—note after publication. Polanski didn’t run. To find out who the candidate is, see below. And a little about him.
Opinion by Mathew Carr
With Donald Trump being so hateful toward climate policy, UK Green Party leader Zack Polanski should run in the Makerfield by-election.
While a decision to put Polanski into the race will probably discourage those good Green candidates from the area directly, the vote is set to receive saturation press coverage in Britain.
That is publicity that is hard to get when you are not funded by billionaires.
Further, the final two weeks leading up to the June 18 election coincide with the two-week UNFCCC intercessional talks in Bonn, Germany.
The crumbling climate needs all the publicity help it can get right now.
Having Polanski in parliament will also help the country by shaming the failing Labour administration into changing more quickly away from warmongering, away from bad capitalism, away from injustice and away from letting USA foreign interests take over the nation.
Labour is currently influenced/controlled by billionaires.
Fakely-named Reform is also funded by billionaires and is merely another version of the Red-Blue-Tory Uniparty that has run the country since 1922. Plus Reform has an extra helping of racism/division.
There are other reasons why Polanski makes sense.
Makerfield is in Greater Manchester and that’s where Polanski was born …. It’s a connection he could lean on rhetorically, but it’s not like he’s from the constituency itself. Close enough, perhaps.
See this segment of an Observer story on Polanski from November:
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Born David Paulden in Salford, Greater Manchester, Polanski changed his surname at 18 to the original family name. He grew up thinking that his grandparents had anglicised it to avoid persecution by the Nazis. “When I was about 16 or 17, I found that the actual story was that they had changed it to evade antisemitism in the UK. There was a real sense at that time of families having to hide in the shadows.” His decision to change his first name to Zack – after the Jewish evacuee in the children’s book Goodnight Mister Tom – was “more complicated”. He had a difficult relationship with his stepfather, who was also called David. “I didn’t want to be a shadow of a man I didn’t particularly agree with.” He was 11 when his parents divorced. “It was devastating,” he says. “I remember long commutes between a mother living in north Manchester and a father living in south Manchester. I remember a lot of logistical difficulties and a lot of pain and hurt that my parents weren’t together any more and couldn’t love each other any more.”
(Worth reading the whole story for insights into Polanski’s ability to deal with bullies, a skill needed for this election …because it is a sinister coronation attempt of Labour’s Andy Burnham by the establishment/ deep state…see bottom)
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I’ve got Green Party links, but I’ve no inside information as to the party’s plans. Many in the party believe it can’t win Makerfield. I disagree.
It held an online meeting to decide the candidate last night and the result is apparently under wraps.
Here are some of the other potential candidates, superficially / randomly judging from the Party’s Wigan and Leigh website:
Uniting the left:
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZNRtTH7uu/
Gemini context unchecked
Chris Kennedy was selected by local party members following a hustings on May 20, 2026, to stand as the Green Party candidate for the Makerfield by-election, which is scheduled for June 18, 2026.
Here is what we know about him and the context of his campaign:
Background & Profession
- Healthcare Professional: Kennedy is a registered nurse and a children’s safeguarding specialist.
- Local Political Experience: Earlier in May 2026, he ran as the Green Party candidate for Newton-le-Willows East in the St. Helens local elections, where he finished with 1,000 votes.
- Campaign Focus: The party describes him as a “committed local campaigner.” His platform centers on standard Green Party priorities: addressing the cost-of-living crisis, protecting local green spaces, lowering energy bills through warmer homes, supporting a fairer economy, and standing up for a properly funded, publicly owned NHS.
The Campaign Context
Kennedy’s campaign is framed by unique national and local political dynamics:
- The Stance on a “Westminster Psychodrama”: Kennedy has stated that he wants to bring people together around a positive vision and protect the local community without letting the election be dominated by “Westminster psychodrama.” This is a nod to the fact that the high-profile Labour candidate is Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, whose run is widely viewed as a potential future challenge to Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
- Strategic Party Dilemma: Kennedy’s selection comes amid internal debate within the Green Party regarding how aggressively to resource the campaign. Media reports indicate some senior Greens are wary of running a massive, national-level campaign that could inadvertently split the progressive vote and hand the seat to Reform UK’s candidate, Robert Kenyon, following strong Reform performances in recent local elections.
- Pushing Back: Despite those tactical calculations, Green Party leadership has noted they will still use the by-election platform to challenge Andy Burnham on his policy commitments regarding public ownership and electoral reform.
Polanski has never been focussed on saving the climate. In the Makerfield byelection this issue will be the only focus of the only party truly focussed on saving the climate which is the Climate Party.