Green Party chief Zack Polanski backs Newcastle candidates

The Greens have come under pressure in recent weeks over social media posts made by a number of candidates, including some in Newcastle, ahead of the May 7 elections in which the party is expected to make massive gains from Labour.

That has included Philip Brookes, who is standing in the city’s Manor Park ward. A Facebook account in his name stated in one post about the war in Gaza that it “takes serious effort not to be a tiny bit antisemitic”.

It also posted an image of a statement he called a “bit provocative, but historically valid”, which branded Israel “just a bunch of Polish, Russian, Hungarian terrorists killing Palestinian people for 76 years”.

Asked if he would pull support for candidates found to have made antisemitic remarks, Mr Polanski said during a visit to Newcastle today (Monday, April 27): “It is important to say that I condemn whenever there has been any antisemitism – I do that both as a political leader, but also as someone who is Jewish.

“In fact, I am one of five people in British political history who have been Jewish and lead a political party.

“So antisemitism is personal for me. In the same breath, I have been accused sometimes of antisemitism when I have been criticising the Israeli government and their ongoing genocide.

“It is really important that we do not conflate genuine antisemitism with legitimate criticism of an Israeli government who are committing war crimes, I think that is really important.”

The Green Party leader added that he would not comment on or interfere in specific cases going through a disciplinary process.

Another of the Greens’ Newcastle candidates, Mohammed Suleman, has also come under scrutiny over what Newcastle City Council labelled an “act of environmental vandalism”.

Fenham Properties Ltd, of which Mr Suleman is a director, was fined thousands of pounds by magistrates last year after being prosecuted by the local authority for burning waste in a large bonfire on the grounds of the historic Pendower Hall in the West End.

The Arthur’s Hill ward candidate admitted to illegally disposing of waste and operating a facility to dispose of waste without an environmental permit at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court in June 2025.

Asked if the Greens’ vetting processes for candidates were sufficient, Mr Polanski pointed to the party’s rapid growth over recent months.

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “The Green Party when I ran for leader had 55,000 members.

“We now have 226,000 members and we have quadrupled in the polls. So the scrutiny, as it should be, has increased. But also some of the silly political attacks have also increased in time too.

“I think there are a handful of cases where people have complained and we will take those very seriously. But I also think the public are pretty forgiving and recognise that we need perspective.

“Where you have 4,500 candidates, to have a handful of cases I would say is not some kind of big scandal. It just says, ultimately, you need to look at those cases on a bespoke basis and make sure the people representing you are suitable, that they are in the lines of the Green Party, and they want to make sure they are bringing in environmental, social, racial, and economic justice.

“I am confident that in the vast majority of, 99 per cent of cases,  that is exactly what has happened.”