Siân Berry facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Siân Berry
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Official portrait, 2024
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| Member of Parliament for Brighton Pavilion |
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| Assumed office 4 July 2024 |
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| Preceded by | Caroline Lucas |
| Majority | 14,290 (27.3%) |
| Co-leader of the Green Party of England and Wales |
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| In office 4 September 2018 – 1 October 2021 Serving with Jonathan Bartley (2018–2021)
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| Deputy | Amelia Womack |
| Preceded by | Caroline Lucas |
| Succeeded by | Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay |
| Leader of the Greens in the London Assembly | |
| In office 6 May 2016 – 19 October 2018 |
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| Leader | |
| Preceded by | Jenny Jones |
| Succeeded by | Caroline Russell |
| Principal Speaker of the Green Party | |
| In office 24 November 2006 – 30 November 2007 Serving with Derek Wall
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| Preceded by | Caroline Lucas |
| Succeeded by | Caroline Lucas |
| Member of the London Assembly for Londonwide |
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| In office 6 May 2016 – 7 May 2024 |
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| Camden London Borough Councillor for Highgate |
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| In office 22 May 2014 – 20 October 2023 |
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| Preceded by | Maya De Souza |
| Succeeded by | Lorna Jane Russell |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Siân Rebecca Berry
9 July 1974 Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England |
| Political party | Green Party of England and Wales |
| Alma mater | Trinity College, Oxford (MEng) |
Siân Rebecca Berry (born 9 July 1974) is a British politician for the Green Party. Since July 2024, she has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Brighton Pavilion. She took over the role from Caroline Lucas, who was the Green Party's first-ever MP.
Berry was a co-leader of the Green Party with Jonathan Bartley from 2018 to 2021. She has also been a member of the London Assembly and a councillor on Camden Council in London. She is known for her work on environmental and transport issues.
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Early Life and Education
Siân Berry was born in Cheltenham, a town in Gloucestershire, England. Her parents were both teachers at her school, Pate's Grammar School.
After finishing school, she went to Trinity College, Oxford, one of the most famous universities in the world. She studied materials science and engineering and earned a Master of Engineering degree. After graduating in 1997, she moved to London. Before entering politics, she worked as a medical copywriter and later as a campaigner for the charity Campaign for Better Transport.
Political Career
Berry joined the Green Party when she was 27. The Green Party focuses on protecting the environment, social justice, and non-violence.
Early Campaigns
As the Green Party's campaigns co-ordinator, Berry led a campaign for clean energy to fight climate change. She also campaigned against the UK's nuclear weapons. She even travelled to a nuclear submarine base in Scotland to protest.
She ran for a spot on the Camden Council in London a few times but was not elected at first. In 2005, she ran for Parliament in the Hampstead and Highgate area but did not win.
In 2006, Berry was chosen as one of the Green Party's "Principal Speakers." This role is similar to being a party leader, and she shared the job with Derek Wall.
Running for Mayor of London
In 2008, Berry was the Green Party's candidate for Mayor of London. She came in fourth place. She ran for mayor again in 2016 and came in third. During her campaign, she focused on the rights of people who rent their homes, as she was a renter herself.
Camden Councillor and London Assembly Member
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In 2014, Berry was elected to the Camden Council, representing the Highgate area. She worked to protect local services and supported "green development," which means building homes and offices in an environmentally friendly way.
In 2016, she was also elected to the London Assembly. The Assembly is a group of politicians who check the work of the Mayor of London to make sure they are doing a good job for the city. She was re-elected in 2021.
Co-leader of the Green Party
In 2018, Berry became a co-leader of the Green Party. She shared the leadership role with Jonathan Bartley.
In 2021, she decided to step down as co-leader. She said there was a disagreement inside the party about how to best support the rights of transgender people, and she felt she could not continue in her role.
Member of Parliament
In 2023, Berry announced she wanted to become the Green Party candidate for the Brighton Pavilion area. This seat was held by Caroline Lucas, a very popular Green MP who was retiring. Berry won the local party's vote and became the candidate.
During the 2024 general election, Berry was elected as the MP for Brighton Pavilion with a large majority. It was a historic election for the Green Party, which won four seats in Parliament, its best result ever. Berry gave her first speech, known as a maiden speech, in Parliament on 17 July 2024.
Activism and Other Work
Outside of her party roles, Berry has been involved in many campaigns.
Environmental Work
Berry was a founder of the Alliance against Urban 4x4s. This group campaigned against large, gas-guzzling cars called sport utility vehicles (SUVs) in cities. They were known for leaving fake parking tickets on the cars to raise awareness. The campaign helped convince the Mayor of London to charge drivers of high-pollution cars more to drive in the city center.
Other Campaigns
Berry has also campaigned against the Iraq War and is a patron of the Fair Pay Network, which works for fair wages. She is a humanist, which means she believes in using reason and empathy to make decisions, without religious belief. She is a patron of the charity Humanists UK.
In 2016, it was reported that a special police unit had been monitoring Berry, even though she was known as a peaceful campaigner.
Author
Berry has written several books about living a more environmentally friendly life. Some of her books include 50 Ways to Greener Travel and 50 Ways to make your house and garden greener. She also wrote books about repairing items instead of throwing them away.
