Why would mumsnet leftists vote Green over reform?

[Wizeman]

Now I have your attention

What are the substantive political reasons for voting for the Green Party over Reform UK?

Please avoid responses based on personality or tone (e.g., claims that one leader is “nicer” than the other). Instead, I am interested in clear policy-based arguments and ideological reasoning.
Reform UK is led by Nigel Farage, a businessman with a long-standing role in national politics. The Green Party is currently led by Zak Polanski, whose professional background includes work in theatre and as a hypnotist.

With that in mind, I would welcome serious explanations focused on policy positions, governance approach, economic strategy, and long-term outcomes, rather than personal character assessments.

Could you please provide your source for that? According the House of Commons Library in Q3 2025, UK GDP grew 0.1%, while Eurozone GDP grew 0.3%. Since the pandemic period (i.e.Q4 2019 → Q3 2025): UK GDP is up: +5.2%, while the Eurozone is +6.5% (there was only one quarter in 2024 where the UK outperformed the Eurozone). UK inflation was 3.4%, compared to 2% for the Eurozone. Productivity and long‑run output performance are significantly weaker in the UK. UK goods exports remain at 82% of pre‑Brexit levels, while EU trade has fully recovered. (Five years after Brexit. Was it worth it?). And the OECD expects the UK to have higher inflation than other G7 countries. (How Britain’s economy, inflation and growth compare to those of other nations, according to OECD report | The Independent)

Europe collectively is obviously going to perform better as it is a collection of countries, individual nations in Europe are not out performing the UK.

I think Polanski is a good egg, who sincerely cares for working and impoverished people in the UK. For now, though, I view him and his platform as idealistic and not at all pragmatic. I am far from convinced that, even if he were somehow elected with a huge mandate, he'd be able to deliver his vision.

I see Reform as akin to Trump - a right wing populist platform that, in reality, would make life worse for most of their voters. I also don't view them as any more credible than the Greens, and their MPs are all dreadful.

Neither are likely to get my vote but, if it came down to one or the other, I wouldn't have to think twice before voting Green.

You’re wrong - many individual European countries are outperforming the UK.

The OECD’s Eurozone figures represent an average across member states (weighted by population), not a ‘collective total’ that somehow inflates the numbers.

If the Eurozone average for growth is higher, and inflation lower, that means a significant number of its individual economies are doing better than the UK.

In short, the UK is lagging behind the Eurozone average.

Polanski is not a credible political candidate and would without any doubt tip the UK into the biggest economic disaster in a 100 years.

Farage is a sound bite politician "Let's take back control " with absolutely no thought going into how to deliver his promises (whether you agree with them or not).

I wouldn't want to vote for either of them but if forced to then better a disaster of a Reform Government for 5 years than an economy destroyed for 20 years by the Greens.

https://www.reddit.com/r/UKGreens/comments/1p9md52/zack_polanski_leading_interview/

A collection of countries working together is obviously going to perform better.

Well fucking hell, I wish someone had told Farage that before he started us down the Brexit route.

You've just hung yourself with your own petard OP.

I broadly agree with you, other than I don't think the Greens would actually try to radically overhaul the economy because I don't think they have any real idea how to go about delivering their vision, so they'd like just implement some socially progressive policies here and there.

I'm not convinced that they'd cause more economic damage than Reform.

Both parties deserve immense scrutiny before the next election, though, and I hope neither come close to power.

The Greens if they deliver on what they are promising would without doubt blow the economy up. I'm not reassured that because they have no economic knowledge or experience that this means that they wouldn't be able to do this. In fact their inexperience and lack of knowledge just makes this more likely.

Farage meanwhile would fail to deliver on his promises but simply flail around blaming everyone except himself (it's Europe, it's the left wing civil service, it's the media etc etc). So at least the damage will be limited.

Why do you think the damage will be limited?
Farage's Brexit has cost the UK

• £90 billion in tax each year
• £180 - £240 billion in total so far
• 1485 additional deaths each year due to EU nurses leaving
• a drop of 35% in agricultural exports

The man has caused more financial harm to the UK via pushing Brexit than anyone else hasn't he?

Mathematically, the number of countries or the size of population will make precisely zero difference to percentages of growth, inflation etc. So saying growth in the Eurozone is 2% is the same as saying the average inflation for a country in the Euro zone is 2% If you mean though that countries acting together as a bloc tend to do better economically, you are clearly right - which is why Brexit is such an appalling act of national self-harm.

Only Reform in this country call people who don’t like their politics “leftists”.

The projective noun attention clearly suggests your strong desire for this to be a heated debate with you have achieved, I worry for you as you obviously demand this kind of attention. I find your political stance interesting and wonder why you have come to this platform to discuss the topic. Please explan your reasoning for this?

*their

If I voted with my heart I’d definitely vote Green. However I live in one of the few constituencies which is still solidly Tory and could easily move rightwards to Remain in 2029. I’d do absolutely anything to avoid a Reform government so I may have to hold my nose and vote Tory for the first and hopefully only time ever. The only consolation is that the sitting Tory MP is hardworking and essentially decent.

It doesn't mean individual nations are doing well. The point of brexit was he have control. The politicians have done nothing with that control.

I've came to this platform to talk about politics because its the politics forum. Unless you want me to go to the pregnancy forum?

Control means fuck all if your economy’s gone down the pan. How do you think the EU economy could be doing better if the component countries aren’t? Make it make sense.

I think your right and ill admit that, im learning. Surely we haven't seen the benefits of brexit though? What have politicians actually done with our freedom?

Blow the economy up in what way? The good way or bad way? 😂

Absolutely sweet FA because we haven't gained any freedom we didn't already have. Brexiters fell for meaningless soundbites, and apparently didn't learn the first time around since the same dude is pedalling the same soundbites, and they're still falling for it.

We can make a trade deal with who we want now, surely thats a big one?

Why is being able to trade as a tiny island with no massive export market better than being part of a powerful global trading block?

Yes, we had to trade as the EU and not a single nation, but the deals we were able to get were a shit tonne better than we could get now, as an isolated land mass of no massive importance when it comes to exports.

Genuine question, OP - because I am also interested in the views and motivations of people on the other side of the debate. What would you have liked politicians to do with Brexit? What regulations would you have liked to repeal or introduce?

Lots of nations like us who aren't part of big trading blocks all over the world. We could easily trade with them.