Green Party deputy leadership candidates Zack Polanski, Tyrone Scott, Shahrar Ali and Nick Humberstone

Members of the Green Party of England and Wales have been voting to elect a new deputy leader this summer, with members having until August 31 to cast their ballots. Voting is now closed, and the party will be revealing the results of the election at 11am on Wednesday 7 September at a press announcement in Westminster.

London Assembly member Zack Polanski is widely expected to win the contest. Polanski had a powerful campaign machine and secured the backing of high profile figures in the party- including the Greens’ sole MP Caroline Lucas and the entirety of the Wales Green Party leadership team.

The other candidates in the running are Tyrone Scott, Nick Humberstone and the party’s former home affairs spokesperson Shahrar Ali.

Humberstone stood in the 2020 deputy leadership election, receiving 4 per cent of first preference votes. There is little indication that he will significantly surpass that share this time round. As such, the battle for second place appears to be between Scott and Ali.

Scott’s campaign pitched to the left of the party’s membership and emphasised a desire to reorient the party’s campaigning efforts towards community organising. Ali, meanwhile, centred opposition to the party’s position on trans rights in his campaign.

The election has at times been fraught, with candidates clashing on numerous occasions at hustings – particularly over trans rights. At one hustings, Polanski accused Ali of “sitting with Boris Johnson, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin” on the issue.

Whoever wins the election will be only the fourth deputy leader the Greens have had, with the party having introduced the role in 2008. Outgoing deputy leader Amelia Womack has been in the post for the past eight years.

The new deputy leader will take office alongside the party’s current co-leaders Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay.

The election for deputy leader was held concurrently with elections to the Green Party Executive.

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