The Green Party fielded over 300 candidates in this year's local elections across the region, around 60% of the seats available. In Greater Manchester the Party fielded candidates in around 80% of the seats - more than either the Liberal Democrats or UKIP. The Party is also contesting the Liverpool and Salford Mayoral elections.
List of candidate numbers by borough are in the table below.
In terms of results, Liverpool Green Party comfortably held their St Michaels seat with 62% (Councillor Sarah Jennings), and had a good second place in GreenBank. Wirral Green Party came very close to gaining a second seat in Birkenhead with 43% of the vote. North Lancashire Greens came close to gaining seats in by-elections for both Lancashire County Council and Lancaster City Council. There were other good results in Trafford (Altrincham), Manchester (Whalley Range) and Burnley (Trinity). These results can be seen in the context of a Labour Party led by a more clearly left-of-centre Leader, and a degree of Liberal Democrat revival following their damaging coalition with the Tories.
In the mayoral contests, in Liverpool the Green candidate Tom Crone was third with nearly 11% of the citywide vote; in Salford, Wendy Olsen tripled the Green vote from last time to over 8%. John Coyne gained nearly 9% in the Merseyside PCC election.
| Borough | Number of Green cands | Total Number of wards |
| Cheshire: | ||
| Warrington | 6 | 22 |
| Cumbria: | ||
| Carlisle | 13 | 17 |
| South Lakeland | 17 | 17 |
| Gtr Manchester: | ||
| Bolton | 17 | 20 |
| Bury | 17 | 17 |
| Manchester | 29 | 32 |
| Oldham | 14 | 20 |
| Rochdale | 12 | 19 |
| Salford | 20 | 21 |
| Stockport | 21 | 21 |
| Tameside | 14 | 20 |
| Trafford | 21 | 21 |
| Wigan | 8 | 25 |
| Lancashire: | ||
| Blackburn | 0 | 22 |
| Burnley | 8 | 15 |
| Chorley | 1 | 15 |
| Hyndburn | 2 | 12 |
| Lancaster | 3 | 3 |
| Preston | 3 | 19 |
| Rossendale | 1 | 12 |
| West Lancs | 6 | 18 |
| Merseyside | ||
| Knowsley | 4 | 15 |
| Liverpool | 31 | 32 |
| St Helens | 5 | 16 |
| Sefton | 21 | 23 |
| Wirral | 22 | 23 |
| Total | 316 | 497 |
The Green Party is the only major political party in the UK that commits to a life based on democracy and justice within the planet's limits.
The Green Party has always dared to be different, and we’ve always known the power of good ideas. We understand that inequality is not just unfair, but damaging to everyone in society.
We understand that not everyone wants to live to work. The Green Party has the bold solutions to deal with the problems we face today: recovering from the impact of coronavirus, while tackling the climate and biodiversity crises and creating compassionate communities where everyone can thrive.
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Green Party Programme for Local Government
The Government’s ideological commitment to austerity has seen £50 billion cut from council services since 2010. These cuts - forced through from Westminster - have closed libraries, forced councils to sell public land and laid off the council staff that collect litter, repair roads and care for older people. The cross party Local Government Association estimates that councils face a further shortfall of £8 billion by 2025 with the most basic of services being eroded, decimating our communities.
A vote for the Green Party in May is a vote against such outdated, disastrously imposed establishment thinking. It is a vote for a new, fresh approach.
The Green Party is committed to campaigning to restore the £50 billion of public money taken from councils – having Greens elected to councils will send a strong message to Westminster that people have had enough of losing cherished local services.
At a local level, having Greens on your council means having champions for investment in local services, fighting to improve public spaces, increase access to social housing and to provide more walking, cycling and public transport opportunities.
It means having councillors looking beyond the tired stock answers and convention-sapped ambitions of the establishment parties. Green councillors embrace the new and relish the bold; harnessing resident’s skills and trusting local knowledge to solve local challenges, from declining high streets to under resourced public transport.
Unlike councillors from the establishment parties, Greens are not subject to a Party whip that orders them to vote according to the needs of the party machines and their colleagues in Westminster. This means they are free to put the residents they represent front and centre, and to fight without fear of favour for their interests - and the radical solutions that will make their lives better.
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