Zack Polanski, a candidate for the Green Party leadership, has indicated he may be open to cooperating with a new left-wing party being formed by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana. Polanski stressed that any decision on an alliance would ultimately be made by Green Party members and would depend on the structure of the as-yet-unnamed party, which does not yet officially exist.
His comments to the Guardian highlight a divergence from his leadership rivals, Adrian Ramsay and Ellie Chowns, who have cautioned against the Greens becoming "a Jeremy Corbyn support act." The new party, provisionally titled Your Party, launched a website for expressions of interest, and a campaign group called We Deserve Better has urged a formal electoral pact with the Greens in England and Wales, arguing it could unseat dozens of Labour MPs.
Polanski, the current deputy leader, has built his leadership campaign around transforming the Greens into a mass-membership "eco-populist" organisation capable of challenging both Labour and Reform UK. He stated, "I'm open to working with anyone who's up for challenging the far-right threat of Reform and this unpopular Labour government." However, he noted that any specific arrangement would be considered later, adding, "The new party doesn't exist yet, and 2029 is some way off."
The Greens' decentralised structure means that even if Polanski wins the leadership and pursues a pact, it is not guaranteed. Ramsay and Chowns, both Green MPs representing rural constituencies where the main challengers were previously Conservatives, are likely less receptive to an association with Corbyn. Chowns criticised the new party's introductory statement for giving "only a passing glance to the climate crisis," while Ramsay warned against losing the Greens' distinctive identity.
Voting for the Green Party leadership will take place throughout August, with the result announced on 2 September.
