Everyone in the running to be the Green Party’s candidate for London Mayor in 2024

The full list of Green Party members in the running to be the party’s 2024 London Mayoral candidate has been announced, with three people in the running.

Hackney Councillor Zoë Garbett and Islington Councillor Benali Hamdache had already confirmed their candidacy. Lambeth Councillor and former MEP Scott Ainslie is the third candidate to enter the race.

Whoever eventually wins the contest will be thrust into the spotlight, becoming one of the most high profile Greens in England.

Speaking to Bright Green on his decision to stand, Ainslie said, “I am a Lambeth councillor, won three successful elections, securing 22% of the vote across the borough in 2022. We’ve been setting the agenda. I was London’s Green MEP and used that platform to shine a spotlight on corruption and vested interests of politicians compromised by fossil fuel industries. I’m a strong campaigner, who works well with people and grassroots organisations to get results.”

Ainslie has said that if he were the mayoral candidate, he would prioritise retrofitting London’s homes, delivering free school meals for all primary school children, and ensuring London’s pension funds are divested from fossil fuels.

Hamdache, meanwhile, announced his candidacy exclusively with Bright Green in December. At the time, he said, “We have to be honest about where we are as a party. Too often voters put us in a box. Too white. Too middle class. Too outlandish. I’m standing to reach out to new voters. With a bold and unapologetic Green agenda. That’s the recipe for electing four or five London Assembly Members. I’m confident I’m the best placed candidate to make that happen.”

He has said that he wants to introduce a tourist tax and a workplace parking levy in London. Alongside this, he wants to see the London Assembly replaced with a devolved parliament with powers akin to those of European cities such as Paris and Berlin.

Launching her campaign in November, Garbett said, “I have already delivered one of the best Mayor results for the Green Party and I’m ready to do the same for the whole city. I’m really proud of the campaign I led in Hackney this year where we nearly doubled our vote share, I engaged with the media and tackled difficult issues in public hustings.” She added, “I know what we need to do to inspire people to vote Green, I know how to win elections, and I know how to take that success into every corner of London.”

In 2021, the Greens received their highest ever vote share in a London Mayoral election, with the party’s then co-leader Siân Berry receiving 7.8 per cent of the first preference vote. Bettering that will be a challenge for the Greens’ next candidate given that the 2024 election will be the first time the post is elected through first past the post rather than through the supplementary vote system.

Bright Green has interviewed each of the people seeking to be the Greens’ candidate for London Mayor. These interviews can be found here.

Alongside the race to be the party’s next Mayoral candidate, London Green Party members will also be voting to select their candidates for the London-wide list for the London Assembly election. In total, 11 members are elected through a proportional system from the London-wide list. A further 14 Assembly members are elected through first past the post in individual constituencies.

In a crowded field, 24 people have put themselves forward to be on the Greens’ list.

All three of those in the running to be the Mayoral candidate – Benali Hamdache, Zoë Garbett and Scott Ainslie are also standing for the list. The three incumbent London Assembly members Caroline Russell, Zack Polanski and Siân Berry are restanding.

Other high profile candidates in the running include Croydon Councillor and the Greens’ equalities spokesperson Ria Patel, Newham Councillors Danny Keeling and Nate Higgins, two-time deputy leader candidate Nick Humberstone, former deputy leader Shahrar Ali, former Lamberth Councillor Pete Elliot and the party’s current equality and diversity coordinator Dzaier Neil.

Since the London Assembly was established in 2000, the Greens have held between two and three seats on the body – all of them elected from the list.

The full list of candidates in the running to be on the Greens list for the 2024 elections are: