A deepening antisemitism scandal has sent Zack Polanski's approval ratings into freefall, with over 30 Green Party candidates allegedly facing accusations of posting antisemitic content online.
Close to a dozen candidates have reportedly been suspended by the party since the campaign began, with further cases still being examined. Police arrested two on suspicion of stirring up racial hatred.
The Express reported how Polanski's own conduct came under scrutiny after he backed a social media post attacking officers who arrested a man suspected of stabbing two Jewish men in Golders Green. Sir Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan Police commissioner, responded with a public letter warning the Green leader was stoking "rising tensions."
His apology did not extend to withdrawing the underlying claim - Polanski maintained he was "very concerned" by footage of the arrest, and hit back at Rowley for using an open letter, calling it an inappropriate way "to do politics."
Polanski insisted there were only a "handful" of cases and that the "vast majority" of candidates were "doing amazing work." He told the BBC on Wednesday there would be a "standardised vetting process" going forward, with compulsory training for candidates "to make it clear that antisemitism is completely unwelcome in the Green Party."
Some of the most controversial remarks related to the conflict in Palestine - something Polanski told the BBC was "on the ballot" in Thursday's elections. More than 1,000 of his candidates have signed a pledge to "uphold the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people."
YouGov data shows the share of Britons with a negative view of Polanski has nearly doubled since January, climbing from 27 per cent to 47 per cent. Having previously topped the leader popularity rankings across all main parties, Polanski now trails both Kemi Badenoch and Sir Ed Davey in net favourability.
The row has fractured the party internally, reports The Times - ex-leader Caroline Lucas demanded "immediate action" over what she called "totally unacceptable" remarks, while deputy leader Mothin Ali went further, urging candidates to pursue legal challenges against their own party's suspension decisions.
The post, shared on X the morning after the Golders Green attack, alleged officers had been "repeatedly and violently kicking a mentally ill man in the head when he was already incapacitated by Taser."
In a BBC interview, Polanski described being "traumatised by seeing someone handcuffed and repeatedly kicked in the head" — but when journalists noted the suspect had not in fact been handcuffed and was carrying a knife at the time, a party spokesman conceded the leader had "misspoke."
Polanski apologised the following day for sharing the post "in haste."
In reference to members suspended for allegedly breaking party rules, a Green Party spokesman said: "We are standing over 4,500 candidates in these local elections, the vast majority of whom we are proud to have represent us.
"Where there are examples brought to our attention that do not align with the values of the Green Party, we are looking into them, and in some cases, candidates have already been suspended. We are investing in strengthening our vetting procedures to prevent inappropriate candidates slipping through the net."
