Reeves’s bad Polanski joke shows just how rattled the establishment is

In budget speeches, chancellors usually focus on either their achievements or the party sitting opposite them. But with one bad joke, Rachel Reeves showed it’s Green leader Zack Polanski who’s really on her mind right now:

Watch as Rachel Reeves brands Greens leader Zack Polanski a 'keen hypnotherapist'

🗣️ 'The only things getting bigger under his approach would be the deficit and the rise of inflation' pic.twitter.com/9G3iNIPV62

— The National (@ScotNational) November 26, 2025

Polanski will no doubt appreciate living in the government’s head rent-free right now. But responding to Reeves’s comment, he simply focused on what has actually grown under his leadership so far:

Growing @TheGreenParty membership 📈

Growing the pressure on Labour to tax extreme wealth fairly 📈

Growing the movement to make hope normal again 📈https://t.co/0qbagSwgNX https://t.co/m2ElTg9er6

— Zack Polanski (@ZackPolanski) November 26, 2025

You’re not gonna stop Labour voters going Green like that, Reeves

Labour is clearly worried about the Green surge. And for good reason.

The threat of losing voters to the Greens has been looming for many months. With Keir Starmer cementing his place as the least popular prime minister ever through a combination of chasing far-right votes and utterly failing to improve either the NHS or the economy, it’s little surprise that Polanski’s positive left-wing pledges and messaging have given him the highest net favourability rating among both voters in general and 2024 Labour voters.

Reeves didn’t just rehash an old issue that Polanski has apologised for and joked about, though. She also acted as if ordinary voters would actually respond positively to inflation- and deficit-related propaganda after almost five decades of neoliberal destruction that have only served to empower a rich few while screwing over the rest of us.

Soaring support

Polanski does have answers for economic questions too, of course. Indeed, he just gave BBC propagandist Laura Kuenssberg a dose of that, explaining:

what I think we need to do is get back to a place where actually democratic politicians who are elected by the people are more worried about the cleaners, the teachers, the nurses, the people on the ground who are actually creating the economy with their hands rather than the people who hold these assets, who are making money while they sleep without actually working.

If you agree with that, you’re normal. And there are many, many people who feel the same way. They’re just not the ones in charge right now.

That’s why support for the Greens is soaring right now. It’s not a joke. And it’s not hypnotism. It’s the serious, massive desire for meaningful progress in Britain, which Labour’s top team has consciously chosen not to deliver. So if it wants to stop its voters going Green, it needs to stop the bad jokes and neoliberal soundbites and actually DO SOMETHING GOOD FOR ONCE!

Featured image via the Canary