'People in Leeds are crying out for something different' - The Green Party
The Yorkshire Evening Post has asked major political parties for their manifesto in the run up to the Local Election in Leeds. The Green Party tells us its priorities for the city.
Millions of people across this country are crying out for something different. Labour promised change, but for ordinary people it hasn’t come.
And here in Yorkshire, we know as well as anyone that whenever the Tories get into power, the consequences are catastrophic.
Reform claim to provide an alternative, but the truth is they have no answers either. Farage offers scapegoats instead of solutions. Whenever Reform have taken over councils, their shallow soundbites and empty promises have quickly clashed with reality.
In Worcestershire, they’re pushing through a council tax rise of almost 10% after promising to do the opposite. In Lancashire, they tried to plug a £4m gap by shutting care homes and day centres for older people, only to be forced into a U-turn after public pressure.
Meanwhile, in Nottinghamshire, they spent £75,000 on putting up Union Jack flags while services are stretched to breaking point.
The Greens are the only party with an actual plan – and in Yorkshire and across the country, we’re the only party that can take on Reform and win.
Greens in local government have a track record of delivering concrete improvements. Green-led councils build social and affordable housing, invest in insulation to bring down bills, improve local bus services, and secure public access to green spaces that were previously restricted to private use.
Whenever Greens are elected as councillors, they tend to be re-elected – because voters see how hard they work to get things done. And unlike Labour, the Conservatives and Reform, we’re completely focused on serving the public.
The Greens are a grassroots, member-led party, and our policies are decided democratically – which means it’s impossible for wealthy donors to buy influence.
We’re also committed to full transparency in government, and Green MP Siân Berry is spearheading an initiative to compel MPs to publish logs of all meetings with campaigners, community groups, businesses and lobbyists.
The result is a platform that actually reflects the interests of ordinary people: bringing water, energy and public transport into public ownership; equalising capital gains with income tax so work is no longer taxed more heavily than wealth; rebuilding our crumbling public services; and protecting the NHS from being carved up and sold off to the highest bidder.
In local government, we will continue our ambitious housebuilding agenda – delivering sustainable social and affordable homes wherever we are elected, designed around the needs of the communities they serve.
We also have a serious plan to revive our high streets, restoring them as thriving centres of local life after years of neglect. And as more and more of us struggle to make ends meet, we will use every lever available to bring down the cost of living.
Polling suggests that in Yorkshire, as in many parts of the country, the choice is between Greens and Reform. Our promise is this: vote Green and you’ll see the benefits.
Vote Green and make hope normal again.