Salford Green supporters are hoping for a once-in-a-century moment in politics as the party shoots up the polls.
The Green Party, led by Salfordian Zack Polanski, appears set for a record-breaking 2026 as the party reached 16 per cent in the latest YouGov voter intention poll with membership still growing.
Polanski, a member of the London Assembly, swept aside party rivals with 20,411 votes to become leader in September.
A self-proclaimed ‘eco-populist’, the Salfordian’s leadership on issues such as the conflict in Gaza and economic inequality has proven popular among Britain’s under-50s, with his party now polling first for all voters aged 18-49.
Former Labour voter Natalie Johnston, who lives in Swinton, plans to vote Green in next year’s election after feeling ‘ashamed’ to have voted Starmer’s government into power last spring.
She said: “The Greens are the palate cleanser of politics this year, [they] explain that poverty is down to wealth inequality. It really is that simple. People can resonate with this.
“In Salford, the Greens can make huge strides. There is a lot of wonderful community and grassroots activism to work with, a key ideological principle of the Green Party.”
Natalie began one of these grassroots communities in Bumps and Buggies, a support group for new parents and pregnant people in Monton in 2020.
She continued: “It is essential we have leaders and politicians who put peoples’ well-being at the heart of their policies, and that is what the wave of enthusiasm for Zack’s party is.
“Society looks to governments with power to solve problems overnight, so Zack has emerged as a voice for people sick of just ‘getting by’.
“If Zack is stewarding the party long-term and can carve out sound economic plans, then we could finally see a clearer division of wealth among people in the UK – and in turn, a happier and healthier society.”
But she believes the Greens must focus on child poverty if they are to capitalise on their momentum in the city.
She said: “Forty per cent of children in Salford experience child poverty. There is a need to really understand our communities and the impact of government policies on their lives and wellbeing.”
The Reform party is also hoping to gain a foothold in Salford in next year’s local elections and voters may also see candidates from Your Party – the new left-wing party founded in August by high profile MPs Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana.
Kirsty Downie, a local Your Party member, backs Rebecca Long-Bailey – but feels her and Polanski would be better off with the new socialist party instead.
She said: “Salford is a unique political spot, as we do things differently in Salford. We have Rebecca Long-Bailey, a political powerhouse and Labour rebel.
“She’s taught me a lot about socialism and justice. She’s stuck her neck out when others haven’t. Most importantly for me, she’s stood up for Gaza and voted against selling arms to Israel.
“Should she join [Your Party], I’d be over the moon. But she needs to be where she feels she needs to be.
“As for Zack, the more the merrier,” she added.
The coming months are set to be crucial for every party vying to win council wards in Salford, with campaigns expected to begin in the new year ahead of the May 7 polls.
Dr Stephen Ward, subject head of Politics and Contemporary History at Salford University, feels Polanski’s leadership is giving the Greens a higher profile than ever.
He said: “He’s a left-wing populist in the same way that Farage might be on the right as a right-wing populist.
“And the first thing for any minor party in the British system is to get some coverage. They are getting a bit more coverage now, and I think Polanski’s profile will probably help with that.”
In July, the Greens polled at 11% – an increase of 4.6% since the 2024 General Election results.
Since then, the party has become the second largest in the UK with 170,000 members.
However, Dr Ward says the Greens still have work to do.
He said: “If we’re talking about making an impact at the national level, it’s hugely difficult for small parties to do that. [They] can get 14-15% of the vote and get next to no seats.
“But they’ve got a better chance at the local level, where turnout is lower. Where Labour are holding current council seats and having to defend them, the Greens could certainly pick up votes – especially among younger voters if they turn out to vote,” he added.
In the 2024 General Election, the Green Party won an average vote share of 9.5% across the three constituencies which cover Salford. This was a six per cent increase on their vote share across the city in 2019’s election, suggesting that their rise in favour goes beyond Polanski’s leadership alone.
Nationally, polling data suggests that the electorate’s willingness to vote for the Greens, among other small third parties, is at an all-time high.
He said: “We’ve got a Labour government that promised change, and people aren’t seeing change. People are losing hope in the political system, because the two main players in our political system look that they haven’t got the answers.
“From a political history view, we’re sort of entering multi-party politics. Particularly in things like by-elections, local elections, it’s multi-party politics.”
The electorate is split in a range of ways, such as by education and age, as highlighted by recent YouGov research. In using this research alongside Salford’s 2021 census data, an exclusive body of data indicating which Salford demographics could contribute the highest Green vote share is revealed.
National statistics show the party is most successful among voters aged 18-25, with 47% willing to vote Green. This age group represents 14.3% of Salford, suggesting that 18-25 aged voters in the city could swing the overall vote by 6.7% to the Greens.
In Salford, voters aged 25-34 could contribute another 7% because people of this age make up 18.5% of Salfordians, with Salford’s average age being 33.
The age bracket which might contribute the lowest Green vote share is voters aged 55-64. Despite 25% of voters in this bracket being willing to vote Green nationwide, they make up only 10% of Salford’s population – limiting their impact upon the Green’s electoral chances in the city to a minimal Green vote share of 2.5%.
Dr Ward feels that the party must seek to engage concentrated areas of the city.
He continued: “The Greens are probably competing with the Liberal Democrats and Your Party – a new socialist party launched by MPs Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana in September – so a problem I think for the Greens is how they can distinguish themselves from other actors.
“I think what they can do is go down the longer-term route of really consolidating and digging in into local areas. Like in Bristol, for instance, they’re really making an impact now and they’ve been around for probably the best part of 30 years there.
“If they’ve got a target area, it’s probably one where there’s some young voters, it’s a university town, it’s got public services, middle-class activists; that’s where they’re probably going to really succeed.”
The Greens have already begun using this model in Salford. In the 2023 local elections, Green candidate David Jones won 26.7% in the Blackfriars and Trinity ward. In the same ward, Green candidate Wendy Olsen won 31.2% of the vote in 2021.
Similarly, Green candidates in Quays, Broughton, Ordsall, Eccles, Pendleton and Charlestown wards won an average vote share of 21.4% in 2021.
When Salford’s electorate is divided by education level, there are stark contrasts in potential Green support across the city. The higher the level of education the more likely someone is to vote Green.
A third of Salfordians are educated to degree-level or higher, with 41% of people with a degree across the UK open to voting for the Greens.
More than 60% of Salford’s population is educated to A-Level standard or lower, potentially contributing a vote share of 14.3% to the Greens.
The Greens appear to be on the right track – but it might not be enough for next year’s election.
Dr Ward feels that Salford remains more likely to turn light blue than green.
He said: “I suspect Reform UK stand to benefit the most [from the Greens’ popularity].
“I think for an area like Salford, it’s probably more Reform territory. For the older, traditional sort of working class Labour voters, immigration, crime and cost of living are really where it’s at.
“It’s not beyond the bounds of possibility that Reform could do well in Salford. But if they’re doing well in Salford, then the Labour Party really is in dire trouble, because Salford is such a stronghold for Labour and has been for many years.”
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