Green Party leader Zack Polanski has acknowledged he was wrong to describe himself as a spokesperson for the British Red Cross, following a report by The Times. The claim, which appeared on his personal website in 2020, has been removed after the charity raised the issue with the party.
Polanski told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that he had hosted fundraisers for the Red Cross and spoken on stage about their work, but accepted he used the wrong term. He emphasised that the charity does not support any political party and that he had ensured the reference was taken down.
The Green leader also accused right-wing media of politically motivated attacks, suggesting that wealthy media owners fear the party’s growing popularity and its support for wealth taxes. He noted that Green Party membership has risen from 50,000 to 225,000.
Polanski defended the party against antisemitic comments made by some candidates, stating that such messages are unacceptable. He announced plans for a standardised vetting process and compulsory antisemitism training for all candidates, asserting that the Green Party is anti-racist and that even one case of antisemitism is too many.
When asked about comparisons to former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, Polanski said they are “very different people” but acknowledged that Corbyn had positive policies on wealth taxes and public ownership. He admitted he is not ready to become prime minister after only eight months as leader but pledged to continue learning.
