Who is Zack Polanski? The 'eco-populist' new leader of the Green Party

Zack Polanski has been decisively elected person of the Green Party, but who is helium and what does helium basal for?

Despite antecedently serving arsenic lawman person of the party, Mr Polanski, 42, was seen passim the run arsenic an insurgent candidate, offering alteration for the Greens.

By comparison, his enactment rivals Adrian Ramsay and Dr Ellie Chowns were seen arsenic being the candidates of continuity, alternatively than change.

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Mr Polanski, who is not an MP but is simply a subordinate of the London Assembly, won 20,411 votes - compared to the 3,705 ballots formed for Mr Ramsay and Dr Chowns, who ran connected a associated ticket.

It means his imaginativeness of creating an "eco-populist" Green Party, with a much disposable mass-membership movement, has been decisively endorsed by those who voted - albeit if this was lone 37% of those eligible to formed a ballot.

So, who is Zack Polanski?

Born David Paulden, helium changed his sanction erstwhile helium turned 18 to his grandfather's archetypal surname, to debar antisemitism.

He grew up successful Salford, initially attending a grammar schoolhouse connected a assistance earlier switching to a broad college. Mr Polanski past attended assemblage successful Wales and aboriginal successful the United States.

The Green Party person is cheery and thanked his spouse pursuing his victory. He is besides vegan and lives successful Hackney, eastbound London.

His governmental vocation began not with the Green Party, but with the Liberal Democrats, which helium joined first, lasting for the enactment arsenic a councillor successful northbound London successful 2015 and again for the Lib Dems arsenic a London Assembly campaigner successful 2016.

But helium switched allegiance the pursuing year, joining the Greens and being elected a subordinate of the London Assembly successful 2021, aft an unsuccessful effort to beryllium elected arsenic an MP successful 2019.

Mr Polanski was past elected lawman person of the Green Party successful 2022.

While lawman leader, helium was besides re-elected backmost to the London Assembly successful 2024 and became seat of the London Assembly situation committee.

But Mr Polanski's emergence to the apical of the Greens is not without controversy.

In 2013, helium ran a hypnotherapy signifier and served a Sun writer who went successful arsenic a client, asking him whether helium could marque her deliberation herself to having bigger boobs.

Mr Polanski has since apologised for his past actions, telling LBC past twelvemonth that it "does not correspond my work, it does not correspond me".

He announced helium would tally to beryllium person of the Green Party successful the 2025 contest, which was delayed by a twelvemonth truthful arsenic not to clash with the 2024 wide election. Members of the enactment are asked to ballot connected the leaders each 2 years.

What does helium basal for?

Mr Polanski pledged to bring astir an "eco-populist" imaginativeness if elected, transforming the enactment into a much visible, mass-membership movement.

He said radical cannot absorption connected the clime situation if they are facing challenging economical concerns, truthful helium has advocated for precocious taxes connected billionaires - including a wealthiness taxation - arsenic good arsenic the renationalisation of h2o companies and much regularisation for businesses.

At a hustings successful July, helium argued that the enactment should harvester "substance with clickbait" to bring a superior situation to Reform UK.

He has outlined a imaginativeness for the Greens to entreaty to progressive near voters who consciousness that Labour has turned distant from them nether Sir Keir Starmer's leadership.

Unlike his enactment rivals, Mr Polanski has besides refused to regularisation retired moving with the caller governmental enactment founded by erstwhile Labour person Jeremy Corbyn and ex-Labour MP Zarah Sultana.

Speaking pursuing his election, Mr Polanski promised to "work each azygous time to present environmental, social, radical and economical justice".

He besides pledged to turn the party, saying helium would similar the Greens to triumph astatine slightest 30 seats astatine the adjacent wide election, arsenic good arsenic get much MSs elected to the Senedd successful Cardiff.

Mr Polanski deed retired astatine "charlatans similar Nigel Farage", accusing him and different millionaires of "pretending to service working-class communities" portion "destroying our democracies". But helium besides warned the Labour Party that the Greens are "here to regenerate you".