GREEN successes have been building steadily over the past decade, and Greens have emerged as quite clearly the fourth political party in English politics.
There were dramatic gains in Lewisham, rising from one to six, where Greens now hold the balance of power. In Norwich, with one hold and four gains – all from the Liberal Democrats – there are now nine Green councillors, a powerful third force on the council.
Caroline Lucas, principal speaker of the Green Party of England and Wales, said: “Green candidates have stood on a platform of a healthy local environment, decent local services and a strong local voice and this message has been well-received by the electorate.
“The rise of the Green agenda has resulted in attempts by the Liberal Democrats and the Tories to market themselves as environmentally friendly and ethical yet the Greens, throughout this campaign, have rightly drawn attention to their poor record on issues of social and environmental justice on a local level.”
Scottish Green Party co-convener, Shiona Baird MSP, said: “It’s clear that when people elect Greens, they like what they see and they want more. Greens have been showing consistently that we are serious and effective local representatives.”
The successes of the English Greens have come despite the unfair voting system. Green speaker on local government, Mark Ballard MSP, said: “Next year’s Council elections will for the first time use STV, a more accurate voting system, where no vote will be wasted.
“We can therefore expect to see Greens elected to Councils across Scotland, joining their English colleagues in greening local Government.”
For information about the Greens in England and Wales and more on the election results go to www.greenparty.org.uk
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