Caroline Lucas, then an MEP for South East England, was elected as the first leader of party in 2008 following a rule change.

[1] Lucas was elected as the first Green Party MP, for the constituency of Brighton Pavilion in 2010, and in the same year she was re-elected unopposed as leader.

In 2012, she announced she would not be seeking re-election because "I want to give other people the opportunity to get well known, to have some profile in the party, hopefully to use that to get themselves elected as well.

At the general election, the Green Party's vote share increased from 1.0% to 3.8%, but they did not win any additional seats.

[12] They campaigned on a platform of seeking a progressive alliance with other left-wing parties to achieve electoral reform.

He criticised proposals for a progressive alliance, noting the rejection of the idea by the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

[13] The party's incumbent deputy leaders, Shahrar Ali and Amelia Womack both sought re-election.

[18] Kat Boettge was a town councillor and former chair of the East Midlands Green Party who said her migrant background would "send a powerful message" following the UK's vote to leave the European Union.

[18] Störm Poorun advocated the party becoming more diverse, and the Bristol City Councillor Daniella Radice cited her experience as a former deputy mayor.

In an acceptance speech delivered together, Lucas and Bartley called for the Greens to form "progressive alliances" with like-minded parties.

Lucas has previously floated the idea of a loose electoral pact with other parties on the left of British politics, including Labour, which would see them give Green candidates a clear run in constituencies where they were best placed to challenge the Conservatives and vice versa.