Live policy tracker
What does the
Green Party think?
Following a landmark victory in the Gorton & Denton by-election, the Green Party has moved from the political margins firmly into the national spotlight.
With local elections in England and devolved contests in Scotland and Wales approaching, the party is well-positioned not only to make significant gains, but potentially to hold the balance of power, or secure outright control, in a number of councils across the UK.
This matters because, alongside their growing Westminster presence, much of the party’s influence sits outside Westminster. Through local government, activist networks, and highly effective use of digital platforms, the Greens are exerting sustained reputational pressure on businesses, institutions, and policymakers. Their narratives often land first online, shape media coverage, and are then pulled into the mainstream by Labour and the wider progressive left.
For organisations operating in regulated, consumer-facing, or place-based sectors, the Greens are increasingly able to set the terms of debate. Even where they lack formal power, they influence expectations around fairness, sustainability, and public interest, particularly at a local level where planning, transport, housing, and infrastructure decisions are made.
This live tracker – updated regularly – sets out where the Greens are gaining ground, what they are saying across key sectors, and how their ideas are reshaping reputational risk and policy direction ahead of the next General Election.
Pick your sector.
Select a sector below to see Reform’s live activity, core positions, and Cavendish analysis on where the narrative is heading.
Housing and planning.
Housing is central to the Green Party’s political identity. Under Polanski, the party has moved decisively toward treating housing as a public good, with a particular focus on dismantling the private rented sector and expanding social and community-led housing.
Key policies and pledges
- Introduce rent controls and abolish Section 21 evictions
- End Right to Buy and remove Buy to Let mortgages
- Make all rental agreements secure long-term tenancies terminable only by tenants
- Move toward a Land Value Tax levied on property owners
- Apply business rates to short-term lets and double taxation on empty properties
- Provide tenants with First Right to Buy, with rent paid discounted
- Give councils Second Right to Buy and expand borrowing powers
- Deliver 150,000 new social homes per year
- Require new homes to meet Passivhaus or equivalent standards
- Mandate solar panels and heat pumps on new developments
- Local authority-led retrofit programme to upgrade homes to EPC B
Narrative framing
The Greens present housing as a fundamental right rather than a market commodity. Their language focuses on security, dignity, and fairness, positioning landlords and speculative ownership as drivers of inequality. Environmental standards are integrated into housing policy, linking affordability, fuel poverty, and climate resilience.
Implications for business
Private landlords, institutional investors, and developers face significant regulatory and financial risk. Housing associations, local authorities, retrofit providers, and community housing groups would likely see expanded roles and funding under a Green-influenced policy environment. Despite the pro-housing stance at a national level, it remains to be seen whether local Green councillors will take a similar stance.
Energy, environment and infrastructure.
The Green Party maintains a long-standing commitment to rapid decarbonisation, opposing fossil fuel extraction and nuclear power while advocating for community-owned renewable energy and public ownership of utilities.
Key policies and pledges
- Cancel new oil and gas licences and remove fossil fuel subsidies
- Introduce a carbon tax on fossil fuel imports and extraction
- Deliver a zero-carbon electricity system well before 2050
- Wind to supply 70% of electricity by 2030
- Deliver 80GW offshore wind, 53GW onshore wind, and 100GW solar by 2035
- Invest in energy storage and grid infrastructure
- Phase out nuclear power
- Nationalise retail energy companies and water companies
- Promote community ownership of energy infrastructure
Narrative framing
The Greens frame energy policy around urgency, democratic control, and affordability. Polanski has emphasised that consultation must be meaningful rather than imposed, particularly for major infrastructure projects. Nuclear power is presented as outdated, slow, and incompatible with climate timelines.
Implications for business
Renewables developers aligned with community ownership models may find opportunities, while nuclear, oil, gas, and large-scale private utilities face sustained political opposition. Infrastructure projects must increasingly demonstrate local consent and social value.
Health and social care.
The Green Party is firmly opposed to privatisation within health and social care, advocating for sustained public investment and a prevention-led model.
Key policies and pledges
- Keep the NHS fully public and free at the point of use
- Reduce waiting lists year-on-year
- Guarantee access to GPs, dentists, and urgent care
- Restore NHS staff pay and invest £8bn initially, rising to £28bn by 2030
- £20bn capital investment in hospitals
- Increase funding for primary care and public health
- New NHS dentistry contract and £3bn annual investment by 2030
- Expand mental health provision with 28-day access targets
- Paid counsellor in every school
- Support assisted dying with safeguards
- End new HIV cases by 2030
- Introduce free personal social care
Narrative framing
Health policy is framed as a rejection of marketisation and crisis-driven reform. The Greens position underfunding and privatisation as deliberate political choices, advocating instead for universalism, workforce support, and dignity in care.
Implications for business
Private healthcare providers face political headwinds, while public, voluntary, and community health organisations may benefit from expanded funding and roles.
Food and FMCG.
The Greens link food policy directly to health, climate, and nature restoration. Their approach seeks to reshape both production and consumption patterns.
Key policies and pledges
- Triple financial support for farmers transitioning to nature-friendly farming
- Link farm payments to biodiversity and reduced pesticide use
- Increase UK food production and local supply chains
- Universal free school meals and breakfast clubs
- Reduce food waste and improve surplus food redistribution
- Clear labelling and improved food education in schools
Narrative framing
Food is framed as a public health and environmental issue rather than a consumer choice alone. The Greens emphasise systemic reform of the food system, challenging corporate influence and prioritising long-term sustainability.
Implications for business
Food producers and FMCG brands face increased scrutiny around health, sourcing, and environmental impact. Businesses aligned with sustainable agriculture, reformulation, and local supply chains may benefit.
Business and economy.
The Green Party’s economic platform is explicitly redistributive, prioritising inequality reduction over growth-led fiscal strategy. Under Zack Polanski, the party has sharpened its critique of wealth concentration, public service privatisation, and market-led delivery models.
Key policies and pledges
- Introduce a wealth tax of 1% on assets over £10 million and 2% over £1 billion
- Align National Insurance and tax rates on investment income with employment income
- Reform Capital Gains Tax and remove the Upper Earnings Limit on National Insurance
- Public ownership of rail, water, and the Big 5 energy companies
- £40bn per year investment in a Green Economic Transformation
- Carbon tax starting at £120 per tonne, rising to £500 over ten years
- Borrow to invest in climate, infrastructure, and public services
- Regional mutual banks to fund local investment and decarbonisation
- £2bn per year in grants to help SMEs decarbonise
Narrative framing
The Greens frame economic policy as a moral question rather than a technocratic one. Polanski has been clear that wealth taxes are about addressing inequality, not necessarily maximising Treasury receipts. This marks a clear divergence from Labour’s growth-first framing and positions the Greens as the most ideologically consistent advocates of redistribution and public ownership.
Implications for business
Large asset-holders, investors, and privatised utilities face direct policy risk under a Green-influenced agenda. However, SMEs, community enterprises, and firms aligned with decarbonisation and local investment may benefit from increased public funding and structural support.
Transport and local government.
Transport policy is a core pillar of the Greens’ climate strategy, with a strong emphasis on public transport, active travel, and reducing aviation emissions.
Key policies and pledges
- £10bn per year in public subsidies for rail and bus travel
- Free bus travel for under-18s
- Bring railways back into public ownership
- Invest £19bn over five years in public transport and electrification
- £2.5bn per year for cycleways and footpaths
- Ban domestic flights where rail journeys are under three hours
- Introduce a frequent flyer levy
- Halt airport expansion
Narrative framing
The Greens frame transport as both a climate and social justice issue. Their narrative stresses accessibility, affordability, and health benefits, while positioning aviation growth as driven by a wealthy minority at the expense of wider society.
Implications for business
Aviation expansion faces clear political resistance, while rail, bus, and active travel sectors stand to benefit. Transport operators will need to align with decarbonisation and equity objectives to maintain legitimacy.
Download the report: Green Gains.
Under the leadership of Zack Polanski, the Greens have repositioned themselves from a niche environmental party into a broader eco-populist force.
But their real power sits in pressuring Labour from the left, reframing debates on housing, infrastructure, climate and corporate conduct, and accelerating reputational risk for brands in regulated and consumer facing sectors.facing sectors.
This report examines where the Greens now exert pressure, how their ideas travel beyond formal party politics, and what their rise means for organisations operating in the UK.
Download the report now to get ahead.
