Why Labour is so scared of the Green Party
New polling shows the Green Party closing on Reform’s lead in popularity with UK voters, despite growing right-wing attacks on the party and its surging numbers. Is Labour struggling to respond to a new “credible threat” on the left of politics?
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What’s the story?
Anti-semitic. Extremist. Evil.
The right-wing press, politicians and even Keir Starmer and members of the Labour government have had some harsh words for the Green Party, following its recent success in the Gorton and Denton by-election.
Harsh words for a party built on environmental concerns, and now having reshaped itself to become a left-wing, populist movement seemingly seeking to promote integration, inclusivity and the restoration of local communities.
Their critics have even more to worry about now – new YouGov polling puts the Green Party ahead of Labour and the Tories, where it is now snapping at the heels of Nigel Farage and Reform UK.
Reform leads the new opinion poll with 23%, Greens with 21%, Tories and Labour tie with 16%.
"The two party system is alive and well – it's just that the two parties are Reform and the Greens," says Jon Sopel, who describes the YouGov numbers as "astonishing".
Conducted in the days after Hannah Spencer’s by-election victory, Lewis Goodall says that fresh win will be at the front of minds for many people right now.
"What this by-election did was to show voters the Greens are a credible alternative to Labour and the Tories," Lewis says.
"It will also crystallise fear in many Labour MPs who have not been accustomed to any challenge since the mid 2000s."
Why is Keir Starmer calling The Green Party 'extreme'?
When Nigel Farage and Reform UK began picking up pace in opinion polls, the Labour response was clear – it took a tougher stance on migrants.
But Labour seems a little lost when it comes to a credible challenge from the Greens, simply labelling the party, led by Zack Polanski, as "extreme" and suggesting it will be unable to replicate the success of Gorton and Denton in other parts of the UK.
"Starmer did not respond to Reform wins in quite the same way as he has with the Green Party – which was to treat those voters with more respect," Lewis says.
"It might be more possible and more credible to pursue that strategy if the Greens sounded more extreme.
"The truth is, they had a great candidate in Hannah Spencer, and her campaign was concentrated on economic issues, and on cost of living."
He says Starmer's use of the word "extreme" has annoyed Labour MPs, as well as former supporters who switched their vote in Manchester, and now feel tarnished with the same brush.
Public performances from Labour, and the Tories, are also not doing much to counter the new two-party politics emerging in the UK.
Jon says the bickering between Labour and the Tories taking place at the same time as Reform and Green rise in the polls only makes the old guard seem less in touch than ever.
"The more they take chunks out of each other, the more distaste I think people are feeling towards Labour and Conservative," he says.
"Unless you're going to meet the challenge of Reform, and unless you're going to meet the challenge of the Green Party, they start to look irrelevant."
Why this poll is no victory for Reform either
In usual circumstances, topping an opinion poll would be considered good news for any party.
However, considering Reform has previously enjoyed an almost unchallenged run ahead of its rivals, with no-one coming close to its level of support, the tight gap between it and the Greens may be cause for concern to Farage and co.
"The central shtick of Reform has been that it is the insurgent party," says Lewis.
"If voters are dissatisfied with the system, then Reform is positioned as the anti system – but that has been blunted by two things."
The first, he adds, is the wholesale absorption of former Tories from the previous government, making it far more difficult for Reform to distance itself from legacy British politics.
"If you have got the Greens rising, then you lose the monopoly of that insurgency, because clearly you're not the only anti-system vote, for being the protest vote," Lewis says.
"If the Greens continue their rise and continue challenging Labour – but also challenging Reform as being the true anti system force – I don't think this poll is unproblematic for Reform either."