Ellie Chowns takes on Starmer, new Green leader under fire
Ellie Chowns, Green Party MP for North Herefordshire, went head-to-head with Prime Minister Kier Starmer over climate policy today (3 September 2025).
Chowns slammed the Conservatives’ plans to extract more oil and gas from the North Sea, calling it “reckless” and useless for energy security or jobs. Turning to Starmer, she asked if he would finally put a stop to the controversial Rosebank oil project, reminding him that climate action is supposed to be at the heart of his government’s mission.
Rather than answering the question, Starmer fired back, pointing the finger at the Greens. He criticized the party’s plans in Scotland, claiming they could threaten £50 billion in renewable energy investment and secure jobs.
The Prime Minister also blasted the Green Party’s new leader, Zack Polanski, accusing him of:
- Supporting withdrawal from NATO at a sensitive time
- Proposing unfunded spending that could harm the economy
- Blocking all planning applications
- Making “very strange” comments about women
Starmer claims Labour is the only party tackling the climate crisis while delivering fairness to the country.
Who is Zach Polanski?
Zack Polanski has been elected leader of the Green Party, promising bold communication and a new “eco-populism” approach. He told Labour, “We are here to replace you,” signaling his intent to challenge Sir Keir Starmer’s party directly.
Polanski, 42, is well-known among Green Party members for his media appearances but remains little known outside the London Assembly, where he is an elected member. He beat two of the party’s four MPs to take the leadership, despite questions about his lack of experience in the traditional parliamentary system.
His leadership pitch focused on moving the party decisively to the left and adopting a more confrontational style of communication.
Polanski has had an unconventional path into politics, previously working as an actor, hypnotherapist, and mental health counsellor. A 2013 article in the Sun, which claimed he helped a client enhance her bust through hypnotherapy, continues to follow him. Polanski said this was before his political career, and he immediately apologised, adding, “We are all more than one mistake.”
Born in 1982 in Salford, Polanski studied at Aberystwyth University in Wales before moving to Hackney, east London. He is openly gay and Jewish, and changed his name from David Paulden at 18 to embrace his heritage and differentiate from his stepfather.
Polanski first entered politics with the Liberal Democrats but now criticizes them for being too centrist. He joined the Greens in 2017, served as a local party chairman, was elected to the London Assembly in 2021, and became the party’s deputy leader in 2022.