Polanski accuses Times of ‘scraping the barrel’ over his claim to be charity spokesperson – UK politics live | Politics
important events
Polanski defends Green party’s policy of ‘legalising and regulating’ hard drugs and says ‘regulation is important’
Zack Polanski In an interview on the Today programme, he defended the Green party’s proposal to legalize hard drugs. He emphasized that policy “is to legalize and regulate, regulation is important.”
He explained the program
The war on drugs has clearly failed. This has failed in cities across the country, and more and more people are using dangerous drugs.
So do we want people to buy them on the black market or on street corners? Or do we want people to go to a pharmacy or medical health professional where, if they have dangerous drug addiction, we can work with them to take a public health approach based on harm reduction?
Polanski said the policy would allow police to spend more time on other problems.
For example, a large amount of police time is spent stopping and searching marijuana use. It does not escape people’s attention that this is often part of the politics of racism. If you’re a young black person, I think that means you’re 18 times more likely to be stopped and searched than your white peers; However, there is no evidence that they are more likely to sell or use drugs.
So I think it’s important that we make sure police time is spent properly; And I think it’s about community prevention, unity and solidarity, and bringing communities together.
Polanski says he is concerned about police handling of Golders Green attack suspect
Zack Polanski He defended the suspect in the Golders Green stabbing, voicing concerns about how he was treated when he was arrested last week.
The Green leader has apologized for reposting a social media message implying police used excessive force during an arrest. He said he shouldn’t have brought this issue up like this.
But when interviewed on the Today programme, he said it was important for people to be treated properly, even if they had done terrible things.
When Nick Robinson, The presenter said he reshared the controversial tweet, implying that he was highlighting the attacker and not the police officers. Polanski He said he did not accept this. He said:
My first reaction to the attack, like everyone else I’m sure, was horror, and the first thing I shared was solidarity with the victim, the family, and indeed the people who are suffering right now.
Polanski said that he, too, is Jewish and that security for Jewish people is not an “abstract” issue.
He continued:
Two things can be true at once: The officers are incredibly brave as they race toward the scene of the crime that most people, including me, would want to run from.
I also think that this is true and that I was traumatized when I saw someone being handcuffed and kicked in the head repeatedly…
I think the mark of a compassionate society is how we treat people, even people who have done terrible things, because the way to actually get justice in this country is through the courts.
Polanski accuses Times of ‘scraping the barrel’ by saying he ‘used the wrong word’ for his claim to be a spokesperson for a charity
Good morning. Zack Polanski He was relatively unknown until he became leader of the Green party in September last year, and since then his pre-political career has come under intense scrutiny as his party soared in the polls. The most well-known embarrassing revelation about his past is that he once told a woman she could enlarge her breasts if she listened to his hypnotherapy talk. Nigel Farage, who also led a spectacularly successful party of mayhem, also has a history of scandals, and Polanski’s allies would argue they are worse. Farage received an undeclared £5m donation from a political supporter; He still hasn’t given a good enough explanation for how his partner can afford to buy a house in Farage’s Clacton constituency, and has probably told 30 million women he could increase the size of their bank balances if they listen to him talk about Brexit. Guardian readers can decide for themselves who is more dangerous.
But as we tell our children, life isn’t fair. And it’s certainly not fair to left-wing politicians campaigning in an environment where right-wing media have considerable influence. Polanski discovered this again last night during the Times’ press run. a story There were various allegations against him, the most important of which was that he embellished his CV. Here is our version Jessica Elgot.
So it wasn’t hard to guess what Polanski’s first question would be when he was interviewed by Nick Robinson on the Today show a few minutes ago.
He asked why Polanski While Polanski has said in the past that he was a spokesperson for the British Red Cross, the charity said he was not:
I’ve hosted a number of fundraising events for the British Red Cross and I would actually get on stage and talk on their behalf about the amazing work they do tackling humanitarian crises, the climate crisis and indeed for refugees around the world.
I used the wrong word and I accept that.
But mainly, I would take the words with me on stage and speak.
Still, it’s important and I accept that. [British Red Cross] I do not support any political party and [that claim has] was lowered.
Polanski attacked the Times for publishing an antisemitic caricature of him last week. He said they should apologize for this. And he continued:
Some of these stories feel like scraping the barrel of going back 10, 15 years.
I’m literally talking 20 or 30 over the last few weeks I’ve had so many friends call me and tell me that a Times reporter called and they’re desperately trying to find out something about your past. They asked me a lot of questions and seemed disappointed that I didn’t share any interesting, salacious gossip.
There was a lot more to the interview and I will be posting more of that soon.
Here is the agenda of the day.
Morning: Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch is campaigning in London.
10am: Scottish Labor Party leader Anas Sarwar is holding an election rally.
Lunch time: Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth is campaigning in Llandudno.
Afternoon: Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, is campaigning in Surrey.
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