At today’s Manchester City Council meeting, Greens put forward a motion urging the council to adopt recommendations made by the Manchester Climate Change Partnership (MCCP) to reduce the carbon footprint of new developments.

The motion, which was amended by Labour and passed by the council, committed it to ‘fully consider’ the recommendations made by the MCCP and incorporate them in the Manchester Local Plan, which guides new developments in Manchester.

Cllr Astrid Johnson, deputy leader of the Green Party on Manchester City Council and proposer of the motion, said: “Buildings are responsible for around three-quarters of Manchester’s direct emissions, and yet we have already consumed a significant portion of our carbon budget. Emissions have exceeded expectations since 2018, and if this continues, we’ll use up our entire carbon budget within the next decade.

“The growth of new developments in Manchester brings undeniable benefits – housing, jobs, and regeneration. However, many developments are not meeting stringent sustainability standards, and our existing building stock urgently needs retrofitting. That is why we asked the council to adopt all the MCCP’s recommendations and ensure Manchester leads the way in building a sustainable, resilient, and zero-carbon future.”

The MCCP, supported by the Manchester Climate Change Agency, made policy recommendations to feed into the Manchester Local Plan in their recent Net Zero New Buildings report.

The report’s seven recommendations include adopting a retro-fit first approach to buildings wherever possible, ensuring that new builds are net-zero carbon in how they operate, and creating a local carbon offset fund to help achieve carbon neutrality.

These recommendations aim to help the council take a proactive and comprehensive approach to ensure that new buildings contribute to Manchester’s net-zero goals. The council will now consider bringing them into the Manchester Local Plan before it is discussed again at full council.

Cllr Rob Nunney, Green councillor for Woodhouse Park and seconder of the motion, said: “Manchester faces significant challenges in achieving its target of net-zero carbon by 2038. We must use every lever within our grasp to make up for lost time.

“By adopting the recommendations made by the MCCP, we will be encouraging the kind of growth which is a win-win. We’ll stimulate growth which will also help us achieve our climate goals. We’ll reduce fuel poverty by building warmer homes. 

“The Labour government is saying: ‘Get Britain building again’. We say: ‘Get Manchester building sustainably!’ Let’s show the rest of the country what’s possible.”

At today’s meeting, Greens supported motions to tackle crime and fly-tipping in Manchester’s communities, to improve the city’s 17 designated district centres, and to take greater action on traffic offences like speeding and illegal e-bike modifications. 

Greens also backed a motion opposing the Labour government’s decision to cut the international aid budget to 0.3% of GDP, a motion which Labour amended and backed.

The council leader Bev Craig will now write to the government urging them to restore the UK’s international aid budget to 0.7% of GDP, as it was before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cllr Johnson added: “The decision to slash the UK’s aid budget is not just an economic choice – above all it is a moral failure that will directly result in loss of life. At a time when global crises are deepening, from famine-stricken regions to warzones in Ukraine and Gaza, cutting funding for humanitarian assistance is an act of wilful neglect. 

“Investment in global stability is not just an ethical obligation. It prevents greater conflict, displacement, and suffering that will ultimately cost even more to address in the future. Cutting aid now is not just cruel – it is economically shortsighted.”

-ENDS-

Notes to editors: 

The Green Party is an opposition party on Manchester City Council with three councillors. The leader of the Green group on the council is Cllr Anastasia Wiest. The deputy leader is Cllr Astrid Johnson.

The three Green councillors on the council are Cllr Anastasia Wiest, Cllr Astrid Johnson, and Cllr Rob Nunney. All three represent the ward of Woodhouse Park.

Manchester City Council is formed of 87 Labour members, three Greens, four Liberal Democrats, one Worker’s Party member, and one independent.

Cllrs Wiest and Johnson can be available for interview upon request. 

For further information, please contact Chris Ogden at press@manchester.greenparty.org.uk.

The post Manchester Greens push council to make more new buildings net zero carbon appeared first on Manchester Green Party.

At today’s Manchester City Council meeting, councillors approved the council’s budget for the coming 2025/26 financial year, which includes a 4.99 per cent council tax rise.

Abstaining on the budget put forward by Labour, Manchester’s Green councillors have emphasised that Manchester City Council and local authorities like it across the country will not fully address the challenges they face without further financial support.

Cllr Anastasia Wiest, leader of the Green Party on Manchester City Council, said: “We can be grateful for a balanced budget again this year, and the fact that we have received a better settlement from the government than we have in years.

“However, it is still nowhere near what we need, and residents will have to bridge the gap through another 4.99 per cent council tax rise.

“Due to the government’s decision to increase employer National Insurance contributions, much of the increase in our budget will be absorbed by these payments. This will leave us with hardly any increase on previous years, when the Tories were in charge.”

At the meeting, Greens criticised the national Labour government for policies such as maintaining the Conservatives’ two-child benefit cap and removing winter benefits for pensioners, noting their direct impact on the city council’s budget.

While welcoming the £7 million the council expects to gain from extended producer responsibility fees, Greens expressed particular concern that Manchester will not hit its target of reaching net zero by 2038 without further government funding.

Instead of expanding airports and cutting foreign aid, they said, Labour should instead increase tax on the wealthiest, a measure which would affect a tiny minority of the population each year but contribute billions of pounds more to public finance.

Cllr Wiest added: “While Manchester will do what it can with the resources it has, the budget we have been given by the government reflects Labour’s lack of vision and ambition, giving with one hand and taking away with the other. 

“It reflects their tendency to ricochet between climate care and climate chaos, to let the rich off easy, and to put the heaviest burdens on those struggling most in society.

“A Green budget would create a country where wealth is distributed more equally, where every citizen can experience energy security from clean and renewable resources, and where our economy serves both people and our planet, rather than being an excuse for inaction and inequality.”

-ENDS-

Notes to editors: 

The Green Party is an opposition party on Manchester City Council with three councillors. The leader of the Green group on the council is Cllr Anastasia Wiest. The deputy leader is Cllr Astrid Johnson.

The three Green councillors on the council are Cllr Anastasia Wiest, Cllr Astrid Johnson, and Cllr Rob Nunney. All three represent the ward of Woodhouse Park.

Manchester City Council is formed of 87 Labour members, three Greens, four Liberal Democrats, one Worker’s Party member, and one independent.

Cllrs Wiest and Johnson can be available for interview upon request. 

For further information, please contact Chris Ogden at press@manchester.greenparty.org.uk.

The post 2025/26 council budget ‘better’ but more funding needed, Manchester Greens say appeared first on Manchester Green Party.

The city’s three Green councillors have issued a joint statement calling for higher standards from politicians in the wake of the ‘Trigger Me Timbers’ scandal, which has led to two MPs and 12 Greater Manchester councillors being suspended from the Labour Party at the time of writing.

The councillors issuing the statement are Cllr Anastasia Wiest, Cllr Astrid Johnson, and Cllr Rob Nunney.

The statement reads as follows:

“We strongly condemn the hateful language allegedly used by certain Labour MPs and councillors in the ‘Trigger Me Timbers’ WhatsApp group, which has no place at all in politics. We welcome a thorough investigation into what took place in the group.

“We understand that Greater Manchester Police have recorded a ‘non-crime hate incident’ as part of their initial enquiries into the WhatsApp group. It is shocking that elected politicians would be involved in a hate incident, which has shown their contempt for members of the public.

“As elected politicians, we are privileged to represent our communities, and it is our duty to treat all of our residents with respect, regardless of whether they voted for us or not. This grubby affair has shown that certain Labour MPs and councillors apparently take their residents for granted and hold them in contempt.

“Residents across Manchester rightly expect better from their politicians than this, and they can rest assured that we do our utmost to live up to those expectations as Green Party councillors. We urge all our colleagues across the political spectrum in Manchester to do the same.”

-ENDS-

Notes to editors: 

The Green Party is an opposition party on Manchester City Council with three councillors. The leader of the Green group on the council is Cllr Anastasia Wiest. The deputy leader is Cllr Astrid Johnson.

The three Green councillors on the council are Cllr Anastasia Wiest, Cllr Astrid Johnson, and Cllr Rob Nunney. All three represent the ward of Woodhouse Park.

Manchester City Council is formed of 87 Labour members, three Greens, four Liberal Democrats, one Worker’s Party member, and one independent.

Cllrs Wiest and Johnson can be available for interview upon request. 

For further information, please contact Chris Ogden at press@manchester.greenparty.org.uk.

The post Manchester Green councillors condemn ‘hateful’ WhatsApp group scandal appeared first on Manchester Green Party.

Greens have successfully convinced Manchester City Council to urge the Greater Manchester Pension Fund (GMPF) to divest over £1.7 billion from fossil fuels and arms companies.

At today’s Manchester City Council meeting, a motion proposed by Greens calling for divestment was unanimously passed with Labour and Liberal Democrat support.

The motion means the council will now call on the fund to uphold its previous commitment to divest from fossil fuels and match Manchester’s goal of reaching net zero by 2038 – 12 years ahead of the fund’s current target. 

The council will also ask for a new commitment from GMPF to divest the millions it invests in companies involved in arms production.

Cllr Astrid Johnson, deputy leader of the Green Party on Manchester City Council and proposer of the motion, said: “The GMPF has £1.5bn invested in fossil fuel companies, and over £241 million in companies that indirectly profit from arms sales.

“There are inextricable links between war, climate destruction and human suffering. We simply cannot stay invested in climate-damaging infrastructure such as airport expansions, fossil fuel companies’ greenwashing schemes, and arms sales directly connected to the ongoing genocide in Gaza and other conflicts across the world.

“Now is the right time for our council to ask that the GMPF aligns with Manchester’s net-zero carbon emissions target of 2038. And it is time to end our investment in the arms trade. 

“The world is a dark place at the moment. But today it just got a bit lighter.”

Approximately 6% of the GMPF fund (equating to £1.5 billion) is invested in the fossil fuel industry. Companies the GMPF is invested in include Shell, BP, TotalEnergies, Glencore, Legal and General, and others.

The GMPF also invests over £241 million in companies such as BAE Systems, Boeing and Caterpillar, which indirectly profit from arms sales to states involved in conflicts in the likes of Palestine, Lebanon, the Congo, Sudan, Ukraine and Yemen.

The Greens successfully argued that these investments not only pose ethical risks, but they also risk losing financial viability as countries make greater efforts to reduce their carbon emissions.

Cllr Anastasia Wiest, leader of the Green Party on Manchester City Council, and seconder of the motion, said: “Continuing to invest in fossil fuels will leave us with stranded assets when the rest of the world is moving on.

“Not removing our finances from these industries will be a failure in our duty to protect people’s pensions.”

The Green Party’s call comes not long after the Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced her plans to merge local government pension schemes like the GMPF into so-called ‘mega-funds’.

This month, Reeves confirmed the government’s plans to combine assets in England and Wales’ 86 different local government pension schemes into eight funds by 2030. 

The details will be outlined in a pensions bill next year which the government has said will lead to ‘the biggest pension reforms in decades’.

Cllr Johnson added: “If we carry out these divestments now, then we can ensure that Greater Manchester’s contribution to Labour’s planned ‘mega-funds’ is clean.

“The Chancellor must swiftly detail her plans for these ‘mega-funds’, ensuring they drive the urgent transition from fossil fuels and arms production while offering members robust financial, environmental, and ethical protections.”

-ENDS-

Notes to editors: 

The Green Party is an opposition party on Manchester City Council with three councillors. The leader of the Green group on the council is Cllr Anastasia Wiest. The deputy leader is Cllr Astrid Johnson.

The three Green councillors on the council are Cllr Anastasia Wiest, Cllr Astrid Johnson, and Cllr Rob Nunney. All three represent the ward of Woodhouse Park.

Manchester City Council is formed of 87 Labour members, three Greens, four Liberal Democrats, one Worker’s Party member, and one independent.

Cllrs Johnson and Wiest can be available for interview upon request. 

For further information, please contact Chris Ogden at press@manchester.greenparty.org.uk.

The post Greens convince Manchester to call to divest £1.7bn from fossil fuels and arms companies appeared first on Manchester Green Party.

Manchester Greens have urged Labour to U-turn on their decision to remove winter fuel payments for all but the very poorest pensioners.

At today’s Manchester City Council meeting, the city’s Green councillors supported an opposition motion calling on the Labour government to reverse its planned scaleback of the payments, which Labour claims are no longer affordable.

The motion also urged the council to launch a ‘significant awareness campaign’ to maximise the take-up of pension credits. 

The motion was rejected by the council’s Labour administration after it passed its own motion to promote a dedicated ‘pensioner hardship fund’, which will allow pensioners to access an emergency cash payment if they need it. 

Cllr Astrid Johnson, leader of the Green Party on Manchester City Council, said: “Labour’s blunt policy to withdraw winter fuel payments from all pensioners except for those on pension credits is not just wrong but reckless. 

“Even if our council manages to contact all those eligible for the credits, this will be a cold winter for those that are just above the pension credit threshold and those on low or modest incomes. The struggle of having to apply for various funding pots will put vulnerable people under further pressure, and the health impact of older people living in unheated homes will increase the pressure on the NHS. 

“Targeting some of the most vulnerable people in society to fix the supposed ‘black hole’ in the public finances is cruel and unnecessary. Taxing multi-millionaires and billionaires a little bit more would not only easily cover the cost of winter fuel payments for all pensioners, but also generate additional funds for much-needed investment in our health and social care services.”

At today’s council meeting, Greens also supported an opposition call on the UK government to suspend all arms export licenses to Israel.

The motion, proposed by independent councillor Amna Abdullatif, aimed to keep the pressure on achieving an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, as the Israel–Hamas war is set to reach over a year in duration next week. It was passed as amended by Labour to call for a review of arms licenses to Israel rather than an outright ban.

The motion comes in the wake of escalating conflict in the Middle East, as Israel’s attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon attracted retaliatory missile strikes from Iran.

Cllr Anastasia Wiest, deputy leader of the Green Party on Manchester City Council, said: “For almost a year, Israel’s atrocities have been on public display. Our government has called for a ceasefire in Gaza and yet we are still sending Israel arms. Where are the deeds to back our calls?

“We cannot allow our weapons and components to be used to blindly exterminate people in Palestine and Lebanon. Our government must be on the right side of history and stand up for peace by ending UK arms sales to Israel and persuading other countries to follow suit.”

-ENDS-

Notes to editors: 

The Green Party is an opposition party on Manchester City Council with three councillors. The leader of the Green group on the council is Cllr Astrid Johnson. The deputy leader is Cllr Anastasia Wiest.

The three Green councillors on the council are Cllr Astrid Johnson, Cllr Anastasia Wiest and Cllr Rob Nunney. All three represent the ward of Woodhouse Park.

Manchester City Council is formed of 87 Labour members, three Greens, four Liberal Democrats, one Worker’s Party member, and one independent.

Cllrs Johnson and Wiest can be available for interview upon request. 

For further information, please contact Chris Ogden at press@manchester.greenparty.org.uk.

The post Manchester Greens urge Labour to U-turn on winter fuel payment cuts appeared first on Manchester Green Party.

Manchester Greens have urged Manchester City Council to take the lead on climate action by banning the advertisement of high-carbon products.

At today’s full council meeting, the city’s Green councillors proposed a motion calling on the council to stop all promotion of high-carbon products such as fossil fuel-powered cars and flights on council-owned advertising units.

The motion, which was rejected without amendment by Labour, aimed to get Manchester to follow other city councils like Sheffield and Coventry who have explored restricting such advertising to help them reach their zero-carbon targets.

Cllr Anastasia Wiest, Green councillor for Woodhouse Park ward, said: “Manchester City Council has made clear its commitment to take the climate crisis seriously, stating that we will be a zero carbon city by 2038.

“The messaging of high-carbon adverts is contradictory to our own stated goals and principles, and it makes no sense that we allow them while purporting to act in the best interests of the climate and our citizens.”

Manchester City Council owns just a small proportion of advertising units across Manchester, but the city has successfully managed to implement prohibitions on advertisements for gambling, smoking, vaping and high fat, salt and sugary foods.

The motion called on the council to review its advertising agreements immediately to look into the possibility of including a similar prohibition on advertising high-carbon products.

It also encouraged the council to work with partners at Transport for Greater Manchester, Greater Manchester Combined Authority and other borough councils to uniformly apply the policy throughout Greater Manchester.

Green councillor Rob Nunney, who seconded the motion, said: ”Manchester City Council is on track to hit its target of net zero carbon emissions from its own activities. However, it is proving more difficult to get Manchester on track to reach its target as a city, and we are far behind where we need to be. 

“It makes no sense to allow advertising on our own billboards of flying, fossil-fueled SUVs or of fossil fuel companies themselves. We have the power to use the influence of advertising so that it helps towards a brighter future for all.”

At today’s council meeting, Greens also supported independent councillor Amna Abdullatif’s motion which aimed to uphold the right to protest – a right which has received renewed attention in the wake of the current crisis in Gaza.

In recent years, the government has passed legislation which significantly restricts the right to peaceful protest, such as the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts (PCSC) Act and the Public Order Act.

It has now successfully passed a statutory instrument to introduce a new definition of ‘serious disruption’, giving police the power to impose restrictions on protests if it could result in a ‘more than minor’ hindrance to day-to-day activities.

The motion, seconded by Green councillor Ekua Bayunu, and passed as amended by Labour, committed the council to write to the Home Secretary James Cleverly in opposition to the government’s ‘authoritarian’ actions.

Cllr Bayunu, deputy leader of the Greens on Manchester City Council, said: “What this Tory government fails to understand is that it is our responsibility as politicians to protect our citizens’ right to hold us to account outside of the ballot box.

“We are all appalled by the awful Islamophobic tropes that have been spouted by this Tory government in an attempt to shore up this disgusting attack on all our civil liberties. I hope we will all join in this action to condemn it.”

Cllr Astrid Johnson, leader of the Green Party on Manchester City Council, added: “The government is seeking ‘strategic ambiguity’ in its legislation which provides the flexibility for it to act against groups as it sees fit.

“This is deeply disturbing at any point in history, but particularly at a time when so many people across the world and in Manchester feel such a powerful sense of anger and injustice at recent geopolitical events.

“This destabilises democracy. The government has no power to guarantee the virtue of any future government which may exploit ambiguous legislation to even further erode civil liberties.”

-ENDS-

Notes to editors: 

The Green Party is the joint opposition party on Manchester City Council with four councillors. The Green group leader is Cllr Astrid Johnson. The deputy leader is Cllr Ekua Bayunu.

The four Green councillors on the council are Cllr Astrid Johnson, Cllr Anastasia Wiest and Cllr Rob Nunney, who represent the ward of Woodhouse Park, and Cllr Ekua Bayunu who has a seat in Hulme.

Manchester City Council is formed of 87 Labour members, four Greens, four Liberal Democrats, and one independent.

Cllr Astrid Johnson will be available for interview upon request. 

For further information, please contact Chris Ogden at press@manchester.greenparty.org.uk.

The post Greens urge Manchester to lead on climate by banning high-carbon advertising appeared first on Manchester Green Party.

The city’s Green councillors, alongside independent councillor Amna Abdullatif, proposed a motion calling on the government to extend local election rights in England and Northern Ireland to all qualifying foreign nationals, in line with rules in Scotland and Wales.

The motion, passed with Labour backing at today’s Manchester City Council meeting, looked to support the many Mancunians set to lose their right to vote in local elections due to government changes.

Cllr Ekua Bayunu, deputy leader of the Green Party on Manchester City Council, said: “All our residents bring infinite value to Manchester, no matter where they were born. 37% of Mancunians were born abroad and 12% are from the European Union (EU). They live, work, study, make use of public services, and call Manchester their home.

“When we charge them council tax, we do not discriminate based on anyone’s nationality. So why should the right to vote which shapes who your representatives are and how your council tax is spent be a privilege reserved to only some nationalities?”

The motion comes in response to the government’s Elections Act, which has brought changes to EU citizens’ voting rights.

Currently, all British, Irish, and Commonwealth and EU citizens can vote in local elections, while British, Irish and Commonwealth citizens can vote in all other elections.

Under the Act, all EU citizens who arrived in the UK by the end of 2020 will maintain their right to vote in local elections. However, EU citizens who arrived in the UK from 2021 onwards will only be able to vote if their country of origin has a signed agreement with the UK.

While the Act will not affect voters at this May’s local elections, the changes are set to take effect from June 2024, locking many EU residents out of the ballot box locally.

The Greens’ successful motion calls on government to amend the Elections Bill and ensure a UK-wide and fair approach to voting rights.

Cllr Astrid Johnson, leader of the Greens on Manchester City Council, said: “Manchester is home to an exceptionally diverse and vibrant population, which makes this the city people want to call home. That makes it even more important that we all have to thrive to work for ever more democracy.

“The Government needs to work collaboratively with Manchester City Council and voluntary sector organisations to develop a strategy of communications about voter eligibility following the Elections Act.

“The changes to the voting law that we have proposed will make this work easier. We would achieve a higher voter turnout and empower more of our residents.”

At today’s council meeting, Greens also supported calls to extend the Household Support Fund, which is set to end in March this year.

The council currently uses this to support around 60,000 residents in managing cost-of-living pressures.

After having a proposed amendment voted down, Green councillors also opposed a Labour motion which urged Lib Dem MP Ed Davey to apologise for the British Post Office scandal, calling the motion ‘frivolous’.

“Labour’s motion was nothing but a cheap pop at one man,” said Cllr Rob Nunney, Green councillor for Woodhouse Park. “It does nothing to improve the situation for those who were wronged. It merely diverts attention from all those who played a part in this dreadful miscarriage of justice and focuses it on a single individual.

“Our amendment sought to change the motion from one of mudslinging to one which called for immediate reparations, which is what the victims really need.”

-ENDS-

Notes to editors:

The Green Party is the joint opposition party on Manchester City Council with four councillors. The Green group leader is Cllr Astrid Johnson. The deputy leader is Cllr Ekua Bayunu.

The four Green councillors on the council are Cllr Astrid Johnson, Cllr Anastasia Wiest and Cllr Rob Nunney, who represent the ward of Woodhouse Park, and Cllr Ekua Bayunu who has a seat in Hulme.

Manchester City Council is formed of 87 Labour members, four Greens, four Liberal Democrats, and one independent.

Cllr Astrid Johnson will be available for interview upon request.

For further information, please contact Chris Ogden at press@manchester.greenparty.org.uk.

The post Greens lead call to give all Manchester residents right to vote appeared first on Manchester Green Party.

The city’s Green councillors joined colleagues in calling for a sustained ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, with the two sides having observed a temporary ceasefire since 24 November.

The statement, announced at today’s Manchester City Council meeting, aims to ease community tensions in the wake of the conflict, which has caused a sharp rise in antisemitic and Islamophobic attacks across Greater Manchester.

Cllr Astrid Johnson, leader of the Green Party on Manchester City Council, said: “The Green group, the Labour group, the Lib Dem group, and our independent councillor Amna Abdullatif are united in calling for a lasting ceasefire now. 

“The killings have to stop. The killing of children must stop. There is no military solution. This call comes not from a weak place, but a strong one. We know that we must come to a peaceful solution. The path to peace will be difficult, especially after recent events in the Middle East, but violence only breeds violence.

“We call on the government and the main opposition party Labour to listen to the people of Manchester and their elected representatives. In our city we can do our part by healing the pain between different communities and ensuring mutual love and respect.”

The statement by Manchester’s 96 councillors calls for the UK government to work for a ‘long-term ceasefire on all sides’ of the conflict, and an international effort to bring about the creation of a Palestinian state.

Councillors have also pledged to engage with the city’s interfaith leaders to promote dialogue and cohesion, and offer their support to create a ‘safe and tolerant’ community without threats of violence or prejudice.

The statement from Manchester City Council read: “In the face of the horrific violence of the last few weeks and growing concerns in the West Bank, we are clear that a lasting peace is the only way to guarantee the dignity and security which both Palestinians and Israelis deserve.

“As a council, we have the responsibility to create a safe city for people of all backgrounds and faiths. We have a duty to support all communities impacted by the events in Israel and Palestine. We must ensure that people feel comfortable and safe accessing vital local services.

“As politicians we recognise that residents of Manchester are appalled by the loss of life in Israel and Palestine, and come together united in these difficult times.

“Manchester will continue to be a strong and consistent advocate for justice, human rights and international law and condemn the unacceptable use of violence towards civilians everywhere.

“Manchester is a city that knows the importance of coming together as one to support each other, and restates [that] we are stronger when we stand together.”

Cllr Ekua Bayunu, deputy leader of the Greens on Manchester City Council, added: “This statement is not ours. It is rooted in the passion, the energy, the deep-rooted desire for justice that our residents demand from us. 

“It bears witness to every march, to every vigil; to every letter written to our MPs, to our councillors, to our union leaders; to every penny raised by ordinary – no, extraordinary – people for humanitarian aid for people we will never meet.

“It is the words of the people that matter. This is your statement, and this is the beginning of our response.”

At today’s council meeting, Greens also supported a motion to raise awareness of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).

FASD is a brain and body disability caused when a pregnant woman consumes alcohol, interfering with an unborn child’s brain development.

The motion aims to make the council’s services more conscious of FASD, which affects up to 4% of Greater Manchester’s population.

-ENDS-

Notes to editors: 

The Green Party is the joint opposition party on Manchester City Council with four councillors. The Green group leader is Cllr Astrid Johnson. The deputy leader is Cllr Ekua Bayunu.

The four Green councillors on the council are Cllr Astrid Johnson, Cllr Anastasia Wiest and Cllr Rob Nunney, who represent the ward of Woodhouse Park, and Cllr Ekua Bayunu who has a seat in Hulme.

Manchester City Council is formed of 87 Labour members, four Greens, four Liberal Democrats, and one independent.

Cllr Astrid Johnson will be available for interview upon request. 

For further information, please contact Chris Ogden at press@manchester.greenparty.org.uk.

The post Manchester Greens join cross-party call for lasting peace in Gaza appeared first on Manchester Green Party.

Manchester Green Party councillors have called for unity over the conflict in Gaza from across all political parties in Manchester.

The city’s four Green councillors have issued a joint statement to acknowledge the impact the current war in Gaza is having on communities across Manchester.

The councillors issuing the statement are Cllrs Astrid Johnson, Ekua Bayunu, Rob Nunney and Anastasia Wiest.

The statement reads as follows:

“We support the statement issued by the Green Party of England and Wales calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the removal of the blockade of food, water and fuel, and the forced displacement of the civilian population.

“We urge our colleagues across the political spectrum in Manchester to join in this call and to acknowledge the impact these mass killings of Palestinian and Israeli civilians have on our communities across the city.

“We condemn anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, Afriphobia and all forms of racism, and support our citizens who have joined in peaceful protest to demand the Tory government, the Labour Party in opposition and the international community put pressure on the Israeli government to act in accordance with international law.

“We condemn the actions of Hamas.

“We also fully support the solution offered by Carne Ross, Green Party spokesperson for Global Solidarity, in calling for ‘an urgent and vigorous international effort to bring about the creation of a Palestinian state, allowing Israel and Palestine to exist safely within their own borders’.”

For further information, please contact Chris Ogden at press@manchester.greenparty.org.uk.

The post Green councillors call for unity over Gaza conflict appeared first on Manchester Green Party.

The Green Party has urged Labour to set out a more positive vision for Manchester’s future as the Conservatives conclude their conference in the city today.

The Greens successfully managed to pass an amendment to Labour’s motion calling for an immediate general election, specifically highlighting the Tories’ recent rollback of climate policies.

Speaking for the amendment, Green councillors outlined their proposed priorities for the future, including better public transport, building safer, more energy-efficient homes, and creating a comprehensive plan for green jobs and skills.

Cllr Astrid Johnson, leader of the Green Party on Manchester City Council, said: “We know that the climate and nature crisis affects all, but particularly children and especially those from poor and low-income families. The Government’s net-zero rollback is economic and environmental vandalism, and unforgivable.

“But would it not be more productive to lay out a positive vision for the future? Would a positive vision for change not make a change of government more likely?

“Let’s stop the negativity and whining about the past, but show ambition and create some hope. Let’s work together for a brighter and healthier future, for us and our children.”

Demonstrating this vision, Greens also successfully passed a motion to expand Manchester City Council’s use of selective licensing, which aims to improve conditions for renters by requiring all private landlords in designated areas to license their rented properties.

The motion aimed to build on the 13 selective licensing schemes and mandatory licensing of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) that the council already has.

By passing the motion, the council has committed to liaise with the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham to extend the city’s ability to selectively license its private rented stock. Greens urged Labour to commit to licensing more than 20% of that stock.

Cllr Ekua Bayunu, deputy leader of the Greens on Manchester City Council and proposer of the motion, said: “We can no longer afford to let housing be a profit-making business for the few. Ratepayers’ money is lining the pockets of rogue landlords with a very poor service in return.

“Of course we need to build more homes for social renters, and more homes for affordable purchase. However, we also need to ensure that every home that is offered for rent in Manchester is safe, warm, free from damp and mould, and secure for every tenant. Perhaps then the council can say that its strategy is working.”

Cllr Anastasia Wiest, Green councillor in Woodhouse Park and seconder of the motion, said: “As a young person who has only lived in private sector rented accommodation in Manchester, I can vouch for the low quality of some properties.

“Besides improving the standards of living for the people of Manchester, an expansion of selective licensing would also be an opportunity to engage more with landlords around retrofitting their properties, with 84,000 homes needing to be retrofitted.

“This could play an important role in helping to increase the energy efficiency of our housing stock, which is absolutely necessary if we are serious about meeting our goal of making Manchester net-zero by 2038.”

Along with supporting Labour’s motion to make Manchester a ‘Co-operative Council’, Greens at today’s council meeting also put forward a motion against the Tory government’s proposed closure of staffed ticket offices.

The council committed to expressing its support for those taking action to oppose these measures. However, Greens left the meeting disappointed as Labour’s amendment of the motion significantly watered it down.

Cllr Rob Nunney, Green councillor in Woodhouse Park and seconder of the motion, said: “In 2020 transport made up 35% of Manchester’s direct greenhouse gas emissions, the majority from on-road vehicles. Rail travel will be crucial in reducing our emissions and avoiding the worst of what climate breakdown can unleash.

“Therefore everything possible must be done to make rail travel easier, cheaper and the preferred choice over flying and driving. Closing ticket offices is a regressive step which will hinder the most vulnerable people accessing public transport.”

-ENDS-

Notes to editors: 

The Green Party is the joint opposition party on Manchester City Council with four councillors. The Green group leader is Cllr Astrid Johnson. The deputy leader is Cllr Ekua Bayunu.

The four Green councillors on the council are Cllr Astrid Johnson, Cllr Anastasia Wiest and Cllr Rob Nunney, who represent the ward of Woodhouse Park, and Cllr Ekua Bayunu who has a seat in Hulme.

Manchester City Council is formed of 88 Labour members, four Greens, and four Liberal Democrats. 

Cllr Astrid Johnson will be available for interview upon request. 

For further information, please contact Chris Ogden at press@manchester.greenparty.org.uk.

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