Swindon Green Party launched their local-election campaign with a manifesto for a greener Swindon yesterday (Saturday) in Tadpole Garden Village.
The Greens are standing 10 candidates in May’s borough elections and are looking to make history and break the existing two-party makeup by getting Swindon’s first Green borough councillor elected.
St Andrews Parish Councillor Bradley Williams, who is standing in St Andrews ward and received almost 800 votes in last year’s borough elections, led the launch of the Greens’ campaign alongside party supporters and local residents.
Cllr Williams became the first Green to be elected in Swindon last year when he beat a Conservative candidate in a by-election to win a seat on St Andrews Parish Council.
At Saturday’s launch, the Greens unveiled their manifesto for Swindon, which sets out a range of objectives under three priority areas:
- Promoting a thriving and prosperous town
- Supporting healthier and happier lives
- Creating a cleaner and greener environment
Swindon Greens chair Chris Noyce said: “We’re delighted to launch both our campaign to get Swindon’s first Green borough councillor elected and our manifesto for a greener Swindon. We have 10 excellent candidates standing across the borough who are passionate about making our town a better place to live.
“A vote for a Green candidate is a vote for a fresh voice on the council, which has stagnated under the management of both the Conservatives and Labour for too long.”
Promote a thriving and prosperous town
• Retrofit and insulate all social housing to create warmer homes and reduce
energy bills
• Encourage builders to install ground or air heat pumps, double or triple
glazing, and solar roof panels to ensure all new building conforms to the
highest environmental standards
• Work with partners to provide short-term accommodation to tackle
homelessness and rough sleeping
• Increase the housing stock through the compulsory purchase of empty
property
• Support local bus services by introducing a flat rate £1 fare and extending free
bus travel for young people.
Bradley Williams said:“Our message is one of hope and change, which people here in St Andrews and across Swindon are crying out for. As someone who lives in St Andrews and is very active in my local community, I know the importance of listening to my fellow residents and taking action to improve people’s day-to-day lives.
“By winning the St Andrews Parish Council by-election last year, we proved that voting Green is never a wasted vote and that we can win in this area. This May is a chance for our community to vote for change and make history by electing Swindon’s first ever Green borough councillor.”
Support healthier and happier lives
• Promote safe walking and cycling routes to improve personal health
• Reopen libraries and youth and community centres to provide a wider range
of services
• Welcome asylum seekers and refugees
• Establish a ‘library of things’ to promote reuse and recycling of goods
• Restore and repurpose the Locarno building and the Mechanics Institute
Andy Bentley, the Greens’ prospective parliamentary candidate for North Swindon, said:“Under the current administration we’re seeing nothing but the managed decline of Swindon. Whether it’s children’s centres, the Oasis, the Museum and Art Gallery, or the shops in the town centre, things are either shut down or run down.
“The people of St Andrews have seen what happens when you elect Green candidates. Bradley Williams has been a breath of fresh air, working hard for his constituents on the parish council, and he would do the same on the borough council.”
“We’ve had the same tired policies from the two old parties for years; it’s time for change. Another Conservative or Labour councillor won’t make a difference – we’ve got plenty of those. It’s time to give Green a go.”
Create a cleaner and greener environment
• Create wildlife corridors to connect habitats and increase biodiversity
• Provide additional domestic recycling bins for paper, glass and plastic waste
and extend recycling of food waste
• Allocate more land for allotments
• Increase the provision of EV charging points in public car parks
• Include cycle routes in all new residential developments
