Two slates were nominated: a joint ticket by incumbent co-leader
Adrian Ramsay alongside
Ellie Chowns, and a separate ticket of
Zack Polanski standing as a single candidate. The senior political correspondent of
The Guardian, Peter Walker, said that the election has presented Green members with a choice similar to that in the
last election in 2021: either "election-focused professionals" or "insurgent activists". He also made the point that the joint Ramsay/Chowns ticket was expected to be the favourites, but suggested that any side could win. Before nominations closed, the Green-focused political blog,
Bright Green, published an article suggesting that the race would be between the two high-profile tickets, and that it was unlikely any third ticket could garner enough support to win. Polanski was variously described as the 'favourite' (
New Statesman, 8 July) and the 'frontrunner' (
Huffington Post, 26 July;
Financial Times, 6 August). Summarising commentator opinion,
The Guardian suggested that those expressing a view thought that Polanski would win, 'perhaps quite easily'; in the same live blog covering a hustings, they claimed there was 'nothing' that suggested the commentator consensus was wrong. On 17 August,
The Guardian reported that senior figures in the party believed that Polanski was starting to 'pull away' from Ramsay/Chowns, with a growing expectation he would win. Allies of Ramsay disputed this, claiming the race was much closer.
Zack Polanski On 5 May 2025,
Zack Polanski, the incumbent
deputy leader of the party, announced his campaign to become party leader. To
The Guardian, Polanski suggested he wanted to make the party more visible and take a more eco-
populist direction. In the campaign he has advocated for the Green Party to be less timid, saying that they needed to become a bold mass-membership political force capable of challenging
Reform UK and
Nigel Farage. He has also said that the party should "learn" from Farage, especially from his communication skills. Polanski has said that the Green Party having a single leader instead of a co-leader would allow the party to more effectively convey its message in the media, and has argued that leftist candidates are best placed to grow the party in parliament. Polanski has criticised the Labour government's approach to
net-zero, arguing that the wealthy and big business should pay via a
wealth tax for the green transition, rather than individuals. Polanski has faced scrutiny for having been a member of the Green Party only since 2017, having defected from the
Liberal Democrats, and for his former career in
hypnotherapy, including involvement in an article in
The Sun where he provided hypnotherapy (without charge) for breast enlargement to a journalist, for which he subsequently apologised. Polanski formally launched his campaign online on 11 May, with more than 300 people in attendance. On 5 June, Polanski released an open letter, in which 107 Green councillors had signed to support him. On 6 June, the Bright Green blog published an article saying that Polanski had generated higher media coverage for his leadership campaign.
The Guardian reported that Polanski's campaign and communications were bringing in an 'influx' of new left-leaning members, which was likened to a 'hostile takeover' by a senior figure in the party. Both MPs were first elected in rural, formerly
Conservative-voting seats, which they pointed to as evidence that they would win over new supporters, rather than appealing to their base. As such, the pair hoped to be able to appeal to a wide coalition of voters, including former conservatives. He has also faced criticism for opposing the construction of
electric pylons in his constituency. The duo formally launched their campaign online on 20 May, with over 150 people in attendance. On 6 June, the Bright Green blog published an article saying that the Ramsay–Chowns joint bid was emphasising its professionalism. Ramsay later argued that the new party "blows Zack Polanski's leadership pitch out of the water". ==Candidates==