Zack Polanski hit by nightmare poll day before local elections | Politics | News

Zack Polanski is the most disliked figure since becoming Green Party leader, according to a new poll. A YouGov poll, published the day before local elections, shows the number of Britons with a negative view of the Green leader has risen to 47%.

This was an eight-point jump from the previous week and saw him sink into a series of places. In the survey of 2,377 adults between May 4 and 5, the rate of those who have a positive opinion of Polanski is almost double the 22%.

The pollster said this was the worst rating recorded for him since he became Green leader last year.

It is a blow ahead of local elections in which millions of voters will go to the polls for English councils and the Scottish and Welsh parliaments.

Mr Polanski, who has seen Green Party membership grow under his leadership, faced backlash for lashing out at police responding to the Golders Green attack last week.

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His intervention sparked widespread condemnation, including from the chief of the Met Police.

Speaking today, Mr Polanski told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Two things can be true at once: the officers were incredibly brave as they rushed towards the scene of the crime from which most people, including me, would want to run away.

“At the same time, I think it’s true, and I also think I was traumatized by seeing someone being handcuffed and kicked in the head repeatedly.”

He was also involved in a series of rows last night after it was revealed that he was falsely claiming to be a spokesman for the British Red Cross.

He today admitted it was incorrect to describe himself as a spokesman for the charity.