The Green Party has become the official opposition on Manchester City Council following the decision of a Labour councillor to join the Greens.

In a letter to her constituents, Hulme Councillor Ekua Bayunu announced her resignation from Manchester’s Labour Party and that she has joined the Green Party, taking the group’s number of councillors to three.

Today’s announcement coincides with a visit from Carla Denyer, the Co-Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, who is visiting Manchester to congratulate the local Green Party on becoming the official opposition.

Cllr Ekua Bayunu will continue her work as a Green Councillor for Hulme, where she was elected to serve in May 2021.

In a letter to residents, Cllr Bayunu said: “I have felt hampered in my ambition to serve you all to the best of my ability. I have felt constantly at odds with the culture of the Labour Party. To serve you better and to be able to do more for you I have made a big decision.

“I have found a new home, a new hope, a group committed to working with local people and that is the Green Party.”

Asking for the support of the local community during the transition, Cllr Bayunu has reaffirmed her commitment to supporting local issues in Hulme, including helping to build a greener community, fighting for local housing affordability, and helping with new parking schemes.

Welcoming the move, Scott Robinson, Co-Chair of Manchester Green Party, said: “We are delighted to welcome Councillor Ekua Bayunu to Manchester Green Party, and we look forward to having her join our two other councillors in making Manchester a greener, fairer place to live.

“Cllr Bayunu’s move to join the Greens is another sign that the Labour Party is failing in its commitment to Manchester residents, and we will work alongside Cllr Bayunu to fight tirelessly for the residents of Hulme, alongside our work across the whole of Manchester to improve the lives of residents in the city-area.”

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