Local Election Survey 2018 – Candidates
We’re surveying candidates in Greater Manchester for the 2018 election. Find out more about the survey.
Below is a summary of the responses across the areas of Greater Manchester. Where a candidate has already responded, you can see their response. If your candidates haven’t yet responded, follow the Twitter link to ask them to!
Name
Matthew Varnam
Party
Liberal Democrats
City/Borough
Manchester
Area
Piccadilly
Question 1
Climate Change
Climate Change
Do you agree that Greater Manchester should adopt the Tyndall Centre’s science-based carbon budgets, set targets to halve the region’s emissions in the next five years and become carbon neutral by 2038?
✓
Yes
Question 2
Divestment from Fossil Fuels
Divestment from Fossil Fuels
Do you agree that the Greater Manchester Pension Fund should fully divest from fossil fuels in the next five years?
✓
Yes
Question 3
Walking and Cycling
Walking and Cycling
Will you support your local council allocating funding to implement the walking and cycling (active travel) measures contained in Chris Boardman's ‘Made to Move’ report?
✓
Yes
Question 4
Air Quality
Air Quality
Will you call on your local council to introduce ‘parking exclusion zones’ around local schools at peak times?
Undecided
I’d support an initial roll-out of enforced ‘no-idling zones’, as this should dramatically reduce the air pollution emitted. If air pollution levels outside schools remain too high, then this could be increased to ‘no-parking zones’, but parents must be able to obtain short term exemptions in cases of short term mobility loss for the child or at primary level, the parent.
Question 5
Biodiversity
Biodiversity
Will you support a ban on the use of neonicotinoid pesticides in your local council area and work to phase out the use of other pollinator-harming pesticides?
✓
Yes Very encouraged by recent EU proposals on this matter
Question 6
Plastics
Plastics
Will you support the phase-out of single-use plastics in your local authority by 2020?
✓
Yes
Question 7
Aviation
Aviation
Will you support the introduction of a cap on emissions from flights to and from Manchester Airport?
Undecided
Question 8
Energy Efficiency
Energy Efficiency
Do you support the introduction of a GM-wide building standard for all new developments to be zero-carbon and climate resilient?
Undecided
Not currently sure how viable zero-carbon buildings are. I will look into how much more these buildings cost and the money that could be saved by residents living in such buildings. I fully support climate resiliancy in our new developments
