Green leaders look to increase tally of MPs

The Greens’ double-headed leadership goes into the General Election determined to increase the party’s representation at Westminster from a lone MP.

Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay were elected co-leaders of the party in England and Wales in 2021 having promised to bring a greater degree of professionalism to its organisation and campaigning.

In doing so, they overcame the challenge of two more high-profile activists – deputy leader Amelia Womack and Extinction Rebellion co-founder Tamsin Omond.

They subsequently set out plans to target four seats which they believe are potentially winnable – including the newly-created constituency of Bristol Central, where Ms Denyer is standing.

A city councillor in Bristol, Ms Denyer proposed the motion which led to it becoming the first city in the UK to declare a climate emergency – a move subsequently copied by dozens of other authorities.

In the 2019 general election, she ran as the Green candidate in Bristol West, finishing second behind Labour’s Thangam Debbonaire.

Mr Ramsay also has a background in local government, having been a councillor for eight years in Norwich, where he was credited with overseeing its success in becoming the largest Green councillor group in the country.

A close ally of former leader Caroline Lucas, he served under her as deputy leader and helped organise the campaign which resulted in her being elected the party’s first – and so far only – MP in 2010.