Newly elected leaders of the Green Party have pledged to increase the number of Green MPs in parliament and become the “real opposition” of the Conservative government.
Following the resignations of Sean Berry and Jonathan Bartley, party members in England and Wales elected councilors Carla Denier and Adrian Ramsay as new co-leaders.
“We are determined to see more Greens selected in England and Wales,” said Mr Ramsay. “We are here because we want to lead our party to success … to truly oppose this weak Conservative government.
The Green Party has only one MP, Caroline Lucas, but has three members in the London Assembly and around 400 councilors in England and Wales.
Ms Denier pledged to elect ‘more Greens’ at all levels of government, adding: ‘We are at a pivotal moment in history, and it is clear that the other major political parties have not succeeded. to make the necessary changes. “
Just a month away from the crucial COP26 climate summit of world leaders in Glasgow, Ms Denier said she wanted the party to focus Boris Johnson’s government on its promises to tackle climate change.
She said: “We will take advantage of Cop26 to condemn this weak government for its lack of climate leadership and greenwashing.”
It comes as the prime minister has said bold pledges are needed from leaders to ensure next month’s Cop26 ‘count’. Mr Johnson tweeted: ‘We have seen positive progress so far, but it is not enough. “
The party said on Friday that Mr Ramsay and Ms Denier, Bristol councillors, were elected after securing 44% of the first preference and 62% of the second round of votes. She defeated Tamsin Omond and Amelia Womack, who finished second.
Ramsay said, “Our country is in crisis – running out of petrol pumps, empty shelves in supermarkets and millions going into winter fearing rising fuel bills, all made worse by our society’s reliance on fuel fossils,” Ramsay said.
“More than ever, we need strong green voices to advocate for the green transition, a just transition,” he said.
Mr Ramsay and Ms Denier said the party would continue to push for a Green New Deal – after presenting a plan to invest £100 billion a year in transitioning to a carbon neutral economy and creating new jobs.
The new management has vowed to fight for the insulation of British homes, a public transport system based on clean energy and less intensive and more nature-friendly food production.
“We know voters trust us, we know they think we’re good,” Ramsay said after the results were announced on Friday.
“Now we have to show that we are a serious political force – that we are working, and that we have a vision that no other party has and plans to fulfill.”
The Scottish Greens joined the SNP in the Scottish Government following a power-sharing agreement in August, with co-leaders Patrick Harvey and Lorna Slater becoming ministers to the government.
However, the party has been accused of withdrawing manifesto promises after failing to propose a moratorium on the closure of large-scale waste incinerators north of the border.