Ramsay was the successful Green parliamentary candidate for Waveney Valley at the 2024 general election and became the first Green MP for a seat in the East of England.[6] This marked the first time that both Green Party co-leaders were elected to Parliament,and he also became the first ever male MP for a Green party in the United Kingdom.[7]
Ramsay joined the Green Party at the age of 16.[9] He was first elected to Norwich City Council representing Henderson Ward in May 2003,representing the Green Party.[10] Aged 21,he was one of the youngest councillors in the UK.[11] Later that year,he spoke at a demonstration against tuition fees in the United Kingdom.[12] Ramsay was re-elected in June 2004 for Nelson Ward.[13]
In a BBC article from May 2006,Ramsay was described as "pursuing a full-time career through his council work on a £9,500 annual allowance".[14] In 2007,he was elected for a third time. In 2010,he was serving as the leader of the opposition to the Labour council.[15] At the 2011 local elections,he did not seek re-election to Norwich City Council.
Ramsay stood as parliamentary candidate in the Norwich South constituency in the 2005 general election. He came fourth,with 7.4% of the vote (3,101 votes).[13] He stood for Norwich South again in the 2010 general election;the party's leader,Caroline Lucas,cited him as one of the Green candidates with the greatest chance of winning.[16] Ramsay came in fourth place with 14.9% of the vote (7,095 votes).[17][18] He co-organised Lucas's campaign in Brighton Pavilion which saw her elected as the UK's first Green Member of Parliament (MP).[19]
Ramsay served as chief executive of the Centre for Alternative Technology from 2014 to 2019,working in Wales.[24] He returned to Norfolk in 2019 and took up the post of chief executive of the MCS Charitable Foundation,a charity working towards carbon-free UK homes,[25] from which he resigned on election to Parliament in July 2024.[26][27]
Return to politics
On 16 August 2021,Ramsay announced his candidacy for co-leader of the Green Party alongside the Bristol councillor Carla Denyer.[28] He said that the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report had motivated him to return to politics.[29] The pair's joint candidacy emphasised professionalising the party and winning a second Green MP and a first Green Member of the Senedd (MS).[30][31] The announcement that the pair had been elected was made on 1 October 2021.[32]
In 2023,he defended local Green Party politicians who block solar farms,saying that while the Green Party sees "an important role for solar farms as part of the mix... The [solar] application has to be considered on its merits."[33]
Parliamentary career
At the 2024 general election,Ramsay was elected MP for Waveney Valley with 20,467 votes (41.7%) and a majority of 5,593 over the second-placed Conservative candidate. There were six candidates and a 69% turnout.[34] He became the first Green MP for a seat in the East of England.[6] This marked the first time that both Green party Co-leaders were elected to parliament. He became the first ever male MP for a Green party in the UK.[7] He was also one of the first five Green MPs overall:Lucas retired after fourteen years as an MP,with successful Green candidates Siân Berry,Ellie Chowns,and Ramsay's co-leader Carla Denyer joining him as first-time MPs. Nationally,Labour formed a majority government with Keir Starmer taking office as Prime Minister.
Shortly after assuming office,Ramsay voiced opposition to plans by the new government to build a 100-mile corridor of pylons to connect his Suffolk constituency to offshore wind power. Ramsay said he was in favour of considering other options,including an offshore grid.[35] This led to allegations of NIMBYism,including from the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero,Ed Miliband.[36] Responding to the allegations in an interview on LBC,Ramsay claimed he was representing concerns of his constituents.[37]
Following the Supreme Court ruling on For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers,Ramsay said he supported the ruling.[38] Asked if he believed trans women are women,he did not explicitly agree or disagree.[38] He also said that he believed members of the Green Party shouldn't be expelled from the party for anti-trans views.[38] In response to this,the Young Greens published a statement with their disappointment in Ramsay's comments.[39]
On 8 May 2025,Greens co-leader Carla Denyer announced she would not seek re-election in the 2025 party leadership election so as to focus on her work as an MP. This meant that Ramsay would either have to seek another co-candidate,or stand as a single lone candidate.[40] Three days later,he launched a joint leadership bid alongside fellow MP Ellie Chowns.[41] The results of the leadership were announced on 2 September 2025,with Chowns and Ramsay being defeated by Zack Polanski.[42]
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