The Green group on Lancaster City Council has welcomed Coun Martin Bottoms as its 24th member, making him the first Green councillor in Morecambe.

Coun Bottoms lives in Bare, and is currently the Lord Mayor of Bare village. He has previously worked for BT and as a taxi driver, and raised several children alone after his wife died.

He was elected as one of the three city councillors for Bare ward in 2023, as a member of the Morecambe Bay Independent (MBI) group.

When Green councillor Caroline Jackson was elected leader of the council in November 2024, the MBIs and Liberal Democrats agreed to work with Greens to form the administration of the council, and Coun Bottoms became the cabinet member for Morecambe regeneration and local economy.

Coun Martin Bottoms with council leader Caroline Jackson.

placeholder image — Coun Martin Bottoms with council leader Caroline Jackson.

Coun Bottoms said: “I’ve enjoyed working closely with the Greens in our shared administration of the city council, and have realised that my values align with those of the Green Party.

"We share a commitment to social equality, caring for nature and working hard to support local communities and businesses.”

Coun Jackson said: “Martin is an incredibly dedicated councillor, representing the council or volunteering on around 30 different committees and community groups, and overseeing some exciting regeneration projects in Morecambe.

"We are delighted to welcome him to the Green Group, and look forward to working together even more closely in future.”

The political composition of Lancaster City Council is now 24 Greens, 20 Labour, seven Liberal Democrats, five Conservatives, two MBIs and three other Independents.