Cllr Nick Hartley - Green Party

Thanks Steph. Due to ward boundary changes we have all out elections in May - so all 78 councillor seats (including us three Greens in Byker, Elswick and South Jesmond) are up for election. There’s never been a better time to get involved with @nclgreenparty.bsky.social 👀

Good to meet you too Peter! One of the best parts of the conference was meeting people from a whole range of different backgrounds who are working hard in their communities for a fairer, greener approach to politics and our economy. Zack keeps going from strength to strength doesn’t he!

If Reform UK were listening, they’d have known how austerity and attempts to cut back on the state only leads to more costs and expense.

Though with more and more austerity architect Conservatives swelling their ranks, maybe that was the plan 🤷‍♂️

observer.co.uk/news/politic...

Richard Moss interviewing Zack Polanski and others on Politics North

18 months ago when I rocked up for my debut as a @greenparty.org.uk councillor on #BBCPoliticsNorth, I’d never have thought that by now we’d have @zackpolanski.bsky.social being asked by @bbcrichardmoss.bsky.social about Greens possibly running Newcastle Council in May…. but that just happened! 👀

Nick Hartley, Jamie Anderson and the Byker Green team

Jamie Anderson and the Byker Green Team

Nearly every resident I spoke to today was glad that @nclgreenparty.bsky.social were out, helping to pick up local concerns and picking up litter.

There were a few friendly disagreements, but nothing like some of the vitriol you get on Twitter/X.

Real life isn’t X.

Now to address the casework!

Your political career began when you won a mayoral election in Burlington [in Vermont] in 1981, by 10 votes. Do you see yourself in Mamdani? No, I think he’s a lot better than I was. Running a big city like New York, or London, is extremely difficult. What I like is, from day one, when we spoke, it was all about governing: what can I learn from your experience as mayor of Burlington? What did you do right? What did you do wrong? He seems to have run his campaign in the same style that served you, talking to voters and listening to their answers. It doesn’t seem that radical. When most politicians talk about listening, they mean listening to pollsters, to their consultants. They are told what they can say, what they can’t say. Mamdani is going out on the streets, and really listening to ordinary people. That’s new.

I like this from @sanders.senate.gov on @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social in today’s Observer

Great being in Newcastle today, amazing hope and enthusiasm in the air

Greens winning in South Tyneside and Byker!! 💚🌍

I meant to try and come over and say hello given we have palliative care work in common. Great to see you here!

Ahead of @zackpolanski.bsky.social’s visit to the North East, here’s a reminder of @owenjones.bsky.social’s reaction when Zack told him about Greens winning in working class communities like South Tyneside and here in Byker!

@southtynegreens.bsky.social @nclgreenparty.bsky.social

🎉 Happy 30th to @mariecurieuk.bsky.social Newcastle!

Great to be back at the hospice where I worked as a Psychologist. Such inspiring colleagues.

Proud too this month to help pass a Newcastle City Council motion supporting those dying in poverty and to join Marie Curie’s councillor network. 🌼

The Geordie Springsteen did good! Well deserved, Sam. Great news for the North East #mercuryprize

Yes! @zackpolanski.bsky.social often talks about how many future Green MPs are out there working hard in their communities, not in @greenparty.org.uk yet.

I know a few in Newcastle who have only just joined, who would make excellent MPs.

Getting involved in politics for values not a career.

Join the Green Party Join the Green Party from just £6 a year. Become a member today - join the only party standing up for people and planet.

join.greenparty.org.uk

Green are now polling joint third. Ready to replace Labour.

If we had a donation for every time someone said ‘there’s only the Greens or Reform worth voting for’, we’d have the millions that Reform’s backers pour in to keep politics for themselves.

Greens step up in our communities, build collective action and get sh*t done.

Join us.

People Watching by Sam Fender - with that Tish Murtha artwork

The #MercuryPrize coming to Newcastle hasn’t been without controversy but there’s definitely a buzz!

Great to hear the toon getting shout outs on the radio.

All eyes on Sam Fender to bring home the prize too!

Join our favourite Mackem @laurenlaverne.bsky.social for the result from 9.30pm on BBC4.

I’ve been listening to The Newsagents since their launch and their main approach to @greenparty.org.uk has been not to talk about us.

Until recently.

Something is happening.

Nick Hartley, Jamie Anderson (centre) and Green team in Byker

Jamie Anderson (left) and Nick Hartley (right) at the end of another session of litterpicking

Jamie Anderson picking litter

More @nclgreenparty.bsky.social members means more Byker Clean Streets litterpicks.

Thank you to all who joined today in Janet Square.

Excellent ideas from residents to brighten up the place and tackle fly-tipping. More news coming soon on that.

Join every 2nd & 4th Sunday, DM for info.

The difference between the replies I’m getting on here vs the X/Twitter ones is…🫣

On Bluesky, I’ve had thoughtful messages talking about how @zackpolanski.bsky.social and the Greens are out there speaking sense.

On X, despite a lot of “likes”, it’s lots of accounts calling me names #BBCQT

“The Green Party are, right now, surging in the polls” - Zia Yusuf #bbcqt

Maybe next time when @zackpolanski.bsky.social is invited, Question Time can run an extended programme?

We Greens have spent a long time listening on doorsteps and working hard in our communities.

No wonder, now we are getting some media coverage, that we have a lot to say! #bbcqt

I’ve often thought what I’d say if I had the opportunity to tell senior Reform politicians what I think of the damage they are doing to our society.

@zackpolanski.bsky.social speaks for so many of us!

Blame the politicians for what’s broken. Let’s elect more Green ones!

#BBCQT

Here we go!

@zackpolanski.bsky.social is on Question Time #BBCQT

Like what you hear? Join us for as little as £6. You could be our 100,000th member! join.greenparty.org.uk

I can’t be the only one waiting to hear @davidolusoga.bsky.social tell us the story of the shipping magnate who bought the castle after being jilted at the altar by Princess Helena #CelebrityTraitors

The first time I’ve been looking forward to watch Question Time in quite a while!

Go on @zackpolanski.bsky.social!

#bbcqt

Congratulations! Having lived through Thatcher’s destruction of publicly owned services and theft from ordinary people. It warms my heart knowing that the Greens are boldly committed to undoing the harm. The greens are daring to go where others will not.

This motion passed today at Green Party conference!

The Green Party has strengthened our position on protecting housing as a public service and ending the scourge of landlordism.

Homes are not commodities. #GPC25 #GPConf25

Nick Craker (Royal British Legion), Cllr Kevin Foster (Armed Forces Champion, North Yorkshire Council), Rachel Millward (Deputy Leader, Green Party)

Really good to hear Cllr Kevin Foster (pictured on screen) reflect on his experiences as a veteran, why he joined the Green Party and what we as Green councillors can do to help the armed forces community. #GPC25 #GPConf

"It wasn't Immigrants, it wasn't Muslims, it wasn't black and brown people that privatised our key infrastructure, that sold off our key services, that sold off our council houses, that dismantled British industry, that underfunded our NHS Immigrants are the backbone of the NHS!" MOTHIN ALI GREEN PARTY DEPUTY LEADER GREEN PARTY CONFERENCE BOURNEMOUTH 3-5 OCTOBER 2025

"Right now the darkness is still descending. But friends, I wish you could see what I see from here. It takes a certain darkness before you can see the stars. Every one of you walked through this door because you are ready to serve our people and our planet. You each carry that flame of hope RACHEL MILLWARD GREEN PARTY DEPUTY LEADER

️🗣️ @mothinali.bsky.social & @rachelmillward.bsky.social kick off day two of Green Party Conference.

Rachel Millward

Mothin Ali

Thank you to @rachelmillward.bsky.social & @mothinali.bsky.social for putting their hearts into their #GPconf speeches.

Their stories, care, and action shows how the personal is political. The value of turning into our pain.

As Rachel said, “it takes a certain kind of darkness to see the stars”.

Great to meet you Peter! Hopefully bump into you later for a longer conversation