Green with envy: Beware of wolves in eco-clothing
Don’t assume the Green Party will lead voters to a green and pleasant land
British politics in the wake of the post-Jeremy Corbyn era has been defined by confusion, disillusionment, and an overwhelming sense of political homelessness on the left, but does the Green Party have the answer?
In 2017, Corbyn galvanised millions of disenchanted and previously apathetic voters behind a vision of genuine change, only for his hopes to be dashed, sabotaged by the relentless onslaught from both the right-wing Conservative establishment and former centrists within Labour’s own ranks.
In Corbyn’s absence, Keir Starmer’s Labour abandoned the pledges that drew renewed hope to the party, leaving many former Labour voters searching for a new political home.
For some, the Green Party, with its progressive wrap and focus on climate justice, appears to be a viable alternative. But, as we approach the possibility of seismic shifts in British voting patterns, it is crucial to caution: a party’s green sheen should not allow us to drop our guard, particularly when figures like Zack Polanski, a recent arrival to prominence within the Greens, arise as potential leaders.
Polanski, whose history includes support for centrist and pro-Zionist causes, and who was once quick to participate in the campaign to delegitimise Corbyn, poses difficult questions for those hoping for truly progressive leadership.
Political homelessness
Starmer’s leadership of the Labour Party has been marked not by the bold action he once promised but by an aggressive shift to the right and the purging of the party’s socialist spirit.
The party’s abandonment of policies to end austerity, nationalise rail and utilities, and support the vulnerable has left millions feeling betrayed.
On welfare, pensions, and disability rights, Starmer has doggedly refused to reverse Tory-era attacks, and in too many cases, has doubled down on rhetoric targeting welfare dependency or promising to be “tougher than the Tories.”
Veteran movie director Ken Loach, a lifelong supporter of human rights, who highlights the struggles of the underdog, oppressed and downtrodden, and a lifelong supporter of Labour’s socialist tradition, was ejected from the party following its purge of left-wing members. He warned ominously of Starmer’s trajectory.
“He wants to prove to the establishment and the right-wing press that he is a safe pair of hands for big business, the city, the banks, the military… The Labour Party now is part of the establishment.”
Zara Sultana, a Labour Party MP until her suspension in July 2024 as one of seven Labour MPs who voted to scrap the two-child benefit cap. Sultana has repeatedly spoken out against attacks on the poor and the abandonment of socialist principles.
“We should be fighting for the interests of working people, for the disabled, for pensioners, for young people. Instead, we’re seeing the leadership triangulate towards the Tories.”
For activists who poured heart and soul into the Corbyn project, it is a bitter pill. The sense of betrayal is profound, as expressed by the Guardian’s Owen Jones.
“Keir Starmer won by promising to stick to Corbyn’s basic policy framework. One by one, he broke those pledges. That’s not just political cynicism. It’s fraud.”
Green temptation
Into this void walks the Green Party, whose anti-austerity policies and commitment to environmental justice sound, at least on paper, like the logical new home for left-wing voters.
Yet as we have all learned, parties are not immune to co-option, and history is replete with examples of successful left movements hollowed out by opportunists.
The rise of Polanski to a position of national influence in the Green Party demands the scrutiny of any voter who genuinely cares about radical change.
In his previous incarnations, Polanski was a member of the Liberal Democrats, a party whose coalition with the Conservatives post-2010 ushered in some of the most savage austerity policies in modern British history. More alarming to many, however, is his record during the Corbyn years.
Polanski was among the chorus of voices claiming that Labour under Corbyn was ‘rife’ with antisemitism, echoing attacks which, while rooted in legitimate concerns, were ruthlessly weaponised by establishment opponents to discredit the broader socialist platform.
With Starmer now presiding over a Labour Party that has accepted essentially the same neoliberal consensus as the Conservatives, the risk is clear: that the Greens, under a leadership eager to demonstrate its ‘respectability’ to the mainstream press, could follow the same tragic script.
Leopard, spots, and change
Polanski’s recent statements, expressing regret over how the antisemitism crisis was handled, and criticism of Israel’s behaviour in Gaza, appear to signal a shift. But to many, the question remains: are these the contrite reconsiderations of a changed man, or just the calculated rebranding of a political chameleon?
Across social media and activist circles, critics argue that Polanski’s track record does not inspire confidence. You can’t take a wrecking ball to the left in Labour, then rock up to lead the Greens and ask for trust. Leopards don’t change their spots this quickly.
The Green Party has prided itself on being a bottom-up, member-driven movement. Yet the rise of politically ambitious figures with no deep roots in Green activism, parachuting in after abandoning other parties in their hour of need, rightly provokes suspicion.
As Jones wrote regarding Starmer’s betrayal.
“Voters are not fools. If you say one thing and do another, they will clock it sooner or later. Credibility, when squandered, is almost impossible to regain.”
The same principle applies now to the Greens.
Deja Vu
If Labour under Starmer is proof of anything, it’s that parties can and do abandon their principles overnight if the leadership believes it is expedient. Starmer’s relentless targeting of rank-and-file left-wingers, his refusal to support even modest policies like social rent caps, and his attempts to reposition Labour as a party of business at the expense of public ownership have already left a devastating social legacy.
The poor, the disabled, the unemployed, and pensioners are all more vulnerable today because Labour will not defend them. Who is to say the Green Party, under the stewardship of a former Liberal Democrat whose left credentials are unproven, would not do the same?
Loach summarised the risk with characteristic clarity.
“The crisis is not just about one leader or another, it’s about the direction of British politics. The establishment will always fight to maintain its power. A movement for real change must be ready to defend itself from within and without.”
Zara Sultana agrees.
“We can never take it for granted that parties will stick with progressive values. It’s up to us to hold our leaders and would-be leaders to account.”
Recycled rhetoric
If the Green Party wishes to inherit the hopes of the millions betrayed by Labour, it must show far more than a fresh face or recycled rhetoric.
It must demonstrate a firm break with the revolving door of opportunists and careerists who move from party to party with barely a second thought for members’ ideals.
The party’s record under Caroline Lucas and its long history of supporting peace, social justice, and the environment are admirable. But new contenders must be scrutinised not just for what they say, but for what they have done, and who they have stood with when it mattered.
The alternative? Another round of betrayal, another generation of disenfranchised voters, and more broken promises.
For voters seeking genuine change, a government committed to ending inequality, tackling the climate crisis, defending human rights, and building public services, the lesson of recent years must be clear.
Tread carefully. Scrutinise not just the words, but the records of those who seek our trust.
The Green Party remains a potential force for good, but only if it remains true to its grassroots, not to those who saw their previous parties as disposable stepping stones.
To paraphrase an old saying: if you want change, beware the chameleons who appear at the colour of the moment.
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