Reform UK has reported Green Party leader Zack Polanski to the police and accused him of “inciting murder” following the sharing of a controversial image on social media, reports BritPanorama.
The image, which was later removed from Mr Polanski’s Instagram account, depicted a man in a black T-shirt with the phrase “We’re only making plans for Nigel” alongside an illustration of a guillotine.
In a public response, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage shared a screenshot of the post and stated, “If I was to post anything as inciteful then I would expect to be arrested, and so should Polanski.”
The phrase “Making Plans For Nigel” is derived from a song by the English rock band XTC, released in 1979 as part of their album Drums And Wires.
Meanwhile, a website selling the T-shirt featured an ambiguous tagline: “Who could Nigel be? And why the guillotine?” which hints at a blend of political satire and punk references.
The Green Party responded by clarifying that Mr Polanski “condemns the image on the T-shirt” and acknowledged his unintentional acceptance of being tagged in a post with multiple images, which included the offending image.
However, Zia Yusuf, Reform’s home affairs spokesperson, asserted that the Green Party leader was indeed “inciting murder,” emphasizing the severity of the situation in light of the recent death of Ann Widdecombe, who was fatally attacked in a brutal incident.
Prosecutors revealed details in court last week regarding the attack, which involved a man allegedly striking Ms Widdecombe 21 times with a hammer in what they described as a “planned and targeted” assault.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson confirmed on Monday that they received a report concerning the image on social media, stating, “We take reports of this nature extremely seriously, and officers are conducting inquiries into the matter.”
Reform UK’s Zia Yusuf reiterated this sentiment on social media, stating, “Zack Polanski has posted to his 713k Instagram followers a photo of a man in a T-shirt calling for the beheading of Nigel Farage. Polanski is inciting murder. It must be treated as such by the police.”
A Green Party spokesperson further commented, “Zack condemns the image on the T-shirt. He was tagged in a post with 20 images and clicked accept without realising there was more to it than he had seen. The T-shirt is clearly in poor taste, particularly given the current climate of security threats towards public figures.”
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has called for a “serious review” of MPs’ security in the aftermath of Ms Widdecombe’s death, remarking on the increasing dangers faced by politicians. He noted the changing nature of politics over the past decade, citing a “darkening” atmosphere spurred by divisive political discourse exacerbated by social media.
Mr Burnham, who served as MP for Leigh until 2017, expressed shock at the violent incident, commenting, “It’s obviously appalling what happened to Ann.” He added that the answer to these issues was complex and required thorough examination rather than simplistic solutions.
