The Green Party of England and Wales has emerged as a contender for national power since Zack Polanski took over the leadership back in August. He talks the good talk about being an eco-populist and certainly knows how to get a message to people in a fractured media world. But surely he can't do it all by himself? Who else is burning the torch for eco-socialism in the greens? 

This week Ads and Andrew are joined by Steve Jackson, a co-founder of Greens Organise. They discuss why Steve setup this group in the Green Party to drive the it leftward, what is the political culture of the greens and how it differs from the Labour Party and we discuss how the Greens can reach out to working class neighbourhoods who Reform are trying to court. 

Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas, we shall see you next year. 

Links

Learn more about Greens Organise with the link below. 

https://greensorganise.uk/

Shout outs 

To everyone 

Andrea Egan - new Gen Sec of Unison! 

Zack Polanksi - new leader of the Green Party

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Andrew and Lucy are joined by Dr Gareth Fearn to discuss the climate impacts of Rachel Reeves budget announcements last week. 

Why can’t this government put forward a positive vision of the country? Are energy bills actually going to come down by £150? why the changes to the motorbility scheme are BS. 

Shout outs

Village Green's in Prestwich 

Manchester Urban Diggers

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Over the weekend the GND Media team ran a radio station at The World Transformed festival, taking place in Hulme this year. Shout out to Josh, Becky, Stephen, Matthew, Mikki, Fitzroy and Barney! 

XR not only brought climate issues into the mainstream, they also changed how people protested. However, since COVID XR's civil disobedience style protests have waned and  protests in general seem to have gone back to the prioritising numbers over disruption.

Ads is joined by two of his old XR comrades to discuss how XR changed the game but also what protests needs to do today to stay a relevant part of political action.

The songs in the show are, 

Terrorist, by Low Key 

Health and Wealth by Bob Vylan

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This panel was recorded live at the World Transformed Festival 2025, in Hulme Manchester. 

The climate crisis continues to rage despite its disappearance from public discourse and the collapse of the climate movement.

We desperately need a new socialist climate politics, but what role does ‘Your Party’ play in its development and delivery?

Should we prioritise contesting elections or building eco-socialist revolution? Mobilising in the streets or organising workplaces? Shifting consumption or disrupting polluting production? And how do we prepare to respond to the impacts of climate change?

This session aims to unpack these tough questions and offer a renewal of socialist climate strategy.

Millie Kent is an eco-socialist organiser from London.

Chris Saltmarsh is a socialist climate campaigner and writer. He was co-founder of Labour for a Green New Deal and author of Burnt: Fighting for Climate Justice (Pluto).

Gaby Jeliazkov is Organising and Advocacy Lead at Platform and co-author of the Our Power report on just transition.

James Meadeway s a Trustee at Rethinking Economics International, and a former adviser to the former Shadow Chancellor, John McDonnell MP. He hosts a weekly podcast called Macrodose.

Hary Holmes is a socialist activist and writer. He is on the editorial board of Prometheus and a member of rs21.

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Over the weekend the GND Media team ran a radio station at The World Transformed festival, taking place in Hulme this year. Shout out to Josh, Becky, Stephen, Matthew, Mikki, Fitzroy and Barney! 

We grabbed 15 minutes with the new leader of the Green Party Zack Polanski. We asked him how its going being shot into the limelight, the differences bewteen the Greens and Your Party, and what's it like having to deal with Piers Morgan? 

Over the next week or so we will be uploading various bits from panels and interviews from across the festival. stay tuned. 

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One thing you can say about the Labour Party, is that they stuck by their promise to renationalise the rail system. Or did they?

To discuss everything that's right and wrong about Britain's  railways Andrew is joined by Gareth Dennis.  Gareth is a rail engineer and author of HOW THE RAILWAYS WILL FIX THE FUTURE., and Hosts @Railnatter on Youtube. 

They discuss Zack Polanski's landmark win for the Green Party leadership, why the rail network is bad for  people with access needs and what we can do about it. And does Manchester really need a underground network like Andy Burnham desires?

Rail natter 

https://www.youtube.com/@GarethDennisTV

Campaign for level boarding

https://www.levelboarding.org.uk/

Greens for HS2

Gareth Dennis book 

https://repeaterbooks.com/product/how-the-railways-will-fix-the-future-rediscovering-the-essential-brilliance-of-the-iron-road/

Shout out 

Possible

https://www.wearepossible.org/

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This week Andrew and Lucy are reviewing Now, the People! Revolution in the Twenty-First Century  by the french politician  Jean-Luc Mélenchon.

 They discuss Melenchon's idea of "the People" how climate change is sown into this book and if Melenchon’s  focus on population levels is necessary for his analysis.  and we  ask Is melenchon a degrowther? 

Links

Get a copy of Now! the People! Revolution in the Twenty-First Century at Verso. 

https://www.versobooks.com/en-gb/products/3256-now-the-people-revolution-in-the-twenty-first-century?srsltid=AfmBOooFyWUlKOqFc2VKog1B_MX-lG4TGB7yJZbHCi8WgLi6dN4upgII

EP Thompson essay "Time, Work-Discipline and industrial Capitalism "

https://files.libcom.org/files/timeworkandindustrialcapitalism.pdf

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We are back!

It's been a while and  well..  everything is kinda getting a bit shit. We have breached 1.5C, the Labour Party are spent and its not rained in England for two bloody months.

 Andrew and Lucy got together to discuss all the big events over the last six months and reflect on the local election results in England. We also covered Zack Polanski's leadership bid for the Green Party and if "Eco Populism" is the way to unite the left and send Nigel Farage packing. 

Links

Listen to Lucy's episode of Trash Future here: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmPbzlYNYZE

Zack Polanski's campaign website 

https://backzack.com/

Shout outs

Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People

https://gmcdp.com/

James Taylor Manchester Unison 

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Support the Bhopal Medical Appeal https://www.bhopal.org/
Episode two: The Green Revolution  explores the historical, political and economic forces that came together to make the Bhopal Gas Disaster a catastrophe just waiting to happen. Focusing on India’s so called “Green Revolution” we discuss the long term consequences of short term technological fixes to the environmental challenges with which the new post-colonial state was confronted - not least the persistent problem of food security and the threat of famine. We explore how new laws such as the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act contributed to Union Carbide’s decision to cut corners in the building and safety of its plant in Bhopal, and we discuss  some very different responses to the environment at the Green Revolution within India in the 1970s and 1980s.

This month, all new sign ups on Patreon will be given directly to the Bhopal Medical Appeal. 

Music "Recurring anomaly"  by Charles Holme
https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/bcoMezO9lb/

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Support the Bhopal Medical Appeal https://www.bhopal.org/


Forty years ago on the night of December 2nd 1984  water entered the chemical storage tank 610 at the Union Carbide India plant in Bhopal causing an exothermic reaction that released a deadly cloud of gas into the air which was blown for miles across the city exposing more than 500,000 people to the deadly and enduring effects of methyl isocynate. In Bhopal: Stories of an Ecocide we tell explore the history, social, political and economic drivers behind the  world’s worst industrial disaster and its  devastating - and ongoing - human and environmental impacts.

In episode one we explore the deadly events of that night and hear from those who experienced it and are still supporting those living with the consequences. 

This month, all new sign ups on Patreon will be given directly to the Bhopal Medical Appeal. 

Music "Recurring anomaly"  by Charles Holme
https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/bcoMezO9lb/

Support the show