With yesterdays by-election results fresh in the minds of many in Salford, Green Party leader Zack Polanski said he was feeling confident ahead of the upcoming local elections as he strolled through Levenshulme promoting his plan to spruce up high streets.
Jack Groom who stood in yesterdays Barton and Winton By-Election managed a respectable 262 votes placing him in third place ahead of the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Independent Candidate – Kirsty Ann Downie.
Meeting up with Leverhulme’s recently elected MP Hannah Spencer, Zak launched a Green policy outside empty shops under a drooping ‘Vote Labour’ banner from the February by-election.
The pair strolled down the high street, speaking to business owners about their ambitions.
The party’s three-point plan includes lowering lease costs to to end dominance of multinational chains; using compulsory purchase orders to bring empty shops back into use; and putting decision making back into the hands of local communities.
Recent victor of the Gorton and Denton by-election Ms Spencer spoke to Tom Hughes, owner of grassroots music venue The Talleyrand. The pair weaved along Stockport Road with Tom’s little one Leonora in the pram and discussed how policy could support venues like his.
Ms Spencer spoke of her memories watching musicians play at smaller establishments in the area, sharing her concern they are becoming smaller in number.
She said she felt areas like Levenshulme have suffered from being ‘hollowed out’, with so many places suffering from a bad mix of boarded-up shop fronts, bookies or vape shops.
Ms Spencer said: “You can see how much our communities care about the places that we live. Such a big part of our communities is our high streets, but time and time again decisions are being made that do not involve the people that live here or local businesses that are desperate to set up and make a start.
“What we see here is boarded up shops, too many bookies, too many vape shops and residents aren’t properly consulted about the things they need in the places they live.
“I am so proud and pleased that we are the party that is listening to people and we are the ones with the plan to change that on May 7.”
Her party’s leader went stronger by claiming Labour have ‘utterly failed this community’. He says the area needs to be nurtured.
After chatting with passers by and popping into Madina Super Store as well as 11zoom photoshop, Mr Polanski spoke of a growing Green momentum in the lead up to polling day on May 7.
Mr Polanski said: “When I became leader of the Green Party there were 50,000 members and now there are over 225,000 members. That is a whole host of momentum that is already on the ground, then Hannah Spencer winning the Gorton and Denton by-election has propelled that momentum.
“I’m feeling really confident and not at all complacent. Actually what really matters in the next two weeks is how many campaigners we have out knocking on doors, speaking to people in communities, ultimately having that conversation.
“When people hear more and more about the Green Party, particularly our policies to tackle cost of living and challenging the toxic combination of low wages and high bills, people like what they see and are ready to vote Green.
“There are lots of examples where we run Green councils and we have done really well. Mid Suffolk District Council for example, where we have a Green majority, in its first year it won green council of the year. In Bristol we built more council homes than any council outside of London.
“There are lots of examples of Green councils where people have voted Green and really liked what they’re getting and are ready to vote Green again.
“The point is this, Green councillors ultimately have two vested interests: they want to serve the community and protect the environment. I think that is something a lot of people can get behind.”
