9 May 2021

Molly Scott Cato: “Most people voted for Brexit on the understanding that we would remain inside the single market and customs union; it’s not too late for the government to admit its historic mistake.”

The Green Party has repeated its commitment to a stronger and closer relationship with the EU, including negotiations to rejoin the customs union.

The call coincides with Europe Day celebrating peace and unity in Europe, and comes after tension between the UK and France over the latters’ fishing rights off the coast of Jersey.

Brexit spokesperson for the Green Party, Molly Scott Cato, said: 

“The current arrangement with the EU has threatened peace and security in Northern Ireland and now in Jersey as well as devastating so many industries including music, finance, food and fisheries. We don’t see the now formally adopted Trade and Cooperation Agreement as the end of the story but as a foundation on which to build a stronger and closer relationship.

“That is why the Green Party on Europe Day is again calling on the government to begin to build back a closer relationship with the EU, starting with a veterinary agreement and a request to begin negotiations to rejoin the customs union. These two agreements would augment greater EU-UK trade and cooperation ties and limit the chaos we have seen at borders.

“Rejoining the customs union and developing a deeper agreement in veterinary standards would mean an end to the lengthy, complicated bureaucratic processes businesses have to go through to import and export goods at a time of financial uncertainty for many.

“Business owners are realising it was a mistake to agree to such a hard Brexit and it’s time this is reversed. At the time of the referendum most people thought we would be continuing our membership of the single market and customs union and only leaving the political institutions. It’s not too late for the government to admit its historic mistake.” [2]

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Notes

1

https://www.greenparty.org.uk/news/2021/02/05/green-party-calls-for-return-to-customs-union/

2

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20210423IPR02772/parliament-formally-approves-eu-uk-trade-and-cooperation-agreement

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9 May 2021

The London Green Party is celebrating record breaking results following the London elections on 6 May.

Green Party candidate for Mayor of London Sian Berry achieved the party’s best ever result in this election, winning 8 percent of first preference votes. In total, Sian received 197,976 first preference votes, and 486,798 second preference votes. This put Sian comfortably in third place, with the Liberal Democrat candidate in fourth with 4 percent of first preferences. [1]

In 2016, Sian won 6 percent of first preference votes – at the time, the party’s best ever result. [2]

The London Green Party is also celebrating a breakthrough on the London Assembly, achieving 12 percent of the vote on the list ballot, electing Zack Polanski onto the London Assembly alongside Sian Berry and Caroline Russell. [3]

Zack Polanski joined the Green Party in 2017 and has a history of campaigning and activism across a range of environmental and social justice issues. He has a background of working in the gig economy, having been an actor, youth worker and mental health counsellor. He is currently a property guardian, giving him first hand experience of London’s housing crisis, and he is the first gay and Jewish person ever to be elected to the London Assembly.

Berry said:

“Londoners have sent a message loud and clear: London can be the greenest city in the world.

“This is the Green Party’s best ever result in an election to become Mayor of London, and with the election of more Green Assembly Members, it is a serious mandate for the ideas we were putting in front of the public this campaign – rent controls, flat fares, and a higher living wage.

“We started conversations in this campaign, we won the arguments, and we set the agenda. Over the three years ahead, Greens will be in City Hall pushing the Mayor to take action on these issues, reminding him that Londoners love our ideas, and winning real change for every single person in this city.

“London did something amazing this week, and Greens are going to make these next years in the Assembly count.

“I want to thank every single Londoner who voted for our positive vision of a transformed city. This is a new start for London, and our members are ready to work even harder to elect new councillors in a year’s time.”

Polanski said:

“Being elected to City Hall by Londoners is the honour of my life, and I can’t wait to get started on transforming this amazing city for good.

“The very first thing I want to do is to make a promise: I will never, ever forget who put me here. Renters, workers, commuters, artists, small business owners, disabled people, older people, young people LGBTIQA people, people of colour, everyone who came together and believed in our positive vision for London. I promise that the voice of every Londoner will be heard in City Hall, especially if you feel like you’re not being heard right now.”

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Notes

1

https://www.londonelects.org.uk/im-voter/election-results/results-2021

2

https://www.londonelects.org.uk/im-voter/election-results/results-2016

3

https://www.londonelects.org.uk/im-voter/election-results/results-2021

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9 May 2021

• Green Bristol Mayor candidate Sandy Hore-Ruthven finishes second, securing 43.5% of the vote
• Hore-Ruthven: “there’s huge demand for real action on the big challenges that Bristol faces”

The Green Party has recorded its first-ever second place result in an election for a directly-elected mayor. Bristol Mayor candidate Sandy Hore-Ruthven went toe-to-toe with the current Labour mayor Marvin Rees, who both reached the second round of counting.

The result follows strong results for the Green Party’s Metro Mayor candidate Jerome Thomas and PCC candidate Cleo Lake, who both finished second within the Bristol counting area. Expectations are high for numerous Green gains once the Bristol City Council results are declared today.

Hore-Ruthven said: “This is a landmark result for the Green Party in Bristol – there is no doubt at all now that the Green Party is a major party in this city.”

“I’m so thankful to everybody who voted Green. You have declared clearly that we must tackle the climate emergency, and we must recover from the pandemic in a way that doesn’t leave anybody behind. We must make sure there are good jobs and affordable homes for all, and we must have constructive leadership where we work together to tackle the problems we face.”

“I know the Green councillors who will be elected tomorrow will hit the ground running to provide Bristol with the Green leadership that voters have called for, and to make certain Bristol becomes a greener and fairer city.”

He added: “Congratulations to Marvin Rees on his victory – I wish him the best in leading the city. I have loved every minute of this campaign – meeting people from all walks of life, seeing the amazing businesses, the strength of our communities and marvelling at the incredible diversity of Bristol. It has made me love our city even more.”

Attention now turns to the city council election count, where all 70 councillor seats are up for grabs. The Greens say they are feeling quietly confident of further breakthroughs across Bristol.

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Notes

Hore-Ruthven is pronounced “Hoare-Riven”

Sandy Hore-Ruthven has been Chief Executive of Bristol charity Creative Youth Network for the last 15 years, taking it from a small charity with a handful of staff to the largest youth charity of its kind in the UK, supporting around ten thousand young people each year.

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7 May 2021

• Party has already won 71 seats including 56 new seats
• Gained representation on nine new councils for the first time with most of the results still to come

The Green Party is on course to celebrate another set of record results with more Green councillors on more councils across the country than ever before, extending the party’s record gains two years ago.

The Greens have already won a total of 71 seats, including 56 new seats, and gained representation on nine new councils for the first time in this year’s local elections so far [1].

The party has so far seen their first councillors elected to seats such as Stockport, Hastings and Derbyshire County Council, while also making significant gains in more established areas such as Sheffield, which has now been taken in to no overall control.

Elsewhere, the party has won its first seat on Manchester City Council for the first time since 2004, gained six new seats on Suffolk County Council, taking the total to nine, and a further three seats so far in Burnley, taking the total to five. [2]

Green Party co-leader Jonathan Bartley said: “It has already become clear that we are in a new era and there are no no-go areas for Green politics anymore.

“Whether that’s in Burnley or Brighton and Hove, people are turning to the Greens as they know we will not take their vote for granted.

“It is clear the world has changed and people know that a new Green politics is what is needed. It is the Greens that are offering hope and the promise of a better future as we begin to recover from this terrible pandemic.

“Our members, supporters and councillors are bringing change from the bottom to create a Green recovery for all.

“These results show clearly that people want an alternative to the broken and fragmenting two party system which has dominated for so long and caused so much mistrust and damage.

“Greens are now representing communities up and down the country and people can see the impact they make.”

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Notes

1

The new councils on which Greens are represented:

Stockport

Northumberland County Council

Hastings

Derbyshire County Council

East Sussex County Council

County Durham Unitary

Halton Borough Council

Northamptonshire North Unitary

2

Full results are available here: https://campaigns.greenparty.org.uk/local-election-results-2021/?utm_source=vote&utm_medium=nav&utm_campaign=results

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7 May 2021

• Labour council leader unseated by Green candidate
• Party gains five seats across the city

The Green Party has taken Sheffield City Council to no overall control after gaining a further five seats, meaning Labour has lost its majority in the city.

The Greens increased their number of seats on the council from eight to 13. This means they now have the potential to enter negotiations with Labour and the Liberal Democrats on running the council.

Green Party councillor Douglas Johnson said:

“It is hugely significant that the council has moved to no overall control so the three parties will be forced to work together. This also makes Sheffield the largest city where Greens hold a balance of power. 

“Sheffield’s 13 Green councillors are taking their rightful position as the third largest party on Sheffield City Council.  

“We will continue to push the agenda on the climate emergency, open democracy and community-led action.  We now look forward to working alongside the Labour and LibDem groups and will make our decisions in the next few days in the best interests of the people of Sheffield.”

Johnson also said:

“I am particularly delighted to welcome Christine Gilligan-Kubo as a new councillor who has unseated the Labour Leader of the Council.  That in itself will help a fresh start as the three parties have to work together.  Christine will be a great asset, along with the five new faces on the councillor group.”

The results in Sheffield come as Greens are making gains across the country.

The Greens have won a total of 44 seats overall, including 31 gains, and gained representation on six new councils in this year’s local elections so far.

Green Party co-leader Jonathan Bartley said: 

“The historic gains that the Greens have made in Sheffield, are good news for the council and good news for everyone who lives here. It means an even stronger Green voice at the time when local people need it most, whether that is to improve the lives of the people in the city now or securing their future..

“It is clear the world has changed. It is the Greens that are offering hope and a plan for a green recovery that benefits everyone.”

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