The Greens are celebrating being the largest party on Brighton & Hove City Council after the English local election results were declared.
The outcome of the 5 May 2011 poll amounts to the first time a local council in Britain has elected the Greens as the largest party - and follows on from Caroline Lucas, Green Party leader in England and Wales, being elected the first Green MP in Westminster a year ago.
Brighton and Hove Green convenor Bill Randall commented: "The city has listened to the Greens and we have listened to the city. Greens will now sit down and plan how to take the city forward in these difficult times.
"This is the first time the Greens have been the largest party on any council in the UK and people seem to be genuinely enthused by the option of a Green-led council.
"It's a great result for the city and a huge vote of confidence in the Greens. People went Green across Brighton & Hove. We held all our seats and gained 10 more.
"We now have 23 Green councillors, making us the largest Green group of councillors in the country.
"The next step is for us to talk to other parties about how we will work with them and implement our manifesto pledges at a very challenging time for local government budgets.
"We can't say how this will work until we have entered into discussions," said Randall.
The Scottish Green Party maintained two MSPs from the regional list, despite the huge swing to the SNP.
The full results (gains and holds) for the Greens in England are as follows: http://www.greenparty.org.uk/elections/2011-results.html
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