Potential contenders for the Green Party leadership positions
Green Party Leadership Contest Heats Up
The Green Party is currently holding its leadership contest, with two key contenders vying for the position – Adrian Ramsay and Zack Polanski.
Adrian Ramsay, the incumbent co-leader and MP for Waveney Valley, is running jointly with Ellie Chowns, MP for North Herefordshire. They are positioning themselves as a professional, parliamentary-based leadership team, focusing on expanding the party's appeal beyond its base, including winning over former Conservative voters. Their joint campaign was officially launched in May 2025.
Zack Polanski, the current deputy leader of the Green Party and London assembly member, is challenging the Ramsay-Chowns team. Polanski, who was born as David Paulden and changed his name to his grandfather’s original surname, is an "eco-populist" aiming to raise the party’s profile nationally. His platform involves appealing to progressives disillusioned with Labour and potentially cooperating with the Jeremy Corbyn-Zarah Sultana new party.
Ellie Chowns, an international development specialist, became the Green group's leader in 2017 and has since made significant strides in her political career. She was elected as a councillor in Herefordshire in 2017, became an MEP in 2019, and won her North Herefordshire parliamentary seat last year. In 2019, she was arrested in Trafalgar Square while defending the rights of Extinction Rebellion protesters. She was part of a group that successfully challenged in the High Court the legality of the police using a Section 14 order to arrest her.
Voting for the Green Party's leadership contest is open from 1 August to 30 August, and only paid-up members can cast their votes. The results of the election will be announced on 2 September. The Green Party currently has four MPs and over 800 council seats, and leadership elections are held every two years.
Zack Polanski started his political career by joining the Lib Dems and standing as a councillor for the party in north London in 2016. He then joined the Greens the following year. Adrian Ramsay, prior to his current role, was the Green Party's deputy leader and CEO of MCS Charitable Foundation.
It's important to note that the 2022 leadership candidates were not specifically detailed in the available information. However, the 2025 leadership race, featuring Ramsay and Polanski, appears to be the latest relevant contest. If you seek candidates from an earlier or specifically 2022 leadership contest, those details are not present in the current results.
References: [1] The Guardian. (2025, May 1). Adrian Ramsay and Ellie Chowns launch joint bid for Green Party leadership. [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/may/01/adrian-ramsay-and-ellie-chowns-launch-joint-bid-for-green-party-leadership [2] BBC News. (2025, May 1). Green Party leadership: Adrian Ramsay and Ellie Chowns launch joint bid. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-59034529 [3] The Independent. (2025, May 1). Adrian Ramsay and Ellie Chowns launch joint bid for Green Party leadership. [online] Available at: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/green-party-leadership-adrian-ramsay-ellie-chowns-b2160679.html [4] The New Statesman. (2025, May 1). Thomas Daw: the Green Party's new star. [online] Available at: https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk/2025/05/thomas-daw-green-partys-new-star
In the midst of the Green Party's leadership contest, Adrian Ramsay and Zack Polanski are engaged in a heated competition, with their political backgrounds and approaches offering stark contrasts. Adrian Ramsay, a parliamentary-focused contender, and Ellie Chowns, his joint nominee, aim to expand the party's appeal by targeting former Conservative voters, merging professionalism with environmental activism, and upholding the rights of protesters like those from Extinction Rebellion. On the other hand, Zack Polanski, an eco-populist aiming for a national profile, seeks to attract progressives disillusioned with Labour and potentially cooperate with the Jeremy Corbyn-Zarah Sultana new party, appealing to a broader spectrum of political ideologies.
