At today’s Manchester City Council meeting, Greens backed a motion calling for more resources from GMP to investigate and enforce problems with off-road vehicles, including the creation of a specialist unit.

The Greens’ amendment, which was accepted by the council, also called on GMP to broaden its use of data when determining the areas worst affected by these vehicles, such as allowing police officer reporting as well as feedback from stakeholders.

Cllr Rob Nunney, Green councillor for Woodhouse Park in Wythenshawe, who proposed the amendment, said: “Anti-social off-road vehicles are indeed a scourge, and one that needs immediate and effective action to prevent the loss of even more lives.

“From my meetings with police, I know that their resources for the whole of Greater Manchester to tackle this issue are extremely limited. However, there is far too much onus on the public to report off-road bikes. The police should proactively gather intelligence and act on information from partners, such as what councillors are telling them. 

“For years residents have been telling me that someone will get killed, and that they fear for the safety of their children. We want to redress this unfairness by calling on GMP to broaden their sources of data when choosing the areas most in need of action.”

There has been an increase in the use of electronic bikes in Manchester in recent years, which Greens welcome as part of a wider move towards active travel. 

However, many bikes are not legally compliant or are used in a way that puts pedestrians in danger. GMP’s main initiative to tackle this issue, Operation Hurricane, is only being deployed in five of Greater Manchester’s boroughs, not including the city of Manchester itself. 

While Greens believe that GMP can make better use of data to be more efficient in tackling off-road vehicles, we also recognise that police forces need more funding overall.

“For GMP to have the sufficient resources needed to tackle such a humungous issue, they need money,” Cllr Nunney added.

“Only the Labour government has the power to give GMP the funding that it needs by taxing the very rich so that public services are sufficiently funded by those with the broadest shoulders, instead of business as usual.”

At today’s meeting, Greens also supported motions seeking to close the viability loophole in affordable housing, and calling on the council to better understand and tackle anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian racism in Manchester.

Anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian racism has increased significantly in recent years, particularly as a result of the ongoing genocide in Palestine. 

Cllr Astrid Johnson, deputy leader of the Greens on Manchester City Council, said: “Developers avoid building affordable housing not because they are bad actors by default, but because the system structurally rewards them for doing so. Profit motives, weak enforcement, and complex loopholes make it rational behaviour at the cost of all of us.”

Cllr Anastasia Wiest, leader of the Greens on Manchester City Council, added: “The censoring of pro-Palestinian demonstrations and political statements has been frankly shocking, and flies in the face of our most fundamental British values of democracy and freedom of expression.

“Adopting a definition of anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian racism would show our commitment to the 15,028 members of the Arab community in Manchester. It would provide a reference point for their experience, and show that we are serious about being a city of sanctuary where everyone is respected and valued.”

-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 urge police to better tackle anti-social off-road vehicles 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.

Cllr Rob Nunney was re-elected in the Wythenshawe ward of Woodhouse Park, making it four wins in a row for the Greens in the ward and maintaining the ward’s full slate of three Green councillors.

Scott Robinson came close to becoming the Green Party’s first councillor in Piccadilly, while the party also achieved strong second-place results in wards like Deansgate.

There was one sad result for the Greens, however, as Cllr Ekua Bayunu’s seat in Hulme returned to Labour after she served two years as a Green councillor. She joined the Greens in 2022 after she was elected as a Labour councillor in 2021.

Although Manchester Greens didn’t gain a seat this year, the local elections proved promising overall for the party, as it remained Manchester’s most popular opposition party.

A full slate of 33 Green candidates stood across Manchester’s 32 wards, with the party winning a record 17.9% of the vote and finishing second place in 14 wards across the city.

Cllr Astrid Johnson, Leader of the Green Party on Manchester City Council, said: “Overall, these results give us plenty of optimism. They show that people here in Manchester have put their trust in the Green Party – they know we do politics differently and put local people and our environment first.

“Congratulations to my colleague Rob on his re-election – he will continue to give his all to address the issues that matter most to residents.

“Thank you to every voter and campaigner who helped get Greens elected here. Our councillors will continue to work tirelessly for a fairer, greener Manchester.”

– ENDS-

Notes to editors: 

The Green Party are the second largest opposition party on Manchester City Council with three councillors. The Green group leader is Cllr Astrid Johnson.

Manchester is one of five Greater Manchester boroughs with Green representation. In addition to councillors in Manchester, the Greens have active councillors in Bolton, Stockport, Tameside, and Trafford.

The Green Party now has over 800 councillors across England and Wales, two members of the House of Lords, three London Assembly members and one Member of Parliament. 

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact Chris Ogden at press@manchester.greenparty.org.uk.

The post Manchester Greens celebrate positive local election results after defending seat 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.

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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In a letter to her constituents, Hulme Councillor Ekua Bayunu announced her resignation from Manchester’s Labour Party and that she has joined the Green Party, taking the group’s number of councillors to three. 

Today’s announcement coincides with a visit from Carla Denyer, the Co-Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, who is visiting Manchester to congratulate the local Green Party on becoming the official opposition. 

Cllr Ekua Bayunu will continue her work as a Green Councillor for Hulme, where she was elected to serve in May 2021.

In a letter to residents, Cllr Bayunu said: “I have felt hampered in my ambition to serve you all to the best of my ability. I have felt constantly at odds with the culture of the Labour Party. To serve you better and to be able to do more for you I have made a big decision.

“I have found a new home, a new hope, a group committed to working with local people and that is the Green Party.” 

Asking for the support of the local community during the transition, Cllr Bayunu has reaffirmed her commitment to supporting local issues in Hulme, including helping to build a greener community, fighting for local housing affordability, and helping with new parking schemes. 

Welcoming the move, Scott Robinson, Co-Chair of Manchester Green Party, said: “We are delighted to welcome Councillor Ekua Bayunu to Manchester Green Party, and we look forward to having her join our two other councillors in making Manchester a greener, fairer place to live. 

“Cllr Bayunu’s move to join the Greens is another sign that the Labour Party is failing in its commitment to Manchester residents, and we will work alongside Cllr Bayunu to fight tirelessly for the residents of Hulme, alongside our work across the whole of Manchester to improve the lives of residents in the city-area.” 

Cllr Astrid Johnson, Leader of the Green Group on Manchester City Council, added: “The recent election success of the Greens nationally has allowed more people to find the Green Party as their home. We are delighted to welcome Ekua and look forward to working with her in the council chamber to address urgent issues such as climate change and the cost of living crisis.” 

Carla Denyer, Co-Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales (and a councillor in Bristol), said: “A warm welcome to Ekua! We are seeing a steady stream of councillors moving to the Greens from other parties as they discover where their hearts lie and see Green councillors working hard to make their communities greener and fairer.”

The move takes the Green Party’s number of councillors in Manchester to three, meaning they are now the second largest party in the Labour-held council, which had previously had no official opposition with both the Greens and Liberal Democrats having two councillors. 

Cllr Bayunu will join the Green Party’s Woodhouse Park Councillors Rob Nunney, first elected in 2021, and Cllr Astrid Johnson who joined Rob in the chamber in 2022.

Following the announcement, Manchester City Council will now be formed of 91 Labour members, three Greens, and two Liberal Democrats.

The post Green Party becomes official Manchester City Council opposition as Labour councillor joins the Greens appeared first on Manchester Green Party.

Today in Manchester, Gina Dowding MEP, launched a brand-new report – The Green New Deal in the North West – which presents a framework of how we can fundamentally transform society in the face of the current climate emergency.

Joined by a range of expert guest speakers, including former Green Party leader and newly-appointed member of the House of Lords, Baroness Natalie Bennett, the report launch will give opportunities for roundtable discussions and a feedback session.

Five key areas have been identified, of critical change that is required:

• Renewable energy supply
• Energy-efficient buildings
• Sustainable transport
• Zero-carbon circular economy
• Land use
• Food and biodiversity

The report will outline key opportunities and examples of best practice from across the region, setting out some of the policies that are needed to scale-up action.

Baroness Natalie Bennett, the newly-elected Green Peer, said:

“As Greens, we know that we have to take power back from Westminster and allow local communities to make decisions about their futures. That’s one reason why this report is so crucial, setting out how the region can tackle the climate emergency, the collapse in our natural environment and the awful inequality and poverty that is blighting so many lives in the North West and around the UK.
 
“Business as usual is not an option. The idea of change is frightening to many, but this report outlines the way in which communities can through a just transition deliver a society that works for people and planet.”

Gina Dowding, Green MEP for the North West said ahead of the launch:

“We absolutely must lead from the front and face the many challenges that the climate crisis has presented us with. The next generation deserves us to urgently respond and react with solutions that include everyone, not just the privileged few. 
 
“The Green New Deal will do just that, helping us to move to a more sustainable, zero-carbon society, decarbonisation the economy while creating new jobs, improving health and wellbeing, whilst tackling inequality and redistributing wealth after years of austerity. 
 
“A radical transformation, where no community is left behind ever again.”

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