Zack Polanski launches bid to be elected deputy leader of the Green Party

Zack Polanski has launched his bid to be elected deputy leader of the Green Party, officially declaring his candidacy after nominations opened on June 1. He is the first candidate to publicly announce entering the race.

Zack is running for the position of deputy leader on a platform of committing to a “breakthrough” for the Green Party – in terms of both electing more Green MPs and having Greens better represented in the media. Specifically, Zack pledges to:

Champion plans to win 2-5 Green MPs at the next General Election

Support local teams, aiming to gain 350 Green councillors in 2023, and control 1000+ seats by 2025

Work to embed diverse representation throughout the party

Zack Polanski joined the Green Party in 2017, and was elected as the party’s third London Assembly member in May 2021, in what was the best election result for a Green Party in any UK Parliament or Assembly. He was elected to sit as chair of London’s Environment Committee.

In this position, Zack has passed an Assembly motion on the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill, led a plan to cut the number of new HIV infections to zero by 2030, and passed a motion calling on the mayor to insist care workers employed with local government funds are paid the London Living Wage. And on Thursday he’ll be proposing a motion to the London Assembly condemning the Government’s awful plans to offshore refugees to Rwanda.

This deputy leadership election marks the first time that the outgoing incumbent Amelia Womack has not stood as a candidate since 2012, making this one of the most open and competitive elections to this position in ten years. It is also the first time in party history that the deputy leadership election has been held independently of the leadership election. Furthermore, Zack’s candidacy also marks the first time that a candidate elected to a senior office has entered the race.

The deputy leader of the Green Party is directly elected by party members, with voting opening on August 1, and the result expected to be announced in early September.

Zack said:

“We have to break through. Every single person in this country needs to know what the Green Party stands for, and we have to win more MPs. It’s as simple as that.

“I’m running for Deputy Leader because I’m determined to make sure we make our next breakthrough.

“This is going to be a massive challenge of organising, fundraising and persuasion, and as deputy leader I’ll travel the country, support local parties, speak out for marginalised people alongside our liberation groups, and wok for diverse representation.

“I’m so proud of our party. We’ve taken huge strides in the last few years. Now it’s time to go further together. Let’s break through, and win”