Zack Polanski has outlined his vision for the Green Party’s approach to Britain’s economy in his first major policy speech as leader. Speaking at a garden centre in north London, he took aim at what he called the government’s “failing fiscal rules” and set out plans to overhaul the tax system and ease inflation. The speech comes just weeks after the party secured a historic victory in the Gorton and Denton by-election.
Polanski committed to a wealth tax as a “day one priority”, proposing a 1 per cent tax on wealth over £10 million and a 2 per cent tax on wealth over £1 billion, aiming to raise around £15 billion per year. He said: “We know a wealth tax won’t fix everything... but it would be a very good place to start.”
He also reiterated his belief that the UK should rejoin the European Union, arguing that Brexit has left the economy 6-8 per cent smaller and added hundreds of pounds to household shopping bills. On energy, he called on the government to set aside £8.4 billion to prevent a spike in energy bills when the price cap expires, funded by strengthening the windfall tax and equalising capital gains tax with income tax.
Polanski pledged to implement rent controls to ease the cost of living and backed councils buying back homes lost to right-to-buy schemes. He also promised to nationalise water companies, arguing that privatisation and deregulation have “turned Britain from a place which made things”.
