An internal Green Party of England of Wales election will be held in the summer of 2025 to elect the leader and deputy leader of the party, in line with the party's constitution.
Background.
According to the constitution of the Green Party of England and Wales, leader(s) and deputy leader(s) of the party are elected every two years. Candidates can either put themselves forward as individuals or as a co-leadership team of two people. In the event of a single leader, the party will have two deputy leaders. The election due to take place in 2024 was postponed due to the UK general election following a motion passed at the party's 2023 Autumn Conference. Because of this, the term of the leader will only be for one year. This election is being held concurrently with other elections to the executive of the party, including the deputy leadership.
In May 2025, Carla Denyer announced her decision to not seek re-election as co-leader and focus on being an MP.
Electoral system.
The election is held using an alternative vote system for the leader of the party, with the deputy leader being elected either by alternative vote, or by single transferable vote depending on whether two deputies need to be elected or just one. There is also an option to reopen nominations.
For joint leadership bids, at least one of the two on a ticket must not be the same gender. If a single leader is elected, then the two deputy leaders must not be the same gender.
The spending limit for all leadership candidate bids (solo or joint) is £1,000, and £500 for all other candidates.
Campaign.
Two slates were nominated: a joint ticket by incumbent co-leader Adrian Ramsay alongside Ellie Chowns, and a seperate ticket of Zack Polanski standing as a single candidate. The senior political correspondent of "The Guardian", Peter Walker, said that the election has presented Green members with a choice similar to that in the last election in 2021: either "election-focused professionals" or "insurgent activists". He also made the point that the joint Ramsay/Chowns ticket was expected to be the favourites, but suggested that any side could win.
Before nominations closed, the Green-focused political blog, Bright Green, published an article suggesting that the race would be between the two high-profile tickets, and that it was unlikely any third ticket could garner enough support to win.
Zack Polanski.
On 5 May 2025, Zack Polanski, the incumbent deputy leader of the party, announced his campaign to become party leader. In an exclusive article with "The Guardian", Polanski suggested he wanted to make the party more visible and take a more eco-populist direction. In the campaign he has advocated for the Green Party to be less timid, saying that they needed to become a bold mass-membership political force capable of challenging Reform UK and Nigel Farage. He has also said that the party should "learn" from Farage, especially from his communication skills. 
Polanski has said that the Green Party having a single leader instead of a co-leader would allow the party to more effectively convey its message in the media, and has argued that leftist candidates are best placed to grow the party in parliament. He has also indicated that he would welcome into the Green Party both Labour left MPs and left-wing independent MPs disaffected with the current Labour government.
Polanski has criticised the Labour government's approach to net-zero, claiming that the wealthy and big business should pay via a wealth tax for the green transition, rather than individuals. Polanski has taken a more critical position on NATO, telling the "Byline Times" on 8 May that he believed the UK's membership of NATO was untenable, in part due to Donald Trump's threats to annex Greenland. He instead advocated for "international alliances based on peace".
Polanski has faced scrutiny for having been a member of the Green Party only since 2017, having defected from the Liberal Democrats, and for his former career in hypnotherapy, including involvement in an article in "The Sun" where he provided hypnotherapy (without charge) for breast enlargement to a journalist.
Polanski formally launched his campaign online on 11 May, with more than 300 people in attendance. On 5 June, Polanski released an open letter, in which 107 Green councillors had signed to support him. On 6 June, the Bright Green blog published an article saying that Polanski had generated higher media coverage for his leadership campaign.
Adrian Ramsay and Ellie Chowns.
As Carla Denyer announced on 8 May she would not seek re-election so as to focus on work as an MP, this meant that incumbent co-leader Adrian Ramsay would either have to seek another co-candidate, or stand as a single lone candidate. On 11 May, Ramsay launched a joint leadership bid with fellow MP Ellie Chowns.<ref name="Ramsay/Chowns"></ref> Both MPs were first elected in rural, formerly Conservative-voting seats, which they pointed to as evidence that they would win over new supporters, rather than appealing to their base. As such, the pair hope to be able to appeal to a wide coalition of voters, including former conservatives. Chowns said the two would make a "really well-matched pair". Ramsay also said that it would be hard for someone who is not a MP to lead the party.
Ramsay has faced criticism for his refusal to give a firm answer over whether he believed trans women are women, and saying that people with anti-trans views should not be expelled from the Green Party. He has also faced criticism for opposing the construction of electric pylons in his constituency.
The duo formally launched their campaign online on 20 May, with over 150 people in attendance. On 6 June, the Bright Green blog published an article saying that the Ramsay-Chowns joint bid was emphasising its professionalism.