A week inside the chaos of the Green party
Summary
This episode follows Green Party leader Zach Polanski as he campaigns in the Hoban and St Pancras by-election, aiming to unseat a Labour seat held since 1983. The report highlights the party’s recent surge in membership and its controversial decision to adopt a policy defining Zionism as racism, which has sparked internal division and international condemnation. While Polanski argues the move reflects the party’s stance against settler colonialism, critics and Jewish members fear it alienates key constituencies and undermines the coalition needed to stop the war in Gaza. With the by-electio…
Topics discussed
Arriving in Camden and meeting activist Ashok Kumar
Zach Polanski's campaign to win Hoban and St Pancras
Door-to-door canvassing in social housing estates
The controversial 'Zionism is racism' policy vote
Profile of the Hoban and St Pancras constituency
Street interviews with local voters on their intentions
Interview with Zach Polanski: Why he is running
Polanski on Labour's shift and the 'Burnham bounce'
Discussing polling numbers and local popularity
Strategy: Conference timing and the stakes of losing
Meeting Labour candidate Sehgal Abdiwali
Abdiwali on local issues: Housing and cost of living
Debate over Gaza, Palestine, and Ed Miliband's role
Abdiwali responds to left-wing criticisms
Green Party Conference: Member optimism and concerns
Caroline Lucas and the democratic structure of the Greens
Jewish Greens' perspective on the Zionism motion
Pro-motion arguments: Zionism as an ethnostate
Polanski's conference speech and the final vote
Peter Walker analyzes the motion's origins and impact
Political fallout: Criticism from MPs, Jews, and Europe
Impact on by-election chances and future leadership
Closing remarks and credits
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