Overview
- Announcing the move in Newcastle, the former North of Tyne mayor said “Britain’s a mess,” citing soaring living costs and failing economic policy as reasons for joining the Greens.
- Driscoll said he will stand in the city’s May 2026 council elections under the Green banner and could seek a parliamentary seat in future if selected.
- At the launch event, deputy leader Mothin Ali cited 184,000 members nationwide and more than 1,000 recent sign-ups on Tyneside, with leader Zack Polanski presenting Driscoll’s switch as part of a wider Green surge that has included recent defections such as five Brent councillors and former MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle.
- Newcastle City Council will contest all 78 seats next May, the authority is currently under no overall control, and the Greens hold four seats after a recent Labour defection as Ali urged local Greens to aim to lead the administration.
- Driscoll left Labour after being barred from standing in 2023, ran as an independent in 2024, built the Majority movement that aided a Green by-election win in August 2025, and resigned in October from MoU Operations linked to the Your Party donations row.