UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Green Party deputy leader Zack Polanski faces criticism from party MPs who say his ‘eco-populism’ may divide support and reverse recent election gains.
As reported by The Guardian, Zack Polanski’s push for a more populist Green Party has drawn concern from fellow candidates, who fear it could alienate centrist voters and stall party progress.
What did Ramsay and Chowns say about Polanski’s populism?
Before the leadership contest began, Adrian Ramsay and Ellie Chowns described the Greens in England and Wales as being at a turning point. They warned the party risks missing a historic opportunity to influence the next election.
Mr Ramsay said,
“I strongly believe that most British people have had enough with populist approaches to politics that seek to simplify everything, that are all about chasing the next headline, the next set of likes, rather than real substance.”
He added,
“There’s no point in just speaking to a certain section of the public that already backs you. You have to communicate in a way that has a broad appeal.”
Following Carla Denyer’s decision not to seek re-election, Adrian Ramsay has teamed up with fellow Green MP Ellie Chowns in the leadership race.
Both MPs argued Polanski’s approach could hinder Green gains, citing their victories in Conservative-leaning East Anglia and Herefordshire.
According to Mr Ramsay, contrasting visions within the party, coupled with shifting political loyalties that could make Labour need Green support, make this contest pivotal. He warned that a Polanski win could risk the party fading into political irrelevance.
He said,
“We can’t assume we will continue to go forward. We have dragged the Green party out of the wilderness years that we were in, in my early time in the party, when people said: ‘We like what you stand for, but are you credible? Are you actually going to be able to make any difference?’”
Mr Ramsay added,
“We have shown we can win seats at the general election because we’ve got a message that’s both bold and credible, and we have to be both. And if you look at the sorts of tactics that Zack is proposing, they’re quite similar to what happened in Australia, where [in the 2025 federal election] the Greens went back from four seats to one. So we can’t assume that that progress will continue.”
Ms Chowns said,
“Anyone who wants to win in a first-past-the-post system has to be able to win the trust of people who don’t agree with them about absolutely everything, ideologically or policy-wise, but feel that they can put their trust in that person. That’s the reality of the system that we work within.”
She added,
“This gets to the core of the difference between the leadership that Adrian and I are offering, in contrast to the leadership that Zack seems to be offering. We’re way past those kinds of old ideas of politics being binary, left and right, simplistic like that.”
Ms Chowns argued Polanski’s strategy could limit the Greens to a small core following while pushing away broader left-leaning voters.
She added,
“The danger of having a particularly polarising, strident approach to politics is that you seem very attractive to the people who already like you, but you may put off that wider range of people you’ve got to be able to attract.”
She said,
“Cooperation is in the DNA of the Greens. We have always said we will cooperate with people wherever there is common ground.”
Ms Chowns argued that the new party’s debut has been far from smooth, with tensions between its leaders and no agreed-upon name.
She added,
“If I were a voter looking for an alternative to the current way of doing politics, or a frustrated Labour voter, I’m not sure that that would inspire confidence.”
How “eco-populism” could reshape Green Party politics?
Zack Polanski’s leadership pitch has gained traction, with over 2 million views on X. He hopes to shift the Green Party toward a broader eco-populist model.
The plan includes expanding the number of Green councillors and MPs, along with a bold media strategy designed to generate headlines like Reform.
Mr Polanski’s supporters argue that without a strengthened media strategy, scaling the Green Party to 20 or more MPs is unrealistic.
Key facts about the Green Party
- Membership: 65,000+ members – 5th largest party, ahead of SNP.
- MPs: 4 seats in the House of Commons.
Councillors: 869 local councillors in England and Wales. - London Assembly: 3 members.
- 2025 Local Elections: Gained 44 seats (now 79 in England); Labour and Tories lost ground.
- Donations (Q1 2025): £160,763 total (£93k public funds) – much less than Labour (£2.6m) and Tories (£5.5m).