Green Party Leader Corrects CV Claim About Red Cross Role

Zack Polanski, leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, has told the BBC he was wrong to describe himself as a spokesman for the British Red Cross. He said he had hosted fundraisers for the charity but accepted that he had used the wrong word when describing his role. The claim appeared on his personal website in 2020 and on a crowdfunding page in 2022.

Polanski said it was “fine” for the media to ask questions about his past. He told the BBC some of the coverage felt like “scraping the barrel” and that owners of right-wing media were “worried about the rise of the Green Party and the prospect of having to pay a little bit more tax.” He confirmed he had ensured the claim was removed from his materials.

A British Red Cross spokesperson said the organisation “is neutral and impartial and does not take part in party-political activity or campaigns.”

Polanski addressed the party’s plans, saying the Green Party is seeking to reduce the UK’s borrowing costs by tackling the climate crisis and reducing inequality.

He also responded to accusations that some Green Party candidates had made antisemitic comments during the current campaign.

On a separate row that began last week, Polanski discussed a social media post he had shared criticising the police response to an attack in Golders Green. He apologised for sharing the tweet “in haste” and said he had been “traumatised by seeing the footage.” Met Police Commissioner Mark Rowley had accused him of “amplifying inaccurate and misinformed commentary.”

Polanski said he is “not ready to be prime minister now” and that he “still has skills and knowledge to gain.” Asked if he would be ready in two years, he replied: “We will see, but I will certainly be putting in the work.”