Green councillors have kicked off the party’s campaign for the next year’s local elections, promising to do more meaningful action on climate change and the cost of living crisis.

A promotional video, featuring Green MP for Brighton Pavilion Caroline Lucas and city council leader Phelim Mac Cafferty, encouraged voters to donate to the party’s election fund to make sure more Green councillors are elected in May.

Ms Lucas said: “Next May, we have the opportunity to make history. We have the chance to elect more Green councillors than ever before.

“We want Brighton and Hove to be the fairest, greenest city that it can possibly be.”

Zoe John, Green councillor for Hollingdean and Stanmer, said that the party has been able to accomplish many things since taking control of the council in 2020.

She said: “We’ve already been able to achieve so much, like taking action on racism, laying the ground for huge installation programmes for our council homes, and creating a warm homes grant programme for anyone in fuel poverty in private accommodation.”

However, Hannah Allbrooke, deputy leader of the council, said that the party would like to go further in addressing a range of issues in the city, but that “real progress” has been “blocked” by other parties on the council.

She said: “Right now, Greens are running the council but we don’t have a majority of councillors.

“This means that we can’t always go as far as we’d like on things like introducing food waste collections, reducing air pollution and standing up against attacks on nature.

“As Greens, we believe in collaboration, but sadly we’re seeing real progress blocked.

“That’s why we need to elect more Green councillors and next May we can do that.”

Cllr Mac Cafferty urged all those in a position to donate to “make a huge difference to our chances of electing more Greens” to the city council.

The party has already raised more than £1,000 of its £5,000 target since the fundraising campaign started earlier this week.

The video comes as the Conservatives published their first campaign leaflet ahead of the elections in May.