Ahead of the Labour Party conference opening Zack Polanski, Leader of the Green Party, said:

“When I said we intend to replace Labour, I meant it. As another Labour conference comes round, it’s another emergency government reset. It just confirms what we already know: Labour has failed. By his own standards, Starmer has broken the promises he was elected on, ditched the principles he claimed to stand for, and his government has made inequality worse, ignored the climate crisis and contributed to arming a genocidal Israeli government.

And for all the talk, this conference isn’t a vision for the future. It’s a desperate attempt to rewrite the past. 

People are crying out for bold leadership, not cautious tinkering. This will probably be Starmer’s last conference. Labour’s future candidates aren’t offering any of the solutions we need. The Green Party is offering these solutions. A wealth tax on the super rich, investment in public services and action to protect our climate. We are ready to turn this country around by offering a bold, positive alternative to a crumbling Labour government.”

Responding to Keir Starmer’s speech at the Global Progress Action Summit in London, which argued Britain has been ‘squeamish’ about illegal immigration, Green Party Leader, Zack Polanski said, 

“Keir Starmer today said this country has been too ‘squeamish’ about talking about immigration. Let’s call that for what it is: bullshit. The truth is, politicians have talked about little else for decades and almost always in the most toxic, dehumanising way possible. These comments are lapped up and regurgitated on a near-daily basis as talking points without any real balance.

That phrase “stop the boats” is all we hear. Well, today I am saying “stop the bullshit”. 

It’s time to be honest. It’s what we deserve. Immigration is not the crisis. The NHS is not crumbling because of tiny numbers of desperate people clinging on to small boats. The crisis is a political class too cowardly to tackle the actual huge issues of poverty, housing, and low pay. Too eager to distract us by pointing the finger at people who come here to contribute to our communities and our economy.”

Responding to the news that Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has approved plans for a second runway at London Gatwick Airport, Green Party Leader, Zack Polanski, said:

“Signing off on a second runway at Gatwick is a disaster. It ignores basic climate science and risks undermining efforts to tackle the climate crisis. Labour keeps wheeling out the same nonsense about growth, but at what cost? What this really means is more pollution, more noise for local communities, and no real economic benefit. Expanding Gatwick is a tired, 20th-century answer to a 21st-century crisis. Labour’s obsession with ‘growth at all costs’ is driving us deeper into a climate breakdown and social inequality crisis.” 

Responding to reports that Sir Keir Starmer is expected to announce the UK’s recognition of a Palestinian state in a statement on Sunday afternoon, Green Party MP, Ellie Chowns, said: 

“I welcome the UK’s long-overdue recognition of the state of Palestine – a vital affirmation of Palestinian dignity and rights after decades of dispossession and suffering. For too long, Palestinian lives have been treated as bargaining chips; I condemn the government’s delay in recognising Palestine, and I am appalled at the way Palestinian statehood has been held up behind conditions for the Israeli government to meet, rather than advanced as a matter of principle.

“While recognition is important, there is much, much more that the UK can and must do to take real, concrete action to end the Israeli government’s genocide in Gaza. We must deploy every diplomatic, legal, and economic lever to secure an immediate and lasting ceasefire; guarantee unfettered and sustained humanitarian access to Gaza’s starving people; ensure the release of every remaining hostage; and insist on clear, time-bound deadlines for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. The UK should immediately stop all arms sales and military cooperation, impose tough sanctions on all those responsible for war crimes, and ban imports from illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

“And with the UN commission concluding just last week that Israeli forces are committing genocide in Gaza, the UK must drive impartial investigations into war crimes and support justice mechanisms for victims.  Recognition is vital – but must be accompanied by meaningful UK action to exert pressure to end the genocide, build peace, rebuild lives, and tackle the root injustices that have fuelled this conflict.”

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