cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/37620990

In a shock poll, the Green Party under its new leader Zack Polanski has pulled ahead of Labour (just).

According to the pollsters Find Out Now, the Greens are on 15%, the same level as Labour. But as economist James Meadway notes, if you look at the detailed results, the Greens are on 15.31%, compared to 15.23% for Labour.

This is being a bit mischievous, because polling has a margin of error. But the trajectory is clear - the Greens are surging, and Labour is falling back. The Greens are enjoying their best polling in their history. Just 13 months after winning the election, Labour is on its worst polling recorded in the post-war period.

Polanski, who was elected leader of the England and Wales Greens in a landslide victory last month, after campaigning on a pro-trans, eco-populism platform, appeared on YouTube show Piers Morgan Uncensored where he was asked whether a woman can have a penis, a query seen by many as an anti-trans dog whistle.

“Yes,” he replied immediately, before taking a swipe at incredibly long NHS waiting times: “It’s going to take them a long time on the National Health Service to get rid of it but that’s another problem. I think we’ll leave it on a woman can have a penis.”

The Green Party of England and Wales has today announced that its membership has surged past 100,000 members, the highest in the Party’s history. This marks over a 45% increase since Zack Polanski was elected Leader of the party last month.

The news comes as the recent polling shows Greens on 15% nationally, their highest-ever figure, and just two points behind both Labour and the Conservatives, and a week after the Greens announced they had a bigger membership than the Liberal Democrats. Since then, it has been shown that the Liberal Democrats’ membership is actually just 60,000, and the Greens have grown an additional 17,000 in a week.

The new Green Party leader will get an 'in-depth' interview on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg after a slot from the party's conference was cancelled

The Greens complained after a planned interview with its new leader Polanski from the party’s conference was cancelled in the days before Kuenssberg’s Sunday show on 5 October.

A Green Party spokesperson said: “Every political party Leader other than Zack Polanski was given a slot on Laura Kuenssberg during their Party Conference. Aside from the generous slots given to Labour and Conservative Leaders, Reform UK’s Nigel Farage had a nine-minute interview and Ed Davey a seven-minute slot.

Fiona Bruce presents an hour of debate from Shrewsbury, with politicians, commentators and members of the public. On the panel, from the government, chief secretary to the Treasury James Murray MP; from the Conservatives, shadow culture secretary Nigel Huddleston MP; Zack Polanski, leader of the Green Party of England and Wales; Reform UK’s head of policy Zia Yusuf; and the Daily Telegraph columnist Annabel Denham

Green Party Conference is coming to Bournemouth International Centre.

The conference will be taking place between Friday, October 3 and Sunday, October 5 and will be the first conference for Zack Polanski the new Green Party Leader after his election at the start of September.

Some of the key events happening across the weekend include:

Friday, October 3

• 10am, Conference centre opens
• 1.30pm, Zack Polanski Leader Speech
• 2.30pm, panel on Attacks on Protest with Asad Rehman, CEO Friends of the Earth
• 3.45pm, Anthony Slaughter, Wales Leader Speech
• 6.30pm, panel on How to Beat Reform with Olly Knowles from Led by Donkeys

Saturday. October 4

• 9am, panel on Climate Adaption with Dr Bob Ward from the Granthem Institute
• 10.15am, Deputy Leaders Speech
• 1:30pm, panel on Economics with James Meadway
• 5.30pm, panel on Blueprint to Greenprint with Chris Peckham
• 6.45pm, live recording of Zack Polanski’s podcast ‘Bold Politics’ with Owen Jones

Sunday. October 5

• 10.15am, speech from Global Majority Greens liberation group

The Green Party will also be deciding on policy motions throughout conference.

Zack joins Nish and Coco in our (fully powered) studio - to talk about his vision for the future of the left, his plans to fight inequality and why he’s not actually thrilled to see Zarah and Jez at each others throats. He also brings up his ever-so-slightly hypnotherapy boobjob and in revenge, helps us pip the Sun to the post on a saaaaaucy exclusive.

We’re looking for the next generation of talented, diverse and hard-working Green MPs and it all starts right here.

Whether you’ve been considering standing as a Green MP or know someone who should – this a great chance to get stuck in, find out more, and connect with others ready to lead real change. Will you join us?

📍 General Election Candidate Residential Weekend 🗓️ 21–23 November, Staffordshire ✍️ Apply by: Sunday 5th October (midnight) 👉 Apply now - https://app.beapplied.com/apply/rl54kvhciu

We’ll be exploring:

• What it means to be a Green Party MP candidate • The MP candidate selection process – and how to prepare for it • Some information about the areas we’re preparing to win • And how you can get your journey started

You’ll leave with inspiration, a practical plan, and a network of people to support you. Selections for our winnable areas will begin from next summer so don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity.

The Green Parties of Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire have announced their list of candidates who will be running in next year’s Senedd Election for the new Ceredigion Penfro constituency. These Senedd Elections will be run on a new electoral system where voters can truly vote for a party they believe will help solve the problems faced by people in Wales.

The Green Party have announced their candidate ahead of the Caerphilly by-election next month. The party confirmed Gareth Hughes would be standing in the constituency, the seventh candidate to be confirmed.

1. More tax, more spend
2. Build, build, build
3. Tackling the cost of living
4. A green society
5. We’re sober and sensible, really

edit: Here it is