POLICE INVESTIGATE INSTAGRAM POST SHARED BY GREEN PARTY CHIEF POLANSKI

Metropolitan Police are investigating an Instagram post shared by Green Party chief Zack Polanski after Reform UK complained that it incited violence against their leader Nigel Farage. The post, since deleted, showed a photograph of a man wearing a T-shirt featuring a guillotine and lyrics from a 1979 XTC song: "we're only making plans for Nigel". Farage called for Polanski's arrest on the social media platform X. Police received a report on Monday, 27 July, and confirmed they are conducting enquiries into the matter.

According to the Green Party of England and Wales, Polanski was tagged in a series of photographs from a public event and removed the image immediately upon being made aware of its content. A Green Party spokesperson stated that Polanski "unequivocally does not support this type of dangerous message". The XTC song reference is understood to allude to Farage. Farage wrote that if he had posted comparable content, he would expect to be arrested, and said Polanski should face the same consequence.

Zia Yusuf, Reform UK's home affairs spokesperson, stated that Polanski's post constituted incitement to murder. Yusuf referenced the recent death of Ann Widdecombe, a Reform spokeswoman, in his statement. Right-wing media figures have widely circulated the incident in connection with Widdecombe's death. A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: "We take reports of this nature extremely seriously, and officers are conducting enquiries into the matter."