Zack Polanski’s Popularity Drops Amid Farage Controversy

Zack Polanski’s popularity has plummeted amid the row over him sharing an Instagram post suggesting Nigel Farage should be beheaded.

The Green Party leader was reported to the police after he accepted a collaboration on a series of photos, one of which showed a man in a t-shirt featuring an outline of a guillotine and the words: “We’re only making plans for Nigel.”

Polanski later deleted the entire post, but refused to apologise when grilled by the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire.

He said it was “quite obvious he had not done anything wrong apart from make an inadvertent mistake”.

Although Reform UK accused him of “incitement to violence”, police later said they would be taking no further action.

However, polling by the More in Common think-tank suggests the row has damaged Polanski and the Greens.

His personal approval rating has fallen to minus 28, making him the most unpopular major party leader in the country.

More than half the public (55%) say they do not believe Polanski’s explanation of the row, with the same number saying he should apologise to Farage.

Meanwhile, 56% of voters now say the Greens are an unserious party.

More in Common director Luke Tryl said: “After a meteoric rise, Zack Polanski has increasingly been dogged by questions of his judgement in recent months.

“Our latest polling had the Greens on 8%, virtually reversing the ‘Polanski wave’ of new support they had gained since he became leader. And Polanski’s personal approval rating has continued to decline, making him the most unpopular major party leader on -28.

“Polanski’s resharing of a t-shirt with violent imagery about Farage exemplifies these struggles.

“A majority of voters, including nearly a third of current Green voters, did not believe his explanation for the incident, and strong majorities of the public believe he should apologise.

“While most were sceptical of Reform’s decision to report Polanski to the police, Polanski has clearly misread the mood of the country, which has no tolerance for posts that risk condoning or endorsing political violence.

“Especially after the shocking murder of Ann Widdecombe, Britons want to see public figures behaving responsibly online.

“While the Greens have clearly tapped into a widespread desire for a progressive alternative over the past year, and Polanski has owned the attention economy a combination of a Burnham bounce and leadership missteps risks setting them back.”

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