UK elections: Who is Zack Polanski, former hypnotherapist and openly gay leader of the Green Party?
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "UK elections: Who is Zack Polanski, former hypnotherapist and openly gay leader of the Green Party?")
Zack Polanski, leader of the Green Party, has become a popular name in UK politics. Photograph: (AFP)
Zack Polanski, leader of the Green Party, has turned around its fortunes, thrusting it into the limelight and making it popular among the youth. He is a former hypnotherapist, but his skills as a speaker have spiked the party's ratings ahead of the local polls.
Polls have opened for thousands of seats across more than 100 local authorities in England. Millions of people across England, Scotland, and Wales will cast their ballots. Six areas in London are also holding elections for directly elected local mayors. The biggest name in these elections is the Green Party and its leader Zack Polanski. The rising political star is being likened to New York mayor Zohran Mamdani. He is a central figure in the UK's political landscape at the moment and could lead his party to major wins in London, where polls are being held for 32 councils. According to polling group YouGov, the Green Party could come first in as many as eight of them. Under Polanski, the party has quickly climbed the ladder of popularity, especially among the youth. Polanski became the leader of the Green Party in September 2025 after a landslide internal election win which saw him replace Adrian Ramsay and Carla Denyer.
The 43-year-old is a self-styled “eco-populist” who presents himself as a progressive alternative to Keir Starmer’s Labour Party. He wants to push the Green Party into a more radical, high-visibility role from where it could take on the Labour government and Reform UK. Ever since he became the leader of the Green Party, ratings have soared, and the party's membership has reportedly surged to approximately 225,000. The party registered a noteworthy win in February, steering through in its first-ever parliamentary by-election in Gorton and Denton, a constituency in Greater Manchester. Notably, the governing Labour Party had held on to it for nearly a century.
Also Read: UK elections: Green Party wants to legalise crack cocaine and teach kids how to take drugs
Zack Polanski's influence on Green Party's rise
Polanski's Green Party is mainly focused on the younger generations and seeks to inspire them with their green socialist movement. However, the party has expanded beyond just its environmental mission to touch on more areas. Greens have become “far more left-liberal and pro-Gaza focused than environmentally concerned”, Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London, told Al Jazeera. Further, Polanski's "considerable communication skills" have given the Greens much-needed visibility. "The Greens have elected a headline-grabbing leader at the same time as they’re facing off against a terribly unpopular PM and government that has disillusioned many of its 2024 voter coalition," Bale said.
The results of the London Assembly, Scottish Parliament, and Welsh Senedd are the first major test for Polanski and his leadership, and whether the Green Party is able to translate this public attention into major wins.
Trending Stories
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
Zack Polanski's past life and political history
Polanski's real name is David Paulden, and he grew up in a Jewish community in Salford, Greater Manchester. He changed his name at the age of 18 to recognise his Jewish heritage. Polanski was a drama student at Aberystwyth University in Wales and later became a hypnotherapist and mental health counsellor. He is openly homosexual and started his political career with the Liberal Democrats in 2015.
