London Greens prepare to rise to challenge of 2016 mayoral race

With high expectations from the 2012 mayoral election and experienced London Assembly members standing down, the Green Party in the capital needs to choose its candidates for 2016 well

The Green Party's candidate for next year's mayoral election will have good reasons for both high hopes and trepidation. On the one hand, London's Greens now claim a surging membership of around 12,000 and will have gathered valuable experience from fighting the recent general election campaign. On the other, anything less than emulating the feat of Jenny Jones in 2012 by finishing third, just ahead of the Liberal Democrats, would surely be a disappointment.

The Greens took 5% of the London vote in last month's national poll compared with 8% for the Lib Dems and Ukip alike. Given the distinctive character of London mayoral elections, this need not be a bad omen but it underlines the importance of having a persuasive candidate. There are five contenders so far.