Ramsay was the successful Green parliamentary candidate for Waveney Valley at the 2024 general election and became the first Green MP for a seat in the East of England.[5] This marked the first time that both Green Party co-leaders were elected to Parliament, and he also became the first ever male MP for a Green party in the United Kingdom.[6]
Ramsay was first elected to Norwich City Council representing Henderson Ward in May 2003, representing the Green Party.[9] Aged 21, he was one of the youngest councillors in the UK.[10] Later that year, he spoke at a demonstration against tuition fees in the United Kingdom.[11] Ramsay was re-elected in June 2004 for Nelson Ward.[12]
In a BBC article from May 2006, Ramsay was described as "pursuing a full-time career through his council work on a £9,500 annual allowance".[13] In 2007, he was elected for a third time. In 2010, he was serving as the leader of the opposition to the Labour council.[14] At the 2011 local elections, he did not seek re-election to Norwich City Council.
Green Party deputy leader
Ramsay was elected unopposed as the first deputy leader of the Green Party of England and Wales on 5 September 2008.[15] In 2009 he made a speech at the party's conference calling for the end private finance initiative agreements in the NHS.[16] He was re-elected as Deputy Leader in the 2010 leadership election with 73.4% of the vote. He was speculated as a possible successor to the party's first leader, Caroline Lucas, but did not stand in the 2012 leadership election nor seek re-election as deputy leader.[17][18]
Co-leader of the Green Party
On 16 August 2021, Ramsay announced his candidacy for co-leader of the Green Party alongside the Bristol councillor Carla Denyer.[19] He said that the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report had motivated him to return to politics.[20] The pair's joint candidacy emphasised professionalising the party and winning a second Green MP and a first Green Member of the Senedd (MS).[21][22] The announcement that the pair had been elected was made on 1 October 2021.[23]
In 2023, Ramsay defended local Green Party politicians who block solar farms, saying that while the Green Party sees "an important role for solar farms as part of the mix... The [solar] application has to be considered on its merits."[24]
Parliamentary career
Ramsay stood as parliamentary candidate in the Norwich South constituency in the 2005 general election. He came fourth, with 7.4% of the vote (3,101 votes).[12]
Ramsay stood for Norwich South again in the 2010 general election. The party's leader, Caroline Lucas, cited him as one of the Green candidates with the greatest chance of winning.[25] Ramsay came in fourth place with 14.9% of the vote (7,095 votes).[26][27] He co-organised Lucas's campaign in Brighton Pavilion which saw her elected as the UK's first Green Member of Parliament (MP).[28]
At the 2024 general election, he was elected MP for Waveney Valley with 20,467 votes (41.7%) and a majority of 5,593 over the second-placed Conservative candidate. There were six candidates and a 69% turnout.[29] He became the first Green MP for a seat in the East of England.[5] This marked the first time that both Green party Co-leaders were elected to parliament. He became the first ever male MP for a Green party in the UK.[6] He was also one of the first five Green MPs overall: Lucas retired after fourteen years as an MP, with successful Green candidates Siân Berry, Ellie Chowns, and Ramsay's co-leader Carla Denyer joining him as first-time MPs. Nationally, Labour formed a majority government with Keir Starmer taking office as Prime Minister.
Shortly after assuming office, Ramsay voiced opposition to plans by the new government to build a 100-mile corridor of pylons to connect his Suffolk constituency to offshore wind power. Ramsay said he was in favour of considering other options, including an offshore grid.[30] This led to allegations of NIMBYism, including from the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ed Miliband.[31] Responding to the allegations in an interview on LBC, Ramsay claimed he was representing concerns of his constituents.[32]
Career outside politics
Ramsay served as chief executive of the Centre for Alternative Technology from 2014 to 2019, working in Wales.[33] He returned to Norfolk in 2019 and took up the post of chief executive of the MCS Charitable Foundation, a charity working towards carbon-free UK homes,[34] from which he resigned on election to Parliament in July 2024.[35][36]
