Metropolitan Police probe Green Party leader Polanski over post citing incitement
Green Party leader Zack Polanski condemns T-shirt design as police investigate claims of incitement following the murder of Ann Widdecombe
The Metropolitan Police have confirmed they are conducting inquiries into an Instagram post shared by Green Party leader Zack Polanski, following a report from Reform UK alleging the content incited murder. The image, which has since been removed from Polanski’s account, depicted a man wearing a black T-shirt bearing the phrase “we’re only making plans for Nigel” alongside a photograph of a guillotine.
Reform UK’s home affairs spokesperson, Zia Yusuf, described the post as “inciting murder,” arguing that the imagery called for the beheading of Nigel Farage. Yusuf highlighted the severity of the issue in the context of the recent murder of former Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe in Devon, where prosecutors have stated a man allegedly struck her 21 times with a hammer in a planned attack.
A Green Party spokesperson stated that Polanski “condemns the image on the T-shirt” and acknowledged he was tagged in a collaborative post containing 20 images without realising the specific content of the T-shirt. The party noted that the design was part of a carousel from a Green Party event on Sunday and described the T-shirt as being in poor taste, particularly given the heightened fears for the security of public figures.
Nigel Farage shared a screenshot of the image on X, asserting that if he were to post similar content, he would expect to be arrested and that Polanski should face the same consequence. Despite the police inquiries, the BBC reports that Polanski has not yet been contacted by officers regarding the matter.
The phrase on the T-shirt is a reference to the 1979 song “Making Plans for Nigel” by the English rock band XTC. A website appeared to be selling the T-shirt for £20, describing the design as potentially “a nod to old punk music or a sharper bit of political satire.” The incident has reignited debates on MP security, with Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham previously calling for a serious review following Widdecombe’s death.