ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines the major developments in the evolution of Green party politics in the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland. The discussion aims to document the electoral journey of the Greens, to investigate their ideological and policy character and to examine their organisational form. There are a number of Green parties operating in the UK and Ireland, the Green Party of England and Wales (GPEW), the Scottish Green Party, the Green Party in Ireland and the Greens of Northern Ireland. Greens who have been elected in Ireland and the UK at a national level also tend to be well-respected and talented politicians. The UK political system has experienced some decentralisation, presenting new opportunities for Greens. In Scotland and Wales, new legislative chambers were established in 1999, with a semiproportional Additional Member System (AMS) used to elect representatives. The Scottish Greens were immediately rewarded in 1999 when Robin Harper became the first ever Green parliamentarian in the UK.
