From New York’s Zohran Mamdani to Minnesota’s Omar Fateh, a new wave of activism-driven candidates inspired by progressive ideologies are reshaping local and national politics.
In the UK, the new Green Party leader Zack Polanski is emerging as a charismatic, bold, and unapologetic political force. Recognized for his outspoken stance against the genocide in Gaza and his proposal to impose steep taxes on the UK’s wealthiest, Polanski has emerged as a star in British politics — representing the kind of progressive policymaking that’s rattling both Labour and Conservative establishments, and seeing a pronounced rise in the polls, too.
On the rise of the far-right and the establishment in the UK now parroting their racist and Islamophobic views, Polanski tells Mehdi: “It’s phenomenally dangerous, and Islamophobia is rife in our society. And I say this as a Jewish man, there’s only been five Jewish leaders of a British political party in the last hundred years, so I obviously take anti-Semitism really seriously.” However, he adds, the UK government and media’s “constant conflation” of British Jews with Israelis “does make me feel less safe as a Jewish person, because I look at what Netanyahu and Gallant do.”
Watch this wide-ranging interview to hear Polanski:
Criticize media bias and their mainstreaming of Reform and Nigel Farage;
Call out the genocide in Gaza and the continued arms sales to Israel;
Explain his opposition to Zionism and why the UK government’s defence of Israeli hooligans makes him feel less safe as a Jewish person;
Defend his radical plan to legalize all drugs;
And what he thinks about being compared to Zohran Mamdani.
In this Zoom town hall, the Green Party leader also took numerous questions from Zeteo’s paid subscribers. Do become a paid subscriber to join future such town halls with big names from the worlds of politics, media, and culture.
Watch the full conversation above to hear Polanski also speaking with Mehdi about immigration, what real populism should actually look like, and why he has hope in community.
We’re making this show paywall-free for all subscribers. But if you believe in the work we do and want to see more of it, please do consider becoming a paid subscriber. A donation would also go a long way in supporting our brand of independent journalism.
ICYMI – This week, Zeteo launched ‘First Draft,’ your go-to morning newsletter on American politics, written by Mehdi on Mondays and Peter Rothpletz the rest of the week.
If you’re not already a Zeteo subscriber, sign up today to ensure you get the newsletter in your inbox every weekday. If you’re already a Zeteo subscriber, but you haven’t seen ‘First Draft’ in your inbox yet, go to your ‘manage subscription’ page on Substack, scroll down to ‘notifications,’ and toggle the button for ‘First Draft’ on (so that it’s red).
And check out more from Zeteo:
