A week inside the chaos of the Green party – podcast

A week inside the chaos of the Green party – podcastAfter a surge in support Zack Polanski is hoping he can win over Kier Starmer’s constituency to become an MP. But has a controversial motion over Zionism thrown his campaign into disarray?

Zack Polanski, the Green party leader, is trying to win Keir Starmer’s old seat, Holborn and St Pancras, a central London constituency that has voted Labour – uninterrupted – since 1983.

Support for the Greens has surged in the last 12 months. Membership has almost quadrupled, and they’ve already won one by-election this year and taken control of five new councils. But now Andy Burnham is prime minister and has made Labour look a lot more appealing.

Days before the Greens were set to put on their biggest ever conference in Brighton, it was clear the conversation would be dominated by one issue: a controversial policy vote on whether Zionism is racism. The motion passed by 1,000 votes for, with 800 or so against.

It has created the kind of outrage that could derail Polanski’s chances in Thursday’s by-election. What will it mean for his leadership – and the party?