Zack Polanski has declared Britain's two-party politics "dead and buried" as his Green party achieved its first ever mayoral election victory and gained councillors across England, including winning three councils outright. As Labour losses mounted nationwide and the Conservatives faced another disappointing set of results, Polanski positioned his party as the most viable alternative to Reform.
Green Party Surge in Local Elections
Speaking at the Hackney count centre in east London, where the party secured its first elected mayor, Polanski stated: "It is very clear that the new politics is the Green party versus Reform." He added: "I said that the Green party were going to replace Labour. That's exactly what we did in Gorton and Denton, it's what we've done in Hackney, and we're seeing that right across the country."
With 116 of 136 councils having declared results by mid-evening, the party celebrated 190 new council seats, along with seats in the Scottish and Welsh parliaments for the first time. Polanski emphasised that in almost all seats, whether target or non-target, the Green party vote share is rising.
Expert Analysis on Green Performance
Professor Tony Travers, a local government expert at the London School of Economics, noted that the Greens' performance in London was tempered by the capital's unique political dynamics. "The Greens haven't done perhaps as well as they were expecting, with the sense of that momentum that was gathering around the party in the capital seeming to be fizzling out slightly," he said.
Pollster and former YouGov chair Peter Kellner drew parallels with Reform's 2024 general election challenge, stating: "They are feeling the impact of the first past the post system, and because its vote is more evenly spread they are not winning seats. They would be much better off doing really well in a handful of places and nothing anywhere else, because they would end up with more political sway than if they come second in many places."
Historic Victories in Hackney and Beyond
In a significant blow to Keir Starmer, the Greens took control of Hackney council, where Labour had been in power for all but eight years since the borough's creation in 1964. They also unseated Labour from mayoral power in the east London borough after 24 years. Newly elected Mayor Zoe Garbett won with 35,720 votes to Labour's 26,865, telling reporters she was "elated" and promising it was just the beginning.
Garbett stated: "Across London and the country, people have made it clear that they are desperate for an alternative to this failing Labour government. It's not old politics versus new parties. This is about a system of fear versus a movement of hope." Her party colleague Liam Shrivastava was elected mayor of Lewisham hours later.
The Greens also won overall majorities in Norwich and Hastings from no overall control, and took Waltham Forest from Labour, the party's first council in London. In Hastings, the party gained 10 additional seats while Labour lost seven of its nine councillors. Council leader Glenn Haffenden described the results as "beyond our wildest dreams," attributing success to prudent financial management and Polanski's national appeal.
Labour's Losses and Green Momentum
In a sign of disenchantment in many London boroughs, the Labour leader of Camden council, which includes Keir Starmer's Holborn and St Pancras constituency, lost his seat to the Green party. Garbett highlighted systemic failures: "All the work I've ever done has been to change the system and services that let people down, harm people, and widen inequality. Our borough has over a quarter of a million people. So many people have been failed by the government and the systems, whether it's parents, migrants, trans people, disabled people and younger people."
Polanski, focusing on a positive vision, said: "I'm not interested in just criticising the government. When you combine hope and a plan, that's when you win elections like Hackney." He considers Hackney, one of London's most diverse areas, a bellwether for the Greens, with speculation that he may use it to launch his own Westminster career.
