The U.K. Green Party has elected Zack Polanski as its new leader, marking a significant shift in the direction of the party as it seeks to expand its appeal and challenge established political rivals ahead of future elections.
Polanski, who has served as the party’s deputy leader since 2022 and is currently a member of the London Assembly, won the leadership contest with a commanding 20,411 votes, representing 85 percent of ballots cast. His rivals, MPs Adrian Ramsay and Ellie Chowns, who ran on a joint leadership ticket, secured 3,705 votes.
The result concludes a closely watched leadership contest that exposed divisions within the party over strategy, messaging, and how best to build on recent electoral gains. While Ramsay and Chowns argued for continuing the Greens’ existing approach of targeting a broad coalition of voters and strengthening the party’s presence in Westminster, Polanski campaigned on a more outspoken and activist platform.
Before entering politics, Polanski worked as an actor and hypnotherapist. During the campaign, he positioned himself firmly on the left of British politics, advocating stronger action on social justice, climate policy, housing, and refugee rights. In his victory speech, he issued a direct challenge to the governing Labour Party, declaring: “We are here to replace you.”
Polanski argued throughout the contest that the Greens needed to become more deeply embedded in local communities and offer a stronger response to the rise of Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage. He has previously suggested that the party’s messaging has not been sufficiently ambitious and that voters looking for an alternative to both Labour and the Conservatives are increasingly open to supporting the Greens.
His leadership victory comes at a politically significant moment. The Green Party recorded its strongest-ever result at the 2024 general election, winning four parliamentary seats and increasing its share of the national vote. Party strategists believe there is further room for growth as dissatisfaction with the major parties continues.
Polanski has also proposed creating a dedicated parliamentary leader to represent the party in Westminster, although details of how such a position would operate have yet to be determined.
However, his first weeks as leader have been overshadowed by controversy surrounding comments he made following the Golders Green terror attack in north London.
Polanski faced criticism after sharing a social media post that accused Metropolitan Police officers of using excessive force while arresting the suspect. The post alleged that officers had been “repeatedly and violently kicking a mentally ill man in the head when he was already incapacitated by Taser.”
The criticism came after two Jewish men were stabbed in Golders Green. Police officers responding to the incident Tasered and restrained the suspect, who was reportedly armed with a knife and initially refused to comply with police commands. The Metropolitan Police later released body-camera footage showing officers repeatedly ordering the suspect to drop the weapon.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley publicly rebuked Polanski, accusing him of amplifying “inaccurate and misinformed commentary” at a time when officers had acted to protect the public from a dangerous threat. The force stated that officers believed the suspect could have been carrying an explosive device and that he continued to pose a significant risk even after being Tasered.
The backlash extended beyond policing circles. Senior figures from across the political spectrum criticised Polanski’s decision to share the post, while some members of his own party expressed concern that the intervention risked damaging the Greens’ credibility on public safety issues.
Polanski later apologised, saying he had shared the post “in haste” and acknowledging that social media was not the appropriate forum to debate operational policing decisions. However, he maintained that public officials should not be exempt from scrutiny and said he remained concerned about aspects of the police response.
The episode highlighted broader tensions within British politics surrounding policing, public accountability, free speech, and community relations. It also served as an early test of Polanski’s leadership as he attempts to unite different factions within the Green Party while broadening its appeal to voters beyond its traditional support base.
Despite the controversy, Polanski’s supporters argue that his victory reflects growing demand for a more assertive and activist Green Party. Whether he can translate that energy into sustained electoral success remains one of the key questions facing British politics over the coming years.
