Green Party Unveils Geraldine Coggins as Candidate for Greater Manchester Mayor as party promises to “throw the kitchen sink” at the campaign “to stop Reform in their tracks”.
The Green Party today announced Geraldine Coggins as its candidate for the forthcoming Greater Manchester Combined Authority Mayoral election. Launching an ambitious campaign the party promised to “throw the kitchen sink” at the campaign just as they had earlier in the year in Gorton and Denton to keep Reform out.
The announcement was made as hundreds of party activists took to the streets to hand deliver their leaflets printed in the hours after the election was announced. The launch was addressed by the new candidate, Geraldine Coggins and Green Party Leader Zack Polanski.
The launch comes on the back of the Green Party’s recent success in Gorton and Denton, where Green campaigners helped deliver a significant result and demonstrated the party’s growing strength in Greater Manchester.
Speaking ahead of the launch, Geraldine Coggins said:
“The Green Party has shown in Gorton and Denton and these last local elections that people are ready for a new kind of politics, one that puts communities, fairness and the future first. We did it in Gorton and Denton, and now we will do it across Greater Manchester.
“People are feeling abandoned by Labour and want real change to deliver affordable homes, thriving local communities and a healthier environment. They are tired of being told to settle for less. This campaign will offer a positive vision for the future of Greater Manchester and show that Green leadership can deliver real change.”
Geraldine was elected as Trafford’s first Green councillor in 2018 and re-elected three times since. most recently, securing more than 60 per cent of the vote in her ward. She is currently the Leader of the Green Group on Trafford Council and a member of the council’s Investment Management Board. Geraldine is a published academic with a background in leadership, public finance and strategic decision-making.
Green Party Leader Zack Polanski said:
“It’s the Greens v Reform in Greater Manchester. The Greens are growing because people can see we are offering practical solutions to the challenges they face every day.
“Geraldine Coggins will be a fantastic candidate. She understands the issues facing communities across the region and will lead a serious, energetic campaign to give voters a genuine alternative.”
The Green Party has designated the Greater Manchester mayoral campaign as a top-tier “surge” campaign, reflecting the party’s growing electoral strength in the region. The campaign will focus on building support across all ten boroughs, engaging communities on the issues that matter most to them, and demonstrating how Green leadership can improve lives across Greater Manchester.
Hundreds of activists will take part in a mass leaflet delivery operation before gathering for a campaign rally where Geraldine Coggins will be formally unveiled as the Green Party’s candidate.
The Green Party says the campaign will seek not only to compete for victory in the mayoral election but also to cement the Greens as one of the region’s leading political forces and build support for future council and parliamentary elections.
Notes to editors:
- A high-resolution photograph of Geraldine Coggin can be downloaded here. Photo credit: The Green Party.