UK Green Leader Zack Polanski Reported to Police Over Nigel Farage Guillotine Post

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has called for action against Green Party leader Zack Polanski after a controversial image referencing Farage was shared on Polanski's social media account, prompting Reform UK to report the matter to police.

The dispute centres on an image showing a man wearing a black T-shirt featuring a guillotine alongside the words, 'we're only making place for Nigel', an apparent reference to Farage.

Farage criticised the post on X, formerly Twitter, arguing that politicians should be held to the same standards when sharing potentially inflammatory content.

'If I was to post anything as inciteful then I would expect to be arrested, and so should Polanski,' Farage wrote.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed it has received a third-party report relating to the image and is making enquiries. No arrests have been made and no charges have been announced.

The Guillotine Image at the Centre of the Row

The image was reportedly reposted to Polanski's social media account, which has more than 700,000 followers, before later being deleted.

Reform UK argued that the imagery went beyond legitimate political expression.

The party's home affairs spokesperson, Zia Yusuf, alleged that the post amounted to 'incitement to murder' and said the matter should be investigated by police.

That characterisation represents Reform UK's allegation. It has not been established by any court, nor have police announced that any criminal offence has been committed.

Reform UK Reports Polanski to Police

Yusuf also referred to the recent death of Ann Widdecombe, the former Conservative minister who had most recently served as Reform UK's justice spokesperson.

Widdecombe died at her home in Devon earlier this month. A 28-year-old man has since been charged in connection with her death.

Reform UK argued that the timing of the social media post made the incident particularly concerning.

The party has not suggested any connection between the criminal case relating to Widdecombe's death and the image shared on Polanski's account beyond commenting on the timing.

Green Party Defends Zack Polanski

The Green Party rejected suggestions that Polanski intentionally shared violent imagery directed at Farage.

A party spokesperson said Polanski had been tagged in a post containing multiple images and accepted the tag without realising the guillotine image formed part of the wider post.

According to the spokesperson, Polanski deleted the content after becoming aware of the image.

The party also described the T-shirt depicted in the image as being in poor taste and said public figures should help reduce political hostility rather than contribute to it.

The explanation has become central to the dispute.

Reform UK argues that sharing the image with a large audience carries responsibility regardless of intent, while the Green Party maintains the image was posted unintentionally and removed once the issue was identified.

Police Begin Enquiries

The Metropolitan Police confirmed officers had received a report concerning an image shared on social media.

'We take reports of this nature extremely seriously, and officers are conducting enquiries into the matter,' a spokesperson said.

The force has not announced an investigation into a specific criminal offence, nor has it indicated that Polanski is under arrest or faces charges.

Receiving a report and conducting initial enquiries are standard police procedures and do not, by themselves, imply that an offence has occurred.

Farage and Polanski Clash Escalates

Farage's intervention has intensified an already heated political dispute over the boundaries of political expression on social media.

Supporters of Reform UK argue that public figures should be held accountable for content shared with large audiences, particularly where imagery could be interpreted as threatening or encouraging violence.

The Green Party, meanwhile, maintains that the post was shared inadvertently, that Polanski removed it once it came to his attention and that he does not endorse the imagery.

As police continue their enquiries, the legal position remains unchanged.

The Metropolitan Police have confirmed only that they received a third-party report and are examining the matter. Whether any further action follows will depend on the outcome of those enquiries.

For now, the dispute remains both a political controversy and a policing matter, with sharply differing interpretations of how the image came to be shared and whether it should attract any legal consequences.