It’s now over three weeks since the Green Party’s record results in the London elections, and we’ve been reflecting on what the gains mean for us as a party, and on the changing political landscape in our city.

Green Party candidate for Lambeth & Southwark celebrates a game-changing result with GP Lambeth Councillor, Scott Ainslie.

First and foremost a massive thank you to Green Party campaigners and candidates across Southwark and London. These monumental efforts saw voters seize their chance to vote Green outside the usual first-past-the-post system, where Labour and Conservatives inevitably dominate. The London List vote in the Assembly elections is proportional, making a Green vote far more than a gesture of support. Greens came second on this ballot paper, ahead of the Tories and with more than double the votes of the Lib Dems. This helped to give us a third member on the London Assembly: Zack Polanski now joins Siân Berry and Caroline Russell at City Hall, where he’s hit the ground running, pushing mayor Sadiq Khan on proposals for a Citizens Assembly for London.

Even in the first-past-the-post constituency vote, the Green Party in Southwark and Lambeth secured brilliant results. Our candidate, Southwark Greens’ Claire Sheppard, gained 19.7% of the vote, overtaking the Conservatives, to come second to Labour. Ours was one of only two constituencies where the Labour-Tory stranglehold was broken, the other being North East London, where Caroline Russell was in second place to Labour.

% of votes for the Green Party Constituency Candidates in London and in S&L constituency, 2012 - 2021

% votes for Green Party ('List Vote') in London and in S&L constituency, 2012 - 2021

The vote for mayor – under the supplementary vote system – consolidated the Greens’ position as London’s third party. Siân Berry received 11.5% of first-choice votes compared with 8.8% in 2016, and a massive 28% of second-preference votes – the most for any candidate, clearly indicating that Siân and the Green Party can and do get support from across the political spectrum.

In the Southwark Council elections on 3rd May 2018, Southwark Green Party's lead candidate Eleanor Margolies achieved 31% of the vote in St Giles ward. Her tally of 1,420 votes - a 13.8% swing to the Greens since the 2014 election in this ward - fell just under 700 votes short of the 2,118 votes which elected the third of the three Labour councillors in the ward. [Full St Giles result...]

Southwark Labour increased their majority on the council even further, winning 49 of the 60 seats declared so far (with the election for the final three seats delayed). Southwark Lib Dems have won 11 seats, while Southwark Conservatives have lost their only two seats on the council. 

The Green Party is now in second place in 10 out of the 23 wards in Southwark, taking 13.4% of the vote across the borough and cementing their place as Southwark's third party.

Borough-wide vote shares (with 22 of 23 wards declared):

Ward-by-ward Green vote share

Today, Thursday 3rd May, there is a Southwark Council election. You will choose two or three councillors to serve you for four years.

Who to vote for is an important decision. Here is some useful information before voting.

When you vote, you will be given one ballot paper and told how many votes you have (three in most wards, two in a handful of smaller wards). Mark your preferred candidates. You can vote for all three (or two) candidates from one party or for a mixture of parties.

Southwark Council is currently run by Southwark Labour, with a huge majority of 48 out of 63 councillors. Labour will probably run Southwark Council again in 2018. 

This election is not for an MP, or about the Houses of Parliament in Westminster. This is to choose local councillors to work hard and speak up for you on Southwark Council.

Councils dominated by one party, no matter which party it is, provide worse value for money for taxpayers. If people here choose to elect Green Party councillors, it will ensure balance and scrutiny.

Council elections are also about choosing people who will work hard to make the area better. Green Party councillors will:

• defend and improve council homes
• work for more truly affordable, secure housing
• protect local businesses, parks and trees
• make streets safe for walking and cycling
• clean up the air we breathe.

Last time around, in the 2014 council elections, the Green Party came second in one-third of Southwark wards: Camberwell Green, Champion Hill, Faraday, Nunhead & Queen's Road, Peckham, Peckham Rye, Rye Lane and St Giles. 

You can vote if you’re on the register (and over 18). In these council elections, qualifying Commonwealth citizens and EU citizens resident in the UK can vote.

Polling stations are open from 7am to 10pm.

Find your polling station: wheredoivote.co.uk

You don’t need your polling card to vote.

Live in St Giles ward, Camberwell? Extra local info

In Camberwell's St Giles ward you have three votes.

This is the Southwark ward where Green candidates have the best chance of getting elected. You can use your vote to add to Southwark Labour's majority on the council, or you can elect three independent, hard-working Green women: Eleanor Margolies, Paula Orr and Susie Wheeldon.

At the last election in 2014, St Giles elected Labour Party councillors. The Green Party was in second place. Votes for other parties are very unlikely to decide the winner.

People in St Giles have the power to put a Green voice on to Southwark Council for the first time since 2010. If you choose to give just one vote to the Green Party, it is the "lead Green Party candidate" Eleanor Margolies who has the best chance of being elected.

Walworth Green Party candidates Liba Hoskin, Liam Hennessy and David Powell joined Lina Usma for a chat on her Latin American community podcast.

You can listen in at https://www.mixcloud.com/mujeresaldia/green-party-candidates-southwark/

The first minute is a Spanish-language introduction by Lina, before the other candidates are introduced in English.

It was great to see Labour adopting some Green Party policies in its manifesto for the General Election in June. Our anti-austerity policies on social justice and abolishing student debt are clearly popular with voters! But Labour continues to support disastrous projects such as Heathrow expansion, the Hinkley Point nuclear power station and the renewal of Trident – not to mention leaving the EU. We need decisive action on air pollution, with a new Clean Air Act, and a commitment to protect the environment in the Brexit negotiations. While the UK political scene is very much on our minds, Southwark Greens continue to take practical steps to support environmental and social justice.

Every Green vote counts. With more support, we will influence the direction of British politics.

In two Southwark constituencies, Camberwell & Peckham and Dulwich & West Norwood, the previous Labour MPs had huge majorities. They are not marginal seats.

We're delighted to announce our candidates for the 2017 General Election.

For Camberwell and Peckham, we have selected Eleanor Margolies. Eleanor is an outstanding campaigner, currently working on highlighting toxic air pollution levels throughout the constituency, and is also Co-Chair of Southwark Green Party.

Bermondsey and Old Southwark will be contested by John Tyson, a Chartered Accountant and housing campaigner, highly active in his local community.

In Dulwich and West Norwood, Rashid Nix will be looking to build on his excellent result in the London Assembly Elections, where he got the highest vote share of any Green constituency candidate.