The tectonic plates of British party politics appear to be shifting at an ever-increasing rate. Long suppressed public frustrations are being vented by a new breed of populist insurgent parties.
But even this label risks under-playing the extent of change. With five MPs, 677 local councillors and a mass membership that apparently outstrips the dwindling ranks of both the Conservative Party and Labour Party combined, Reform appears to have mutated to the mainstream.
The election of Zack Polanski as the new leader of the Green Party may well signal a distinctive Green moment for British politics, not least as his barnstorming win was based on a commitment to ‘ecopopulism’.
Does British politics really need more populism? The two Green MPs that stood against Polanski – Adrian Ramsay and Ellie Chowns – clearly thought not. For them the secret of electoral success lies in continuity rather than radical change.
But radical change is what Polanski has promised. More specifically a fundamental change in focus from a party that had until now sought to build-up concentrated areas of support (think Brighton and Bristol) to a media-focused approach that is more aggressive and confrontational than the Greens traditional ‘softy’ image.
Sandals will be replaced by hiking boots as Polanski leads a new mass membership party that – as the new Leader immediately declared – is ‘here to replace’ the Labour Party, presumably in a mirror-image populist version of Reform replacing the Tories.
Hyper-polarisation. Far-left versus far-right. Just what the United Kingdom needs in an age of global turbulence.
The political landscape certainly looks like a ‘window of opportunity’ is opening.
The Labour Party is on its knees (not praying, just in trouble). Keir Starmer shows no sign of knowing what to do or how to do it. Plus the Tories have just bombed the UK’s zero-emissions policy with a Trump-like commitment to ‘drill, baby drill’.
The fact that the UK has already invested tens of billions in leading the world on green energy infrastructure (plus the existence of statutory commitments) thrown to the wind by a party that seems to be adopting a populist playbook for politics.
If there is an argument and appetite for green politics then the Tories have just given the Greens the biggest political opportunity in their 53 year history.
Yes, the simple plurality first-past-the-post electoral system will be a major barrier. But Reform will also be pushing for electoral reform…and the two-party system is creaking.
Yes, Corbyn’s new ‘no name’ party does represent a potential competitor and threat to the Green Party (43% of Green Party members suggest they would vote for Corbyn’s new party). But Corbyn has baggage…and he attracts a distinctive section of society.
Yes, the existence of four MPs but a party leader based outside the House of Commons is far from ideal. But it might underline the difference and dynamism of a new political project…
But what’s the key dimension that nobody’s talking about but is potentially the key issue? Emotions and storytelling.
The reason this might actually be a Green moment in British politics is because Zack Polanski understands the power of emotions and the role of storytelling. This is, in essence, the key underlying variable of ‘the Farage Effect’ – his ability to connect with the public and express opinions in simple stories.
Flipping this around, the weakness that has been so clearly exposed with Keir Starmer is that despite all his strengths he lacks emotional intelligence and a clear connection with the public. His rhetoric is wooden and court-like; his avowed lack of ideological conviction risks creating a hollow-man.
Has Kemi Badenoch done anything since November 2024 to convince anyone that she has the emotional capacity to connect with the public, or a story to tell? Answers on a postcard.
If Polanski really can craft a simple and clear message – a positive vision for the future founded on a commitment to addressing forms of inequality – then there is a chance… just a chance… that he might capture the spirit or mood of the nation for a different form of politics.
His challenge, however, is to master the art of being popular, not populist.
Please note the views expressed in this blog are those of the author and not necessarily those of the PSA.
