Zack Polanski: The New Hope?
Polanski: Does He Offer Something Fresh?
Zack Polanski stormed to victory in the Green Party leadership election. Promising bold "communication" and "eco-populism". Polanski has vowed to "take the fight to Labour". Telling Sir Keir Starmer, "We are here to replace you". Mr. Polanski has told the Green Party membership he is not going to do politics in the "tried and trusted way". Mr. Polanski is little known outside the London Assembly, where he is a Green Councillor.
In his previous life, Polanski was an actor, hypnotherapist, and mental health counsellor. Mr. Polanski was born in 1982 and grew up in Salford, Manchester. Mr. Polanski attended Aberystwyth University before relocating to Hackney, London.
Zack Polanski is Gay and Jewish. His original name was David Paulden, but he changed his name back to Polanski. Zack is the name of a Jewish hero he admired. Polanski is of Eastern European descent, mainly Polish. Mr. Polanski has served as Deputy Leader of the Green Party. As leader, he wants to push the party to the left.
Polanski likes Nigel Farage but certainly not the politics. He wants to use Farage's direct speaking and connection to the British public to push his own agenda. He wants to bring on board Reform UK voters. To tap into that anger they feel about how the country is. He welcomes people from other parties as long as they share the goals of the Green Party. Or more like the Green Party under Zack Polanski's views.
Mr. Polanski's views are for introducing a universal basic income, lowering energy prices, warm homes for everyone. To see his other policies, there are plenty of interviews on YouTube. Also, look at the Green Party website to find out more about Zack's policies and make up your own mind about him. For those on the left of the Labour Party, whether voters, members, or MPs, Polanski is everything Keir Starmer should have been. When many voted for Sir Keir Starmer, they thought he would be a breath of fresh air compared to Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives. But no, they feel he has dragged Labour to the right much as Tony Blair did. Many, and not just left-wingers, have become disaffected with Starmer. Polanski, to them, is offering something different. What the Labour Party should be about when it was founded to help and be on the side of the working class, the downtrodden, and so forth.
Zack Polanski has always been an environmental activist. Some time ago, Mr. Polanski was arrested for protesting against the treatment of other species with the group Extinction Rebellion. Populism has become a word to describe Trump, Farage, Oban, Netanyahu, and Putin, figures on the right. People who play on people's fears of an external enemy and scapegoat minorities to blame for all their nation's ills. Polanski has described himself as an "eco populist". To pursue and connect with those who worry about the state of the planet and our effect on it. To pursue an agenda in diametrical opposition to what Trump is espousing, for example, clean energy instead of fossil fuels. Certainly, those in the VVPF (Vegan, Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Flexitarian) community will be attracted to Polanski's banner. As will all those for animal rights, those who want a different society from this one, those who feel that all humans should be accepted, those who feel we should put the planet first, for clean energy, to tax the richest and wealth distribution, etc.
The weakness for many, and particularly those on the right, will be Polanski's views on defence and immigration. Polanski wants to ban nuclear weapons, pull out of NATO, and spend less on defence. With immigration, he wants a more compassionate policy on people coming here. Mr. Polanski says Britain's borders must be policed, but with more compassion for those allegedly fleeing disasters, man-made or natural.
In polling, thanks to the "Zack bounce" as I call it, the Green Party has reached its most popular percentage. Zack's personable approach and straight talking have garnered the party 15% support according to a recent YouGov Poll. This places the Green Party alongside the Liberal Democrats, who hold 76 seats in parliament, with the Greens on four. Mr. Polanski has admitted that raising funds for the party will be difficult. Unlike the Labour and Conservative Parties, which have established financial support networks (CBI for the Tories and TUC for Labour), the Greens rely on donations. While Mr. Polanski has admitted that more people are interested in him, bringing in the funds to support the party will be difficult. The Greens face the age-old problem of smaller, principled parties, popular but with no strong financial backers.
Before the election of Mr. Polanski as the Green Party leader, all hopes for those on the left lay in supporting Jeremy Corbyn and Zara Sultana's political party known as "Your Party". All seemed bright until Ms. Sultana fell out with Mr. Corbyn over what she called "A boy's club". Those on the left felt all hope of an alternative to right-wing Labour, the Tories, and Reform UK had gone. Now, with the emergence of Zack Polanski, there is a new hope. Since their spat, Corbyn and Sultana have made up, and Polanski is open to talking to them about a future political alliance.
Whether Zack Polanski stays true to his word or is another false prophet remains to be seen. All politicians of every stripe say this and that just to get into power. Or if they are genuine in what they say, they usually have to compromise or jetitson some of those beliefs for various reasons. Going forward, this will determine whether Mr. Polanski is the new hope or just another political flash in the pan.
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About the Creator
Nicholas Bishop
I am a freelance writer currently writing for Blasting News and HubPages. I mainly write about politics. But have and will cover all subjects when the need arises.
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