We need hope, not cynicism

The Green Party is ready for the change people are demanding

For years, we were told that politics could only ever get worse. That inequality would rise, that climate action would always be delayed, that Westminster would forever be a revolving door of empty promises. Hope, we were assured, was naive “student politics”.

And yet, look around. Something extraordinary is happening. Not the kind of political moment that appears in focus-grouped speeches or choreographed press conferences, but something far more unruly and exciting: people are starting to believe in change again. The sort of change that lifts a country rather than divides it. And at the heart of that, with growing confidence, momentum and joy, is the Green Party.

I don’t use the word joy lightly. Politics in Britain has been defined for so long by cynicism that to feel joyful about it almost seems the pastime of a maverick. But I feel it at every rally, every street stall, every room packed shoulder to shoulder for a local party meeting. Britain is done with being told to shrink its expectations. People want more, and they can see, finally, a political force that’s willing to match that ambition.

And yes, the numbers reflect it. Pollsters are reporting record support for the Green Party. At the time of writing, YouGov has us on our highest ever rating. Others have us placed as the second most popular party in the country, above the Tories and Labour. For a party written off for decades by the Westminster bubble, this is seismic.

But here’s the remarkable thing: the rise in support isn’t just about polls. Polls measure opinion. What we’re seeing is something deeper, a shift in political culture itself. People aren’t just supporting the Greens because they’re fed up with the old parties. They’re supporting us because they are starting to be able to imagine a different future. There is renewed belief that politics can be a tool for improving lives rather than managing decline. This matters far more than any single election result. Because once people believe change is possible, politics becomes alive again. Hope breeds energy, and energy brings political change.

I see that life everywhere I visit, and it is reflected in our surging membership. Ours is not a passive “sign-up-online-and-forget-your-password” organisation. Thousands of people are walking through our doors full of ideas, energy and determination, ready to knock on their neighbours’ doors to start conversations. They are all saying the same thing: “This country deserves better, and I’m ready to help build it.”

Then come the by-election wins and the defections – each one a little shockwave, a message to Westminster that the old patterns are breaking down. We’ve taken seats in places they said Greens could never win. And we haven’t done it by imitating anyone else, but with honesty, boldness and a refusal to water down our values.

But the real story, the deeper, more nuanced story, is what these wins represent. People are choosing a politics of decency, courage and imagination. They’re choosing a politics that doesn’t scapegoat the vulnerable or remain quiet on injustice.

They’re choosing a politics that says: yes, we can build a fairer economy; we can restore our natural world; we can reinvest in communities instead of cutting them hollow. And we must do this all now.

At community meetings across the country, I hear the same things: we’re tired of being told we’re asking for too much. We want a government that actually protects the things that matter. We want politics to be something we’re proud of again. That final one gets me every time, because pride in politics shouldn’t be radical. We’ve normalised an awful scepticism. A healthy society needs people to believe in their political institutions. After years of chaos and scandal, we are all too aware of how corrosive the loss of that belief has been.

Part of my leadership is about rebuilding trust between people and politics. I think people trust the Greens because we are consistent. Because we speak with moral clarity when others speak with moral convenience. And because we insist that compassion is not weakness, that fairness is not unaffordable, and that the climate crisis is not something to politely postpone while donors are consulted.

This trust is the foundation of building a movement. When I visit areas where we’ve recently won seats, the transformation is palpable. Streets buzzing with volunteers. Constituents excitedly talking about new local initiatives. Councillors who step into office with hope rather than cynicism.

This culture of hope and participation and ambition is what truly terrifies the political establishment. Not our polling numbers. Not our membership graphs. Not even our by-election wins. What scares them is that people are beginning to believe they don’t have to accept the way things are.

We can have an economy that values people over profit. We can invest in public services instead of managing their decline.

We can restore rivers, build warm homes, revitalise communities and create a society that treats every single person with dignity.

This country did not break overnight; it was neglected for decades. And that neglect ends when courage begins. The Green Party is ready. Ready for the scale of change people are demanding. Ready to hold the balance of power at the next election with integrity. Ready to rebuild trust where others have traded it away. Ready not only to challenge the old order, but to replace it.

Hope is not naive. Hope is powerful. Hope is momentum. Hope is contagious. And right now, hope is growing. And in 2026, we are going to make sure hope wins.

[Further reading: Your Party’s grassroots are losing patience]