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Green Party are 'hopeful of win' Lucas becomes first MP for Greens
(4 days later)
The Green Party are "quietly confident" they have won their first Westminster seat, their chairman has told the BBC. The UK has its first Green Party MP after Caroline Lucas won the seat of Brighton Pavilion, with a majority of 1,252 over Labour's Nancy Platts.
The party hopes leader Caroline Lucas has won their first Westminster seat at Brighton Pavilion, although the votes are yet to be counted. Ms Lucas, the leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, said voters had made history by electing her to Parliament on a swing of 8.4%.
The Greens are fielding more than 300 candidates in the general election, and also campaigning hard in Lewisham and Deptford, and Norwich South. "Thank you so much for putting the politics of hope above the politics of fear," she told them.
Ms Lucas has previously said a hung parliament would be "interesting". "I pledge that I will do my very best to do you proud," she said.
"Both in terms of perhaps increasing our chances of getting a fairer electoral system, so that people's voices are properly heard. But also of course in giving the Greens that bit more influence. So, I think these are pretty exciting days ahead," she told BBC News. "For once the word historic fits the bill."
The party had had 200 people campaigning in Brighton on Thursday to ensure people who had said they would vote Green did so, she said. The Green Party stood in more constituencies in England and Wales than ever before, fielding more than 300 candidates.
Although Ms Lucas is their only MP, the Scottish branch of the party has two MSPs in the Parliament at Holyrood, while there are two Green members of the 25-strong London Assembly.
One of their MSPs - Patrick Harvie, who represents Glasgow and is co-leader of the Scottish Greens - said the result "changes everything".
Caroline Lucas celebrated with her husband after being elected as an MP
"The whole party will be over the moon to see Caroline Lucas's triumph in Brighton," he added.
"Westminster was always going to be the toughest nut to crack, and Caroline has made an extraordinary breakthrough."
He said the House of Commons would now have "a real voice speaking out against the cuts to public services, for equality and for a greener and more sustainable economy".
Ms Lucas has described the prospect of a hung parliament as "interesting", saying it may increase the chances of securing "a fairer electoral system, so that people's voices are properly heard".
It would also be important in "giving the Greens that bit more influence", she told BBC News. "So, I think these are pretty exciting days ahead."
The party had had 200 people campaigning in the seat of Brighton Pavilion on Thursday to ensure those who had said they would vote Green did so, she said.