It’s a small party with big ambition, a handful of MPs led by a controversial but charismatic leader determined to turn anti-establishment sentiment into a major political breakthrough.
No, not Reform – it’s the Greens with a palpable new air of brashness and confidence that will be making waves this weekend, as their party conference commences in the seaside town of Bournemouth.
As a movement in the UK, they have maintained a steadfast presence over many years but have failed to really cut through nationally, with disenfranchised left-wingers more inclined to drift to the Lib Dems.
The last general election was different though, taking them from one to four MPs – no mean feat in a first past the post system.
And now a potent mixture of fractured politics and mass disappointment at Labour’s faltering first year in office has left an opportunity for even greater advancement.
Ready to seize it is their newly elected leader, Zack Polanski, whose style seems well-suited to the current climate and is far more confrontational than his gentler predecessors.
He is adept at social media and takes to it with an ease almost every other politician can only dream of – no clunky attempts at mimicking influencers or boring walking and talking in the constituency videos.
Instead, he goes out and interviews voters himself, coming across as interested and persuasive and has even started his own podcast, which is well-executed and engaging.
Another explanation of their current momentum is their policies which are clear, memorable and indicative of their values – something that most political parties aim for but don’t often achieve.
The Greens would bring in a wealth tax aimed at the super rich, they would nationalise the water companies, they describe the assault on Gaza as genocide, they support self-ID for trans people, and of course, they want to protect the environment.
And I remembered all that without googling – how’s that for landing your message?
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‘We don’t have time to wait for Corbyn’
But of course, like all parties, especially those gaining support, they face challenges and criticism.
Their biggest obstacle as they grow will be maintaining unity amongst the increasingly disparate factions of new Green voters.
Is it possible to happily combine countryside-loving former Tories with angry ex-Labour city dwellers, pro-Gaza Muslims and trans activists?
So far, they seem to be managing it, but we’ll find out over the next few days if any cracks are starting to appear.
Another big obstacle is Nigel Farage, a figure uniquely skilled at demanding attention and dominating the political landscape.
When it comes to hoovering up the support of the disenfranchised, he’s been doing it for decades and it’s paying off, with polls now tipping him for prime minister.
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Mr Polanski will accuse Labour of playing “handmaidens” to Reform’s “dangerous politics” rather than confronting it.
“When Farage says jump, Labour asks ‘how high’,” he will say.
Despite the Greens having a comparable number of MPs, they are not making the same kind of progress and like every other leader, Mr Polanksi will have to work out how to make a dent in Reform’s rise.
At the same time, they have a tricky challenger from their own side, with Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana’s chaotic new party likely to eat into their vote, if it can survive.
And finally, they also face the standard criticisms – that their sums don’t add up, that their tax and spend plans are unrealistic, that they are woke and disconnected – all of which they will need to take on to get closer to power.
These are just some of the issues that will come up in Bournemouth this weekend, where the forecast predicts a storm is coming – let’s see.
