Polanski Defiant as Green Leader Despite By-Election Setback and Zionism Row

Zack Polanski has insisted he will remain at the helm of the Green Party, brushing aside calls for his resignation following a disappointing by-election result and mounting internal dissent over a contentious motion on Zionism. In interviews on Friday, the Green leader stated he would "absolutely" continue in his role and dismissed any suggestion that his position was in question, even as senior figures within his own party publicly criticised his handling of a defining policy dispute.

The by-election in Holborn and St Pancras, held on Thursday, saw Polanski finish second to Labour's Sagal Abdi-Wali. The Labour candidate secured 45% of the vote, while Polanski trailed with 33%. Although the Green Party had high hopes of capturing the seat—previously held by former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer—the result fell short of those ambitions. Nevertheless, the party's vote share surged by 22 percentage points compared to the 2024 general election, a detail Polanski's allies may point to as evidence of broader momentum.

The defeat has intensified scrutiny of Polanski's leadership, particularly his decision to avoid a debate and vote on a party conference motion that defined Zionism as a form of racism. The motion, passed by rank-and-file members on Sunday, characterises Zionism as an ideology supporting "an ethnonationalist Jewish state" and advocates for a "single democratic Palestinian state in all of historic Palestine," encompassing modern-day Israel. The resolution now forms part of official Green Party policy, a development that has sparked anger and unease across multiple factions.

Vivien Lichtenstein, who leads the Jewish Greens, became the most prominent voice calling for Polanski's resignation on Friday. In an interview with Times Radio, she accused him of failing to engage with Jewish party members, saying, "I don't know which Jewish members of the party he's been working with – it certainly hasn't been with the Jewish Greens committee." She described his decision to dodge the debate as a "big mistake" that has left many feeling alienated.

Polanski defended his absence from the Brighton conference vote, explaining that he was campaigning in North London at the time. He later confirmed that, had he been present, he would not have supported the "imperfect" motion without amendments. However, he also stated that "the displacement and genocide of the Palestinian people is clearly underpinned by a racist ideology." His remarks echo findings from several United Nations reports that have accused the Israeli government of committing war crimes amounting to genocide in Gaza—allegations Israel has consistently denied.

The controversy deepened on Friday morning when Polanski faced repeated questioning on BBC Radio 4's Today programme about whether he believes Israel has a right to exist. He declined to give a direct yes or no, instead saying, "I don't believe any state has the right to oppress or to commit apartheid and certainly not genocide on another people." Pressed further by presenter Nick Robinson, he added, "I've repeated many times that I want to see equal rights for Israelis and Palestinians – at the moment Palestinians don't have equal rights so I think I'm answering your question really clearly."

His evasiveness drew sharp criticism from within his own party. Caroline Lucas, a former Green leader, said Polanski should have attended the vote on the conference motion and described leadership as "frankly missing" on the issue. She labelled the motion "dangerous" and "flawed from top to bottom," though she stopped short of calling for his resignation. Instead, she welcomed his stated concerns about the motion and urged the party to "come together to make the urgent changes needed to take us forward."

Adrian Ramsay, a Green MP and former co-leader, also declined to offer full backing. Asked on the BBC's Politics East whether Polanski should continue as leader, he replied, "A lot depends on what happens in the days and weeks to come." Ramsay added that Polanski "did not show leadership I would have been looking for" and confirmed he is now working to reverse the motion.

Jonathan Bartley, who served as Green co-leader from 2016 to 2021, described the situation as a "failure of leadership" but did not demand Polanski's departure. Speaking to BBC Radio 4's World at One, he said Polanski should "put his hands up" and "say sorry." Bartley warned that "there is a certain toxicity now around the Green Party" and argued the brand "needs to be detoxified," noting an influx of members who have "maybe come from the left of the Labour Party."

Behind the scenes, longstanding Green figures are said to be deeply frustrated, accusing Polanski of being "missing in action" during the fallout. One critic suggested he risks "losing the confidence of both wings" of the party—those who supported the motion feel irritated by his refusal to publicly endorse it, while moderates are alarmed by its content and his perceived lack of leadership. The result, insiders say, is an untenable situation in which Polanski leads a party whose official Middle East policy he does not fully support.

Despite the turbulence, Polanski's popularity among the grassroots may shield him from an immediate leadership challenge. His re-election as leader earlier this year demonstrated strong support from the membership base, and no credible rival has yet emerged. However, the coming weeks will test his ability to bridge the widening rift within the party, particularly as Ramsay and others push to overturn the Zionism motion at a future conference.

The by-election result itself offers a mixed picture. While Labour held the seat comfortably, the Green surge suggests the party remains a potent electoral force in urban areas. Yet the internal chaos threatens to overshadow that progress. For now, Polanski appears determined to weather the storm, insisting that "our movement is so much bigger than one election or one motion." Whether his party agrees may determine his political future.