By Eniola Amadu
Zack Polanski has been elected leader of the Green Party of England and Wales in a decisive victory that signalled a bold new direction for the party.
The London Assembly member and former deputy leader secured 85% of the vote, defeating the co-leadership ticket of Adrian Ramsay and Ellie Chowns by 20,411 votes to 3,705 in a ballot of members.
Turnout stood at just over 37%, a significant rise on the 22% recorded when the post was last contested in 2021.
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A former actor known for his sharp communication style, Polanski used his victory speech in London to position the Greens as the true alternative to both Reform UK and Labour.
“This is the Green Party’s time,” he declared to a cheering crowd.
“People in this country are exhausted, sick of long hours, insecurity and a political class that fails them. Reform pretends to serve working people while being funded by billionaires destroying our democracy and planet. It is our moral responsibility to step up with bold politics.”
Addressing Labour leader Keir Starmer directly, Polanski added: “We are not here to be disappointed by you or concerned by you. We are here to replace you.”
He pledged that the Greens would target more than 30 parliamentary seats at the next election and ruled out any deal to support a Starmer-led government.
The scale of Polanski’s win marks a turning point for the party. While the Greens have traditionally focused on gradual gains through councillor and MP numbers, Polanski signalled a more radical direction.
He promised a media-savvy, confrontational approach to mirror the rapid rise of Reform UK under Nigel Farage, insisting it was time to raise the party’s “communications game” and embrace “visionary, ambitious” politics.
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Although he acknowledged Jeremy Corbyn’s stance on Gaza, Polanski stopped short of endorsing alliances, preferring “intellectual coalitions.”
Corbyn congratulated him, while Labour’s Ellie Reeves pressed him to clarify his position on NATO.
