Zack Polanski, the leader of the Green Party, has revealed he is strongly considering a direct challenge to Prime Minister Keir Starmer by standing against him in his parliamentary constituency.
The London Assembly member made the comments on Sunday 23 November 2025, during an appearance on the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme.
A Tempting Prospect
When questioned about a recent poll suggesting the Greens could potentially win the Prime Minister's Holborn and St Pancras seat, Polanski did not hold back. "It would be very tempting to take Keir Starmer down," he stated.
However, he immediately clarified that his current priority is a broader national campaign. "But actually what I'm doing right now is really focusing on, right across England and Wales, growing the Green Party," Polanski explained, announcing a significant milestone. "We've just hit 175,000 members."
This represents a remarkable surge in support, with more than 100,000 new members joining since Polanski, who describes himself as an eco-populist, became leader at the beginning of September.
Expanding the Green Wave
Polanski's ambition extends beyond just one constituency. He expressed a wider desire to replace underperforming Labour MPs across the country.
"I'm tempted to take on any Labour MP that's a disaster, and ultimately replace them with a better MP who will stand for people and planet, rather than vested interests," he told the BBC.
This growing confidence was bolstered this week by a significant defection from the Labour Party. Former MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle, who previously represented Brighton Kemptown, has joined the Greens. Russell-Moyle claimed that Labour has "left behind" millions of people who are seeking genuine change.
Budget Demands: Scrap the Cap and Tax the Rich
Beyond electoral strategy, Polanski also weighed in on upcoming Budget decisions. He said that scrapping the controversial two-child benefit cap would be a "victory", but criticised the Labour government for taking so long to act on it.
"It's absolutely outrageous it has taken the Labour Government so long to do it, but if they do do it, that'll be a victory and I'll celebrate it," he commented.
He then issued a broader challenge to the Chancellor, urging him to shift the burden of "tough choices" away from ordinary people and towards the wealthiest in society.
"When are we going to see tough choices for multi-millionaires and billionaires? It's time to tax the rich," Polanski declared, outlining a clear dividing line between his party's policies and those of the current government.
