I can see why people want Scottish independence, says Zack Polanski
Zack Polanski, who is seeking to take sole leadership of the party in England and Wales, said Scottish people 'deserve much better' as he blasted the disregard with which the country has been treated within a 'narrow' conversation at Westminster.
He added Keir Starmer is not showing much interest in protecting the Union, insisting his 'chief mission' was to protect the super-rich over anything else.
Asked about whether he backed Scottish independence, Polanksi told The National: 'Speaking from a personal capacity, I can absolutely understand after decades of neglect why any Scottish person would see the benefits of not being dragged down further in both Tory and Labour austerity whist protecting the wealth of the super-rich.
READ MORE: Labour 'more unpopular with UK voters than ever before' – YouGov poll
'Despite the very different arrangements, the consistency of disregard for both Wales and Scotland is very apparent throughout the very narrow political conversation in Westminster. Welsh and Scottish people deserve much better.'
Asked whether he felt Keir Starmer was good for the Union, he added: 'If Starmer does consider himself a Unionist in his own terms, then he's got a very strange way of demonstrating that he cares about people outside of his chief mission which seems to be to protect the wealth of the super-rich.'
Polanski, who has been deputy leader of the Greens since 2022 and serves as a London Assembly member, launched his leadership challenge earlier this month and is hoping to see off competition from the duo of current co-leader Adrian Ramsay and Green MP Ellie Chowns.
If Polanski was to win the contest, he would become the sole leader with two deputy leaders working with him.
At the centre of his campaign is a radical new 'eco-populism' which he says involves a 'relentless focus' on inequality and the immediate day-to-day issues people are facing.
'If we talk about the climate crisis without first recognising the mass inequality in our society, then I think our message gets lost so this [eco-populism] is a relentless focus on dealing with the material conditions and people's day-to-day living – making sure they are paid properly, that we can keep bills down, and people feel like there's a hopeful future," he said.
(Image: Noah Vickers/LDRS) The Greens in England and Wales have about 60,000 members, while Reform have more than 220,000, a discrepancy Polanski has said indicates a need for a change of direction as the threat of Reform intensifies.
He said he is 'concerned' the media have been heavily focused on Reform's surge when research was published last week which showed a quarter of women aged 18 to 24 voted Green last July – roughly double the number of young men that voted for Reform.
But Polanski believes Reform are winning the battle of storytelling and mobilising voters and it is this he feels the Greens need to work on, backed up by truths that are absent from Nigel Farage's politics.
He said: 'I think if you are on the right-wing of politics, you only ever need to tell a powerful story. It doesn't need to be based in facts.
'On the left and in the Green Party, we need to make sure everything is based in truth, evidence and science. That's what we need more of in politics, but it's not enough on its own. You need to add a powerful narrative and storytelling.
'The right are playing politics on easy mode. They can mimic any story they want and if it galvanises people, off they go.
'In the recent local elections, Reform really mobilised voter turnout and I think that's because they are telling a powerful story. So, our job is to tell a more powerful story and a much more hopeful story that mobilises non-voters, new voters, and people who would've voted Labour but aren't coming out anymore.
'I believe the Green Party is the hopeful and inspiring alternative.'
Under the leadership of Carla Denyer – who has said she is not running again – and Ramsay, the Green Party won a record four seats in the UK Parliament last July, but Polanski wants more.
READ MORE: John Curtice explains why Scottish Labour should be worried about Reform
He has said in the press so far there has been a 'false' idea he is focused on activism and not winning MPs, but he said getting more Green faces into Westminster is crucial.
'There's been a bit of a presentation in the press of the idea I am focusing on the activism rather than winning MPs and that's false,' he said.
'I really believe winning more MPs is the exact way to bring about these changes. If we focus on the things that aren't people's immediate concerns, you don't win and there's nothing more important than winning to change people's lives.'
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The Herald Scotland
23 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
All pupils in families on universal credit to be entitled to free school meals
Currently, households in England on universal credit must earn below £7,400 a year (after tax and not including benefits) to qualify for free school meals. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the expansion was 'a truly historic moment for our country' (Ben Birchall/PA) But the Government has announced that every pupil whose household is on universal credit will have a new entitlement to free school lunches from the start of the 2026/27 academic year. The move comes after campaigners and education leaders have called for free school meals to be extended to all children whose families are on universal credit to ease pressures on young people living in poverty. Nearly 2.1 million pupils – almost one in four of all pupils (24.6%) – in England were eligible for free school meals in January 2024. The DfE has said more than half-a-million more children are expected to benefit from a free meal every school day as a result of the expansion, and nearly £500 will be put back into parents' pockets every year. It suggested that the expansion will lift 100,000 children across England completely out of poverty. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: 'Feeding more children every day, for free, is one of the biggest interventions we can make to put more money in parents' pockets, tackle the stain of poverty, and set children up to learn. 'This expansion is a truly historic moment for our country, helping families who need it most and delivering our Plan for Change to give every child, no matter their background, the same chance to succeed.' The DfE is due to release data on Thursday morning showing the number of state school pupils in England who are eligible for free school meals. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: 'It is the moral mission of this government to tackle the stain of child poverty, and today this government takes a giant step towards ending it with targeted support that puts money back in parents' pockets. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the intervention would help the Government 'deliver excellence everywhere, for every child' (Yui Mok/PA) 'From free school meals to free breakfast clubs, breaking the cycle of child poverty is at the heart of our Plan for Change to cut the unfair link between background and success. 'We believe that background shouldn't mean destiny. Today's historic step will help us to deliver excellence everywhere, for every child and give more young people the chance to get on in life.' The Government's child poverty taskforce is due to publish its 10-year strategy later this year. Nick Harrison, chief executive of the Sutton Trust social mobility charity, said: 'This is a significant step towards taking hunger out of the classroom. 'Children can't learn effectively when hungry, so this announcement not only helps to tackle the effects of child poverty, but will also likely help improve education outcomes for disadvantaged young people. 'Giving free school meals to all families who are eligible for universal credit is also easier for parents to understand, so has the potential to increase take-up rates.' Kate Anstey, head of education policy at the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) charity, said: 'This is fantastic news and a game-changer for children and families. 'At last, more kids will get the food they need to learn and thrive and millions of parents struggling to make ends meet will get a bit of breathing space. 'We hope this is a sign of what's to come in autumn's child poverty strategy, with government taking more action to meet its manifesto commitment to reduce child poverty in the UK.' Pepe Di'Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: 'There's some detail to be worked through on exactly how this transition will work and we look forward to talking with the Government about that. 'But, certainly, expanding free school meal eligibility in this way is absolutely the right thing to do.' Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), said: 'We join families and schools across England in welcoming this necessary and overdue first step in expanding free school meals eligibility. 'The existing threshold had been unchanged since 2018, meaning hundreds of thousands of children in poverty were missing out on the nutrition they need to thrive.' But he added that many children in families who just miss out on being eligible for universal credit will also 'miss out on a hot, healthy school meal'. Mr Kebede said: 'Ensuring that a free school meal is available to all children is the next urgent step that must be taken.' The Liberal Democrats said the change was a 'victory for thousands of passionate campaigners' but was 'only a first step' towards helping children in poverty. The party's education spokeswoman Munira Wilson MP said: 'Liberal Democrats have been pushing hard for this crucial change for years. It's a victory for thousands of passionate campaigners that the Government has finally listened.' She added: 'To end the cost-of-learning crisis, the Government needs to commit to auto-enrolling eligible children for free school meals, lifting the two-child benefit cap, and capping uniform costs to truly change the lives of children in poverty. We'll hold their feet to the fire to make sure today's change is just a start.'
Times
32 minutes ago
- Times
Labour's plan for illegal migrants explained — and is it working?
What you need to know Sir Keir Starmer has secured improved commitments from France on tackling small boats but this has yet to translate into action on the ground Labour believes a new bill going through the Lords would make a significant difference in its pledge to 'smash the gangs' Despite rejecting the Rwanda plan as a 'gimmick', the prime minister's plan for return hubs has a similar aim, but is still at an early stage Ministers are looking at tightening the rules around Article 8 of the ECHR, the right to family life, in asylum claims When Sir Keir Starmer entered No 10 almost a year ago he pledged to make good on Labour's election promise to 'smash the gangs' and succeed, where the Conservatives had failed, in securing Britain's borders against illegal migration. Yet so far this year almost 15,000 people have arrived in the UK in small boats — up 42 per cent on this time last year and a 95 per cent rise from the same point in 2023. This week ministers sought to blame the weather and insisted that their policies would be effective in making good on Starmer's pledge. But what exactly is the government doing, and how successful has it been? A new deal with France From the British side perhaps the most critical element of the government's small boats strategy has been to leverage Starmer's relationship with President Macron to persuade the French to take a more proactive approach to preventing small boats setting sail from French waters in the first place. At the start of the year the prime minister hosted Macron at Chequers, where the two leaders agreed to step up bilateral co-operation to prevent Channel crossings. This led to a formal agreement a month later under which the UK extended a £480 million deal to pay for policing French beaches in return for new measures to stem the flow of boats. In particular, Paris agreed to change the law to allow police officers to apprehend vessels in shallow waters and restore the offence of an 'illegal stay' in France, which would allow the police to arrest migrants and smugglers before they attempted a crossing. There was also a commitment by France to speed up the construction of a detention centre in Dunkirk — paid for by the British — which had become bogged down in planning rows. But, so far, these commitments have yet to materialise. The plan to enable police to intervene within 300m of the shore is yet to be implemented amid opposition from the officers themselves. There is also still slow progress on Dunkirk. Verdict: Ministers believe improved co-operation with France is as close as it comes to a silver bullet to stem the flow of boats. But while Starmer has won important commitments from Paris, which were never given to the last government, these commitments have yet to materialise into action on the ground. New legal powers to tackle smuggling gangs In January ministers published a bill that they claimed would give police anti-terrorism-style powers to 'identify, disrupt and prevent' organised immigration crime. The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, which is going through the House of Lords, will make it illegal to handle items suspected of being used for organised immigration crime, such as boat parts and engines, with a maximum punishment of 14 years in prison. Those found collecting information that could be used by people smugglers will face up to five years in jail. This would include researching routes or vessels online, or arranging departure points, dates and times. The new offences will be accompanied by additional powers for Border Force officers, police and the National Crime Agency. They will be allowed to seize and search the mobile phones of anyone arriving in the UK illegally if they believe it will help an investigation into who organised the journey. The information gathered will also be available to be used in cases brought overseas. Verdict: Senior policing figures believe the legislation will make a difference in their ability to dismantle the smuggling gangs — pointing out that the numbers involved are in the hundreds — and are vulnerable to a concerted attempt to dismantle their activities. However, as the bill is not yet law, at the moment it remains an aspiration. Return hubs In one of his first acts as prime minister Starmer scrapped the Conservative Party's plans to send migrants to Rwanda, branding it a waste of money and a 'gimmick'. However, he is now drawing up a policy that sounds remarkably similar — sending failed asylum seekers to 'return hubs' in the west Balkans. There is one significant difference: the Tories planned to send all those who came to the UK on small boats abroad, while Labour's plan is limited to those who have exhausted all avenues of appeal. But the intent is similar: to deter people from making the crossings in the first place. Verdict: The plans are at a very early stage, and it is not a given that countries will agree to host the return hubs. Albania has already ruled out doing so. There remain significant legal and political challenges to getting the scheme off the ground. There is broader support for the idea among some EU states and also in the UN. But even if the plans get off the ground, there is no guarantee it will work as a deterrent. Deal with other countries In December Starmer negotiated a deal with Germany, which agreed to tighten its laws to make it easier to prosecute those helping to smuggle migrants to the UK. Ministers said this was important because facilitating people-smuggling to a third country was not technically illegal in Germany. However, the law has not yet been enacted, and ministers need to win approval from the new German government for it to be put into place. Starmer has also recently announced a partnership with Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia to detect and deter illegal migration operations. Verdict: The prime minister has made improving international co-operation to tackle smuggling gangs a big diplomatic priority for the government. But while the issue is a huge priority for the UK it is less important for other countries, and it remains to be seen how quickly and effectively diplomatic deals are converted into concrete action. The asylum backlog and hotels There are 8,000 more asylum seekers living in hotels than when Starmer pledged during the election campaign in June last year to 'end asylum hotels, saving the taxpayer billions of pounds'. The reality of how difficult that is has become clear. This month the National Audit Office said the cost of asylum accommodation would be three times higher than previously estimated and more than 38,000 migrants are being housed in hotels, costing the Home Office an estimated £5.5 million a day — while a further 66,000 migrants are in dispersal accommodation such as large houses, bedsits and flats across different local authorities. • Migrants will be put up in hotels for years yet, Treasury admits The vast majority are awaiting asylum decisions, so speeding up that process is seen as key. The Home Office has had some success — it has been increased by 52 per cent and 24,000 people have been removed from the country. Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, is also planning to change the law to introduce a mandatory 24-week legal deadline for all asylum appeals. Verdict: If decision-making can genuinely be sped up it will help not only to bring down the hotel bill, but could act as a deterrent for those considering making the journey across the Channel. Human rights laws Ministers will bring in a new framework for judges to work to when deciding whether to allow migrants to make claims for asylum using the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR). The most heavily used part of the ECHR, Article 8 — the right to family life — has been leveraged by murderers and paedophiles to stay in the country. Cooper revealed this week about 30 per cent of cases had been considered 'exceptional' by judges, and she wants to restrict that to a more narrow set of circumstances. • Kemi Badenoch would override ECHR on asylum for illegal migrants Verdict: Restricting the scope of Article 8 will save ministers from some embarrassing headlines but is unlikely to be enough on its own to fulfil the government's immigration pledges. An appetite to direct judges — and suggestions that the government could be open to reforming the ECHR — shows a willingness from Starmer and Cooper to step into an arena previously inhabited by the Tories and Reform UK. But as those on the right ramp up pressure for Britain to pull out of the convention altogether, the efforts may fall short.
The Sun
33 minutes ago
- The Sun
Half a million more kids will be entitled to free school meals in massive expansion of the scheme
HALF a million more kids will be entitled to free school meals under a massive expansion of the scheme, Sir Keir Starmer announced last night. Every child in a household on Universal Credit will now be eligible for state sponsored lunches, in a move that should lift 100,000 children out of poverty. 1 Expanding free school meals will save parents on benefits £500 per child every year, according to the Department for Education. Kids in UC households currently not eligible will be able to start claiming lunches from the start of the 2026 school year. The entitlement will apply in all settings where free school meals are available, including school-based nurseries and further-education settings. Most parents will be able to apply before the start of the new school year by providing a national insurance number. Education Secretary Bridget Philipson told The Sun the move is critical for ending the post-pandemic school attendance crisis and cracking down on bad behaviour. She said: 'What we're announcing is a game changer. 'This will make a big difference to children's attendance and behaviour at school because we know that if kids are hungry, they don't concentrate well. 'Sun will benefit directly from saving £500 per child per year.' Since 2018 kids have only been eligible for free meals if their household income is less than £7,400 per year. The major expansion comes ahead of the government's Child Poverty Taskforce publishing a ten-year strategy to drive down poverty. It also follows mounting pressure on the PM from rebel Labour MPs to scrap the two-child benefit cap. Sir Keir said: 'Working parents across the country are working tirelessly to provide for their families but are being held back by cost-of-living pressures. 'My government is taking action to ease those pressures. 'Feeding more children every day, for free, is one of the biggest interventions we can make to put more money in parents' pockets, tackle the stain of poverty, and set children up to learn.'
