Green Party Shows Strongest Broadcast Momentum of Any UK Political Party Under New Leader Zack Polanski

 From Be Broadcast

New analysis of more than 220,000 UK broadcast mentions shows the Green Party is the only political force to have increased its airtime since early September - with visibility, tone, and membership all rising under new leader Zack Polanski.

The findings come from Mission Control, a broadcast monitoring project by Be Broadcast with political analysis by Cast From Clay, tracking coverage between 1 September and 20 October 2025.

This period continues the Who Gets Heard? study released in early September - but with one major change: the appointment of the Greens’ new leader.

While every other party’s coverage fell by between 55% and 85% during the period, the Greens rose by 44%, the only positive trend recorded. Over the same timeframe, party membership surged to over 126,000, overtaking the Conservatives and more than doubling the Liberal Democrats.

“Broadcast is often the first indicator of public movement - and that’s exactly what we’re seeing here,” said Josh Wheeler, founder of Be Broadcast. “The Greens’ rise on air mirrors their rise in membership, showing how people are shifting, not just parties.”

A New Phase for Green Coverage

Between 1 September and 20 October, the Green Party achieved 13,728 broadcast mentions, with Polanski personally referenced 8,648 times - more than Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey (4,543) and close to Opposition Leader Kemi Badenoch (10,074).

Despite leading a party with only four MPs, Polanski’s media presence now rivals senior figures from the major parties.

Mission Control’s language analysis shows a distinct tonal shift in how broadcasters discuss the party.

Before September, the Greens were primarily framed around protest, climate, and activism; since Polanski’s appointment, that focus has moved to fairness, jobs, prosperity, and the future.

This change has coincided with a dramatic rise in constructive coverage. Forty-one percent of mentions involving the Greens are now solution-focused or positive in tone - the highest of any national party - compared with 22% for the Conservatives and 19% for Reform UK.

“Audiences respond to clear, consistent communication,” said Tom Hashemi, CEO of Cast From Clay. “Polanski has reframed the Greens’ message from activism to aspiration - jobs, fairness, and prosperity. That’s not the language of protest, it’s the language of ambition.”

Comparative Party Performance (1 Sept – 20 Oct 2025)

Party	Broadcast Mentions (Sept–Oct)	2024 Vote Share %	MPs (2024)	Mentions per MP
Reform UK	83,776	14.3	5	16,755
Labour	43,431	33.7	411	106
Conservatives	18,695	23.7	121	155
Green Party	13,728	6.4	4	3,432
Liberal Democrats	9,468	12.2	72	132

 
 

The Greens’ per-MP broadcast ratio now outperforms Labour by more than 30 to 1 and the Conservatives by 22 to 1 - a striking change since the last report.

Their growth also came during conference season, a period usually dominated by the largest parties - suggesting that the uplift is structural, not seasonal.

“Broadcast acts as a national pulse,” Wheeler added. “When stories about fairness, cost of living, and the future start to dominate airtime, it signals something wider happening in public sentiment.”

Change Since the Last Report

Mission Control compared the September–October data with the earlier dataset covering 1 January–3 September 2025 to measure changes in relative broadcast share.

Although the timeframes differ in length, the comparison highlights which parties are gaining or losing momentum.

Party	Mentions (Jan–3 Sept)	Mentions (Sept–Oct)	% Change	Key Insight
Green Party	31,053	13,728	+44.2%	Only UK party to increase broadcast visibility since last report.
Labour	924,693	43,431	–84.7%	Attention plateau after initial post-election dominance.
Conservatives	121,251	18,695	–84.6%	Decline despite leadership speculation.
Reform UK	353,660	83,776	–76.3%	Still strong, but tone softening.
Liberal Democrats	46,468	9,468	–79.6%	Consistently underexposed.
SNP	45,308	7,373	–83.7%	Consistent but contained.
Plaid Cymru	2,194	969	–55.8%	Local strength, national quiet.
DUP	5,925	2,451	–58.6%	Static presence.
Sinn Féin	6,081	2,001	–67.1%	Focused on diplomacy over domestic debate.

 
 

While most parties lost ground, the Greens increased their broadcast footprint by 44%.
Polanski’s leadership coincided with this growth, supported by a membership surge and the party’s increased focus on social and economic issues.

“The same political climate that has opened space for Reform has also opened space for the Greens,” Hashemi added. “People are looking for something different. The question is whether Polanski can convince them that ‘different’ means Green, not Farage.”

 

Tone and Visibility by Party Leader

Leader	Mentions (Sept–Oct)	% Constructive Tone	Dominant Frame
Keir Starmer	42,385	29%	“Administrative stability.”
Kemi Badenoch	10,074	22%	“Internal reset.”
Nigel Farage	41,173	19%	“Provocation fatigue.”
Ed Davey	4,543	31%	“Community voice, limited cut-through.”
Zack Polanski	8,648	41%	“Fairness and prosperity.”

 
 

While Polanski’s tone is the most positive, other leaders show a different picture.

The Conservatives’ constructive tone sits at 22%, suggesting their recent focus on cultural and identity issues has not translated into broader resonance.

“Broadcast rewards clarity and originality,” said Hashemi. “Imitation doesn’t cut through.”

 

The Big Picture

• +44% increase in Green Party broadcast mentions since September
• 13,728 total mentions (party), 8,648 mentions (leader)
• 126,000 members, up 80% since leadership election
• Highest constructive tone of any UK leader (41%)
• Per-MP broadcast visibility 30× that of Labour

 

Together, the findings suggest that momentum and message discipline - rather than parliamentary size - are shaping modern broadcast visibility.

 

In a landscape where every major party saw its share of airtime fall, the Greens’ combination of consistency, tone, and public resonance stands out as the clearest measure of political momentum this autumn.

Greens: London’s housing market is broken. It’s designed for the wealthy to profit while Londoners suffer. Overseas investment makes it worse.

During today’s Mayor’s Question Time (MQT), Zoë Garbett, Green Party London Assembly Member, raised concerns about the Mayor’s London Growth Plan – published last month – specifically highlighting his heavy reliance on overseas investment to address the city’s housing crisis. Zoë told the Mayor that this would only continue to exacerbate the issue of housing inequality in the city. 

In response, the Mayor defended his position, saying, “we do want foreign investment for the simple reason that there has not been enough investment from the Government.”

Reflecting on the Mayor’s response, Zoë Garbett AM says: 

London’s housing market is broken. It’s designed for the wealthy to profit while Londoners suffer. Overseas investment is not a solution to the housing crisis – in fact, it’s made the situation worse.

It’s telling that the Mayor has admitted he’s forced to rely on overseas investment while the Labour government refuses to provide essential public funds for housing. What kind of message does that send about priorities? Londoners deserve better than to be left at the mercy of speculative overseas money.

With 40% of Londoners’ wages going to rent, 60,000 families stuck in temporary accommodation, social housing waiting lists at a ten year high and 300,000 homes approved but not built, it’s clear the current system is not working.

Sky-high rents and the cost of living crisis are leaving schools struggling to stay open and driving families out of the city they call home. 

Without a meaningful shift in government policy and funding, London’s housing market will continue to serve the interests of a wealthy few.

 

UPDATED WITH VOTE RESULT: This House Believes Trump is a 21st Century Fascist | Cambridge Union - Zack Polanski speaks for the motion

 

 Zack Polanski, Deputy Leader of the Green Party, speaks for the motion 'This House Believes Trump is a 21st Century Fascist'  at the Cambridge Union. 

RESULT OF VOTE:

Ayes - 219 

 

Abstain - 118 

 

Noes - 160

Green Party: Expanding Heathrow in the face of a climate emergency is the definition of irresponsible.

 

Responding to the news that Rachel Reeves is backing the expansion of Heathrow Airport, Green Party MP, Sian Berry MP said:

 

The Chancellor talked about the ‘costs of irresponsibility’ but expanding Heathrow in the face of a climate emergency is the definition of irresponsible.

 

Worst still, we’re also expecting formal planning decisions from ministers on Gatwick and Luton airport expansion, which the Chancellor pre-empted today. Giving these permissions in the month before vital new advice is expected from the Climate Change Committee, today’s speech is nothing short of reckless.
 

The carbon cost of expanding Heathrow, Luton, and Gatwick together will cancel out the benefits of Labour’s keystone clean energy plan, making Net Zero minister Ed Miliband’s task almost impossible.
 

The Chancellor’s stated goal is ‘raising living standards in every part of the UK’ but more and bigger airports will serve only the very richest aviation bosses and the most frequent flyers whose wealth doesn’t help people’s daily lives get better.
 

Tackling inequality and building a greener future should go hand in hand. That must mean investment in warmer homes, green energy and the local transport people use every day, not these bleak proposals.

Hope for London's public toilet deserts as TfL announces toilet expansion and improvement plan following Green Party pressure

 

Green Assembly member Caroline Russell is able to make fun at herself over a seeming obsession with toilets but in truth it is her campaigning  success that will have an impact on the lives of many Londoners and visitors to London. 

She deserves congratulations because her persistence has paid off with  the London Mayor announcing plans to expand and improve toilet provision. We know that many people are put off using public transport for longer journeys because they fear that they will not find a toilet when needed.  As an ex-teacher who has taken hundreds of primary age children on trips into London I also know how important it is to be able to find a toilet at short notice for a desperate child!

In it Press Release announcing a programme of expansion and improve TfL said:

Transport for London (TfL) has announced its ambitious programme to increase and improve toilet provision on London's transport network, in support of TfL's Equity in Motion plan to make London's transport network more accessible, fair and inclusive. The plan will see new accessible toilets delivered across the network, and improvements made to many existing facilities.

Earlier this year, the Mayor announced the biggest dedicated investment in toilet provision that London's transport network has seen, totalling £3million per year over five years. This will be invested in improving and increasing the number of accessible toilets on the network.

TfL is committed to making toilets more accessible for everyone and closing the gap in existing toilet provision so that Tube, Overground and Elizabeth line customers are always within 20 minutes of a toilet without having to change train. Following engagement with customers, campaigners and staff, a new programme has been developed to ensure new toilets benefit customers who need them most. Stations were then chosen according to a number of factors, including whether the location is a terminus station, operates night services, has step-free access, high passenger footfall, proximity to other toilets on the network, and onward connections. 

TfL is committed to creating new facilities and enhancing existing facilities, including reopening closed facilities, and improving the cleaning of facilities. Following the study, TfL has shortlisted a number of locations for new toilet provision in the first round of works:

• Camden Road Overground station
• Clapton Overground station
• New Cross Gate London Overground station
• South Tottenham London Overground station
• White Hart Lane Overground station
• Morden Underground station
• Hammersmith Underground station

TfL and the Mayor recognise that the provision of toilets is critical to many customers, sometimes determining whether a customer can travel by public transport at all. This is why TfL is also looking to convert a further four existing non-accessible toilets to accessible facilities within this first phase of the project at Amersham, Green Park and Sudbury Hill Underground stations and Seven Sisters Overground station, improving availability at other busy toilets that are currently misused or vandalised. TfL has also made improvements to more than one-third of London Underground stations with toilet provision in recent years, including repairing faults and re-painting areas.

Construction work to deliver new and accessible toilets at these stations is expected to start at several locations within the next year, following detailed assessments to determine viability.

TfL have a map of existing toilet facilities HERE although I would treat with caution as they may not be available due to vandalism or  misuse, particularly in the evening. This is an extract for our area. The Bakerloo/Overground is particularly poorly served:

 

There is also a searchable site for the whole of the UK which is very much a work in progress with users able to add toilets in their area. LINK

The Brent Council website has a short list of public toilets in the borough LINK:

Public toilet - Brent Civic Centre

Address: Brent Civic Centre, Engineers Way, Wembley, HA9 0FJ  

Public toilet - Bridge Park Community Leisure Centre

Address: Bridge Park Community Leisure Centre, Brentfield, Harrow Road, London NW10 0RG  

Public toilet - Douglas Avenue

Address: Douglas Avenue junction with Ealing Road, Alperton, Middlesex, HA0 4PY HA0 4PY  

Public toilet - Empire Way

Address: Empire Way Toilets, Empire Way, Wembley  

Public toilet - Oakington Manor Drive / Harrow Road

Address: Junction of Harrow Road and Oakington Manor Drive, Wembley, Middlesex, HA9 6QU HA9 6QU  

Public toilet - Roundwood Park

Address: Roundwood Park, Harlesden Road, London, NW10 3SH  

Public toilet - St John's Road

Address: St John's Road (junction with Elm Road), Wembley, HA9 7HU  

Public toilet - Sudbury and Harrow Road Station

Address: Outside Sudbury and Harrow Road Station, Harrow Road, Wembley  

Public toilet - Tavistock Road

Address: Car park, Tavistock Road, Harlesden, London, NW10 4ND  

Public toilet - Vale Farm Sports Centre

Address: Vale Farm Sports Centre, Watford Road, North Wembley, Middlesex, HA0 3HG  

Queens Park and  Roundwood Park have toilets connected with their cafes and Barham Park has limited access via the Community Library. King Edward VII toilets near the Park Lane entrance were demolished years ago due to drug misuse  but publicly accessible toilets are planned for the Stonebridge Boxing Club facility if it gets off the ground.

Brent Green Party has previously argued for a Brent Toilet Scheme that would incentivise cafes and retail premises to allow public access to toilets, perhaps through a reduction in business rates.

Camden are advertising for more businesses to join their Community Toilet Scheme:

Join our Community Toilet Scheme

We are looking to expand our Community Toilet Scheme, and work with more local businesses that would allow the public to use their facilities during normal opening hours (without the need to buy goods or services).

We’d welcome interest from anywhere in the borough, but especially from businesses in Kilburn, Camden Town and Bloomsbury.

We would pay an annual fee to members of up to £750 (including VAT).

Email street.environment@camden.gov.uk to find our more and apply.

Recording of Brent West General Election Hustings

A joint Brent and Harrow Palestine Solidarity Hustings amd Wembley Muslim Centre Hustings was held yesterday. Only the Green Party and Workers Party candidates accepted an invitation to attend. The Labour candidate, Barry Gardiner, provided a written statement that was read out.

Recordings below. 

Introduction https://youtu.be/0k16LRrQafo?si=Vp8RyeltAyyM8sv8

 

Questions https://youtu.be/aRjLZxH_c94?si=ZV51opzCQDeZe7_6

 

Further Questions https://youtu.be/NftLdUe49As?si=U978FsrGTnMmriOa

 

IJAN Perspective https://youtu.be/5jJBPTtJIRQ?si=I9sNVbdlYdrH85HA

 

Greens call for scaling up actions against Israel, accusing UK government of complicity in killing

From the Green Party 

As Israel appears to be on the brink of an all out assault on Rafah, despite warnings against such action by the UN, Red Crescent and others, Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer is demanding the UK scale up actions against the Israeli government until the killing stops. Greens are calling for an end to all arms sales to Israel, prosecutions of war criminals and targeted sanctions on Israel’s leaders. 

 Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer said: 

It is clear that the Israeli government is refusing to heed warnings about the catastrophic implications of an all-out attack on Rafah. The UK government must now demand that Israel stop the killing, calling for an immediate ceasefire. Hamas must also agree to this ceasefire of course, and release all hostages.  

Decisions made by the UK government - above all its failure, month after month, to call for an immediate ceasefire - have made them complicit in the killing of almost 28,000 people to date, 12,000 of whom are children [1]. 

Israel relies on certain weapon parts manufactured in the UK, including the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter whose essential components are made here [2]. A Dutch court has today ordered the state to cease the export of F-35 spare parts to Israel. We call on the UK government to follow suit, and suspend all arms export licences to Israel until the killing stops. The UK must also cease all military collaboration with Israel, including allowing Israeli use of British bases and RAF intelligence flights over Gaza.

Greens would also implement the requirements of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign across the UK economy. This would include excluding Israel from international sporting and music events; withdrawing all public money from funds with investments in Israel; and ending beneficial trade arrangements with Israel [3]. 

It is clear that only outside pressure will make Israel stop its mass killing. We can increase the pressure on Israeli leaders by introducing targeted sanctions against key individuals. This would include travel bans and asset freezes on Israel's leadership and cabinet members, in particular those calling for new settlements in Gaza and the annexation of the West Bank. 

Finally, we would encourage UK authorities including the Metropolitan Police and Director of Public Prosecutions to pursue perpetrators of war crimes committed where UK citizens are the victims or where UK citizens are potential perpetrators. 

There are many steps the UK government could take to pressure Israel to stop the killing. Its refusal to do so means that they are implicitly condoning the appalling carnage in Gaza. 

 

Notes

1. Israel-Gaza war in maps and charts: Live tracker | Israel War on Gaza News | Al Jazeera 
2. Who Arms Israel? (workersinpalestine.org)
3. This is consistent with the Green Party’s non-violent approach to demonstrating its opposition to breaches of human rights and international law. It is parallel to calls we have made for boycotts of a number of different countries in the past including Russia, Saudi Arabia, Myanmar, China, and Qatar.

Toilets, fare concessions, & universal basic income: Greens propose a budget for London’s communities

 From London Green Party

During the annual debate over the upcoming budget for the Greater London Authority (GLA) Group, Caroline Russell AM led her colleagues Siân Berry AM and Zack Polanski AM in proposing a transformative budget amendment to put London’s communities at the centre of Assembly funding. 

Following the decision by other Assembly Members to vote against these urgent investments, Green Party London Assembly Member Caroline Russell said:

 

This budget process has shown exactly how much change seems to be hiding down the back of the Mayor’s sofa. It’s time we put that money straight into London’s communities. 

 

I simply cannot understand why my colleagues elsewhere in the Assembly continue to celebrate the Mayor’s crumbs, instead of pushing to fully fund the initiatives we know Londoners need.

 

We will continue to push for the investment and attention that every high street, commuter, and resident needs here in London.

 

The six budget components proposed by Caroline Russell AM were: 

 

1.      Public Toilet Funding: While we commend the Mayor’s new programme of additional public toilets on the TfL estate, it lacks the ambition of our previous amendments so we aim to increase funding for the TfL toilets programme to build and maintain new, free public toilets. 

 

2.      Fare Concessions: For the older people who have consistently asked for the removal of restriction on their 60+ photocard and Freedom Pass, we will bring back the free travel provisions provided before the pandemic, which the Government made London remove. 

 

3.      Investing in Dead Spaces: We want to build a more resilient local economy by ensuring small businesses and community groups have spaces to grow by putting disused (but still useful) empty office blocks and shops into their hands.  

 

4.      Resident Empowerment: And not just open these spaces but support and empower people to be able to influence local development plans, and to build their own community plans with financing from a resident empowerment fund. 

 

5.      Climate Resilience Review: We will back the work of the London Climate Resilience Review by doubling its budget to £2 million specifically for the key recommendations that include collaborative work and work with communities.

 

6.      Universal Basic Income: And for a community group with a pilot ready to go, fund the essential wraparound support for a pioneering Universal Basic Income (UBI) programme, to fully explore an idea that could be lifechanging for many Londoners.

 

These six proposals could have been fully funded using the following funding sources, none of which would have taken funding away from existing services: 

• £30 million from an increase to the Congestion Charge
• £4.95 million from the Business Rates Reserve
• £1 million from the GLA Climate Emergency Funding Reserve in 2024-25 (£3 million over the next three years)
• £18.255 million from Reserves Earmarked for GLA Services

 

The GLA Group includes: Transport for London; Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime, London’s Fire Commissioner, London Legacy Development Corporation, and the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation. 

 

A copy of Caroline Russell AM’s Draft Consolidated Budget Amendment can be found here.