Ethan Shone: Hi Zack. As people might know, you’re currently the deputy leader of the Green Party, but you’re not an MP. The current party leaders are MPs and the other candidates who’ve announced their leadership bid as co-leaders - one of whom, Adrian Ramsay, is an incumbent - became Green MPs at the last election. Some people are now framing this contest as being between the ‘activist’ and the ‘politicians’ – how do you see that distinction?
Zack Polanksi: The first thing to say is although I came to politics maybe slightly late, through an unconventional route, I've now been elected longer than any of our MPs as a London Assembly member, and I've chaired an Environment Committee for the last three years. So I've got elected office experience.
But more widely, if your politics does not contain activism and radicalism for change you're doing briefcase politics, and we do not have time for briefcase politics. We do not have time for the status quo and business as usual. The clock is ticking on the climate crisis. We're one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. And we've literally had racist riots on our streets. There's no time to rest, we've got to get on with this.
