Farage was accused of not being a patriot (Image: Getty)

A Reform spokesman said: “It seems Mr Polanski needs a refresher on what patriotism looks like. This is a guy who was elected as leader with only a third of his party turning out to vote.

“Reform continues to serve as the only party in the country that defends British values and ideals, protects free speech, and puts the interests of the taxpayer first. That is what patriotism looks like.”

Polanski calls himself “an eco-populist”. (Image: Getty)

Speaking to a crowd of cheering supporters, the new party leader said: “We just have to have a common cause. I will work every single day to grow this party.

Reform hit back against the accusation. (Image: Getty)

Mr Polanski, who has been a London Assembly member since 2021, branded Reform UK, which is consistently polling at more than Labour and the Conservatives combined, as “charlatans” saying they were “backed by billionaires that are destroying our democracy, our communities and our planet. We are ready to take the fight to Reform. Migrants are the backbone of this country. Our communities will always stand together.”

They said: “Our party is in the strongest position in its history. We’re winning record numbers of seats and showing that Green politics is rooted in the issues that truly matter. Together with Zack and deputy leaders Rachel Millward and Mothin Ali, we will continue to build on the extraordinary progress the Green Party has made.”

But Conservative leader in the UK capital, Susan Hall, mocked the Green leader saying: “It’s a shame Zack Polanski is anti-monarchy because his leadership win has been one of the most organised coronations in recent history. We hope his work at the Assembly won’t be too impacted by the national protest platform he has suddenly found himself on.”

Meanwhile the Liberal Democrat’s Hina Bokari said: “We congratulate Zack and wish him well. The last former Lib Dem to become leader of another party was Liz Truss but I’m sure his time will be longer than her 49 days.”

Fury as new ‘eco-populist’ Green Party boss says Farage isn’t “a patriot”

The rise of Zack Polanski as leader of the Green Party has added a new dimension to Britain’s increasingly fragmented political landscape. Describing himself as an “eco-populist”, Polanski has made clear that he intends to challenge not only Labour and the Conservatives but also Nigel Farage and Reform UK, particularly over the meaning of populism, patriotism and who represents ordinary voters.

Polanski’s comments about Farage have attracted considerable attention because the two politicians have increasingly been presented as occupying opposing sides of Britain’s political debate. While Farage has built much of his political identity around Brexit, immigration, national sovereignty and criticism of the political establishment, Polanski is attempting to construct a Green alternative centred on environmental policy, economic redistribution and opposition to concentrated wealth.

The Green leader has rejected the suggestion that he is simply a left-wing version of Farage. In an interview with The News Agents, Polanski argued that Farage was neither a genuine populist nor a patriot, challenging one of the central elements of Reform UK’s political language.

His remarks reflect a broader attempt by Polanski to redefine the word “populist”. Rather than associating populism primarily with nationalist or anti-immigration politics, he has argued that it should refer to politics representing the interests of the majority against powerful economic interests.

That distinction is important to understanding Polanski’s political strategy.

A different definition of populism

Polanski became leader of the Green Party of England and Wales in September 2025 after winning approximately 85 per cent of votes in the leadership contest. He subsequently promoted what he describes as “eco-populism”, combining environmental politics with policies aimed at redistribution and stronger economic protections.

His approach includes proposals such as a wealth tax on billionaires, stronger workers’ rights and a higher minimum wage. The underlying argument is that environmental politics should not be separated from everyday economic concerns.

In earlier interviews, Polanski said that political parties frequently talk about improving people’s lives but that voters can become sceptical when promises are not reflected in their material circumstances. He has therefore attempted to connect climate policy with issues such as household finances, public services, housing and corporate power.

That strategy also explains why Farage has become such an important reference point.

Polanski has openly acknowledged that Reform UK has been effective at communicating directly with voters and attracting media attention. Rather than ignoring that success, he has argued that the Greens should learn from some of Reform’s political and communication techniques while offering a fundamentally different set of policies.

Sky News described Polanski as a politician who had been studying Farage’s media strategy while seeking to build the Greens into a larger electoral force.

The comparison, however, has limits.

Farage and Reform generally emphasise immigration, national sovereignty, taxation, regulation and Britain’s relationship with Europe. The Greens under Polanski have placed greater emphasis on environmental protection, redistribution, public ownership, workers’ rights and economic inequality.

The two approaches therefore compete for voters who may share dissatisfaction with established parties but interpret the causes of that dissatisfaction very differently.

The argument over patriotism

Polanski’s comments about patriotism are particularly significant because the concept has increasingly become contested in British politics.

Farage has long used patriotic language when discussing Britain, national identity and sovereignty. Brexit itself was presented by its supporters as an argument for restoring democratic control to the United Kingdom.

Polanski, meanwhile, has argued that patriotism does not have to belong to the political right.

In an earlier interview, he said that the Greens should “retake patriotism”, describing love of one’s community as a form of love of one’s country. His argument is that environmental protection, stronger public services and improved living standards can also form part of a patriotic political programme.

This creates an interesting overlap between the two political projects.

Both politicians have sought to argue that their politics can speak to people beyond traditional party boundaries. Both have criticised aspects of the established political system. Both have attempted to use language associated with ordinary voters rather than conventional Westminster terminology.

But they reach very different conclusions about what Britain needs.

For Farage, national sovereignty and immigration have been central themes. For Polanski, economic inequality, climate policy and the distribution of wealth are much more prominent.

Consequently, the dispute over whether Farage is a “patriot” is not simply a personal disagreement. It reflects competing definitions of what patriotism should mean in contemporary Britain.

Reform and the Greens target different political spaces

The confrontation between Polanski and Farage also illustrates the increasingly fragmented nature of British politics.

For decades, national politics was dominated by Labour and the Conservatives. The Liberal Democrats occupied an established third-party position, while the Greens generally remained a smaller party with stronger representation in local government than at Westminster.

That landscape has changed.

Reform UK has established itself as a major political force, while the Greens have also experienced significant growth under Polanski. Al Jazeera reported in May 2026 that Polanski had won the leadership contest with 20,411 votes, compared with 3,705 for the joint ticket of Adrian Ramsay and Ellie Chowns.

The growth of both parties demonstrates that dissatisfaction with the traditional parties can produce political movements in very different directions.

Reform’s support has been associated particularly with immigration, national identity and dissatisfaction with the political establishment. The Greens have attempted to appeal to voters concerned about climate change, economic inequality, public services and what they see as excessive corporate influence.

That means the two parties can sometimes compete for voters who simply want a political alternative, even when their policy platforms are substantially different.

Polanski’s challenge to Farage

Polanski’s criticism of Farage therefore serves another purpose: it allows the Green leader to challenge the assumption that Reform has a monopoly on populist politics.

His argument is essentially that dissatisfaction with the political establishment does not automatically lead voters towards the right.

Instead, he wants to create a version of populism centred on the economic interests of what he describes as the 99 per cent.

This has become one of the defining themes of his leadership.

At the same time, Polanski has acknowledged that the Greens need to become much more effective at communicating their message. The party’s challenge is not simply developing policies but persuading voters that those policies address immediate concerns.

The Greens have traditionally been strongly associated with environmental issues. Polanski is attempting to broaden that identity without abandoning climate politics.

That is a delicate political task.

If the party focuses too heavily on environmental issues, it risks being viewed as a single-issue movement. If it concentrates too heavily on broader economic and cultural questions, it risks creating questions about how distinctive its Green identity remains.

A new phase of British political competition

The dispute between Polanski and Farage is ultimately part of a much larger political transformation.

Britain’s political debate is increasingly shaped by parties competing outside the traditional Labour-Conservative framework. Reform is attempting to expand the political right, while the Greens under Polanski are attempting to expand their presence on the left.

Polanski’s rise has also generated attention because of the scale of the change within the Green Party. The Guardian reported in September 2026 that membership had increased dramatically since his leadership began, alongside a stronger emphasis on what has been described as eco-socialist politics.

That growth gives Polanski a platform from which to challenge politicians such as Farage directly.

Whether the Greens can translate that attention into sustained electoral support remains a separate question. Membership, media visibility and polling are different measurements of political strength, and none should automatically be treated as evidence of future election results.

What is clear is that Polanski does not intend to leave the debate about populism to Reform.

His criticism of Farage as not being a “patriot” is therefore more than a provocative exchange between two politicians. It represents a wider argument over who can claim to speak for ordinary Britons, what patriotism means, and whether populism must necessarily be associated with the political right.

Farage and Polanski offer sharply different answers to those questions.

As Britain’s party system continues to fragment, that disagreement is likely to remain an important part of the political conversation.

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