The Run of The Mill

By The MillSociety & Culture News Politics

The Run of The Mill episodes

May 29 Is Burnham in trouble in Makerfield?
In today's episode, Joshi is joined by Mill staff writer Lucy McLaughlin, who has just spent a few days speaking to Makerfield residents, guided by a handy map we have built predicting which wards are most likely to vote Labour and Reform. She found plenty of people who aren't voting, and several who like Burnham but say they will vote for Reform or won't vote at all.

We also discuss Joshi's widely-shared essay about the elusive 'Burnhamism' and what the mayor really believes.

Join us as a paying member NOW to get Lucy's report from Makerfield and our brand new projection of how different parts of the seat will vote - plus the next editions of our special Burnham Blueprint series. You will also be backing the team who have been covering the mayor for years up close.
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16 min
May 18 Political scientist Rob Ford on Burnham in Makerfield and how Labour collapsed
In the latest episode of the Manchester Briefing from The Mill, Joshi and Jack discuss what might be in store for Greater Manchester's politics without Andy Burnham in the mayor's office, now that he has found an MP willing to step aside for him in Makerfield's Josh Simons. On top of that, we have a live conversation between Jack and Rob Ford - professor of political science at the University of Manchester - about how the Labour party imploded since its landslide election victory in 2024, and why what we're seeing in today's politics is actually a result of some of the strategic mistakes the party made in the build up to that vote.
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43 min
May 15 Political scientist Rob Ford on Burnham in Makerfield and how Labour collapsed
In this evening's episode of the Manchester briefing, Joshi and Jack discuss the implications of Andy Burnham becoming an MP on Greater Manchester's politics. Plus: a live conversation from the launch of Rob Ford's new book, the Great British General Election 2024, the latest instalment in the world's longest running series of electoral studies. He and Jack discuss how central tenets of the Labour Party's electoral strategies foretold the collapse we have seen over the last two years and specifically the last two weeks, with a focus on the rise of Reform and the Green party in Greater Manchester. They also, of course, discuss Burnham's target seat, Makerfield, and the upsides and downsides of him running in that consituency.
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44 min
March 30 Help! I'm trapped in MediaCityUK!
In a Manchester briefing first, Jack (Dulhanty) and Jack (Walton) discuss the latter's living situation. Jack lives in a shared ownership flat in MediaCityUK, in Salford, a property he part-acquired after being turfed out by his girlfriend. Shared ownership has been in the news recently, as governments national and local push the model as a way for young people to get on the housing ladder. The reality is not so simple. As Jack - and a recent report by the National Audit Office - has discovered, the shared ownership model makes it harder for people to own more of their properties and makes it even harder for them to sell up.

Today's episode was sponsored by Colony, you can find out more about their co-working sites here.
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19 min
February 17 Byelection special: Hannah Spencer talks millionaire marriage, Patricia Clegg, and Greens in the north
In today's episode Ophira speaks to Hannah Spencer - Green candidate in the Gorton and Denton byelection - about dirty campaign tactics, whether or not she makes a living as an 'aristocratic heat pump installer', and get her response after Refrom's Matt Goodwin challenges her to a one on one debate.
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29 min
February 04 Right-wing media types, Labour infighting and one plumber: we take a long walk through Gorton and Denton
In this episode of the Manchester Briefing, Jack Dulhanty and Jack Walton discuss our latest ding-dong with the MEN over it paywalling publicly funded journalism; the exodus of staff at HOME; and Jack Walton's recent piece on the Gorton and Denton by-election. Then they take a look at the other runners and riders vying for the seat, and discuss what they're hearing from campaigners on the ground.
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25 min
January 19 Our reporting leads to resignations at the University of Greater Manchester and Rochdale Council
In our first podcast episode of 2026 Joshi and Jack round up the first week back at Mill HQ. They discuss the two major resignations caused by our reporting into the University of Greater Manchester, Manchester City Council and Rochdale Council, and round up Ophira's reporting on a mysterious spate of graffiti targeting Manchester businesses.

Thanks to our sponsor, Manchester Museum. If you want to find out more about the Africa Hub's work at the museum, click below:

https://www.museum.manchester.ac.uk/galleries/africa-hub
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27 min
November 26, 2025 How The Mill will make Manchester a better place - with your help
In today’s episode, Joshi and Jack sit down to talk about The Mill’s first ever membership campaign. Over the next few weeks, we want 1,000 new members to join The Mill, so we can commit to six pledges to make Manchester a better place. With that new support, we’ll go into schools to talk about misinformation, make subscriptions free for first time voters and open a mentorship program for aspiring young journalists in Greater Manchester. This is about The Mill’s becoming more than just a newspaper, and how you can be a part of it.
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17 min
October 12, 2025 Terror comes to Manchester again: Horror and hope after the synagogue attack
When news broke about an attack on Jewish worshippers outside Heaton Park synagogue, The Mill's staff writers Jack Dulhanty and Ophira Gottleb were sent to the scene to report. In Ophira's case, she spent the best part of three days straight in the area, interviewing people and vising a community in shock and at prayer. She and Jack discuss what it was like to cover the atrocity, and why Ophira chose to write a much more personal - and hopeful piece - a few days later. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with friends to spread the word, or become one of our members with a discount by clicking here. Note: this podcast was recorded on Tuesday 7 October and only published on Sunday 12 October because of an issue we had uploading.
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23 min
July 22, 2025 Inside the fight to get into Trafford’s grammar schools
Backstabbing parents, extortionate private tutoring companies and a 'web of deceit'. This is the world of Trafford Grammar Schools, a highly selective group of schools where each year, desperate families put their children through extensive private tutoring to pass the rigorous 11+ exam. Are they living up to their original promise of delivering exceptional education to working-class children? And is there a sense of cruelty in how the system works? Ophira Gottlieb, staff writer at The Mill, takes you inside her reporting.

Read Ophira's first story: Backstabbing, crying, and a ‘web of deceit’: Inside the fight to get into Trafford’s grammar schools
Read her second story: Grexit: should Trafford keep its grammar schools?

To read more of these stories and support our mission to bring about a renaissance in high quality journalism in the North, sign up as a paying member for just £4.95 for your first three months.

With thanks to our sponsor, Newton Music Festival. If you fancy a summer weekend of DJs, bands and festival fun, Newton Music Festival is offering just that from Friday 1st to Sunday 3rd August. The lineup includes (former Mill contributor) Dave Haslam on Friday, The K’s on Saturday and Flash (a Queen tribute band) on Sunday, and is set to repeat the incredible success of last year’s festival. Hosted in the beautiful Mesnes Park, just a 20 minute train from Piccadilly, Newton Music Festival has something for everyone. Day tickets start at £15 and Mill readers can get an exclusive 10% discount using the code ‘1qjpad’ – click here to book.
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14 min

About The Run of The Mill

From the publisher's feed

Hello! This is The Run of The Mill podcast — a somewhat-weekly podcast from the team behind The Mill, Manchester's best newspaper since 2020. Join Ophira, Jack and the rest of the team as they take…