Poll shows a third of Britons want Green leader Polanski to resign after by‑election loss

YouGov data released on Friday shows one in three Britons call for Polanski’s resignation amid criticism of a motion labeling Zionism as racism.

By Felo News Desk · Published Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:59:19 GMT

A YouGov poll published on Friday indicates that 33% of Britons think Green Party leader Zack Polanski should resign following his defeat in the Holborn and St Pancras by‑election and the backlash over a party motion describing Zionism as racism.

What happened

On 9 October, Zack Polanski lost the Holborn and St Pancras by‑election, finishing with 8,928 votes (33%) while Labour’s Sagal Abdi‑Wali won the seat with 12,292 votes (45%). The Green Party’s vote share rose by 22.4% compared with the previous election, according to Felo’s earlier coverage. In the days that followed, a YouGov survey asked a representative sample of UK adults whether Polanski should remain leader. One‑third (33%) said he should resign, while 20% said he should stay.

What the reports add

The Independent reported the specific poll figures – 33% for resignation and 20% for staying – and noted that senior Green figures have described the situation as “untenable”. It also quoted the party’s Jewish Greens chair, Vivien Lichtenstein, calling Polanski’s absence from the Zionism debate a “big mistake”. The Evening Standard added that Polanski told Sky News he agrees with the substance of the motion but disagrees with the party deciding the region’s future, and that Lichtenstein said she is considering leaving the party over the issue. Both outlets cite former leader Caroline Lucas’s criticism of Polanski’s leadership, but only the Independent mentions the chief rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis’s condemnation of the motion.

What was said

Vivien Lichtenstein, chair of the Jewish Greens, told the Independent that Polanski’s failure to attend the debate was a “big mistake” and that the situation is “untenable”.

“He made a big mistake by missing the debate on the motion last week,” Lichtenstein said, as reported by the Independent.

Caroline Lucas, former Green Party leader, told the BBC’s Any Questions programme that Polanski should apologise for missing the vote and for the hurt caused, according to the Standard.

“He should apologise for missing the vote and for the hurt that has been caused to so many people,” Lucas said, as reported by the Standard.

Polanski himself told Sky News that he agrees with the substance of the motion but objects to the party deciding the future of the region.

“Ultimately, I agree with the substance of the motion. Where I disagree is the idea the Green Party should be deciding what the future of the region looks like,” Polanski said to Sky News, as reported by the Standard.

How it came about

The controversy stems from a motion passed at the Green Party conference in Brighton last weekend that defined Zionism as a form of racism. Polanski left the conference early to campaign in the Holborn and St Pancras by‑election and did not vote on the motion, a point highlighted in Felo’s article Former Green leader Lucas says Polanski failed to lead on Zionism motion. The motion has been condemned by chief rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis and criticised by Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who called it “completely wrong”. The by‑election loss intensified internal pressure, leading to the YouGov poll that captured public sentiment.

Key facts

One in three Britons think Zack Polanski should resign as Green Party leader (independent.co.uk)
Polanski received 8,928 votes (33%) in the Holborn and St Pancras by‑election, which Labour won with 45% (standard.co.uk)
The Green Party motion defining Zionism as racism was passed at the Brighton conference (independent.co.uk)
Vivien Lichtenstein said Polanski’s absence from the Zionism debate was a "big mistake" (independent.co.uk)
Caroline Lucas called for Polanski to apologise for missing the vote (standard.co.uk)