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Zack Polanksi, leader of the Green Party, has called on voters to support the Greens as a means to compel Labour, led by Andy Burnham, to adopt more progressive policies. Speaking at the party’s annual conference in Brighton, Polanksi emphasized that the Greens possess the influence to steer Labour “in the right direction” on key issues. He highlighted how sustained pressure from his party has already forced Labour to rethink its positions on climate change and its approach to Israel.
During his address, Polanksi criticized Labour for its failure to address housing adequately. He pressed for immediate reforms, proposing a three-year cap on rent increases within the private rental sector to protect tenants. “Vote Green, and watch Labour move,” he urged the assembled activists, stressing that only by backing his party could meaningful change be expected from the government.
Polanksi’s speech did not mention the Conservative Party or Reform UK, instead focusing his criticism squarely on Labour’s record in government. He condemned Labour for its lack of effective action on the cost of living, describing much of their rhetoric as “slogans without action.” On housing, he accused the party of siding with “powerful vested interests of developers and big landlords,” calling for an “emergency brake” to restrain private rent increases to no more than inflation, wage growth, or 2% for three years.
Further, he argued that the Greens’ pressure was instrumental in prompting Burnham to convene an emergency Cobra meeting this summer in response to unprecedented heat and drought conditions. Polanksi reiterated the party’s readiness to impose taxes on “extreme wealth,” including a windfall tax on excess profits, a policy also demanded by unions. He insisted, “Through our sustained pressure – and our historic wins – we have held the worst instincts of the Labour government in check. And we have started to move them in the right direction. But we can’t wait for them to get there on their own.” He concluded by emphasizing the urgency of rejecting new oil and gas developments, citing summer wildfires as “the final nail in the coffin” for projects like the Rosebank oil field and Jackdaw gas field, where Labour has yet to make a definitive decision
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