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 |
Siân Rebecca Berry (born 9 July 1974) is a British politician. She is a member of the UK Parliament for Brighton Pavilion. She became an MP in July 2024, taking over from Caroline Lucas.
Siân Berry was also a co-leader of the Green Party of England and Wales from 2018 to 2021. For a short time in 2021, she was the only leader. Before that, she was one of the Green Party's main spokespeople from 2006 to 2007.
From 2016 to 2024, Berry was a member of the London Assembly. She also served as a Green Party councillor for Highgate on Camden Council until October 2023.
Contents
Siân Berry's Early Life
Siân Rebecca Berry was born on July 9, 1974, in Cheltenham, England. She grew up there. She went to Pate's Grammar School, where her parents were teachers.
She studied metallurgy and materials science at Trinity College, Oxford. She earned a Master of Engineering degree in 1997. After finishing university, she moved to London.
Berry first worked as a medical copywriter. She later decided this job did not fit her beliefs. She then started a new career at an agency that helped charities.
From 2011 to 2015, Siân Berry worked for a charity called Campaign for Better Transport. She campaigned for better roads and sustainable transport, which means travel that is good for the environment.
Siân Berry's Political Journey
Siân Berry joined the Green Party when she was 27 years old.
Early Campaigns
As the Green Party's campaigns co-ordinator, Berry led the "Green Energy Works" campaign. This campaign wanted to use low-carbon energy, not nuclear power, to fight climate change. She also protested against renewing Britain's nuclear weapon, the Trident submarine. She even traveled to Scotland to protest at the nuclear submarine base.
Berry tried to be elected to Camden London Borough Council three times. She ran in 2002 and twice in 2006 but did not win a seat.
In 2005, she was the Green Party's candidate for Parliament in Hampstead and Highgate. She came fourth in that election.
In 2006, Berry became the Green Party's female Principal Speaker. She worked with another speaker, Derek Wall. She held this role until 2007. During this time, she wrote a regular blog for the New Statesman magazine.
Running for London Mayor
In 2007, the Green Party announced that Siân Berry would be their candidate for the 2008 London mayoral election. She came fourth in the election. This was the highest a Green mayoral candidate had placed at that time.
Camden Council Work
In the 2014 local elections, Berry was elected as a councillor for the Highgate ward in Camden London Borough Council.
As a councillor, Berry supported local services in Camden. She also pushed for "green development" in Kings Cross Railwaylands. This project aimed to build more family homes in an environmentally friendly way.
London Assembly Role
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In 2015, Siân Berry was chosen to be the Green Party's London mayoral candidate again. She also ran for the London Assembly elections in 2016. She focused her campaign on the rights of people who rent their homes.
Berry came third in the mayoral election. However, she was elected to the London Assembly as one of two Green members.
In the 2017 general election, Berry ran for Parliament in Holborn and St Pancras. She finished fourth.
In May 2021, Berry was re-elected to the London Assembly. Later that year, she announced she would step down as the Green Party's co-leader. She mentioned disagreements within the party as her reason.
In 2023, she announced she would run for the London Assembly again in 2024. She won a seat but resigned a few days later. This allowed Zoë Garbett to take her place.
Becoming an MP
In June 2023, Berry announced she wanted to become the Green Party's candidate for Brighton Pavilion. This seat was being left by the Green MP Caroline Lucas. In July 2023, Berry was confirmed as the candidate.
To focus on her campaign, Siân Berry stepped down as a Camden councillor in October 2023.
In the 2024 general election, Berry was elected as the MP for Brighton Pavilion. She won with a large number of votes. The Greens also won three more seats in this election. Ellie Chowns, Carla Denyer, and Adrian Ramsay joined Berry as new MPs. This was the best election result ever for the Green Party.
On July 17, 2024, Siân Berry gave her first speech in Parliament during the King's Speech debate.
Siân Berry's Activism
Environmental Work
Berry helped start the "Alliance against Urban 4x4s" in 2003. This group wanted to stop large 4x4 vehicles from taking over cities. They were known for their "theatrical demonstrations" and fake parking tickets. The group helped convince the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, to charge more for vehicles with high emissions.
In 2009, she led the "Reheat Britain" campaign. This campaign helped get money to replace old, inefficient boilers in the UK.
Anti-War Efforts
Siân Berry has also campaigned against the Iraq war. She started the "Census Alert" campaign. This campaign aimed to stop a company called Lockheed Martin from running the UK Census.
Humanist Beliefs
Berry is a humanist. This means she believes in a life approach based on reason and evidence, not religion. She is a supporter of Humanists UK, a charity for non-religious people.
In 2010, she signed a letter opposing Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the UK. In 2021, she said that humanism is about caring for others, our planet, and future generations.
After the 2024 general election, Berry was chosen as Vice Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Humanist Group.
Other Activism
She also supports the Fair Pay Network. She has campaigned against genetically modified foods.
Author
Siân Berry has written several books. These include:
- 50 Ways to Greener Travel
- 50 Ways to be a Greener Shopper
- 50 Ways to Save Water and Energy
- 50 Ways to make your house and garden greener
In 2010, she published Mend it!. In 2011, she wrote Junk for Joy, which is about upcycling projects.
