Has the Green Party lost its way in ‘fractious’ politics?
The Green Party is hosting its annual conference in Brighton, but with divides inside the party on its evolution, and issues surrounding Israel, Palestine and Zionism, does it risk tearing itself apart?
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What’s the story?
When Zack Polanski became leader of the Green Party in September 2025, its fortunes seemed to change overnight.
Membership surged to more than 100,000 people within a month, as Polanski’s fearless and social-media savvy style of politics won him fans and potential voters.
In March 2026, the Greens peaked in opinion polls with 21% of the British public saying it would vote for Polanski’s party.
But by the time the Green Party conference began in October 2026, that number had dropped to 11%, as UK polling stabilised following Andy Burnham becoming Prime Minister pulling Labour up, and bad press for Nigel Farage dragging Reform UK down.
There was also reporting which cast the Green leader in a negative light, such as potential unpaid council tax, and embellishments on his CV.
Polanski, a member of the London Assembly, is currently running as MP for Holborn and St.Pancras, formerly held by Keir Starmer.
At the Green Party conference venue in Brighton, there are signs telling attendees to "stop reading this" and head to the central London constituency to campaign.
The conference hosted stalls for groups such as Rewinding Britain, Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Muslim Greens and Trans Young Greens.
"The Green Party has always had their focus, traditionally, on green issues, environmental issues," says Lewis Goodall.
"They were known, in a way, very often as a slightly sort of more environmentally conscious version of the Lib Dems.
"That's changed. It has become a much harder edge party. It has become a coalition of wider left-wing interest groups and interests."
The Green’s embrace of ‘fractious politics’
The Green's embrace of minority groups and breaking with its focus on environmental focus has given it a boost in the polls, but also comes with a cost.
Lewis says it reminds him of the Jeremy Corbyn-era of the Labour Party.
"This party has got bigger, but as a result, its politics has become more fractious," Lewis says.
"This is a conference which is set to be dominated by a series of motions which are classic Corbyn-era interests around Gaza, Zionism, Palestine.
"These are dividing this party and risks, on some level, tearing it apart."
There have been internal conflicts within the Green Party over whether it should stay true to its environmental roots, or continue to widen its scope in left-wing politics.
"In the past, if you wanted to express your disaffection with the other two main parties, you could go to the Green Party," says Jon Sopel.
"It used to be that the people of the far-left were on the outside, and they were the one handing you the leaflets on the outside.
"Now, they are the main stands inside the conferences and the literature."
Has the Green Party already peaked?
The Green surge after Polanski assumed leadership came at a time of great decline of faith in Keir Starmer's leadership.
As the Labour Party focused on losing to the right wing of politics, it ignored the threat of the left, and many voters decamped to Polanski.
In May 2026 local elections, the Greens gained 43 councillor seats, taking its number to 859 across England, Wales and Scotland.
But has the party been too successful, too soon?
"They helped bring Starmer down, then Labour brought in Andy Burnham, who is a lot more like Polanski," says Lewis.
"He's more populist, he's got common touch, he's a great social media performer."
At the same time, Polanski faced growing media scrutiny, including reports on whether he paid council tax while living on a narrowboat and questions over claims about his past work for the Red Cross.
"Suddenly, the Greens are struggling, and a lot of those voters have gone back to Labour, and it leaves the Greens at a bit of a crossroads," he adds.
"The more 'tree huggy' Green of the past, they were small, but they were intellectually coherent within themselves."
Now, there is a stark divide.
"There is that old wing of the party, where the party actually is winning in rural England, in Suffolk and in Herefordshire and those sorts of places," Lewis says.
"But they're also now got this Corbyn-era style wing which is highly competitive among graduates, and younger people in the cities, which is far more left-wing, and you can just see the tension straining around it."
Will divisions on Israel, Palestine and Zionism tear the Greens apart?
One motion for debate among the Green Party is whether to define Zionism, the belief in the right to establish a Jewish homeland in their ancestral homeland, as 'racist'.
The Zionist movement began in the late 19th century and the State of Israel was officially established in 1948, after the horrors of the Holocaust and the Nazis.
Those who oppose Zionism often argue that the creation of the state of Israel resulted in the displacement and ongoing subjugation of the Palestinian population - which the British government has recently described in Gaza as ethnic cleansing.
This debate is a focal point at the Green Party conference.
Caroline Lucas, for a long time the Green Party's only MP, has said that internal debates over whether Zionism is racism is divisive, and could alienate some Jewish voters.
"The question for Polanski and their Green Party leadership has to be that if this motion passes, is it possible to be a Green Party member who believes both in a secure, free Israeli state, and a secure, free Palestinian state?" Lewis asks.
"It feels to me, if this motion passes, that it is not possible, because you would be a racist, and therefore you would be subject to internal disciplinary measures.
"In a way, it is a form of sectarianism, which is, I think, pretty chilling actually."
Jon says this is the "passion" of the party conference.
"This is animating this conference, and I think that the proponents are very dug in of what they believe and the certainty of their own position," he adds.