Who will win the battle for the soul of the Green Party?

In the midst of a leadership election, the Green Party is facing an ideological reckoning.

Voting opened for members on 1 August, pitting current co-leader Adrian Ramsay and his new running mate Ellie Chowns against "insurgent candidate" Zack Polanski, said Channel 4 News. Polanski, the "gay, Jewish, London Assembly member from Manchester", is "standing on an eco-populist platform, promising to out-Farage Nigel Farage". But Ramsay and Chowns are worried his "new direction" will narrow the appeal of the Greens to just the progressive left.

What did the commentators say?

With Labour moving "rightward" to tackle the "ongoing threat" of Reform UK, the government is "more exposed on its left flank", said Megan Kenyon in The New Statesman. In this "moment of flux" for British politics, the Greens could succeed – but new pressures are emerging, most notably Jeremy Corbyn's yet-to-be-named party.

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The former Labour leader is a "bloody nightmare for the Greens", Robert Ford, political science professor at the University of Manchester, told Politico. Some "see room for a pact", but not everyone is convinced – namely Ramsay, Chowns and Corbyn himself, who has suggested the Greens are "not left-wing enough" for an alliance.

Chowns has said it's crucial for the Green Party to protect its "distinctive identity" and keep the environment "front and centre", while trying to connect with a "wide range of voters". But Polanski has said he's "open to working with anyone who's up for challenging the far-right threat of Reform" as well as the "unpopular Labour government".

Worries about Corbyn's new party "could be a boost" for Ramsay and Chowns' campaign over Polanski’s, said The Economist, by "reinforcing the argument that the Greens should focus on being distinctively environmentalist".

What next?

Recent polls show Labour losing nearly as many supporters to the Greens as to Reform, but whether they can "turn the opportunity into political power remains to be seen", said The Economist. "Their choice of leader will be an indicator of how the eco warriors will approach the battle."

"The tensions are already on show," said Peter Franklin on UnHerd. During a "deeply awkward" LBC interview, Ramsay was repeatedly asked if he likes Polanksi. He eventually said he does, "but I've seen happier performances in a hostage video". It's an "excruciating dilemma" for the Greens. "The losers don't just stand to lose a leadership election, but the party they once believed in."