Ellie Chowns and Adrian Ramsay

Ellie Chowns and Adrian Ramsay have announced they will be standing to be the next co-leaders of the Green Party of England and Wales. They will be standing in the leadership election set to take place this summer.

Ramsay is one of the two current co-leaders of the Green Party alongside Carla Denyer. Denyer announced last week that she wouldn’t be seeking re-election to the post.

Both Chowns and Ramsay were elected as MPs at the 2024 general election, representing Waveney Valley and North Herefordshire respectively. Both of these constituencies are highly rural and were gained from the Tories.

The pair are the second to enter the race, following the party’s current deputy leader Zack Polanski announcing his candidacy last week.

In their announcement, Chowns and Ramsay have made a clear dividing line between themselves and Polanski that they are both elected to the House of Commons.

Speaking on their announcement, Chowns said: “With the two-party system breaking down and voters disillusioned with the old, tired Westminster parties, the Green Party is on the cusp of a major political breakthrough.

“Adrian and I are ready to lead our party into its most ambitious chapter yet. We need leaders who are at the heart of national politics in Westminster. We’re confident that we can win power right across the country and use it to reshape the political landscape.”

Ramsay added: “This is the most exciting political opportunity in a generation. We’ve shown we can win seats seen as unwinnable – and now we need to turn those victories into real power. That means electing many more MPs, speaking to and for millions, and putting Green ideas at the heart of the next government.

“It’s time to build on our proven and bold Green leadership. The climate is breaking down, inequality is deepening, and the far right is gaining ground. The Greens must be ready to lead – not just to speak up, but to act – and potentially to hold the balance of power.”

Both Ramsay and Chowns have a longstanding history in the party. Ramsay was elected as the party’s first ever deputy leader in 2008, serving for four years during Caroline Lucas’ time at the helm. He also spent eight years as a councillor in Norwich from 2003-2011. Outside of his Green Party work, Adrian spent five years as the CEO of the Centre for Alternative Technology.

Chowns, meanwhile, was briefly an MEP, representing the West Midlands region following the 2019 European elections. She too had a stint as a councillor, first being elected to Herefordshire County Council 2017. In that role, she played a part in a joint Green-independent administration which, among other things, delivered free bus travel across the county on weekends. Outside of politics, Chowns was previously a lecturer in International Development at the University of Birmingham.

Under the party’s rulebook, candidates are able to stand for the leadership either on their own or as part of a co-leadership ticket. If co-leaders are elected, a single deputy leader is elected. If a single leader is elected, two deputy leaders are elected.

With Chowns and Ramsay’s announcement, there are now two very high profile leadership tickets in the running. It is hard to see at this stage how a third candidate could emerge with sufficient name recognition and clout that would have a shot at winning.

Nominations for the Green Party’s leadership election formally open on June 2, with party members voting for their new leadership team throughout August. The results will be announced on September 2.