Zack Polanski is the fresh new face on the block of British politics. Despite only being leader of the Green Party for 7 months, he seems to have converted the Greens from a fringe party within the British political landscape, to a force to be reckoned with electorally and the left-wing outlet for voters who feel that Keir Starmer’s Labour Party has deserted them. He has taken the Green Party to polling heights of 21% of the national vote, according to YouGov, and has been said to have been one of the primary reasons for the Green Party’s surprise victory in the Gorton and Denton by-election.
Yet, the two-sided coin of Polanski’s prevalence has been exemplified with his reaction to the recent Golder’s Green attack. Polanski reposted a post on X that read “essentially his officers were repeatedly and violently kicking a mentally ill man in the head when he was already incapacitated by Taser.”, in relation to the police’s treatment of the assailant. Recent incidents involving potential Green Party candidates being arrested for antisemitic remarks have then provoked many to label the Green Party as one with serious issues with antisemitism. In addition, Polanski’s weak showing on the Rest is Politics and accusations by many of a lack of political substance behind his messaging have led some to reconnoitre the man further. Therefore, in this article I will look to conduct a true in-depth study of Zack Polanski the man, his significance and his policy platform – and what these could mean for the future of British politics.
Zack Polanski, born as ‘David Paulden’, is a character with a background unlike any other in British politics. He worked as a stage actor in his younger years, before infamously becoming a hypnotherapist. As you have already likely heard, during this time, a journalist from the Sun requested that he give her hypnotherapy to increase the size of her breasts – an action that Polanski has since stated that he regretted. He had no real involvement in politics until, at the age of 33, he joined the Liberal Democrats in 2015. Joining the Liberal Democrats following their time in politically ruinous coalition with the Conservatives certainly would have made him stand out from the crowd! He then went on to join the Green Party in 2017, before being elected as a member of the London Assembly in 2021. Following his stint as deputy leader of the party, he then ran in the 2025 leadership election for the Green Party, winning a highly impressive 84% of the vote. While the Greens were polling at 10% nationally at the time of his election, this then rose up to 21% in March, before dipping back down to around 15% currently.
Polanski has become a highly significant figure within the current British political system, predominantly stemming from his and the Green Party’s current popularity. The Green Party seems to be the current counterweight for Reform UK’s popularity among older people, as the Greens are by far the most popular party among 18-24 year olds and currently the second most popular among 25-49 year olds, according to Statista. While young people have, in recent decades, been a safe bet for the Labour Party, insofar as they turn out on election day – this current Green dominance may cause real electoral headaches for Starmer’s Labour. Polanski himself seems to have his mind set more so on dislodging the Labour Party than tackling the Reform UK threat – stating on a podcast that he would rather the next election be a contest between the Greens and Reform than between the Greens and Labour. Polanski becoming a potential thorn in the side of the Labour Party was enacted in the recent Gorton and Denton by-election, with the Greens winning with 40% of the vote in what was previously a Labour safe seat. This was the Greens’ first ever by-election win and their first ever seat in the north of England. This win was certainly helped by the seat’s large Muslim population, who have strongly responded to the party’s pro-Palestinian position, yet also demonstrates that the Green Party’s message is resonating with a much wider electorate than it would historically.
This neatly leads us onto a discussion of Polanski and the Green Party’s policy positions. While Polanski has certainly become a prominent figure in the media and on social media, his short tenure as leader of the Green Party thus far has led to a lack of clarity around his concrete policy positions. While this is commonplace in the British political landscape, seeing as we are likely not close to another general election – with this article, I will aim to piece together what has been stated of his true policy platform, beyond his ‘eco-populist’ branding.
Polanski has cemented the Green Party’s position as a party of radical economic justice – as seen by some of the Greens’ eyebrow-raising 2026 campaigning pledges. These include the implementation of a £15 minimum wage, guaranteed pay rises at least in line with inflation for public sector workers, the repealing of all anti-strike and anti-union legislation passed since 1979 and, one that has certainly created online discourse, the implementation a 1:10 pay ratio in all firms, in which the highest paid employee cannot make more than 10 times the wages of the lowest paid employee. Currently, these are largely futile promises with no general election in sight and the chances of the Greens leading a government at such an election are certainly low. These promises are then predominantly uncosted ideals that other, more mainstream parties, could not promise.
While many of these economic promises sound just on paper and certainly ‘pop’ in an X or an Instagram post, it raises some real questions. The first being how could the UK truly be a global economic powerhouse with a ‘1:10 ratio’ for wages – which is essentially a wage cap under alternative branding. While there is certainly a desire and a necessity within the current British economy for a greater degree of economic justice to limit the ever-increasing wealth disparities that persist and alienate our society, how could the UK ever truly be considered to be a global financial and business hub with what firms will interpret as a strict wage cap? There are also certainly strong counterarguments that could be made to the other aforementioned policies, but the 1:10 ratio policy to me feels like the most egregious example of posturing and policymaking for the sake of virtue signalling. If the Green Party wants to be a serious, viable contender at the next general election, this is something they must avoid if they want to be seen as an electable alternative to the majority of the British population.
Their policy platforms on other issues are likely more obvious. The Greens continue to be the party of the continually important environmental issue. They want the UK to become more ambitious and reach net-zero before 2050, proposing a carbon tax to contribute towards this. While certain foreign policy positions are advertised at the centre of their policy platform, such as their continued support for Palestinian resistance and anti-Israeli stance – there are some platforms that may be slightly swept under the rug; such as their policy to dismantle the nuclear Trident programme and Polanski’s anti-NATO position. The latter two policies again may cause all but the most hard-left voters to raise an eyebrow and question where this would leave British national security, in an environment in which we seem increasingly isolated as it is. Could it truly be argued that disarmament and withdrawal from security alliances are the way towards a stronger Britain?
These are certainly their most standout policies that have currently been published. Hopefully has provided greater context, especially to the younger readership, of the current positioning of the Green Party within the British politique. While the current political landscape is one almost bereft of options and outlets that look to appeal to the youth, Polanski appears to be a breath of fresh air. His posturing and sentiments look to be in the right place, but there is currently a real lack of substance and a policy platform that leaves a lot to be desired. These, along with the party’s ongoing issues with antisemitism, beg some real questions as to the future of the Greens and the direction they choose to pursue.
These upcoming local elections will be a real test for the Greens longevity within the British political landscape. Further big wins will cement them as a part that is here to stay and part of the furniture of UK politics, not a brief flash in the pan. The party has been set to make major inroads into elections in London and will look to replicate this across the country. If the Greens underperform expectations, this could be a real indictment of the recent controversies within their party; particularly that of antisemitism. However, if the Greens win big, as looks to be likely, this could help these issues unfortunately be forgotten by the majority of the electorate. However, with greater success comes a greater magnifying glass from the media and the voters around the party as a whole. Therefore, while the Greens look to be a real force to be reckoned with – the electorate will look to see some real substance behind their ideals. Can Zack Polanski walk the walk?