‘I’d never work with Keir Starmer’: Zack Polanski on political opponents Wes Streeting, Nigel Farage and the prime minister (EXCLUSIVE)

In the race for Number 10, Zack Polanski gives his take on the current UK government as the Green Party surges past 190,000 members, making it the UK’s third-largest party.

In his exclusive cover interview with Attitude magazine, he speaks about the future, imagining a scenario in which the Greens take on a kingmaker role in a potential Labour–Green–Liberal Democrat coalition government.

“It’s far too soon to say. But I can give you some kind of principles that I’d work on – there’s no way I’d ever work with Keir Starmer,” he admits.

“There are left-wing Labour MPs that I have a lot of respect for” – Zack Polanski on his support for Nadia Whittome and Clive Lewis

Despite ruling out working with the Labour prime minister, he expresses respect for certain members of the party.

“There are left-wing Labour MPs that I have a lot of respect for – Nadia Whittome and Clive Lewis among them – but, with respect to those people, there’s not a chance in hell they’re about to be Labour leader,” Polanski states.

Looking ahead to the 2029 general election, much remains uncertain, including how well Nigel Farage’s Reform UK performs at the ballot box. While the Greens are a party on the ascent, recent Survation polling suggests they would secure just 11 per cent of the vote, while Reform is pulling ahead on 29 per cent.

“What we needed was to adopt Farage’s strategy while rejecting his politics” – Polanski on Reform UK leader Nigel Farage

Polanski highlights the Greens’s campaign, saying: “Our ground game was as solid as it had always been.” He takes aim at Farage: “What we hadn’t factored in were things like GB News or Reform’s 24/7 propaganda. It became very apparent to me that what we needed was to adopt Farage’s strategy while rejecting his politics.”

Polanski labels the Reform leader a “charlatan”, saying: “He says he’s a man of the people, but… he literally wants to represent the one per cent.”

Despite this, in a January YouGov poll asking the public “Who would be the best prime minister?”, Polanski edged ahead of Farage by one percentage point, leaving the two virtually neck and neck.

“Every time Nigel Farage says, ‘Jump,’ Keir Starmer says, ‘How high?'” – Polanski on Labour and Reform UK

“Every time Nigel Farage says, ‘Jump’, Keir Starmer says, ‘How high?’” he says, addressing claims that voting Green is a “wasted vote” and arguing that backing Labour only “encourages” what he describes as “awful behaviour”.

On those issues, he also raises concerns about trans rights in the UK, particularly regarding Health Secretary Wes Streeting’s relationship with his own community.

“It’s particularly horrendous to me when you have someone from within our own community who demonises a minority group. I don’t know what’s going on in Wes Streeting’s head, but what I do know is it’s terrifying for trans people.”

“I don’t think it’s a conversion therapy ban that’s meaningful unless trans people are included” – Polanski on conversion practices in the UK

In light of the recent news that the Council of Europe has voted to ban conversion practices across the continent, Polanski urges further action.

“I don’t think it’s a conversion therapy ban that’s meaningful unless trans people are included in that too. I think there are legitimate conversations to be had by healthcare professionals about how, if someone is thinking about transitioning, you have discussions about making sure it is the right thing for that person and the timeline for doing so,” says the Green Party leader.

“That’s very, very different to conversion therapy, though… [and] it should not be used as an excuse not to ban outright, very clear conversion therapy,” Polanski concludes.

---

Read the full interview in the Attitude March/April 2026 issue, available on digital platforms and print from Friday 13th February 2026.