Greens City councillor voted co-leader of party
BRISTOL councillor Carla Denyer is one of two new co-leaders of the Green Party, after she won a leadership contest with running mate Adrian Ramsay on Friday.
The pair took more than half the votes cast in the election, triggered by the decisions of former co-leaders Jonathan Bartley to stand down and Sian Berry not to seek re-election.
In a joint speech made after the announcement, Ms Denyer said it was the Green Party’s “time to shine”.
She and Mr Ramsay said the party stood not just for climate justice, but for social justice, and that they would work to make it a “serious political force”.
They said they would work to elect more Greens “at every level of government” and become the “real opposition” to the Government.
Ms Denyer said: “Other parties are in disarray and failing to inspire.
“We will demonstrate that what is good for the planet is also good for people. We don’t have to choose climate justice or social justice. They go hand in hand and benefit us all.
“We can transform society, create a brighter future, we know we can.
“It is time for the Greens to shine and we intend to lead this party to the electoral success that
we know is within our grasp and put powerful green ideas at the heart of the political agenda.”
Mr Ramsay said: “Our country is in crisis: pumps running out of petrol, empty shelves in supermarkets, and millions heading into winter fearing rising fuel bills, all worsened by our society’s addiction to fossil fuels.
“More than ever we need strong Green voices to make the compelling case for a Green transition.”
It is not clear yet what the election result means for Denyer’s role as a councillor on Bristol City Council, where she represents Clifton Down for the Greens.
Cllr Denyer was responsible for submitting a motion to the council in 2018 which resulted in the local authority becoming the first in the UK, and one of the first in the world, to declare a climate emergency.
The following year she came second in the race to become Bristol West MP, losing to Labour’s Thangam Debbonnaire.
The Greens have only one MP at the moment, Caroline Lucas.
Mr Ramsay was a member of the MP’s campaign team and has been credited with helping to write the election strategy that saw Green councillors win more seats than ever before - 99 - in May’s local elections.
The Greens became the joint largest party on Bristol City Council in May, winning 24 seats in the chamber, the same as Labour, after gaining 13 seats while Labour lost nine.
In the leadership contest, Ms Denyer and Mr Ramsay took 44 per cent of the first preference votes and 62 per cent in the second round of voting, winning 6,274 votes altogether.
Runners up with 3,902 votes were the pairing of Amelia Womack, Green Party deputy leader, and Tamsin Omand, a founder of Extinction Rebellion.
Other parties are in disarray and failing to inspire. We will demonstrate that what is good for the planet is also good for people.
Cllr Carla Denyer