Bennett Duckworth not Duckworth-Lewis

Congratulations to Natalie Bennett and Will Duckworth for winning their respective ballots. Newspapers have already picked up the news story. I know that Natalie impressed our local party members when she came to visit.

Natalie Bennett is the new leader of the Green Party of England and Wales.

Natalie is a former journalist. She has written for The Independent, The Times in London and the Bangkok Post and is a former editor of Guardian Weekly, which she left to concentrate more on writing and politics. Read more about her at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-19465606.

Cllr Will Duckworth has been appointed Deputy Leader.

Ballot results:

Leader

3,127 ballot papers were returned (a turnout of 25.1%), of which 16 were spoilt, giving a total valid vote of 3,111.

The quota required for election is therefore 1,555.6

First preference votes were distributed as follows:

Bartolotti - 389
Bennett - 1,300
Cranie - 902
Phoenix - 492
RON - 28

No candidate achieved quota and so Bartolotti is eliminated and her votes redistributed as follows:

Bennett - 187
Cranie - 74
Phoenix - 93
RON - 7
Not transferable - 28

The totals for the second round are therefore:

Bartolotti - eliminated
Bennett - 1,487
Cranie - 976
Phoenix - 585
RON - 35

No candidate achieved quota and so Phoenix is eliminated and her votes redistributed as follows:

Bennett - 270
Cranie - 228
RON - 27
Not transferable - 60

The totals for the third round are therefore:

Bartolotti - eliminated
Bennett - 1,757
Cranie - 1,204
Phoenix - eliminated
RON - 62 

Natalie Bennett is therefore elected as Leader.

Deputy Leader

3,127 ballot papers were returned (a turnout of 25.1%).

In line with the election rules set out in the Green Party constitution, the Deputy Leader cannot be of the same gender as the Leader and so Caroline Allen and Alexandra Phillips are eliminated and their first preference votes will be redistributed to the highest expressed preference for an eligible candidate.

There were 353 spoilt papers (including papers expressing a preference only for a feemale candidate or candidates), giving a total valid vote of 2774 and the quota required for election is therefore 1,387.1

First preference votes were distributed as follows:

Allen - not eligible
Duckworth - 1,329
Mallender - 1,245
Phillips - not eligible
RON - 200

No candidate achieved quota, but Green Party rules require that RON not be eliminated, so the candidate with the highest vote is elected.

Will Duckworth is therefore elected as Deputy Leader.

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Tags croydon, greenparty