Polanski says guillotine re-post was mistake but refuses to apologise
Green Party leader Zack Polanski has refused to apologize for re-posting an image featuring a guillotine and Nigel Farage, calling it an inadvertent mistake. Reform UK has condemned the post as an incitement to violence, while Polanski claims the criticism is dishonest and politically motivated.
Why it matters
The incident underscores the volatility of political discourse on social media and the real-world consequences of inflammatory online content.
Figure caption, Zack Polanski: 'I won't apologise' to Nigel Farage
Zack Polanski has refused three times to apologise to Nigel Farage for re-posting a photo of a man wearing a t-shirt with an image of a guillotine and the slogan "we're only making plans for Nigel".
Reform UK's home affairs spokesperson, Zia Yusuf, said the image showed a "photo of man calling for the beheading of Nigel Farage", which he said could be an "incitement to murder".
The Green Party of England and Wales leader was reported to the Met over the photo, which he quickly deleted, but told the BBC he had not been contacted by police.
Speaking to BBC Newsnight, he said he would not apologise for an "inadvertent mistake" that he said Farage had amplified in a "fundamentally dishonest way".
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