THE Green Party “lost credibility” when it formed a “disastrous” electoral alliance with the Lib Dems last year, a candidate for the party’s leadership has told the Star. 

Shahrar Ali, who is standing to be the next leader for the Green Party of England and Wales, said that, if elected, he would draw a line under making future pacts with other parties.

The Greens sparked outrage among its left membership in the 2019 snap election when it entered a “Unite to Remain” pact with the Lib Dems and Plaid Cymru to avoid splitting the remain vote. 

Mr Ali, the party’s current home affair spokesperson and former deputy leader, said that this was a mistake which played a large role in the Green’s failure to secure another seat in Parliament. 

“With the raised environmental consciousness we should be polling 10 per cent even on a first-past-the-post system,” he told the Star today in an interview on his election bid. 

“In the general election we advocated for a ‘Unite to Remain’ alliance and this was an absolute disaster for us: getting into bed with the Lib Dems in particular.

“What we lost really was credibility as a political party that does politics differently. There are times to compromise in politics but this was a compromise too far.” 

At the 2019 election, the Greens won 2.7 per cent of the vote, up 1.1 per cent from 2017. MP Caroline Lucas was re-elected with a larger vote share but the party failed to gain another seat. 

Mr Ali is one of four candidates in the race alongside current co-leaders Jonathan Bartley and Sian Berry — who share the top job — and Solihull councillor Rosemary Sexton. 

Five candidates are also running for deputy leader. Unlike other parties which wait for their leaders to resign, the Green Party holds leadership elections every two years. 

Members will be voting between August 3 to 31 with the results announced shortly after. 

If elected, Mr Ali would be the country’s first parliamentary party leader of colour, something he said would be an important step towards bringing BAME communities to Green politics. 

It comes as the Greens retook Brighton Council on Thursday night after city council leader Nancy Platts from the Labour group stepped down earlier this week. 

Councillors voted 39 to 14 in favour of a new Green administration with councillor Phelim Mac Cafferty as council leader.