Chris Mason: How Polanskis Green leadership could impact UK politics

Zack Polanskis sweary, brash and blunt victory video on social media said everything about how the Green Party of England and Wales is under new leadership.

His landslide victory is the latest case study in how the political kaleidoscope between and within political parties has been given another colourful shake.

Disillusionment with those parties perceived as part of the establishment, whatever that is and however people choose to define it, has been a headache first for the Conservatives and now for Labour.

But it has been a boon for the plenty of others spared that perception, across the political spectrum.

The challenge for Labour in particular, already under the cosh from Reform UK and Nigel Farage, is they now confront a cacophony of blunt-speaking, digitally-savvy communicators to their Left – Jeremy Corbyn, Zarah Sultana and Zack Polanski among them – nibbling away at an already shrivelling supporter base.

If we then add in the Gaza independents in Parliament and those beyond who one day hope to join them, that attrition to Sir Keir Starmers coalition goes further.

But Polanskis triumph isnt without challenge for the Greens, or the wider Left.

Could they end up cannibalising each others support?

In no time after Polanskis victory, the former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn had publicly heaped praise on him.

The new Green leader reciprocated with public praise for Corbyn on Radio 4 shortly afterwards.

But could they end up falling out?

The former Labour leader and the former Labour, now independent MP Zarah Sultana are in the process of setting up their own party and on the face of it Polanskis Greens and this new outfit could be chasing the very same voters.

Maybe they can collaborate, but the potential for awkwardness isnt difficult to spot.

Where does all this leave the Green Party?

It is a party that has long leant Left, but whose current parliamentary coalition takes in parts of Suffolk and Herefordshire, the seats of Polanskis vanquished rivals.

Adrian Ramsay and Ellie Chowns, in tone, style and emphasis personify the previously big C and still small C conservatism of their patches.

How might folk there react to the sweary bluntness and brash left-wingery of the Greens new front man?

After a record-breaking general election result last year, in which they assembled a sufficiently broad coalition of support to win parliamentary seats in Labour-facing urban patches and Conservative-facing rural ones, are they now dispensing with that delicate balance?

Outwardly, the answer to that appears to be yes and that worries some in the party.

Perhaps a punchily-delivered message can deepen their support in some places.

But will it narrow their potential in others?

Lets see.