John Howard (Sefton Park)

Stuart: May 2023 marked significant changes in South Liverpool, including new ward boundaries and the retirement of long-standing councillors. What inspired you to step up and run for election?

John: It was indeed a time of transition. The retirement of Lawrence Brown, Anna Key, and Stephanie Pitcher left big shoes to fill, and the new ward boundaries presented both challenges and opportunities. I’d only been a member of the Green Party for six months when I was selected as the candidate for the newly formed Sefton Park ward. Winning with 57% of the vote was a huge honour, and I’ve been working relentlessly since then to address the needs of the ward.

Stuart: Sefton Park is a key part of your ward. What challenges are you addressing there?

John: Sefton Park is a Grade I listed site with Green Flag status, attracting visitors from across Liverpool and when used by festivals from around the country too. Balancing this commercial use with the preservation of the park is crucial. Another major issue is water management. The water table in the park has risen over the decades, likely due to climate change, causing drainage problems and water build-up in some areas.

I regularly work with the Head of Parks to spot and address issues early, from clearing blocked drains to managing leaf debris that creates hazards when compacted. Sometimes I even step in personally, armed with wellies, to clear blockages by hand. However, larger challenges require council resources, and I ensure these are allocated appropriately.

Stuart: Lark Lane is another prominent part of your ward. What steps are you taking to address concerns there?

John: Lark Lane is one of Liverpool’s most vibrant streets, but it has long-standing issues. Parking on side roads has been a persistent complaint from residents, and I am trying to address this. Since being elected, the council have secured funding for redevelopment, and I’ve been working with them on fine-tuning the designs, alongside integrating feedback from residents. Plans include widening and levelling pavements to improve safety for pedestrians, wheelchair users, and parents with pushchairs.

We’re also starting a consultation on introducing a long-requested residents’ parking permit scheme. Additionally, I’ve worked with the local Neighbourhood Association and the Council to ensure businesses comply with regulations, such as keeping trade bins off pavements on non-collection days. These steps are already making the area more accessible and safer.

Stuart: Licensing has been another contentious issue on Lark Lane. Can you share your thoughts?

John: Licensing used to be governed by a “cumulative impact” policy, which ensured a balanced mix of businesses in the area. This policy allowed the licensing committee to consider the overall impact of new applications, preventing an overconcentration of late-night bars. Unfortunately, it was removed during the pandemic and there’s now a risk of the Lane becoming dominated by a single type of business.

I’ve previously submitted a petition to the council calling for the policy to be reinstated, but the response has been slow and non-committal. It’s essential to maintain Lark Lane as a diverse and thriving community hub that balances commercial success with residential needs. As the balance of business types has already skewed further than I would have liked, improving enforcement of licensing conditions is now key, to ensure businesses don’t take liberties that cause disruption for local residents.

Stuart: Looking ahead, what are your priorities for the ward?

John: Improving accessibility is a key focus. On Livingstone Drive, for instance, driveways often cut into pavements, making it difficult for wheelchair users and those with limited mobility. I’d also like to see more pedestrian crossings to connect the park with surrounding streets, and better cycling infrastructure. Of course, resources are always limited, and every councillor has a wish list. I’m committed to advocating for projects that make the most significant impact while navigating the constraints of council funding.

Stuart: You also sit on two important committees. What has been your focus there?

John: On the Neighbourhoods Committee, I’ve been involved in initiatives like reducing mowing in certain areas to improve biodiversity and drainage while also saving money. I’ve been pushing for the council to switch to cut-and-collect at the end of the growing season, rather than cut-and-drop. This will reduce growth of tall grass whilst increasing diversity of wildflowers, and make the areas left for biodiversity more open for general use. 

Another critical issue is the health of the River Mersey. We recently passed a motion censuring United Utilities for sewage dumping and are pushing for better water management to prevent overflow. Just last week, a group of us met with them to hear about their plans for almost entirely replumbing Liverpool’s sewage and drainage systems to prevent future sewage overflows. I’ll also be going on a visit to one of their sewage works in the new year, to get a better idea of what infrastructure issues are currently being faced. 

On the Culture and Economy Committee, I’m focused on making the city’s tourism economy more sustainable. For example, I’m advocating for onshore-powered cruise ships to reduce air and water pollution, and set up a one-on-one meeting with Museums Liverpool to hear about the green aspects of their dock redevelopment and the associated district heating scheme, which promises to make their operations more energy efficient.

Stuart: What motivates your work as a councillor?

John: I’m passionate about connecting local challenges with global issues like climate change. Whether it’s improving accessibility, enhancing green spaces, or encouraging sustainable practices, I believe these efforts make Liverpool a better, more resilient city.

Sometimes you can do a lot of chasing of something but end up with little to show for it. But then eventually you get a win, and seeing progress—even small steps—drives me to keep pushing forward.

The post Councillor snapshot appeared first on Liverpool Green Party.

Martyn Madeley (Greenbank Park Ward)

Martyn Madeley is a busy man. Not content with representing Greenbank Park and working for a local materials analysis company, I am forced to meet him in a local café as he is deep in work on a run-down house he is renovating. “We’ve got to meet here, because I’ve had to temporarily put all of my chairs into the garden as some of them have got woodworm and I’m now replacing the flooring.”

Moving on to his role in his ward, Martyn talks about how his green principles influence both his activism and his work representing the local community. “I believe in making sustainable choices in everyday life, for example through the promotion of and support for active travel. In general, I joined the Green Party as I saw it as the only party prepared to devolve power to the local community. One of my key roles is to make sure the voices of residents are heard at council level. When it comes to decision-making in the Council chamber, I try to ensure that the council is led by the science and makes decisions that benefit the health and wellbeing of everyone in Liverpool.”

Martyn has represented the Greenbank Park ward since the 2023 retirement of long-standing Green councillor Lawrence Brown, who had represented the ward for over ten years. Since his election, Martyn has enjoyed engaging with a range of local issues, including ensuring that the owners of ‘HMOs’ (Houses of Multiple Occupancy) are responsible landlords, with Martyn believing that a thriving community requires a mixture of housing.

As a grassroots councillor, Martyn also acknowledges that addressing smaller issues such as parking can have a big impact on the lives of those in the local area. There is a particular issue with litter in the ward and sometimes skips and builders waste make the place look untidy, so Martyn liaises with landlords and Liverpool Streetscene (the Council’s refuse and recycling subsidiary) to address this. A quick recent win was at the University of Liverpool’s Halls of Residence on Greenbank Road where he split costs with the University to fund a new street bin. In general, Martyn says, “I am keen to work with the local Universities to ensure that there are good relations between students and locals.”

In discussing the area he represents, Martyn notes, “there are pockets of deprivation in what is sometimes seen as an affluent ward, so I try to ensure that those with disabilities and the elderly are empowered to lobby for improvements to their community”. Specifically, Martyn contacts groups of residents regularly and is keen to ensure that all communities and age groups are able to be included in local activities. In the South of his ward in Mossley Hill, Martyn is working with the local residents association regarding the a plan to build more than a hundred dwellings on the site of the old Carnatic Halls, “this involves liaising with the developer and lobbying them to ensure that the plan is suitable for the local community”. One success that Martyn has had is to ensure that the current plan includes public access, a new green space and cycle storage facility, linking in to his enthusiasm for active travel.

Elsewhere, Martyn has been able to use Neighbourhood Fund cash to support a local scheme to provide free books to children while also funding chess lessons in schools (with other local councillors). “I’ve provided funding and support for a poetry and music event at the Smithdown Social Arts Club. This involves poets reading their work to the accompaniment of local musicians. The event itself was really good, with the participants launching a compendium of poems in both print and as an audio book.”

Ending our chat, Martyn’s thoughts turned from the local with the global, expressing the view that local councillors can also have a role in international politics. In particular, Martyn is proud of his role in November 2023 when in partnership with other opposition leaders, he submitted a council motion to support a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and gave his first council speech on the issue. On this, Martyn says, “it is essential that every elected politician takes a stand strongly in support of international law. I am proud that Liverpool City Council took the decision to unanimously stand on the right side of history and send a clear message to our government, to our allies and to the people of Gaza.”

October 2024

The post Councillor snapshot appeared first on Liverpool Green Party.

The Green Party is the recommended best vote for climate action in all five constituencies, with two of the seats listed as votes where the Greens could win the seat – Liverpool Wavertree and Liverpool Riverside.

Tom Crone, Green candidate for Wavertree, and a Liverpool City Councillor, said:

“Climate chaos is here. Globally 2023 was the hottest year on record. As I say this, Hurricane Beryl is the earliest ever Category 4 hurricane and it is destroying homes and livelihoods in island states in the Caribbean right now [1]. We’ve seen huge floods in Switzerland, France and Germany. People saw first hand the horrendous weather that has even delayed a match in the European Football Championship [2]. Our own lack of summer so far shows the disruption and chaos that the climate crisis brings.”

“This is the election where we need people to vote for climate action. It is also the election where climate has been missing from the debate. The risks to Merseyside are huge and a Green vote is the one clear message you can give the next government as grandparents, parents or just for yourself and your concern for the future. Every Green vote will count, even in constituencies where we don’t win, as ‘Short Money’ helps fund Greens in parliament.”

The Greens are expected to win up to 4 seats around the country.

The Liverpool Echo have previously reported on flood maps if sea levels rise in Merseyside [3]. Large parts of Birkenhead, the Baltic Triangle and Liverpool City Centre will be underwater. Huge areas from Crosby up to Southport will be below sea level or at high risk of storm surges.

“As Greens we are the party speaking out on this, the most important issue of our time. But we need people to hear that message, and so far the airwaves and media coverage have been quiet. Ask your children and grandchildren, who can’t yet vote, what they want from the election. It is their future, but they need you to vote for it and we need our radio and newspapers to cover it.”

[1] https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/hurricane-beryl-strengthens-to-potentially-catastrophic-category-4-as-it-heads-for-caribbean-islands-live-updates/ar-BB1pdqjE

[2] https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/breaking-germany-denmark-suspended-weather-33136321

[3] https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/see-your-street-underwater-future-17191208

The post Greens Best Vote for Climate in Liverpool appeared first on Liverpool Green Party.

The election is just a couple of weeks away and here at Liverpool Greens we have been working hard on our election campaign.

We are very pleased to have candidates standing in every Liverpool constituency.

Who are the candidates?

Liverpool Wavertree – Tom Crone

Councillor Tom Crone has been holding Liverpool Labour to account since he got elected in 2014. He is a self-employed Energy Advisor and his wife is a frontline NHS worker.

He says: “I am excited by the proposals in our manifesto and proud to represent a national political party offering a real alternative. Keir Starmer’s Labour Party are matching the Tories in too many ways, watering down previous commitments and flip-flopping on important policies.

“A vote for the Green Party will send a powerful message to Keir Starmer that he needs to be bolder to achieve the vital transition to a Green economy and creating a fairer Britain for all.”

Liverpool West Derby – Maria Coughlan

Maria has lived in Liverpool all her life. Raised by her widowed mother, she experienced poverty first hand. That was back in the 1960s, but sadly today, after both Labour and Conservative Governments, not much has changed. Child poverty is at an all-time high, the NHS is at risk, and climate change is a real threat to our planet.

Maria worked in social housing for over 30 years, helping the most vulnerable in society keep a roof over their head. Twenty-five years as Presiding Justice on the Liverpool Magistrates’ Bench has given Maria first-hand experience of the impact of crime, addiction, and domestic abuse on our great city.

If elected, Maria is determined to champion the rights of West Derby residents. She will be relentless in making sure your views are not only heard in Parliament, but are acted upon. We cannot sit back and hope for change. We have to act now and vote Green.

Liverpool Riverside – Chris Coughlan

Chris is a retired Project Manager and former labour member until converting to the Green Party over five years ago having recognised and acknowledged the widening cavern between both parties.

He lives in Liverpool City Centre and is a life long Everton fan but please don’t hold that against him.

Liverpool Walton – Martyn Madeley

Martyn has been a Green campaigner for over 10 years. He completed a degree in Environmental Science since moving to Liverpool.

He now works in a materials analysis company as a Laboratory Technician while being the Councillor for Greenbank Park Ward on Liverpool City Council.

Liverpool Garston and Halewood – Muryam Sheikh
Muryam says “The Green Party needs more members to stand as an option for people to choose from on a ballot paper at the elections, rather than just the other well-funded parties. And as we need as many as possible willing to stand I felt it was my duty as a mixed heritage person to do so too. I would love to see more Greens as an option on ballot papers nationwide, so we can push for a better, cleaner, fairer future for everyone, with more exposure to help highlight our policies and the party as a whole.”

Our manifesto

All of Liverpool’s Green Party parliamentary candidates are in full support of and committed to the national Green Party manifesto. Read up on some of the Green Party’s plans below:

Fairer, greener homes for all

A fairer, healthier country

A Greener economy

Greener energy

Bringing nature back to life.

Don’t forget:

The constituency boundaries have changed this year so if you want to check your constituency please use this link here: https://members.parliament.uk/constituencies.

Keep your eye out here and on Social Media (X/Twitter) for updates on the candidates.

How Can I Help?

Join the Green Party – https://join.greenparty.org.uk/. With this link you can join the Green Party where you will be able to see all events.

Give to our Crowdfunder – https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-liverpool-greens-in-the-general-election-2024. We are raising funds to cover the costs of standing a candidate in every seat. You don’t have to be a member to donate and anything you can spare gets us closer to our goal.

Join us Leafleting – We have delivered over 20,000 leaflets so far to those in the Wavertree Constituency. We have another leaflet ready to go and you can help us reach people! If you’re a member check your emails, otherwise contact office@liverpool.greenparty.org.uk.

Finally, a massive thank you to everyone who has supported us so far. Our continued success simply wouldn’t be possible without you.

The post Help turn Liverpool Green on 4 July appeared first on Liverpool Green Party.

Sefton Park Cricket Club are proposing to hold a series of events on their lower field, close to Mossley Hill Drive. This will result in the field being fenced off from 19th September, until into the New Year. The events are expected to attract between 2,000 and 3,000 people.

Local residents, Councillors and community groups were not consulted on this proposal until it was well into the planning stage.

The site is close to a local school which uses the park for PE lessons, so having events involving alcohol a short distance away, taking place during school hours, will impact children.

We are concerned about the impacts this will have on the park and the surrounding area. Large numbers of people will bring with them parking and traffic problems, litter, noise and, as alcohol will be licensed for sale from 10am to 10pm, the increased possibility of anti-social behaviour. 

The noise will affect wildlife in the park, especially creatures which will be hibernating. It will also impact the plant life in this part of the park and other birds and animals that live there.

This is part of Sefton Park, which residents are used to being able to enjoy for quiet relaxation. This will be impacted by the events.

We are concerned this event will set a precedent for using the park as a place for private businesses to make money, rather than the enjoyment and wellbeing of everyone in Liverpool.

We are working hard to force a rethink by the cricket club and anyone else who is involved in the decision making relating to these events. 

Sign the petition

Please sign the petition launched by Greenbank Green Party council candidate Martyn Madeley here.

Contact the Council

The event has submitted a licence application to the council. The deadline to make comments, or to object is August 19th. 

Only comments relating to the following licensing objectives will be taken into account:

the prevention of crime and disorder; 

public safety; 

the prevention of public nuisance; 

the protection of children from harm.

You can do this online here.

The post Stop Sefton Park being fenced off appeared first on Liverpool Green Party.

It urged new health secretary Sajid Javid to dismantle the toxic legacy left by his predecessor Matt Hancock by scrapping the proposed Great NHS Data Grab.

Members of the public have until the end of August to opt out. The plan will see millions of GPs records centralised into one database. Private companies can then gain access to the data.

Liverpool Green Party councillor Lawrence Brown said: ‘We know this is a government that puts private profits before people’s health. It wants to share people’s most personal medical information with any private company that says it is for research.’

The government has twice delayed the start of the grab following public protests and now says it will start when four tests have been met around dealing with opt-out backlogs and ensuring ‘a trusted research environment has been developed’.

Cllr Brown warned: ‘The government set dates it couldn’t meet and has now set tests it can’t meet. Yet it refuses to take the plans off the table for good. We are urging people to opt out today because this government’s tests and dates can’t be trusted.’

National Green Party health spokesperson Peter Cranie added: ‘These plans could enable US health companies to potentially make huge profits off the back of processing some of our most sensitive and personal data.’

Cllr Brown added: ‘We have the skills here within the NHS and university sectors to bring this data together, properly anonymise it, and allow the public to benefit from it for free.

‘The good news is that we can opt out of the data grab, if we tell our GP now. Time is short to protect our most personal data and our NHS from private sector predators.’

NOTES TO EDITORS

1. People can get more information and copies of forms to opt out at https://reclaimthenet.org/nhs-data-opt-out/
2. The government’s plans: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/data-collections-and-data-sets/data-collections/general-practice-data-for-planning-and-research/secretary-of-state-letter-to-general-practice#top
3. Back in 2013 the coalition government of Tories and Lib Dems proposed ‘extraction’ of identifiable medical data from GP surgeries that could then be passed onto private companies. The Green Party opposed the proposal then, and were part of a successful campaign that stopped the idea in its tracks.

The post ‘Opt out today to save your medical information from the Great NHS Data Grab’ appeared first on Liverpool Green Party.

They welcomed the Mayor’s recognition that Electronic Warfare Europe is a major arms fair bringing together weapons merchants and ‘some of the most repressive and human rights abusing governments in the world’, but urged her to go further and use the council’s ownership of the centre to act.

The issue will be debated at the full council today – Wednesday July 21 – , with Mayor Anderson’s proposed motion falling short of action to bar the arms fair.

Green Group deputy leader Lawrence Brown said: ‘It is clear Mayor Anderson is embarrassed by her predecessor’s failure to live up to his promises on the twice-postponed arms jamboree and she now recognises the enormous damage holding it will do to our city’s reputation.

‘We urge her to have the courage of her convictions and use every power at the council’s disposal to support the broad-based local and national campaign to force the Exhibition Centre to act.’

Mayor Anderson’s motion recognises ACC Liverpool Group Limited, which runs the Exhibition Centre is ‘a wholly owned subsidiary of the Council’ but claims ‘The Council has no power to interfere with bookings.’

Cllr Brown said: ‘It seems the council is writing a blank cheque for the Exhibition Centre to invite anyone to our city regardless of the damage they might do to the city and its reputation. That can’t be acceptable.

‘We urge Mayor Anderson and all councillors to back our amendment that would send the arms dealers and their weapons packing.’

NOTES TO EDITORS

1. Current Motion and Proposed Amendement:

Current Motion

This Council notes that “Electronic Warfare Europe” is a major warfare convention run by Clarion Defence, which organises several of the biggest warfare convention in the world. The Liverpool convention will cover components for a range of warplanes, missile systems and drones, and the technology behind weaponry used today. Electronic Warfare will bring many of the biggest global arms companies together with government and military officials from across the world.

Council further notes that a number of dictatorships and military-led Governments have historically and indeed continue to use military equipment and personnel to repress freedoms and human rights.

Council firmly believes that the “Electronic Warfare Europe” event at the Arena & Convention Centre Liverpool (ACC Liverpool) in October 2021 will showcase and display a wide range of armaments and military equipment is not compatible with and does not promote the peaceful socialist values of the Council and the wider City.

The ACC Liverpool Group Limited was established as a wholly owned subsidiary of the City Council in 2007 and trades as an independent entity. The Council has no power to interfere with bookings taken by ACC Liverpool, and has no member representatives on its Board.

Given the nature of the relationship between the Council and the ACC Liverpool Group, Council therefore requests that the ACC Liverpool Group develop and adopt an Ethical Charter as company policy and update their risk register to include risk embarrassment and negative association for Liverpool and the City Council.

Proposed Amendment:

Delete all after ‘wider City’ and insert:

Council recognises that, as the freeholder of the ACC, including the Exhibition Centre where the weapons convention is scheduled to be held, it has a role to play in regard to the events held at the venue. Where such events are considered to be abhorrent on the grounds of their content, as is the case in this instance, Liverpool City Council should take all possible steps to stop such events from occurring, including reviewing the terms of the agreement between the ACC Liverpool and the Council.

Council also notes the unanimous decision of the meeting of the City Council in 2019 and the intervention made by the Mayor of Liverpool, which led to the cancellation of the Great British Shooting Show; this demonstrated the Council’s determination to oppose events which it identified as abhorrent and the leverage that it has with ACC Liverpool in having such events cancelled.

Council therefore requests:

1. The Mayor, Cabinet, Chief Executive and Senior Management Team carry out a comprehensive review of all options available to the Council with a view to having this event cancelled.
2. The Mayor and Chief Executive write a joint letter to ACC Liverpool condemning the decision to allow a booking of a warfare convention to be made and requesting that no such event, involving the marketing of weaponry, should be allowed in future.
3. The Mayor, Chief Executive and Senior Management Team compile an ethical charter covering all City Council owned buildings, including the ACC buildings, at the earliest opportunity with a view to preventing such abhorrent events from taking place in any Council owned building in the future.

Amended motion to read:

This Council notes that “Electronic Warfare Europe” is a major warfare convention run by Clarion Defence, which organises several of the biggest warfare convention in the world. The Liverpool convention will cover components for a range of warplanes, missile systems and drones, and the technology behind weaponry used today. Electronic Warfare will bring many of the biggest global arms companies together with government and military officials from across the world.

Council further notes that a number of dictatorships and military-led Governments have historically and indeed continue to use military equipment and personnel to repress freedoms and human rights.

Council firmly believes that the “Electronic Warfare Europe” event at the Arena & Convention Centre Liverpool (ACC Liverpool) in October 2021 will showcase and display a wide range of armaments and military equipment is not compatible with and does not promote the peaceful socialist values of the Council and the wider City.

Council recognises that, as the freeholder of the ACC, including the Exhibition Centre where the weapons convention is scheduled to be held, it has a role to play in regard to the events held at the venue. Where such events are considered to be abhorrent on the grounds of their content, as is the case in this instance, Liverpool City Council should take all possible steps to stop such events from occurring, including reviewing the terms of the agreement between the ACC Liverpool and the Council.

ENDS

The post Green councillors urge Mayor Anderson to be bold and bar arms dealers from the city appeared first on Liverpool Green Party.

Greenbank Green councillor Lawrence Brown today (Thursday February 24) called on the council to back local residents opposed to the extension of the Watering Can café into the local park’s memorial walled garden.

Greenbank Park was bought for the people of Liverpool in 1897 from the Rathbone family who maintained a large house and estate on the site. Its use as a boating and recreation site is protected in the original agreement. The walled garden is the last remaining part of the old Rathbone estate and sits next to the Watering Can café.

‘People have really valued this open, green space during the horrors of the pandemic as a safe place to get fresh air and exercise. We simply can’t afford to lose more green space in our city,’ said Cllr Brown.

Dan Fieldsend, who is standing as the Green Party’s candidate in the ward in May’s local election, said the plans to extend the café into the walled garden were ‘horrendous’.

Mr Fieldsend added: ‘Local people are clearly opposed to the extension plans. If the council approves the extension it would reduce the amount of green space in the memorial walled garden.

‘I am working with Greenbank residents to save the park from any further development and urging people to contact the council urgently with their objections.’

Objections should be emailed to: planningandbuildingcontrol@liverpool.gov.uk quoting reference number 21F/0301.

ENDS

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Liverpool City Council Green Group leader Tom Crone today (Tuesday February 23) called for a ‘Clean-hands Cabinet’ to lead the city out of the chaos caused by Labour dropping Acting Mayor and two other leading councillors as candidates for elections in May.

Cllr Crone said: ‘The city has been left leaderless and rudderless. Labour has suspended the sitting Mayor, has no confidence in the Acting Mayor to fill the post permanently and won’t back two other leading councillors to replace her.

‘A government inspector is currently trawling through the city’s papers, Labour candidates for May’s election are dropping out without explanation.

‘One councillor is actually defending his choice to live in Spain while representing one of the UK’s most deprived wards.

‘Yet, this shambles of a party expects these councillors and their colleagues to still be making decisions on the council.

‘We are in the middle of a health crisis and an environmental crisis with many people just clinging on to their jobs. Labour is finished as a credible leadership team on the council.

‘Let’s get behind a cross-party Cabinet that is free of accusations of any kind – a clean-hands Cabinet that has the confidence of voters to lead the city out of this crisis.’

The post City left leaderless and rudderless as Labour descends into chaos appeared first on Liverpool Green Party.

Liverpool Green Party today (Friday February 5) called for May’s local elections to be postponed to protect the public and democracy.

The call came after the Cabinet Office said the elections would go ahead but with restrictions on campaigning and support to get voters to the polls.

The party, which is fielding council candidates across the city and a candidate for city mayor, wrote to Michael Gove, the government’s election supremo, and the Electoral Commission warning that holding the elections would favour ‘large and well-funded parties’.

Green Party councillor, and candidate for City Mayor, Tom Crone added: ‘I’m deeply disappointed that the government has refused again today to do the sensible thing and postpone the elections for a few months so that voters have a fair chance to participate in democracy.’

The party told Mr Gove: ‘Leafleting residents before and during the election period is absolutely essential if candidates are to get their message out to the local electorate so that people can make an informed decision on who deserves their vote.’

Cllr Crone insisted: ‘We stand by our call to give democracy the respect it deserves – postpone the elections now and let’s concentrate on getting our city back on its feet.’

Join Cllr Crone at a Q&A on Saturday February 13 at 2pm. Click here to register.