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Send tips to our reporters ophiraophira.bsky.social and @jackdulhanty.bsky.social
This comes in the same week that our reporting on Rochdale council chief executive James Binks led to his suspension. That one was also picked up by the Guardian. Without @jackdulhanty.bsky.social's work, Binks would still be in post
December 5, 2025 at 10:45 AM
This comes in the same week that our reporting on Rochdale council chief executive James Binks led to his suspension. That one was also picked up by the Guardian. Without @jackdulhanty.bsky.social's work, Binks would still be in post
And in another disturbing piece of correspondence, Milne told a blogger he would make him his "total sex slave" after bankrupting him
December 4, 2025 at 10:38 AM
And in another disturbing piece of correspondence, Milne told a blogger he would make him his "total sex slave" after bankrupting him
In a bizarre email to one resident Milne likened himself to the Russian military and said he could "knock out" the Ukrainian military in a single "pre-emptive strike"
December 4, 2025 at 10:38 AM
In a bizarre email to one resident Milne likened himself to the Russian military and said he could "knock out" the Ukrainian military in a single "pre-emptive strike"
In 2021 Milne bought up the freeholds to 67 properties in Horwich. Despite paying £8500 in total, or about £127 each, he began sending residents letters demanding sums in the region of £5000 each to buy them back. If they failed to comply, the threats started
December 4, 2025 at 10:38 AM
In 2021 Milne bought up the freeholds to 67 properties in Horwich. Despite paying £8500 in total, or about £127 each, he began sending residents letters demanding sums in the region of £5000 each to buy them back. If they failed to comply, the threats started
The report, written by senior employment lawyer Victoria Duddles, found that Binks was pulled to one side by HR director Mark Bennett following the incident.
More generally, Duddles found “there was a vibe of less than professional behaviour” on the night.
More generally, Duddles found “there was a vibe of less than professional behaviour” on the night.
December 2, 2025 at 9:52 AM
The report, written by senior employment lawyer Victoria Duddles, found that Binks was pulled to one side by HR director Mark Bennett following the incident.
More generally, Duddles found “there was a vibe of less than professional behaviour” on the night.
More generally, Duddles found “there was a vibe of less than professional behaviour” on the night.
Over the weekend we revealed a confidential report that found how Rochdale Council CEO James Binks inappropriately touched a female colleague when he was assistant CEO at Manchester City Council.
Yesterday, Binks was suspended.
Yesterday, Binks was suspended.
December 2, 2025 at 9:52 AM
Over the weekend we revealed a confidential report that found how Rochdale Council CEO James Binks inappropriately touched a female colleague when he was assistant CEO at Manchester City Council.
Yesterday, Binks was suspended.
Yesterday, Binks was suspended.
If Bennett had begun an immediate investigation, it would have occurred a year ago, well before Binks left Manchester to take on the £200,000-a-year job as chief executive at Rochdale council, which he began in April this year.
November 29, 2025 at 1:13 PM
If Bennett had begun an immediate investigation, it would have occurred a year ago, well before Binks left Manchester to take on the £200,000-a-year job as chief executive at Rochdale council, which he began in April this year.
The third man is the council’s HR director Mark Bennett, who is not accused of misconduct, but who witnessed Binks’s behaviour.
Bennett appears not to have initiated an investigation into his colleagues because it was only eight months later that the city solicitor began looking into it.
Bennett appears not to have initiated an investigation into his colleagues because it was only eight months later that the city solicitor began looking into it.
November 29, 2025 at 1:12 PM
The third man is the council’s HR director Mark Bennett, who is not accused of misconduct, but who witnessed Binks’s behaviour.
Bennett appears not to have initiated an investigation into his colleagues because it was only eight months later that the city solicitor began looking into it.
Bennett appears not to have initiated an investigation into his colleagues because it was only eight months later that the city solicitor began looking into it.
The second man accused of inappropriate behaviour was more senior still: Paul Marshall, Manchester’s deputy chief executive and former director of children’s services.
The report finds that Marshall made a suggestive comment towards the same young woman. He has now left.
The report finds that Marshall made a suggestive comment towards the same young woman. He has now left.
November 29, 2025 at 1:11 PM
The second man accused of inappropriate behaviour was more senior still: Paul Marshall, Manchester’s deputy chief executive and former director of children’s services.
The report finds that Marshall made a suggestive comment towards the same young woman. He has now left.
The report finds that Marshall made a suggestive comment towards the same young woman. He has now left.
Binks is now the CEO of Rochdale Council. “Men can promote equality and respect, and call out harassing, sexist and violent behaviours when they see it,” he told a gathering in Rochdale last Friday, with a Mill reporter watching.
November 29, 2025 at 1:10 PM
Binks is now the CEO of Rochdale Council. “Men can promote equality and respect, and call out harassing, sexist and violent behaviours when they see it,” he told a gathering in Rochdale last Friday, with a Mill reporter watching.
The story centres around James Binks, who was Manchester’s assistant chief executive. He is accused of “inappropriately touching and grinding” on a young female staff member while they were dancing.
November 29, 2025 at 1:09 PM
The story centres around James Binks, who was Manchester’s assistant chief executive. He is accused of “inappropriately touching and grinding” on a young female staff member while they were dancing.
Our final pledge is about informing first time voters. Lots of teenagers will be voting for the first time in the next few years and we’re going to give free Mill subs to any of them in Manchester who want access to our reporting.
November 27, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Our final pledge is about informing first time voters. Lots of teenagers will be voting for the first time in the next few years and we’re going to give free Mill subs to any of them in Manchester who want access to our reporting.
Pledge 5 is about training up the Mancunian journalists of the future. If we reach 1000 new members in this campaign, we’re going to launch a structured scheme to support and mentor a group of wannabe writers and reporters, who will learn from our team and our experiences.
November 27, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Pledge 5 is about training up the Mancunian journalists of the future. If we reach 1000 new members in this campaign, we’re going to launch a structured scheme to support and mentor a group of wannabe writers and reporters, who will learn from our team and our experiences.
A big thing we hear from Millers is that they want our journalism to reach wider audiences in the city. So we’re going to do that in two ways: regular print editions and more video content, to appeal to older and younger - and lower income - readers.
November 27, 2025 at 12:58 PM
A big thing we hear from Millers is that they want our journalism to reach wider audiences in the city. So we’re going to do that in two ways: regular print editions and more video content, to appeal to older and younger - and lower income - readers.
If we hit 1000, we’re going to dedicate a reporter to covering the local elections across all ten boroughs of GM. We want to follow storylines a bit more consistently, and give readers a proper sense of their choices ahead of the local elections.
November 27, 2025 at 12:56 PM
If we hit 1000, we’re going to dedicate a reporter to covering the local elections across all ten boroughs of GM. We want to follow storylines a bit more consistently, and give readers a proper sense of their choices ahead of the local elections.
Our second pledge is to launch a Good News edition, which celebrates positive stories, new ideas and inspiring people in Greater Manchester. We do a bit of this already but this will be a focused antidote to the gloom.
Here’s the link to join up or share.
manchestermill.co.uk/lp-1/
Here’s the link to join up or share.
manchestermill.co.uk/lp-1/
November 27, 2025 at 10:22 AM
Our second pledge is to launch a Good News edition, which celebrates positive stories, new ideas and inspiring people in Greater Manchester. We do a bit of this already but this will be a focused antidote to the gloom.
Here’s the link to join up or share.
manchestermill.co.uk/lp-1/
Here’s the link to join up or share.
manchestermill.co.uk/lp-1/
Our first pledge was incredibly popular with Millers and we’re excited about doing it: going into schools to give young people the skills to fact check what they’re seeing online and do their own journalism.
@joshiherrmann.bsky.social wrote about it here.
manchestermill.co.uk/youll-just-s...
@joshiherrmann.bsky.social wrote about it here.
manchestermill.co.uk/youll-just-s...
November 27, 2025 at 9:56 AM
Our first pledge was incredibly popular with Millers and we’re excited about doing it: going into schools to give young people the skills to fact check what they’re seeing online and do their own journalism.
@joshiherrmann.bsky.social wrote about it here.
manchestermill.co.uk/youll-just-s...
@joshiherrmann.bsky.social wrote about it here.
manchestermill.co.uk/youll-just-s...
These are our six campaign pledges - the things we will do next year if we manage to add 1,000 new members. They were chosen by our readers because they’re things we believe will make Manchester better.
Share them and join the campaign 🙏
manchestermill.co.uk
Share them and join the campaign 🙏
manchestermill.co.uk
November 27, 2025 at 8:24 AM
These are our six campaign pledges - the things we will do next year if we manage to add 1,000 new members. They were chosen by our readers because they’re things we believe will make Manchester better.
Share them and join the campaign 🙏
manchestermill.co.uk
Share them and join the campaign 🙏
manchestermill.co.uk
So here’s what we plan to do about it. One of our six pledges as part of our 1000 member campaign is to send our journalists into local schools to talk about misinformation. It was our most popular pledge by far
November 26, 2025 at 5:07 PM
So here’s what we plan to do about it. One of our six pledges as part of our 1000 member campaign is to send our journalists into local schools to talk about misinformation. It was our most popular pledge by far
She's pointing at one of the most significant trends in media since the invention of the printing press: that for the first time in hundreds of years, there is now a generation of people whose account of what is going on in the world is chosen not by human beings but by algorithms
November 26, 2025 at 5:07 PM
She's pointing at one of the most significant trends in media since the invention of the printing press: that for the first time in hundreds of years, there is now a generation of people whose account of what is going on in the world is chosen not by human beings but by algorithms
Sofia King is a 16 year old in Manchester. Where do her friends get most of their news? It isn’t from The Mill. “Probably TikTok,” she replies.
Her response is no surprise. Some 75% of 16-24 year olds in the UK now use social media to get their news. Does that matter?
Her response is no surprise. Some 75% of 16-24 year olds in the UK now use social media to get their news. Does that matter?
November 26, 2025 at 5:07 PM
Sofia King is a 16 year old in Manchester. Where do her friends get most of their news? It isn’t from The Mill. “Probably TikTok,” she replies.
Her response is no surprise. Some 75% of 16-24 year olds in the UK now use social media to get their news. Does that matter?
Her response is no surprise. Some 75% of 16-24 year olds in the UK now use social media to get their news. Does that matter?
Some great memories being posted under the piece.
November 23, 2025 at 3:09 PM
Some great memories being posted under the piece.
We’re almost a quarter of the way to our campaign target 🎯
Join up now and spread the word 🙏
Join up now and spread the word 🙏
November 23, 2025 at 12:00 PM
We’re almost a quarter of the way to our campaign target 🎯
Join up now and spread the word 🙏
Join up now and spread the word 🙏
Alison Bellamy remembers 40 people working at the Stockport Express in the 90s. She there “just before the horse bolted” – the horse being the business model, mainly print advertising income, that once sustained thriving newspapers in all 10 of Greater Manchester’s boroughs.
November 22, 2025 at 10:16 AM
Alison Bellamy remembers 40 people working at the Stockport Express in the 90s. She there “just before the horse bolted” – the horse being the business model, mainly print advertising income, that once sustained thriving newspapers in all 10 of Greater Manchester’s boroughs.
Former hacks recall “the smell of hot oil and ink” and floors of “busy people with incredible knowledge and experience”. Mike Crutchley, once assistant editor at the Bolton Evening News, remembered an office in which “the phones never seemed to stop ringing”.
November 22, 2025 at 10:12 AM
Former hacks recall “the smell of hot oil and ink” and floors of “busy people with incredible knowledge and experience”. Mike Crutchley, once assistant editor at the Bolton Evening News, remembered an office in which “the phones never seemed to stop ringing”.