I work in Ancoats every day at Generator X in Royal Mills.

Full statement

I have lived across east and south Manchester for over twenty years. I am not a career politician — I am a PhD holder, a mediator, and someone who has spent their career asking hard questions and getting answers. I am standing because this ward deserves a councillor who is already here, not one who turns up at election time.

Who I am:

I came to Manchester as a student and never left. Over two decades I have researched heart disease at the University of Manchester, trained as a legal professional, and worked in conflict resolution and community health. I know how systems work and how to challenge them when they stop working for people.

Why I love this ward:

Every morning I walk into Ancoats and see what a neighbourhood looks like when people build something with genuine care. The gym owner who transformed a community space in under a year. The cafe that knows every regular by name. The boutique stocking local designers nobody else will back. These businesses are not a backdrop to this ward — they are its identity. They are being squeezed by rates, costs, and a council that rarely asks what impact its decisions have on people already here. Supporting independent businesses will not be an afterthought for me. It will be a priority.

What I will focus on:

Residents do not need grand promises. They need someone who shows up and fights for what is practical and deliverable.
Homes in Beswick are being demolished right now. Families who have lived on Grey Mare Lane for decades are being moved out. The council promises they can return. A promise is not a guarantee. I will push for a written, binding commitment — not an aspiration.
More than six in ten residents in this ward have moved away in the last decade. Regeneration that prices out the people already here is not success. I will hold every planning application to a simple test: does this work for the people already living in this ward?

Why now:

The Green Party won Gorton and Denton in February 2026 with 41% of the vote, pushing Labour into third in a seat they had held for generations. This ward already has two non-Labour councillors. What has been missing is a Green voice — someone with genuine community roots and the skills to hold a council to account.

Come and find me at Generator X, at Gran Ts Coffee Shop, or at any of the community spaces across Beswick and Bradford where I have been spending time. Tell me what matters to you. That conversation is the job.

Hussayn Salem