Members of the Newry, Mourne and Down District Council received an update from the Department for Infrastructure regarding road maintenance and improvement works for the years 2024/25 and 2025/26.
On the first day of the Labour Party conference, the Green Party of England and Wales has announced it has surged past 80,000 members – a record high for the party. The announcement was made by Green Party Leader, Zack Polanski, speaking at a campaign event in North London. Over 400 activists gathered to deliver over 100,000 leaflets as part of the campaign to win the Hackney Mayoral election in 2026 – one of the Green Party’s strategic objectives for 2026.
This new membership record marks a near 20% increase in membership since Polanski was elected leader less than a month ago.
Reacting to the news, Green Party leader Zack Polanski said:
“This is a huge milestone for the Green Party of England and Wales. The tired, old two-party system is over. More and more people are looking to a politics rooted in tackling the climate crisis and inequality. The Green Party is the party that wants to bring water into public hands, wants to lower bills, and wants to protect our National Health Service. Our party conference is just a week away. Our membership growth is a fantastic foundation from which to deepen our roots in local communities and build a bolder politics. This is just the beginning, and we have no time to waste.”
Ahead of the Labour Party conference opening, Zack Polanski had been clear about Green ambitions for 2026 saying,
“When I said we intend to replace Labour, I meant it. As another Labour conference comes round, it’s another emergency government reset. It just confirms what we already know: Labour has failed. By his own standards, Starmer has broken the promises he was elected on, ditched the principles he claimed to stand for, and his government has made inequality worse, ignored the climate crisis and contributed to arming a genocidal Israeli government. And for all the talk, this conference isn’t a vision for the future. It’s a desperate attempt to rewrite the past.”
Polanski concluded, saying,
“People are crying out for bold leadership, not cautious tinkering. This will probably be Starmer’s last conference. Labour’s future candidates aren’t offering any of the solutions we need. The Green Party is offering these solutions. A wealth tax on the super-rich, investment in public services and action to protect our climate. We are ready to turn this country around by offering a bold, positive alternative to a crumbling Labour government.”
The Justice Minister and Chairman of the RUC George Cross Foundation came together this week to reflect on the sacrifice of police officers ahead of National Police Memorial Day.
Ahead of the Labour Party conference opening Zack Polanski, Leader of the Green Party, said:
“When I said we intend to replace Labour, I meant it. As another Labour conference comes round, it’s another emergency government reset. It just confirms what we already know: Labour has failed. By his own standards, Starmer has broken the promises he was elected on, ditched the principles he claimed to stand for, and his government has made inequality worse, ignored the climate crisis and contributed to arming a genocidal Israeli government.
And for all the talk, this conference isn’t a vision for the future. It’s a desperate attempt to rewrite the past.
People are crying out for bold leadership, not cautious tinkering. This will probably be Starmer’s last conference. Labour’s future candidates aren’t offering any of the solutions we need. The Green Party is offering these solutions. A wealth tax on the super rich, investment in public services and action to protect our climate. We are ready to turn this country around by offering a bold, positive alternative to a crumbling Labour government.”
Life experiences in the first 1,000 days can have long-term implications for a child’s health, growth and development, an updated framework for NI’s universal child health promotion programme emphasises.