The Green Party do not have any councillors in Hull at present
The Green Party do not have any councillors in Hull at present (Image: Getty Images)
The local Hull and East Riding Green Party has said elections in Hull ‘can’t come soon enough’ following the party’s recent win in Greater Manchester. The Green Party’s Hannah Spencer was last week elected as the new MP for Gorton and Denton – a seat won comfortably by the Labour Party in the 2024 General Election.
In recent months, the Green Party has skyrocketed in the polls. The most recent YouGov voting intention poll from March 1-2 has the Greens in second place with 21%, only behind Reform UK at 23%.
The two ‘main parties’ in British politics, the Conservatives and Labour Party, both sit on 16%. The Liberal Democrats follow closely behind with 14%.
The Greens’ rise in popularity has largely coincided with the premiership of leader, Zack Polanski. Mr Polanski, who is not himself an MP and is rather a member of the London Assembly, has broadened the appeal of the party by seemingly adopting a more general socialist platform rather a purely environment focussed agenda.
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Speaking after the by-election, Stewart Arnold, Hull and East Riding Green Party coordinator said: “The Green Party victory in Gorton & Denton, one of Labour’s safest seats, means we can win anywhere and shows that the Green Party is the real alternative both to Labour and to the divisive politics of Reform. May’s local elections in Hull can’t come soon enough”.
In May, a third of Hull City Council is up for election. Of the 19 seats up for grabs, 11 are currently held by the ruling Liberal Democrats, with the remaining eight belonging to the opposition Labour group.
Despite polling for council elections being hard to come by, Electoral Calculus currently predicts that each of the three Hull Parliamentary constituencies would be won by Reform UK if a vote were to be held. All three seats are currently held by the Labour Party following the 2024 General Election.
If Mr Arnold’s optimism is to be realised and the Greens see success in Hull’s May elections, the party would need to greatly improve on its result in last year’s Hull and East Yorkshire Mayoral Election. The Green Party’s candidate, Kerry Harrison received just 3.7% of the vote, coming in 5th place out of the 6 candidates.
Despite having a pair of East Riding councillors, the Green Party currently has no presence on Hull City Council. The council is currently weighted as:
- 29 – Liberal Democrats
- 23 – Labour Party
- 5 – Independent (3 of which form an Independent Group led by Cllr Wareing)
Coverage of Hull’s 2026 local elections will ramp up in the coming months, with parties beginning to announce their candidates.
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