Zack Polanski has won the Green Party leadership in a landslide victory, promising to shift the party's politics to the left through "eco-populism". The London Assembly member secured 20,411 votes from party members, vastly outpacing his rivals Ellie Chowns and Adrian Ramsay who received just 3,705 votes combined.
In his victory speech, Polanski delivered a direct challenge to Sir Keir Starmer's (Labour) Government. "We are not here to be disappointed by you, we are not here to be concerned by you, we're here to replace you," he told Labour, warning they would hold the Government to account on issues including the two-child benefit cap and disability cuts.
Reclaiming populist language
The new Green leader wants to "reclaim" populist rhetoric from the political right, specifically targeting Nigel Farage's Reform UK. "We want to reclaim the word 'populist', the word 'patriot', and even the flag," Polanski told PA Media. "I think we need to stop giving these symbols and these ideas to the right just because they shout louder."
Polanski acknowledged Reform's success in storytelling whilst condemning their methods. "I despise Nigel Farage politics and everything he stands for. He takes misinformation and lies and then combines it with a powerful story," he said. The Green Party leader admitted his party could learn from Reform's narrative approach without adopting their "misinformation and lies".
Left-wing cooperation prospects
Despite matching Reform's four MPs in Parliament, the Greens trail significantly in membership numbers with 68,500 members compared to Reform's more than 200,000. Polanski said he wanted to change this immediately and suggested openness to working with other left-wing figures including former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
"I'm willing to work and talk with anyone who shares my values, and that includes Jeremy Corbyn, includes Zarah Sultana, frankly, includes some of the MPs from the Liberal Democrats, too," Polanski stated. Corbyn responded positively on X, writing that he looked forward to "working with you to create a fairer, kinder world".
Electoral challenge to Labour
The victory could signal a fresh challenge to Starmer's Government from the left, with groups like We Deserve Better vowing to build a "strong and united left" following Polanski's win. In his speech, the new leader appealed to voters feeling "politically homeless", promising to "take on power and wealth" in the UK.
Labour Party chairwoman Ellie Reeves called on Polanski to "level with the British people" about his stance on NATO membership. The Green leader told PA it was "unrealistic for now" for the UK to leave NATO but said he favoured starting conversations about European "alternatives".
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
