Geraldine Coggins outlines Green Party vision for Greater Manchester mayoral election

Green Party candidate Geraldine Coggins has pledged to deliver 20,000 genuinely affordable homes, introduce free bus travel for young people and spread investment beyond Manchester city centre if elected Mayor of Greater Manchester.

During an interview in Prestwich, the Trafford councillor said the election was about "taking Greater Manchester back from big money" and outlined her vision for housing, transport, policing and local economies.

Housing was one of the central themes of Coggins' campaign.

She said "We are going to start Homes for Greater Manchester. We are going to build 10,000 new homes and we're going to buy, fix up and retrofit another 10,000."

The Green Party candidate added "We are going to rent all these out at genuinely affordable rates so someone who's on housing benefit for example will be able to afford them."

Coggins argued the programme would eventually pay for itself by reducing spending on temporary accommodation.

"One in 80 children in our city region is growing up in temporary accommodation and it's heartbreaking to think of those families who haven't got that warm, secure place to call a home."

"This is going to ultimately save a huge amount of taxpayer money and what we will be creating is 20,000 permanent public assets that will bring in an income for our councils and our GMCA over generations to come."

Turning to transport, Coggins praised work already carried out under Andy Burnham while arguing more could be done.

"Most people think that what Andy Burnham has done around buses and public transport and active transport has been really good and I think that too and I really want to go further and faster on that."

One of her flagship pledges is free bus travel for everyone under the age of 22.

"It would be a game changer for our city region."

"It's a way of bringing up the next generation knowing that buses are the normal, easy and safe way to get around."

Coggins also proposed an orbital express bus service linking towns across Greater Manchester.

"We're going to start an orbital bus. It's going to be the B Orbit. It's going to go around Rochdale, Oldham, Tameside, Stockport, all the way around to Wigan and of course back again."

Asked about investment across the city region, the mayoral hopeful argued too much attention had been given to Manchester city centre.

"Too much Labour has really focused on the city centre and it's just driven up rents. It's not made any positive difference to people's lives."

"We are really keen to look out for those places that have been left behind and share out the opportunity."

Among her proposals is a £3 overnight visitor levy on hotel stays to help fund improvements to public transport.

"It will be an absolutely negligible amount to people who are paying it but it will make a game changing difference to our city region."

Revitalising town centres also forms part of the Green Party manifesto.

"Our high streets are broken. They've been left behind. Our towns are broken."

Coggins said she would establish an empty shops team supported by a £10 million fund to help councils, community groups and independent businesses return vacant premises to use.

On policing, the Trafford councillor said prevention should receive greater emphasis.

"I want to double the amount of money spent on the Violence Reduction Unit because ultimately my aim is to reduce the amount of crime we have in our area."

She also pledged to prioritise tackling violence against women and girls.

"We know this is still such a huge issue that we are not seeing the solutions that we need. We're not seeing that focus on the needs of victims and survivors and I'm not going to accept that."

Discussing climate policy, Coggins argued environmental action and the cost of living were closely linked.

"The solutions to the cost of living crisis are the same as the solutions to the climate crisis."

Reflecting on the political landscape ahead of polling day, Coggins said support for the Green Party continued to grow across Greater Manchester.

"There are no Labour strongholds anymore. That has gone."

She added that she would seek to work with political opponents where there was common ground.

"We really believe in doing politics differently and working with all parties on the issues that we agree on."

Asked what message she wanted voters to remember, Coggins said "This election is about taking Greater Manchester back from big money."