Andy Burnham is Zack Polanski's 'crowning achievement' claim Greens as they boast about forcing Labour's lurch to the Left - and call for AI to be nationalised

Andy Burnham is Zack Polanski's 'crowning achievement' the Green Party boasted today, as they hailed Labour's lurch to the Left under the new Prime Minister.A slew of senior party figures used the Greens' conference in Brighton to claim credit for Labour's ditching of Keir Starmer in favour of Mr Burnham.Green deputy leader Rachel Millward told activists to 'remember how we... brought an end to a Starmer regime that was frankly ushering Reform UK into government'.Caroline Lucas, a former Green leader who was the party's first ever MP, also claimed the Greens' poll surge had led panicking Labour MPs to jettison Sir Keir.And Joe Todd, a prominent Green strategist, said Mr Burnham should be described as party leader Mr Polanski's 'crowning achievement'.The Greens have now focused their efforts on getting Labour to shift even further Left under Mr Burnham on issues such as nationalisation, wealth taxes and rent controls.In her conference speech on Saturday, Ms Millward claimed a Green government would 'immediately' bring water companies under state control.She also suggested AI technology could be brought into public ownership rather than 'being owned by Silicon Valley proto-fascists'. Andy Burnham is Zack Polanski's 'crowning achievement' the Green Party boasted today, as they hailed Labour's lurch to the Left under the new Prime Minister Rachel Millward, with fellow Green deputy leader Mothin Ali, told members to 'remember how we brought an end to a Starmer regime that was ushering Reform into government' Caroline Lucas, a former Green leader who was the party's first ever MP, also claimed the Greens' poll surge had led panicking Labour MPs to jettison Sir KeirA day after Mr Polanski urged Britons to 'vote Green and watch Labour move', Ms Millward praised the influence of her party over Labour MPs.'Remember how we - together - brought an end to a Starmer regime that was frankly ushering Reform into government - jolting Labour out of their slumber by taking four times as many votes from them at the local elections than Reform did,' she said.'All of you who’ve delivered leaflets or organised meetings or stood for election… you did that.'It came as she announced the Greens, if they were in power, would immediately bring water companies into public ownership with shareholders getting no compensation.She said Mr Burnham was making a mistake by delaying any action against firms such as Thames Water.The Wealden District councillor said: 'Burnham's 10-year plan of gentle threats and vague notions of control is not enough.'Too many of our water companies have already failed. Right here in Sussex, we too often find ourselves driving to pick up bottled water because nothing is coming out of our taps.'Not a single major reservoir has been built in this country since the beginning of privatisation 35 years ago.'And so today, the Green Party is announcing that we would, immediately – not in 10 years, but before Christmas – bring South East Water and Thames Water back into public ownership at no cost to the taxpayer.'We have all the tools we need to make it happen. Forget compensation for shareholders and creditors, these are insolvent companies. It's time to take them back.'Ms Millward also urged Green members to consider what else could be nationalised as Britain stands 'on the cusp of unprecedented technological and social change'.'Imagine, for a second, that instead of new technology being owned by Silicon Valley proto-fascists, it was owned by us,' she added.'AI that serves communities, instead of the billionaires who buy our democracy.'Speaking at a Green conference fringe event earlier on Saturday, Ms Lucas said party members should take a moment to 'enjoy' how the Greens had forced Labour's change of direction under Mr Burnham.'We can very credibly make the case that Labour ditched Starmer essentially because they realise they were losing four times as many votes to the Greens as they were to Reform UK,' she added.Appearing at the same event, Mr Todd noted how Margaret Thatcher once branded Tony Blair her 'greatest achievement' due to Labour's shift to the Right under him.'I think we can safely refer to Andy Burnham as Zack Polanski's crowning achievement,' he added.In his first Labour Party conference speech as PM earlier this week, Mr Burnham said new legislation would repeal 'Thatcher's ideological ban on public ownership of water companies'.He said it would start a decade-long process to strengthen public control, with mayors getting 'new powers to hold water companies to account, with tougher consequences for those which repeatedly fail'.