Caroline Lucas has publicly rounded on Green Party leader Zack Polanski over his failure to confront antisemitism in the party’s ranks, as fresh polling reveals his approval ratings have gone into freefall.
The former Brighton MP, a three-time Green leader who served between 2003 and 2018 and the first Green ever elected to Westminster, took to X to call for swift action against candidates whose remarks she described as “unacceptable.”
She wrote: “Statements that have now come to light from a handful of Green Party candidates are totally unacceptable and require immediate action. There’s no place for antisemitism or any hate speech in the party. This is a society-wide problem and needs to be rooted out wherever it’s found.”
The intervention followed Mr Polanski’s earlier claim that his rivals were making “desperate” attacks driven by their hatred of the Greens’ plan to “end Rip Off Britain.”
Labour has made the Greens a key target in its local election campaign, drawing attention to what it has called “disturbing” opinions expressed by some of the party’s candidates. With the Greens expected to make substantial inroads on Thursday – particularly across London and the North West – Sir Keir Starmer is under pressure to contain the surge.
How far has Zack Polanski’s popularity fallen?
There are signs the antisemitism furore is taking a personal toll on Mr Polanski, reports the Daily Mail. More in Common’s latest research shows his net approval rating has shed 14 points in a single week, dropping to minus 27.
The polling, conducted between 1 May and yesterday, suggests Mr Polanski’s public clashes with Scotland Yard commissioner Sir Mark Rowley may have damaged his standing.
More in Common’s Luke Tryl said: “Looking at the numbers it’s both a rise in negatives and a fall in positives, in particular more young people seem to have shifted from ‘good job’ to ‘neither good nor bad job’. So a mix of more disapproval and more uncertainty.”
Despite the slump, Mr Polanski still outperforms Sir Keir, who carries a dire rating of minus 45. However, he trails significantly behind Kemi Badenoch, Ed Davey and Nigel Farage.
Why was Zack Polanski condemned over the Golders Green attack?
The row began last week when Mr Polanski backed social media posts alleging heavy-handedness by Metropolitan Police officers at the scene of a stabbing in Golders Green in which three people were injured, prompting a public dressing-down from Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley.
Critics from within the Green Party itself joined Sir Keir in attacking him — the Prime Minister labelling him “disgraceful” and “not fit to lead any political party.”
Has Polanski apologised for his comments?
A lukewarm apology issued on Friday night did little to draw a line under the row, with Mr Polanski using Sunday media appearances to continue questioning the conduct of officers. He told the BBC‘s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg he was “concerned by what he saw and remains concerned” by videos of the arrest last Wednesday.
He said: “I think it’s important to say that officers are incredibly brave when they run towards situations that most of us, including myself, would want to run away from.
“I also accepted, as an elected member of the London Assembly and in fact the Police and Crime Committee, that it’s important that everyone who works in public service, including people who are being brave, should not be above scrutiny.
“And so I think it’s important that I have that conversation with the Commissioner and we always make sure that action is proportionate, no matter how brave.”
Mr Polanski also criticised Sir Mark for intervening publicly, saying: “Open letters aren’t an appropriate way to do politics either in a local election.”
He also stood by pro-Palestinian demonstrations in the capital, insisting they posed no additional threat to the safety of British Jews.
The post Green civil war erupts as Zack Polanski’s ratings go into freefall | UK | News appeared first on World Online.
