Green hope, cycle lane anger and Burnham 'in your face'... the view from the streets of Trafford

A man bawls across the Stretford Mall car park: "I’m not interested in politics - they’re all liars." The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) is asking for clues as to who he might vote for at the Local Elections on Thursday (May 2).

He wasn’t alone in his chagrin. Down the road in the more affluent Trafford outpost of Altrincham, 33-year-old Will Brown told us: “I don’t ever vote in the local elections and I stopped voting in the General Elections after Covid because of how Boris Johnson’s government behaved. But I believe Labour would’ve behaved as badly.”

The reality is, you don’t have to go very far or ask too many people before you realise there seems widespread disaffection with our politicians, and in some respects, our political system. But for one political party there seems to be ray of hope, if what the esteemed residents of affluent Altrincham are anything to go by. The Greens.

READ MORE: Trafford council for local elections 2024 candidates list in full

According to people were spoke to, their campaigning did not just start on the run up to May 2. They’ve been ‘engaging’ with local communities continually.

Debbie Holden, 55, said: “I will vote for Andy Burnham and for the Greens in my ward and in the General Election. I used to vote for Labour. The Greens are at the forefront of what’s going on in the community and interact and engage with the community, not just at election time.”

June, 42, said: “I normally vote for the Greens. They are quite active in our area and I’m disappointed with the other parties.

Friend Sue, also 42, said: “Greens are the ones for me too. They do a very good job by standing up for the important ecological issues.”

Tony, 74, who lives in Hale, didn’t let on who he’s voting