In a sharp attack on the government, Polanski accused it of lacking solutions to the crises of austerity and inequality, positioning the Greens as the bold alternative….reports Asian Lite News
The Green Party is positioning itself as a direct challenger to Labour, its new leader Zack Polanski told delegates at the party’s conference in Bournemouth, warning that under Keir Starmer, Labour would “hand this country on a plate” to Reform UK.
Speaking to a packed hall, Polanski condemned what he described as Labour’s “managed decline” and accused the party of imitating Reform UK policies, particularly on migration. He insisted that the Greens offered a distinctive alternative rooted in fairness, diversity, and bold action.
Polanski, who grew up Jewish in Manchester, used the platform to speak emotionally about a recent antisemitic attack on a synagogue in the city, while strongly defending migration. “This is a party not afraid to say migration has helped make this country what we are today. And it’s made this party too,” he said. His personal story underlined the point: he had restored his family’s original surname, Polanski, reversing the anglicisation adopted by relatives who arrived in the UK from Eastern Europe.
“I’m one of five Jewish people to lead a British political party in the last 100 years,” Polanski said. “That also means I want to mark yesterday’s awful attack. As a Jewish man raised in north Manchester, I feel this deeply and my heart is with the community.”
Polanski spoke of his heritage and that of his deputy leaders — Mothin Ali and Rachel Millward — as symbolic of Britain’s diversity. Ali, the son of a steelworker, is of Bangladeshi heritage, while Millward’s roots stretch deep into England. “One brought up Jewish. One raised Muslim. One a child of the church. A leadership with three different backstories, in a country enriched by people from all over the world,” he said.
Since his election as party leader in England and Wales last month, Green membership has surged past 80,000, a record high. Polanski told the conference this momentum called for ambition. “Everything we do between now and the next election must be bold,” he said. “We have a vision for this place we call home. Boldness means connecting with how hard it is right now for so many people. It means listening, not just finger-pointing.”
Polanski committed the party to policies aimed at reducing living costs, cutting bills, and protecting the NHS. “At every opportunity, from the doorstep to the TV studio, our message is that the Green party will bring down your bills, cut the cost of living and protect our NHS,” he said.
In a sharp attack on the government, he accused it of lacking solutions to the crises of austerity and inequality, positioning the Greens as the bold alternative.
