Our Manifesto

It’s easy to get caught up in talk of global influence when you’re in Westminster, but the reality on the ground for families here in Manchester is very different. My priority, and I suspect most people’s, is ensuring our kids have the best possible start in life and that our local communities are thriving. That means focusing on what truly matters: well-funded schools, accessible healthcare, and opportunities for everyone.

We need to be clear about where our resources are best spent. Throwing money at defence or grand foreign policy gestures feels increasingly out of step when our own public services are stretched so thin. I see it every day in my classroom – brilliant teachers struggling with too few resources, children from disadvantaged backgrounds needing more support than we can currently provide.

📍 National 👍 5 votes 💬 5 comments ⑂ Adapted 2 times Discuss →

I was stuck in traffic on the way to school the other day and I saw a mum in the car next to me getting a fine for going through the congestion zone, it was clear she was just trying to get her kids to school on time.

I started thinking about how unfair it is to charge parents for driving their kids to school, especially when public transport often isn't a viable option for families with young children. The congestion charge is supposed to reduce traffic but it just ends up punishing people who don't have a choice, like parents who need to drop off their kids before getting to work.

The council should scrap the congestion charge for parents who are just trying to get their kids to school, it's not like they're commuting to work or going shopping, they're just trying to do what's best for their kids.

📍 National 👍 3 votes 💬 5 comments Discuss →

I think we should convert at least one car lane on every major city road to a dedicated bike and bus lane, it's the only way we'll ever reduce congestion and pollution. This is desperately needed because our city is choking on traffic, and it's not just frustrating for drivers, it's also making our air toxic and our commutes longer. I see it every day on my way to school, the roads are clogged and the buses are stuck in the same traffic as everyone else, so they're not even a viable option for most people.

We need to give people a real alternative to driving, and that means making public transport and cycling more appealing, which in turn means making them faster and safer. By taking away a lane from cars, we can make room for a proper bike lane, with a barrier to protect cyclists from traffic, and a dedicated bus lane that can actually move at a decent pace.

📍 National 👍 2 votes 💬 2 comments Discuss →

I'm proposing we immediately end all government subsidies for fossil fuel companies, it's ridiculous we're still funding them when we know they're destroying the planet. We're basically paying them to contribute to climate change, which is just mad when you think about it. The money we're giving them could be so much better spent on renewable energy sources, like solar and wind power, which are the future anyway.

We need to do this because it's getting to the point where the damage is irreversible, and our kids will be the ones who have to deal with the consequences. I see it every day in my job as a teacher, the kids are so aware of the environment and they're worried, they want us to do something. It's not like we can just magic up a solution, but stopping these subsidies is a start, and it's something we can do now.

📍 National 👍 5 votes 💬 5 comments Discuss →