Zack Polanski, the Green Party leader, has accused Andy Burnham of damaging Greater Manchester with what he called 'Manchesterism'. Speaking at the Nia Centre in Hulme, Polanski said the current mayor's policies had let private investors 'ride roughshod' over the city-region, resulting in thousands of homes people cannot afford.
Polanski expressed confidence in the Green Party's candidate for Greater Manchester mayor, Geraldine Coggins, whom he described as 'exceptional'. Coggins has pledged to build 20,000 affordable homes over the next ten years if elected on July 30.
Criticism of Burnham's record
Polanski argued that Burnham's 'Manchesterism' was 'neoliberalism accelerated', giving hundreds of millions of pounds to property developers like Renaker while building no affordable homes in some developments. He claimed that 'trickle-down economics' had failed and that a different approach was needed.
However, Polanski acknowledged that not everything Burnham had done was bad, and he supported further devolution for metro mayors. He also called for a scrutiny body similar to the London Assembly to be established in Greater Manchester.
Green Party's housing plans
Central to the Green Party's platform are rent controls and a publicly owned developer called 'Homes for Greater Manchester'. Polanski said that if rents had been frozen in 2022, the average renter would save £2,400 per year, and the government would save £2bn annually on housing benefit.
Polanski admitted that a Green mayor alone could not introduce rent controls but would be 'a huge thorn in the Labour government's side' by advocating for Greater Manchester residents. He also called for a change to proportional representation for general and mayoral elections, arguing that first-past-the-post leads to complacency.
Campaign momentum
Polanski said there was enthusiasm for the Green Party, citing positive feedback and social media analytics showing nine of their adverts outperforming 20 of Labour's. He believed this indicated 'an enthusiasm for a different kind of politics'.
He praised Coggins for her scrutiny ability, attention to detail, and calm, transformative vision. 'I think she would bring a stable pair of hands,' he said.
The full list of candidates for the Greater Manchester mayoral election, in alphabetical order, is: Sian Astley (Reform), Geraldine Coggins (Greens), Bev Craig (Labour), Phil Eckersley (Conservative), Marcus Farmer (Independent), Richard Kilpatrick (Lib Dem), and Marlon West (Restore).
Polling stations will be open from 7am until 10pm on Thursday, July 30. The Labour Party and Andy Burnham's team have been contacted for a response.
