‘Threats to our precious planet become ever more urgent’; why is Green Party MP Caroline Lucas stepping down?

There is potentially a scenario that no Green Party members will be in the Houses of Parliament after the next selection, as the only Green MP, Caroline Lucas, has announced this morning through Twitter that she will be standing down after the next election. Lucas, 62, was leader of the Green Party twice - once between 2008 and 2012 when the position was established, and then again between 2016 and 2018.

Lucas, who has been the MP for Brighton since ousting previous MP David Lepper in 2010, has stated that her work in politics has now become difficult to juggle being a lone Green MP in parliament alongside her environmental work. In an opinion piece published by the i earlier today, she explained “balancing the intensity of these constituency commitments with the other elements of my job hasn’t always been easy.” 

“In Parliament, I speak not only on behalf of my constituents but also, as my party’s sole MP, on behalf of every Green voter in the country – and on every frontbench portfolio. And the truth is, I want to spend more time on the existential challenges our country (and planet) faces – most urgently the climate and nature emergencies, which drive me.”

“[...] as the threats to our precious planet become ever more urgent, I want to concentrate fully on these accelerating crises. I have therefore decided not to stand for Parliament again at the next election.”

The next general election in the UK is set to take place no later than January 2025, but that can always be brought closer in the event of a snap election - however this would be a decision that, since new laws have passed, current PM Rishi Sunak only has the power to call.

Who is Caroline Lucas’s family and what is her net worth?

Caroline Lucas is married to former cricketer and now English teacher Richard Savage, with the pair tying the knot in 1991. Savage’s claim to fame in the sporting world is that he was one of the few English cricketers to bowl out the great West Indies batter Viv Richards.

The pair have two adult sons, one of which is, according to public record, an academic at University of California, Santa Barbara, possibly following in the educational career of his father. 

As of writing, Caroline Lucas’ net worth stands at $5 million USD - and at one time was both one of the UK’s richest politicians alongside her popularity rating being in the higher tiers of public perception.

Full statement from Caroline Lucas announced her stepping down next election:

“I love this city and its people, and I know how incredibly blessed I’ve been to have been given the opportunity to represent you, and to work alongside you.

“I have always prided myself on being, first and foremost, a good constituency MP.”

“I’ve done everything possible to help wherever I can and always worked to ensure that people feel heard, that their concerns matter, and that they are not alone.

“But the intensity of these constituency commitments, together with the particular responsibilities of being my party’s sole MP, mean that, ironically, I’ve not been able to focus as much as I would like on the existential challenges that drive me – the nature and climate emergencies.”

“The truth is, as these threats to our precious planet become ever more urgent, I have struggled to spend the time I want on these accelerating crises.

“I have therefore decided not to stand again as your MP at the next election.”