Caroline Lucas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Caroline Lucas
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Official portrait, 2019
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| Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales | |
| In office 2 September 2016 – 4 September 2018 Serving with Jonathan Bartley
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| Deputy | Amelia Womack |
| Preceded by | Natalie Bennett |
| Succeeded by | Jonathan Bartley and Siân Berry |
| In office 30 November 2007 – 5 September 2012 Serving with Derek Wall (until 5 September 2008)
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| Deputy | Adrian Ramsay (2008–2012) |
| Preceded by | Siân Berry |
| Succeeded by | Natalie Bennett |
| In office 30 November 2003 – 24 November 2006 Serving with Mike Woodin; Keith Taylor
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| Preceded by | Margaret Wright |
| Succeeded by | Siân Berry |
| Member of Parliament for Brighton Pavilion |
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| In office 6 May 2010 – 30 May 2024 |
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| Preceded by | David Lepper |
| Succeeded by | Siân Berry |
| Member of the European Parliament for South East England |
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| In office 14 June 1999 – 6 May 2010 |
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| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Keith Taylor |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Caroline Patricia Lucas
9 December 1960 Malvern, Worcestershire, England |
| Political party | Green Party of England and Wales (1990–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Green Party UK (1986–1990) |
| Spouse |
Richard Savage
(m. 1991) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Malvern Girls' College |
| Alma mater |
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| Signature |  |
| Scientific career | |
| Thesis | Writing for Women: woman as reader in Elizabethan romance (1989) |
Caroline Patricia Lucas (born 9 December 1960) is a well-known British politician. She led the Green Party of England and Wales at different times: from 2003 to 2006, 2007 to 2012, and again from 2016 to 2018. She was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Brighton Pavilion from 2010 until 2024.
Caroline Lucas was the first Green Party MP to be elected on their own. Before her, another politician, Cynog Dafis, was elected with support from both the Green Party and Plaid Cymru. For many years, she was the only Green Party MP in the UK Parliament.
Born in Malvern, Caroline Lucas studied at the University of Exeter and the University of Kansas. She earned her PhD from the University of Exeter in 1989. She joined the Green Party in 1986 and took on various roles within the party. She also served on Oxfordshire County Council from 1993 to 1997.
In 1999, she was elected as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for South East England. She was re-elected in 2004 and 2009. She also served as the Green Party's female Principal Speaker from 2003 to 2006 and from 2007 to 2008.
In 2008, Caroline Lucas became the first official leader of the Green Party. In 2010, she was chosen to represent Brighton Pavilion in the general election, becoming the party's first MP. She stepped down as party leader in 2012 to focus more on her work in Parliament. She returned as co-leader from 2016 to 2018, sharing the role with Jonathan Bartley. In 2023, she announced she would not stand for re-election in the 2024 general election.
Contents
Early Life and Education Journey
Caroline Lucas was born in Malvern, England. Her parents, Peter and Valerie Lucas, were middle-class and supported the Conservative Party. Her father ran a small business that installed central heating and sold solar panels. Her mother stayed at home to raise their three children.
Caroline went to a private boarding school called Malvern Girls' College. After school, she attended the University of Exeter, where she earned a first-class degree in English Literature in 1983. During her time at university, she often visited the Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp and Molesworth peace camp. She was involved with the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), which worked to stop nuclear weapons. She took part in peaceful protests against US military bases in the UK.
From 1983 to 1984, Caroline Lucas received a scholarship to study at the University of Kansas, where she earned a Diploma in Journalism. She then returned to the University of Exeter to complete her PhD in English, which she received in 1990. Her research focused on how women were seen as readers in old English stories. While finishing her PhD, she started working for Oxfam, a charity, in 1989. She continued to work for Oxfam in different roles until 1999, when she became more active in the Green Party.
Political Career and Achievements
Starting in Politics
Caroline Lucas was greatly inspired by a book called Seeing Green by Jonathon Porritt. This led her to join the Green Party in 1986. She quickly became involved, serving as the party's National Press Officer from 1987 to 1989 and then as Co-Chair from 1989 to 1990. She once shared that she would ask Green Party members what they planned to wear for TV appearances. She believed that looking professional helped people focus on their message rather than their appearance.
In 1990, the Green Party in the UK split into three separate parties for different parts of the country. Caroline joined the Green Party of England and Wales. She served as their General Election Speaker from 1991 and was a Regional Council Member from 1997.
Her first success in an election was winning a seat on Oxfordshire County Council in 1993. She held this position until 1997.
Working in the European Parliament
Caroline Lucas was first elected as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the South East England Region in 1999. This was the first time these elections used a system called proportional representation, which helps smaller parties win seats. In that election, the Green Party received 7.4% of the votes.
In 2001, she participated in a peaceful sit-down protest at the Faslane nuclear base in Scotland. She was involved in another protest at the same location in 2007. She believed that peaceful demonstrations were important to highlight issues like Britain's nuclear weapons.
She was re-elected as an MEP in 2004 and again in 2009. In the European Parliament, she worked on important committees, including those for Trade, Industry, Energy, Research, Environment, Public Health, Consumer Policy, and International Trade. She also worked on a special committee about Climate Change.
She held the role of Female Principal Speaker for the Green Party from 2003 to 2006 and again from 2007 to 2008.
First Time as Green Party Leader
On 5 September 2008, Caroline Lucas was elected as the Green Party's first official leader. She received 92% of the votes. Before this, the party had been led by a group of people. The change meant having a single person who the public could recognize and connect with.
In 2010, Caroline Lucas made history by becoming the first Green Party MP elected to the UK Parliament for Brighton Pavilion.
In July 2010, she supported campaigners who protested against an arms factory. She stated that their actions were a fair response to the events happening in Gaza at the time. She believed their actions were driven by a desire to prevent further suffering.
In 2011, she voted against military action in Libya.
On 14 May 2012, Caroline Lucas announced she would step down as leader in September 2012. She wanted to give other talented people in the party a chance to lead and to focus more on her work as an MP. She was proud that the Green Party had become much more influential during her time as leader.
Representing Brighton Pavilion
Brighton Pavilion was a strong area for the Green Party. In 2007, Caroline Lucas decided to try and become the Green Party candidate for this area. She won the party's internal election with 55% of the votes.
In May 2010, Caroline Lucas was elected as the first Green MP to Westminster. She won with a majority of 1,252 votes. She was also the first woman to be elected as an MP for Brighton. She gave her first speech in Parliament on 27 May 2010.
Caroline Lucas spoke out against showing bare-breasted models on "Page 3" in The Sun newspaper. In 2013, she wore a T-shirt with "No More Page Three" during a debate in Parliament to protest this. This led to a discussion about the dress code in Westminster.
In August 2013, she participated in a peaceful protest against fracking operations in Sussex. She was later cleared of any wrongdoing. After this, she said that while the decision was right, the real victory would be when the world moved towards clean energy.
In the 2015 general election, Caroline Lucas was re-elected with a much larger majority of 7,967 votes. Her majority grew even more in the 2017 general election to 14,689 votes. In the 2019 election, her majority increased again.
In 2015, she voted for holding a public vote on whether the UK should stay in the European Union. She campaigned for the UK to remain in the EU, but with major changes.
On 8 June 2023, Caroline Lucas announced that she would not be standing for re-election in the 2024 general election. Siân Berry was later chosen as the Green candidate for the Brighton seat.
Co-leading the Green Party
On 31 May 2016, it was announced that Caroline Lucas would run to be co-leader of the Green Party with Jonathan Bartley. They planned to share the leadership role.
On 2 September, it was confirmed that Lucas and Bartley had been elected as co-leaders with 86% of the votes. Caroline Lucas stated that the party would work to protect the rights of EU citizens living in Britain and uphold EU rules on workers' rights and the environment.
In May 2018, Caroline Lucas announced that she would not seek re-election as co-leader after her two-year term ended in September. She wrote that it was "time for me to show the power of letting go."
Other Important Roles and Beliefs
Caroline Lucas is a vice-president of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA). She has also been on the National Council of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament since 2004. She is also Vice Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Peak Oil and Gas.
She used to be a vice-president of the Stop the War Coalition. However, she stepped down in December 2015. She explained that her busy schedule as an MP meant she couldn't fully commit to the role. Also, she didn't agree with some of the coalition's recent decisions.
In early 2013, Caroline Lucas supported the People's Assembly Against Austerity movement. This group protested against government spending cuts. She also gave a speech at their conference in June 2013.
In August 2015, she supported Jeremy Corbyn's campaign to become the leader of the Labour Party. She wrote that she felt very hopeful about him as a potential leader.
Caroline Lucas supports the idea of a universal basic income. This is a system where everyone receives a regular payment from the government, regardless of whether they work. In January 2016, she asked the British Parliament to study this idea. She wanted to see if it could replace the UK's current social security system.
In 2016, she criticized the government's decision to build the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station.
On 15 April 2018, she attended the launch of the People's Vote campaign. This group called for a public vote on the final Brexit deal between the UK and the European Union.
In August 2019, Caroline Lucas suggested creating an all-female cabinet to try and stop a no-deal Brexit. Later that year, she criticized Jacob Rees-Mogg, another MP, for appearing to recline on a bench during her speech.
In February 2020, she faced a review regarding offering a tour of the Parliament building for fundraising. It was found that she had broken a rule in the House of Commons Code of Conduct. Caroline Lucas acknowledged this and promised not to repeat the mistake. The Green Party returned the donation.
In 2021, Caroline Lucas was one of three MPs who successfully took legal action against the Department of Health and Social Care. This was about contracts given out during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Also in 2021, she criticized the HS2 high-speed rail project. She called it a "vanity project" and said its construction would create more carbon emissions than it would save over many years.
Caroline Lucas believes that ecocide (widespread damage to the environment) should be made a crime at the International Criminal Court.
Writing Books and Reports
Caroline Lucas has written many reports, articles, and books. Her writings cover topics like fair trade, local economies, globalization, animal welfare, and food. She often criticizes free trade, a single European currency, and policies that focus only on trade for development. She also highlights the need to pay more attention to environmental and social issues.
Her most important book is Green Alternatives to Globalisation: A Manifesto, which she wrote with Mike Woodin in 2004. This book suggests that economies should be more local, with less international trade. It also emphasizes greater social and environmental care, opposing the market-driven forces of globalization. In 2015, she published a book about her time in Parliament called Honourable Friends: Parliament and the Fight for Change. In April 2024, she released Another England: How to Reclaim Our National Story.
Awards and Recognition
Caroline Lucas has received many awards for her work as a politician and activist.
In 2006, she won the Michael Kay Award from the RSPCA for her great work in European animal welfare. However, in December 2024, Lucas and Chris Packham resigned from the RSPCA, saying it was "legitimising cruelty."
She has won the Politician of the Year award in The Observer Newspaper Ethical Awards three times. Readers of The Observer voted for her to win in 2007, 2009, and 2010. In 2008, The Guardian newspaper listed her as one of "50 people who could save the planet."
In October 2008, Caroline Lucas won the Trade category at The Parliament magazine MEP Awards. These awards are voted for by MEPs and non-governmental organizations. In April 2010, she won Best UK Politician in The Independent Green Awards. In November 2010, she was named "Newcomer of the Year" in The Spectator Parliamentarian of the Year awards.
In July 2011, she was awarded "Best all-rounder" in the Total Politics End of Year MP awards. In September 2011, she was named "MP of the Year" in the Women in Public Life Awards. Also in 2011, she received the Political Studies Association award for "Influencing the Political Agenda." She was also voted "Progressive of the Year" in Left Foot Forward's readers' poll.
In November 2020, she was included in the BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour Power list 2020.
Personal Life
In 1991, Caroline Lucas married Richard Savage. They have two sons. One of their sons is an academic at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
She is a vegetarian. In September 2019, she mentioned that she was "moving as fast as she can towards being vegan".
Films
In 2016, a short documentary film about Caroline Lucas, called One Green Seat, was made. It was directed by Daniel Ifans and produced by We Are Tilt. The film was an Official Selection at the 2017 Artemis Women In Action Film Festival in Santa Monica, California.
Images for kids
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Caroline Lucas speaking in Oxford about the "A Green New Deal" report, in 2009
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Caroline Lucas with Vince Cable, in 2017
See also
- Anti-nuclear movement in the United Kingdom
