Green Party Will 'Rebuild And Grow'

The Green Party NI Leader Clare Bailey has responded to their latest election results, which saw them loss their only seat in the Executive, by stating that they will "rebuild and grow".

She said: "I would like to thank the thousands of voters who supported us, and the hundreds of activists who threw everything at this campaign. It's been a tough election for us, but we're confident we can rebuild and grow.

"I'm proud of Green MLAs' work as Stormont's unofficial opposition. The Climate Change Bill is only in place because of Green MLAs - the most important piece of legislation the Assembly has ever passed on the most important issue of our generation. Rachel Woods' Safe Leave Bill will literally save the lives of victims and survivors of domestic abuse - a phenomenal legacy for someone who was only an MLA for two years. My Safe Access Zones Bill will end the campaign of intimidation and harassment facing women accessing abortion healthcare across Northern Ireland.

"The Green message remains vitally important. The growing impact of climate breakdown will become more obvious. The need for Greens influencing Northern Ireland politics remains increasingly important. An Executive must be restored as a matter of priority. All parties must work together, as we have shown they can do, to address the crises facing our public services, the cost-of-living and our climate. Greens will continue to hold the Executive parties to account for their repeated failures on environmental and social justice issues.

"Despite a disappointing election result, our vote has increased in Belfast, setting us up to make gains in next year's council elections. This is a credit to the hard work of our activists, and our Green councillors. We have a clear path for growth in next year's council elections and beyond. We'll be back."