With the rise of Reform and the fall of Labour largely gripping the media, the Green Party themselves have waded in and out of media discussions. Being the main left-wing alternative in a majorly right-wing political sphere and a centralised Labour party, there is a lot of pressure on the Greens. While the voting majority went to Labour this time, the Greens seem to have a bright future waiting.
As such, Polanski running for this position would have been a huge success for them.
With a 22.4% increase, the Greens are the only party to have a growth in their voting majority. All other parties, including the Labour Party, which had a fall of 3.7%, are in a steady decline. Polanski himself has viewed this as a positive step, identifying it as their “second best ever by-election result”.
This by-election also highlights how important exercising your right to vote is. With a low turnout of 38.7%, it really emphasises that people feel as though there is no real solution to the current political climate grasping Britain. But, it is these low turnouts that will continue to dictate which party will win if only those who are loudest about their views are getting heard. Staying at home because there is nothing you are happy with will end up deciding the next election.
While the media can misunderstand much of the Green manifesto, particularly ideas to decriminalise drug use and open borders, Polanski has pushed through. He has dedicated the party into pursuing these actions to better Britain. As the younger generation become more politically active, the percentage of 18-24 year olds which vote for Green grows daily. However, this once again brings in the question on whether people will truly go to the polling stations at the next elections.
There are still many issues that party will need to face in their journey into Parliamentary rule, and it will be much harder with the current success that the Labour party has gained under Andy Burnham. But this by-election has surely given some hope to Green Party supporters and is likely the beginnings of more future successes.