Zack Polanski only spent a few hours at his second party conference as leader before hopping on the train back to London to campaign in Holborn and St Pancras. The party has encouraged members to do the same. An internal briefing seen by the New Statesman and sent out to party members said the campaign team needs at least 1,000 Green members out on the doorsteps every day until Thursday (8 October) to get the vote out. It described the race as being on a “knife edge”.
Introducing Polanski, the MP for Gorton and Denton, Hannah Spencer, suggested that the Green Party leader wouldn’t mention the by-election in his speech owing to Ofcom rules. Polanski did, however, nod to the race: “I’ve been knocking on lots of doors lately for some reason. Particularly in an area I’ve known for a long time.” He walked a fine line on this dynamic throughout, repeating similar messaging to the party’s campaign in Holborn and St Pancras without explicitly mentioning the by-election.
Spencer, however, was far more explicit about her own by-election victory earlier this year: “I knew we could win. I could feel it in my bones.” She added: “And we’re days away from that feeling again. Everything in Holborn and St Pancras is close. If you can get there this week – please, please do. Help Zack get elected – like he helped so many of us get elected.” Spencer reiterated the line now frequently used by Green Party insiders – that it was their victory in Gorton and Denton which pushed Labour to the left and led to Andy Burnham’s arrival as Prime Minister.
Polanski opened his second leader’s speech by applauding the various wins the party has seen under his leadership – in Gorton and Denton, in Hackney, in Lewisham and other areas in London. Former leaders such as Caroline Lucas, Natalie Bennett, Jonathan Bartley and Sian Berry all received a shout-out – this was Polanski’s moment to take stock of his first year on the job, and the changes the party has seen under his leadership (a bigger media profile, a major growth in membership).
The speech was dotted with classic Polanskinomics – a condemnation of the “wealthy elite”, a pledge to bring an “end to rip off Britain” and a call to “build council homes at scale”. But the plight of private renters was the speech’s centrepiece. This included the party’s announcement this morning that the Greens are calling on the government to put a three-year emergency brake on private rents to give renters “breathing space”.
Under the party’s plans, private rents would be prevented from rising above CPI inflation, wage growth or 2 per cent – a triple lock for renters, if you will. He took aim at the Labour government for failing to back rent controls – a popular policy with Green Party members. “It shows they don’t want to take on the powerful vested interests of developers and big landlords,” Polanski said.
In his speech, Polanski emphasised the space between his party and Labour. He made a fervent case for several points of divergence on issues including immigration, climate change, trans rights and the proscription of Palestine Action (which was met with a standing ovation and chants of Free Palestine). The party’s messaging is clearly leaning into the idea of the Green Party as Labour’s left-wing conscience. “We have held the worst instincts of the Labour government in check,” Polanski said. “At general elections, the government changes,” he added. “But between general elections, we change the government.”
It is hard to argue with Polanski’s case that his leadership of the Green Party has held Labour to account from the left. The party’s victory in Gorton and Denton was one of the death knells for Keir Starmer’s time in office. Labour’s recent shift on Palestine – in particular Ed Miliband’s announcement of sanctions on illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank – may be inspired in part by the threat of shedding votes to the Greens. The government is also facing pressure from its left on the environment: the Green Party, which is firmly opposed to the Jackdaw and Rosebank projects, has criticised suggestions the government will allow new oil and gas licenses.
Polanski’s speech came at a difficult time. As I have reported previously, going into this conference Green Party members were apprehensive that too much energy would be taken up by the controversial “Zionism is racism” motion, which is set to be voted on by members on Sunday – by which time the momentum built from Polanski’s speech could well have been forgotten.
Soon after the speech had finished, Polanski dashed off to catch the train back to London to get back to knocking on Camden’s front doors. His message may have roused his party faithful – but will it convince Holborn and St Pancras voters?
[Further reading: How I escaped the Labour Party Conference]
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