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5 min readThe man who turned the Green Party into a rave
A couple of months ago, Economist correspondent Andrew Miller found himself at an outdoor rave in London's Docklands, surrounded by a thousand Gen Z clubbers with peroxide hair, mullets, and fashionable moustaches. The dance floor lay between the hulk of a defunct industrial building and the murky Thames. This didn't look like a typical political meeting, but the crowd had gathered in solidarity with the British Green Party—specifically, because of one man: Zack Polanski, whose election as the Greens' leader last year transformed the party's image. When Polanski appeared at the decks, a trim figure with stubbly cheeks and a T-shirt proclaiming "God save immigration," phone cameras went up. Until recently, a Green Party rave would have seemed outlandish. For years, the Greens were perceived as inoffensive, sandal-wearing environmentalists. Polanski has more than tripled the party's membership and boosted its poll rating.
From unhappy childhood to the stage
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What you'll learn
- 1 (01:43) **Introduction: The Green Party Rave** - Reporter Andrew Miller describes attending an outdoor rave in London's Docklands where a thousand Gen Z clubbers gathered in solidarity with the British Green Party, led by Zack Polanski.
- 2 (04:37) **Polanski's Unhappy Youth** - In an interview, Polanski reveals he was deeply unhappy as a child due to his parents' divorce, his sexuality, and bullying, including a physical attack on Canal Street when he was 15 or 16.
- 3 (07:25) **From Acting to Hypnotherapy** - Polanski studied drama and sociology, starred in a student gross-out comedy called *The Gallon Challenge*, and later worked in nightclubs, as a waiter, and as a hypnotherapist.
- 4 (09:53) **Joining the Lib Dems and Switching to the Greens** - Polanski joined the centrist Liberal Democrats in 2015, a curious choice as they were extremely unpopular after a coalition with the Conservatives.
- 5 (11:31) **The Farage Comparison and Eco-Populism** - Polanski's emphasis on affordability and short-form propaganda has drawn comparisons to Nigel Farage, though Polanski rejects the label, arguing Farage represents the elite, not the people.
- 6 (12:34) **The Challenge of Andy Burnham** - Polanski's immediate challenge is responding to Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who seems to be adapting to Green pressure by adopting some of their policies.
- 7 (13:29) **Radical Policies and Vulnerabilities** - Polanski's platform includes nationalised water, rent controls, increased top-rate income tax, legalising all drugs, ditching the monarchy and nuclear weapons, and ending detention camps for migrants.
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Show Notes
To critics, Britain’s Green Party leader is dangerous, even a con man. To fans, he is a national saviour-in-waiting. Our correspondent meets him to see what is behind the hype. So-called SpudCells have just seven bespoke DNA loops, but represent a revolutionary step toward life made from scratch. And the many ways travel agents still beat the bots.
Guests and host:
- Andrew Miller, special correspondent
- Oliver Morton, planetary affairs editor
- Caitlin Talbot, culture correspondent
- Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”
Topics covered:
- Zack Polanski, Britain’s Green Party
- SpudCells, synthetic biology
- travel agents, luxury travel
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