Green mayoral candidate targets homes insulation

Green Party candidate Hannah Spencer says she is "fed up" of seeing the "same old stuff" on offer

The Green Party's candidate to become mayor of Greater Manchester has pledged to ensure more homes are insulated if she is elected.

Hannah Spencer, 32, who is a plumber and works on housing retrofitting, said she was "passionate about addressing the cost-of-living crisis and the climate crisis" and keeping people warm.

She said her other priorities would be encouraging active travel and providing more support for domestic violence victims.

Ms Spencer was elected as a Green councillor in the Hale ward in Trafford in May 2023.

She said she had decided to stand for mayor because she had become "really fed up" of seeing the "same old stuff being offered by the mainstream".

"I think we have a chance to make society fairer than it is now," she added.

A Green Party spokesperson said: "Hannah has demonstrated through her work as a councillor her absolute commitment to her residents.

"She'll be a highly effective voice on environmental and social justice that always acts on behalf of Greater Manchester."

'Community trust'

Ms Spencer said she would prioritise increasing the number of homes which were fitted with insulation after seeing through her work the reality for some people "choosing between heating and eating".

"The poverty that people live in and the amounts they're having to spend to heat their homes when it is just disappearing out of the house just seems so unacceptable in today's age," she added.

She said it was "quite radical" and "kind of common sense" to spend money on retrofitting, adding: If you can create a home where people are spending less money on energy it reduces the emissions that come into the issue of the climate emergency, but people are warmer and happier and then they're able to spend that money on other things."

She said she would also expand the Bee Network to speed up the integration of walking and cycling with the buses and trams.

As Police and Crime Commissioner, Ms Spencer said she would ask the chief constable to improve the support offered to victims of domestic abuse.

She said: "So many people tell me they don't feel safe reporting things to the police.

"They don't think they will do anything, don't see their presence.

"I think we want to focus on reintegrating police into communities in a way that helps communities and build that trust back."

The Green Party came third at the 2021 Greater Manchester Mayoral election, polling 4% of the votes.

Other candidates to publicly announce their intention to stand in the election on 2 May are:

Listed in alphabetical order

• Jake Austin - Liberal Democrats

• Dan Barker - Reform

• Nick Buckley - Independent

• Andy Burnham - Labour

• Laura Evans - Conservative