THE UK’s first and only Green Party MP said today she will not contest the next general election, becoming the latest high-profile parliamentarian to announce they will step down.  

Caroline Lucas said in an open letter to constituents that she had “struggled to spend the time” fighting for environmental causes due to her Westminster role and had “therefore decided not to stand again as your MP at the next election”.  

The 62-year-old politician was elected as the member of parliament for Brighton Pavilion on England’s south coast at the 2010 general election.  

She increased her majority at the subsequent three elections, but will not contest the next national vote, due to be held next year.  

Lucas, who had two stints as leader of the party, said it had been the “privilege of my life” to serve her constituency.  

While Green parties are a feature in many European legislatures and have been in coalition governments in Germany, France, Belgium, Finland and Ireland, they had never held a seat in Britain’s House of Commons before Lucas.  

She was previously a member of the European parliament for the South East England region.  

Lucas joins a list of more than 50 MPs who have announced they will leave their roles, including the Scottish National Party’s former Westminster leader Ian Blackford and Conservative former deputy prime minister Dominic Raab. – AFP, June 8, 2023.