𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

A nightmare for Sir Keir Starmer is brewing in London. Until recently, the capital was seen as one of the trustiest bastions of Labour support – but in a former spice warehouse in Deptford, the Greens launched their campaign to replace the red team as the go-to choice for Left-leaning voters.

Zack Polanski assembled excited activists in the “One Friendly Place” – a shabby chic venue with plenty of exposed brickwork, a couple of chandeliers and a glitterball. This is far from the slick razzle-dazzle of New Labour, but the party is deadly serious about ousting Sir Keir’s party in seats across the country in May’s local elections. The campaign launch presented Labour as a landlord-loving outfit which cosies up to big developers when the nation is in the grip of a housing crisis.

Labour is still reeling at the loss of the Gorton and Denton by-election in which the Greens came first after a freewheeling campaign, which saw Reform UK finish second. The dread around the Cabinet table will be that that was just a foretaste of the drubbing coming next month.

Fifty of the 54 councillors in Lewisham are Labour, and just four are Green. It’s a sign of the party’s ambition that it would kick off its election push in this territory.

Mr Polanski received a rock star welcome when he took the stage. This was not the polite applause and dutiful cheers that are common at political events – the crowd of supporters whooped with raw enthusiasm.

There is no sign of the Greens edging towards the centre as polling day nears. He kicked off with his latest call for sanctions on Israel and a ban on US airplanes using British airspace, and then delivered a scathing critique of Labour’s record in power. He blasted it for chaos and cowardice, for bringing Peter Mandelson into Government and for failing to tackle the housing crisis.

He turned his guns on Labour councillors for overseeing the construction of unaffordable homes that stand empty before being sold off to foreign investors. The crowd loved every word. He then framed the election as a contest between Reform and the Greens. In other words, if you’re mildly Lefty and don’t want to see Nigel Farage’s party thrive, don’t waste your vote on Labour but go Green.

There was once a strong eurosceptic tradition on the British Left but Mr Polanski wants to tap into the Remainer vote.

“I think Brexit was one of the most catastrophic decisions this country has ever made,” he said.

He was joined on the stage by Liam Shrivastava, who hopes to be Lewisham’s next mayor, and Zoe Garbett, who has her sights set on leading Hackney. If Left-wingers who were enthused by Jeremy Corbyn but are left cold by the PM switch en masse to the Greens their dreams may come true.

If Labour next month loses control of the Welsh Senedd to pro-independence Plaid Cymru, goes backward in Scotland and sees London and swathes of former supporters back the Greens and Reform, Sir Keir will need a convincing argument for why he should stay in the top job.