Polanski condemns Starmer’s ‘high on drugs, soft on Putin’ PMQs jibe as ‘beneath the office of the prime minister’
Zack Polanski has condemned Sir Keir Starmer’s “drug-addicted, soft-on-Putin” PMQ mockery as “beneath the prime minister’s office”.
The Green Party leader described the comment as “shameful” as he criticized the prime minister for making “cheap jokes” on serious issues during Prime Minister’s Questions last month.
Sir Keir launched a scathing attack on the Green Party and accused Polanski of wanting to negotiate with Vladimir Putin to abandon nuclear weapons.
In October last year, Mr Polanski told the BBC he wanted to legalize all drugs, called for an approach “led by public health experts” rather than politicians, and had previously advocated leaving NATO.
When asked on BBC Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg On the program for comments, Mr. Polanski described it as “below the prime minister’s office.”
“It was pretty embarrassing to see Keir Starmer cracking cheap jokes from the delivery box – which was delivered poorly, by the way,” he said.
“This is a prime minister who obeys Donald Trump, who says he admires Vladimir Putin while embarrassing Zelensky in the White House.
“Defense is a really serious issue. There is no greater priority for a government or a political party leader than defending the people of this country.
“I think it’s pretty despicable to make jokes about Putin and Russia.”
Mr. Polanski also explained his stance on drug legalization.
“There are thousands of unnecessary deaths from drug harm and dangerous drugs, and what we really need is a public health approach,” he said.
“So when I talk about legalizing drugs, it’s really about legalization and regulation. If a person has a problematic relationship with drugs, then the answer is definitely for that person to be seen by a medical health professional who can help them.”
Mr Polanski was also asked about his Westminster ambitions and confirmed he would “definitely go for” a parliamentary seat in London.
“I live in London,” Mr. Polanski said when asked why he was not running in the byelections in Gorton and Denton.
“I’m a Mancunian, I’ve been in London for nearly 20 years and the Green Party really believes in nurturing local talent and lifting people up in the community.
“And when a seat comes up in London I will definitely choose it.”
“There are only a few days left to stop reform”, Mr Polanski said on Friday when he announced 34-year-old plumber councilor Hannah Spencer as the Green candidate for his Greater Manchester constituency.
