Once considered a ‘wasted vote’, the Green Party has now reached over 100,000 members, due to what many are calling the ‘Zack Polanski effect’. After his election as leader of the party in September 2025, Polanski is, to many, a breath of fresh air in British Politics.
The Rise in Popularity
Many attribute the rise in popularity to Polanski’s ‘eco-populist’ policies. While other parties seek to gain power through divisive tactics and alienating communities, the Green Party aims to create solidarity within the communities most affected by conditions of scarcity.
As the left continues to pander to right-wing rhetoric, many voters have been left disillusioned. Repeated failures from the Labour and Conservative parties have compromised their dominance over British politics. This has given rise to Reform and Green as alternatives. The Greens now pose a real threat to the other parties as the only ‘truly’ left opposition to Reform.
Results from recent YouGov intention to vote polling from 16 February show that 17 per cent of adults would vote for Green if there were a general election held tomorrow. This is an eight per cent increase from the survey this time, last year.
The Greens are the fourth most popular party, just one per cent behind the Conservatives, and two per cent behind Labour. They are seven per cent behind Reform, who currently take the lead. However, Reform are least favourable amongst younger voters.
Only six per cent of 18-24 year olds say that they would vote Reform, compared to 43 per cent who say they would vote Green. This is over double the amount from February 2025 (21 per cent). As the age of voters increases, however, the number of Green voters decreases, showing that the party’s policies appeal to younger voters the most.
Green Policies
The Greens under Zack Polanski maintain that they are an environmentalist party. Nonetheless, they recognise that in order to create environmental change, societal change must happen. The priority of the party therefore lies with the cost of living.
Polanski says that he would like to introduce a wealth tax of one per cent on assets worth more than £10 million, and two per cent on assets worth over £1 billion. The aim is to fight wealth inequality and redistribute the wealth, power and democracy that small groups are hoarding.
The party seeks to fight social inequality on all levels, highlighting the importance of unity and community in times of division. The goal is to tackle social injustice by pushing the necessity of democratic voice and diversity.
‘The Polanski Effect’
It is undeniable that since Polanski was elected, the Green’s membership numbers have soared. But what exactly is the Polanski Effect?
Zack Polanski is unquestionably a very charismatic leader. He has gathered a large following on social media by posting short-form, easy-to-follow content. As well as this, he has made frequent public and television appearances, educating people on Green’s policies in a clear and direct manner.
Similar to Zohran Mamdani, the recently elected Mayor of New York, Polanski’s appeal seems to stem from the promise of hope. They are connected to the communities and listen to their concerns. Rather than pointing fingers and deflecting blame, both leaders offer solutions to the problems they are presented with.
Polanski also offers a new perspective to British politics. As a younger, gay, Jewish man, he is the voice for communities which are often underrepresented. A large part of the appeal is that Green appears to serve the people by focusing on the majority. They do not cater to the minority.
What next for the Green Party?
The Greens show promise in upcoming by-elections. In Gorton and Denton, the constituency could see a win for Green candidate Hannah Spencer, as Labour voters defect to Green to avoid a Reform win. This would be the first time in almost 100 years that a party outside of Labour wins the seat.
If recent statistics are anything to go by, we can only expect the number of Green supporters to increase.
Feature Image Credit: London Assembly via Wikimedia Commons
