3 May 2019

Representation on 50 new councils

178 new seats already won by Greens

The Green Party is tonight celebrating a day of spectacular election results from around the country.

It went into this election with 178 councillors on 69 councils, which was a record high for the Green Party until today.

As of 5.45pm tonight, it has 313 councillors. Never before in its history has the Green Party had anything like so much local election success.

First seats were won on councils ranging from Carlisle to Folkestone, Sunderland to the Cotswolds.

Already strong areas such as Solihull and Mid-Suffolk council groups swelled to 14 and 12 respectively.

Sian Berry, co-leader, said: “This has been a spectacular 24 hours for the Green Party. The Green Surge of membership from 2015 has now borne fruit, with strong local parties around the country delivering community-based campaigns that have tapped into the passion for remaining in the EU and the determination to seek real, urgent action on climate change.

“This seems to have come as a surprise to much of the London-based media, but the Green leadership, as we have travelled around the country, have seen the way local support has blossomed, for Greens embedded in their communities but inspired by a vision of a UK living within the limits of this fragile planet while delivering a decent, secure life for everyone.”

Sian added: “Voters are clearly fed up with the tired old politics of the parties of the past, who have delivered a UK in Brexit turmoil.

“Green politics is fresh and new, principled and consistent. We have always celebrated the value of the freedom of movement, which offers people opportunities to live, work, study and love on the Continent, and benefit from the contributions of other Europeans in our country.

“We have always insisted that we have to live within the physical limits of this one fragile planet, and that in doing so we can tackle the inequality, poverty and desperation that the failed policies of the past have created.

“On social media we are hearing from so many first-time Green voters who are now feeling unshackled from tradition ties, free to hope for a positive democratic future for the UK within the EU.”

New councils with first seat(s):
St Helens, East Hertfordshire, South Tyneside, Sunderland, Tameside , East Devon, Colchester, Melton, North West Leicestershire, South Lakeland, Vale of White Horse , Cotswold, Folkestone, Tewkesbury, Derbyshire Dales, Eden, South Oxfordshire, Whychavon, Wyre Forest, Breckland, Darlington, Fenland, Richmondshire, Surrey Heath, Amber Valley, Stafford, Stratford on Avon, West Devon, Blabey, Charnwood, Cherwell, Craven, Kings Lynn, South Staffordshire, Wealden, Arun, Mid Devon, Mid Sussex, Rother, Swale, High Peak, Runnymeade, Ashford, Cheshire West, Tonbridge and Malling, Barbegh, Chichester, Rutland, Carlisle , Thanet and West Berkshire

Tweet

Back to main news page

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

3 May 2019

Representation already on 16 new councils

42 new seats won by Greens

The Green Party is this morning celebrating the biggest election night in its history, and looking forward to a day of further big advances across the country.

The Greens are represented on 16 new councils, and representation has grown significantly in many areas where we were already represented.

As of 9.30am, Greens had won 42 new seats, a fivefold increase in the final gains in the comparable elections four years ago with the majority of results still to come in.

Jonathan Bartley, Green Party co-leader, said: “This is the biggest election night in our history. Greens are winning right across the country, and taking seats from a wide range of other parties.

“The Green message is clearly taking hold and can win anywhere.

“This is the product of a huge amount of hard work by many brilliant members and supporters around the country, but also many voters are converting themselves to be Greens.

“Voters see that we need a new kind of politics, one that recognises the huge imperative of acting on climate change, but also the social emergency that is creating misery and suffering in communities across the country.

“They want clear, consistent politics, principles and values.”

Jonathan added: “It is also clear that Brexit has played a significant role in these elections. Greens have been clear in standing up for the UK’s membership of the European Union and will continue to do so.

“We were the largest Remain party in the last European Parliament, with three great English MEPs, and are ready to carry the Remain banner into the European election campaign.

“Voters know what they are getting with the Greens, and they clearly want more of it.”

The new councils on which Greens are represented: Braintree, Colchester, Cotswold, Derbyshire Dales, East Hertfordshire, Folkestone and Hythe, Melton, North West Leicestershire, Somerset West and Taunton, South Lakeland, South Oxfordshire, South Tyneside, St Helens, Sunderland, Tameside, Vale of White Horse.

View the full list of results here

Tweet

Back to main news page

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

2 May 2019

Reacting to the Committee on Climate Change statement that the UK government must immediately set a legally binding target to cut greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050 [1], Caroline Lucas has said:

“I warmly welcome this rigorous & timely report, and hope the Government will take particular note of its powerful recommendation that net zero should be pursued through bold action here at home without recourse to controversial international offsets or credits.

“However we need a significantly earlier target date to ensure we reach a more certain outcome, and to reflect both our consumption, and historical, emissions.  We needed to be guided by what’s scientifically necessary, not just what’s deemed to be currently ‘politically possible’.

“The report also contains a stark warning – ministers can’t simply adopt a net zero target without radical change in the short term.  That makes it all the more galling that this Government has scrapped many of the politics we know that we always needed, from scrapping support for clean energy to ditching a commitment to zero carbon homes.  If they’re serious about the “Climate Emergency” that was declared by parliament yesterday, we need to see an immediate step change in action”

Caroline Lucas reaction to Committee on Climate Change statement

Tweet

Back to main news page

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

24 April 2019

The Green Party has today announced its lead candidates in all 9 English regions and Wales to fight the European elections. The list includes: Molly Scott Cato, MEP for the South West and Brexit spokesperson, who has consistently championed a People’s Vote within the European Parliament; Magid Magid, outgoing Lord Mayor of Sheffield who banned Donald Trump from the city; Gina Dowding, Lancashire councillor and prominent anti-fracking campaigner at Preston New Road; Alex Phillips, Deputy Mayor of Brighton and Hove and Scott Ainslie, a councillor in Lambeth who made his name fighting housing demolitions.

 

The Greens will fight the election under the banner ‘For now. For the future’ and will highlight a policy platform which says ‘Yes to Europe, No to Climate change.’

 

The Green Party is the UK’s biggest pro remain party in the European Parliament, and have led the calls for a People’s Vote across the country. In Westminster, Caroline Lucas has been the driving force in Parliament and has consistently held the government to account.  The Green Party are the most credible option for those who want to remain in the European Union and the most likely to deliver the change necessary, and the natural home for those who want to see urgent action on climate change.

 

But beyond Brexit, the Greens are the only party fighting on a remain platform which consistently champions free movement and clean energy, while opposing austerity and climate damaging infrastructure. The Greens come without the need for a rebrand and name change to erase their history.

 

Molly Scott Cato MEP, lead candidate for the Green Party in the South West region, has said the Green Party are the real party of change with a strong track record on changing Europe.

 

Molly Scott Cato said:

 

‘Polls show that Greens are the most popular pro-EU Party standing in this election and Green votes are more likely to send pro-EU MEPs to Brussels than votes for any other party. We are unflinchingly pro-European. We have led the national movement for a people’s vote and unequivocally defend freedom of movement – the right to study, work, travel and love across our continent.’’

 

Magid Magid said:

 

‘Remaining in Europe is priority, particularly for young people. We must protect our right to freely move across 27 other European countries. But this election is also massive chance to do politics differently and to make real change.

 

‘Greens don’t just want to remain in the EU, we want to transform it. Green MEPs will fight for serious climate action, to protect migrant rights and build a shared, equal future for all our constituents and all Europeans. Green MEPs will stand for your future. Elect Greens and we will deliver on the defining issues of our time.’

 

Full list of Green Party candidates:

Eastern

Catherine Rowett

Rupert Read

Martin Schmierer

Fiona Radic

Paul Jeater

Pallavi Devulapalli

Jeremy Caddick

 

East Midlands

Kat Boettge

Gerhard Lohmann-Bond

Liam McLelland

Daniel Wimberley

Simon Tooke

Carl Benfield

 

London

Scott Ainslie

Gulnar Hasnain

Shahrar Ali

Rachel Collinson

Eleanor Margolies

Remco van der Stoep

Kirsten de Keyser

Peter Underwood

 

North East

Rachel Featherstone

Jonathan Elmer

Dawn Furness

 

North West

Gina Dowding

Wendy Olsen

Jessica Northey

Geraldine Coggins

Rosie Mills

Astrid Johnson

Daniel Jerrome

James Booth

 

South East

Alexandra Phillips

Elise Benjamin

Vix Lowthion

Leslie Groves Williams

Phelim Mac Cafferty

Jan Doerful

Larry Sanders

Isabella Moir

Oliver Sykes

Jonathan Essex

 

South West

Molly Scott Cato

Cleo Lake

Carla Denyer

Tom Scott

Martin Dimery

Karen La Borde

 

Wales

Anthony Slaughter

Ian Chandler

Ceri Davies

Duncan Rees

 

West Midlands

Ellie Chowns

Diana Toynbee

Paul Woodhead

Julian Dean

Louis Stephens

Helen Heathfield

Kefentse Dennis

 

Yorkshire and the Humber

Magid Magid

Alison Teal

Andrew Cooper

Louise Houghton

Lars Kramm

Ann Forsaith

Tweet

Back to main news page

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

18 April 2019

The Green Party welcomes the European Elections and the enthusiasm being shown for them by those who, like us, believe we must do everything possible to stay in the European Union. The Green Party is the largest remain party in the EU Parliament, with the largest number of MEPs and is currently the lead remain party in the polls. We are the most credible choice for pro-EU voters. 

In terms of joint lists, the deadline for formal arrangements passed before the EU Council meeting on 10 April, which granted the “flextension” that makes fighting the European elections possible. As far as informal arrangements are concerned, no party has made any approach to us about them, and claims that we have turned down overtures are untrue, since none have been made. We understand, however, that Change UK has in any case ruled them out.

While we agree with other remain parties on continued membership of the European Union, we have fundamental ideological differences on other issues – not least on the urgent priority of bold action on the accelerating climate crisis, and on major economic transformation.

The European Parliament elections are conducted under a proportional system, meaning that, unlike the UK parliamentary voting system, you are much freer to vote for what you believe in. In the last European Elections The Green Party finished 4th, above the Liberal Democrats, and had 3 hard working and effective MEPs elected. 

The Green Party is clear that our country’s best future lies within the EU, with as many Green MEPs as possible elected to help bring about the improvements and reforms to the EU that we believe are necessary. We understand why many people voted to leave. The status quo is intolerable and we are pushing for the reforms necessary in both the UK and the EU to make a transition away from the current system – one which fails us all so badly, and hits the most vulnerable hardest. 

We welcome the votes of all pro-EU voters to help us to achieve this aim, as well as those who are more skeptical about the EU, but realise that Brexit is a recipe for chaos.

We stand firmly against the rise of hate, and we reject the rhetoric and dog-whistle politics used to stoke further division.  

Our energies, and those of all those who support remaining in the EU, are now best spent actively campaigning to maximise the pro-EU vote and resisting the rise of the far right.

Tweet

Back to main news page

Let’s block ads! (Why?)