Zack Polanski, a 42-year-old London Assembly member and former actor, has been elected as the new leader of the Green Party of England and Wales. Polanski, who describes himself as an ‘eco-populist’, aims to build on the party’s recent electoral success and capitalise on the frustration and political homelessness felt by many on the left.
According to Peter Walker, senior political correspondent for The Guardian, there is a buzz around the Green Party like never before. The leadership contest was relatively charged, but the party has decisively backed Polanski’s call for faster expansion over the more steady and consolidated approach offered by his rivals.
Polanski sees much to learn from the rapid rise of Reform, the right-wing populist party. In an interview, he outlined his approach to Keir Starmer’s Labour Party, though details of his strategy remain unclear.
