A poster reading "Vote Green Party" on the back of a chair

Nominations have closed for this year’s local elections in England, and the Green Party of England and Wales is standing 3,322 candidates across the country. That means the party has a candidate in 41% of the seats that are up for election – a record proportion for the Greens. The last time these seats were up for election in 2019, the Greens had candidates in 30% of seats.

In 2023, the Tories have candidates in 93% of seats, Labour in 77% and the Liberal Democrats in 60%.

With over 3,000 candidates confirmed around 6% of the Green Party’s membership will be a candidate in the upcoming elections.

This news comes as the Green Party formally launched its local election campaign today in the Suffolk town of Stowmarket. Stowmarket is situated within the Mid Suffolk Council area, where the Greens are hopeful that they could take control of the Council.

Speaking at the launch, the party’s co-leader Adrian Ramsay said: “Here in Mid Suffolk we are on track to make history and become the largest party on the council – an incredible feat and a credit to the fantastic councillors already working hard for the people that live here, and the candidates who will join them next month. This shift is also a credit to the residents of this county – who have asked for something different and had their request answered.”

His co-leader Carla Denyer said a similar phenomenon was taking place across the country. She said: “In towns and cities and villages all across the country, Greens are gaining the trust and confidence of voters. Why? Because they want something different from the status quo. They want – and we hear this again and again – people that are really listening, not taking their support for granted and going about business as usual.”

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Image credit: Jon Craig – Creative Commons