By Harriet Wood
A by-election happens when an MP’s seat in the House of Commons is opened for any reason between general elections. Spencer is the first ever Green Party candidate to win a by-election, and won by a significant margin (40.7% of the vote). In contrast, during the 2023 Somerton and Frome by-election, the Greens won less than 10% of the vote. This happens alongside the Green Party’s membership soaring past 100,000 members in October 2025, surpassing the Liberal Democrats.
A major part of the Green Party’s manifesto includes their aims to make climate control and sustainability a larger focus of British politics, which would be the main goal of their leadership in Parliament. Their 2024 general election manifesto assures elected Greens will strive for a ‘greener, fairer country’, including pushing for fully phasing out fossil fuels and instead using renewable sources as the majority of the country’s energy production. As well as this, they focus on environmental policy, housing, public services, cost of living and other issues related to public interest such as NHS year-on-year waiting list reduction and pay increase for junior doctors.
Statistically, younger voters are more likely to prioritise social justice, climate change and more progressive policies, aligning with some of the Green party’s core values. The Greens are the most popular political party in all age categories under 50 (poll from YouGov for SkyNews) and of those who voted Labour in the 2024 general election, only 37% would vote for them again, with 25% defecting to vote Green. Of those age categories, 36% of 18-24 year olds would consider voting for the Greens as well as 27% of 25-49 year olds. That said, it seems their surge in popularity has come from the younger generation’s concern for environmental protection, among their other sustainable virtues.
The results also display a rise in popularity with minor parties other than the Greens, with Reform UK’s Matt Goodwin scoring second with almost 30% of the vote. Reform’s policies gravitate more towards stricter UK border control, laws to reduce illegal immigration, deportations of said illegal immigrants and prioritising all things British, such as businesses, workers, manufacturing, culture and traditions. They contrast the Greens’ sustainability outlook with plans to scrap net zero to cut energy bills. A 2025 YouGov survey displayed that of those considering voting for the party, 19% reported they’d have their vote because they are neither the Conservative nor Labour parties, or simply ‘better than the rest’. A further 18% said their attraction came from their principle immigration policies. Still, their polls were beaten by almost 4,500 votes, increasing the Green Party’s seat total from four to five in the House of Commons.
The Green Party’s success highlights them as a strong upcoming opposition to the Conservative-Labour dominance of UK politics.