Zack Polanski’s name may have only recently broken into the national spotlight, but his landslide victory in the Green Party leadership contest on September 2, 2025, has already begun to reshape the contours of British politics. Sweeping to the top spot with an overwhelming 85% of member votes—leaving the joint ticket of Green MPs Adrian Ramsay and Ellie Chowns far behind—Polanski is now poised to lead the Greens into what he calls a new era of “eco-populism.” But who is this new leader, and what does his vision mean for the future of the party—and the wider British political landscape?
Born David Paulden in Salford in 1982, Polanski changed his name at 18 to honor his Jewish heritage, reclaiming a family identity lost to the tides of antisemitism. He grew up attending both grammar and comprehensive schools before heading to university in Wales and then, for a spell, the United States. Now 42 years old, he lives in Hackney, east London, with his partner, who works in palliative care. Openly gay, Polanski made a point of thanking his partner in his victory speech, highlighting his commitment to diversity and inclusion from the outset.
Polanski’s path to politics has been anything but conventional. Before entering public life, he worked as an immersive theatre actor with DifferenceENGINE, performing in productions such as The Hollow Hotel and The People’s Revolt, and even took part in the Peaky Blinders immersive theatre experience. He also taught at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts and the National Centre for Circus Arts, and sang with the London International Gospel Choir. For a time, he was a hypnotherapist and mental health counsellor, a chapter that drew tabloid attention in 2013 when a Sun reporter posed as a client seeking breast enlargement through hypnosis. Polanski later apologized for his involvement, saying, “We are all more than one mistake,” and insisted the article misrepresented what had actually happened.
His political journey began with the Liberal Democrats, where he served as a north London councillor in 2015 and stood as an assembly candidate the following year. Finding the party not left-wing enough, he switched to the Greens in 2017, quickly rising through the ranks as a local party chairman before winning a seat in the London Assembly in 2021. By 2022, he was the party’s deputy leader, and under his stewardship, the Greens quadrupled their number of MPs to four in the 2024 general election—a historic leap for a party long associated with single-issue environmentalism. According to BBC News, Polanski’s victory marks a decisive shift away from the “stats and spreadsheets” style of his predecessors, promising instead a mass-membership movement that connects with voters on an emotional level.
Polanski’s manifesto is unflinching in its ambition. He calls for redistributing wealth, funding public services, and addressing what he terms the “genocide in Gaza.” He’s also a vocal advocate for environmental, social, racial, and economic justice, and his platform links the climate crisis directly to inequality. “It’s time to be really ambitious, and to be visionary,” he declared in his first address as leader. He has promised to lower energy bills through green investment and nationalized water companies, and has long championed a Universal Basic Income—a non-means-tested payment to cover basic needs for all. As someone who has experienced the insecurity of renting firsthand, he’s also campaigned for decent, warm homes for everyone.
But Polanski’s approach isn’t just about policy. He’s openly embraced the language of populism, but with a twist. “We want to reclaim the word ‘populist’, the word ‘patriot’, and even the flag,” he told the PA news agency. “I think we need to stop giving these symbols and these ideas to the right just because they shout louder.” He’s been candid about his admiration for Nigel Farage’s “storytelling” skills—even as he denounces Farage’s politics—arguing that the Greens must “connect with that anger and turn it to hope, turn it to possible solutions.” As he put it, “We will never take misinformation and lies, but what I think we can learn from is the powerful stories.”
His victory speech was a direct challenge to Labour and its leader, Sir Keir Starmer. “We are here to replace you,” Polanski warned, making clear that the Greens intend to hold the Labour government to account on issues ranging from benefit caps and disability cuts to the UK’s response to international crises. He’s also criticized the “charlatans” of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, noting that while many voters are drawn to Reform out of hopelessness, the Green Party offers a genuine alternative. “If you’re feeling hopeless, if you’re feeling in despair, if you’re feeling politically homeless, there is a political home for you,” he told Green members.
Polanski’s leadership comes at a time of increasing political fragmentation. As The Big Issue reports, his election signals that Labour faces a “significant challenge” on its left flank, with Greens poised to pick up disaffected voters in ethnically diverse and university-educated constituencies. The emergence of a new left-wing party—provisionally called Your Party—launched by suspended Labour MPs Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana, adds another layer of complexity. Polanski has expressed openness to cooperating with Corbyn and Sultana, saying, “I’m willing to work and talk with anyone who shares my values,” but he’s ruled out a formal electoral pact for now, insisting, “it is too soon.”
The party’s own structure ensures that Polanski’s new direction will be tested before the next general election, due in 2029. Leadership elections are held every two years, giving members a regular chance to weigh in. Still, his decisive win over Ramsay and Chowns—who had the backing of former Green MP Caroline Lucas and represented a more cautious, continuity approach—signals strong grassroots support for his bold, risk-taking style.
Not everyone in the party is entirely at ease with this shift. Both Ramsay and Chowns, now MPs, have stressed the importance of holding the government to account and championing policies for a fairer, greener future. In a gracious joint statement after their defeat, they pledged to “continue to build on the extraordinary progress the Green Party has made, and take it further than ever before.” Yet Polanski’s confrontational approach and willingness to jettison “briefcase politics” for a more radical, emotionally resonant movement has set the stage for potential tensions within the party—especially as the four Green MPs must now choose a Commons group leader.
Polanski’s rise also comes amid broader shifts in British politics. As Professor Will Jennings of the University of Southampton told The Big Issue, “The next election is likely to be characterised by fragmentation of electoral support, and the Greens will pose a challenge to the government on the left just as Reform will pose a challenge on the right.” The result? A hung parliament is far from out of the question, opening the door to coalitions, deal-making, and new alliances. Yet Polanski has made it clear he will not countenance a coalition with Labour, calling Starmer “despicable in terms of the politics.”
For now, Zack Polanski stands at the helm of a party on the rise, promising not just to challenge the status quo but to redefine what it means to be Green in Britain today. Whether his brand of eco-populism can deliver electoral breakthroughs remains to be seen, but one thing’s certain: British politics just got a lot more interesting.
