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Adrian Ramsay
British politician (born 1981) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Adrian Philip Ramsay[1] (born 1981)[2] is a British politician who has served as the Member of Parliament for Waveney Valley since 2024. He was a co-leader of the Green Party of England and Wales from 1 October 2021 to 2 September 2025. He was previously the deputy leader of the Green Party of England and Wales from 2008 to 2012. He served as a Norwich City Councillor from 2003 to 2011. He worked as chief executive of the Centre for Alternative Technology from 2014 to 2019[3] and from 2019 to 2024 was CEO of MCS Charitable Foundation.[4][5]
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.[6] 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.[7]
In 2025, Adrian Ramsay stood for re-election as the Co-leader of the Green Party along with Ellie Chowns, but they lost to Zack Polanski.
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Early life and education
Ramsay was born and brought up in Norwich.[2] He was educated at City of Norwich School,[8] graduated from the University of East Anglia with a first class degree in politics, and went on to study for a master's degree.[2]
Early political career
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Ramsay joined the Green Party at the age of 16.[9] He was first elected to Norwich City Council representing Henderson Ward in May 2003, representing the Green Party.[10] Aged 21, he was one of the youngest councillors in the UK.[11] Later that year, he spoke at a demonstration against tuition fees in the United Kingdom.[12] Ramsay was re-elected in June 2004 for Nelson Ward.[13]
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".[14] In 2007, he was elected for a third time. In 2010, he was serving as the leader of the opposition to the Labour council.[15] At the 2011 local elections, he did not seek re-election to Norwich City Council.
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).[13] He 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.[16] Ramsay came in fourth place with 14.9% of the vote (7,095 votes).[17][18] He co-organised Lucas's campaign in Brighton Pavilion which saw her elected as the UK's first Green Member of Parliament (MP).[19]
Ramsay was elected unopposed as the first Deputy Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales on 5 September 2008.[20] In 2009 he made a speech at the party's conference calling for the end of private finance initiative agreements in the NHS.[21] 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.[22][23]
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Career outside politics
Ramsay served as chief executive of the Centre for Alternative Technology from 2014 to 2019, working in Wales.[24] 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,[25] from which he resigned on election to Parliament in July 2024.[26][27]
Return to politics
On 16 August 2021, Ramsay announced his candidacy for co-leader of the Green Party alongside the Bristol councillor Carla Denyer.[28] He said that the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report had motivated him to return to politics.[29] The pair's joint candidacy emphasised professionalising the party and winning a second Green MP and a first Green Member of the Senedd (MS).[30][31] The announcement that the pair had been elected was made on 1 October 2021.[32]
In 2023, he 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."[33]
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Parliamentary career
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At the 2024 general election, Ramsay 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.[34] He became the first Green MP for a seat in the East of England.[6] 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.[7] 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.[35] This led to allegations of NIMBYism, including from the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ed Miliband.[36] Responding to the allegations in an interview on LBC, Ramsay claimed he was representing concerns of his constituents.[37]
Following the Supreme Court ruling on For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers, Ramsay said he supported the ruling.[38] Asked if he believed trans women are women, he did not explicitly agree or disagree.[38] He also said that he believed members of the Green Party shouldn't be expelled from the party for anti-trans views.[38] In response to this, the Young Greens published a statement with their disappointment in Ramsay's comments.[39]
On 8 May 2025, Greens co-leader Carla Denyer announced she would not seek re-election in the 2025 party leadership election so as to focus on her work as an MP. This meant that Ramsay would either have to seek another co-candidate, or stand as a single lone candidate.[40] Three days later, he launched a joint leadership bid alongside fellow MP Ellie Chowns.[41] The results of the leadership were announced on 2 September 2025, with Chowns and Ramsay being defeated by Zack Polanski.[42]
Ramsay voted against the proscription of Palestine Action.[43]
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Elections contested
European Parliament
House of Commons
Council
Co-leader of the Green Party
Deputy leader of the Green Party
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References
External links
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