Summary
Zack Polanski (born 2 November 1982) is the deputy leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, having served in the role since 7 September 2022.[2] He has been a Londonwide member of the London Assembly (AM) for the party since May 2021. Polanski was also the national spokesperson for the Green Party for Democracy & Citizen Engagement.[3]
Zack Polanski | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Polanski in 2022 | |
| Deputy Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales | |
| Assumed office 7 September 2022 | |
| Leader | Adrian Ramsay Carla Denyer |
| Preceded by | Amelia Womack |
| Member of the London Assembly for Londonwide | |
| Assumed office 6 May 2021 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | David Paulden 2 November 1982[1] Salford, Greater Manchester, England |
| Political party | Green (2017–present) |
| Other political affiliations | Liberal Democrats (2015–2017) |
| Alma mater | Aberystwyth University |
Early life edit
Polanski was born David Paulden, but aged 18 decided to take back his previous surname, which had been changed to Paulden in the early 20th century to evade antisemitism after they arrived in the UK from eastern Europe. Polanski has said it was important for him to find pride, not shame, in his identity.[4] Polanski grew up in Salford to a Jewish family and attended Stockport Grammar School (on a financial scholarship) before leaving to go to a comprehensive college [5][6] He studied at Aberystwyth University before attending drama school in Georgia in the United States. He moved to London upon graduation.[7] He is gay.[8][9]
Career edit
Politics edit
Polanski was active in the Liberal Democrats. He stood in the Barnet and Camden constituency and was fifth on the London-wide list for the party in the 2016 London Assembly election.[5] He then left the Liberal Democrats and joined the Green Party in 2017, after failing to be shortlisted as a parliamentary candidate for Richmond Park.[10] He stood as the Green candidate in the Cities of London and Westminster parliamentary constituency at the 2019 general election and finished in fourth place of six candidates, with 1.7%.[11] Prior to his election to the London Assembly, he became treasurer of the Jewish Greens.[12]
On 6 May 2021, Polanski was elected a Member of the London Assembly, having been third on the Green Party's London-wide list. He also stood in the West Central constituency, where he came third,[13] and for a Westminster Council by-election, where he came fourth[14] on the same day. In the new Assembly, Polanski was elected to be the chair of the Environment committee and to be on the committees for Fire, Resilience and Emergency Planning and the Economy Committee.[15]
In December 2021, Polanski proposed a successful motion in the London Assembly backing the Climate and Ecological Emergency bill. It was a cross party motion with Labour and Liberal Democrat support.[16][17]
On 6 June 2022, Polanski announced his candidacy in the 2022 Green Party of England and Wales deputy leadership election.[18] On 7 September 2022, he was elected Deputy Leader, succeeding Amelia Womack.[19]
In May 2023, Polanski was elected Deputy Chair of the Environment Committee.[20]
Other ventures edit
Prior to being a politician, Polanski worked with the theatre company DifferencEngine as an immersive theatre actor, including appearances in The Hollow Hotel, The People's Revolt (in the Tower of London) and in the Peaky Blinders Immersive Theatre experience.[21]
Polanski has also worked as a hypnotherapist. In 2013, he took a newspaper reporter for The Sun through a hypnotherapy session to increase her breast size at his Harley Street hypnotherapy clinic. He subsequently apologised for having done this, describing his own actions as misogynistic.[22][23]
Polanski taught at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts and the National Centre for Circus Arts. Polanski also sang for the London International Gospel Choir.[24][25][26]
Electoral history edit
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Tony Devenish | 55,163 | 38.9 | –5.3 | |
| Labour | Rita Begum | 52,938 | 37.3 | +2.6 | |
| Green | Zack Polanski | 16,427 | 11.6 | +2.4 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Ted Townsend | 13,462 | 9.5 | +3.6 | |
| Let London Live | Heiko Khoo | 1,977 | 1.4 | N/A | |
| Reform UK | Saradhi Rajan | 1,954 | 1.4 | N/A | |
| Majority | 2,225 | 1.6 | –7.9 | ||
| Turnout | 141,921 | 39.0 | –6.0 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | –4.0 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Nickie Aiken | 17,049 | 39.9 | –6.7 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Chuka Umunna | 13,096 | 30.7 | +19.6 | |
| Labour | Gordon Nardell | 11,624 | 27.2 | –11.2 | |
| Green | Zack Polanski | 728 | 1.7 | –0.4 | |
| CPA | Jill McLachlan | 125 | 0.3 | New | |
| Liberal | Dirk van Heck | 101 | 0.2 | New | |
| Majority | 3,953 | 9.2 | +1.0 | ||
| Turnout | 42,723 | 67.1 | +4.3 | ||
| Registered electors | 63,700 | ||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | Margot Joan Bright | 913 | 47.2 | –1.5 | |
| Labour | Angela Patricia Piddock | 684 | 35.4 | –1.0 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Sally Elizabeth Gray | 275 | 14.2 | –0.7 | |
| Green | Zack Polanski | 62 | 3.2 | +3.2 | |
| Majority | 229 | 11.8 | –0.5 | ||
| Turnout | 1934 | 27.75 | –10.3 | ||
| Conservative hold | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Andrew Dismore | 81,482 | 44.3 | –0.4 | |
| Conservative | Dan Thomas | 65,242 | 35.5 | +3.6 | |
| Green | Stephen Taylor | 16,996 | 9.2 | –1.5 | |
| Liberal Democrats | Zack Polanski | 11,204 | 6.1 | –2.2 | |
| UKIP | Joseph Langton | 9,057 | 4.9 | +0.5 | |
| Majority | 16,240 | 8.7 | –4.1 | ||
| Total formal votes | 183,981 | 98.8 | +0.4 | ||
| Informal votes | 2,050 | 1.2 | –0.4 | ||
| Turnout | 186,031 | 48% | +10.0 | ||
References edit
- ^ Polanski, Zack [@ZackPolanski] (2 November 2022). "Thanks Carla! 💚 Fun fact : I'm 40 today and so is @Channel4. Born on the same day - happy birthday C4!" (Tweet). Retrieved 2 July 2023 – via Twitter.
- ^ Jarvis, Chris (7 September 2022). "Green Party elects Zack Polanski as new deputy leader". Left Foot Forward. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
- ^ "Green Party reveals new team of spokespeople". The Green Party. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
- ^ Bourke, India (6 June 2022). "Can the Greens become more than a single MP party in England and Wales?". New Statesman. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
- ^ a b Frazer, Jennl (29 April 2021). "Jewish candidates prepare to do battle as local election day looms". The Jewish Chronicle.
- ^ "Feuilleton" (PDF). The Stopfordian. 1997. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ^ McNicholls Vale, Julie (2 May 2019). "Former Aberystwyth student rejoins climate change protests following arrest". Cambrian News. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
- ^ Polanski, Zack (14 May 2021). "The reality is that London is a green and red city now". Huck Mag. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
- ^ Flores, Shaun (4 January 2021). "Gay, Jewish and Vegan: In Conversation with Green Party Politican [sic] Zack Polanski". Flower Hour. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
- ^ "Green candidate failed to disclose article claiming he could make breasts bigger". 19 March 2019.
- ^ a b "Cities of London & Westminster parliamentary constituency - Election 2019 - BBC News". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
- ^ Harpin, Lee. "Local Elections 2021: Jewish candidates standing for all parties have success". jewishnews.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
- ^ "Tories, Greens and Lib Dems react to West Central result". 7 May 2021.
- ^ "Labour's Liza Begum wins Westminster Council by-election". South London News. 7 May 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ "Assembly Member details - Zack Polanski". London City Hall. 29 June 2021. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
- ^ "The London Assembly calls on Mayor Khan to back the CEE Bill!". Zero Hour. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
- ^ Republic, Studio. "London Assembly gives support to proposed Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill". CIWEM. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
- ^ Jarvis, Chris (6 June 2022). "Zack Polanski announces bid for Green Party deputy leadership". Bright Green. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
- ^ Jarvis, Chris (7 September 2022). "Zack Polanski elected deputy leader of the Green Party". Bright Green. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
- ^ https://www.london.gov.uk/who-we-are/what-london-assembly-does/london-assembly-members/zack-polanski
- ^ Clarendon, AuthorEmma (26 April 2018). "PREVIEW: The Hollow Hotel, The Biscuit Factory". Love London Love Culture.
- ^ Morgan, Rhodri (8 December 2019). "Green Party candidate apologises again for misogynistic experiment". South West Londoner. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
- ^ Brett, Louise (12 May 2021). "Commons Confidential: The great proletarian". New Statesman. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ "Hypnotherapists North London". Kentishtowner.co.uk. 1 January 2013. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ "Roots". The Family Tree. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
- ^ Joshua Neicho (15 March 2020). "Meet the new members of the London Assembly". OnLondon. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ "Declaration of result poll" (PDF). City of Westminster. Westminster City Council. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
- ^ "Final results" (PDF). www.londonelects.org.uk. 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2021.