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Polanski and the rise of the Green Party in the UK

HugalHugal Shipmate
in Purgatory
As he is willing to stand up and be counted, he politely takes no rubbish from other politicians and is charismatic (though that is not necessarily that important) Polanski is riding in public opinion. The Greens are now 4th in the list of parties ahead of the Lib Dem’s. Are they just a flash in the pan or can they make a real difference?

Comments

  • EigonEigon Shipmate
    As a Green, I hope he can make a real difference. People are certainly joining the Green Party in droves.
  • Bishops FingerBishops Finger Shipmate
    edited October 16
    Eigon wrote: »
    As a Green, I hope he can make a real difference. People are certainly joining the Green Party in droves.

    This. I joined the Greens some years ago, though sadly I can't physically help with canvassing, or go to meetings. Still, my support in terms of £££ helps the party to carry on its forward march! An email from them recently said that membership had increased from 65000 to 100000 in recent months.

    Mr Polanski is certainly a welcome breath of fresh air in UK politics.
  • Alan Cresswell Alan Cresswell Admin, 8th Day Host
    Of course, Polanski is leader of the Green Party of England and Wales. But, his influence extends across borders, he addressed the Scottish Green Party Conference a few years ago (just before a vote, which he acknowledged represented real issues within GPEW, to break formal links between the parties). Look out for an announcement shortly regarding SGP membership ...
  • CaissaCaissa Shipmate
    Any relation at all to Roman Polanski?
  • HugalHugal Shipmate
    Not that I know of
  • BoogieBoogie Heaven Host
    Eigon wrote: »
    As a Green, I hope he can make a real difference. People are certainly joining the Green Party in droves.

    Yes.
  • ThunderBunkThunderBunk Shipmate
    Caissa wrote: »
    Any relation at all to Roman Polanski?

    The question of his name is an unexpectedly interesting one: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zack_Polanski
  • BoogieBoogie Heaven Host
    Zack Polanski was born David Paulden on 2 November 1982 in Salford, Greater Manchester, to a Jewish family who had moved to the UK from Eastern Europe in the early twentieth century and had adopted the surname of Paulden in hopes of evading antisemitism. At age 18 he changed his name, restoring his familial name of Polanski, later saying it was important for him to find pride, not shame, in his identity. He also changed his first name, selecting Zack in homage to a Jewish character from the novel Goodnight Mister Tom, and to differentiate himself from his stepfather, also named David.

    You're welcome.
  • HugalHugal Shipmate
    His performance on Question Time was strong. He called Reform out for what they are. He could even back up what he said.
  • Bishops FingerBishops Finger Shipmate
    Hugal wrote: »
    His performance on Question Time was strong. He called Reform out for what they are. He could even back up what he said.

    Well, he said that's what he wanted to do, so it's good to see that he's not only calling out Reform, but is also able to back up what he says.
  • Alan Cresswell Alan Cresswell Admin, 8th Day Host
    Though the thread is titled to be about Polanksi, it's also about Greens in the UK. And, this weekend is the Scottish Green Party Conference. Not that people might notice if they're getting their news from the BBC or STV - the BBC News website has one single report on the co-leaders speeches which misses out a lot of what was said (nothing, for example, about "calling bullshit" on the lies of Reform) and uses stock photos rather than any photos from the Conference, but that's at least more than the silence of the STV website (which as a report on Thursday about membership numbers, noting "on the eve of their conference", as the only reference to the Conference at all). The much more comprehensive reporting in the National is behind a paywall, but they have had a reporter at Conference giving a running summary of what's been going on.

    For the major news outlets in Scotland, it seems to be business as usual. Ignore the only Greens in the UK to have ever been in government. Ignore a party with membership that now exceeds Scottish LibDems and Conservative (and, possibly even exceeds Scottish Labour). Ignore a party set to have more MSPs after the 7th May than LibDem or Conservative.
  • Bishops FingerBishops Finger Shipmate
    edited October 19
    Ah - but all those things which you list in your second paragraph are things They are afraid of...and not only Those in Scotland, but Those in England and Wales, too.

    IIRC, the Greens here now have more members than the LibDems, but (so far) only the four MPs - hence an email from ZP this morning encouraging us to give as much in the way of £££ as we can.

    A general election is some way off, of course (unless the flag-hoisters have their way), but the Greens are clearly gearing up for a fight in the intervening years. I don't think there are any by-elections forthcoming, but it'll be interesting to see how voting goes next time there is one.

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