'Eco-populism' and new MPs - who are the Green Party's leadership hopefuls?

Voting successful the Green Party's enactment contention kicks disconnected today.

The party, which has 4 MPs and much than 800 assembly seats, holds elections for its leaders and lawman leaders each 2 years.

However, the past contention was successful 2021 erstwhile existent leaders Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay were elected for a three-year word to debar a enactment predetermination overlapping with the 2024 wide election.

Only paid-up members tin ballot successful the interior elections, which commencement connected 1 August and adjacent connected 30 August.

Results volition beryllium announced connected 2 September.

Who is lasting to beryllium leader?

Ellie Chowns and Adrian Ramsay

The 2 Green MPs are lasting unneurotic arsenic co-leaders and person said they tin "inspire teams, turn spot and present results".

Adrian Ramsay is existent co-leader with Carla Denyer, but she said successful May she would not basal arsenic co-leader again due to the fact that she wants to absorption connected being the MP for Bristol Central.

He was antecedently Green Party lawman leader, a Norwich City councillor, caput of the Centre for Alternative Technology and CEO of MCS Charitable Foundation, which funds renewable vigor and low-carbon technologies.

Elected arsenic the MP for Waveney Valley successful 2024 with a 41.7% majority, Mr Ramsay has spoken retired against authorities plans to physique a 100-mile corridor of pylons to link his Suffolk constituency to offshore upwind power.

He said helium was successful favour of different options, including an offshore grid, starring to allegations of NIMBYism from Energy Secretary Ed Miliband.

The MP caused contention pursuing past April's Supreme Court landmark judgement connected however a pistillate should beryllium defined successful instrumentality erstwhile helium avoided answering whether helium believes trans women are women.

Dr Ellie Chowns is an planetary improvement specialist, having worked for a fewer charities and arsenic a lecturer astatine the University of Birmingham, wherever she completed her PhD connected Malawi's agrarian h2o supply.

She was elected arsenic a councillor successful Herefordshire successful 2017, past became the Green group's person earlier becoming an MEP successful 2019 and winning her North Herefordshire parliamentary spot past year, aft failing doubly before.

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Dr Chowns was arrested successful 2019 successful Trafalgar Square portion defending the rights of Extinction Rebellion protesters to proceed demonstrating.

She was portion of a radical that successfully challenged successful the High Court the legality of the constabulary utilizing a Section 14 bid to apprehension her - conditions imposed connected nationalist assemblies to forestall superior disruption.

During their enactment campaign, Mr Ramsay and Dr Chowns person been backed by erstwhile Greens person Caroline Lucas, who has said the enactment needs to support its "distinctive voice", putting clime and quality beforehand and centre, and fairness and anticipation for all.

Ex-Labour MPs Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana, who are mounting up a caller left-wing party, person signalled they are unfastened to "co-operating" with the Greens.

However, Mr Ramsay and Dr Chowns rejected the telephone for a pact and urged the enactment to support its "distinctive identity".

Zack Polanski

The existent lawman person of the enactment and London assembly subordinate has said helium volition connection an "eco-populism" alternate to Labour and Reform.

Born David Paulden, helium changed his sanction aged 18 to his grandfather's archetypal surname helium initially thought was altered to fly Nazi Germany, but aboriginal learned was to debar antisemitism successful the UK.

Polanski started by joining the Lib Dems, and lasting arsenic a councillor for the enactment successful northbound London successful 2016. He past joined the Greens the pursuing year, was elected a subordinate of the London Assembly successful 2021, and lawman person of the enactment successful 2022.

In 2013, Polanski had a hypnotherapy practice, and a Sun writer went successful arsenic a lawsuit and asked him if helium could marque her deliberation herself to having bigger boobs.

Speaking to LBC past year, helium said helium had apologised for his past actions, adding: "It does not correspond my work, it does not correspond me."

Now, his "eco-populist" imaginativeness involves transforming the Green Party into a much visible, mass-membership movement.

He told a hustings successful London successful July that the Greens should harvester "substance with clickbait" alongside "storytelling" arsenic effectual arsenic Nigel Farage's.

Mr Polanski wants to entreaty to those connected the progressive near who consciousness Labour has turned its backmost connected them.

He has besides said that the Greens should not beryllium closing down the imaginable of cooperating with the caller Jeremy Corbyn-Zarah Sultana party.