The Green Party published its manifesto for the local elections in Brighton and Hove this morning (Friday 31 March).
The manifesto, called “Vote Green for action”, spells out the party’s achievements in office while running Brighton and Hove City Council for the past three years – and spells out its pledges for the coming four years.
The Greens said: “The manifesto showcases plans to act on crises facing the city in four key areas: the climate crisis, inequality, health and the economy.”
The party said that it would improve air quality by expanding the Brighton and Hove’s Ultra-Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) into a London-style zone to create a liveable city centre.
It also intended to improve recycling by introducing a food waste collection and moving to weekly recycling collections as well as expanding school streets and secure cycle storage.
The Greens promised “action for a fairer Brighton and Hove” by building 800 more sustainable council homes by 2028 and prioritising schemes to address barriers faced by the poorest families in the city.
The party also said that it would “tackle poor standards in private rented homes through a private rented strategy and through introducing landlord licensing”.
The promise of “action for healthy communities” would include encouraging active lifestyles by coming up with new ways to make it easier to walk and cycle, including developing liveable neighbourhood schemes.
The party said that it would “end the long delays in redeveloping the King Alfred Sports Centre by building a new sports facility in the west of the city”.
And it would support people in need of adult social care to remain in their own homes.
The Greens also promised “action for a thriving economy” including a pledge to “support tourism and key tourist destinations in the city to ensure their regeneration schemes are a success”.
The party also said that it would “further expand digital access to council services, making use of the city’s thriving digital sector”.
And it would “promote the circular economy across the city within the council and with businesses”.
The Green leader of the council, Phélim Mac Cafferty, Brighton and Hove City Council said: “Greens are united in our commitment to our communities and firmly focused on the important local issues affecting our city – protecting the most vulnerable, creating jobs, opportunities and apprenticeships, helping to build a cleaner, healthier and greener city fit for the future.”
Councillor Mac Cafferty added: “Our manifesto demonstrates just some of what we’ve managed to do in only two years. Imagine what Greens could achieve over the next four.
“When you vote Green on Thursday 4 May, you vote for action: action on the climate crisis and for a fairer Brighton and Hove.”
The Greens plan to contest all 54 seats on Brighton and Hove City Council at the local elections on Thursday 4 May in 23 wards – up from 21 after a boundary review.
The party is currently the largest group on the council, with 20 of the 54 seats, and runs the minority administration, holding all the key political posts.
The Greens won 19 seats at the last local elections in May 2019 before snatching a Labour seat in a by-election in Hollingdean and Stanmer two years ago.
Although the Greens had one fewer seat than Labour after the last local elections, a number of Labour councillors resigned, were suspended or expelled in the fallout over anti-semitism. Five now sit as independents.
The Greens are expected to announce their final line up of candidates early next week.
“The manifesto, called “Vote Green for action”, spells out the party’s achievements in office while running Brighton and Hove City Council for the past three years”
Well, that won’t take very long will it…
Surprisingly, if you read the whole (16 pages of waffle) manifesto on their website, they seem to think they’ve achieved a really impressive amount of things, although they probably count on a reader getting thoroughly bored with the length of it before the end and giving up, which I did.
One of the best ‘Pinocchio moments was “We’re funding safer pavements …”
“The party said that it would improve air quality by expanding the Brighton and Hove’s Ultra-Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) into a London-style zone to create a liveable city centre.”
So cameras and charging it will be then. I suppose they’ve got to cover their losses somehow.
Do we all get a unicorn as well?
A ULEZ literally appeals only to those living in the city centre, (the Greens core voters). Almost certainly this manifesto is to try and shore up those Green wards because the rest of the city realise they are a busted flush
I don’t live in the City Centre, but on the eastern (neglected) outskirts, which don’t even flirt with the Greens. We know that they are useless and they might as well not even bother to stand. They’ve been ‘running’ the council for 2-3 years and have done absolutely nothing over here. That apart, I often read with alarm of other issues – never mind emissions – in the City Centre, which they seem not to have tackled at all. Violence, graffiti, tents in the green spaces and so on. They may pledge in the joke manifesto to deal with some of these issues, but they’ve already had time to tackle it and haven’t.
Soon there will be no shops there. So who cares ? We will all be driving to Crawley/Worthing/Eastbourne to do our shopping..
They have had 4 years and still recycling is one of the worse. Rubbish collecting is also. In 4 years they have made Brighton a horrible place to live in it is dirty unloved.
Agreed. They have mentioned feeble aims for recycling and kitchen waste collections in the manifesto, but nothing I can see about main rubbish. The ‘service’, such as it is, is not fit for purpose, and despite the hire of an overpaid official a long time ago to sort it out, it has just got worse. Just so that we know, it was never sorted under Labour either, so their new-found enthusiasm for cleaning up the city should be taken with a large tub of salt.
The party said that it would “end the long delays in redeveloping the King Alfred Sports Centre by building a new sports facility in the west of the city” – bigger liars than Bojo this already has cross party support and is already being consulted on. Trying to claim credit when it really is not due.
They are utterly incompetent and to have a ULEZ zone is laughable, I live in Hove and like many need a car for work. The whe emissions issue is a nonsense by restricting the flows of traffic they have made air pollution worse and are anti car anyway. If you want to live in a Third World ghetto and be taxed for the pri edge vote for the clowns, sorry the Green utters.