The Green Party is considering a radical reform that would cut the number of MPs by a third, as part of a broader strategy to consolidate its electoral gains and replace Labour from the left. The proposal, which would reduce the House of Commons from 650 to around 430 members, is among several policies being debated internally as the party seeks to balance radicalism with popularity.
The debate comes after the Greens swept through Labour heartlands in recent local elections, winning councils including Norwich, Hastings, Waltham Forest, Hackney and Lewisham, and becoming the largest party in Haringey and Lambeth. However, reports have emerged that party leader Zack Polanski is seeking to moderate the policy platform, though he has stressed that policy is set by members, not leaders.
Two factions have emerged within the party: maximalists, often newer members from protest movements, who want to push controversial policies to shift the Overton window left; and moderates, often longstanding councillors and staffers, who fear that appearing too radical could hurt electoral prospects. Both camps are seen as half-right, with the maximalists attuned to the crisis-driven instability of modern politics, while the moderates correctly note that broadening the coalition requires appealing to voters who may not share all activist priorities.
A third way, described as 'strategic radicalism', would focus on policies that are both radical and popular, such as rent caps, wage ratios, requisitioning empty properties, wealth taxes, and abolishing the House of Lords. These measures pit the party against corporate and political elites, resonating with public sentiment. For example, Green councillor Hannah Spencer's opposition to MPs drinking on the job went viral, with 76% public support according to YouGov, despite backlash from Nigel Farage and Labour MPs.
Other proposed reforms include requiring all Green MPs to take an average worker's wage, following the example of Labour MP Nadia Whittome, and a 100% tax on oil company profits from conflicts like the Iran war to fund lower energy bills. Polling suggests no party has yet claimed the 'cost of living' mantle, presenting an opportunity for the Greens to lead on this issue.
