Zack Polanski

Thanks Galaxy and Doodledog.

Having spent a lot of time with so called sex workers and the men who use and abuse them, no one will ever convince me that ‘choosing sex work’ is a valid, healthy thing.
Men who use women who sell their bodies, are more likeky to be involved in other forms of abuse and domestic violence

Galaxy

I think Polanskis views and policies are the epitome of middle class luxury beliefs, it is very easy noy to not see the damage to extremely vulnerable people from sex work is work, or men in women's prisons or his drug policy. His cheap clothes can't hide his elitist views.

I agree Galaxy.

I also see his views on transpeople as going way beyond 'changing room issues'. I am rarely in a changing room these days, but don't want to find myself in hospital with a transwoman in the next bed, or using a public loo with men able to lurk in them. The thought of being locked in a prison cell with a male sex offender claiming to be a woman (however unlikely that may be) is the stuff of nightmares, as is running from an abuser to find he has followed me into a DV hostel (equally unlikely, but I want it to be an impossible scenario, not improbable one). I don't want my daughter and any future granddaughters to be told that a woman is anyone who says they are one, and have no access to female spaces, or words to describe themselves. If they want to compete in sport, or in the sort of Arts areas where male voices always dominate, I want them to have the same chance as my son and any future grandsons. Women have fought hard for rights, equality and an understanding of our differences, so to me it would be a retrograde step to have those things denied.

I agree with Iam that gay men are no more attuned to women's rights than straight ones. Some are, and some are not in both cases. I don't think sexuality determines that sort of thing.

If sex work is 'work' how far a stretch is it that the unemployed will be told to do it or lose their benefits? How many posters would like that for their daughters or granddaughters?

On the good side, I would also like to hear Green voices in parliament. Not Polanski in particular, but Green voices in general, and I am glad that the 'protest' vote is being split, so Reform loses out. All the same, I don't want Polanski as PM.

He does seem to be good at reinvention. He stood as a Lib Dem candidate at least twice, and wrote for the Lib Dem Voice (a blog). He changed his name (from David Paulden) as a younger man, and worked as an actor and a hypnotherapist before joining the Greens in 2017.

Finally, he describes his politics as 'eco-populist', which sounds rather worrying.

I think Polanskis views and policies are the epitome of middle class luxury beliefs, it is very easy noy to not see the damage to extremely vulnerable people from sex work is work, or men in women's prisons or his drug policy. His cheap clothes can't hide his elitist views.

I do want the Greens to have a voice in parliament. And a very loud voice at that. What I don’t want at the next election is for so many Labour votes going to the Greens that it lets Reform sneak through and win the seats. I’m very afraid of that even though thankfully many people are now seeing Farage et al for what they are.

There aren’t many posh boys from Eton in the Labour group of mp’s

I think Polanski is a great communicator who can convey simple messages to a crowd. He's a needed counterbalance to the far right and the mainstream media supporting them. If we want policies and parties that work for ordinary people instead of a wealthy elite, we need someone like Polanski on the left. He uses the same communication techniques as Farage, but the Green Party's policies behind them are actually solid. Decreasing inequality, climate change, proportional representation are in the interest of everyone, not just Reform donor billionaires.

I am more conservative when it comes to gender issues, but honestly, when the planet is burning and masses of people can't afford a home/food/heating, I won't be fixated on changing room policies. Reform wants to abolish the Equality Act, so they would be much worse for women's rights. There will never be a political party that represents my views 100%.

As for Polanski's appearance, I think it's refreshing to see an ordinary man in cheap clothes, instead of designer suits. We need more people in politics who represent working class and middle class people, not just your usual entitled posh boys from Eton.

Cossy, just want to add that my heterosexual as well as gay men friends oppose the oppression of women

Basgetti

I have the strong impression that he’s playing another part (after not succeeding in previous roles).

Yes!

Rosie51 fully agree with what you say about Stonewall.

Whitewavemark2

Galaxy

Yes I do WW that's why I compared him to Farage.

That’s a relief - it is worrying when people who seem informed can’t see the danger in Farage.

Galaxy has already said on the previous page that she saw similarities to Farage.As do I.
The cult of the personality is usually a bad thing, as in Farage and Polanski and Boris.
All would say anything to do well in politics with themselves in the limelight.They say whatever they think will get them noticed.

Doodledog

Why do people conflate gay and trans issues so often? They are completely different.

In my opinion Stonewall are hugely responsible for the conflation. Gay rights had largely been won and they were in the process of becoming irrelevant. By attaching the trans issues they had a resurgence. All the posturing about how they'd always been an LGBT++++ organisation was hogwash. The T was only added in 2015, why not before if they really had always been included?
They are completely different issues. LGB is purely about sexual attraction, nobody is 'identifying' as the opposite sex. T+++ is all about the 'identifying'. LGB was not a problem or threat to women, the same cannot be said about trans issues which affect everything from sport to awards to safe single sex spaces.

Grrrr “I don’t think he is a misogynist”

Sorry blooming auto correct “deliberately put woman….”

Doodledog

Why do people conflate gay and trans issues so often? They are completely different.

Yes of course they are, but Zack has been accused of supporting trans people to the detriment of women’s safety, I simply stated that as he’s a gay man I don’t think he’s deliverable out women in danger and I think he’s a misogynist, at no point did I conflate “gay” and “trans”

As an aside, my only objection to sex workers is when the women (or men) are “forced” into this area and under age children being coerced into it.

Drugs and sex workers have been around since the beginning of time, personally, I have no issue with both of these being decriminalised and regulated if it makes it safer.

Why do people conflate gay and trans issues so often? They are completely different.

I find these quite interesting, in my journey to try and discover more about Zack as a person;

observer.co.uk/news/profile/article/profile-zack-polanski-green-party-leader

theknowledgebase.net/2026/02/28/who-is-zack-polanski/

www.theukjournal.co.uk/all-about-zack-polanski/

Still not really “liking” him, but this has made me understand him a little more. I’ll have to see more of him, hear him speak, understand his motives and get to grips with the Greens fiscal ideas.

I cannot agree with many of the Greens policies and they appear to be far more left and closer to Corbyn than many current Labour MPs.

We shall see, currently I’m very glad to have the far calmer and more centralised Starmer.

Iam64

I’m not convinced that being a gay man gives Polanski a greater understanding of the oppression of women.

The problem isn’t with trans people, it’s with the angry, aggressive, misogynistic group of trans women who threatened to rape women to death with their lady dicks. This was after a women’s conference where some women expressed concern about safe women’s spaces and the Girl Guide movement saying teenage boys who identified as girls could share the girls dormitory but the other girls and their parents were not to be told about this because of confidentiality.
Or the transwomen who urinated over statues of the suffragettes recently.

I agree with you about ANY male not really understanding women’s oppression and I also agree no woman should be made to share her safe place with any biological male if it makes her feel uncomfortable.

What I said was that in my experience, and I know many gay males and two are longstanding close friends, many gay men are NOT sexist and would seek to keep women safe, not the opposite.

I also agree that one cannot change their biological sex.

I didn’t know about the Girl Guide story, and no parent should have info such as this withheld from them.

My daughter was in the Cubs and Scouts and for many years was the only girl, she did attend the camps and as a cub (with my knowledge and consent) she shared sleeping accommodation with the boys. When she moved up to the Scouts she had her own tent, pitched right in the middle of the boys tents.

I genuinely believe (and of course, I could be completely wrong), that the type of “angry trans women threatening to rape and sexually assault women are very very much in the minority or are “pretending” to be trans in order to adult women, in much the same way as some men pretend to be children online. These men are awful sexual predators first and foremost, and all should be protected from them.

I have the strong impression that he’s playing another part (after not succeeding in previous roles).

I’m not convinced that being a gay man gives Polanski a greater understanding of the oppression of women.

The problem isn’t with trans people, it’s with the angry, aggressive, misogynistic group of trans women who threatened to rape women to death with their lady dicks. This was after a women’s conference where some women expressed concern about safe women’s spaces and the Girl Guide movement saying teenage boys who identified as girls could share the girls dormitory but the other girls and their parents were not to be told about this because of confidentiality.
Or the transwomen who urinated over statues of the suffragettes recently.

Canada have very effectively legalised Cannabis, on our trip in 2025 we walked past several shops in different Provences
No scruffy looking hippy type addicts outside ant of these clean looking stores and no documented rise in cannabis related crime.

In terms of being a trans supporter, as he is a gay man I understand this, also very few (in my experience) gay men are sexist and don’t care about woman’s safety, quite the opposite in fact.

Galaxy

Yes I do WW that's why I compared him to Farage.

That’s a relief - it is worrying when people who seem informed can’t see the danger in Farage.

Biscuitmuncher

Didn't he used to hypnotise women to achieve bigger boob's

Read up on this story, it was a publicity stunt on the part of himself and the reporter who requested it!

It was sold as this, but he now states it was more about “body confidence”, he was a hypnotist and actor prior to entering politics.

I’m completely on the fence, just cannot make up my mind about him.

Galaxy

I view him as a grade a misogynist. I don't think of him as kind and inclusive, i think in terms of women his views are much worse than anything I have heard reform say.
Women belong in the kitchen or vulnerable women who have been raped should be in prisons, refuges with men ( and the worst kind of men) I know, which is worse.
I also confidently predict that within a year those who who supported him will be trying to explain that away in the same way as they did with mandelsson.

I completely agree with you. I think his views are dangerous when it comes to women's rights in particular.

I could hope that Polanski's popular brand of politics turns Labour away from chasing Reform voters and towards becoming more like a progressive Labour party should be to reclaim Green voters...