A four-minute sit-down with Green leader Zack Polanski

Ahead of this autumn's party conferences, BBC London's political editor Karl Mercer is sitting down with leaders, or deputy leaders, for four minutes each to discuss some of the key issues facing the capital and what their party might do to tackle some of them.

Here, he interviews Zack Polanski, leader of the Green Party.

KM: "If we can look ahead towards next year's elections, every London borough is up for election next year. Is it now or never for the Greens in terms of making an impact in the capital?"

ZP: "I think that is quite true. This is a pivotal moment for us. We've had many, many defections, in fact 10 in September alone from the Labour Party. We're also seeing a Labour government that people are deeply unhappy with.

"So this is a moment not just to finger point or blame but actually to present an alternative vision.

"As I've been campaigning in London, people are excited about the vision for the Green Party to look to lower people's bills and make sure we're really in communities and serving people."

KM: "Are they excited to join the Greens or are they just excited to leave Labour?"

ZP: "I think a little bit of both. I think for lots of people, it was just anything but that. But actually people find very quickly as they learn more about the Green Party, people have known about our environmental policies for a long time.

"Of course protecting the planet and tackling climate change is at the heart of our agenda but actually what people didn't know is our policies about protecting communities, investing in the National Health Service, holding the mayor to account.

"Recently I held him to account even for the genocide in Gaza. Now obviously that's not the mayor's responsibility but he has a government that is enabling a genocide.

"I think when Londoners are hearing that the Green Party are out there batting for them, they know we've got their back."

KM: "When they hear that you don't want to build on the green belt despite a desperate housing shortage in London, will they not look at you and go: 'It's okay to have some green credentials, but actually there is a fundamental human right and that is to have a roof over your head?'"

ZP: "We have a housing crisis and we badly need to tackle it. We also have a nature crisis. We live in one of the most nature depleted countries of the world and there's no need to build on the green belt.

"The only people who want to build on the green belt are property developers, the same property developers that have donated to Labour administrations and give lots of money to make sure that those politicians do what they want.

"Ultimately, we need to be building council housing on brownfield sites that people can actually afford to live in."

KM: "And then one quick one, if I may, on the wealth tax. You talk about 1% tax on people with £10m of wealth, is there not a danger that you say to the wealth creators who come to London, you're not welcome here?"

ZP: "I think the real wealth creators are the teachers, the nurses, the carers, the doctors, the people who are actually doing public service every single day.

"Actually what we're saying to multi-millionaires and billionaires is a 1% tax to make sure that we're reducing inequality and funding our public services properly.

"I think that's the patriotic thing to do and I think if people don't want to do that, that's fine they can leave. Let's make sure that people in London and right across the country are paying their fair share of tax.

"I think that's something people can get behind and that's how we can turn our country around."