Polanski Accuses Times of ‘Scraping the Barrel’ Over Charity Spokesperson Claim
Good morning. Zack Polanski, who rose to prominence after becoming the Green party leader in September last year, has faced increased scrutiny regarding his career prior to politics as his party's polling numbers have surged. One of the most notable revelations from his past includes an incident where he claimed he could enlarge a woman's breasts through hypnotherapy. Comparisons have been drawn with Nigel Farage, leader of another disruptive party, who has his own controversies, including an undeclared £5 million donation and unresolved questions about his partner. Polanski’s supporters argue that Farage’s issues are more severe, noting Farage’s Brexit rhetoric promising economic gains to millions of women. readers are left to judge the relative severity of these controversies.
However, as is often the case, the political playing field is uneven, especially for left-wing politicians operating under the influence of right-wing media. Polanski experienced this firsthand when the Times published various allegations about him, chiefly concerning an accusation of embellishing his CV. Jessica Elgot provided a detailed account of these claims.
Consequently, when Polanski appeared on the Today programme with Nick Robinson, the initial question addressed his previous statement claiming to be a spokesperson for the British Red Cross, a claim the charity denied. Polanski responded:
I hosted various fundraisers for the British Red Cross, and indeed I would go on stage and speak for them about the amazing work they do tackling humanitarian crises, on the climate crisis and indeed for refugees all around the world.
I used the wrong word and I accept that.
But I would essentially take words on stage with me and speak.
It’s important, though, and I accept this, [British Red Cross] don’t support any political party, and I’ve made sure [that claim has] been taken down.
Polanski also criticized the Times for publishing what he described as an antisemitic cartoon of him the previous week, calling for an apology. He added:
It feels some of these stories feel like scraping the barrel to go back 10, 15 years.
I’ve had so many friends – I’m literally talking maybe 20 or 30 in the last few weeks – who have phoned me and said a Times journalist has been phoning and they’ve been desperately trying to find things about your past. They asked me lots of questions and seem disappointed that I didn’t have some juicy, dirty gossip.
More details from the interview will be shared shortly.
Here is the agenda for the day:
- Morning: Kemi Badenoch, Conservative leader, campaigning in London.
- 10am: Anas Sarwar, Scottish Labour leader, holds an election rally.
- Lunchtime: Rhun ap Iorwerth, Plaid Cymru leader, campaigning in Llandudno.
- Afternoon: Ed Davey, Liberal Democrat leader, campaigning in Surrey.
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Polanski Says He Is Not Ready to Be PM Now but May Be in Two Years
Zack Polanski rejected comparisons to Jeremy Corbyn while praising the former Labour leader during his interview on the Today programme. When asked how he would avoid becoming the "new Jeremy Corbyn," Polanski said:
I think me and Jeremy are very different people, and there’s much … you know, the question was almost inviting me to condemn Jeremy Corbyn.
I think there was lots that Jeremy Corbyn was putting forward to this country that I think was really positive. We’ve talked about wealth taxes, about public ownership.
I also think it’s important, speaking for myself right now, that we make sure that we have this vetting process, that it’s really clear that antisemitism, Islamophobia, any form of hatred or hate crime, is not welcome in the Green party.
When asked if he was ready to be prime minister, Polanski replied:
I’m not ready right now. No. I’ve been leader for eight months, and there’s lots of skills and lots of knowledge to get, and I think that’s fine. I think I’m a human being. I’m not perfect.
Asked if he might be ready in two years, he said:
Well, we’ll see in two years time, won’t we? But I’ll certainly be putting in the work.
UK Should Not Seek EU Rejoining Until Accepting No Special Deal, Says Polish Foreign Minister
Jakub Krupa reports for ’s Europe live blog.
Poland’s foreign minister, Radosław Sikorski, cautioned that the UK would not receive the same terms as its previous EU membership if it seeks to reset relations with the bloc. He emphasized the need for British political elites to "internalise the fundamental European deal" involving sovereignty pooling.
Speaking at a defence conference in Warsaw, Sikorski elaborated on the UK's plans and the common comparisons between the UK and Poland:
Well, I’ve declared publicly that if Britain re-applies, Poland will vote in favour. But Britain will not get the same deal that it had before because you had a de facto à la carte membership. You had an opt out from being a member of the Schengen zone. You had an opt out from joining the euro, you had vetoes. You had two important agencies, pharmaceutical and financial services, and so you integrated where it suited your interests, and of course, you had the famous agricultural rebates, negotiations negotiated by the saintly Margaret Thatcher.
You wouldn’t get that kind of deal today, which means that you probably would reject the deal.
I don’t think it makes sense for Britain to apply until you internalise - your political class and beyond - the fundamental European deal that, you get more benefits in return for more pooling of some aspects of sovereignty. If you reject that fundamental deal, you will never be a happy member.
But there is a menu of choices. as regards your relationship with the EU, you can be in the customs union like Turkey. You can be in the single market without being a member like Norway. You can have a Swiss kind of relationship, but every item on the menu has a price in terms of sovereignty, in terms of honouring rules that you didn’t make yourself. And Britain seems unable to to accept that kind of deal.
And first of all, you know, at the time of the referendum … I travelled to Britain often. Not a single member of the British cabinet understood the difference between a free trade area and a single market, because you you didn’t bother to learn how the EU actually worked. And without that homework, we wouldn’t want you as a member because you would, you would be unhappy and we would be unhappy.
Regarding reports that Poland might overtake the UK economically by 2030, Sikorski remarked:
When I read these stories in the Daily Mail about how even Poland will soon overtake Britain, I become suspicious because I don’t think they are meant out of sympathy. They are meant to humiliate the current British government that even Poland is on track to overtake Britain: not in the standard of living; in GDP per capita. It’s not the same thing.
Polanski Claims Only a 'Handful' of Antisemitism Cases Among Green Candidates; Vows to Enhance Vetting and Training
Zack Polanski announced that the Green party will implement mandatory training to emphasize that antisemitism is "completely unwelcome" within the party. This was stated during his interview on the Today programme amid accusations that multiple Green candidates in local elections have made antisemitic remarks. Labour has been critical of the Greens on this issue, and today the Times highlighted allegations against 30 Green candidates.
When Nick Robinson cited some of the most egregious examples, Polanski responded:
Those messages are all unacceptable, and it’s important to condemn that.
The Green party are an anti-racist party, and it’s important that we stick to our values.
When challenged that such views might suggest the Greens are not truly anti-racist, Polanski said:
We’re an anti-racist party. And so what I’ve already committed to doing is making sure that we have a standardised vetting process in future, and also make sure that we have compulsory training of all our candidates to make it clear that antisemitism is completely unwelcome in the Green party, as it is in society.
It’s also important to say one case of antisemitism is one too many.
This is a handful of cases, and actually we have over 4,500 candidates, the vast, vast majority of which are doing amazing work in their communities right now.
Polanski also noted the personal nature of this issue, stating he is Jewish and that two individuals have been arrested in the past six weeks over threats against him.
Polanski Defends Green Party’s Policy to Legalise and Regulate Hard Drugs
In the Today programme interview, Polanski defended the Green party’s proposal to legalise hard drugs, emphasizing the importance of regulation:
The war on drugs has clearly failed. It has failed in cities right across this country and more and more people are often taking dangerous drugs.
So, do we want people to buy them on the black market or on street corners? Or do we want people to go to a pharmacy or a medical health professional where, if they have an addiction to dangerous drugs, we can work with them to take a public health approach based on harm reduction?
He added that this policy would allow police to focus on other issues:
A lot of police time is spent on stop and search for cannabis use, for instance. It doesn’t escape people’s notice that that is often in the politics of racism. If you’re a young black person, I think it’s something like you’re 18 times more likely to be stopped and searched than your white peer, despite the fact there’s no evidence that they’re more likely to to be dealing or using drugs.
And so I think it’s important that we make sure the police time is spent properly, which I think is about community prevention, about cohesiveness and bringing communities together.
Polanski Defends Concern Over Police Treatment of Golders Green Attack Suspect
Zack Polanski defended his expression of concern regarding the treatment of the suspect arrested following the Golders Green stabbings last week. He had reposted a social media message suggesting the police used excessive force during the arrest and acknowledged that he should not have raised the issue in that manner.
During the Today programme interview, Polanski stressed the importance of proper treatment for all individuals, even those accused of horrific acts. When Nick Robinson suggested that by sharing the tweet Polanski appeared to empathize with the attacker rather than the police, Polanski rejected this interpretation, stating:
My very first response to the attack was to be horrified, as everyone was, I’m sure, and the first thing I posted was solidarity to the victim, to the family, and indeed, to people who are suffering right now.
Polanski, who is Jewish, said safety for Jewish people is not an "abstract" concern. He continued:
Two things can be true at the same time: officers are incredibly brave when they run towards scenes of crimes that most people, including myself, will want to run away from.
At the same time, I think it is accurate, and that I was also traumatised by seeing someone handcuffed and repeatedly kicked in the head …
I think the sign of a compassionate society is how we treat people, even people who have done horrific things, because actually the way we do justice in this country is in court.
