Green Party leader Zack Polanski has admitted making an “inadvertent mistake” after sharing a social media image featuring a guillotine aimed at Nigel Farage, but insists he will not apologise to the Reform UK leader.
The row erupted after an Instagram collaboration post briefly appeared on Mr Polanski’s account showing a man wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the slogan “We’re only making plans for Nigel” alongside an image of a guillotine.
Mr Polanski said he had accepted the collaborative post without carefully reviewing all 20 images and removed it as soon as he became aware of the offending picture.
“I didn’t pay enough attention to the T-shirt,” he said. “As soon as I was aware of what happened, I unaccepted it and took it down.”
He described the image as carrying a “dangerous message” and said he was “horrified” by it.
However, Mr Polanski rejected calls to apologise directly to Mr Farage.
“If I’d done it deliberately, I’d be apologising,” he said. But because this was a mistake, I think the important thing is that I point out it’s a mistake, that I condemn political violence and also make a commitment to be better on my social media.
He added: “If Nigel Farage wants to apologise for all the times that he’s put other people in danger, then I’ll be happy to make an apology.”
Reform UK has reported the incident to police, with home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf accusing Mr Polanski of “inciting murder. Mr Farage has also called for the Green leader to be arrested.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson confirmed officers were “conducting inquiries” and said reports of this nature were taken “extremely seriously”.
Mr Polanski said police had not contacted him and insisted he had done nothing wrong beyond making an honest mistake.
The controversy comes amid heightened concern over threats against politicians following the death of former MP Ann Widdecombe earlier this month.
Asked about the incident, Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said politicians had “a duty to be careful about what they post” online, although he acknowledged that people can make mistakes and said it was ultimately a matter for police to determine whether any further action was required.
The latest controversy also revives scrutiny of Mr Polanski’s social media activity. In May, he apologised after sharing a post criticising the police response to the Golders Green stabbings, admitting at the time that he had acted “in haste.
A Reform UK source told BBC Newsnight that Mr Polanski’s refusal to apologise was “astonishing” and claimed he was “not fit to lead a national political party”. The police inquiry remains ongoing.
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