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Green Party leadership candidates Ellie Chowns and Adrian Ramsay have accused their rival Zack Polanski of using divisive language that could threaten the party's recent electoral gains. The joint ticket contenders warned that polarising rhetoric risks losing the support the Greens have built over the past year.
Chowns and Ramsay, who both became MPs when the Green Party achieved its best general election results in July 2024, did not provide specific examples of the language they criticised. They represent North Herefordshire and Waveney Valley in East Anglia respectively.
Former leader backs MPs
Former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas threw her support behind the parliamentary duo, arguing their membership of the House of Commons gives them greater authority than Polanski. Lucas, who represented Brighton Pavilion for 14 years until last year, said having MPs as leaders reminded voters the Greens are a serious political party.
The candidates are standing against Polanski, the party's deputy leader and a London Assembly member. He has previously told the Guardian his leadership bid would focus on transforming the Greens into an "eco-populism" mass movement.
Record electoral success
The Green Party elected four MPs in July 2024, its highest number ever. The party also boasts more than 850 councillors following May's local elections, another record total for the environmental party.
Voting in the leadership contest opens on Friday, with results announced on 2nd September. The election was triggered after Carla Denyer, MP for Bristol Central, announced in May she would not stand for re-election as co-leader.
Appeal to broad coalition
Chowns emphasised the importance of maintaining the party's distinctive identity as Labour backtracks on climate commitments. "To win under first-past-the-post, we have to connect with a wide range of voters," she said. "We do that not through polarising language that appeals only to a narrow segment, but with the language of fairness, compassion and hope."
She cited YouGov polling showing voters from all parties are more likely to consider backing the Greens than a potential new party being established by former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and ex-Labour MP Zarah Sultana. This cross-party appeal represents a significant strength in an increasingly crowded political landscape, according to Chowns.
Building on momentum
Ramsay, who has served as co-leader with Denyer since 2021, highlighted the party's unprecedented recent success in doubling councillor numbers and winning four new MPs. He attributed this growth to focused election campaigns and building sustained community support across the country.
"Building that level of trust with voters is a massive achievement and, with the two-party system now clearly finished, it puts us in an excellent position to make much bigger gains," Ramsay said. He warned against complacency regarding the party's hard-won credibility as more people align with Green values.
Polanski has been contacted for comment on the accusations from his leadership rivals.
(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
