What does the green party stand for?

The Green Party of England and Wales is a left-wing environmentalist party. It stands for urgent action on climate change and public ownership of rail, water and energy. It also backs wealth taxes, stronger public services and proportional representation. It won four seats at the 2024 general election, its best ever result.

The party traces its roots to the People party founded in 1973, which became the Green Party in 1985. The Green Party of England and Wales split from the Scottish Greens and the Green Party in Northern Ireland in 1990. The Scottish Greens are a separate party, which won 15 seats at Holyrood in 2026. Each Green party sets its own policies.

Its 2024 manifesto proposed a wealth tax on assets above £10 million and equalising capital gains tax with income tax. It also promised large public investment in green energy and insulation. It backs public ownership of railways, water and the big energy companies, free personal care for older people, rent controls and higher NHS spending. It opposes new oil and gas fields. Greens also back rejoining the EU.

At the 2024 general election the Greens won about 7% of the vote and four seats, a record. They also won two seats in the 96-member Senedd in May 2026. Supporters see the party as the most serious about climate and inequality. Critics say its spending plans are unaffordable and that its tax rises would drive wealth away. Its membership grew strongly in 2025.

Green Party of England and Wales, led by Zack Polanski. Platform: tax extreme wealth and capital gains to fund services, public ownership of water, caps on rent rises, no new oil and gas, free university tuition and proportional representation.

Key pledges

• A wealth tax of 1% a year on assets over £10m and 2% over £1bn
  People with assets over £10m pay 1% of the excess each year, rising to 2% above £1bn.
• Tax capital gains at the same rates as income
  Profits from selling assets like shares or second homes would be taxed at income tax rates of up to 45%, not lower gains rates.
• Apply National Insurance to investment income as well as earnings
  National Insurance would be charged on income from investments such as dividends, interest and rent, not only on wages.
• A windfall tax on bank profits
  A one-off or temporary extra tax on the profits of banks.
• Strengthen the oil and gas windfall tax and end its relief for reinvesting in fossil fuels
  Raise the Energy Profits Levy on oil and gas firms and end its relief that rewards new fossil fuel investment.
• No new oil and gas licences (2024 manifesto)
  No new licences to explore for oil and gas in UK waters.
• A nationwide door-to-door home insulation programme
  A national programme to insulate homes street by street, starting with the worst homes.
• Bring water companies into public ownership and end shareholder profits
  Water companies in England would be taken into public ownership and stop paying dividends to shareholders.
• Cap private rent rises at the lowest of inflation, wage growth or 2% for three years
  Private rents could rise each year by no more than inflation, wage growth or 2%, whichever is lowest, for three years.
• End Right to Buy and let councils buy back homes lost through it
  Council tenants in England could no longer buy their homes at a discount, and councils could buy back homes sold before.
• Raise the minimum wage to £15 an hour (2024 manifesto)
  The legal minimum wage for adults would rise to £15 an hour, from £12.71 in 2026.
• Replace the fiscal rules with an expert panel that judges whether debt is sustainable
  Drop fixed borrowing and debt targets. Instead, an expert panel would judge whether government debt is sustainable.
• Scrap university tuition fees (2024 manifesto)
  University students in England would no longer pay tuition fees, with universities funded by the taxpayer instead.
• Replace first past the post with proportional representation
  Change the Westminster voting system so seats match each party's share of the vote.
• Rejoin the EU when the conditions are right (2024 manifesto)
  The UK should rejoin the EU once public support and conditions allow.