Could we soon say goodbye to the Green Party of England and Wales? A senior source within the Welsh Green Party has told the New Statesman that a split from Zack Polanski’s party “is not only desirable but also inevitable”. If the party secures its projected share of seats in the Senedd later this week, the process could accelerate.
The Green Party once operated across the entire UK. But in 1990, the Scottish Greens broke away to form their own party, leaving the Green Party of England and Wales.
For now, the party’s focus remains firmly on the Senedd elections. Just a year ago, it was aiming to win a single seat – contested by its leader, Anthony Slaughter, who is standing in the Senedd seat Caerdydd Penarth, which maps onto Cardiff South and Penarth, the former constituency of James Callaghan.
But expectations have shifted. With polls placing the Welsh Greens between 9-11 per cent over the past month– potentially translating into around five seats – the party is now anticipating the formation of the Senedd’s first Green group. If Plaid Cymru emerges as the largest party without a majority, it may look to the Welsh Greens for support. Both Slaughter and Zack Polanski have suggested the party could act as “kingmakers”. Entering coalition government – something the Greens have not yet done in Wales, but which their Scottish counterparts have experienced – could strengthen the case for splitting from the English Greens.
Polanski has expressed support for Welsh Green independence. In an interview with journalist Adam Ramsay last year, he said the decision ultimately rests with the Welsh party, but added that if they “want to go it alone”, the relationship should remain close, with “informal ties, as we do with the Scottish Green Party”. If a split were to occur, Polanski would become the only leader of a major party operating solely in England.
Recent developments may also have sharpened the argument for separation. Coverage of controversies affecting the English party – where several candidates have faced accusations of antisemitic remarks – has highlighted a divergence, with no similar allegations levelled at Welsh Senedd candidates.
Slaughter, too, has appeared to distance himself from Polanski in recent days. After Polanski retweeted a post critical of the Metropolitan Police in the wake of an attack on Golders Green’s Jewish community (before later apologising), Slaughter described the move as “inappropriate”, though he later said Polanski had “cleared things up”.
A spokesperson for the Welsh Green Party told the NS: “There is an ongoing discussion within Wales Green Party about this, but in the middle of an election campaign it is not at the top of our minds. Right now, our candidates and members are focused on winning every vote and ensuring everyone understands our key objectives before Thursday.”
What would Welsh Green independence mean in practice? The party leadership in England and Wales would likely lose the ability to claim a larger combined membership and national polling presence. However, Polanski was never expected to stand in Wales, with his political base firmly in London.
No formal discussions have taken place yet; but if 7 May goes the way the polls are suggesting it could be a matter of time before a “conscious uncoupling” of the two parties becomes a priority.
[Further reading: The week an anti-Semitism crisis engulfed the Greens]
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