GREEN WAVE OR GREEN FLASH?
By The Votes & Quotes Politics Desk
The Green Party is having a moment — and its new leader, Zack Polanski, is in no mood to play it down. The party's membership has surged by around 20,000 in just a few months, pushing the total to 83,500 — overtaking the Liberal Democrats for only the second time in modern political history.
That means the Greens now have more members than a party with 68 more MPs in parliament. Rachel Millward, the deputy leader, broke the news at their conference in Bournemouth:
"We are now officially the fastest-growing political movement in Britain today! As of right now, I can confirm we are bigger than the Liberal Democrats."
Cue a standing ovation, several eco-friendly tears, and the faint sound of Ed Davey dropping his reusable coffee cup somewhere in Westminster.
GREEN RISING, LIB DEMS FLATLINING
Polanski, elected leader just last month, credits his brand of "eco-populism" — part Extinction Rebellion, part civic optimism — for the surge:
"It marks a real moment. Since I launched my campaign in May, membership went up 33% and is still going up. I've undoubtedly accelerated that."
For a man without a seat in parliament, it's quite the boast. He's promising 30 MPs at the next general election, which would require the Greens to perform electoral alchemy on a scale not seen since Cleggmania — and we all know how that ended.
The Liberal Democrats, for their part, insist the Greens' figures are misleading and that "Ed Davey is the most popular and most trusted leader" in Britain. A bold claim, given most voters couldn't pick him out of a lineup of waxworks at Madame Tussauds.
POLANSKI'S RED LINES
Beyond membership graphs and leadership selfies, the Greens' conference has been combustible. On Saturday, Polanski joined hundreds of members on Bournemouth beach holding a "From the river to the sea" banner in solidarity with Palestinians — a slogan that continues to divide opinion.
In his keynote address, Polanski accused the Labour government of a "draconian crackdown" on protest rights after it proscribed Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation.
"Every MP who supported this should hang their heads in shame," he said. "The alarm bells of authoritarianism are ringing loud and clear."
He called for an immediate suspension of arms sales to Israel, described the Gaza conflict as "genocide", and attacked Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood for suggesting pro-Palestine protesters should have "stepped back" after the recent Manchester synagogue attack.
"Conflating protests against genocide with a terrorist attack is deeply irresponsible," Polanski told Sky News. "We need statesmanship, not scapegoating."
GREEN MOMENTUM OR GREEN MIRAGE?
The Greens are enjoying a rush of relevance — wealth taxes, eco-populism, podcasts with Owen Jones — but the hard truth remains: four MPs and no clear path to proportional representation.
Still, in a year where both Labour and the Tories look more beige than ever, Polanski's flair and conviction have given the political palette some long-missing colour.
Quote of the Week:
"The alarm bells of authoritarianism are ringing loud and clear." — Zack Polanski, Green Party leader.
Vote Count (unofficial):
Greens — 83,500 members
Lib Dems — 83,174 members
MPs — still 4–72 down.
The Green Party has the numbers. Now it needs the power.
