Green Party leader Siân Berry confirmed that MP Zack Polanski did not vote in May's local elections, contradicting his earlier promise to Hackney mayoral candidate Zoë Garbett. Berry disclosed the information after Polanski's absence from voting booths became public.
Polanski had explicitly told Garbett "you have my vote" ahead of the elections, making his non-participation a direct breach of that commitment. The revelation emerged during scrutiny of the party's local election performance and internal accountability.
Berry's acknowledgment signals the Greens are taking the matter seriously, though the party has not announced disciplinary action against Polanski. The incident highlights tensions within the Green Party around candidate support and electoral participation expectations for elected representatives.
This comes as the Greens navigate their positioning after gaining ground in recent electoral cycles. Polanski represents Finsbury Park in North London and holds a seat the party considers strategically important. His failure to vote locally, despite public assurances to a candidate in his region, undermines the party's messaging around commitment to grassroots democracy.
The controversy reflects broader challenges facing smaller political parties when high-profile MPs fail to live up to internal expectations. For Garbett's Hackney campaign, Polanski's absence represents lost momentum from a colleague who could have mobilized Green supporters in a closely contested race.