Zack Polanski, the 43-year-old Green Party leader known for his slogan T-shirts, is at the centre of a police investigation after sharing an Instagram post featuring a supporter wearing a black T-shirt with a guillotine on it. The post, captioned with a reference to the XTC song “We’re only making plans for Nigel”, was shared just 19 days after Ann Widdecombe’s murder — and immediately drew a furious response from Reform UK’s Nigel Farage. “If I were to post anything as inciteful, then I would expect to be arrested, and so should Polanski,” Farage said.
Polanski quickly deleted the post and declared that he “unequivocally does not support this type of dangerous message”. But Reform UK had already reported him to the police, and the Metropolitan Police have confirmed they are “conducting enquiries”. The controversy has deepened with a separate misconduct probe into the Green leader.
“Met Police investigate Green Party leader Zack Polanski after he shared a guillotine T-shirt post that Nigel Farage called incitement.”
The episode has shone a spotlight on Polanski’s political style. Unlike the Prime Minister, who favours plain T-shirts, Polanski’s wardrobe is adorned with slogans such as “god save immigration”, “Beware the Green Menace” (a dig at the “Daily Fail”), and “Hoarding Wealth is Weird”. The Green Party website sells a full range, including a “ZACKTIVIST” shirt with three pictures of Polanski. His critics see this as a sign of immaturity — but what is more striking is that Polanski is 43, older than Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Zohran Mamdani, with whom he is often compared. He came of age under Section 28; if he became prime minister, he would enter Downing Street at about the same age as John Major did.
Despite his middle-age, Polanski’s party is achieving most of its success among Gen-Z. The guillotine post, however, has raised questions about judgment and free speech. Farage senses a double standard: “If I’d posted that, I’d be in a cell by now,” he said. The police enquiry will determine whether Polanski faces charges — and whether the “Zacktivist” leader has finally gone too far.
