The eco-activists are back in the news this morning after Carla Denyer announced she will not stand again as co-leader of the Green party of England and Wales. The parliamentarian has claimed she will instead focus her energies on her MP role after leading the environmentalists for the last four years alongside co-leader Adrian Ramsay. While Denyer achieved the party’s best result ever in winning her Bristol seat last year – ousting Labour frontbencher Thangam Debbonaire in the process – it hasn’t all been plain sailing in recent months…
This morning Carla Denyer announced she will not stand again as co-leader of the Green party of England and Wales
The Greens suffered a blow in the West of England mayoral election last week when they were bumped into third place by Reform’s Arron Banks and on Monday, deputy leader Zack Polanski launched a leadership bid of his own – claiming the group is ‘too polite’ and urging the eco-zealots to be ‘bolder’. The next leadership contest will see nominations submitted from the 2 June while voting will take place throughout August. The eco-zealots usually holds leadership contests every two years, however Denyer and Ramsay were voted in for a three-year term with last year’s vote delayed due to the general election.
Taking to social media today, Denyer posted a video of her announcement – telling her followers that ‘after many months of careful consideration’, she will focus instead on being ‘Bristol’s annoyingly persistent, totally committed MP’. Going on, she explained:
It’s been an enormous privilege over the last few years to work alongside my brilliant co-leader, Adrian and wonderful deputy leader Zac to do just that. Looking back at what Adrian and I set out to achieve when we stood to be the party’s co-leaders back in 2021, I’m proud of what we’ve done. We’ve taken the party from one MP to four, from 450 councillors to over 850, and winning nearly 2 million votes at the last general election.
I’m announcing that in the leadership election this summer, I will not be restanding as leader to allow me to pour all of my skills, passion and energy into the positive and exciting things that I want to achieve in Parliament and in Bristol Central, including action to end the affordable housing crisis, tackle the climate emergency and campaign against racism and xenophobia.
Which of the fruit bowl will the Greens pick next: the kiwis, the mangoes or watermelons? Stay tuned…
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