Rachel Millward

Millward was born on 11 January 1977 in the West Midlands to Maurice and Sheila Millward.^[7][8][9] She has two sisters and two brothers.^[10] Millward attended King Henry VIII School, a private school in Coventry.^[11] She then graduated with a bachelor's degree in theology from the University of Oxford in 1999 before completing a master's programme in gender and development from the African Gender Institute at the University of Cape Town in 2001.^[12][13]

Millward initially worked as a researcher for independent film and television productions.^[13] She then founded the Birds Eye View film festival with Pinny Grylls in 2002 to showcase films made by women.^[13][14] Millward served as the festival's director until 2014, and the festival has since evolved into the charity Reclaim the Frame.^[15] In August 2006, Millward was nominated as a "world changing woman" by The Guardian for her work with Birds Eye View.^[16] In 2009, she was awarded a fellowship by the Clore Duffield Foundation as part of their leadership programme and was nominated in the media category at the Women of the Future awards.^[17][18] From 2014 to 2016, Millward was the arts director at The Old Church in Stoke Newington.^[12][19] She then served as an executive director at Sam Lee's Nest Collective from 2016 to 2020.^[12]

Millward ran as the Green Party candidate in the 2021 by-election for the Hartfield seat on Wealden District Council, following the death of councillor Chris Hardy.^[20] She won the seat by 122 votes against the Conservative Party candidate Bruce Rainbow, gaining the seat from the Conservatives.^[21] Millward retained her seat in the 2023 Wealden District Council election, with an increased majority of 318.^[22] She was appointed joint-leader of the council in May 2023 alongside the Liberal Democrat councillor James Partridge, as part of a coalition agreement between the two parties.^[23][24][25]

In July 2023, Millward was selected as the Green Party's prospective candidate for the constituency of Sussex Weald, but withdrew in May 2024 over concerns about being both a parliamentary candidate and leader of the council.^[1][26] In June 2025, Millward announced her candidacy for the Green Party deputy leadership election.^[27] Due to Zack Polanski winning the leadership election, Millward and Mothin Ali were elected as joint–deputy leaders, as the Green Party constitution stipulates that if there is a singular leader, there must be two deputy leaders.^[3][28]

In October 2025, Millward was selected as the Green Party candidate for Mayor of Sussex and Brighton for the 2028 mayoral election.^[6]

Millward lives in Hartfield with her husband and two children.^[20] Her elder daughter was born on the opening day of the 2010 Birds Eye View film festival.^[13]