𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

The Greens have come under fire from a Tory by-election candidate over their controversial policy to legalise drugs. Charlotte Cadden, who is standing for the Conservatives in Gorton and Denton, warned the plan – which has also been criticised by Reform UK and Labour – risks more drug deaths.

Her comments come as campaigning for the crunch by-election is in its final 48 hours. The former police officer said: “The thing I do mention quite a bit on the doorstep is the Greens’ policy of legalising things like heroin and crack cocaine because that is not what an area like Gorton and Denton needs.

“You start putting policies like that in place, you can see what happened in Scotland which was the European drug death capital, they’ve started to legalise those drug taking rooms and drug deaths have gone up. This stuff is just not well thought through and doesn’t work.”

She also hit out at the Green Party’s leaflets and video in Urdu calling on Muslim voters to “punish Labour for Gaza”.

Ms Cadden said: “I would just ask that people consider what other things they want their local politicians to be focused on which would be the number of school places, the fact we don’t want our children indoctrinated in schools with inappropriate reading material and being told they’re born in the wrong body, we want jobs creating on the high street so that young people have got a future. So I’d just ask that people consider other local issues.

“We’re not going to be voting here on what happens thousands of miles away in a war zone so I think it is disappointing that the Greens have gone down that route. Whether people think that’s the best way forward for their local community is a matter for them.”

Ms Cadden rejected suggestions that the by-election – which is widely seen as a three-horse race between Reform, Labour and the Greens – shows why the Tories need to work with Nigel Farage’s insurgent party amid fears over splitting the right-wing vote.

She said: “I think Reform is a one-man band and it’s splintering on a daily basis. They don’t know their own policies if you just look at the two-child benefit cap that they’ve flip-flopped on.

“We’ve got different policies to Reform and a different type of leader who is thoughtful.

“There seems to be a lot of infighting, there’s a lot of people there that wanted Kemi’s job but weren’t going to get it because she’s doing so well, they’ve jumped ship.”

Ms Cadden predicted that embattled Sir Keir Starmer will stay in No 10 unless at least the local elections in May even if Labour loses the previously rock-solid Greater Manchester constituency on Thursday.

She said: “Really who would want to take on that horrendous position of leading the Labour Party if they lose here up to major defeats at the local elections, probably nobody.

“I don’t think it matters to us who leads the Labour Party, the policies are all wrong. I think we’re on 16 U-turns so far.”

Labour won the seat with a majority of 13,413 at the 2024 general election, with Reform second and the Greens third.

Speaking during a visit to the constituency today, Mr Polanski insisted the “war on drugs” had failed and his party was talking about taking a “public health” approach to the issue.