She's standing down after four years in the role
Carla Denyer, one of the two current co-leaders of the Green Party of England and Wales has confirmed she won’t be re-standing for the role in this year’s leadership election.
The leadership election was already scheduled as the Green Party
Denyer has said the reason for her decision is that she wants dedicate more time to her new role as the MP for Bristol Central.
Denyer was elected as co-leader of the Green Party in 2021 alongside Adrian Ramsay. Both co-leaders were elected to the House of Commons in the 2024 general election, the former for Bristol Central and the latter for Mid Suffolk.
Announcing her decision not to re-stand, Denyer said: “It’s been an enormous privilege to lead the Green Party alongside my excellent co-leader Adrian, wonderfully supported by our deputy leaders – first Amelia and then Zack. We’ve achieved so much, taking the party from one MP to four, from 450 councillors to over 850, and winning nearly two million votes at the last General Election. But this is just the start for me and the party.
“For me, my guiding light has always been ‘How can I make the biggest positive impact?’. And I’ve decided that for the next few years, the best way I can serve the party and the country is to pour all of my skills, passion and energy into being the best MP I can be, in Parliament and in Bristol Central.
“We’re at a critical juncture in British politics. People are feeling deeply let down and are looking for real alternatives. And with the hard-right on the rise in the UK and across the world, it’s never been more important for Greens to offer a genuinely hopeful vision for our future – and crucially to put forward real solutions to make people’s lives better.
“That’s what I’ll be focussing on over the next four years as an MP: fighting for rent controls so that everyone can afford a decent roof over their heads, to futureproof British industry to secure good green jobs for this generation and the next, and to replace the racism and xenophobia at the heart of our migration system with common sense and compassion. These are all issues that my constituents in Bristol Central feel passionate about. This city which I am so proud to live in and represent will continue to be at the heart of everything I do as an MP.
She continued by thanking the party’s membership for electing her as co-leader four years ago. She said: “Thank you to our membership for trusting me and Adrian to lead this party through challenges and successes. It has been a pleasure to work alongside him and with fellow members, staff and elected representatives at all levels of the party, especially my wonderful fellow Green MPs. For the next four months I will continue to serve alongside my brilliant leadership colleagues, Adrian and Zack. Then I will hand over the baton to the new leadership team in the Autumn when the results of the internal election are announced.
“In this new five-party political system it’s all to play for. The future of the Green Party is bright, and I’m so excited to play my part in this next chapter as a committed and passionate Green MP.”
Nominations for the Green Party’s leadership election formally open on June 2, with party members voting for their new leadership team throughout August.
Despite nominations having not yet opened, the party’s current deputy leader Zack Polanski has already announced he’s standing to be the next leader. In a pitch aimed at the left of the party’s membership, Polanski has said he wanted to build ‘a party that knows that inequality is at the heart of all of our problems’, and ‘a party that will confront fascism and call a genocide exactly what it is’.
Denyer’s co-leader Adrian Ramsay has not yet confirmed whether he will or will not be standing in the upcoming leadership election.
Following Denyer’s announcement, however, he released a statement, which read: “I want to share my deep appreciation and huge thanks to Carla for her inspirational leadership.
“As Co-Leaders together, we’ve led our party to its greatest ever success – quadrupling our seats at Westminster, record votes at the General Election and a step change in our number of Councillors.
“Carla has done so much to prove we can take our values to the wider audience needed to win – and to give us the credible, Parliament-based leadership we need to win even bigger.
“Throughout our time as Co-Leaders together, I’ve deeply valued Carla’s unwavering commitment, integrity, incisiveness and friendship.
“Our movement is now stronger, broader, and more ready than ever to build the brighter future we know is possible.”
The results of the leadership election will be announced on September 2.
Chris Jarvis is head of strategy and development at Left Foot Forward
Left Foot Forward doesn't have the backing of big business or billionaires. We rely on the kind and generous support of ordinary people like you.
You can support hard-hitting journalism that holds the right to account, provides a forum for debate among progressives, and covers the stories the rest of the media ignore. Donate today.