Caroline Lucas

Caroline joined the Green Party in 1986 and has held many positions including National Press Officer (1987-89) and Co-Chair (1989-90). She won the party’s second County Council seat in 1993 and served on Oxfordshire County Council until 1997. She served two terms as the Party’s elected Principal Speaker and in 2008 was elected Party Leader. From 1999-2010 she was a Member of the European Parliament, standing down when she was elected as the Green’s first MP, representing Brighton Pavilion.

Caroline was voted the UK's most ethical politician in 2007, 2009 and 2010 by readers of the Observer, and in 2008 was judged one of the Guardian’s top “eco-heroes.” She received Red magazine's Woman of the Year Award 2010 in the ethical/eco category and is in the Environment Agency's Top 100 Eco-Heroes of all time. She was named the 'Most Influential MP' in 2012 by the Political Studies Association, 'MP of the Year' in the Scottish Widows and Dods Women in Public Life Awards 2011, and 'Newcomer of the Year' in the Spectator's 2010 Parliamentarian awards. In 2015 the Patchwork Foundation named Caroline MP of the 2010-15 parliamentary session for her work with deprived and minority communities in Brighton and across the country. She was also the Pink News MP of the Year in 2014.

Born in Malvern in Worcestershire, Caroline studied English Literature at the University of Exeter and has authored a number of books, including most recently Honourable Friends? Parliament and the Fight for Change. A passionate campaigner and activist, who was arrested in 2013 for opposing fracking, she loves nothing more than walking on the Sussex Downs with her husband, Richard, two sons and their chocolate Labrador Harry.