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Zack Polanski, leader of the UK Green Party, has indicated potential changes to the party's democratic processes following a controversial vote defining Zionism as a form of racism. This decision was made by a subset of members without his direct involvement and has sparked internal criticism over leadership and policy-making effectiveness. With the party experiencing significant growth since Polanski became leader, he suggests adapting to give more authority to leaders while ensuring robust and accessible processes remain in place.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-11,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Zack Polanski, leader of the UK Green Party, has signaled changes to his party’s democratic processes following an internal vote declaring Zionism as racism, which he did not participate in. The controversial motion led to a surge in criticism within and outside the party. With membership surpassing 200,000 since Polanski became leader, there are calls for reforming how policies are set. Green MP Ellie Chowns criticized the current structure that allows such significant changes with minimal member support, suggesting leadership should have more influence over policy direction. Following a loss in a by-election to Labour in Holborn and St Pancras on October 6, Polanski wrote in The Guardian advocating for greater engagement and robustness in the party's processes while also giving leaders more responsibility to guide the strategic direction of the Green Party.
Written for “Zionism Controversy Greens Party” on 2026-10-11,
grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it +0.35, but all 2 of its quote(s) are attributed speech - words the article quotes from someone, not the article's own narration, so the score is not published.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score withheld for article 72573: attributed speech only · logged 2026-10-11
Zack Polanski has signalled he could usher in changes to the Greens’ style of grassroots democracy and give more power to leaders to set the party’s direction after a vote to define Zionism as a form of racism.
uncertain
he → signal → racism
The move taken by members at a Green Party conference vote, which Mr Polanski did not take part in, has prompted a backlash within the party and more widely.
asserted
Polanski → take → party
The party has seen membership surge to more than 200,000 since Mr Polanski took over as leader, pledging an eco-populist agenda.
asserted
Polanski → see → agenda
And Green MP Ellie Chowns said there had been a “lack of leadership” from Mr Polanski over the motion, and that such a small number of members being able to push through “significant and damaging policy” showed that “something isn’t working in our structures and our policy-making process”.
asserted
something → say → structures
Writing in The Guardian on Sunday, Mr Polanski suggested the party needed to adapt its processes going forward.
uncertain
party → write → processes
He wrote: “Our party has grown to a size none of us could have anticipated when I became leader.
“Our party democracy must now evolve to meet that – creating wider engagement for members, giving leaders more responsibility to set the party’s strategic direction, and making our processes as robust and accessible as possible.”
uncertain
processes → write → direction
Mr Polanski said he agreed with the broad substance of the motion, but said there are “elements of the motion that I don’t agree with, such as dictating the future shape of a state in Israel and Palestine”.
asserted
I → say → Israel
He also acknowledged that some felt “let down” by his decision to skip the vote to campaign for his bid to become an MP in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, which he lost to Labour this week.
asserted
he → acknowledge → Labour
The motion set into Green policy that Zionism is defined as a form of racism and support for the establishment of “a single democratic Palestinian State in all of historic Palestine”.
asserted
Zionism → set → Palestine
Despite becoming policy, it does not mean it will necessarily appear in the future manifesto and the party’s MPs – four out of five of which rejected the move – are not obligated to back it.
asserted
MPs → become → it
Ms Chowns told the BBC on Saturday that she wants to make sure her party is not “vulnerable to capture by extremists and racists” as she issued a call for the party’s policies to represent the views of the majority of members of the Green Party.
asserted
policies → tell → Party
Former co-leader and Green MP Adrian Ramsay has called for the party to get “back on track” and return to its “core purpose” of championing environmental causes in the wake of the vote.
asserted
party → call → vote
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