London’s Greens pledge to BAN meat and dairy advertising, fuel pro-Palestinian protests and help illegal immigrants access services… as they prepare to take control from Labor in Hackney

London’s Greens are promising to ban meat and dairy ads and help facilitate pro-Palestinian protests if they win local elections this week.

The party’s manifesto in Hackney also promises to ‘de-link’ the Israeli city of Haifa and allow illegal immigrants to access municipal services.

The extraordinary platform could be implemented within days as Labor absorbs defeat in a borough it has dominated for decades.

A major poll published today by More in Common shows that Zack Polanski’s party could take control of the council, with a lead of 3 percentage points.

It would be the first time the Greens have won the highest vote share in a London borough, although the party is also close in Islington, Lambeth and Lewisham.

The Hackney Green Party manifesto for the election sets out the plans for what would follow a victory

The document says the party wants to “build on” an “ethical” policy that bans “high-carbon” advertising on council sites.

The Hackney Green Party sets out its plans for what would follow a victory in its manifesto, entitled ‘Hope for Hackney’.

It says the party wants to “build on” an “ethical” policy that bans “high-carbon” advertising on council sites.

That could be extended to ‘meat and dairy ads’. ‘“We will also lobby the national government to legislate to give municipalities more powers to block and remove advertising sites,” the document adds.

The manifesto also makes clear that the council will take a new approach to Israel and Palestine.

“Despite repeated calls from the mass community for decoupling, the Labour-led Council has consistently refused to sever ties with the Israeli city of Haifa under the twinning program (also known as ‘sister cities’),” the document said.

‘In Haifa, the Palestinian people live under occupation and apartheid by the Israeli state; this is not a town that reflects Hackney’s values.”

The prospectus complains that Hackney Council currently invests its pension fund in global markets and funds that include ‘companies that profit from genocide, war, occupation, environmental destruction and social degradation’.

‘This has to end. Hackney Green Councillors, Hackney Independent Socialist Collective Councillors, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Hackney for Palestine and so many other campaigners and activists have worked tirelessly to get the current Labour-led council to withdraw the council’s pension funds from complicit companies (a process known as divestment).

‘On almost every occasion the Labour-led council has blocked debate or a vote on this, despite council staff and pensioners making clear that they want to see ethical investment of their pension money. A Green-led Hackney Council would take action as quickly as possible.”

The funds would also not be allowed to invest in fossil fuels, gambling or tobacco.

The manifesto highlights that Zoe Garbett, candidate mayor of Hackney, has condemned ‘abuse and abuse of power, and the disproportionate use of force against the pro-Palestinian movement’.

It commits to ‘respecting peaceful protest on council land in visible places, such as in front of Hackney Town Hall’.

The Greens say they want to “defend and protect the rights of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities.”

The manifesto promises to ‘ensure trans residents have access to all areas of public life’ – suggesting there will be a push to allow trans people to use same-sex toilets.

“We will support organizations to invest in inclusive facilities, such as accessible, gender-neutral toilets, and we will lobby nationally for a rewrite of the Code of Practice to enable trans inclusion in services for men and women,” the document said.

A section on migration condemns Labor for introducing ‘policies that cause untold harm to migrants and their families.”

The manifesto says the government has used “inflammatory rhetoric against migrants, emboldening the far right to the point where fascists are now marching through our streets.”

The manifesto says the government has “used inflammatory rhetoric against migrants, emboldening the far right to the point where fascists are now marching through our streets.”

It suggests ‘providing more opportunities for migrants to access services in their own language’.

The Greens also propose to ‘expand council services, such as support for restless sleeping and domestic violence, so that immigration status is not a barrier’.

Another commitment is to “ensure that people who access our services can do so knowing that their information will not be shared with immigration enforcement authorities.”