Adrian Philip Ramsay (born 1981) is a British politician who has served as the Member of Parliament for Waveney Valley since 2024. He was a co-leader of the Green Party of England and Wales from 1 October 2021 to 2 September 2025. He was previously the deputy leader of the Green Party of England and Wales from 2008 to 2012. He served as a Norwich City councillor from 2003 to 2011. He was chief executive of the Centre for Alternative Technology from 2014 to 2019,'CAT CEO to Step Down', Centre for Alternative Technologies (1 February 2019). and from 2019 to 2024 was CEO of MCS Charitable Foundation.'MCS Appoints New CEO ', MCS Charitable Foundation (25 July 2019).'Trustees ', MCS Charitable Foundation (accessed 19 September 2021).
Ramsay was the successful Green parliamentary candidate for Waveney Valley at the 2024 general election and became the first Green MP for a seat in the East of England. This marked the first time that both Green Party co-leaders were elected to Parliament, and he also became the first ever male MP for a Green party in the United Kingdom.
In 2025, Adrian Ramsay stood for re-election as the Co-leader of the Green Party along with Ellie Chowns, but they lost to Zack Polanski.
Early life and education Ramsay was born and brought up in Norwich. He was educated at City of Norwich School, graduated from the University of East Anglia with a first class degree in politics and sociology in 2002, and went on to study for a master's degree in politics.
Early political career
Ramsay joined the Green Party at the age of 16 in 1998, choosing it as the only party concerned with environmental issues and animal cruelty. He was first elected to Norwich City Council representing Henderson ward in May 2003, representing the Green Party. Aged 21, he was one of the youngest councillors in the UK. Later that year, he spoke at a demonstration against tuition fees in the UK. Ramsay was re-elected in June 2004 for Nelson ward.The Green Party in Northern Ireland : Student to challenge Education Secretary for Commons seat
In a BBC article from May 2006, Ramsay was described as "pursuing a full-time career through his council work on a £9,500 annual allowance". In 2007, he was elected for a third time. In 2010, he was serving as the leader of the opposition to the Labour council. At the 2011 local elections, he did not seek re-election to Norwich City Council.
Ramsay stood as parliamentary candidate in the Norwich South constituency in the 2005 general election. He came fourth, with 7.4% of the vote (3,101 votes). He stood for Norwich South again in the 2010 general election; the party's leader, Caroline Lucas, cited him as one of the Green candidates with the greatest chance of winning. Ramsay came in fourth place with 14.9% of the vote (7,095 votes). He co-organised Lucas's campaign in Brighton Pavilion which saw her elected as the UK's first Green MP.
Ramsay was elected unopposed as the first Deputy Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales on 5 September 2008. In 2009 he made a speech at the party's conference calling for the end of private finance initiative agreements in the NHS. He was re-elected as Deputy Leader in the 2010 leadership election with 73.4% of the vote. He was speculated as a possible successor to the party's first leader, Caroline Lucas, but did not stand in the 2012 leadership election nor seek re-election as deputy leader.
Career outside politics Ramsay was chief executive of the Centre for Alternative Technology from 2014 to 2019, working in Powys, Wales. He returned to Norfolk in 2019 and took up the post of chief executive of the MCS Charitable Foundation, a charity working towards carbon-free UK homes, from which he resigned on election to Parliament in July 2024.
Return to politics On 16 August 2021, Ramsay announced his candidacy for co-leader of the Green Party alongside the Bristol councillor Carla Denyer. He said that the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report had motivated him to return to politics. The pair's joint candidacy emphasised professionalising the party and winning a second Green MP and a first Green Member of the Senedd (MS). The announcement that the pair had been elected was made on 1 October 2021.
In 2023, he defended local Green Party politicians who block solar farms, saying that while the Green Party sees "an important role for solar farms as part of the mix", solar application has to be "considered on [their] merits".
Parliamentary career
At the 2024 general election, Ramsay was elected MP for Waveney Valley with 20,467 votes (41.7%) and a majority of 5,593 over the second-placed Conservative candidate. There were six candidates and a 69% turnout. He became the first Green MP for a seat in the East of England. This marked the first time that both Green Party co-leaders were elected to Parliament. He became the first ever male MP for a Green party in the UK. He was also one of the first five Green Party MPs overall: Lucas retired after fourteen years as an MP, with successful Green candidates Siân Berry, Ellie Chowns, and Ramsay's co-leader Carla Denyer joining him as first-time MPs. Nationally, Labour formed a majority government with Keir Starmer taking office as Prime Minister.
Shortly after assuming office, Ramsay voiced opposition to plans by the new government to build a 100-mile corridor of pylons to connect his Suffolk constituency to offshore wind power. Ramsay said he was in favour of considering other options, including an offshore grid. This led to allegations of NIMBYism, including from the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ed Miliband. Responding to the allegations in an interview on LBC, Ramsay claimed he was representing concerns of his constituents.
Since 4 July 2024, Ramsay has served as the Green Party's spokesperson for health, dentistry, and environment, food and rural affairs in the House of Commons. He has also been a member of the Environmental Audit Committee since 8 June 2026. On 21 October 2024, Ramsay introduced the Nature-based Solutions (Water and Flooding) Bill, a private member's bill that would require water companies and relevant public bodies to use nature-based solutions to improve water and flood risk management.
Following the Supreme Court ruling on For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers, Ramsay said he supported the ruling. Asked if he believed trans women are women, he did not explicitly agree or disagree. He also said that he believed members of the Green Party should not be expelled from the party for anti-trans views. In response to this, the Young Greens published a statement with their disappointment in Ramsay's comments.
On 8 May 2025, Greens co-leader Carla Denyer announced she would not seek re-election in the 2025 party leadership election so as to focus on her work as an MP. This meant that Ramsay would either have to seek another co-candidate, or stand as a single lone candidate. Three days later, he launched a joint leadership bid alongside fellow Green Party MP Ellie Chowns. The results of the leadership were announced on 2 September 2025, with Chowns and Ramsay being defeated by Zack Polanski.
Ramsay voted against the proscription of Palestine Action. He called for the postponement of the 2026 Norfolk Police and Crime Commissioner by-election.
Elections contested
European Parliament
DateConstituencyList positionList votes % votes 2004 East of England 2nd 84,068 5.6
House of Commons
Date Constituency Votes % votes Place 2005 Norwich South 3,101 7.4 4th 2010 Norwich South 7,095 14.9 4th 2024 Waveney Valley 20,467 41.7 Elected
Norwich City Council
Date Council Ward Votes Place 2003 Norwich City Council Henderson 991 Elected 2004 Norwich City Council Nelson 1,643 Elected 2007 Norwich City Council Nelson 1,899 Elected
Co-Leader of the Green Party DateVotes % votesPlace2021 6,274 (second round) 61.7 (second round) Elected (on a joint ticket with Carla Denyer)2025 3,705 15.4 2nd (on a joint ticket with Ellie Chowns)
Deputy Leader of the Green Party DateVotes % votesPlace2008 Elected unopposed20102,38673.4Elected
References
External links
Page on the website of the Green Party of England and Wales Cllr Adrian Ramsay's Green Party website biography Adrian Ramsay's Norwich Green Party website biography