I’m not a member of the Green Party and since I’m a socialist while I can certainly support many of its policies my politics lie elsewhere.
However whatever his faults, and every political leader has faults, Zack Polanski has stood up for a radical politics that was and is otherwise unrepresented on the national stage. Despite the fact that he is Jewish is under attack for wondering what exactly a State that has prosecuted a genocide in Gaza really is about. Of course practical solidarity with Palestinians, which by the way, has led to the focus on that issue, is the key. Conference motions are just that.
Polanski failed to win the Holborn and St Pancras By Election but did credibly. The Green vote increased (the graphic above is from the Financial Times). Of course the socialist independent Andrew Feinstein who came second to Starmer in 2024 did not stand. Many of his votes probably went to Polanski but the one to one transfer is never a given.
Polanski is now under attack from some in his own party but also from the media. The Telegraph was overjoyed that Polanski lost while in the Guardian John Harris complained that Polanski is the wrong sort of Green.
Given that the Greens are primarily an electoralist party it might be worth considering that under Polanski they are doing better and that the politics he represents may well be a factor in that.
He is under pressure to change tack. Hopefully and we have been here before with Jeremy Corbyn in 2018, he resists that. Interesting times warrants interesting politics not another version of the great moving right show.
Also he has a beard which he does not promote enough
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