Green Party
Green Party of England and Wales; won control of Hackney and Lewisham in May 2026.
The Green Party surged 14 points into second place in Norfolk's Old Catton by-election on 16 July 2026 and gained Fletton and Woodston from Labour the same day, its fastest polling movement of the parliament.
Last refreshed: 24 July 2026 · Appears in 3 active topics
Can the Greens turn Hackney and Lewisham mayoralties into a durable third force?
Timeline for Green Party
Mentioned in: Clacton draws a record 34 candidates
UK Local Elections 2026Gained Fletton and Woodston from Labour
UK Local Elections 2026: Labour crumbles in two more wardsSurged 14 points into second place
UK Local Elections 2026: Reform loses Old Catton to the ToriesReform plateau breaks after five weeks
UK Local Elections 2026Mentioned in: Clacton by-election set for 13 August
UK Local Elections 2026Background
The Green Party of England and Wales was founded in 1973 as the Ecology Party and renamed in 1990, returning its strongest Westminster result at the 2024 general election with four seats. Under leader Zack Polanski, in post since September 2025, membership tripled to 220,000. A YouGov poll in early April 2026 placed the party level with Labour at 16% Westminster voting intention, the first time in modern polling history the two have drawn level . On 7 May 2026 the Greens won outright control of Hackney and Waltham Forest and took the mayoralties of both Hackney and Lewisham, the first Green elected mayors of any London borough .
The Wales Green Party provided the two confidence-and-supply votes that made Rhun ap Iorwerth First Minister of Wales on 12 May 2026, ending 27 years of Labour devolved government . YouGov's 12-13 July fieldwork broke a five-week Reform plateau and put the Greens at 15%, up two points and their fastest movement of the Parliament, with Reform on 24% and the Conservatives and Labour tied at 19% . On 16 July the party surged 14 points into second place in the Old Catton by-election and separately gained Fletton and Woodston on Peterborough City Council from Labour .
The Green Party also co-anchors the cross-party Westminster Coalition opposing UK involvement in the 2026 Iran operations, alongside Your Party and Labour backbenchers, its MPs forming the most consistent anti-war parliamentary bloc.