest.
000
Mark Fraser @mark37m.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
Join the campaign for a Greater Manchester Living Income and social security reform, so people can thrive not just survive. Be part of our growing exciting movement for radical change. Come to the Living Income Power Party. RSVP here: actionnetwork.org/events/livin...
actionnetwork.org
Living Income Power Party
Organising our people and money for a fairer Greater Manchester Last May, we launched the Greater Manchester Living Income campaign in style. 300 of us packed out Friends Meeting House and showed we ...
000
Reposted by Mark Fraser
Asylum Matters @asylummatters.bsky.social · 26/04/2026
Locking people seeking safety up won't stop the war in Sudan. Trying to send people back won't make Afghanistan or Iran suddenly safe. More cruelty and violence on our border does absolutely nothing to stop crossings: it just puts more lives and risk. www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic...
mirror.co.uk
Fury as migrants to be locked up in Dunkirk centre under UK-France deal
The Government has announced plans for a new 140-capacity detention centre in Dunkirk which will focus on sending failed migrants trying to reach the UK back to their homelands - including…
087
Mark Fraser @mark37m.bsky.social · 26/04/2026
"If Palantir were a person, it would be a much worse person than either Peter Mandelson or (...) Jeffrey Epstein. And yet the Labour government continues to welcome Palantir to manage our NHS, military and financial data, spewing all our personal details into its cauldron of weaponisable knowledge."
000
Reposted by Mark Fraser
Pluto Press @plutopress.bsky.social · 25/04/2026
“The pursuit of radical abundance lies at the heart of the communist tradition” Radical Abundance by @kaiheron.bsky.social, @kmilb.bsky.social and @bertrussell.bsky.social reviewed in @bellacaledonia.bsky.social: bellacaledonia.org.uk/2026/04/07/r...
183
Reposted by Mark Fraser
Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
"Small boat crossings are still increasing" reports the BBC's flagship Radio 4 Today programme. Editors could check BBC Verify, which reports they are down 35% year on year. The trend began Sept 2025, though crossings rose before that, but falling for over 6 months now if compared like with like.
42595273
Reposted by Mark Fraser
Adrian Littlejohn @yorksfella59.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
Zack Polanski nails it! There's plenty of money around. It's just that too much of it is concentrated in the wrong hands...
120560
Reposted by Mark Fraser
Praxis, for migrants and refugees @praxisprojects.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
The Government's cruel changes to settlement rules will tear families apart and push people into years of fear and uncertainty. Opposition is growing from MPs and the public alike. The Government must listen and stop these harmful plans now. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Ministers working with Labour backbenchers to temper Mahmood immigration plans
Exclusive: Starmer urged to go further with exemptions if he wants to avoid widespread anger from his own MPs
0911
Reposted by Mark Fraser
AGC @agc1985.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
Meanwhile the Labour Party itself has adopted immigration policy and rhetoric from Tommy Robinson's camp. And then their MPs act baffled about why people are so furious and disgusted at them.
316531
Reposted by Mark Fraser
Twlldun @twlldun.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
Correct
323724
Reposted by Mark Fraser
Chris Hutchings #ChoirsForClimate @hutchingsmusic.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
Labour: "but WHY are people switching away from us and voting Green instead?"
626864
Reposted by Mark Fraser
John Drury @profjohndrury.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
'the overall conclusion is that the scale of deaths in the first wave could have been much lower and the devastating second wave could have been largely avoided' @chrischirp.bsky.social substack.com/home/post/p-...
substack.com
The UK Covid Inquiry has laid bare the avoidable horror of the second Covid wave
It is becoming ever clearer both how devastating the second wave of winter 2020/21 was, and how much of that devastation could have been avoided.
541468631
Reposted by Mark Fraser
Alex Partridge @alexpartridge87.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
Greater Manchester Police: We’ve concluded our investigation into alleged ‘family voting’ at last month’s Gorton and Denton by-election, finding no evidence of any intent to influence or refrain any person from voting.
21335154
Reposted by Mark Fraser
We Own It @weownit.org.uk · 24/03/2026
Under Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský, Royal Mail has become so bad that people are taking the bus to collect their own mail instead of waiting for it to be delivered. Enough is enough! Take it into public ownership.
Graphic with a BBC headline that says "Royal Mail staff say they were told to hide post to look like delivery targets met"
67540
Reposted by Mark Fraser
One Life To Live @nicoladavid.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
Don't miss this unbelievably brilliant movie! "Everybody to Kenmure Street" - how a diverse community spent a whole day blocking an immigration raid in Glasgow, causing the Home Office to eventually free the men in the van (a humiliation for Priti Patel). Trailer www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOY5...
youtube.com
Everybody to Kenmure Street - official trailer
YouTube video by Conic
033
Reposted by Mark Fraser
Praxis, for migrants and refugees @praxisprojects.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
Pressure is growing to reverse the changes to settlement - and the Government must listen. This isn’t just about migrants. It’s about the kind of country we choose to be. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Angela Rayner warns against 'un-British' immigration reforms
Most migrant workers will have to wait longer to qualify for permanent residence under the government's proposals.
01612
Reposted by Mark Fraser
Scuzzy Mortspider 🕷️ 🎃 @jussienorthside.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
The need for Leveson 2 never went away.
219156
Reposted by Mark Fraser
Zack Polanski @zackpolanski.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
Dear Shabana, Let's clear some things up around migration and remember we're talking about people's lives.
Dear Shabana,
I notice today that you referred to me in your speech on immigration at the IPPR think tank.
You said: “A party leader should not be on the beaches of France encouraging people to
make a perilous crossing on small boats.”
I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised especially after the hateful Labour campaign in Gorton
and Denton, but this is just the latest in a string of lies peddled by a discredited Government
who intentionally fan the flames of racism and division.
When I went to Calais, I was not there to encourage people to travel to the UK. I was there
to see at first hand the suffering your Government and successive Governments have done
in demonising migrants in a pathetic bid to pander to the base instincts of Reform and the
flawed strategy of Morgan McSweeney.
As you will know, if you even bothered to research my visit instead of taking Reform talking
points, I was there to witness the brutality of families living in tents in freezing temperatures. I
filled water tanks and picked up litter.
What that visit did do is confirm my belief that if we are to smash the boat gangs and stop
the boats, we need to offer safer and managed routes for migrants to come to this country.
Showing compassion as a politician is not a crime. In fact, we need to see much more of it.
It reminded me of a young MP who in October 2015 spent three days in Lesbos helping
migrants fleeing war-torn Syria. She posted videos on X, talked about handing out water and
croissants to refugees and food parcels.
When she returned to the UK, she wrote a very moving piece in the New Statesman. She
said “we have to work with our European partners and create new, safe, and legal routes for
refugees to get to Europe. We cannot abandon them to their fate, left as prey for smugglers
whilst risking death on the seas.”
She said “maybe we can make ourselves feel better by saying no-one is making them get on
the boats. And again, the Home Secretary is not entirely wrong when …
24348681780
Reposted by Mark Fraser
Saul Staniforth @saulstaniforth.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
Yvette Cooper (who backed the Iraq War) is asked what lessons we've learnt from Iraq Cooper: ".. this threat from Iranian nuclear weapons" Among other things Chilcot found the govt deliberately exaggerated the threat as a pretext for war The govt are doing it all over again
1916660
Reposted by Mark Fraser
Tom Pogson @basicbc.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
Every review of a basic income pilot seems hellbent on "did they reduce their working hours? Well did they? Huh?!" And I'm saying maybe we're ALL better off when we can ALL calibrate our days to healthier outcomes and the economic breathing room of a solid floor helps there.
desinteresse 
Honestly being overworked makes people
unobservant and passive and it literally kills people
every day. People don't seem to realize that an
overworked nurse might not notice your sepsis
symptoms and a tired truck driver might not notice.
your car when he's merging into the lane. Failing to
protect worker's rights impacts nearly everyone

kiralamouse 
THIS. I want workers to be treated well for their own
sake, but I NEED workers to be treated well for MY
sake. We have got to stop glorifying eroding margin
into the negative zones.
24318
Reposted by Mark Fraser
Zoe Gardner @zoejardiniere.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
Family visas also down, student numbers just about holding up. Small boats still top way for people seeking to reach us through irregular means Primarily from the most dangerous countries on earth, who have NO SAFE ROUTE TO ESCAPE: Eritrea, Afghanistan, Iran, Sudan & Somalia.
210630
Reposted by Mark Fraser
Zack Polanski @zackpolanski.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
Dear @lucympowell.bsky.social, Why did you invent a fake tactical voting company to stop the Green Party beating Reform? I'm starting to think your letters haven't always been in good faith...
Dear Lucy
On the eve of the by-election, your Labour party spokesperson has admitted to the Huffington Post that a
Labour party leaflet has been delivered through doors with your imprint recommending a vote for Labour
by a tactical voting organisation which does not exist.
This is deeply troubling, it is actually lying to voters. Did you approve this? Do you feel the Labour Party
in government should be held to different standards in terms of honesty to the British public?
In your last letter to me you mentioned your ‘very extensive data’ and ‘having spoken to over a third of
eligible voters’ which led you to an understanding that the by election ‘was a contest between labour and
Reform’. Clearly this latest development only tells voters one thing - you will employ any type of
political deception (or in Urdu “Dhoka” ) to win.
You will be very aware that all three real tactical voting organisations are recommending a vote for the
Greens as the best way to stop Reform. Lying to the voters, as you have been caught doing, raises the real
prospect that Reform will be the beneficiaries, something you have said that you don’t want.
As this is such an important issue, for the sake of your own reputation, I would strongly urge you to
apologise to the voters of Denton and Gorton before the polls open in the morning.”
Kind regards,
Zack Polanski
Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales
1262169831
Mark Fraser @mark37m.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
The answer to @martinoneill.bsky.social's concluding question "What is the point of a Labour Party that has scorn for democracy, and puts itself at the service of the wealthy?" is obvious. There isn't one. It seems that the Labour Party - which achieved so much in the 20th century - is finished.
000