‘We are a completely different political party’: inside the Greens’ membership boom
It is, as one Green activist put it, a never-ending series of “constantly good problems to have”,But how does a party adapt to the sudden trebling of its membership? And when a majority of people in an organisation are new, is it even the same thing anymore?The basic facts alone are startling,Before Zack Polanski took over as leader last September, the Greens in England and Wales had around 66,000 members,They are now at 215,000, and still rising at speed,This means the party has many more people to knock on doors and fold leaflets, as seen with the vast numbers of canvassers the party could call on in winning last month’s Gorton and Denton byelection.
But, according to some Greens, it also means the arrival of a sometimes quite different culture, particularly from those who have fled Labour or Jeremy Corbyn’s faltering Your Party.“We are, in effect, a completely different political party,” one experienced Green organiser said.“The majority of people have been around for less than six months.“It’s almost like when the Liberals and SDP merged to create the Lib Dems.In this case it’s the merger of a bunch of quite online people with the Greens.
Some definitely have brought in this Corbyn-ish idea of seeming more concerned about winning the argument and factionalism than getting power.”There have been some hiccups, for example new members putting Palestinian flags on leaflets then distributed to well-to-do and decidedly non-radical suburbs.And some outsiders argue the Greens need to be wary of what could amount to a de facto takeover by new members, particularly those from the traditionally well-organised left.One Labour MP who saw the party finish second in their constituency at the last election said: “I was worried about the Greens but less so now.My local Greens now seem to be full of these ultra-factional Corbyn refugees.
I can’t see it going well.”But many within the party are more sanguine, not least because the Greens’ famously decentralised and democratic structures, not to mention a lengthy and sometimes Byzantine approach to deciding policy, makes any sort of takeover highly tricky.Another Green party organiser said: “What entry-ism looks like for us is people attending conference and having their voices heard.“Yes, if your membership triples, then by far the biggest cohort have been members for less than a year.So there will be some disagreements and tensions.
But I’m really confident the culture of the party will remain,”One party official reiterated this point: “Even if new members wanted to change party policy, it’s not easy,It isn’t a single motion, it’s an 18-month process,You do get some people going: ‘What have I just joined? This isn’t like the Labour party,’”Some problems are purely logistical, for example, welcoming and finding roles for new members when some local parties are seeing as many as 500 new members a month.
“In any sudden growth there are always adjustments,” said one senior Green, whose local party has more than doubled in size,“But there is a lot of extra energy,And it’s great to have friends who have never been especially political message me to say they have signed up,”And some Greens argued a culture shift could be a good thing,“Before, we could be quite cosy as a party, with local meetings spending hours over the minutiae of nuclear policy,” one organiser said.
“They were almost like a social group.“Then suddenly you have 100 or 200 new members.People are being challenged.They are having to move away from what you could call the comfort blanket of being right, or feeling like a big fish in a small pond.It’s now a much bigger pond.
”More members does, of course, bring something else: more money.The party’s budget for 2026 is expected to more than double from the year before, with new media and policy officers arriving as part of a professionalisation process.“Currently all our policy groups are chaired and staffed by volunteers,” one official said.“Some are real experts.But others are nightmares.
With the extra money we can get the process overseen properly.”Some things, however, are not changing.“We’ve had some councillors defect from Labour recently, and they all seem surprised about the way we work together,” one organiser said.“One told me: ‘You’re all so nice to each other.Someone even brought a cake to a meeting.
’”
‘I’m back to my best’: Lewis Hamilton marks Ferrari revival with Chinese GP podium place
Lewis Hamilton said he is “back to his best” after he finished third at the Chinese Grand Prix to claim his first podium at Ferrari.The 41-year-old Briton beat his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc after a thrilling duel and praised Formula One for delivering what he claimed was the best racing he had ever experienced.The race in Shanghai was won by Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, his first F1 victory, from his teammate George Russell in second. But Hamilton delivered a feisty performance in an almost race-long scrap with Leclerc to take third, his first podium since the Las Vegas GP in November 2024.“I definitely feel like I’m back to my best, both mentally and physically,” Hamilton said
Kimi Antonelli wins F1 Chinese GP from pole as Lewis Hamilton claims first Ferrari podium
Teenage dreams so hard to beat, and what a moment when realised for Kimi Antonelli as he took his first Formula One victory at the Chinese Grand Prix.There were tears from the 19-year-old who delivered on his enormous promise in Shanghai, but behind them no little steel as the Mercedes driver demonstrated he is in the world championship fight.“Thank you so much to my team because they have helped me to achieve this dream,” said Antonelli, who was heartily congratulated by a driver eager to remind the sport that his career is far from over yet, having made his debut when Antonelli was not even 12 months old.That was Lewis Hamilton, who claimed third place, his first podium for Ferrari after a blow-for-blow street fight with his teammate Charles Leclerc. The seven-time world champion gave notice he has lost none of his edge, nor his competitive spirit
Formula One: Kimi Antonelli wins Chinese Grand Prix race updates – as it happened
And here’s Giles’s race report:But that’s about all that’s needed from me today. The championship will be back in action in a fornight’’s time in Japan, before going on something of an extended break due to the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi GPs.Be sure to check back for Giles Richards’ full report and wash-up!Achieving his dream 🤩🥹#F1 #ChineseGP pic.twitter.com/tya9mvcREqLewis Hamilton on the broadcast
‘So close to being a special day’: Borthwick rues agony of England’s France defeat
Steve Borthwick says the pain of England’s last-gasp defeat to France can drive them on to better times despite their unsuccessful Six Nations campaign. Borthwick’s side finished second bottom of this year’s table but came agonisingly close to dashing French title hopes before losing 48-46 in one of the all-time great championship fixtures.Borthwick, who said he still believed he was “the right man to lead the team forward”, could not hide his disappointment after Thomas Ramos secured a last-gasp home victory with the final kick of an extraordinary game. “I’m really disappointed for the players and supporters … it was so close to being a special day,” he said.“We came into the tournament with high aspirations and we’re really disappointed we haven’t been able to meet those targets
Scheffler searches for form with Masters looming as Åberg leads the way at Players
There is a robotic element to Scottie Scheffler during periods of success but observing the world No 1 in times of adversity is far more intriguing. There is more – much more – to the American than meets the eye.This is a golfer who was once reduced to tears after a Ryder Cup trouncing. While all charges were eventually dropped, the mere fact Scheffler found himself in a prison jumpsuit before a round at the 2024 US PGA was highly unusual. Last summer, he was filmed in long and histrionic discussion with his coach amid struggles at the US Open
Heartbreak for England but spirited display signposts the way forward | Gerard Meagher
Just as Steve Borthwick was reaching for his coat, he finally has something to hang his hat on. The ledger records an agonising defeat but a performance brimming with positives, carried out with a swagger that must signpost the way forward if this is to be the turning point in Borthwick’s tenure. Moments of naivety, too, plenty of mistakes and a maddening feeling that leaves you questioning why they do not always play like this.Around half an hour before kick-off of this bonkers Six Nations finale, as part of an equally mind-boggling, gloriously French, pre-match show, there was a moment when two white horses cantered down the middle of the pitch, hitched up on their hind legs before galloping away in different directions down the touchline to take up residence behind each goal. The two horsemen facing each other down
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