Names tell stories in politics, and few are as layered as Zack Polanski’s, the Green Party’s new leader born David Paulden in 1982 (Sky News), who has spent his first weeks in office answering questions about everything from his Polish surname to a divisive party motion on Zionism. Here’s what the records confirm, what’s still open, and why his rise from deputy to leader caught so many by surprise.
Born: 2 November 1982 ·
Political party: Green Party of England and Wales ·
Position: Leader (since September 2025) ·
London Assembly member: Since May 2021 ·
Real name: David Paulden
Quick snapshot
- Birth name is David Paulden (Sky News)
- Leader of the Green Party since 2 September 2025 (Green Party announcement)
- London Assembly member since May 2021 (Greater London Authority)
- Religious beliefs are not publicly confirmed
- No publicly documented partner or spouse
- Details of his parents’ Polish background remain thin
- Elected leader on 2 September 2025 (Green Party announcement)
- Deputy leader from 2022 (Green Party official bio)
- Joined the London Assembly in May 2021 (Green Party announcement)
- Will lead the Greens into the next general election
- Faces continued pressure over the “Zionism is racism” motion (Sky News)
- Balances City Hall duties with national leadership
Key facts at a glance
Seven facts, one pattern: the public biography is written almost entirely in official roles and dates, not personal detail.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Full name | Zack Polanski (born David Paulden) (Sky News) |
| Date of birth | 2 November 1982 (Sky News) |
| Political party | Green Party of England and Wales (Green Party official bio) |
| Current position | Leader of the Green Party since September 2025 (Green Party announcement) |
| Other roles | London Assembly member since May 2021 (Greater London Authority) |
| Nationality | British (Sky News) |
| Ethnic background | Polish descent through his parents (Sky News) |
The table makes the pattern clear: the verified record is an institutional biography — offices, dates and titles — while the human details sit almost entirely off the record.
Is Zack Polanski a member of Parliament?
No — and the confusion is easy to explain. Polanski holds elected office, but his seat is in City Hall, not Westminster. Since May 2021 he has been a member of the London Assembly, the scrutiny body within the Greater London Authority (Greater London Authority).
Zack Polanski’s role in the London Assembly
- Elected to the London Assembly in the May 2021 London-wide poll
- Chairs the Assembly Fire Committee; sits on the Economy and Budget Committees (Green Party official bio)
- Re-elected in 2024 and became chair of the Environment Committee, according to Sky News (Sky News)
The Assembly’s job is to hold the Mayor of London and City Hall to account — scrutinising budgets, transport, policing and planning. It does not pass national laws. His role there matters, but it is a regional scrutiny post, not a parliamentary one.
Difference between London Assembly and Parliament
- London Assembly: 25 members who scrutinise the Mayor of London; no national law-making power (Greater London Authority)
- UK Parliament: 650 MPs who pass national legislation and hold the government to account
This is why the search question “Is Zack Polanski an MP?” gets a short answer: no. He’s a City Hall politician who now leads a national party — and the two roles pull in different directions.
What this means: the “MP” confusion usually comes from headlines about the “Green Party leader” — a national title that sounds like a Westminster role. In practice, Polanski leads a party without holding a national seat, which is itself a political talking point.
What is Zack Polanski’s real name?
His birth name is David Paulden, and he has used the name Zack Polanski since he was 18 (Sky News).
David Paulden: his birth name
- Born David Paulden on 2 November 1982
- Grew up in Salford and studied in Wales and the United States (Sky News)
- Changed his name at 18 to the name he uses publicly
According to Sky News, Polanski changed his name as a young adult to his grandfather’s original surname and connected the decision to antisemitism. The exact personal reasons have not been elaborated publicly.
Why did he change his name?
The name is the thing people search for — but the public rationale remains one sentence deep. Polanski has not published a fuller account of the change, and no official biography adds detail.
Sky News reports that Polanski first pursued politics through the Liberal Democrats, standing as a councillor candidate in 2015 and a London Assembly candidate in 2016, before joining the Greens in 2017. He then ran unsuccessfully for Parliament in 2019.
The pattern: the name change connects a family history to a public identity, and it has become the most searched fact about him.
What are Zack Polanski’s nationality and religion?
Two separate questions often get lumped together in search. The nationality is easy to document; the religion is not addressed in any official record.
Is Zack Polanski Polish?
- Nationality: British
- Ethnic background: Polish descent through his parents (Sky News)
- Surname: his grandfather’s original Polish surname, adopted at 18 (Sky News)
Polanski’s parents are of Polish descent, which makes the “Is he Polish?” question half-right: he’s British by nationality and Polish by family background. The surname he chose at 18 is the most visible sign of that heritage.
Zack Polanski’s religious beliefs
Every official profile — the Green Party’s and the Greater London Authority’s — omits religion. No confirmation exists, so any specific claim online should be treated as unverified.
No official biography mentions Polanski’s faith, and he has not made it a topic of public discussion. That silence is itself the answer to most search queries: there is no confirmed public record.
The catch: speculation tends to fill gaps like this. Until Polanski or an official profile addresses religion directly, the accurate answer is “not stated.”
Zack Polanski’s career timeline
Six dates, one pattern: the early years are a record of losing campaigns, and the last four are a record of winning ones.
| Date | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Born as David Paulden | Sky News | |
| 2015–2019 | Stood as a Liberal Democrat councillor candidate (2015) and London Assembly candidate (2016); joined the Greens (2017); ran unsuccessfully for Parliament (2019) | Sky News |
| Elected to the London Assembly | Greater London Authority | |
| Became Deputy Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales | Green Party official bio | |
| Elected Leader of the Green Party | Green Party announcement | |
| Said he would not overturn the party’s “Zionism is racism” motion | Sky News |
What this means: the acceleration is striking. Four years as an Assembly member, three as deputy leader, and then the top job — the timeline gives voters a fast-moving record to judge, not a settled one.
Confirmed vs. unclear: what we actually know
Because the research trail is thin, the honest way to read Polanski’s biography is through two separate lists — one for verified facts, one for open questions.
Confirmed facts
- Birth name David Paulden (Sky News)
- London Assembly member since May 2021 (Greater London Authority)
- Deputy Leader from 2022 (Green Party official bio)
- Leader of the Green Party since 2 September 2025 (Green Party announcement)
- No UK Parliament seat — his elected office is in the London Assembly
What’s unclear
- Religious beliefs — not addressed in any official biography
- Partner or spouse — no name publicly documented
- Parents’ Polish background — origins and migration details unconfirmed
- Educational details — Sky News reports studies in Wales and the US, but specific institutions and degrees are not on the record
- Long-term political fallout of the “Zionism is racism” motion — including its effect on Jewish members and the party’s wider support — remains unsettled
The trade-off: the institutional record is strong where it matters for a politician — offices and dates — while most personal details trace back to a single Sky News profile. That asymmetry is exactly why the open questions stay open.
In his own words
The most important statements around Polanski’s leadership come from three directions: the man himself, his party, and the official record of City Hall.
“I will not overturn a motion passed by Green Party members that declared Zionism a form of racism.”
— Zack Polanski, on the party’s Zionism motion, October 2025 (Sky News)
“A country where no one is left behind.”
— Green Party of England and Wales, describing Polanski’s election platform (Green Party announcement)
“Polanski worked as an actor and youth worker and had experience in the gig economy and hospitality.”
— Greater London Authority, official biography (Greater London Authority)
The consequence: the first quote is the one that will define his leadership until it is resolved, because it touches the single most sensitive debate inside the party’s own membership.
Where things stand
Zack Polanski’s verified record is unusually clean for a politician at his level: each step — Assembly member, deputy leader, leader — is documented on an official page with a date attached. The uncertainties are personal, not professional, and no current source has resolved them. For Green Party members deciding whether his leadership holds, the choice is clear: accept a leader who defends the membership’s decision on the Zionism motion, or demand a fuller debate before the next election campaign begins.
Frequently asked questions
How old is Zack Polanski?
Born on 2 November 1982 (Sky News), Polanski is 42 as of October 2025.
What is Zack Polanski’s email address?
No personal email address appears on his official profiles; official contact runs through the London Assembly and the Green Party.
Is Zack Polanski active on social media?
Yes. Search results for Polanski return active social profiles, including Instagram, alongside his official Assembly and party pages.
What are Zack Polanski’s political views?
Polanski leads the Greens on a platform that Sky News characterises as eco-populist, with an emphasis on more radical action on systemic unfairness; his official Assembly profile also notes that he advocates electoral reform (Sky News; Greater London Authority).
How long has Zack Polanski been a Green Party member?
According to Sky News, Polanski joined the Greens in 2017 — after previously standing for the Liberal Democrats (Sky News).
What is Zack Polanski’s educational background?
Sky News reports that Polanski grew up in Salford and studied in Wales and the United States; specific institutions, degrees and graduation dates are not on the public record (Sky News).
Has Zack Polanski held any other political offices?
Yes. He has been a London Assembly member since May 2021, the party’s deputy leader from 2022, and its leader since 2 September 2025 (Greater London Authority; Green Party official bio; Green Party announcement).
The FAQ pattern is telling: the questions people ask most are exactly the ones the official record does not answer.
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Richard Vane is Senior Reporter at MorningTimes.uk, covering breaking UK news stories across politics, business and public affairs.