The Green Party of England and Wales is heading into the May 7 local elections in the strongest electoral position in its history, with national polling under leader Zack Polanski consistently registering in the mid-to-high teens. The latest Ipsos survey places the party at 17 percent — matching a record high — and internal Green assessments suggest this polling strength could translate into gains of around 200 council seats across England.
Polanski, who succeeded Adrian Ramsay as leader following a dramatic internal contest in September 2025, has overseen a sharp shift in the party's campaigning emphasis. Rather than leading with traditional environmental messaging, Green candidates across England have been instructed to prioritise the cost of living, housing affordability and NHS waiting times — the issues that polling consistently shows dominate voter concerns at local level.
The tactical recalibration was visible in the recent Gorton and Denton by-election, where the Green candidate made scant reference to climate or ecological themes and instead focused heavily on local public service provision. The approach proved effective in generating vote share, reinforcing the party's view that it can compete directly with Labour in its former heartlands.
Electoral analysts see the Greens' rise as part of a broader left-of-Labour displacement that has gathered pace since the general election. Voters who backed Labour in July 2024 in the hope of meaningful change on poverty, housing and climate have, according to multiple surveys, been more likely than any other group to switch to the Greens in subsequent months.
Polanski has moved quickly to professionalise the party's campaign operation, bringing in digital strategists with experience in European Green parties and investing heavily in local candidate selection. The party now fields competitive slates in most major English cities and is targeting specific wards in Bristol, Sheffield, Birmingham and London where it believes second-place finishes from recent years can be converted into wins.
The Green surge has also affected projections for the next general election. Modelling by Electoral Calculus in April 2026 suggested the party could be on course for 74 seats at a Westminster election — an outcome that would make it a major force in any hung parliament scenario.
