Common Questions

Why did the Green Party launch its 2026 campaign in Deptford?: Zack Polanski launched the Green Party's local election campaign in Deptford on 10 April 2026 to signal that the party was directly targeting Labour's flagship London councils, including Lewisham.Source: Lowdown
Are the Greens projected to win seats in Lewisham in 2026?: YouGov's London MRP projects the Greens competitive in wards across Hackney, Lambeth, Lewisham, Haringey, Brent and Ealing, with the party projected to lead in four London boroughs for the first time.Source: YouGov
Who is Zack Polanski and what did he do in Deptford?: Zack Polanski is the Green Party leader, who won the leadership in September 2025. He launched the party's 2026 local election campaign in Deptford, south-east London, targeting Labour-held councils.Source: Lowdown

Background

Deptford is a ward in the London Borough of Lewisham, historically a working-class riverside district that has undergone rapid gentrification over the past two decades. Zack Polanski chose Deptford on 10 April 2026 to launch the Green Party's local election campaign, explicitly naming Labour's flagship London councils — Islington, Lambeth, Hackney and Lewisham — as the party's primary targets.

Deptford sits within the Lewisham constituency and has seen Green vote share grow significantly in recent London Assembly and local elections, driven by younger renters, students and professionals. Polanski's selection of the ward was a deliberate signal: the Greens are contesting Labour's metropolitan base, not simply harvesting protest votes in university towns.

YouGov's final London MRP projects the Greens leading or closely contesting multiple wards across Hackney, Lambeth, Lewisham, Haringey, Brent and Ealing. The party's national membership has tripled to 220,000 since Polanski won the leadership in September 2025.

How the World Sees Them

Green Party

Deptford symbolises the party's ambition to replace Labour as the home of progressive urban voters; Polanski's launch here is a direct challenge to Lewisham's Labour leadership.

Labour Party

Greens are picking off marginal wards in London boroughs Labour has held for decades; the launch in Deptford signals competitive pressure the party cannot afford to dismiss.