Polanski Defiant Amid Green Party Fallout Over Zionism Motion and By-Election Loss

Zack Polanski has insisted he will remain at the helm of the Green Party despite a disappointing by-election result and mounting internal criticism over his handling of a contentious conference motion on Zionism. Speaking to BBC Breakfast on Friday, the Green leader stated he would "absolutely" continue in his role and rejected suggestions that his position had been compromised by the previous night's electoral setback.

The Holborn and St Pancras by-election, triggered by the departure of former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer from the seat, saw Polanski finish second to Labour candidate Sagal Abdi-Wali. Abdi-Wali secured 45% of the vote, while Polanski trailed with 33%. Despite the loss, the Green Party's vote share surged by 22 percentage points compared to the 2024 general election, a result Polanski framed as evidence of his party's growing influence.

The contest had been viewed by the Greens as a prime opportunity to claim a seat they believed was within reach, particularly following a by-election victory earlier in the year. However, the result has intensified scrutiny of Polanski's leadership, with critics questioning both his electoral strategy and his decision to avoid a vote on a controversial party motion at the autumn conference in Brighton.

That motion, passed by rank-and-file members to become official party policy, defined Zionism as an ideology supporting an "ethnonationalist Jewish state" and endorsed a "single democratic Palestinian state in all of historic Palestine," encompassing modern-day Israel. Polanski has since confirmed he would not have voted for the motion in its unamended form, describing it as "imperfect," though he added that "the displacement and genocide of the Palestinian people is clearly underpinned by a racist ideology."

His absence from the conference vote has drawn sharp criticism from within his own party. Vivien Lichtenstein, leader of the Jewish Greens, publicly called for Polanski's resignation on Friday, telling Times Radio that his decision to dodge the debate was a "big mistake." She added that she was unaware which Jewish members of the party Polanski had been consulting, stating it "certainly hasn't been with the Jewish Greens committee."

Former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas also weighed in, arguing that Polanski should have attended the vote on the motion. Lucas described the motion as "dangerous" and "flawed from top to bottom," and said leadership "was frankly missing" on the issue. However, she stopped short of calling for Polanski to step down, acknowledging that he had "indicated he shares some of my concerns on the Zionism motion" and urging the party to "come together to make the urgent changes needed to take us forward."

Adrian Ramsay, a Green MP and former co-leader, declined to offer his backing when asked about Polanski's future on the BBC's Politics East programme. "A lot depends on what happens in the days and weeks to come," he said, adding that Polanski "did not show leadership I would have been looking for." Ramsay revealed he is now working to reverse the motion, signaling that the internal divisions are far from resolved.

Jonathan Bartley, who served as Green co-leader from 2016 to 2021, echoed these concerns during an appearance on BBC Radio 4's World at One. He called on Polanski to "put his hands up" and "say sorry," describing the situation as "a failure of leadership." Bartley warned that "there is a certain toxicity now around the Green Party" and argued that the party's brand "needs to be detoxified," pointing to an influx of new members who may have arrived from the left wing of the Labour Party.

The controversy has left Polanski navigating a delicate political balance. In private, longstanding Green figures have expressed frustration, accusing him of being "missing in action" over the motion. Some argue the situation is untenable, with Polanski leading a party whose Middle East policy he openly disagrees with. One critic noted he "is in danger of losing the confidence of both wings," as supporters of the motion have also been irritated by his refusal to publicly endorse it.

During a tense interview on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Polanski was pressed repeatedly by presenter Nick Robinson on whether he believes Israel has a right to exist. He responded by saying, "I don't believe any state has the right to oppress or to commit apartheid and certainly not genocide on another people," adding that he does not believe "that's a state that anyone should be supporting." When asked for a direct yes or no answer, he said he had "repeated many times that I want to see equal rights for Israelis and Palestinians," asserting that his position was clear.

The source of much of the internal anger stems from Polanski's decision to prioritize campaigning in North London over attending the conference vote. He defended his absence by stating he was focused on the by-election, but critics argue that leadership requires engaging with difficult internal debates, not avoiding them. The motion's passage has now become official party policy, creating a policy landscape that Polanski himself has admitted he cannot fully endorse.

Despite the turmoil, Polanski's popularity among the grassroots membership may shield him from an immediate leadership challenge. His allies point to the significant increase in vote share in Holborn and St Pancras as evidence that his broader message resonates with voters, even if the party fell short of winning the seat. The result, while disappointing, represents a substantial swing toward the Greens compared to the last general election.

The broader implications for the Green Party are profound. The Zionism motion has exposed deep ideological fractures, pitting the party's activist base against its parliamentary wing and raising questions about its ability to maintain a coherent national platform. With former leaders publicly criticizing the current leadership and a prominent Jewish party figure calling for resignation, the pressure on Polanski shows no sign of abating.

Polanski has sought to project resilience, stating, "Yes, I've taken a loss tonight but our movement is so much bigger than one election or one motion." Whether that movement can hold together amid the current storm remains the central question facing the Green Party in the weeks ahead. For now, Polanski appears determined to weather the criticism and continue leading a party that finds itself at a crossroads.