Lead

Green Party leader Zack Polanski has said he will not apologize to Nigel Farage over an Instagram image that featured a guillotine and a reference to Farage, despite acknowledging the post was an "inadvertent mistake." The image, which Polanski said he shared inadvertently and then removed, has prompted Reform UK to report him to the police for inciting murder, with the Metropolitan Police confirming they are conducting inquiries.

Coverage Comparison

Reporting from The Guardian details the sequence of events: Polanski shared an image on Instagram that showed a man wearing a black T-shirt with the message "We're only making plans for Nigel" alongside a photograph of a guillotine. The post was a collaborative one with other accounts, and the T-shirt design is available for purchase online for £20. Polanski has stated he did not pay enough attention to the image and removed it once he became aware of its content. However, he has drawn a line at apologizing to Farage, saying that because the share was a mistake, he will not offer an apology.

The Guardian's coverage also highlights the response from Reform UK, whose home affairs spokesperson Zia Yusuf accused Polanski of "inciting murder," and Nigel Farage, who called for Polanski's arrest. The Metropolitan Police issued a statement saying they take reports of this nature extremely seriously and are conducting inquiries.

Key Claims

  • Polanski's account: Polanski told BBC Newsnight that he shared the image as part of a collaborative post from a photographer that contained 20 images, and he "just didn't look carefully enough" before accepting it. He said he removed it as soon as he became aware of its content and expressed that he was "horrified" by its "dangerous message." He also condemned political violence and committed to being more careful with his social media.
  • Reform UK's account: Reform UK reported Polanski to the police for "inciting murder." The party's home affairs spokesperson, Zia Yusuf, publicly accused Polanski of inciting murder, and Nigel Farage shared a screenshot of the post on X, writing that if he had posted anything as inciteful, he would expect to be arrested, "and so should Polanski."
  • Police statement: A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said the force received a third-party report regarding an image shared on social media, that they take such reports extremely seriously, and that officers are conducting inquiries.
  • Polanski's refusal to apologize: Polanski said he would not apologize to Farage, stating, "If I'd done it deliberately, I'd be apologising. But because this was a mistake, I think the important thing is that I point out it's a mistake, that I also make sure that I condemn political violence and also, crucially, I make a commitment to be better on my social media." He added, "If Nigel Farage wants to apologise for all the times that he's put other people in danger, then I'll be happy to make an apology."
  • Context on T-shirt: The T-shirt design, which features the guillotine image, is available for sale online for £20.

Perspectives

  • Zack Polanski / Green Party: Polanski maintains the share was an inadvertent mistake and that he condemns the image and political violence. He has pledged to be more careful on social media, but he refuses to apologize to Farage, arguing that an apology is only warranted for deliberate action. A Green Party spokesperson described the T-shirt as "clearly in poor taste," especially amid heightened security fears for public figures, and called for kindness in public discourse.
  • Reform UK / Nigel Farage / Zia Yusuf: Reform UK views the post as incitement to murder. Zia Yusuf accused Polanski of inciting murder and called for police action, while Nigel Farage demanded Polanski's arrest, drawing a parallel to how he himself would be treated. A Reform UK source described Polanski's refusal to apologize as "truly astonishing and quite frankly sickening."
  • Metropolitan Police: The police acknowledged the report and confirmed inquiries are underway, without further comment on the specifics.