Right, so the Green Party had a good set of local elections, they doubled their representation across the council areas contended, but there is no getting away from the fact that Reform UK stormed it. That in part is down to the constant platforming of Reform MPs and Nigel Farage, and they are ostensibly good media performers. The Green Party has come in for a fair bit of criticism for not cutting through, but they don’t get the platforming either, though when they do, they still don’t necessarily resonate. The party is criticised often for being too quiet, too timid, not being pugnacious enough in the face of opposition party figures who make more noise, but say far less, but amongst the Green’s regular media spokespeople, Deputy Leader of the Party, Zack Polanski does stand out. He is eloquent, he is pointed, he doesn’t stumble, he addresses points head on, he rarely bats an eyelid in the face of media gotcha attempts and although like a lot of Greens he might not be a household name yet, given the chance he could be and now he’s got it.
Zack has to the loud cheers frankly of a lot of us in the Green party, today announced he’s running to be the next Green Party leader, Green Party leadership elections held every two years as they are, mandated as such and the next lot are coming this summer. For those critical of the Greens that they aren’t left enough, that they aren’t loud enough, Polanski is exactly the man to get behind right now and I’ll certainly be backing him.
Right, so that was Zack Polanski’s leadership launch video, attacking Starmer’s Labour and the rancid arguments against taking climate change seriously straight out of the blocks, slamming the populist Farage who will quickly be found wanting now they’ve got a bit of power and frankly listening to the likes of Lincolnshire mayor Andrea Jenkyns talk about tents for migrants in a manner that evoked images of concentration camps and talk of sacking diversity officers in councils that don’t even have them shows they haven’t got a scooby what they are doing, the Farage con having been repeated again, but its easily done when you get as much press attention as he does.
For as much progress as the Greens have been making, eight years running they have increased their share of councillors, they still lack punch, so for anyone having seen Polanski perform in the media, and there are plenty of examples online of him going toe to toe with the worst of media presenter lines of questioning attempting to get one over on him and failing miserably, the Greens at last have a chance of being led by a guy who can give Farage a run for his money and run rings around other political leaders besides. There are few political leaders that I can think of, that have that calm demeanour that comes combined with knowing your stuff and getting it across concisely and cuttingly if needs be. Jeremy Corbyn is brilliant at this, Polanski is very similar I think in his presentation style, though perhaps that little bit more vociferous and that is needed, because to turn the Greens into a movement for change now, they need to be bolder and they need to be cutting through in a way they haven’t been able to before and Polanski might be very difficult to ignore.
In a political landscape that is becoming ever increasingly dominated by rightward shifts, driven by Farage and the other parties chasing to out racist him frankly, the announcement of Zack Polanski's candidacy for the leadership of the Green Party couldn’t come at a better moment. As the first to declare his intention to run for the post, Polanski brings a dynamic presence and a vision aimed at transforming the Green Party into a formidable force of the left, already having become a home for many who have left Labour either by choice or by force, finding a new home there where you can be a socialist and advocate for social justice and not be punished for it, that is certainly how I came to the party. Polanski’s bid not only makes the upcoming leadership election a very exciting prospect now, but also presents an opportunity for the Greens to fill the widening void left by Labour's rightwards trajectory along with the Conservative Party's continued rightward drift, all in the wake of Nasty Nige.
The Green Party's leadership election is scheduled for this Summer. Why are they having one Damo? The Greens did well you might perhaps be thinking, and sure, they did, but they need to do better if they’re going to cut through, because that still isn’t happening. The leadership contest is happening because of the party's constitutional provisions, which allow for either a single leader or two co-leaders. If a single leader is elected, two deputy leaders will be chosen; if co-leaders are elected, only one deputy leader will serve and these elections happen every two years, making sure members are always led by who they want to be led by, the Greens are more membership led than any other mainstream political party. This election however comes after a delay decided at the 2023 Autumn Conference to avoid clashing with the general election timeline. The current co-leaders, Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay, have yet to announce their intentions regarding re-election, so far its just zack and I’d be more than happy if it stayed that way.
Zack Polanski has served as the Green Party's deputy leader since 2022 and been a London Assembly member since 2021 and despite only joining the Greens himself in 2017, he has grown to be an increasingly prominent figure within the party. As chair of London's Environment Committee and the party's spokesperson for Democracy & Citizen Engagement, he has championed issues ranging from environmental policy to democratic reforms and for him the two go hand in hand – you can’t save the planet, without social justice and a better deal for ordinary working class people running in tangent. Polanski is Jewish, he is openly gay, he has a background in drama, which might well contribute to his pointed and perfectly pitched style of communication and media savviness.
The UK's political environment has seen traditional parties like Labour and the Conservatives move ever rightwards leaving many progressive voters feeling unrepresented and whereas the Greens have been there for some time as an option for them, they still haven’t seen the Greens as such. Labour's strategy to attract former Conservative voters has alienated much of its core base, leading to losses to parties like the Greens and Liberal Democrats, though I don’t consider them at all progressive. The rise of Reform UK, with its allegedly significant membership – and I say that because its still run more like a limited company than a political party, what say do members actually have? But their electoral gains are impossible to ignore and just go to further underscore the shifting dynamics, British politics just veering right still and a desperate need for a left alternative that is seen as the genuine article. Polanski has correctly identified this moment as critical, and in his leadership pitch, is emphasising the need for the Green Party to step into that space vacated on the left, by every other main party.
Polanski advocates for transforming the Green Party into a radical, mass-membership movement rooted in what he is calling "eco-populism." This approach combines evidence-based environmental policies as the Greens have always stood for, with a compelling narrative that cuts through and resonates with a broader audience, to go toe to toe with Farage on his populist turf. Polanski’s argument is the right one, in that the party must be more visible and bold, moving beyond incremental growth as the party keeps making gains sure, but to become a much more significant political force and the way you get that as a Green, is by being to big to ignore. His campaign seeks to emphasise confronting social inequalities, combating fascism, and addressing climate change with urgency.
The Green Party has faced a lot of criticisms for being too liberal, too quiet, or failing to make a significant impact despite its long-standing presence. The Greens have been around since 1990 and whilst they have made progress, its been glacial compared to yet another Farage vehicle in Reform UK. Polanski acknowledges this, freely states it and has made clear its way past time this was addressed, proposing a shift towards more assertive leadership and clearer communication. By embracing a more confrontational media style and focusing on grassroots organising, he aims to revitalise the party's image and increase its effectiveness.
The Green Party have already started moving in this direction. There was always a home for disaffected socialists in the Green Party, amongst the Green Socialists group and now with the recent launch of a far more in your face Green movement called Greens Organise, it’s the perfect time to get involved and get behind Polanski’s campaign, the Back Zack campaign as its being called, it wrote itself frankly didn’t it?
Polanski's leadership bid offers an opportunity to embrace the work of these more activist led, more socialist led groups under a common vision for the party's future and to get the attention the party’s status on British politics warrants it get.
Polanski's campaign utilizes modern digital platforms to reach potential supporters. His campaign website, backzack.com, outlines his platform and invites engagement from party members and the public alike, as well as offering a chance to join and have a say in getting this guy elected.
Zack Polanski's entry into the Green Party's leadership race injects new energy and direction at a time when the UK's political left seeks revitalisation. His vision of eco-populism, commitment to social justice, and emphasis on bold, inclusive leadership present a compelling case for the party's future. For the left, this is the best chance we’ve had in years now to take the fight back to the Blairite right of Starmer’s Labour and the road to fascism their failure is putting this country on. If anyone can take on Farage and his narratives and his media presence, then Polanski can. He will scare the living daylights out of Starmer and Farage both and will make sure the media can no longer ignore the Greens, because he’s not the kind of guy, who likes to be ignored. This is a proper seize the moment point for the Green Party in order to redefine its identity, build its presence as a movement of the left and position itself as the leading progressive force in British politics today, at a time when we sorely need one. I’ll be very much backing Zack. I’ll also be very much expecting some rather familiar media attacks to begin to try and bring him down, because he is the next big establishment threat if he gets in. Don’t fall for it again, join the Greens and get behind him.
Some significant figures have done so already – Labour councillors! Defections happening ahead of the recent local elections, one such example features in this video recommendation here as your suggested next watch, so if even Starmer’s elected figures are jumping ship to the Greens, what’s your excuse not to? Please do also hit like, share and subscribe if you haven’t done so already, so as to ensure you don’t miss out on all new daily content as well as supporting the channel at the same time, which is very much appreciated, holding power to account for ordinary working class people and I will hopefully catch you on the next vid. Cheers folks.