Housing, buses, high streets: Geraldine’s manifesto for Greater Manchester
The Greater Manchester Mayoral race is hotting up, with just under two weeks to go until the region heads to the polls on 30th July.
Green candidate Geraldine Coggins has laid out her plans to take Greater Manchester back from big money, with a manifesto focused on affordable housing, better buses, and breathing new life into the region’s high streets.
And with Reform busy with bins in Clacton, the Green campaign has been buoyed by recent polling showing a large swing in favour of Geraldine and her bid to replace failing Labour.
Meet Geraldine Coggins: “the woman to replace Labour and stop Reform”
In a new video, Geraldine – originally from Dublin – outlined her family’s long ties to the working class history of Greater Manchester, her own political story, and her big plans for the city region.
Geraldine described how her family’s history “runs deep” through Greater Manchester: “Theirs were the calloused hands and dust-filled lungs of Bolton Quarrymen and Manchester rail workers”.
Now leader of the Green group on Trafford Council, Geraldine’s political story has been one of combatting inequality, spending the past eight years “fighting Tory and Labour austerity” as a local councillor.
And she knows that a Green Mayor of Greater Manchester could do so much more for the region than the “Labour careerists” who have failed local people.
Geraldine’s manifesto to “take Greater Manchester back from big money”
At the launch of her manifesto last week, Geraldine laid out her plan for Greater Manchester and the clear goal that will guide her.
“If I am elected, I will take Greater Manchester back from big money.”
Rather than “Labour’s failed model” of putting developers and their profits first, Geraldine’s approach – on housing, transport, and high streets – will be “people over profit.”
“I pledge 20,000 genuinely affordable homes, free bus travel for our young people and will breathe new life into our struggling high streets.”
“We need real change, not more Labour tinkering around at the edges and putting up dodgy skyscrapers to enrich developers not the ordinary people of Greater Manchester.”
Greater Manchester native Zack Polanski attended the launch, and summed up Geraldine’s vision for the region:
“Geraldine has a vision for a Greater Manchester that works for everyone. Genuinely affordable housing. Tackling the rampant inequality that blights this city. Giving everyone who lives here a say in how things are run.”
“I’ll Bee bolder than Labour”: free bus travel for u22s and Bee Orbit buses
The launch of the full manifesto followed announcements of Geraldine’s pledges for transport and high street renewal.
Geraldine pledged to “Bee bolder than Labour on public transport”, by making bus travel free for everyone under the age of 22 across Greater Manchester, as well as working to make transport cheaper and improve connections.
This includes launching the ‘Bee Orbit’ – a new network of high-frequency, express orbital bus routes linking towns across Greater Manchester – and working towards contactless ticketing that can be used across all local trains, buses and trams within Greater Manchester.
Geraldine said:
“Young people are struggling to get by, facing sky-high rents, steep energy and food bills while racking up student debt. I’ll make buses free for everyone under the age of 22, so that the costs of travel are never a barrier to getting to education, work, training or a night out.”
“I’ll Bee Bolder than Labour on public transport in Greater Manchester. From day one as mayor I’ll begin work on the Bee Orbit and plan to make sure tickets can be used across all Greater Manchester’s public transport options. ”
“The beating heart of our communities”: Geraldine’s plan for high streets
Geraldine also has a plan to revitalise Greater Manchester’s high streets.
“40 years of neoliberalism has blighted the places we call home. As mayor, I will make our high streets once again the beating heart of our communities.”
Her plan is focused on bringing empty spaces back into use for the community, supporting local economies, and fixing the failure of Labour’s developer and profit first model which has concentrated development in Manchester city centre with unaffordable luxury flats.
And at the Manchester Evening News hustings, she didn’t hesitate to put Reform in their place…
Geraldine’s plan includes setting up an Empty Shops Team to enable the boroughs to make best use of the powers they have, including Compulsory Purchase Orders, to take over empty properties.
The Greens will also set up a Community Development Fund to help councils and community groups buy vacant properties.
“I will create a new task force to give the boroughs the expertise and co-ordination they need to use their powers to take over empty shops and to end the scandal of land banking.”
“The mayor’s investment fund will be used to help communities buy empty spaces to make all of our high streets the economic, social and cultural hearts of our towns.”
“No more empty shops. People over profit. I will end the failed Labour model which puts developers profits above people and communities.”
Momentum is building: Greens on the up, Labour down, Reform… in Clacton
With just under two weeks to go to polling day, the race for Greater Manchester Mayor is hotting up.
And Geraldine’s campaign is gathering incredible momentum.
While Reform are reportedly diverting their campaign in Greater Manchester to save the skin of Nigel Farage in Clacton, recent polling has shown a surge in support for Green candidate Geraldine – and a big drop off for Labour.
Geraldine said: “Our canvassing teams are hearing the same message again and again: people are choosing between the Greens and Labour. More and more residents are deciding that they want real change, and the Green Party is now the party to deliver it.”
Geraldine is the candidate to replace a Labour party that is failing the people of Greater Manchester and defeat the hateful politics of Reform.
Greens can win on 30 July – but we’ll need your help.
You can help us replace Labour and defeat Reform. Put up a posterboard, join a phone banking session, or come to an action day; head over to the campaign website to find out how you can help.