The Green Party of England and Wales has surged in popularity under new leader Zack Polanski, offering lessons for struggling European Green parties. Since Polanski's election in September, the party has shifted focus from climate breakdown to economic inequality, cost of living, and housing. Membership has tripled to over 230,000 in nine months, with strong results in February's byelection and May's local elections.
European Green parties have faced a 'greenlash' after their 2019 peak, dropping out of government coalitions and failing to meet expectations. Tarik Abou-Chadi, a professor of European politics at the University of Oxford, argues that the UK Greens' success stems from emphasising redistribution and social justice. Research across 11 European countries shows that broadening the agenda to include economic inequality does not harm climate credibility and can increase support.
In the UK, 47% of financially insecure voters with liberal social attitudes backed the Greens, far more than Labour's 25%. The party also takes strong stances on Gaza and trans rights, which Abou-Chadi says creates space to talk about other issues. He concludes that Green parties should embrace boldness on inequality and progressive values to reverse their decline.
