John,

We're launching our local election campaign this week, and we're ready to grow the number of Green councillors and Green-led administrations working hard for their local communities this May. Scroll to find out more about what's going on around the party🔽

The Government’s final Spring budget is the exact opposite of what the country needs – and Labour is not offering an alternative. Co-leader Carla Denyer told BBC News that tax reform is needed with the introduction of a wealth tax and reforms to capital gains tax and national insurance. This would raise £50 billion to invest in frontline public services like NHSs and social care and retrofitting draughty homes.  

The Government’s dangerous and immoral plans to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda has been blocked again by the House of Lords, with the support of Green peers, Jenny Jones and Natalie Bennett. Caroline Lucas MP said that while generally unelected Lords shouldn’t overrule the Commons, “if the Government rides roughshod over international law and human rights, anyone with the power to stop them, must”

Deputy leader Zack Polanski has rejected Rishi Sunak’s characterisation of pro- Palestinian marches as extremist. Quoted in the Guardian he said, as a Jew he always felt welcome at the demonstrations. “There isn’t one single Jewish community. There are Jewish communities,” he said. “Collectively we have to rise above the warmongers, both Hamas and Benjamin Netanyahu, and ultimately find ways to create peace.”

Natalie Bennett has written to the Home Secretary, along with a cross party group of peers and MPs, requesting a Palestine visa scheme. The humanitarian situation is catastrophic with little or no sanitation, scarce clean drinking water and the spread of famine and disease. She states a Home for Palestinians scheme would give the UK the opportunity to take a world lead in the protection of life and international rules- based system.

We will be launching our local election campaign in Bristol on 4 April. Greens are the largest group and official opposition on Bristol city council with 25 seats. But the local party is contesting all 70 seats across 34 wards up for election this year and is hoping to win enough to lead a new committee-led administration after 2 May.

Many of the seats we are contesting are in urban areas in the south west and south east, where like in Bristol, the Labour party will be the main opposition. So it’s going to be tough! But we’re confident we will continue to grow the number of Green councillors which currently stands at almost 760 and a number of Green-led administrations. Elections also take place on 2 May for London Mayor and Assembly members, as well as the mayors in ten other regions.  

Polling shows that we can win big in the general election. People are looking to the Greens as the alternative to the old parties. Our target constituency campaigns are working hard to get Sian, Carla, Adrian and Ellie elected as your next Green MPs!

Bristol's new campaign video highlights just that - how you can help make a difference and lead the way in changing how we do politics by voting Green in the next general election 💚

Our next action weekend is 13 and 14 April. Want to join our teams to help elect 4 Green MPs? Sign up here:

If you can't make 13 or 14 April, check out other upcoming action days here!

Have a great week.

The Green Party 💚

Promoted by Chris Williams on behalf of The Green Party, both at PO Box 78066, London SE16 9GQ