Caroline Lucas, Green South-east Euro-MP, is today launching her campaign to become the Green Party's first ever national leader.

In discussions with local Green councillors in Brighton, Caroline announced she would be campaigning to be elected as the party's first leader in a contest which will run until September.

Caroline is the Green parliamentary candidate for Brighton Pavilion constituency at the next general election and is tipped to become the UK's first Green MP.

In Brighton Pavilion constituency, the Greens received 30% of the vote at the last local elections in 2007, more than any other party.

In a party-wide referendum last year, members decided by a majority of 73% to change the party's constitution to replace the current system of two Principal Speakers and elect a Leader and Deputy (or Co-Leaders) instead.

Caroline said: "Since joining the Green Party over 20 years ago, I've taken every opportunity to promote the Green Party as an articulate and radical voice in British politics.

“I am committed to doing all I can as Leader to build the party into a more effective and credible force in British politics.

"The election of a leadership team offers us new and exciting opportunities to take the radical message of Green politics into the mainstream - where it belongs.

“The need for Green political influence has never been so urgent, and never has there been so much at stake.

"Only the Green Party has coherent alternatives to government policies that are privatising public services, failing to serious address the climate crisis and exacerbating inequalities."

The Green Party's leadership campaign will run until September.

Nominations will close on 24th July and the final ballots will be collected and counted on Saturday 6 September at the party's autumn conference in London.

Details of other candidates will be available as they declare from the Green Party Press Office.