The bill saw 138 to 136 MPs from 6 parties, including almost 60 labour MPs, vote in favour.

However, The Elections (Proportional Representation) Ten Minute Rule Bill is not likely to progress, due to Keir Starmer’s government refusing to give it parliamentary time for further debate. 

Keir Starmer’s continued inaction over our failing voting system has again let the UK electorate, and under 18s, down, u-turning on his previous pledge for electoral reform announced during the 2020 Labour leadership campaign.  

This year’s general election was one of the most unrepresentative in UK history: with only 34% of the vote share, Labour gained a landslide victory. Under this system, political diversity is suppressed. Keir Starmer’s refusal to commit to real electoral reform demonstrates a broken voting system which pressures tactical voting and does not reflect the voice of the public.

According to the Electoral Reform Society, the Green Party, with about 7% of the vote, should have around 40 MPs. Under first-past-the-post , this translates to just 0.6% of MPs. Green votes are being devalued and underrepresented, and this bill has the opportunity to restore the public’s trust in UK democracy. 

For young people, whose future rests on the outcome of general elections and politicians in power, Proportional Representation is required more than ever. 

The Young Greens have been working with Campaign group Make Votes Matter as they launch their new youth wing, Young Make Votes Matter, a cross-party network dedicated to mobilising the next generation of voters.

First-past-the-post leads many young people to feel alienated and despondent with our current political systems. Proportional Representation ensures that every vote has equal value, and every voter is heard.  

Livvy Gibbs, South East Scotland Representative at Young Make Votes Matter, commented on the bill: 

“Young Make Votes Matter believes in building a democracy that truly reflects the diverse voices of our generation.

Achieving PR isn’t just about fairness; it’s about creating a political system where every vote counts, empowering communities, and delivering better outcomes for people and the planet. 

With trust in politics at an all-time low, PR offers a vital opportunity to reimagine our democracy as one that fosters collaboration and equips us to meet the challenges of the future.

This Ten Minute Rule Bill represents a meaningful step toward that vision,and Young Make Votes Matter is proud to champion it.” 

The Green Party are calling for the replacement of the undemocratic first-past-the-post system for parliamentary and council elections with a fair and proportional voting system.

Young Greens Campaigns Officer Amelia Jones said:

“Each vote should have equal weighting. The government should adopt PR to transform the political system so that people can vote with their conscience without fear of ‘wasting’ their vote.”

Wherever young people’s lives may take them, the Young Greens are there to represent and advocate for their needs, views and wants, championing the rights of students and young people aged up to 30 across England and Wales. We’re working hard on getting more Greens elected. Join us, and let’s make it happen.

Join the Young Votes Matter network and be kept up to date with how you can make a difference.

The post Young Greens Support Commons vote supporting move to Proportional Representation appeared first on Young Greens.

Anti-trans hate is being pushed everyday by the media, politicians and throughout society and the Young Greens will always stand against transphobia in all its forms.

Jenny Knight, Co-chair of the Trans Young Greens , said:

“This Trans Day of Remembrance I’d like to call upon ex-Stonewall campaigner Wes Streeting to remember who threw the first brick. I call on him to join us as we celebrate the lives of those we have lost, our siblings who have died whilst waiting for healthcare, those who were taken from us by transphobic violence and the trans people that history tries to forget.

I call on the Labour Party to listen to trans voices, trans kids deserve better than a puberty blocker ban that puts their wellbeing at risk and they deserve better than be turned into a political football so that the health secretary can engage in his favourite past time of courting the far-right on GB news.

I call on the health minister to join us in remembering Marsha P. Johnson, the Stonewall riots, and the values that Streeting himself once stood for as part of Stonewall. If Streeting was to hold true to his ideals he would lift the puberty blocker ban and work to improve the waiting times for gender identity clinics. We as the queer community stand on the shoulders of giants who pioneered the way for our rights and we at the Trans Young Greens hope Mr Streeting will remember who’s shoulders he’s standing on.”

Today, we remember those who have been lost to anti-trans violence and call for an end to the scapegoating of the trans community. If we are going to achieve justice and equality, it is vitally important that we remember those that we have lost.

The post Trans Day of remembrance appeared first on Young Greens.

It has been over 100 days since Keir Starmer became Prime Minister. And so far, a disappointing start to the country’s first term since the end of 14 years under the Conservatives.

At a time when radical and positive change is required more than ever, this budget affords that opportunity to the Labour Party. We need a budget that stands for a greener and fairer future for all:

Increase funding for public services:

Our public services have been enormously underfunded under the Conservatives. The country desperately needs a public, properly funded health and social care system, including an NHS free from the risk of privatisation. This also includes reversing the failed privatisation of energy, water, and transport. 

End tuition fees:

The discourse surrounding the increase in tuition fees to £10,500 a year delivers yet another blow to students. 

After constant years of Conservative cutbacks, students had hoped that things might be different under the new Labour government. This hope has since changed to anger and frustration. To expect students to pay over £10,000 a year for often very limited contact hours with teaching staff shows a distinct lack of consideration for working people and students.

The Green Party is calling on the government to introduce a wealth tax on the ultra-rich. This would ensure that students are not bearing the brunt of the university funding crisis, in addition to raising the wages of higher education workers who have seen their salaries fall compared with inflation for more than a decade.

It should be the government, not students or staff, that funds education. Tuition fees and student debt should be scrapped, replacing student loans with maintenance grants tied to the rate of inflation.

Affordable transport: 

Public transport needs to be affordable for all, especially for young people, who are among its most reliant. The Young Greens strongly oppose the scrapping of the £2 fare cap in England.

This will raise little funds for the government and will instead harm those who simply cannot access, or afford, other means of travel. It is also vitally important that our government makes it easier for people to opt for greener modes of transport as the climate crisis continues to escalate. 

The Green Party supports an increase to annual public subsidies for rail and bus travel to £10bn by the end of the next Parliament, in addition to free bus travel for under-18s.

Young Green Co-Chairs Luanne Thornton and Callum Clafferty commented:

“The budget is Labour’s first major chance to deliver on their promise of change. They have a choice, either to radically transform our system for the benefit of people and the planet or more of the same, destructive, neo-liberal austerity. 

The choice should be an easy one: tax the wealthy and heavy polluters, invest in our public services, and start undoing the damage of 14 years of Conservative government. 

No matter what, the Young Greens will always side with climate, social, racial, and economic justice. If you want real hope and real change, join us today.”

The post Young Greens hopes for the upcoming labour budget appeared first on Young Greens.

We speak to Lance Symonds, a young green, and general election candidate about his experiences standing in North Cornwall.

Tell us a little bit about yourself ?

“My name is Lance Symonds; I’m 20 years old, currently studying for a law degree at Chichester University, and I stood in the constituency of North Cornwall during the general election in July of this year.

I have lived in Cornwall, particularly the town of Bude, aside from my time at university, all of my life. I’ve been involved in a lot of LGBTQ+ activist work in my teenage years, and I have also coordinated and had other committee executive roles in Cornwall Green Party.”

What was your favourite experience of standing in the general election, and what was the most challenging?

“The greatest experience I had, apart from the whole experience itself, which was a complete honour to do and I’m very, very happy I did, was the hustings. Both on BBC radio, which was put on the BBC i player for their Your Voice, Your Vote, and also in person hustings in Launceston. Both of these I enjoyed significantly and only received positive feedback.

In terms of the biggest challenge, I would have to say the anxiety of how unpredictable it all was. We had all sorts of opinion polls and predictions, either nationally or in specific seats, where the results varied so significantly, and the difference in the number of vote share predictions meant that I had no idea what was going to happen; that all just made me really nervous.”

What kind of preparation was necessary for your hustings?

“The two hustings I did were very different experiences. One of them being recorded on TV, there was a lot more preparation in terms of letting us know what was going on more specifically. This hustings was a lot more limited time-wise and also had all six candidates present. However, during the hustings held in person in Launceston, the Conservatives and Labour didn’t attend, which meant the rest of the candidates had more time. They actually took in live audience questions, and it wasn’t recorded, so the majority of the setup was less formal and consisted of giving us mics and figuring out where we were sitting.”

How did you find the process of becoming a general election candidate, and did you feel supported in this experience?

“That’s actually an incredibly long story! I originally joined the Green Party because I wanted a left-wing party that was united in its views. Other parties, it seems, are constantly fighting about what they actually believe in; meanwhile, there’s a sense of identity here. I joined the Green Party as a member in 2020 and later came into contact with someone who worked in the local party, and they mentioned the vacancy in the general election seats. At the time, I was around 16 or 17, which obviously is a big decision to make, but I was already so mentally prepared and really wanted to just take it on right then and there. So the year after, I made it clear that I would run as a candidate.

Eventually, I got selected to be the North Cornwall general election candidate at the age of 18. I want to thank the people in the local party for all their advice and support, such as filling out the forms and paperwork, preparing me for debates and hustings, making sure that my public speaking was on point, and all the mental support that was given.”

Is there anything you would have differently, or would change if you were to stand again?

“I have actually already stated that I will be standing again in the same seat in 2029.

I believe my constituents deserve that from me; they deserve someone to represent them. Cornwall has been a very ignored region of the United Kingdom, and we’ve been side-lined on a lot of issues and had our budgets cut because they’ve decided to make this different national plan for us. We need the proper representation to speak up for us so that we can actually solve the major issues that we have down here as residents. So I want to deliver that, and I really would love to do that again.

As for things I would do differently,  I would definitely work on getting more people involved in terms of door-knocking and canvassing. Being able to give it more effort and resources than I did this year, I would love to do so much more next time.”

Why do the Green Party and its policies need to be represented in your constituency?

I think there’s something local to be said about what linked the Green Party to me and the Cornish people.

It’s very hard to afford housing right now because of the number of second homes and holiday homes that take up the space, meaning we have fewer houses available, which means they become more expensive, and rents have been increasing like crazy. The water sewage is also ridiculous because we pride ourselves on having really clean and beautiful seasoned beaches, only for these water companies to be dumping tons of sewage in them, with five of our six previous Cornish MPs all essentially voting to allow this.”

What do you want to see from our 4 MPs, particularly for young people?

“I think that what they are currently doing is speaking out against the government and holding them accountable, which is exactly what they had promised to do in the run up to the election. It was exactly how we said we were going to make changes in the country for constituents and for the United Kingdom as a whole. I personally would love to see and hope that the voting age is lowered to 16 as well as a voting system change. I’m glad to know that the national service plan isn’t going to be happening because that was….interesting”

I also want to see it become easier to figure out living in general because, once I finish university, trying to figure out where I’m going to live is a scary thought. There’s no way I would be able to get a mortgage, so I would have to rent. And if there’s not enough rent controls on landlords, I’m going to be in serious trouble affording a lot of things.”

What would you say to young people thinking about standing in the next general or local election, or looking to get involved in green politics more generally?

“I think that a large part of it is getting those who are very passionate to stand in those areas. There’s also a lot of refinement in your technique and what your role is during the campaigning process. Working on and practicing this is vital. When I had decided to stand, I knew for a fact that I had to work on making sure I remained composed in debates and stayed on target to get my actual point across while still being able to deliver a form of charisma when talking to constituents about what they needed to hear.

So an important part is making sure that you’re always practising. You’re always training towards making sure you can give the best you can to your constituents.

A lot of us that are standing, it’s not always just because of the view that ‘politics is fun’ and we’re really interested in it. I’m sure for a lot of us that’s true, it’s true for me, but some of us are doing this because we feel like we have to and that we’re running out of time. So we’ve got to make sure that we are giving it the best effort we can.”

If you have any further questions for Lance, you can find him on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085350531941

Wherever young people’s lives may take them, the Young Greens are there to represent and advocate for their needs, views and wants, championing the rights of students and young people aged up to 30 across England and Wales. We’re working hard on getting more Greens elected. If you haven’t already, join us, and let’s make it happen.

The post “It’s a big decision to make but I wanted to take it on right then and there”: An interview with general election candidate Lance Symonds.  appeared first on Young Greens.

We condemn the violence from the far-right seen across the country. This has been targeted towards immigrants, people of colour and Muslims as these rioters seek to divide our communities and spread fear and hatred. We condemn the racist, Islamophobic and xenophobic riots and the damage they have caused, and stand with all those who have been targeted, and the communities around them.

This violence is the result of continuous scapegoating by the media and politicians of these communities, who construct a false narrative of ‘illegal immigrants’. This racist rhetoric must end. Politicians must stop scapegoating immigration for the failures of their policies. 

The Young Greens believe that immigration is a good thing, and that no one is illegal. We will make our case for it proudly. We welcome diversity in our communities and celebrate those who have chosen to make England and Wales their home.

If you are able to do, so we call on all Young Greens to do the following:

• Get involved with your local anti-facist and anti-raids campaigns.
• Call out Islamophobia and hate online and in our communities.
• Reach out to, and actively work with, your local faith communities, mosques, churches, gurdwaras, and synagogues.
• Donate to local community funds.
• Contact your local politicians, your MPs and local Councillors, and push them to take a stand against racism in our society.

Resources:

• Tell MAMA Counselling support to victims of anti-Muslim hate or Islamophobia
• Liberty Bust Cards
• Solidarity Knows No Borders Organising Handbook

The post Statement on Far Right Rioting appeared first on Young Greens.

Hear from one of our wonderful 30 under 30 participants, Kushal, about his experience of the programme and how it has supported him on his political journey.

My allegiance to the Green Party stems from my disillusionment with the Labour Party, which began quickly after the inception of Keir Starmer at the helm. For me, the straw that broke the camel’s back was Keir Starmer’s Labour going back on the party’s long held commitment to abolishing tuition fees. I feel that this policy is integral for a party that commits itself to representing people equitably.

The Green Party’s commitment to free higher education is just one reason that drew me in. Ultimately, Labour’s recent aim to entice would-be Conservative voters has seen them drift too far away from the social justice principles that led me to becoming a Labour member as a hopeful sixth former in 2015. Given the recent flight of many on the left in Labour, most notably political commentator Owen Jones, I know I am not alone in thinking this. With social justice values aiming to create a fairer and more equal society through policies such as reducing energy bills by insulating homes, decarbonizing the energy systems, Universal Basic Income, Free Education at all levels, workplace democracy, strengthening the role of Trade Unions and Racial and Gender Equality, I believe that the Green Party is best able to actualize social justice.

These are policies that ought to be actioned and so since leaving the Labour Party last May and joining the Greens back in August, I have been eager to secede from the comfort of the pub stool (although still maintaining positive diplomatic relations with it) and become more actively involved in pushing for a society that is more socially justice. The 30 under 30 program has offered me a fantastic avenue to take initial steps towards fulfilling this aim.

The 30 under 30 program equips young greens with the necessary political tools to effectively engage in political activism. The benefit of learning these tools is that young greens can become politically active in a plethora of ways. Through our sessions on community-based action and public speaking I have assumed stronger electorate-facing skills, but I feel equally more capable of adopting a more administrative role through our sessions on policy enactment and debating.
The sessions were engaging and insightful, a quality I attribute to the fantastic planning by the coordinators who incorporated a variety of teaching techniques into their sessions. For instance, in the policy enactment and debating sessions we were lectured on how debates are conducted and how motions are democratically decided upon by the Green Party before being given an opportunity to role play the process.

Given the nature of the program, it is fair to assume that all 30 under 30 attendees are extremely knowledgeable about politics. Nonetheless, some of us (including myself) were certainly less knowledgeable about the inner workings of party politics i.e., how political decisions like determining policies that the green party should enact are conducted. The role play enabled me to participate in this process and receive constructive feedback on my contributions to the debate. Consequently, I feel both confident and motivated to participate in actual decision-making processes in the future!

Following a thorough and engaging session presented by Councilor Jack Lennox on how to win local elections by incorporating the Green Party’s Target to Win strategy (learn more about this by here), the coordinators held an interactive session based on increasing community-engagement and strengthening support for the Green Party. Here, we were put into groups and given realistic scenarios that Green Party candidates may face during local elections. This was a conducive method for us to use the content we learnt during Lennox’s presentation to strategise for real-life scenarios. I found this session helpful because I usually read about local election results during my downtime (for example, whilst waiting for or being on an inevitably delayed Southwestern railway service – sorry, couldn’t help myself!) However, now I was being asked how I would engage a community that was predominantly composed of a Conservative demographic! Being able to pose strategies and listening to my comrades’ ideas (some of whom drew on their previous experiences of campaigning) has certainly led me to feel more capable of playing a prudent and effective role when being involved in electoral campaigning.

The session on public speaking conducted by Deputy Leader Zack Polanski was fun and useful. Zack (no doubt drawing on his background in Drama) got us into pairs with people we were less familiar with to make silly noises that cultivated a jovial and crucially comfortable environment. Zack imparted useful tips to improve our public speaking abilities. Personally, I found his tip of not filling gaps in our speech with sounds like “umm” or “err” and instead just pausing for thought very helpful as it highlighted a challenge I (as most people do) have when public speaking. For anxious beings like myself, replacing conversational fillers with pauses for thought can alter our perception of time (in my experience one second becomes one hour). Nonetheless, now that I have identified this, I am aiming to improve. Although admittedly for me, this is easier said than done!

Meeting a senior member of the Green Party like Zack also gave us a chance to get more of an understanding of Green Party initiatives and opportunities for us to get involved with the Green Party. For instance, he informed me of the role I could play within my London constituency by working with councillor Natalie Bienfait to proliferate support for the Green Party in Tower Hamlets. Since meeting with Zack, I have taken his advice on board by becoming more of an active participant for the Tower Hamlets Green Party. In early April I made my leafleting debut for the Green Party in the Bow and Bethnal Green area. Everyone was very accommodating, and I found this to be an ideal combination of socialising with like-minded people whilst exercising my political consciousness.
Incidentally, we also had lunch with Zack! As we approach election season, I intend to become increasingly politically active for the Green Party – an activity that has certainly been encouraged by my experience of liaising with more experienced and active Greens during the 30 under 30 program.

Young councillors were also provided with a platform to share their experiences and answer questions from us. I found this session invaluable as it demonstrated to me that if young like-minded people are playing a leading role in initiating change in their local areas, there are similar
opportunities for me to actualize my political consciousness. Certainly, this session ignited a spark in me to try and initiate positive changes in my local area.

Another aspect of the program that I found uplifting was the diversity and inclusion of the program. This program seeks to represent young people from all classes, gender and ethnic backgrounds and my experience of the program certainly reflected this. The Green Party is often cast as a magnet for
middle-class idealogues (like me), but I saw a broader section of society being represented in the program. That is not to say that the Green Party has completely fulfilled the goal of engaging people from a wide range of minority groups. Far from it, more needs to be done to dispel myths that perhaps alienate people from the Green Party whilst demonstrating to a broader section of society that their aspirations for social justice are best represented by the Green Party.

As I become increasingly active in the Green Party, I have identified widening support for the Green Party as a key personal objective that I would like to contribute towards. Undoubtedly, especially through the community engagement and public speaking sessions, the 30 under 30 program has facilitated the development of my skillset to help me to realise this ambition. My leafleting debut has already allowed me to put these skills into practice. In the midst of the Spring electoral season and the General Election, I was able exercise these skills more frequently.

The Young Greens 30 Under 30 programme has a proven track record of training leaders and activists including MP and current party Co-Leader Carla Denyer, along with several members of the current Young Greens Executive Committee. It will be worth watching to see what amazing things 2024’s cohort go on to achieve.

To get involved with the Young Greens on your campus or meet other Young Greens in your local area, visit our Groups page to find out more.

The post “The 30 under 30 program equips young greens with the necessary political tools to effectively engage in political activism” appeared first on Young Greens.

The Green Party has achieved a landmark general election result, with 4 MPs elected to Parliament: Carla Denyer in Bristol Central, Siân Berry in Brighton Pavilion, Adrian Ramsey in Waveney Valley, and Ellie Chowns in North Herefordshire. 

The Greens have seen an overall vote share of 7%, over double the amount of votes received in 2019, and have placed second in 39 seats in England and Wales. Across the nation, we have chosen an end to 14 destructive years under a Conservative government. We have chosen real hope, real change, and strong independent voices in parliament who will stand up for the people of Britain and hold the new Labour government to account. 

Our Young Green candidates saw a particularly fantastic night of election results, with over 37 achieving more than 5% of the vote in their constituencies. Some of the highest Young Green vote shares include:

Ria Patel, Croydon West, with 10% of the vote.

Tor Pingree, Worcester, with 10% of the vote.

Nathalie Bienfait, Poplar and Limehouse, with 13% of the vote.

Joseph Hudson-Small, Stratford and Bow, with 17% of the vote.

David Craig, Tottenham, with 19% of the vote.

Callum Fowler, Lewisham West and East Dulwich, with 19% of the vote.

Lance Symonds, the Young Green candidate for North Cornwall, commented:

“The reason a lot of us young people are running right now is because we’ve been seeing everything go wrong in the last few years, and we are simply running out of time to do something about it.”.

Young Green win in Lancaster by-election!

We celebrate further election success after Maria Deery was elected city councillor for Lancaster University Ward, with 45% of the vote. Maria has been a strong and vital member of Lancaster Palestine Solidarity Encampment, calling for the university to cut ties with the arms trade, especially those linked with the IDF and their actions in Gaza. 

She will join Young Green councillor Tom Fish, who was elected to the same ward in 2023. Within two years, University Ward has gained two Young Green councillors in previously held Labour seats. This is a testament to the hard work of Young Greens in Lancaster and beyond.  

We would like to say a massive thank you to everyone involved in this general election; standing as candidates, attending action days, helping to create such an inspiring and positive campaign, and, of course, to every young person who voted Green on the 4th of July.

We’re working hard on getting more Greens elected. If you haven’t already, join us, and let’s make it happen. 

The post The Young Greens celebrate historic general election results appeared first on Young Greens.

With Pride month coming to an end, the Young Greens want to wish everyone a happy Pride. We continue to stand in solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ community and are committed to campaigning for the rights of all LGBTQ+ young people.

The Green Party strives for a fairer society where the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ members are recognised, not dismissed or used as a political football. Discrimination is still prevalent in the daily lives of many young people, such as the limited access to safe housing, education, employment, and healthcare. Furthermore, the anti trans rhetoric visible in political and media discourse is both harmful and exclusionary and seeks to erase the existence of trans and non-binary people. 

Pride, in its truest form, is the celebration and liberation of the LGBTIQA+ community. This demands real intersectional action, not empty words disguised as corporate pinkwashing. 

Green Party policy signifies this real action, including:

• Comprehensive, age-appropriate sex education in schools.
• Updating the Gender Recognition Act to allow trans and non-binary people to get legal recognition through self determination.
• Formally recognising non-binary and intersex people on legal documents. 
• Banning conversion therapy.

Mor Stinchcombe, Young Greens LGBTQIA+ Officer, commented:

“This election, and the toxic discourse from the two big parties, have put a damper on Pride month, but still we march.”

To get involved with the Young Greens on your campus or meet other Young Greens in your local area, visit our Groups page to find out more.

The post The Young Greens mark Pride Month appeared first on Young Greens.

The Young Greens welcome the announcement of the General Election and the opportunity to remove the Conservatives after 14 destructive years in power.

The Green Party is confident in winning more seats in parliament, and we are delighted that over 40 of these Green parliamentary candidates are Young Greens.

We are excited to get to work supporting and campaigning for all our Young Green candidates, who will push for radical and lasting change and represent the voice of youth across the country.

Young Greens Co-Chair Luanne Thornton said:

“It is great to see so many Young Greens standing for election across the country, ensuring that youth interest, diverse perspectives, and innovative environmental policies are at the forefront of political debates, ensuring that we have fresh political ideas and a green future.”

Wherever young people’s lives may take them, the Young Greens are there to represent and advocate for their needs, views and wants, championing the rights of students and young people aged up to 30 across England and Wales.

To get involved with the Young Greens on your campus or meet other Young Greens in your local area, visit our Groups page to find out more.

The post Young Greens react to General Election announcement appeared first on Young Greens.

The Young Greens are celebrating a successful set of results in May’s local elections. The Green Party now has 42 young councillors across England and Wales, with 4 new councillors elected and 8 successfully defending their seats. 

Young Green’s saw successful results across multiple council and mayoral elections, including 26-year-old Frank Adlington-Stringer, who, with over 50,000 votes, came third in the East Midlands mayoral elections, securing 11.3% of the vote share. Furthermore, Jack Vickers, the Young Green candidate for Pennsylvania ward on Exeter City Council, came second, consolidating The Greens position as the second biggest party in Exeter. 

Bristol saw a huge victory, including a gain of 10 extra seats and 5 Young Greens elected. These gains ensure that the Green Party remains the biggest party on Bristol City Council, with 34 councillors.

 Young Green election officers Kelsey Trevett and Dan Kittmer commented: 

“We’re absolutely delighted that, yet again, so many incredible Young Greens have been elected to councils across England. Of all the Green councillors elected on Thursday, 1 in every 15 was a Young Green—a massively higher proportion of young people elected than any other party. Our Young Green Councillors will be fantastic representatives for their communities, standing up for renters, advocating for real affordable and social housing, and fighting for joined-up public transport. Young Green Councillors have already secured free period products in public buildings in Oxford, committed Norwich City Council to supporting Trans and Nonbinary people, and organised in solidarity with the Palestinian community in Lancaster. We’ll all be looking forward to seeing what our newly-elected Young Greens go on to do in office.”

Results

The new Young Green councillors elected are:

Kemal Cufoglu, Colchester Borough Council

Toby Bolton, Norwich City Council

Ashleigh Davies, Cheltenham Borough Council

Izzy Russell, Bristol City Council

Cam Hayward, Bristol City Council

Abi Finch, Bristol City Council

Grace Couch, Maidstone Borough Council

Alex Powell, Oxford City Council 

The Young Green councillors who held their seats are:

 Lauren McLay, Plymouth City Council

Patrick McAllister, Bristol City Council

James Crawford, Bristol City Council

Tor Pingree, Worcester City Council

Thank you to every voter and campaigner who helped get young Greens elected. Our councillors will work tirelessly for a fairer, greener community in England and Wales.

You can find all your Young Green Councillors here!

Wherever young people’s lives may take them, the Young Greens are there to represent and advocate for their needs, views and wants, championing the rights of students and young people aged up to 30 across England and Wales.

To get involved with the Young Greens on your campus or meet other Young Greens in your local area, visit our Groups page to find out more.

The post The Young Greens celebrate local election success with 12 young green councillors elected  appeared first on Young Greens.