The pall of chilly, damp low cloud hanging oppressively over the city didn’t seem to deter the long queue of people snaking around the outside of WX Wakefield, a modern hangar-like space, towards the bus station. On Saturday 17 January, the Wakefield Green Party launched its local manifesto, boosted by the presence of charismatic party leader, Zack Polanski. Not surprisingly, the venue’s 400 tickets had sold out almost immediately.
The May elections are a big deal for the Greens in Wakefield, as they don’t yet have a foothold in the council, which has been Labour-led since 1974. This year is the first time in 20 years that all 63 council seats will be up for grabs, due to boundary changes. It offers a rare and unmissable opportunity for the Green Party, if they can bring the electorate with them, as recent increases in membership numbers and polling suggests they might.
I’ve never considered myself particularly a party political being, believing that politics is more about what you do every day and the choices you make, so consequently I can’t recall ever having been to a party event. If I was expecting anything stuffy or bureaucratic, that idea was instantly dispelled by the delightfully colourful presence of Incy Wood, one of the party coordinators.
Candidates present their manifesto
Wood introduced her colleagues, the proposed candidates for Wakefield North: Kate Dodd (co-coordinator), Olli Watkins (campaign manager, occasional Yorkshire Bylines writer) and Ashton Howick (treasurer) who spoke about the local party’s policies and manifesto.
The emphasis was on relatively low-cost, practical initiatives that would improve the well-being of local people, ensure they were engaged and felt they had a say in decision-making: “no more council knows best”. This would include enhancing the voluntary and community sectors, as well as attempting to retain the best of council staff within the local authority. Dodd decried the complacency of Labour councillors for repeating failed ideas and formulas, without innovation or diversity. Green Party solutions were “not rocket science” and “not expensive”.
Watkins mentioned giving local voices “a seat at the table”, a phrase that Polanski was to repeat later on. Howick spoke of improving public transport – a point echoed by Dodd who talked of free bus/rail travel for those needing to get to work and who can’t work from home – and of ending “fake public consultations” where the outcome is “a done deal”. These were also phrases mirrored later by Polanski, as was “Of course, we’re the Green Party” as a soft reminder of their environmental policies and concerns.
It suggests the Greens have been working hard to deliver joined-up messaging at local and national levels – as Polanski himself acknowledged by saying that many of the same principles apply to both. Nothing wrong with a bit of brand consistency.
Waiting for the man
But, as grounded and commonsense as the policies seemed, there could be no doubt that the main attraction of the day was the party leader. Wood introduced Polanski, to loud whooping and cheering, as an “absolute lunatic and general rattler of the establishment” – a nod to a Nigel Farage description.
This set up his intro perfectly, and he led off with the fact that Reform is getting worried about the Green Party – as is anyone who recognises the need for an alternative. We all want to reject the current system, but we mustn’t replace it with Farage, “man of the people: man of the wealthy people”.
Casting his net further back than the recent 14-year Conservative rule, he laid the blame for the current plight of the country on the adoption of Thatcherism and neo-liberalism leading to sell-offs of national assets, before castigating Starmer’s government for failing to deliver the Change promised in their manifesto.
Now, as 50 families in the UK hold more wealth than 50% of the population, Polanski said it’s time to tax the rich. The Swiss have done this and proved that the fear of “tax flight” was largely a myth promulgated by a media itself often owned by the very wealthy. But to see the UK treated as some kind of tax haven is “not the sort of country this should be”.
Arguing for integrity
Polanski argued for investment, for “consultation not notification”, inclusivity and accessibility, and for care not ‘targets’, which he identified as Blairism continued.
Comparing Tony Blair to an “arsonist to put out the fire” over his Gaza peace team role, Polanski then expressed solidarity with pro-Palestinian hunger strikers and Iranian protesters. Arguably, it was a little glib to state that “peace isn’t easy”, but his follow-up:“stop selling weapons and being subservient to an American president who is convinced that personal power and strength is all that matters in the world” went down an absolute storm.
Polanski proudly positioned himself as a leader who has “never taken a penny” from private health companies, oil & gas, or gambling businesses, and spoke frankly of his concerns over revolving-door politics, and private donor influence.
After a Q&A session, Polanski left the stage to a standing ovation, dashing off to fulfil his day’s busy schedule raising spirits at other regional party meetings in Barnsley, Sheffield and Huddersfield.
All photos by Su O’Brien for Yorkshire Bylines
A little hope
Polanski’s a confident rhetorician, compelling and compassionate, with the added benefit of sounding natural, or as conversational as you can be while still hitting your pre-defined talking points. But it’s so hugely refreshing to hear a politician talk like a human being, not a media-trained machine. This is the populist’s skill – and the potential danger zone. After all, weren’t these same features used to describe Farage, too? Well, up to a point, perhaps, since Farage seems to have become increasingly grumpy and terse in responding to recent challenges to his version of the truth.
I’d gone to this event hoping to see whether there was anything of real substance behind this fluent, media-savvy speaker. Certainly, he wasn’t fazed by anything, handling the audience Q&A with grace and ease. I’m not completely sure whether this meeting decided me firmly one way or the other, but I didn’t disagree with anything the speakers said and that felt rare, felt comforting. A bit inspiring, even.
On the walk back down to the station afterwards, the town seemed to look a bit brighter. Had the gloomy weather lifted a little, or was there – just a little – hope in the air?
Friends of Bylines Network
There has never been a greater need for grassroots journalism that investigates the stories that really matter, holds power to account and champions the voices of everyday citizens. We are proudly powered by volunteers but what we do isn’t free.
STAND WITH US for independent, citizen-led journalism that makes democracy stronger, and you will even get some exclusive benefits.
