Polanski’s polling numbers plummet after ‘bruising’ month
Zack Polanski has slumped to his worst poll rating as Green leader amid the row over his party’s “Zionism is racism” policy.
A survey by Ipsos in October found 52% of the public said they had an unfavourable view of the Green leader, up six points since September and the first time more than half the population had expressed a negative opinion of him.
Just 16% said they had a positive view of Mr Polanski and his overall rating has fallen to minus 36, the lowest rating of any national party leader.
Much of the opposition to Mr Polanski is concentrated among older groups, the poll suggested.
But he has also lost ground among under-35s, falling from a net score of plus 16 in April to just plus two.
His support among people who voted Labour in 2024 has also plummeted, from a net favourability of plus seven in April to minus 24 in October.
Keiran Pedley, UK director of politics at Ipsos, said the public had noticed that it had been a “bruising month” for Mr Polanski.
He has faced both internal and external criticism of his leadership after the Green Party conference in Brighton backed a motion describing Zionism as “racism” in a vote Mr Polanski did not take part in.
The decision has seen the leader of the Jewish Greens, Vivien Lichtenstein, call for Mr Polanski to resign and say she is considering leaving the party.
Labour has also issued an ultimatum to local Green groups it is currently in coalition with, telling them to disown the motion or lose the party’s support.
Just days after the conference decision, Mr Polanski suffered a further setback when he was defeated at the Holborn and St Pancras by-election.
The Ipsos poll, conducted in the immediate wake of that by-election, found Andy Burnham remained the only senior UK politician with an overall positive favourability score.
The Prime Minister enjoys a net favourability score of plus eight, while Kemi Badenoch’s score is minus 12 and Sir Ed Davey’s is minus 15.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage’s overall score is minus 31, with some 56% of people saying they have an unfavourable view of him.
Mr Pedley added: “Andy Burnham appears to be in the ascendancy for the battle for hearts and minds on the left, with 2024 Green voters almost as positive towards him as the leader of the Green Party itself.”
The Ipsos poll surveyed 2,257 British adults online between October 9 and 13.
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I didn’t understand why he avoided the vote on zionism is racism. Considering his previous stance on Zion, not attending the vote is very odd.
It’s the way the motion is written. Zionism encompasses a bit more than the Israel angle, it’s largely Jewish self-determination (quite why Judaism has the right to self-determination and practically no other religion does is beyond my ken). Quite a few Jews consider themselves zionists, while also decrying the actions of Israel, others would be labeled zionists for attending a local synagogue that is Zionist, even if they themselves are not and don’t have another nearby synagogue to go to.
Ultimately, this is Green democracy at work and sometimes it doesn’t go as planned.
To be hoisted by one’s own petard…
Zack’s getting blamed for things that are arguably not within his control and were never going to be within his control. The Greens are a democratic institution, motions are from the members, voted upon by the members and then implemented by member elected persons. Nothing he can do here but to get stuck in, and work with the new framework the members have given him. As for those threatening to leave the Green party… if you don’t like democracy, and you don’t like democratically chosen policies, last I checked the Green party has an exit mechanism and you are free… Read more »