Our Impact
The Green Party has brought about real change at local, national and European level over the past 50 years.
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The Green Party, the first in Europe, soon made its presence felt. After setting up as PEOPLE, it changed its name to the Ecology party to emphasis its environmental platform putting pressure on the other parties to take the issue more seriously and act to shore up the “green” vote. In 1977 the first meeting took place between the Ecology party and newly formed ecology groups of the Conservatives, Labour and Liberal party.
The party played a direct role shaping Margaret Thatcher’s “green” period in the late 1980s. In 1989 Greens came third in the European parliament elections winning over 2 million votes and securing 15 per cent of the ballot. First past the post meant no Green MEPs were elected but the story made front page news and elected Greens in other countries rallied to highlight the profoundly undemocratic nature of the election outcome. In November Thatcher made a dramatic speech to the UN General Assembly calling for an international response to the climate crisis – the first by a major politician.
Greens have won the debate on the need to move away from fossil fuels, something the other parties have only recently conceded. It campaigned since the 1970s for investment in renewable energy technologies to increase energy security and protect the environment. By the 1980s as the evidence from science grew, it focused on the need to curb global warming and climate change. It also called for energy efficiency, for example through warm homes, to be prioritised rather than constantly seeking to ramp up energy supply.
The Green New Deal, which GPEW played a crucial role promoting, has had a big influence on politics at European and national level. It was adopted by European Greens as part of its manifesto for the 2009 elections in which Greens made gains across the continent. In 2019 Labour Party conference voted to adopt it and it has since shaped Keir Starmer’s green growth plan. The GND calls for transformation of the economy by prioritising the health and wellbeing of people and planet and investing in green infrastructure and jobs.
Investment in public transport has been a central policy plank from the 1970s something the other parties have been slow to progress, despite the huge benefits to the environment and life quality. Following the creation of the Greater London Assembly, elected Greens, notably Jenny Jones, helped improve the capital’s transport system, supporting the controversial introduction of congestion charges in the city centre, and pushing for investment in active transport which led to the introduction of the bike hire scheme.
In 2016 Caroline Lucas put Universal basic income (UBI) firmly on the political agenda calling on the Government in parliament to fund research in to a basic income scheme. UBI is now being trialled in several countries including Wales and Finland whilst senior figures in Labour have said its time has come. Tackling inequality has been a core part of party philosophy from the outset. Early manifestos called for everyone to receive a subsistence allowance to cover essential living costs in order to reduce poverty and cut back on the costly and complex benefits system.
The party played a pivotal role in securing the moratorium on fracking – first in 2019 and then again in 2022. Caroline Lucas campaigned tirelessly on the issue as MP for Brighton Pavilion and was arrested in a peaceful protest in 2013, part of wider demonstrations taking place across the country. In 2022 after Liz Truss lifted the ban on fracking, she secured a commitment in the House of Commons from Rishi Sunak that it would be reimposed.
Carla Denyer proposed the first Climate Emergency Declaration in Europe in Bristol City Council in 2018. More than three hundred local authorities have since followed her lead and are in the process of implementing plans to meet net zero which will profoundly change the way of life in local communities.
Despite first past the post, the Green party has established strong electoral bases in places as diverse as Brighton, Norwich, Bristol, Lancaster and Sheffield – growth described by the New Statesman as “remarkable” – whilst support for the party is increasing in Wales. It has 560 councillors, is in power in 19 councils and makes up the official opposition in 15 others. The difference Greens have made at local level is demonstrated by the decision of Lewes District Council, where Greens are part of the ruling coalition, to team up with six neighbouring councils and retrofit 40,000 social homes.
In August 2019 Boris Johnson provoked a national outcry and international headlines when he prorogued parliament to stifle debate on Brexit. Caroline Lucas took legal action, along with the Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru, to challenge what he had done culminating in the stunning Supreme Court ruling that the Prime Minister had acted unlawfully. MPs returned to parliament the following day.