Zack Polanski’s four major gaffes as local elections loom
Since his election as leader of the Greens last year, Zack Polanski has seen his party rise in the polls and grow in membership.
They are expected to be one of the biggest winners in Thursday’s local elections in England after their candidates won a historic victory in the Gorton and Denton byelections, where they beat Nigel Farage’s Reform Party to take the seat.
But Mr Polanski’s popularity took a hit after a row with the Metropolitan Police chief over a post he shared about the Golders Green stabbings, with his ‘net approval’ falling by 14 points.
Here we take a look at this misstep and others:
Hypnotherapy claim could lead to bigger breasts
The Green leader has repeatedly apologized for suggesting hypnotherapy could increase breast size.
He came under criticism for making the controversial statement to a journalist. Sun Before entering politics in 2013.
When asked about the article when he announced his candidacy for the leadership of his party last year, he expressed regret, saying he was “a young Londoner working four jobs” at the time.
“I think I saw it as a way to talk about body image and things where people don’t go into surgery but can feel better about themselves,” she said. “But what I’m careful about is that this is not a justification… I apologized for it and I will remain true to that apology.”
He also said he had been misrepresented and apologized the next day, knowing it would be offensive.
However, a recently resurfaced BBC Radio Humberside interview from June 18, 2013, six days after the initial report, appears to show Mr Polanski has doubled down on his theory.
“In fact, as we work with people more and more, anecdotal evidence is starting to emerge, at least of growth in breast size,” he told host Peter Levy.
False claim to be a British Red Cross spokesperson
Mr Polanski admitted he was wrong to say he was a spokesman for the British Red Cross.
He made this claim while campaigning to become his party’s deputy leader in 2022.
When asked about the reports, he admitted he “used the wrong word” and said the offending post had been removed.
He explained that he had “hosted various fundraising events for the British Red Cross and I’ll actually be getting on stage and speaking on their behalf about humanitarian crises, the climate crisis and actually the amazing work they do for refugees around the world.”
He added: “I used the wrong word and I accept that, but I would actually take the words with me on stage and speak.
“It is important, however, that they do not support any political party, and I accept that and have ensured that this is removed.”
I apologize for sharing criticism against the police.
Mr Polanski has apologized after coming under fire from the Metropolitan Police chief for sharing an “inaccurate” post on social media criticizing the response to the Golders Green terror attack.
Mr Polanski retweeted an
“Everyone in leadership has a responsibility to lower the temperature at a time of such tension, and I apologize for posting a hasty tweet,” he later said.
“Police responses to emergencies like this need to be considered later in the right forums, but I accept that social media is not the appropriate channel to do this.”
But Keir Starmer said his “disgraceful” actions showed he was “unfit to lead any political party”.
Video leading to fight with meth boss incorrectly said terror suspect was handcuffed
The Green Party also says Mr Polanski misrepresented the incident by falsely claiming that the Golders Green terror suspect was handcuffed in the video that sparked the debate.
In an interview with the BBC’s Today programme, Mr Polanski said he was “traumatised to see someone being handcuffed and repeatedly kicked in the head”.
But the video, which spread widely online, clearly shows that the man was not handcuffed and that officers were struggling to get something from him. Police officers are also seen shouting “drop the knife” several times.
