A former Green Party deputy leader has sensationally told people not to vote for them amid fury at Zack Polanski. Shahrar Ali hit out at the Green Party leader's "divisive brand of politics" after Polanski sparked a backlash for suggesting police were heavy-handed with the Golders Green suspect.

Mr Ali, who was deputy leader between 2014 and 2016, urged voters to "send a message loud and clear" at next week's local elections by snubbing the party. In a post on X, Mr Ali wrote: "Zack Polanski and the Green Party are trending for all the wrong reasons.

"I have consistently warned about his divisive brand of politics from when he first stood for leader last year.

"Yesterday, the Met Commissioner took the unprecedented step of calling out Polanski for siding with critics of his police officers putting themselves in harm's way to protect Jews.

"The Jewish community is under siege like never before. This is the time to stand shoulder to shoulder with them in so many ways.

"The electorate must send a message loud and clear that, in its current incarnation of eco-free antisemitic Islamist populism, the Green Party is part of the problem, not the solution.

"Do not vote Green on Thursday. Boycott the Green Party."

It comes after Mr Polanski retweeted an X post accusing police of “repeatedly and violently kicking a mentally ill man in the head” when the suspect was being apprehended after two Jewish men were stabbed in north London on Wednesday.

The Green Party leader's intervention prompted the head of the Met Police to write him a strongly-worded letter saying he was “disappointed” and that the post was “inaccurate and misinformed”.

Sir Mark Rowley added: “Your decision to criticise these officers, using your public profile and reach will have a chilling effect."

In an apology today, Mr Polanski said: "Everyone in leadership has a responsibility for lowering the temperature at a time of such tension, and I apologise for sharing a tweet in haste.

"Police responses to emergency situations such as these do need later reflection in the right forums, but I accept that social media is not the appropriate channel for doing so.

"I have invited Mark Rowley to meet with me to discuss the police response and the wider issues raised in his letter."

The Greens' membership has surged under Mr Polanski who became leader in September last year.