The first Green Party MP gives us enhanced media credibility, greater visibility and consolidates our position as the fourth party in British politics. We now have someone right at the heart of decision making. And just as importantly the people of Brighton Pavilion have an excellent local MP.
Victory in Brighton Pavilion was never ever guaranteed, despite Caroline Lucas being the bookies' favourite and a range of other factors in our favour. Indeed, in the final week of the campaign the Lib Dem surge (which turned out to be a complete media myth) seriously concerned me as the contest in that constituency was incorrectly portrayed by the BBC and others as a four horse race.
Brighton Pavilion is the first seat. A number of commentators have pointed out how it was only twenty four years between the election of the first Labour MP and the first Labour government. Nobody in the Green Party is even remotely counting on that, but the fact that a new political force is taking its rightful place in the House of Commons is a major achievement and a significant development in UK politics. Fed up Labour and Lib Dem voters in particular (and especially the latter given recent events) now have a very visible alternative to their old parties.
Understandably though, it's disappointing to lose a number of our local councillors in these elections, who effectively fell victim to the higher turnout and dual elections which undoubtedly helped the bigger parties. It's safe to say that in the normal local elections cycle this wouldn't have happened and further gains would certainly have been made, especially in London where we were hardest hit.