Speaking Green: How Labour’s Comms Misfire While the Greens Cut Through
What did we learn from the Green Party conference and what are they doing right?
Months ago, I argued that Labour needed both a bold vision for the future and a strategy to flood the zone with it. Today, they’ve achieved neither. The result? Rising public disaffection with Keir Starmer’s government and a worrying surge in interest for Reform — a party bankrolled by oil money, cheered on by Russian influence, and peddling easy outrage instead of solutions.
Despite the pessimism that we could fairly have with our current political moment, there is one party offering a vision of hope — the Green Party.
“Zacktivism” and Bold Politics
Under the leadership of Zack Polanski, the Greens have an air of a party in the ascendancy. The Greens have just overtaken the Lib Dems for party membership and the optimism at the conference (which we covered last weekend) was palpable.
Polanski’s “Bold Politics” mantra — also the name of his podcast — captures his style: unapologetic, creative, and confident in the current media climate. He’s embraced popular policies like a wealth tax and, more importantly, tells a story about them with clarity. His ability to frame politics around fairness and urgency has been dubbed “Zacktivism.” Unlike Labour’s hedging, it cuts through.
As we have argued, the left needs to adapt to the media environment as it is, not as we wish it to be. Polanski seems to have an instinct, and the creative people around him, to create content for cutting through the media landscape and grabbing attention.
Straight Talk vs Sanded-Down Soundbites
The Greens’ leaders — Polanski, Carla Denyer, Siân Berry, Rachel Millward — project authenticity. They speak directly, in plain language, with values at the core. Labour’s front bench too often sounds blurred and passionless, as if every phrase has been polished into nothingness.
Voters don’t demand perfection, but they do respond to honesty and conviction. That’s why the Greens are winning record seats in councils across England. Their rise isn’t just about the environment; it’s about being willing to name problems and stand for solutions.
The Big Question: Can They Win Power?
The Greens still face enormous hurdles: just four MPs, uneven regional organisation, and a voting system stacked against smaller parties. But recent polling shows their popularity surging. Whether they can turn momentum into real power depends as much on grassroots mobilisation as it does on media cut-through.
Why It Matters
If Labour continues to communicate like a party in retreat, the Greens will increasingly define the progressive imagination of the next generation. The lesson is clear: political communication is not about minimising risk, but building belief.
If Labour won’t seize the moment, the Greens might. And if they do, they won’t just be a protest vote — they’ll be the voice of hope.
