The Green Party chose Hove to launch its manifesto today and promised hope, change and firm action on the climate.
Green Party co-leaders Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay were greeted by candidates, supporters and press at the Sussex County Cricket Ground.
The event began with a line of Green Party supporters holding green placards which read “real hope, real change, vote Green”.
Brighton Pavilion parliamentary candidate Sian Berry kicked things off and said: “Thank you so much for being here in my home city of Brighton and Hove and where I hope to have the privilege of representing my neighbours from July 4.
Sian Berry, candidate for Brighton Pavilion, opened the launch (Image: Lucy Hunt / The Argus)
“It is a real pleasure to hand over to our co-leaders Carla and Adrian to introduce our manifesto, a manifesto with real hope and real change for our country.”
The leaders were welcomed to the stage with cheers and applause as they began the run down of the manifesto.
Adrian Ramsay said: “Our manifesto is about the country we want to live in.
“It offers real hope and real change. It’s a look at what things could be like and soon.”
The pair highlighted key polices such as investment in healthcare, tax reform, affordable housing and climate policy.
On taxes, Carla Denyer said: “We can’t go on in a way where most people are working harder yet getting poorer while inequality keeps growing.
“We would overhaul our tax system to make it fairer.
“On the doorstep, people are telling us they want something to be done about our broken Britain.
“We have the courage to say we will change the tax system to make it fairer.”
READ MORE: Live updates as Green Party chooses Hove to launch manifesto
On healthcare investment, Ramsay promised to put £50 billion into health and social care and to “say a categorical no to privatisation”.
Another key focus was housing, where they pledged to provide “genuinely affordable housing” and to create 150,000 social houses each year.
Denyer said: “We would end the right-to-buy scheme that takes so many homes out of circulation.
“Our energy bills are sky high.
“We will invest £30 million to reduce emissions and bring energy bills down for good.”
The party’s main focus is the climate crisis.
Ramsay said: “If you look at the other parties, the climate crisis has been pretty much absent from their campaigns.
“Our commitment to you is that the protection of our climate lies at the heart of all our policies.
“We will strive every single day to take the action that is needed.”
Policies on climate include stopping all new fossil fuel extraction projects, including recent licences, introducing a carbon tax on fossil fuel imports and ensuring wind produces 70 per cent of the UK’s electricity by 2030.
The Greens were realistic about their General Election prospects, stating that they didn’t expect to form the next government but “when the Conservatives are booted out and Labour take over, we plan to be there in greater numbers to speak about the issues you care about".
Ramsay said: “With more Green MPs, we will push Labour to stop backtracking on their policies, to drive them to be braver and ambitious, to do what’s necessary to fix our country and get us back on track.”
The presentation was followed by questions from the press on issues including defence investment, the cost-of-living crisis and taxes.
The co-leaders were asked: “There’s a lot of spending in this manifesto. Are you really being honest that you can raise all of this?"
Denyer answered: "Our manifesto is fully costed; I think the Green Party was more ready for this election than many others.
"We do have ambitious spending commitments and the party is the only one being honest about what is needed to change things for this county."
Following the Prime Minister’s revelation that he went without Sky TV to fund his private education, one person asked: “Rishi Sunak said that he had to go without Sky TV when he was growing up, what did you have to go without?"
Denyer replied: "I also went without Sky TV, my parents had second-hand cars. I’m not trying to elicit any tears here as I had a fairly comfortable childhood."
Ramsay said: “I had a similar upbringing,” before jokingly adding, “I went without a pet for most of my childhood."
After the conference, The Argus caught up with Brighton Pavilion candidate Sian Berry, who hopes to take over from Caroline Lucas as Green MP.
Sian told us about the key issues Brighton voters have raised on the doorsteps, such as the NHS, renting conditions and sewage.
She said: “We hear about the NHS a lot and the difficulty they have accessing it.
“They do not want the values and reputation of the NHS to be undermined.
“We are passionate about maintaining the NHS as a public service.”
She also spoke highly of former Brighton Pavilion MP, Caroline Lucas.
She said: “She has been this very strong, independent voice for the city, and an incredible advocate in Pavilion.
“She has been a great constituency MP.”
The Argus also spoke to Adrian Ramsay about the Greens' prospects in Brighton and Hove.
He said: “The Green Party vote in Brighton has increased at each election.
“Caroline Lucas has shown that she is a really strong constituency MP, representing residents as well as shifting the dial of the debate in Parliament to press for action.
“Sian will be an equally strong Green MP. She’s got the credentials and experience of being an elected Green over a long period of time and will be a fantastic MP for Brighton Pavilion.”
As Brighton previously had a Green council, we asked Adrian what he was proud of during the time in office and what the party could take forward nationally.
He said: “The council built 500 new council homes under the Greens.
“Green councils around the country are pursuing opportunities to build new council homes to a high environmental standard.
“We want local councils to be given more funding to build more council homes and more opportunities to borrow for council house building.”
The full Green Party manifesto is now available.
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