Green Party Leader Polanski Unveils Economic Vision

Zack Polanski, leader of the Green Party in England and Wales, delivered his first major economic policy speech on Wednesday at the New Economics Foundation in north London, outlining a vision to address inequality, affordability, and environmental protection while criticizing decades of policies that have favored asset owners over workers.

Polanski, who took over as party leader in September 2025, centered his address around three guiding questions for economic policy: how to make life more affordable, how to support the majority who provide care over the wealthy elite, and how to safeguard the planet for future generations. He described the current system as one that has transformed Britain from a manufacturing-based economy into one where essential services are privatized and rented back at high costs, leaving households vulnerable to shocks like the recent oil price increases tied to the Middle East crisis.

In detailing specific proposals, Polanski called for rent controls to halt rising housing costs, noting that freezing rents since autumn 2022 could save households an average of 3,300 pounds annually, totaling 18 billion pounds nationwide. He highlighted efforts by Green...