Zack Polanski, the leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, has advised his Australian counterparts to connect with voters' anger and learn from the storytelling power of right-wing populism. Speaking via video link at the Victorian Greens campaign conference on Saturday night, Polanski emphasized the need to take on Pauline Hanson's One Nation party, mirroring his own party's approach to Nigel Farage's Reform UK.
Understanding Voter Disillusionment
Polanski noted that the political right has excelled at tapping into people's anger and accelerating change through it. He stressed that progressives should not fuel this anger but instead listen and address it. "People are feeling more and more angry, more and more disillusioned – and more and more ready for change," he said. "I think what we've not necessarily been great at, as progressives, is connecting with that anger. We rush to hope, to solutions, without truly connecting."
He argued that recognizing people's pain and struggle, then offering solutions, creates a powerful political force. Polanski urged progressives to differentiate between right-wing leaders and potential voters, suggesting that many considering voting for One Nation or Reform UK could actually align with Green values on core issues like cost of living and inequality.
Strategic Confrontation
Victorian Greens leader Ellen Sandell asked Polanski how to be an antidote to disillusionment without amplifying One Nation. Polanski responded that while he once avoided giving airtime to Reform UK, a point comes when they dominate the news agenda and other parties dance to their tune. "You need to take them on directly by being that antidote," he said.
Polanski emphasized the power of hope but warned that offering only solutions can seem unrealistic. He compared it to a friend venting: jumping to solutions can feel dismissive, while holding space for anger before offering solutions together is more powerful. This approach, he said, applies at the macro level of politics.
The Green Party has seen recent electoral successes in England and Wales, including a historic by-election victory in February, while the Scottish Greens also performed strongly. However, polling shows Reform UK becoming the main party on the right, a trend Polanski believes the Greens can counter by connecting with voter anger and offering genuine alternatives.
