Siân Berry to be Green candidate for Caroline Lucas’s Brighton seat | Green party

The Green party has selected Siân Berry as its candidate to stand in Brighton Pavilion to replace Caroline Lucas MP.

Berry, Emily O’Brien and Dan Rue were vying to be the Green’s candidate in the Sussex constituency which Lucas, the former leader of the party, has represented in parliament since 2010.

Her selection was announced in Brighton on Wednesday evening after she won 71% of first preference votes.

Berry, who was co-leader of the party alongside Jonathan Bartley between 2018 and 2021, said following in Lucas’s footsteps was an “enormous responsibility”.

She said: “Brighton Pavilion needs a Green MP in parliament representing all the people across this wonderful constituency, and I can promise every voter in Brighton Pavilion that I will work every moment between now and the general election to win their trust and support.”

Berry has been the Green party of England and Wales’s candidate for mayor of London three times. She has been a member of the London assembly since 2016 and has been a councillor for the Highgate ward in Camden since 2014.

Voting took place in the Brighton contest from 3 July to 19 July.

Lucas said: “It has been the honour of my life to represent the people of Brighton Pavilion in parliament for the past 13 years, and to see my majority increase at each of the past four elections.

“I am delighted that Siân has been elected by party members.

“There couldn’t be a more passionate and committed person to pick up the baton and continue this city’s tradition of doing politics differently, and standing up for what matters.

“I am certain that Siân will be a powerful Green voice in parliament, holding to account whichever party forms the next government, and championing the concerns of constituents.”

Last month, Lucas announced she would be stepping down at the next general election.

In a letter to her constituents, she said the “threats to our precious planet” had become “ever more urgent” and her role in parliament as the Green party’s only MP meant she had “struggled to spend the time I want on these accelerating crises”.

“I have therefore decided not to stand again as your MP at the next election,” she said.

Lucas made history when she was elected as the MP for Brighton Pavilion at the 2010 general election, becoming the first Green party candidate to be elected to the Commons.