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Police ‘conducting inquiries’ into image after Reform report Zack Polanski
The Metropolitan Police is investigating an image shared on Instagram by Green Party leader Zack Polanski after Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, reported him. The picture showed a man wearing a T-shirt bearing the message "We're only making plans for Nigel" alongside an image of a guillotine, prompting Reform UK figures to accuse Polanski of inciting violence against Farage. The row has intensified political tensions between the two parties amid heightened concerns about the safety of public figures.
The Green Party said Polanski "condemns the image" and had been tagged in a post containing 20 images, accepting the tag without realising it included the offending picture, which was subsequently removed from his account. Reform UK's home affairs spokesperson, Zia Yusuf, described the post as "inciting murder" and noted its timing, weeks after prosecutors said Reform spokeswoman Ann Widdecombe was allegedly attacked with a hammer 21 times in a "planned and targeted" assault. The Metropolitan Police confirmed it received a third-party report on Monday 27 July and is "conducting inquiries" into the matter.
In short
- Police investigate Instagram image shared by Green leader Zack Polanski
- Reform UK reported Polanski over T-shirt image of Farage and guillotine
- Green Party says Polanski was tagged unwittingly and condemns the image
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The case for
Reform UK and its supporters argue that an image depicting a guillotine alongside Nigel Farage's name constitutes a serious incitement to violence, regardless of how it appeared on Polanski's account. They contend that as a prominent political leader, Polanski bears responsibility for what appears under his name and reaches his followers, particularly given the climate of actual violence against public figures such as the alleged attack on Ann Widdecombe. The timing and nature of the imagery represent a dangerous escalation in political discourse that warrants investigation.
The case against
The Green Party and Polanski's defenders argue that he was unknowingly tagged in a batch of twenty images and removed the offending picture immediately upon discovering it, demonstrating he neither created nor deliberately endorsed the content. They contend that the phrase references the 1978 Madness song and represents historical political symbolism rather than a literal threat, and that holding someone accountable for images they neither authored nor knowingly shared sets a troubling precedent for controlling online expression. Distinguishing between intentional incitement and inadvertent tagging is crucial for protecting legitimate political speech.
Explained simply
The Metropolitan Police is investigating an image that was shared on Instagram by Zack Polanski, leader of the Green Party. Reform UK reported the image, which contained a T-shirt with the phrase "We're only making plans for Nigel" alongside a picture of a guillotine.
Reform UK accused Polanski of using the image to incite violence against its leader Nigel Farage. The Green Party said Polanski did not deliberately share it; he was tagged in a post containing multiple images and accepted the tag without noticing the offending picture, which was subsequently removed from his account.
The row comes at a time of heightened concern about public figures' safety, particularly following an alleged attack on Reform spokeswoman Ann Widdecombe weeks earlier, which prosecutors described as "planned and targeted." Reform UK's home affairs spokesperson Zia Yusuf described the image as "inciting murder."