Zoe is a lifelong Wythenshawe resident living in Woodhouse Park. She manages the food bank at the Dandelion Community Church, and works with the charity Community-Led Action and Savings Support (CLASS) to help women save money and run and join community groups.

Zoe helped create the resident-led Wythenshawe Central Network (WCN) as a response to the upcoming development of Wythenshawe Civic Centre. She is also a commissioner for Social Homes for Manchester, a coalition of organisations focused on sustainably increasing the number of social homes available in Manchester by 2030.

Zoe says: “I’m a single parent living with a disability and was a young carer. I used to believe I couldn’t make change happen, but now I am doing my bit to make other lives better.

“Becoming a Green Party councillor would help me speak up even louder for people in our community who feel they are no longer heard.

“I want to support hardworking families of all backgrounds and help provide a safe, clean and fair future for everyone.”

The Greens will now defend their seat in Woodhouse Park, having held all three council seats in the ward since May 2023.

Woodhouse Park sits at the southern tip of Manchester, right next to Manchester Airport, and is one of the city’s most deprived wards.

Since winning their first seat in Woodhouse Park in 2021, the Greens have focused on tackling poverty and inequality in the ward and improving the area’s green spaces.

The Greens’ focus on local issues has earned them loyal support from residents in the ward, as they have won the last four local elections in a row.

“Seeing Woodhouse Park’s Green councillors working tirelessly with our community to make it safer, greener and fairer inspired me to become a Green Party member,” Zoe added.

“Out of all the parties, it’s the Green Party who are trying to achieve the things I truly believe in, so I’m proud to have been selected to stand for election.”

Zoe’s selection follows the resignation of Green councillor Anastasia Wiest, who has stepped down for personal reasons. 

Anastasia was elected in Woodhouse Park in May 2023 and became Green group leader last year. She has been a probing voice on the Environment, Climate Change and Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Committee, and a fierce opponent to Labour in the council chamber.

The by-election to elect a replacement councillor in Woodhouse Park is expected to take place early this autumn.

Anastasia said: “It’s been a really hard decision to move on, and I’m sorry to be going. I’ve always tried to push for real help for local people and represent their views at the council.

“It’s been an honour to represent Woodhouse Park. I’ll miss the spark and determination of local residents, and I remain committed to fighting for a fairer Britain.”

Cllr Astrid Johnson, leader of the Green group on Manchester City Council, said: “Our small councillor team has always punched above its weight and Anastasia was such a big part of this.

“She had so many fresh ideas on how to improve life for residents in the ward and was deeply connected to the vibrant community groups in Woodhouse Park. We have loved working with her.”

Cllr Rob Nunney, Green councillor for Woodhouse Park, added: “Both Astrid and I will miss Anastasia greatly, and we wish her all the best for the future. 

“We’re delighted to have worked with Zoe in the community over the last year, and we look forward to campaigning for her so she can join us in the Town Hall.”

Image: Manchester’s Green councillors Astrid Johnson (left) and Rob Nunney (right) with new Woodhouse Park candidate Zoe Marlow (centre).

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Notes for editors: 

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

The two Green councillors on the council are Cllr Astrid Johnson, and Cllr Rob Nunney. Both represent the ward of Woodhouse Park.

Manchester City Council is formed of 86 Labour members, two Greens, four Liberal Democrats, one Worker’s Party member, and two independents.

Cllr 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 choose local champion to defend council seat appeared first on Manchester Green Party.

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.”

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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, 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.”

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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.

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.”

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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.

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.

—

The post Manchester Greens urge greater ambition from Labour as council calls for general election appeared first on Manchester Green Party.

Councillor Rob Nunney, the Green Party’s councillor in Woodhouse Park, has discussed his first 100 days as a councillor with a journalist from Manchester Confidentials.

Cllr Nunney is Manchester’s first elected Green councillor since 2008, and is one of only two opposition councillors on Manchester City Council – currently a Labour stronghold.

The wide-ranging interview covered topics including Rob’s work in Woodhouse Park to tackle fly-tipping and litter, his fight for residents in the ward on issues such as flooding, and the difficulties of being a lone Green in a room full of Labour councillors.

In the interview, Rob says: “I think my role is being the green in the room. To make sure that the environmental issues are on the agenda.”

Rob explains how he and the Manchester Green Party team have been working hard over the last three years to campaign in Woodhouse Park and win the support of local voters, who are seeing the positive impact of having a Green Party councillor fighting for them:

“The thing about green policies is that we can bridge the divide between all the parties. We can appeal to traditional Labour voters, traditional Tory voters. When you get a Green Party councillor, you know you’ve got somebody who’s working hard and standing up for you because if we don’t do that, we’re not going to get elected again.

There are no safe seats with us. The default in Woodhouse Park where I’m a councillor is Labour. If I stopped working now and just sat back on my laurels, then it would go back to that default. The guarantee you get with the Green Party is we’re going to work for you.”

“Part of my campaign was to try and stand up for residents’ concerns even before being elected, and that’s really hard when you’re not a councillor because nobody takes you seriously.

So obviously I’m continuing to do that and I can get results so much quicker now. I was working full time as an operating department practitioner at Wythenshawe Hospital. Now, I’ve managed to reduce my hours so I can focus on my councillor work. Although you can never turn it off – you have people calling you or emailing you with issues all the time. And it’s really rewarding.”

Rob Nunney was elected in May 2021, taking the Woodhouse Park from a long-serving Labour councillor with 1,355 votes and 48% of the vote share.

You can read the full interview with Manchester Confidentials here.

The post Rob Nunney discusses his experiences as a Councillor with Manchester Confidentials appeared first on Manchester Green Party.