Green MPs would push Labour government to be ‘braver and bolder’, says co-leader

Green MPs would push a potential Labour government to be “braver and bolder” if elected, the party’s co-leader has said on the final day before General Election polls open.

Carla Denyer, speaking while canvassing in the Bristol Central constituency she is targeting, said the Green Party hoped to return four MPs after voting on Thursday.

She told the PA news agency that the “Tories are toast”, with more than 100 polls predicting that the Labour Party will win a large majority, with leader Sir Keir Starmer tipped to become prime minister by the end of this week.

The Green Party has candidates standing in 574 constituencies across England and Wales – the most it has stood in a general election campaign – but is focusing on four seats it believes the party can win.

These are Bristol Central which Ms Denyer is contesting, and Brighton Pavilion where Sian Berry hopes to replace her party colleague Caroline Lucas, who has represented the coastal constituency since 2010.

Co-leader Adrian Ramsay is contesting Waveney Valley, another seat on the target list which straddles the Norfolk and Suffolk boundary, with Ellie Chowns is contesting North Herefordshire.

Ms Denyer told PA: “In this election, we are standing more parliamentary candidates than we’ve ever stood in a general election, 574 across England and Wales – that’s more than the Conservative Party.

“But this election, we are relentlessly focusing on the four constituencies where we have the greatest chance of winning, that’s Brighton Pavilion, Bristol Central, Waveney Valley and North Herefordshire.

“Everyone will have the opportunity to vote Green and I am hopeful that we’re going to get some good second-place results in a number of constituencies.”

She added: “The Conservatives are clearly on their way out of government. More than 100 polls have predicted Labour winning a large majority, so the Tories are toast.

“The voters’ choice here in Bristol Central and in hundreds of constituencies across the country is do you want a Labour government with a huge majority, writing them a blank cheque to continue U-turning on policies as they’ve been doing before they’ve got into power, and with their only serious opposition coming from the right of politics?

“Or do you want a Labour government with a handful of Green MPs there to hold them to account and push them to be a bit braver and bolder?

“That’s the choice that voters have, and that exciting opportunity to vote for real hope and real change is what so many people are saying to me on the doorstep is what’s motivating them to vote Green this time.”

Ms Denyer described the situation in the Bristol Central constituency, currently held by Labour’s shadow culture secretary Thangam Debbonaire, as “looking like it’s going to be really close”.

Other candidates contesting the seat are Reform UK’s Robert Clarke, the Liberal Democrats’ Nicholas Coombes, Kellie-Jay Keen from the Party of Women, and the Conservatives’ Samuel Williams.

Ms Denyer said: “It’s really clear in lots of places across the country but especially here in Bristol that voters already know they really like Green Party policies and are inspired by what we’ve got to offer.

“If they had any hesitation, it was that they thought that perhaps the Greens couldn’t get in but now they’re seeing that’s not the case. There’s Green Party boards going up all over the constituency.

“We’ve had polling showing that it’s really close between the Greens and Labour here, and in all our target constituencies.

“We’ve got polls showing that the Greens can win but there are still people who are undecided. So the only poll that matters is the one on election day.”

The Green Party had a recent electoral success at Bristol’s 2024 local election, where the party secured 34 out of 70 seats up for grabs – up from 24 before May’s poll.

Mr Ramsay faces competition from Reform UK’s Scott Huggins, Labour’s Gurpreet Padda, the Conservatives’ Richard Rout, Maya Severyn of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), and the Liberal Democrats’ John Shreeve.

But the party suffered losses in Brighton and Hove in 2023 securing some seven city council seats, having previously led the authority as a minority administration.

Ms Berry faces challengers Steve Al, an independent, the SDP’s Carl Buckfield, Gomez bandmate and Labour candidate Tom Gray, Reform UK’s Mark Mulvihill, the Liberal Democrats’ Ashley Ridley, Citizen Skwith of the Monster Raving Loony Party and the Conservatives’ Sarah Webster.

Ms Chowns is up against Conservative Sir Bill Wiggin, Jon Browning for Labour, Andy Dye of Reform UK, Cat Hornsley of the Liberal Democrats and Michael Guest of the Social Democratic Party.