Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales | |
---|---|
Appointer | Members of the Green Party of England and Wales through leadership elections held biennially |
Precursor | Principal Speakers |
Formation | 5 September 2008 |
First holder | Caroline Lucas |
Deputy | Zack Polanski (since 7 September 2022) |
The Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales is the most senior political figure within the Green Party of England and Wales. The role was introduced alongside that of deputy leader in 2008. Prior to this, the party's public spokespersons were principal speakers. There were two principal speakers, one female and one male, who were elected annually at the Green Party's Autumn Conference and held no vote on the Green Party Executive (GPEx).
A referendum passed on 30 November 2007 that abolished the posts of principal speakers and a leader and deputy were elected at the party's next autumn conference on 5 September 2008.
The principal speakers performed the public and media roles undertaken by the leaders of more conventional political parties. Green parties often consider joint leadership of this kind to embody the widely held Green beliefs in consensus decision making and gender balance. It also symbolises their belief in the need for a society in which people are empowered and involved in making the decisions which affect them. In the party's Philosophical Basis, it states that the Green Party "reject[s] the hierarchical structure of leaders and followers, and, instead advocate[s] participatory politics" and it is "for this reason" that the Green Party has eschewed an individual leader. [1]
There were six principal speakers in the UK Green Party until 1991, when changes introduced by the Green 2000 grouping reduced this to two and streamlined the organisation of the party. [2] This left a system with which neither side in the 2007 leadership referendum was happy.
At the party's 2007 spring conference in Swansea, members voted to hold a cross-party referendum on whether the posts should be changed to leader and deputy leader (with the option for co-leaders if two candidates chose to run together and were gender balanced, in the event of which there would be no deputy leader). The new system would allow the leader and deputy (or co-leaders) to vote on GPEx and, rather than being elected annually (like the principal speakers), the posts would be elected every two years. Provisions for recalling the leader and deputy were articulated. [3] Despite the controversial nature of this issue, many participants, such as Siân Berry, were struck by the how "constructive" the debate turned out to be. [4]
On Friday 30 November 2007 the ballots were counted and members voted 73% to 27% in favour of the new leadership model, with a 48.3% turnout of Green Party members. [5]
Supporters of the 'Green Yes' campaign for a yes vote in the referendum included the then-principal speaker Caroline Lucas MEP, Siân Berry, Darren Johnson AM (a Green member of the London Assembly), environmental commentator and Green member Mark Lynas, former principal speaker Jonathon Porritt, councillors from Lewisham, Brighton, Norwich, Leicester and Lancaster, and members of the Green Party Executive (GPEx), including Jim Killock (external communications officer), elections coordinator Peter Cranie and Khalid Hussenbux, the party's financial coordinator. [6]
The Green Yes campaign believed that the Green Party needed a leader to reach its potential and that, if the party did not reach its potential, it would be "selling-short our planet and everything on it". They suggested that the party's success has been too slow and that "a leader would help set direction, political focus and make sure the party gets the resources to grow". The campaign hoped that having a Leader would be "about empowering the party" and "about accountability", in that a Leader would "mean we can identify who to hold to account when things need changing". The group added that other Green Parties in the world had leaders and remained "just as Green as the rest of us". [6]
Mark Lynas, in several editions of his New Statesman blog, further claimed that the name 'Principal Speaker' was not transparent to the public, that it wasted valuable time in explaining the system to the media and that it lacked credibility. [7] Darren Johnson characterized the lack of single leader as "just a ridiculous barrier in terms of getting our really important message across". [8]
Supporters of the 'Green Empowerment' campaign for a no vote in the leadership referendum included the then-Principal Speaker Derek Wall, Jenny Jones AM (a Green member of the London Assembly), the late Timothy Beaumont (Green member of the House of Lords), prominent human rights campaigner and Green member Peter Tatchell, Noel Lynch (London Green Party Coordinator and former London Assembly member), councillors from Scarborough, Lewisham, York, Norwich and Hackney, and members of the Green Party Executive (GPEx), including Campaigns Coordinator, Tim Summers, and Pete McAskie (Management Coordinator). [9] Some members, like Matt Sellwood, while in favour of a Leader system in principle, were opposed to the current referendum because the term of reelection would be extended to two years.[ citation needed ]
Supporters of Green Empowerment wanted to "uphold the Green Party's long-standing commitment to non-hierarchical structures and 'grassroots' democracy" through "collective leadership". They believed that a single leader "would not only draw attention away from other speakers and the wider Party, but would bring with it risks that the other parties in this country are all too well aware of". The campaign focused on retaining gender balance in party structures, and avoiding the dilution of their radical policies. They focused on success under the Principal Speaker system, seen in the steady buildup of support from the low point of the 1992 general election to the situation at the time of the referendum, where the party has over 100 councilors along with two members of the European Parliament and two members of the London Assembly. [9]
Derek Wall countered pro-leader arguments by stating that "if you are a clear speaker, there's no problem getting coverage and explaining the party's views." He was concerned by the history of past political parties that started off as being participatory until they adopted a single leader system in which the members became "puppets". [8] Wall also opposed the reduction in numbers of Principal Speakers from six to two in 1992, as advocated by the Green 2000 group. [2]
In September 2008 Caroline Lucas was elected as the party's first leader. Lucas was reelected in 2010 but chose not to stand in 2012, when Natalie Bennett was elected her successor. After Bennett stood down in 2016 Lucas returned as leader, this time sharing the position with Jonathan Bartley. [10]
In 2018, Siân Berry replaced Lucas as co-leader, with Bartley continuing in the role.
In July 2021 Jonathan Bartley announced he would be standing down as the party's co-leader at the end of the month, triggering the 2021 Green Party of England and Wales leadership election. [11] Siân Berry remained as acting leader, but decided not to stand in the leadership election due to her concerns over the party's message on trans rights. In her statement, Berry cited unspecified spokesperson appointments as being inconsistent with her pledge to support trans equality. [12]
Prior to 1992 six principal speakers were elected annually.
Year | Male principal speaker | Female principal speaker |
---|---|---|
Feb–Sep 1992 | Richard Lawson | Jean Lambert |
1992–1993 | Mallen Baker | |
1993–1994 | John Cornford | Jan Clark |
1994–1995 | David Taylor | |
1995–1996 | Peg Alexander | |
1996–1997 | ||
1997–1998 | Mike Woodin | -[ clarification needed ] |
1998–1999 | Jean Lambert | |
1999–2000 | Margaret Wright | |
2000–2001 | ||
2001–2002 | Darren Johnson | |
2002–2003 | ||
2003–2004 | Mike Woodin | Caroline Lucas |
2004–2005 | Keith Taylor | |
2005–2006 | ||
2006–2007 | Derek Wall | Siân Berry |
2007–2008 | Caroline Lucas |
Leader (Birth–Death) | Took office | Left office | Election | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Caroline Lucas (1960–) | 5 September 2008 | 3 September 2012 | 2008 2010 | |
Natalie Bennett (1966–) | 3 September 2012 | 2 September 2016 | 2012 2014 | |
Caroline Lucas (1960–) | 2 September 2016 | 4 September 2018 | 2016 | |
Jonathan Bartley (1971–) | 31 July 2021 | 2016 2018 2020 | ||
Siân Berry (1974–) | 4 September 2018 | 1 October 2021 | 2018 2020 | |
Carla Denyer (1985–) | 1 October 2021 | Incumbent | 2021 | |
Adrian Ramsay (1981–) |
Deputy Leader (Birth–Death) | Took office | Left office | Election | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Adrian Ramsay (1981–) | 5 September 2008 | 3 September 2012 | 2008 2010 | |
Will Duckworth (1954–) | 3 September 2012 | 1 September 2014 | 2012 | |
Shahrar Ali (????–) | 1 September 2014 | 31 August 2016 | 2014 | |
Amelia Womack (1985–) | 7 September 2022 | 2014 2016 2018 2020 | ||
Zack Polanski (1982–) | 7 September 2022 | Incumbent | 2022 |
Candidate | 1st round | 2nd round | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Votes | % | Votes | % | ||
Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay [13] | 5,062 | 44 | 6,274 | 62 | |
Tamsin Omond and Amelia Womack | 3,465 | 30 | 3,902 | 38 | |
Shahrar Ali | 2,422 | 21 | |||
Martin Hemingway and Tina Rothery | 342 | 3 | |||
Ashley Gunstock | 212 | 2 | |||
Re-open Nominations | 22 | 0.2 |
Candidate | 1st round | 2nd round | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Votes | % | Votes | % | ||
Jonathan Bartley and Siân Berry | 3,000 | 48.9% | 4,238 | 57.5% | |
Rosi Sexton | 1,978 | 26.9% | 2,618 | 35.5% | |
Shahrar Ali | 1,735 | 23.6% | |||
Re-open nominations | 45 | 0.6% |
Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|
Jonathan Bartley and Siân Berry | 6,329 | 75.5 | |
Shahrar Ali | 1,466 | 17.5 | |
Leslie Rowe | 495 | 5.9 | |
Re-open Nominations | 89 | 1.1 |
Female Principal Speaker | |||
---|---|---|---|
Candidate | Votes | % | |
Caroline Lucas | 1,190 | 78.0 | |
Jenny Jones | 335 | 22.0 |
Male Principal Speaker | |||
---|---|---|---|
Candidate | Votes | % | |
Derek Wall | 752 | 49.6 | |
Darren Johnson | 625 | 41.3 | |
Ashley Gunstock | 138 | 9.1 |
The Female Principal Speaker post was won by Siân Berry, without a contest. [14]
Male Principal Speaker election [14] | |||
---|---|---|---|
Candidate | Votes | % | |
Derek Wall | 767 | 52.1 | |
Keith Taylor | 705 | 47.9 |
The Female Principal Speaker post was won by Caroline Lucas, without a contest. [15]
Male Principal Speaker election [16] | |||
---|---|---|---|
Candidate | Votes | % | |
Keith Taylor | 52 | ||
John Phillips | 42 |
The leader of the Wales Green Party is Anthony Slaughter, who was elected as the party's leader in December 2018. [17] Some regional and local groups have adopted a gender balance principle and emulated the Principal Speaker structure, including the LSE Students' Union Green Party, who have a Female and Male Co-Chair. [18]
The Green Party of England and Wales is a green, left-wing political party in England and Wales. Since October 2021, Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay have served as the party's co-leaders. The party currently has four representatives in the House of Commons and two in the House of Lords, in addition to over 800 councillors at the local government level and three members of the London Assembly.
The Scottish Greens are a green political party in Scotland. The party has seven MSPs in the Scottish Parliament as of May 2021. As of the 2022 local elections, the party sits on 13 of the 32 Scottish local councils, with a total of 36 councillors. They held two ministerial posts in the first Yousaf government following a power-sharing agreement with the SNP from August 2021 until the end of the Bute House Agreement in April 2024, marking the first time Green Party politicians formed part of a government in the UK.
Caroline Patricia Lucas is a British politician who was the leader of the Green Party of England and Wales from 2003 to 2006, 2007 to 2012, and 2016 to 2018. She was Member of Parliament (MP) for Brighton Pavilion from 2010 to 2024. She was the Green Party's first MP and their only MP until the 2024 general election.
Keith Richard Taylor was a Green Party of England and Wales politician who was MEP for South East England from 2010 to 2019 and was the Party's animal rights spokesperson until his retirement in 2019. He was one of the two Principal Speakers of the party from August 2004 to November 2006.
The Wales Green Party is a semi-autonomous political party within the Green Party of England and Wales (GPEW). It covers Wales, and is the only regional party with semi-autonomous status within the GPEW. The Wales Green Party puts up candidates for council, Senedd, and UK Parliament seats.
Derek Norman Wall is a British politician. He was the joint International Coordinator for the Green Party of England and Wales and stood against Prime Minister Theresa May as the Green candidate for Maidenhead at the 2017 general election. Formerly the party's Principal Speaker, he is known as a prominent eco-socialist, campaigning both for environmentalism and socialism. Alongside his political role, Wall is an academic and a writer, having published on the subject of ecosocialism and the wider Green politics movement. He is a contributor to the Morning Star newspaper and a blogger.
Siân Rebecca Berry is a British politician who served as a co-leader of the Green Party of England and Wales alongside Jonathan Bartley from 2018 to 2021, and as its sole leader from July to October 2021. From 2006 to 2007, she was one of the Green Party's principal speakers.
Jonathan Charles Bartley is a British politician who was a co-leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, a position he shared with Caroline Lucas from 2016 to 2018, and then, from 2018 to 2021, with Siân Berry. He was the Green Party's national Work and Pensions spokesperson and the party's Parliamentary candidate for Streatham in the 2015 general election. He was the Unite to Remain candidate for Dulwich and West Norwood at the 2019 general election.
Ashley Gunstock is a British Green Party politician and actor. He unsuccessfully ran against Caroline Lucas to become the first leader of the Green Party in 2008 and was a candidate in the 2021 Green Party of England and Wales leadership election. He is now a substitute teacher at Haberdasher's Borough Academy.
Adrian Philip Ramsay is a British politician who has served as co-leader of the Green Party of England and Wales since 2021 and as the Member of Parliament for Waveney Valley since 2024. He was previously the deputy leader of the Green Party of England and Wales from 2008 to 2012. He served as a Norwich City Councillor from 2003 to 2011. He worked as chief executive of the Centre for Alternative Technology from 2014 to 2019 and from 2019 to 2024 was CEO of MCS Charitable Foundation.
The 2008 Green Party of England and Wales leadership election took place in September 2008 to select the first leader of the Green Party of England and Wales. It was won by Caroline Lucas who received 92.4% of the vote. At the same time, Adrian Ramsay was elected unopposed as the party's first deputy leader.
The 2010 Green Party of England and Wales leadership election took place in September 2010 to determine the leader of the Green Party of England and Wales. It was won unopposed by the incumbent leader, Caroline Lucas.
Amelia Helen Womack is a British Green Party of England and Wales politician. She served as the party's Deputy Leader from 2014 to 2022. She is a co-chair of the People's Assembly Against Austerity, and co-founded Another Europe Is Possible.
Mohammad Shahrar Ali, known as Shahrar Ali, is a British politician and university manager who served as deputy leader of the Green Party of England and Wales from 2014 to 2016.
The 2014 Green Party of England and Wales leadership election took place in September 2014 to determine the leader of the Green Party of England and Wales. It was won unopposed by the incumbent leader, Natalie Bennett.
The 2016 Green Party of England and Wales leadership election took place from July to August 2016 to select a leader of the Green Party of England and Wales. The incumbent leader, Natalie Bennett, announced in May 2016 that she was not going to stand for re-election. The election was won by a joint platform of the party's former leader and only MP Caroline Lucas, with the party's work and pensions spokesperson Jonathan Bartley.
The 2018 Green Party of England and Wales leadership election was held from June to August 2018 to select a leader of the Green Party of England and Wales. Caroline Lucas and Jonathan Bartley had been elected as co-leaders in 2016. Lucas stood down, whilst Bartley stood for re-election with a new co-leadership candidate, Siân Berry. They won re-election in the first round, and Amelia Womack won re-election as the party's deputy leader.
The 2020 Green Party of England and Wales leadership election took place in August 2020 to determine the leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, while an election for the party's deputy leader also took place simultaneously. Jonathan Bartley and Siân Berry, who were elected on a joint ticket in 2018, were re-elected as co-leaders while Amelia Womack was re-elected as the party's deputy leader.
The 2021 Green Party of England and Wales leadership election was held from August to September 2021 to select a new leader or leaders of the Green Party of England and Wales. It was triggered by Jonathan Bartley's announcement on 5 July 2021 that he would be standing down as party co-leader. Bartley had been co-leader of the party since 2016, initially serving with the party's Member of Parliament (MP) Caroline Lucas. Sian Berry, who had served as co-leader with Bartley since 2018, did not seek re-election with a new co-leader or by herself.
Adam McGibbon is a Northern Irish environmentalist and writer.