Sian Berry will be the Green candidate for Brighton Pavilion at the next general election.
The former co-leader of the Green Party and member of the London Assembly was selected by local party members to contest the constituency in the hopes of becoming the city’s next Green MP.
Caroline Lucas, who has represented Brighton Pavilion for the Green Party since 2010, announced she will stand down at the next election, expected to take place sometime next year.
Ms Berry attracted 71 per cent of support from local party members and also received the support of Ms Lucas, who described her as “passionate, principled and a good listener, with a proven track record of ground-breaking campaigning and public service”.
Lewes councillor Emily O’Brien placed second in the contest to replace Caroline Lucas as the Green Party candidate in Brighton Pavilion, with Daniel Rue - the only local resident in the race, placing third.
Who is Sian Berry?
Serving as co-leader between 2018 and 2021, Sian Berry currently serves as a councillor in Camden and is the leader of the Green group on the London Assembly.
Ms Berry ran to be London Mayor three times, most recently in 2021 where she placed third with 7.8 per cent of the vote.
Her first attempt to enter Parliament was in 2005, when she contested the Hampstead and Highgate constituency. She placed fourth, behind Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats, with 5.3 per cent of the vote.
Before joining the London Assembly, Sian was the founder of the campaign group Alliance Against Urban 4x4s and worked as a roads and sustainability transport campaigner for the charity Campaign for Better Transport for five years.
During her time as co-leader, Ms Berry took part in two of the national television debates for the 2019 general election, facing off against then-Chancellor Rishi Sunak, former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, former SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon and former Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage.
She resigned as co-leader in 2021, citing internal party conflict over transgender rights.
Brighton Pavilion is expected to be a hotly contested constituency at the next election, with Labour expected to fight hard to win the seat following the party’s success at the local elections in May.
The party has yet to begin its internal selection process to choose a candidate.
At the last general election, Caroline Lucas extended her majority for the Green Party for a third time, winning 57.2 per cent of the vote and securing an almost 20,000 vote majority.
Labour’s Adam Imanpour placed a distant second with 22.8 per cent, with Conservative candidate Emma Hogan receiving 17.5 per cent.
Caroline Lucas announced she would stand down as an MP at the next general election to allow her to focus more on the “existential challenges” of the nature and climate emergencies.
In a letter to constituents last month, Ms Lucas said: “I love this city and its people, and I know how incredibly blessed I’ve been to have been given the opportunity to represent you, and to work alongside you.
“My heart will always be in this special city, and with the inspiring communities and individuals I’ve been privileged to get to know.
“On election night 2010, I pledged that I would do my very best to do you proud.
“I can only hope that - whether you voted for me or not - you will judge that that is what I have done.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel