Three sets of contenders have put themselves forward to become the next leaders of the Greens, it was announced on Monday, with the joint ticket of Jonathan Bartley and Siân Berry seen as the strong favourite to take over in the absence of Caroline Lucas.



Lucas, the party’s sole MP and best-known figure, has spent two years as joint leader with Bartley, a councillor in Lambeth, south London. In May, Lucas said she would not stand again with the aim of “making space for other people”.

Bartley announced he would instead stand with Berry. She is also a London councillor, in Camden, and is a member of the London assembly.

Their competition for the members vote, which runs from 30 July to 31 August, will primarily come from Shahrar Ali, an academic and former deputy leader of the Greens, who is well known within the party.

The final contender for the role, which covers the Greens in England and Wales, is Leslie Rowe, who stood as the party’s candidate in Richmond, Yorkshire, in 2005, 2010 and 2015.

Lucas, the MP for Brighton Pavilion since 2010, became the Greens’ first leader in 2008 after the party dropped its system of two “principal speakers”. She was replaced as leader by Natalie Bennett in 2012. Bennett endured a difficult 2015 general election, after which Lucas and Bartley took over.

When Lucas and Bartley were elected joint leaders there was some scepticism as to how such an arrangement might work, but the pair say it has proved a success.



The Greens re-elect their leader, deputy leader and seven other senior posts every two years. Three other positions are elected on one-year terms. The results will be announced at the party’s annual conference in October.

Among the five candidates for deputy leader are Amelia Womack, who has filled the role for four years, and Aimee Challenor, a 20-year-old activist from Coventry who is the Greens’ equality spokeswoman. If elected, she would be the first trans person to take such a role.

The leadership candidates will take part in a series of hustings around the country during the voting process. All full members are eligible to vote, using a single transferable vote system.

In comments released to coincide with the announcement, Lucas said she was “excited to see such a wide range of candidates” to build on the work she and Bartley have done.

“Britain needs a strong Green voice now more than ever,” she said. “On issues from Brexit, to rising inequality and the government’s reckless attitude to our environmental protections and climate targets, Greens will always speak truth to power.

“I will still be doing that in Parliament, and I look forward to seeing ever more Greens joining the national debate.”