Last night was a fantastic night for the Green Party; not only because we made history by electing our first leader, but because our leader is none other than Caroline Lucas, a woman who is in my view quite simply the most charismatic, passionate and engaging politician in the UK today. And Caroline has been elected by an absolutely resounding majority: 2,559 votes to her rival’s 210. That’s over 90% of the vote!

These are exciting times for us Greens as we plan to launch ourselves on Westminster in the next General Election, and on Brussels in the European elections (now exactly 9 months away). And the result of our first leadership election is part of the new thrust of momentum needed to achieve these goals. Caroline Lucas has an authenticity about her that Clegg and Cameron will never match. These will be interesting times.

Caroline speaks with passion, from the heart, and often with a strong accent of controlled anger at the injustices and dreadful mistakes that are blighting our world and our future. In Caroline, we have a leader who I believe can captivate the hearts and souls of a large portion of the electorate. If anyone can lead us fully onto the national stage, that person is Caroline Lucas as she has the dedication and determination, and the confidence and the conviction.

In fact, the other parties will be looking over their shoulders now, mindful that the Greens now have the best politician in Britain today at their helm. This isn’t just me saying this: Caroline Lucas won the award for Politician of the Year 2007 in The Observer Newspaper Ethical Awards, having been shortlisted alongside Gordon Brown and David Cameron, whom she beat to the laurel. (The award was voted for by Observer readers.)

Brownites and Cameroons will see very shortly how we in the Green Party do things differently, and how Caroline will lead differently as well. More inspiration, more perspiration; less dictation, less control-freakery.

And this is only the end of the beginning, the first move in a new direction that will see the Green Party take up it's new place in the forefront of people's hearts and minds in this country.

Our time has come, and the time has also come for the people in this country to see the choice we Greens are giving them. The choice to choose the people over big business. The choice to push for renewable energy sources over dangerously climate changing coal-fuelled power stations and uneconomical and potentially dangerous nuclear energy. And the choice to choose the well being of the country over the frenzied pursuit of economic growth.

The Gross Domestic Product measures neither the quality of care in our hospitals, nor the quality of teaching in our schools. Neither the level of our CO2 emissions, nor our renewable energy sources. Neither the morality of our people, nor the wellbeing of our society. It is a potent symbol of our inadequate economic system, a system not fit for purpose foe the times we are living in. And who can deliver these messages to the electorate better than Caroline Lucas, who I congratulate upon her election last night? There is indeed no-one better.

It was a privilege to be in that hall last night as the results were announced, and history made. You can probably tell from the tenor of this post that I am still on a high about it. For that, I make no apology.