From the moment we meet in Bethnal Green so that I can witness his typical working day, it’s clear Polanski is a man who doesn’t stop for anything. After I admit to being scared of biking it around London, he quickly shows off a cycling injury on his hand. He doesn’t seem put off one bit by the incident. As well as being a keen cyclist, he’s vegan, doesn’t drink, and says he’s happiest when dancing.
Prior to becoming a member of the Green Party, Polanski was active in the Lib Dems. Even then, championing the environment was always his focus. “In terms of getting into green politics, something that’s cool for me about the Green Party is people know we care about the environment, and know we care about the planet. That is at the front and centre of everything we do. But there’s no environmental justice without social, racial and economic justice,” says Polanski. This is one of his go-to phrases throughout our chat. He believes all injustices link back to the environment. “[In] the poorest neighbourhoods in London, people are more vulnerable to road traffic accidents. Pollution is another really good example — the worst air pollution in our cities
