Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Benjamin Evans, attended the London Young Greens 2024/25 Launch to learn more about the movement and where it may be heading over the coming years.
On Wednesday 2 October, the KCL Greens collaborated with fellow student Green Party associations across London for their first event of the academic year. The evening was held at City University London and moderated by the chair of City Greens, Alan Clark.
The night consisted of a panel discussion involving Zack Polanski – the party’s Deputy Leader, Benali Hamdache – the party’s spokesperson on migrants and refugees, as well as Croydon Councillor and King’s alumnus, Ria Patel.
Proceedings focused on Green Party policies, covering a range of issues from migration and the economy to climate change and the escalating crisis in the Middle East. Members were encouraged to have their say and, following the panel discussion, the group separated into teams to discuss their political motivations and experiences of engaging with democracy.
“The UKIP of the Left”
The evening carried an enthusiastic energy with it. The Green Party’s record 1.84 million votes at the last election and four elected Members of Parliament appear to have given the party a renewed sense of confidence and bolstered anger over perceived injustices in our electoral system. The panellists sought to build on this electoral success and political momentum, with voter retention being a key priority.
They see their new role in Parliament and across the country as pushing the Labour Party back towards the left, or as Hamdache put it “we can be the UKIP of the Left” – a reference to the undeniable impact Nigel Farage’s right-wing presence had in shifting Conservative Party policy rightwards. This confidence in the Green progressive movement stems from a belief that they are trailblazers to be followed. In his optimistic speech, Zack Polanski told the crowd, “If you want to see the Labour Party manifesto in five years time, look at the Green manifesto”, receiving a round of applause.
Ria Patel continued this message in regards to local government recalling their work to challenge police assumptions around anti-social behaviour and increasing surveillance.
When asked about what may be holding the party’s growth back, Polanski conceded that the movement lacks both money and people. He was keen to stress that, unlike the largest two parties, the Greens have stricter rules on who they accept donations from, with a move towards smaller and more passionate donors. All panellists were keen to stress the importance of youth involvement in politics. Being the 2nd most popular party among the 18-24 age group, it is clear to see why they are so enthusiastic to motivate students.
“There’s nothing pragmatic about letting the planet burn”
When interviewed by Roar News, Zack Polanski stated the Greens’ three main values are “environmental justice, racial justice and social justice” and this sense of searching for justice and radical change permeated through the evening.
For a Green Party event, the climate crisis was mentioned remarkably less than expected – a sign that the party may be working to diversify its policy niche. However, this is still a core tenet of their existence with proposals to reach net zero by 2040 (a decade earlier than the current government target) and an election pledge to spend 1.5% of national income on climate finance.
The panellists re-called the Greens’ work in the London Assembly to lobby for the removal of London City Airport and replace it with social housing. One stated “private jets are the pinnacle of climate injustice”, arguing the move could achieve climate aims and tackle the housing crisis.
On the environment, Polanski claimed “there’s nothing pragmatic about letting the planet burn” and asserted that policies such as the re-nationalisation of the water companies were the pragmatic approach to the environment. He told Roar:
“Even 10 years ago I might have taken a more kind of centrist position thinking I was pragmatic around the water companies, but I think you only need to see there’s literally crap in the river whilst shareholders are earning billions of pounds in dividends and saying they can’t fix the leaky pipes… You can either get annoyed, or get involved”
The Crisis in the Middle East
Unlike the other major political parties, the Green panellists consistently referred to Israel’s war in Gaza and Lebanon as a “genocide”, with Polanski defending this stance by arguing that “offending people with names cannot be more important than stopping people dying”. This comes after the Green Party adopted an official stance to “recognise Israeli Government conduct as ‘apartheid’ and ‘genocide’” early last month.
Immigration
On immigration, the panel expressed concern over the language and framing of the UK’s immigration debate, expressing opposition to the 2014 Immigration Act which they claimed “added an element of racism to the rental market”. The act introduced fines of £3,000 per individual for property landlords if they were found to be housing illegal migrants which some have argued may limit the appetite for landlords to rent to migrants. Discrimination in the housing market by race remains illegal.
Benali Hamdache stated that “we have to start to dismantle this hostile environment”, citing not only the moral case for a more liberal immigration system but also warning of the potentially detrimental economic effects of stricter policies.
Democracy and the Electoral System
Democracy was another predominant theme of the evening, with unanimous calls for a transition to proportional representation. One audience member supported the Green Party working closely with the Liberal Democrats to push for this issue in Parliament. Another went as far as to say the replacement of first-past-the-post was akin to the removal of other “archaic traditions” such as the monarchy and the House of Lords.
The Greens did pledge to democratise the second chamber during the general election but have never called for the removal of the monarchy.
Green Controversies
Certain controversies were alluded to at the meeting with Hamdache claiming the party is “relatively inclusive but there are things we would like to get better”.
This could have been in relation to the party’s recent scandals such as the internal schism sparked by a group of activists from the Green Party Women (GPW) group challenging the party’s stance on trans rights and gender self-identity. Additionally, in the run-up to the election, the party had to take ‘decisive action’ to remove four candidates following a Times probe into anti-semitism.
The Green Party continues to be a vocal supporter of trans rights and has previously stated it is working with Lord Mann, a government anti-semitism advisor, “to better educate Green representatives about anti-Jewish racism”.
What Has Drawn Students to the Greens?
In conversation with the audience, there were consistent themes as to why they were encouraged by the Greens. Some were passionate about policy issues regarding the environment and Gaza, others saw the party as separate from the perceived vested interests of the mainstream and finally, some were encouraged by its less hierarchical nature and more democratic processes.
As the Labour Party have moved to the right under Sir Keir Starmer, the Greens have provided a political home for many who were enthused by the Corbyn era and put off by the recent moderation. With policy suggestions from the audience including a John McDonnell-inspired plan for 10% state ownership in the UK’s largest firms, the removal of the triple-lock on pensions and an increase in councillor pay to open participation and make it a full-time position, it is clear those who attended had strong left-wing convictions.
Ultimately, a KCL Green Party, which is likely to be ratified very soon, will seek to oppose Labour’s moderation and provide alternative policies to those the mainstream has offered. As KCL’s political scene grows yet further, the other parties will have to adapt to a new challenger from the left.
If you would like to learn more about what the Green Party offered at the last election, as well as the other parties, please check out Roar’s coverage here.
