Zack Polanski, leader of the Green Party, shared an image on social media showing a man wearing a guillotine picture with a slogan aimed at Nigel Farage. The post, seen by his more than 700,000 followers, sparked widespread fury. Polanski quickly removed the image, calling it a mistake.
Tribal responses and the free speech question
Reform UK said Polanski's clearance by police was an example of "two-tier" Britain. Critics noted that Reform, which often defends free speech, now demanded a political rival be prosecuted for an online post. The debate split along party lines, with each side backing free speech only when it suits them.
When does a post become a crime?
Beneath the tit-for-tat lies a difficult question: when exactly does a post become a crime? An image of a guillotine is not itself an instruction to commit violence, much like a T‑shirt showing a gun is not a demand to use it. The wearer's intent matters, but how is that discerned? The threshold for police intervention goes to the heart of a free country.
However, the context of rising threats to MPs cannot be ignored. Sir David Amess was murdered in 2021, Jo Cox in 2016, and a former MP was killed recently. Threats have forced MPs to take drastic security measures. The image of a guillotine, seen by nearly three‑quarters of a million people, must be viewed in that light.
The wider point both sides avoid: if the law is to be applied, it should be applied evenly, regardless of the party rosette of the accused. A country where the answer depends on party has not solved the free speech problem – it has abandoned it.
