Green Party leader Zack Polanski faced a difficult interview on BBC Breakfast this morning, as presenter Charlie Stayt pressed him on his failure to vote in a party motion on Zionism. Polanski lost the Holborn and St Pancras by-election to Labour on October 8, after the party voted to define Zionism as racism.
Stayt challenges Polanski on vote
Stayt began by asking: “Had you been there to vote, which way would you have voted?”, to which Polanski replied: “Again, I’ve answered this question many times. I would have voted for the amendment, including to make sure-“ Stayt cut him off to clarify: “So you would have voted against the motion? So people understand this, very clearly, you would have voted against the motion in the hall on that day? People know you weren’t there. But you would have voted against it?”
Polanski said: “I’m being really clear with you – the motion as amended, I would have voted for. The motion unamended, I wouldn’t have voted for.”
Polanski avoids damage question
Stayt then asked: “Do you think this issue has done you any damage as leader?” Polanski avoided the question and instead spoke about the situation in Gaza, saying: “I think there are lots of people in this country who recognise the context that 75,000 Palestinians have been murdered, when there has been 1,500 Palestinians murdered since the so-called ceasefire. There are more child amputees than any time in modern history.”
He added: “I think people are disgusted and appalled by the genocide in Gaza, and the Green Party are absolutely unified for an end to a two-way arms embargo on Israel, an end of sharing intelligence and indeed boycott divestment and sanctions. We need to end the genocide.”
Stayt cites Caroline Lucas criticism
Stayt pressed again: “People at home will be listening carefully to what you’re saying. My question was whether you think this issue, whether that vote, has damaged you as Green Party leader. That was my question.” Polanski replied, again avoiding the question: “I think people are crying out for leadership in this country that recognises that this government is still complicit, they are still selling arms licences to Israel, they are still supplying F-35 components to fighter jets… I think the majority of people in this country do not want to see innocent people die.”
Stayt sighed and repeated: “Okay, again, I appreciate… you’ve said that already, and it’s an important issue, but people will note you haven’t answered the question. If I may, I’ll put to you the thoughts of a former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas, who has criticised you for not taking part in that debate or vote. She said last night on Newsnight, ‘The jury was out on whether he would now show the leadership she believed was required’. That criticism is from one of your own!”
Polanski retorted, without answering the question: “Well we have 220,000 members, and I like and respect Caroline a lot, she’s one of those members. She’s entitled to her opinion.”
