Post 2024 General Election Survey - Analysis

The Green House 2024 general election survey highlights big questions for Green Parties around their purpose and differentiation from other political parties, how to represent increasingly diverse views and how to model the society they wish to see through their own internal governance systems.

01 Sep 2024

The 2024 General Election was successful in delivering four MPs to represent the Green Party of England and Wales and an increased vote share for the Scottish Greens and the Green Party in Northern Ireland.

But underneath this success lie tensions within the membership. Success itself has brought new questions and challenges to the fore. By understanding these better, Green Parties have the chance to clarify and strengthen their strategies for change.

In July-August 2024, Green House Think Tank invited greens, in particular councillors, officers and parliamentary candidates for UK Green Parties, to contribute their views on what the General Election campaign had brought out in terms of tensions, questions around priorities, political strategies, and governance issues.

Three broad and inter-connected themes emerged through analysis of the survey responses. These themes speak to three significant questions about the Green Parties’ role within the broader political and economic systems:

1) What is the purpose of a Green political party, and should it be different from other political parties?

2) How might Green Parties balance reflecting the views of the general public with seeking to shape those views?

3) To what extent should Green Parties model the society they wish to see?

Green House Think Tank hopes that this analysis might prompt further discussion around these issues and wider reflections on the role, priorities and strategic approaches that UK Green Parties might choose to take.