Including joint candidates, there are six candidates standing to be the next Leader of the Green Party.
Natalie Bennett has announced she is not standing for re-election after two two-year terms at the helm.
Running alongside the election for the new leader are the party’s Deputy Leadership elections and elections for half of the Party's national executive committee (GPEx) including for its chair.
The new Leadership team will be unveiled at the Green Party’s Autumn conference in Birmingham in early September.
The verified candidates standing for (co-)Leader are:
Jonathan Bartley and Caroline Lucas (job share)
Clive Lord
David Malone
Martie Warin
David Williams
Existing Deputy Leaders Shahrar Ali and Amelia Womack both re-stand and are joined by five other verified candidates:
Shahrar Ali
Kat Boettge
Alan Borgars
Andrew Cooper
Störm Poorun
Daniella Radice
Amelia Womack
With nominations now announced, the hotly-anticipated campaign period now kicks-off. Hustings will be held throughout the period. Campaigning draws to close on 24 July, with balloting beginning on 25 July and closing on 25 August.
All paid-up members of the Green Party are eligible to vote in the elections. The Green Party has experienced a membership surge in the past ten days, having added over 2,500 new members.
A Green Party spokesperson commented:
“The Green Party’s membership and supporters are the lifeblood of the Party. Members are at the heart of all of the Party’s decision-making, from Conference and beyond, and these are their elections, elections in which they will decide who comprises the Leadership team for the next two years.”
Speaking on her decision not to re-stand, Natalie said:
“It's been a privilege and an honour to have the title ‘leader of the Green Party’, but every member of the Green Party is a leader, helping to lead the way towards a society in which we live within our environmental limits while ensuring no one fears hunger or want.”
The party has elections every two years for Leader and Deputy Leader roles. This will be the fifth election since the party decided to switch from having principal speakers to having a leader and two deputy leaders, or co-leaders and one deputy leader.