Bartley notes that his party polled higher than the Liberal Democrats, long seen as England’s third party, in “virtually every mayoral election”, including in London where fellow co-leader Sian Berry came third, with 7.8% of the first-round vote, ahead of the Liberal Democrats’ Luisa Porritt on 4.4%,
Overall, in England’s local elections, the Green Party increased its number of councillors by 88 to 151.
But Chris Mason, political correspondent for BBC News, says: “We should be clear: that’s a rise from a very small number, to a slightly bigger small number.”
While the Greens have gained councillors, they have not gained any councils, whereas the Lib Dems came out of last week’s election with 586 councillors and seven councils. The Green Party also failed to win any seats in the Welsh Senedd, although the Scottish Greens, a separate organisation from its English and Welsh counterpart, won eight seats in Holyrood, double the Lib Dems’ total, helping the SNP