Russell Tovey joins the Green Party over being ‘let down’ by Labour government (EXCLUSIVE)
"I think a lot of us have been very, very disappointed by the fact that certain policies that were promised were not followed through," said Tovey
By Aaron Sugg
Attitude Man of the Year 2025, Russell Tovey, spoke highly of Green Party leader Zack Polanski at the Attitude 101 event yesterday afternoon (13 February), admitting he has felt let down by Labour.
The acclaimed actor praised the latest Attitude magazine cover star for his visibility as an LGBTQ+ figure in politics – so much so that he revealed he has now joined the Green Party himself.
“Zack Polanski, I think, is incredibly inspiring and exactly what we need right now,” said Tovey. He explained that the political leader gives him hope: “I love his podcast, and I love his policies, and I love his attitude.”
“I think he’s a great political figure to get behind” – Russell Tovey on Zack Polanski
“I think he’s a great political figure to get behind,” he continued, adding that, amid the current political climate, he is a beacon of hope.
“There’s so much terrible stuff happening,” said Tovey. “I think, from where I am, we have to keep telling stories. We have to represent minoritised people. We have to have opportunities to tell stories so people can connect and humanise whatever’s going on, because it’s a terrible world.”
The Green Party has surged past 190,000 members, one of whom is Tovey. He admitted he joined the party after Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour government made promises it has yet to fulfil.
“I think all the backtracking on the things they set out to do in the first place” – Tovey on Keir Starmer’s Labour government
At the Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards, powered by Jaguar, in 2025, Tovey delivered an empowering speech warning against “catastrophically damaging and hostile government rhetoric”.
He recalled the moment he took to the stage in November last year, adding that he still feels let down by the current UK government: “I think all the backtracking on the things they set out to do in the first place.”
“Especially for our community, there’s been a lot of letdown, and that’s been incredibly frustrating to watch,” he said.
“I think a lot of us have been very, very disappointed” – Tovey on being let down by the Labour Party
“I think a lot of us have been very, very disappointed by the fact that certain policies that were promised were not followed through, or were, in fact, even reversed.”
He described feeling shocked and “very, very disappointed”, and said he thinks the LGBTQ+ community and the rest of the UK “deserve better”.
When asked whether Tovey feels that Polanski is the right fit for Number 10, he said: “Yes, I think Zack’s got something great going on. I’ve joined the Green Party.
“I’m really following what they’re doing, and I think we should all get behind them. As a community, they’re a party that we can really look to, to represent us.”
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