Green Party Grapples with Governance Amid Membership Surge

Since Zack Polanski became leader in September 2025, Green Party membership rose from about 68,000 to over 230,000. Yet the party’s direct-democracy system still limits policy decisions to two annual conferences where only members who can attend in person vote. This now involves a tiny fraction of the enlarged base, raising representational concerns.

The Guardian

Senior insiders are weighing two reforms. One proposes delegate representation, letting local branches send speakers and voters to conferences. The other keeps one-member-one-vote but adds secure online voting to lower travel costs. Both aim to broaden participation while preserving the party’s grassroots ethos.

The Guardian

Polanski won almost 85 % of the membership vote, but the constitution gives the leader only one vote on an executive committee of two dozen members. Figures say this limits agility as Greens poll at 19 % and aim for seats. Others argue leader’s role is chiefly a spokesperson, not a policy-making engine.

The Guardian

The executive committee has acknowledged resource strain from the membership surge and expanded the conference-organising team from a single long-standing coordinator to staff. Officials also noted that the motion to label “Zionism as racism,” delayed at the March conference, will be reconsidered at autumn meeting, highlighting procedural pressures of a larger electorate. The conference logistics, previously handled by a single coordinator for two decades, now have a dedicated team.

The Guardian

One senior source said only 0.05 % of members currently shape policy, while another cited roughly 1,000 participants out of 230,000 members (about 0.43 %). The discrepancy underscores uncertainty about the exact scale of the representation gap.

The Guardian

• “At the moment, the system of in-person voting means it just involves the members who can afford to book a hotel and take some days off work – it’s quite self-selecting.” — Green official, unnamed

The Guardian

• “When you have 0.05% of members making the policy decisions, things need to change. We all know that.” — Green official, unnamed

The Guardian

• “The leader is traditionally a spokesperson rather than the sort of leader you get in other parties, and I think Zack sometimes hides a bit behind that in not making decisions,” — Senior Green member

The Guardian

• “There has to be a balance in terms of the policies set by conference, and some trust and leeway given to the leader, along with ways to hold them to account if needed. It would help the party be more agile.” — Green official, unnamed

The Guardian

Polling at 19 % nationally, the Greens have won the Gorton and Denton by-elections and target the Greater Manchester mayoralty; a faster decision-making process could boost their appeal as a hopeful alternative to Labour.

The Guardian

At the October conference the party will choose between delegate representation, online voting, or keeping the current system, a decision that will affect its ability to turn polls into seats.

The Guardian