VOTING began this week to choose the new leader, or leaders, of the Green Party of England and Wales, with North Herefordshire MP Ellie Chowns vying for the job along with fellow MP Adrian Ramsay.

The two are taking on the solo ticket of Zack Polanski, London Assembly member and the Greens’ deputy leader, who is described as an “eco-populist”.

The Guardian rates Mr Polanski as the favourite, but adds: “because the Greens are a small party (around 65,000 members), they are hard to poll, and no one knows for sure”.

The New Statesman also rates Mr Polanski’s chances, praising his “clever comms and outgoing personality”.

The party has until now been led jointly by Mr Ramsay and Bristol MP Carla Denyer, who announced in May she would not re-stand for the role.

The party elects its leader or leaders every two years, though the current vote was postponed from last year. Party rules state candidates on a joint ticket must not be of the same gender.

The contest is attracting widespread interest due to the unprecedented power and influence of the party, which now has four MPs, more than 800 local councillors, and has been steadily polling around the 10 per cent mark this year.

The online ballot opened on Monday and will close on August 30, with postal votes accepted until September 1. The result is due to be announced on September 2.

Dr Chowns has meanwhile hit back at a report by the online outlet Stats for Lefties that the pair “want trans women **banned** from women’s spaces + sports”.

On X, she responded: “I certainly did not call for this. Misrepresentations like this are irresponsible and only serve to create false divisions.”

The claim was apparently based on responses by Dr Chowns and Mr Ramsay to the “LGBTIQA+ Greens”, published on the party’s website, the group finding their answers on gender and trans issues “slightly short of the mark”.

Dr Chowns and Mr Ramsay had said the law “does need to allow for some circumstances where services may need to be provided on a biological-sex basis, such as domestic violence refuges, prisons and some sports”.

Unlike Mr Polanski, both have rejected working with the new, as yet unnamed left-wing party formed by former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and ex-Labour MP Zara Sultana.

The UK Green Party focusses on environmental issues, social justice, and sustainability and was founded in 1973. It has since grown steadily in influence, particularly as climate change has become a more urgent concern. The party advocates for renewable energy, public transport investment, and policies to protect nature and biodiversity. It also supports social equality, universal basic income, and proportional representation in elections. The party currently has four serving MPs and also holds seats in local councils and the London Assembly. It aims to appeal to voters seeking bold action on climate and a fairer, more sustainable society, emphasizing long-term solutions over short-term political gains.