Caroline Lucas has announced she will stand down at the next general election, after being elected as the very first Green Party MP back in 2010.
Since then, she has stood as the Green Party leader twice, as well as serving as Brighton Pavilion MP.
In a statement, Ms Lucas said that the pressures of her role meant she had not been able to focus on “the challenges that drive me — the nature and climate emergencies”.
Nonetheless, she described it as the “privilege of my life to serve this extraordinary constituency and community”.
Other Green Party members have paid tribute to Ms Lucas, with the party’s co-leader, Carla Denyer, describing her as a “force of nature” and saying that the party was “so proud of her achievements”.
But what position does Ms Lucas’ departure leave the Green Party in?
In 2010 #Brighton Pavilion made history by electing me UK’s 1st Green MP & it’s been the honour of my life. My open letter to residents & friends explains why I’m not standing at next General Election. With love & gratitude, I hope I've done you proud 👇https://t.co/H3QwRffE2x pic.twitter.com/GEavTgkgqJ
— Caroline Lucas (@CarolineLucas) June 8, 2023
How many MPs does the Green Party have?
The Green Party currently has just one representative in the House of Commons (Ms Lucas), as well as two in the House of Lords.
However, there are also more than 700 councillors at local government level and three members of the London Assembly.
The news comes after the party made record-breaking gains in the local council elections in May.
With Ms Lucas stepping down, however, this would leave no other MPs for the party unless another Green Party politician wins a seat.
It’s expected that Labour will now seek to win Ms Lucas’s seat in Brighton and Hove, after local council elections showed strong Labour support in the most recent elections.
Who is the Green Party’s leader?
Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay have served as the party's co-leaders since October 2021.
Ms Lucas herself served her first period as Green leader between 2008 and 2012, while her second came alongside co-leader Jonathan Bartley for two years from September 2016.
