The Green Party’s annual conference in Bournemouth, which opened on October 3, 2025, has become a pivotal moment for the party and its newly elected leader, Zack Polanski. With more than 80,000 members—a nearly 20 percent surge since Polanski’s landslide victory just a month ago—the party is riding a wave of momentum, optimism, and, yes, a fair bit of internal debate about its future direction.
On the bustling first day at the Bournemouth International Centre, local Green Party group leader Councillor Chris Rigby set the tone by celebrating the party’s grassroots growth. “Bournemouth is truly a global town with people moving here from all over the world. In the face of nationalism, I think it is important to say now wherever you choose to call home, is your home,” Rigby told delegates, according to Bournemouth One. He highlighted the party’s local expansion—from a single councillor to six, all in adjacent wards now dubbed the "green heart of Bournemouth." Rigby credited this growth to consistency and community work, remarking, “Residents really see what’s going on in their neighbourhoods. When they see positive change in one ward, they want that too, and hopefully we can bring that.”
But the spotlight quickly shifted to Zack Polanski, whose keynote speech signaled a new era for the Greens. “This is the Green Party’s hour. If there was ever a time to join us, it is now,” Polanski declared to enthusiastic applause. He urged members to be bold ahead of the next local elections in May 2026, vowing, “The Green Party are not messing around. We are here and we are ready to win.”
Polanski’s address was nothing if not ambitious. According to StartupNews.fyi, he laid out a sweeping economic and social vision for Britain, pledging to “end rip-off Britain” by taxing the wealthiest one percent. The revenue, he said, would fund universal free childcare, special needs education, and rural transport networks—public services he argued had been hollowed out by years of austerity and privatization. “This is a country where a tiny few have taken our power and wealth. Things must change. It’s time to take it back,” he declared, clarifying that his tax proposals targeted those “who make more money in one night than most people earn in a year.”
Beyond economic reform, Polanski’s speech struck a deeply personal and inclusive note on migration. Drawing from his own Jewish heritage and family history of migration from Latvia and Ukraine, he told the audience, “We’ll say it loud, we’ll say it clear — migrants and refugees are welcome here.” He criticized politicians who “point the finger at people arriving in small boats instead of billionaires,” positioning the Greens as a party of compassion and global solidarity. “This is a party not afraid to say migration has helped make this country what we are today,” Polanski said, echoing his earlier remarks reported by the Daily Echo.
Polanski’s rhetoric didn’t spare his political opponents. He accused Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer of being “handmaidens to Reform UK,” referencing Nigel Farage’s influence on mainstream politics. Farage, he said, was a “Trump-loving, tax-avoiding, science-denying, NHS-dismantling corporate stooge.” The Greens, Polanski insisted, “won’t dance to the tune” of such figures. Instead, he called for a politics of hope to counter what he described as Reform’s “politics of despair.”
But not everyone in the party is entirely at ease with the new direction. As reported by political correspondent Will Charley, some members at the conference expressed excitement about Polanski’s leadership, praising his media savvy and ability to give the party a new platform. Emma Wynne, a party member, said, “I think his comms strategy is really sort of media savvy, and I think he’s kind of drawing a lot from Farage’s playbook in terms of communications, getting out on social media, doing podcasts etc, which I think is really going to put the party in a different direction.”
Others, like Darren Green from Cambridge, voiced concerns about whether Polanski’s progressive stance—particularly his calls for a wealth tax and his outspoken criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza—might alienate the party’s traditional base of so-called "soft Tories." “Can we still keep those seats? Can we still offer something to soft Tories? Or will they see Zack as, ‘oh, you’re a left wing extremist party, nothing for me there’. So, I don’t know,” Green pondered. Former councillor Rupert Read emphasized the need for the party’s profile to focus on “bread and butter issues to do with farming, pollution, climate adaptation, cost of living.”
Polanski, for his part, appears keenly aware of these tensions. His speech at the conference focused less on climate policy than many past Green leaders and more on economic justice, housing, and social unity. “You cannot be an effective environmentalist without talking about the deep inequality in our society,” he told the crowd, highlighting a deliberate shift to a broader, progressive platform that challenges both Labour and the Conservatives on wealth, fairness, and democracy.
He also didn’t shy away from warning about broader threats to democracy. Polanski criticized the government’s recent measures restricting protest, warning that “alarm bells of authoritarianism are now ringing.” He decried what he described as a “draconian crackdown on the right to protest,” including new rules on surveillance, digital IDs, and restrictions on journalists. These issues, he argued, are inseparable from the Greens’ core mission of defending both the environment and civil liberties.
Since the 2024 general election, the Green Party has seen a remarkable surge: four MPs, 74 local council seats in 2025, and record-high membership. Polanski’s leadership, which he won in September 2025 by a landslide, has injected new energy and a sense of urgency into the party. According to Carla Denyer, Bristol Central MP and former co-leader, the Green Party is “ready with a bold, refreshing and positive vision, an antidote to the creeping politics of hate, division and managed decline.”
As the three-day conference drew to a close, the mood among members was a mix of celebration and cautious optimism. The party’s rapid growth, especially in Bournemouth, is seen as proof that its message is resonating with more voters. Yet, the coming months will test whether Polanski’s blend of eco-populism, economic reform, and passionate inclusivity can translate into real gains at the ballot box—especially in areas where the Greens have traditionally courted centrist or conservative-leaning voters.
For now, the Green Party stands at a crossroads, energized by new leadership and emboldened by growing support, but facing tough questions about how to expand its appeal without losing its identity. As Polanski put it: “We are in a moment of change. It is our time, the Green Party’s time, to be bold.”
