Greens launch London Mayoral campaign: Key policies in brief

Sian Berry is standing for the Greens in London, and yesterday she launched the party's manifesto

Sian Berry

The London Mayoral Elections are less than a month away and the Green Party has just released its manifesto.

On 6 May Londoners will be voting to elect the next Mayor – and if the Green won 2021 would see the first Green Party Mayor ever elected.

Sian Berry is standing for the Green Party in London, and yesterday she launched the party’s manifesto.

So what are some of the key policies?

Climate and ecological emergency

The Green Party has pledged to set the right targets to solve the climate crisis before 2030, and work with all citizens to achieve them.

Green energy

It promises to invest in more green energy, make homes warmer and provide new funding to cut fuel poverty. It also promises new jobs.

Housing

The Greens pledge to prevent the loss of council housing by giving more residents the power to vote against demolition, and set up a People’s Land Commission so that people in local areas can make their own plans for new homes.

Travel

It will reduce traffic and cancel the Silvertown Road Tunnel, investing instead in healthy streets, walking, cycling, better buses and new public transport links.

Young people

It will open up opportunities for young people with a trial of a Creative Autonomy Allowance. This will be a regular income to help kickstart careers in business and the arts.

Crime

The Party has also pledged to set clear targets to prevent violence and bring murders down to zero, investing in real prevention to stop violence against women, and services for young people that help them thrive.

Clean air

It pledges to achieve clean air, with an ultra low emission zone to cover all of London, and work to cut traffic and invest in green buses. 

Powers over Government

It wants to do more to win powers from Government for a direct say over taxes, the NHS, education, criminal justice, housing and environment policies – just like in Scotland and Wales.

With the main message of “a new start for London”, the Green Party have promised to “share power with Londoners” if they are elected, bringing more diverse voices into City Hall.

Green Assembly Member, Caroline Russell said: “As we build back from the pandemic, a real green recovery is what Londoners need. A new start that only the Green Party is qualified to deliver. 

“The risks to Londoners’ health, jobs and futures are clear, and our plans protect our citizens in the here and now and build the brighter future we need.”

The ultimate aim is to make London the greenest city in the world and, following the inequalities that have been even more amplified during Covid-19, the party wants a “real green recovery that reduces inequality and builds resilience for a secure future”.

Lucy Skoulding is a freelance reporter at Left Foot Forward. Follow her on Twitter. 

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