In a significant political shift, former Labour metro mayor Jamie Driscoll has announced he is joining the Green Party. The move deals another blow to Keir Starmer's Labour and signals growing momentum for the Greens under their new leader.
From Labour Mayor to Green Recruit
Jamie Driscoll, who served as the Labour Mayor for the North of Tyne from 2019 to 2024, confirmed his defection on Wednesday. He left the Labour Party in 2023 after it blocked him from standing for re-election. He subsequently ran as an independent, finishing second to Labour's Kim McGuinness.
Driscoll was later involved in attempts to establish a new left-wing party, which became known as Your Party, alongside figures like former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. He has since ended his involvement with that project, which became embroiled in internal disputes.
A Statement of Disillusionment
In a powerful statement explaining his move, Driscoll was sharply critical of the current political and economic landscape. "Britain's a mess. British politics is a mess and it's not the fault of immigrants," he said.
He highlighted soaring costs of living, stating: "Food prices, energy prices, housing prices are all too high. Our economy isn't working for workers, it isn't working for small businesses. It doesn't have to be like this."
He concluded that he joined the Greens "because I see an organisation that's serious about running our country in the long-term interests of all our people."
Part of a Growing 'Green Surge'
Driscoll's defection comes just two days after five Labour councillors in the London borough of Brent crossed the floor to the Greens. Those councillors also expressed disillusionment with Labour's direction under Starmer.
The Green Party has experienced a notable rise in membership and polling numbers since Zack Polanski won the leadership contest for England and Wales in September. Polanski has injected fresh energy into the party's campaigning, particularly on social media.
Welcoming Driscoll, Polanski called the move "another example of the Green surge sweeping across the country." He praised Driscoll's track record and stated: "People are looking for bold politics that offers hope rather than fear, and solutions rather than division."
Driscoll has joined the party in Newcastle, a key target area where the Greens hope to make gains in local elections across England in May 2025. Currently, there are only four Green councillors on Newcastle City Council, compared to 29 for Labour.
While defections from Labour to the Greens are increasing, they have not yet reached the scale of Conservative MPs and councillors moving to Reform UK. Many of the Labour defectors, like Driscoll, were already in conflict with the party's central leadership. Following the Brent defections, Labour pointed out that the councillors had not been reselected to stand next May.
This high-profile recruitment underscores a period of dynamic change in UK politics, as smaller parties seek to capitalise on voter discontent with the two main traditional parties.
