Zack Polanski unveiled as the Attitude 101 ‘Trailblazer of the Year 2026’ – as Green Party leader talks ‘bold politics’ and re-imagining of capitalism (EXCLUSIVE)
Speaking to Attitude, Polanski says his determination to speak for a disaffected electorate came from frustration with decades of political evasiveness
By Zing Tsjeng
Green Party leader Zack Polanski has been revealed as Attitude’s latest cover star and Trailblazer of the Year 2026, leading this year’s Attitude 101, empowered by Bentley.
The annual list of 100 LGBTQ+ trailblazers represent industries as diverse as: Travel, supported by Booking.com; Future: 25 and Under, supported by Clifford Chance; Business; Financial & Legal; Media & Communications; Sport; STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics); Film, TV & Music; Fashion; Art & Design; and Third Sector & Community. Each category showcases 10 remarkable individuals who have demonstrated outstanding achievement and leadership in their areas of expertise.
The list is completed by the Attitude 101 ‘Trailblazer of the Year’ – a leading light whose outstanding work and cultural impact has helped move LGBTQ+ representation forward. This year’s recipient is Zack Polanski who, in the six months since being elected, has led a surge in public support for the Green Party, with membership climbing to over 190,000 – well ahead of the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats. Polanski is also leading numerous polls.
Speaking to Attitude, Polanski says his determination to speak for a disaffected electorate came from frustration with decades of political evasiveness.
“We’ve had decades of politicians that have tried to triangulate positions, never really quite saying what it is that they believe”
“We’ve had decades of politicians that have tried to triangulate positions, never really quite saying what it is that they believe, and you’re left afterwards no more informed than when the conversation started,” he says.
Polanski describes his approach as “bold politics”, which he says means working directly with communities while confronting entrenched power.
He says, “You’re not speaking for people… but [with] people… The reason why it’s bold is because all of this would be very easy if we didn’t have vested interests… [The] very powerful and wealthy people in this country who are hoarding that power and that wealth. Anytime you challenge the status quo, they will often lash back.”
“People often think that criticising capitalism is criticising markets – and that’s absolutely nonsense”
Under his leadership, the Green Party has broadened its platform beyond environmental issues to focus on inequality, taxation and the cost of living, including proposals aimed at redistributing wealth.
Addressing criticism of his economic stance, Polanski is calling for a re-imagining of capitalism.
“People often think that criticising capitalism is criticising markets, the idea that people can’t buy and sell things anymore, and that’s absolutely nonsense,” he says. “So I think it’s being very specific about what capitalism is, i.e., the hoarding of assets, hoarding of capital, the removal of the means of production for workers to be able to create their own work or receive the value added from the benefit of their work.”
Read the full interview in the Attitude March/April 2026 issue, available on digital platforms and print from Friday 13th February 2026.
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