The Green Party has overtaken a resurgent Reform UK in the polls, potentially splitting the Labour vote ahead of the next election.
Co-leaders Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay hailed a “record-breaking” campaign after the party secured its highest amount of elected councillors in the local elections at the start of the month.
The Greens boosted its total number of councillors to 812, after gaining 74 seats at England’s local elections. They also became the biggest party on Bristol City Council – a seat they hope to win at the general election.
Elsewhere, the Greens won their first councillors on Newcastle, Sefton and Redditch councils, and became the largest party on Hastings Borough Council as well as boasting big numbers on councils including East Hertfordshire, Babergh, East Suffolk, Mid Suffolk, Lewes, Folkestone and Hythe and the Forest of Dean.
Denyer said she was “really pleased” the party had again boosted its total number of councillors, for the fifth election in a row.
She said her party had capitalised on disappointment from Labour voters over its U-turn on green investment, as well as its position on public ownership of public services.
She also said they had picked up votes from Labour voters who were unhappy with its stance on Gaza.
According to the latest Ipsos poll, the Labour Party maintains a healthy lead over the Tories, but has fallen back by three points on 41 per cent of the vote.
The Greens have ticked up two points, jumping past Reform UK which drops four points to nine per cent of the vote.
Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives, meanwhile, remain in a perilous position with just 20 per cent of the vote share.