Populism in the digital age: How the Greens and Reform are capturing the public’s attention

On Tuesday, the Green Party elected a new leader. Tomorrow, Reform UK will host its annual conference. On the surface, these two events could not be more politically different, one is rooted in environmentalism and socialist politics, the other in right-wing populism. While they may seem unrelated, they both highlight that how leaders communicate is just as important as what they stand for.

Zack Polanski’s victory in the Green Party leadership race was a landslide; he secured 84% of the vote despite not being an MP. What set him apart was communication. A former theatre actor, Polanski built his campaign around a core narrative of taxing extreme wealth “to build a country where no one is left behind”. His YouTube channel is active, engaging, and strategically designed for reach. His short form videos regularly outperform the Green Party’s own channel, and he has embedded himself in the wider political social media ecosystem, appearing on podcasts and aligning with viral movements such as Gary Stevenson’s “tax wealth not work” campaign.

Compare that to the campaign run by the incumbent Green leaders, Ellie Chowns and Adrian Ramsay. Despite their parliamentary experience, their campaign presence online was ineffective. Their “Ellie & Adrian 2025” YouTube channel lacked basic engagement tactics: they posted no shorts, did not post consistently, and gained minimal traction as a result.

Interestingly, Polanski’s approach is similar to that of Nigel Farage, the figurehead of Reform UK. Farage has long mastered the art of populist communication through punchy soundbites, emotional resonance, and a relentless media presence. Polanski, form the opposite end of the political spectrum, is borrowing from the same playbook. He calls it “eco-populism” and it certainly appears to be working. When Polanski announced his leadership bid, Green Party membership rose by more than 8%, despite the incumbent leaders making up half of the Green Party’s current MPs.

Both leaders understand that anger is an incredibly powerful political force, and are not afraid to lean into this. In his acceptance speech, Polanski spoke about the need for the Greens to channel people’s anger. Farage has built his entire brand on the same tactic. Whether it is frustration over inequality or immigration, both sides are learning to speak to emotion before policy. In the digital age, this is more crucial than ever; anger is proven to prompt engagement more so than other emotional responses, and engagement fuels algorithmic success.

This convergence tells us something important. Whether you are on the left or the right, the ability to communicate clearly, emotionally, and digitally, is now one of the most valuable assets in politics.

If your organisation is thinking about how to build influence through strategic communications, we would love to talk. Get in touch at publicaffairs@luther.co.uk