Ahead of the Leeds City Council elections, WLD is running election comments from the major political parties.
Polling day is Thursday, 7 May and results will be announced the following day.
Here’s what the Green Party’s Penny Stables had to say to WLD editor John Baron:
Leeds Green Party say Leeds is a vibrant, diverse, creative city – but too many people feel locked out of decisions that shape their lives.
They say housing is unaffordable, buses are unreliable and public services are stretched.
A Green Leeds City Council would prioritise:
- Improving public transport links across the city, particularly in areas which are poorly served
- Innovative solutions to the housing crisis, with development plans that serve Leeds residents rather than private speculators
- Protecting our environment by supporting action to clean up our waterways and crack down on fly tipping.
Councillor Penny Stables, leader of the Green Group, said: “The Green Party has been steadily building support in Leeds from grass roots up. In the past 12 months, our membership has increased five-fold.
“Local residents have also been seeing the difference that having a Green councillor makes. We are community based and will always put our residents before party politics. But underneath that we all have a deep desire to make Leeds a fairer, healthier place to live for all.
“A stronger Green presence on Leeds City Council means real scrutiny, better priorities, and practical solutions rooted in fairness, sustainability, and community power.”
Ward candidate statements
WLD has also asked for candidate statements in all seven wards we cover in our patch. Here are their responses:
- Armley ward candidate statements can be read here.
- Bramley & Stanningley candidate statements can be read here.
- Calverley & Farsley candidate statements can be read here.
- Farnley & Wortley election candidates can be read here.
- Horsforth election candidates can be read here.
- Kirkstall election candidates can be read here.
- Pudsey candidate statements can be read here.
See all of WLD‘s local election coverage here.
Strange, I’ve had a Green councillor for years, he’s done very little. He did manage to raise money for a bench to sit on at a cost of 2k..for one bench!
He’s also good at making sure there’s a band playing in the local park each summer, unfortunately very few people have any interest in brass bands and he’s never organised anything for anyone else.
He’s done nothing to tackle antisocial behaviour from teenagers, he said something about youth clubs several years ago but that’s all he did.
He kept saying he’d get more street bins for the area, that didn’t happen. Local residents raised money for several new bins… He tried to claim he’d done until he was called out for lying.. All he’d actually done was get the council to agree to the bins placements.
My experience of a Green councillor tells me they’re not much use, none of them are regardless of the party. But I definitely won’t be voting for them either in local elections or a general election.
Given the green party is pro immigration, it beggers beleif they can’t fathom that increased immigration puts more pressure on housing.
Both policies effectively condradict each other
I imagine that the Greens will be very supportive of the West Yorkshire Mayor, Labour’s Tracy Brabin who is already doing what they are proposing with the buses.
They should also be very pleased with the Labour run Leeds City Council having built more Council houses than any local authority outside London.
Last September Leeds was named the green council of the year.
I love my city, I’m voting Labour.