Political reporter
Jeff Overs/BBCCarla Denyer has announced she will not stand again as co-leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, saying she wants to focus on her role as an MP.
The MP for Bristol Central was one of four Greens elected in last year’s general election – the party’s best ever result.
She was elected by party members as co-leader alongside Adrian Ramsay in 2021.
On Monday current deputy leader Zack Polanski launched his leadership campaign, saying the party was sometimes “too polite” and needed to be “bolder”.
The Green Party of England and Wales normally elects co-leaders every two years but Ramsay and Denyer were initially elected for a three-year term, with members then voting not to choose new leaders in 2024 because of the general election.
Nominations for the next contest open on 2 June, with party members voting throughout August before the results are announced on 2 September.
Under party rules, there can be one leader but if two co-leaders are elected they must be of different genders.
Denyer said it had been “an enormous privilege” to serve as co-leader.
“We’ve achieved so much, taking the party from one MP to four, from 450 councillors to over 850, and winning nearly two million votes at the last general election. But this is just the start for me and the party,” she said in a statement.
“I’ve decided that for the next few years, the best way I can serve the party and the country is to pour all of my skills, passion and energy into being the best MP I can be, in Parliament and in Bristol Central.”
She said British politics was at “a critical juncture” with voters looking for “real alternatives”.
“In this new five-party political system it’s all to play for,” she added.
Denyer was elected to Parliament for the first time last year, alongside Ramsay in Waveney Valley, Sian Berry in Brighton Pavilion and Ellie Chowns In North Herefordshire.
In a statement, Ramsay thanked Denyer for her “inspirational leadership”.
“Carla has done so much to prove we can take our values to the wider audience needed to win – and to give us the credible, Parliament-based leadership we need to win even bigger,” he said.
Despite the Greens’ electoral success, there have been some internal divisions behind the scenes over issues including the party’s stance on gender and trans rights.
The Greens have also faced challenges balancing their coalition of voters, which now encompasses cities like Bristol as well as more rural areas like Ramsay’s seat.
Ramsay has been vocal in his opposition to new pylons in his constituency, which some have seen as in conflict with the party’s support for renewable energy.
Polanski praised Denyer as “a brilliant leader”, who “cut through in 2024”.
Launching his own leadership campaign on Monday, Polanski said the party needed to build a “mass movement” to counter Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party.
He told the BBC his party’s results in last week’s local elections had been “solid” but “incremental change can’t be the Green Party’s future”.
“It’s important we’re being really intentional about our challenge to power and excess wealth,” he said.
“We need to provide a real alternative to the two-party system and a real alternative to Reform.”
It comes after the Green Party increased its number of councillors for the eighth year in a row in last week’s local elections in parts of England.
The party had hoped to also build on its success in south-west England, where the Greens are the biggest party on Bristol City Council and Denyer is an MP.
However, it missed out in the West of England mayoral race, coming third behind Labour and Reform UK.
