John,

Fifty years ago, four friends organised a small public meeting in Coventry. They believed the world was on an unsustainable path and wanted to set up a new political party to challenge the status quo and bring an ecological perspective to politics. They didn’t know it but the Gang of Four - as they became known - Tony and Lesley Whittaker, Freda Sanders and Michael Benfield, were about to make history. The party they set up, PEOPLE, developed into the first Green party in Europe. Check out our anniversary website to find out more.

Since then, the Green Party of England and Wales has come a long way. We have won the public debate on the need to tackle the climate and nature crises. We have built a strong electoral base in places as diverse as Brighton, Bristol, Norwich, Lancaster and Sheffield and are growing support in Wales; polled over two million votes in European parliamentary elections; and got the first Green MP elected, despite the challenges of our first past the post voting system. And we have had tangible successes in government at national, European and local council level which have made a big difference.

This 50th anniversary is an important milestone for the Green movement, as well as the party. Over the course of the year, we will be organising events and activities which will give members and supporters the chance to reflect back, explore solutions which are as relevant now as they were fifty years ago, and of course share stories. We are delighted that the London School of Economics has become home to the Green Party archive, some of which will be on display in a free, public exhibition Clothing this Naked Earth: Politics and the Planet at the LSE Library between February and August. Do keep across email updates and follow us on social media to find out what's happening and get involved. 

The anniversary also provides us with a crucial and timely opportunity to look forward: take stock, acknowledge there is still a long way to go, and re-galvanise our efforts. As the United Nations and countless climate experts have warned this is a ‘now or never’ decade for climate action. There is hope – electing more Green MPs will help us challenge the other parties to tackle the climate emergency with the speed and seriousness that the science demands. More Green MPs will stand up for what matters: a fairer and more liveable future.

We know this won’t be easy. But we can do it with your help. Please help us keep making history.

Help level the odds for a fairer greener country by supporting our fiftieth anniversary campaign. 

With gratitude,

Caroline Lucas MP