Green Party internal elections 2020: Bartley and Berry re-elected co-leaders

Green World

Wed 9 Sep 2020

Sian Berry and Jonathan Bartley have been re-elected as co-leaders of the Green Party of England and Wales (GPEW) as the results of the party’s 2020 internal elections were announced today (9 September).

Originally elected in 2018, following the end of Bartley’s co-leadership with Green MP Caroline Lucas, the pair received 49 per cent of first preference votes ahead of Green Solihull councillor Rosi Sexton on 27 per cent and home affairs spokesperson Shahrar Ali on 24 per cent.

Bartley has led the opposition on Lambeth council since being elected a Streatham councillor in 2018. Berry is the Green Party's candidate for London Mayor and has been a Green London Assembly member since 2016. She has been a Camden councillor since 2014.

The total turnout for the leadership, GPEx and Policy Development Committee elections was 16 per cent, with 7,503 ballots cast out of 47,691 issued.

Voting in the GPEW internal elections ran from 3 August to 31 August to elect the leadership team, members of its executive body (GPEx) and nominate a prospective Green candidate for the House of Lords.

Amelia Womack was re-elected as Deputy Leader, a role she has held since 2014, with 40.1 per cent of first preference votes, coming in ahead of Cleo Lake (29.3 per cent), Andrea Carey Fuller (9.3 per cent), Tom Pashby (4.2 per cent) and Nick Humberstone (3.8 per cent).

Meanwhile, Molly Scott Cato, former Green MEP and current Brexit spokesperson, received the party’s nomination for House of Lords, should the GPEW be offered another seat to join current Green peers Jenny Jones and Natalie Bennett. Scott Cato has been placed top of an ordered list ahead of Womack, Rupert Read and Andrew Cooper respectively.

Full results can be found below.

“Clear, positive vision”

Commenting on their re-election as co-leaders, Bartley and Berry set out their vision to build a grassroots mass movement in support of a Green recovery from the current economic, climate and health crises.

Following exceptional results at the 2019 local elections, where the GPEW increased its number of councillors across the country to 362 from 178 across 122 councils, the leadership is targeting further success at next year’s postponed local elections and the Senedd elections in Wales.

Berry said: "We're growing fast. Last year we doubled the number of Green councillors, and the 18 councils where Greens are part of the administration are among the most innovative and exciting in the country. But we can do so much more.

"Next year people will have a chance to bring real change to their area by electing more Green councils, putting Green voices in the Senedd, and electing a Green Mayor for London.

"Green politics is built on grassroots action, co-operation and democratic participation. We believe in a democracy where every voice is heard and politicians' power comes from an active citizenry, not big-money donors.

"If you want a safe, fair and exciting future for your area, for the country and for the world, we invite you to join the Green Party and help us make the difference. Better is possible, if we build it together."

Bartley added: ”The economic, climate and health crises have put the country at a crossroads. We can continue down the same old road or we can choose a transformative Green recovery that ensures the wellbeing of us all, now and in the future.

"Only the Greens have a clear, positive vision for what the country could be, and the ambition to build a grassroots mass movement which will demand, and work for, better than what came before.

"We want to thank the members of the Green Party for re-electing us at such a crucial time for our movement and the country. Thank you, too, to all the candidates who put themselves forward and ran powerful campaigns that generated vibrant discussions and new ideas – the lifeblood of a democratic party.”