Meet the Manchester student now serving on city council whilst finishing university

If you’ve ever stopped to ponder what you and your local councillors might have in common, the answer might be more straightforward than you’d think. 

At the beginning of May, local council elections swept a wave of change across Manchester. Despite holding an overall majority, Labour’s starkest loss yet saw masses of seats gained by the Green Party.

Not just one, but two of those seats were lost in Withington and Ardwick, areas of large student population. The Greens elected? Also students. 

In Withington, with an estimated student and graduate population of 40 per cent, newly elected councillor Beth Hartness spoke to The Manchester Tab about her win, and plans for enhancing community cohesion. 

“You’re capped with how much you can do when you’re not in power, and diversifying the people in power represents everyone’s needs with an opportunity to make real structural changes.” 

Hailing from Hertfordshire, Beth moved to Manchester to study politics and philosophy at the University of Manchester. Having been involved in the Green Party back home, she started the Greens Society at uni and has been actively involved in community organising throughout her degree. 

Sat in Fuel Cafe, a spot sadly not in her new ward, she told us “it’s important to have the representation of students and graduates on the council, often these decisions are through resident voices’”. 

Throughout her campaign for council, Beth was finalising her dissertation. The day it was submitted, she celebrated by getting out door-knocking. 

Now two weeks into her role, she’s yet to submit her final essays and graduate. 

Beth explained her priorities as councillor, emphasising the importance of having a young voice in the room while decisions are being made, and ensuring that people realise they have control over their area, with a voice that represents them. 

She’s also keen to enhance community cohesion between the resident and student populations. 

“We want to make sure changes to housing licenses are fair, and that littering is less of an issue.” she says, highlighting the links between the two. 

“If you have an 11 person student house and one bin, there’s bound to be issues with litter. Permanent residents then associate the litter with students, and you get more fly-tipping in student areas.” 

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Beth says that she will keep pushing the council to ensure housing proposals are fair and affordable, particularly that of converting family housing into HMO’s (Houses of Multiple Occupancy) for students. 

Having lived in the area throughout her studies, and spent plenty of time campaigning, she thinks she’s mapped out Withington street by street. 

Far from experiencing a graduate lull, she’s now finding her feet amongst a somewhat fragmented chamber of councilors that have grown up in politics. 

“It’s like the ultimate graduate experience, intense and overwhelming to be in a space where you and all your friends have taken the jobs of people who have worked in the council for years.” 

Yet if there’s a sense of ambivalence, it doesn’t come across as she talks on how privileged she feels, and excited to work hard for the community. 

Beth often acknowledged throughout her campaign how disenfranchised people are feeling with politics, and nods toward jokes online that people don’t understand council elections. She hopes to support the community and be a voice for those that feel less connected to those in power.

Across Greater Manchester, the landscape is changing. Huge gains for Reform UK and the Green Party, alongside a Liberal Democrat majority in Stockport, have diversified the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. 

With such fundamentally opposing politics sitting in the same chamber, Beth thinks it will take a while to work out how to best work together. 

Still, she’s optimistic of the next council elections, and suggests that Manchester might have a chance of a Green mayor if Andy Burnham wins a seat in Makerfield and triggers a mayoral by-election. 

Pictured against one of Withington’s newest murals, her messaging echoes that of Tony Walsh: “Some are born here, some are drawn here, but we all call it home.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/DYXX4s3olDA/?hl=en 

Featured image via Beth Hartness.