City news in 250 words: Monday 12 April

THE THREE MAIN PARTY LEADERS will be conducting the first of their televised debates from Manchester this Thursday. In a coup for the city, the face to face debates prior to the General Election on 6 May will be hosted in a secret venue. Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg will face questions and be able to challenge each other on policy.

MANCHESTER CATHEDRAL is following Gorton Monastery in becoming a church with dining in the nave. The difference is that the Cathedral is still consecrated ground. Yet now those wishing to hold balls, events and dinners in the nave – the widest in any British cathedral – will be able to hire the space. Confidential article to follow.

BEDS AND MORE BEDS on each side of Upper Brook Street. A 100 bed Travelodge is to be built opposite the new children’s hospital in a bid to entice visitors and hospital staff to stay over. The Travelodge will have six floors, reducing in height from front to back to three floors to match the look of the hospital.

THE WEST MIDLANDS Faith Forum has warned Muslims to ignore any flyers that may be handed out at mosques in the Greater Manchester and elsewhere in the UK. The material produced by Hizb-Ut-Tahrir, Britain, claim it is forbidden for Muslims to vote in the General Election. Qamar Bhatti, of the Faith Forum, said, that on the contrary, British Muslims had a duty to vote in a society which protected Muslim rights.