Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales
{{short description|Head of the Green Party in England and Wales}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}}
{{infobox political post
|post= Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales
|image = File:Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay, October 2022.jpg
|incumbent = Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay
|incumbentsince = 1 October 2021
|appointer = Members of the Green Party of England and Wales
|appointer_qualified = through leadership elections held biennially
|precursor = Principal Speakers
|formation = 5 September 2008
|first = 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.
Role and history
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.{{cite web |url=http://policy.greenparty.org.uk/mfss/Philosophical%20Basis.html |title=The Green Party of England and Wales' Philosophical Basis |publisher=Policy.greenparty.org.uk |date= |accessdate=2010-06-07 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080508172705/http://policy.greenparty.org.uk/mfss/Philosophical%20Basis.html |archivedate=8 May 2008 |df=dmy-all }}
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.Wall, Derek, Weaving a Bower Against Endless Night: An Illustrated History of the Green Party, 1994 This left a system with which neither side in the 2007 leadership referendum was happy.
=2007 Leadership referendum=
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.{{cite web|url=http://www.greenparty.org.uk/files/reports/2007/CreatingaLeaderandDeputyLeaderorCo-Leaders-Final.pdf |title=Green Yes Website – Copy of the Full Motion to Conference on Creating a Leader and Deputy Leader or Co-Leaders |date= |accessdate=2010-06-07}} 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.{{cite web |last=Berry |first=Sian |url=http://newstatesman.com/200703260059 |title=Siân Berry's New Statesman Blog – A leader for the Greens? |publisher=Newstatesman.com |date=2007-03-26 |accessdate=2010-06-07 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081202113444/http://www.newstatesman.com/200703260059 |archivedate=2008-12-02 }}
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.{{Cite web|url=http://jimjay.blogspot.com/2007/12/leadership-referendum-result.html|title = Leadership referendum result|date = December 2007}}
==The 'Pro-Leader' side – Green Yes==
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.[http://www.greenyes.org Green Yes Website]
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".
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.{{cite web|url=http://www.newstatesman.com/200707120024 |title=Mark Lynas' New Statesman Blog – Even Greens need leaders |publisher=Newstatesman.com |date= |accessdate=2010-06-07}} Darren Johnson characterized the lack of single leader as "just a ridiculous barrier in terms of getting our really important message across".{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6496355.stm |title=Politics | Greens consider getting a leader |publisher=BBC News |date=2007-03-26 |accessdate=2010-06-07}}
==The 'Anti-Leader' side – Green Empowerment==
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).{{cite web|url=http://www.greenempowerment.org.uk/index.shtml |title=Green Empowerment Website |publisher=Greenempowerment.org.uk |date= |accessdate=2010-06-07}} 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|date=September 2011}}
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.
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". Wall also opposed the reduction in numbers of Principal Speakers from six to two in 1992, as advocated by the Green 2000 group.
=Party Leader era=
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.{{cite news |last1=BBC News |title=Green leaders: who came before Caroline Lucas? |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-44313934 |accessdate=30 July 2018 |date=31 May 2018}}
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.{{cite news |title=Jonathan Bartley: Green Party co-leader to stand down |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-57718918 |access-date=5 July 2021 |work=BBC News |date=5 July 2021}} 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.{{cite news |last1=Elgot |first1=Jessica |title=Sian Berry quits as Green party leader in dispute over trans rights |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/jul/14/sian-berry-quits-as-green-party-leader-in-dispute-over-trans-rights |access-date=14 July 2021 |work=The Guardian |date=14 July 2021}}
Leaders
=Principal Speakers (1990–1992)=
Prior to 1992 six principal speakers were elected annually.
- Sara Parkin
- Jim Berreen
- Andrew Simms
- Jean Lambert
- David Spaven
- Derek Wall
=Principal Speakers (1992–2008)=
| class="wikitable sortable" | ||
| Year | Male principal speaker | Female principal speaker |
|---|---|---|
| Feb–Sep 1992 | Richard Lawson | rowspan=2 | Jean Lambert |
| 1992–1993 | Mallen Baker | |
| 1993–1994 | John Cornford | rowspan="2" | Jan Clark |
| 1994–1995 | rowspan=3 | David Taylor | |
| 1995–1996 | rowspan=2 | Peg Alexander | |
| 1996–1997 | ||
| 1997–1998 | rowspan=4| Mike Woodin | -{{Clarify|date=February 2009}} |
| 1998–1999 | Jean Lambert | |
| 1999–2000 | rowspan=4 | Margaret Wright | |
| 2000–2001 | ||
| 2001–2002 | rowspan=2 | Darren Johnson | |
| 2002–2003 | ||
| 2003–2004 | Mike Woodin | rowspan=3 | Caroline Lucas |
| 2004–2005 | rowspan=2 | Keith Taylor | |
| 2005–2006 | ||
| 2006–2007 | rowspan=2 | Derek Wall | Siân Berry |
| 2007–2008 | Caroline Lucas |
=Party leadership (2008–present)=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="2" |Leader ! Took office ! Left office !Election |
| 60px
|Caroline Lucas |5 September 2008 |3 September 2012 |
| 60px
|Natalie Bennett |3 September 2012 |2 September 2016 |
| 60px
|Caroline Lucas | rowspan="2" |2 September 2016 |4 September 2018 |2016 |
| 60px
|Jonathan Bartley |31 July 2021 |
| 60px
|Siân Berry |4 September 2018 |1 October 2021 |
| 60px
|Carla Denyer | rowspan="2" | 1 October 2021 | rowspan="2" | Incumbent | rowspan="2" |2021 |
| 60px
|Adrian Ramsay |
== Timeline ==
{{#tag:timeline|
DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy
ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:12
Period = from:01/01/2008 till:{{#time:d/m/Y}}
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal
AlignBars = late
PlotArea = top:10 bottom:20 right:130 left:20
ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:1 start:01/01/2008
ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:01/01/2008
Define $today = {{#time:d/m/Y}}
Colors =
id:leader value:rgb(0.20,0.75,0.10)
BarData =
bar:Lucas
bar:Bennett
bar:Bartley
bar:Berry
bar:Ramsay
bar:Denyer
PlotData=
width:5 align:left fontsize:S shift:(5,-4) anchor:till
bar:Lucas
from: 05/11/2008 till: 03/09/2012 color:leader
from: 02/09/2016 till: 04/09/2018 color:leader text:"Caroline Lucas"
bar:Bennett
from: 03/09/2012 till: 02/09/2016 color:leader text:"Natalie Bennett"
bar:Bartley
from: 02/09/2016 till:31/07/2021 color:leader text:"Jonathan Bartley"
bar:Berry
from: 04/09/2018 till:01/10/2021 color:leader text:"Siân Berry"
bar:Ramsay
from: 01/10/2021 till: end color:leader text:"Adrian Ramsay"
bar:Denyer
from: 01/10/2021 till: end color:leader text:"Carla Denyer"
}}
= Deputy Leadership (2008–present) =
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="2" |Deputy Leader ! Took office ! Left office !Election |
| 60px
|Adrian Ramsay |5 September 2008 |3 September 2012 |
| 80x80px
|Will Duckworth |3 September 2012 |1 September 2014 |2012 |
| 60px
|Shahrar Ali | rowspan="2" |1 September 2014 |31 August 2016 |2014 |
| 60px
|Amelia Womack |7 September 2022 |
| 60x60px
|Zack Polanski | 7 September 2022 | Incumbent |2022 |
Election results
= 2021 =
{{main article|2021 Green Party of England and Wales leadership election}}
| class="wikitable" |
| style="background:#e9e9e9;"
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |Candidate ! colspan="2" | 1st round ! colspan="2" | 2nd round |
| style="width: 50px"|Votes
! style="width: 40px"|% ! style="width: 50px"|Votes ! style="width: 40px"|% |
|---|
| style="background-color: {{party color|Green Party of England and Wales}}" |
| Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay{{cite web |title=BREAKING: Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay elected as Green Party co-leaders |date=October 2021 |url=https://bright-green.org/2021/10/01/breaking-carla-denyer-and-adrian-ramsay-elected-as-green-party-co-leaders/ |publisher=Bright Green |access-date=2 October 2021}} | style="text-align:right;"| 5,062 | style="text-align:right;"| 44 | style="text-align:right;"| 6,274 | style="text-align:right;"| 62 |
| style="background-color: {{party color|Green Party of England and Wales}}" |
| Tamsin Omond and Amelia Womack | style="text-align:right;"| 3,465 | style="text-align:right;"| 30 | style="text-align:right;"| 3,902 | style="text-align:right;"| 38 |
| style="background-color: {{party color|Green Party of England and Wales}}" |
| style="text-align:right;"| 2,422 | style="text-align:right;"| 21 |
| style="background-color: {{party color|Green Party of England and Wales}}" |
| Martin Hemingway and Tina Rothery | style="text-align:right;"| 342 | style="text-align:right;"| 3 |
| style="background-color: {{party color|Green Party of England and Wales}}" |
| style="text-align:right;"| 212 | style="text-align:right;"| 2 |
| style="background-color: {{party color|Green Party of England and Wales}}" |
| style="text-align:right;"| 22 | style="text-align:right;"| 0.2 |
= 2020 =
| class="wikitable" |
| style="background:#e9e9e9;"
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |Candidate ! colspan="2" |1st round ! colspan="2" |2nd round |
| Votes
!% !Votes !% |
|---|
| style="background-color: {{party color|Green Party of England and Wales}}" |
| Jonathan Bartley and Siân Berry |3,000 |48.9% |4,238 |57.5% |
| style="background-color: {{party color|Green Party of England and Wales}}" |
|1,978 |26.9% |2,618 |35.5% |
| style="background-color: {{party color|Green Party of England and Wales}}" |
|1,735 |23.6% | colspan="2" rowspan="2" | |
| style="background-color: {{party color|Green Party of England and Wales}}" |
|45 |0.6% |
=2018=
| class="wikitable" |
| style="background:#e9e9e9;"
! colspan="2"|Candidate ! style="width: 50px"|Votes ! style="width: 40px"|% |
| style="background-color: {{party color|Green Party of England and Wales}}" |
| Jonathan Bartley and Siân Berry | style="text-align:right;"| 6,329 | style="text-align:right;"| 75.5 |
|---|
| style="background-color: {{party color|Green Party of England and Wales}}" |
| style="text-align:right;"| 1,466 | style="text-align:right;"| 17.5 |
| style="background-color: {{party color|Green Party of England and Wales}}" |
| Leslie Rowe | style="text-align:right;"| 495 | style="text-align:right;"| 5.9 |
| style="background-color: {{party color|Green Party of England and Wales}}" |
| style="text-align:right;"| 89 | style="text-align:right;"| 1.1 |
=2007=
| class="wikitable" |
| colspan="4"|Female Principal Speaker |
|---|
| style="background:#e9e9e9;"
! colspan="2"|Candidate ! style="width: 50px"|Votes ! style="width: 40px"|% |
| style="background-color: {{party color|Green Party of England and Wales}}" |
| style="text-align:right;"| 1,190 | style="text-align:right;"| 78.0 |
| style="background-color: {{party color|Green Party of England and Wales}}" |
| style="text-align:right;"| 335 | style="text-align:right;"| 22.0 |
| class="wikitable" |
| colspan="4"|Male Principal Speaker |
|---|
| style="background:#e9e9e9;"
! colspan="2"|Candidate ! style="width: 50px"|Votes ! style="width: 40px"|% |
| style="background-color: {{party color|Green Party of England and Wales}}" |
| style="text-align:right;"| 752 | style="text-align:right;"| 49.6 |
| style="background-color: {{party color|Green Party of England and Wales}}" |
| style="text-align:right;"| 625 | style="text-align:right;"| 41.3 |
| style="background-color: {{party color|Green Party of England and Wales}}" |
| style="text-align:right;"| 138 | style="text-align:right;"| 9.1 |
=2006=
The Female Principal Speaker post was won by Siân Berry, without a contest.[http://www.greenparty.org.uk/news-archive/1602.html Election results announced], Green Party of England and Wales, 24 November 2006
=2004=
The Female Principal Speaker post was won by Caroline Lucas, without a contest."[http://www.brightonhovegreens.org/news/2004/11/03/caroline-lucas-and-keith-taylor-returned-as-greens-principal-speakers/ Caroline Lucas & Keith Taylor returned as Greens' Principal Speakers]", Brighton & Hove Green Party, 3 November 2004
| class="wikitable" |
| colspan="4"|Male Principal Speaker election"[https://www.greenparty.org.uk/archive/news-archive/1670.html Caroline Lucas and Keith Taylor continue in party's top post]", Green Party of England and Wales, 4 November 2004 |
|---|
| style="background:#e9e9e9;"
! colspan="2"|Candidate ! style="width: 50px"|Votes ! style="width: 40px"|% |
| style="background-color: {{party color|Green Party of England and Wales}}" |
| style="text-align:right;"| | style="text-align:right;"| 52 |
| style="background-color: {{party color|Green Party of England and Wales}}" |
| John Phillips | style="text-align:right;"| | style="text-align:right;"| 42 |
Chairs
:1990: Mallen Baker, John Laker and Judy Maciejowska
:1991: John Laker, John Norris and Sara Parkin
:1992: Sara Parkin
:1993: John Norris
:1994: Jean Lambert
:1995: John Morrissey
:1996: Jenny Jones
:1998: Alan Francis
:2000: Penny Kemp
:2003: Hugo Charlton
:2006: Richard Mallender
:2008: James Humphreys
:2009: Jayne Forbes
:2011: Jo Steranka
:2012: Tim Dawes
:2014: Richard Mallender
:2016: Clare Phipps
:2018: Liz Reason
:2022: Jon Nott
Regional variations
The leader of the Wales Green Party is Anthony Slaughter, who was elected as the party's leader in December 2018.{{cite web |url= https://wales.greenparty.org.uk/green-party-wales-leader/ |title= About Anthony Slaughter |website= Wales Green Party |access-date= 16 August 2021}} 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.{{cite web |url=http://www.younggreens.org.uk/LocalGroups/London/LSE |title=LSE |publisher=Young Greens |date= |accessdate=2010-06-07 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071023212949/http://www.younggreens.org.uk/LocalGroups/London/LSE |archivedate=23 October 2007 |df=dmy-all }}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
=Main=
- [https://www.greenparty.org.uk/about-us/people/leaders-of-green-party.html Co-Leaders page on the website of the Green Party of England and Wales]
=Historical=
- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6496355.stm Darren Johnson AM on BBC site explains why the Green party needs a Leader ]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20081202113444/http://www.newstatesman.com/200703260059 Siân Berry describes the debate and her preference for Co-leaders]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20070930155309/http://comment.independent.co.uk/commentators/article2886353.ece Caroline Lucas: The greens need a clear voice – and a leader]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20070930171026/http://comment.independent.co.uk/commentators/article2898416.ece Jenny Jones: A political party with a leader? – How 20th century]
{{GPEW}}