Greens open to Labour pact - but only if Starmer goes, says Polanski
Zack Polanski has said the Green Party would be willing to make an electoral pact with Labour to stop Reform winning elections, as long as Sir Keir Starmer was not leader.
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Amid growing speculation that the two parties could work together to take on Reform at the local elections in May, the leader of the Greens reminded voters that his priority is "to replace Labour, not work with them".
He insisted that no pact deal would be made anytime soon, but did suggest an alliance could be formed if Angela Rayner or Andy Burnham were to take over from the current Prime Minister.
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"Under no circumstances could I see a scenario where I’d want to work with Labour led by Keir Starmer,” he told the Telegraph.
"All I think working with Keir Starmer would do is create an even worse [version of] Nigel Farage down the track."
His comments come as questions surrounding Starmer's future as Labour leader continue to swirl and the Green Party's popularity grows ever stronger.
Polanksi went on to point out which potential leaders he would work with and threw compliments towards Rayner, who he believed "would be easier to work with".
He added that the former deputy prime minister had been "tarnished by her previous role in this Labour government" and that it was "not for me to decide whether she's lost public trust".
However, he believed that Labour's recent U-turn to end the two-child benefit cap occurred due to the success of the Greens, rather than pressure from Rayner.
When asked about Greater Manchester Mayor Mr Burnham, Mr Polanksi said: "He probably is the outlier, but I can’t see a scenario where he could get back into parliament whilst we have the control ‘freakery’ of this Labour government."
Polanksi was also confident that the Greens could "absolutely lead the left" and criticised Sir Keir for "purging" socialistsfrom Labour.
He went on to slam two of the favourites to replace the PM - Wes Streeting and Shabana Mahmood, the latter of whom he said had "actively fuelled the anti-migrant rhetoric that was started with Reform".
The “unconscionable” treatment of Palestine Action supporters who are on hunger strike while awaiting trial in prison had also infuriated the populist leader.
Meanwhile, Polanksi felt the Health Secretary had shown his "true colours" in his handling of the doctors’ pay dispute.
"Not only has Streeting not negotiated with them in a fair, transparent way, he’s also resorted to name-calling in public. That’s not someone I can imagine myself working with," he said.
The Green Party has seen a sharp rise in the polls since Polanksi was announced as leader in September last year, with one opinion poll this week putting them two points ahead of Labour.
Last month, five Labour councillors from Brent Council in London announced they were defecting to the Greens.
This swell of support has led to several Labour ministers taking verbal swipes at Polanski, the most notable attack coming from Chancellor Rachel Reeves during her Autumn Budget speech in the House of Commons.
"It is creating the reverse effect for them, where people are recognising how badly they have failed," Polanski said.
"I say, ‘bring on the attacks in 2026’ because we’re ready for them and we’re only getting stronger."