The Green Party of England and Wales surpassed the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives in members and is now at 180,000 members.
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Executive summary
The Green Party of England and Wales (GPEW) has reported rapid membership growth in late 2025, publicly announcing milestones of over 80,000 on 28 September, more than 95,000 by 9–10 October and 100,000 on 12 October [1] [2] [3] [4]. Party materials and secondary reporting claim membership later rose past the Conservatives and even reached figures of “over 150,000” and 180,000 in December, but those larger numbers appear only in party sources and Wikipedia summaries in the supplied set [5] [6].
1. The surge: what the Green Party and press reported
The Green Party and sympathetic outlets documented a sharp rise after Zack Polanski became leader: official Green posts announced passing 80,000 on 28 September and then breaking 100,000 on 12 October, while The Guardian reported the party had “more than 100,000” members and said the figure put them on course to overtake the Conservatives [1] [3] [4]. Independent Green-aligned outlets also reported “more than 95,000” around 10 October [2]. These contemporaneous reports establish a clear, documented uptick in autumn 2025 [4] [2] [3].
2. Claims of overtaking Lib Dems and Conservatives — what the sources say
Multiple Green Party communications assert that membership growth has overtaken the Liberal Democrats and the Conservative Party; the party’s 19 October post explicitly states it had surged past the Conservatives, making the Greens the “third largest party in the UK” [5]. The Guardian noted the Greens had moved past the Liberal Democrats earlier and suggested Tory membership was “slightly above 120,000” in recent reporting — a figure that the paper flagged as not publicly confirmed by the Tories [4]. Wikipedia entries in the result set repeat claims of overtaking both Lib Dems and Conservatives and state membership reached 180,000 on 9 December [6].
3. Where independent verification is thin or absent
Public, independently verifiable membership totals for major UK parties are uneven; the Conservative Party does not routinely publish up‑to‑date membership figures and independent estimates vary. The House of Commons Library cited a much smaller historical Green membership (around 54,000 in December 2021) and emphasised there is no uniform monitoring body for party membership [7]. The supplied sources do not include an independent, contemporaneous breakdown confirming the 150,000–180,000 totals or an Electoral Commission filing in 2025 that corroborates those specific December numbers [7] [6]. Available sources do not mention an Electoral Commission confirmation of 180,000.
4. Possible explanations for divergent figures
Party announcements often report internal membership portal totals that include newly joined and renewing members; external tallies (media estimates, Electoral Commission returns) can lag or use different cut‑offs [8] [7]. The Green Party’s own timeline shows staged milestones (80k, then 95k, then 100k, then claims of 150k+) in October–December, indicating fast growth within party records [1] [2] [3] [9]. Wikipedia compendia reproduce these claims, but their sourcing in the provided set points back to party announcements rather than independent audits [6].
5. Political context and competing narratives
Reporting links this growth to Zack Polanski’s election as leader and to disaffection with Labour among some voters; The Guardian framed the surge as potentially cannibalising Labour votes and noted senior Labour concern [4]. The Greens’ narrative frames the rise as a strategy to counter Reform UK and a sign of momentum [5]. These are competing political interpretations: one treats membership growth as grassroots realignment, the other as tactical threat to Labour; both are stated in the supplied sources [4] [5].
6. What remains uncertain and what to watch next
Key uncertainties remain about the 150,000–180,000 figures: the supplied material does not include an Electoral Commission return or an independent journalist’s data audit that confirms those exact totals [7]. To verify the December claims, watch for Electoral Commission filings, mainstream outlets' data checks, or official party accounts that specify reporting dates and accounting methods (not found in current reporting). In the short term, the trend of rapid growth is well documented; the absolute top‑line number at 180,000 in December is asserted in party and Wikipedia summaries in the supplied set but lacks independent confirmation in these results [6] [3] [4] [5].
Limitations: this analysis relies solely on the supplied result set and cites only those items; it therefore highlights the party’s reported milestones and mainstream coverage while noting the absence of an independent audit in these sources [6] [3] [4] [5] [7].