Zack Polanski has declined to apologise to Nigel Farage after reposting an image of a man wearing a T-shirt showing a guillotine alongside the words “we’re only making plans for Nigel”, BBC News reported.
The leader of the Green Party of England and Wales told BBC Newsnight the repost had been an “inadvertent mistake” and said he had not seen the slogan when accepting a collaboration request on Instagram from a photographer at an event. He said he later deleted the image and had not been contacted by police.
Reform UK’s home affairs spokesperson, Zia Yusuf, said the image amounted to a “photo of man calling for the beheading of Nigel Farage” and suggested it could be an “incitement to murder”. Farage posted a screenshot on X and said that if he had shared something “as inciteful” he would expect to be arrested.
Polanski said he would apologise if he had acted deliberately, but argued that Farage had presented the post in a “fundamentally dishonest” way. He said he condemned political violence and would be more careful on social media, but repeatedly refused to apologise directly to Farage.
He also said he had received a death threat on Tuesday and argued that describing the post as incitement to murder had placed him in danger. Polanski said it was important that Farage was kept safe, but characterised the row as a political attack.
The Metropolitan Police said there was no update on a complaint received on Monday. Reform has also asked the Greater London Authority’s monitoring officer to examine whether Polanski, who is an elected member there, breached its code of conduct.
Keith Prince, a Reform London Assembly Member, said Polanski’s claim that he did not know what he was promoting was “frankly risible”. A Reform UK source told BBC Newsnight it was “astonishing” that Polanski would not apologise and said he was not fit to lead a national political party.
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said on Tuesday that politicians had a duty to be careful about what they post.
