Green Party leader Zack Polanski has vociferously supported one of his deputy leaders in a row on the Today Programme this morning. Justin Webb zeroed in on senior members of the Green Party who “appeared to suggest that it is not legitimate to be a Jew and that Israel itself as a state is not legitimate,” including new deputy leader Mothin Ali, who said after October 7th that he supports the right of “indigenous people to fight back.” He was forced to apologise for that and other statements…
Polanski, who is Jewish, said he condemned antisemitism and recognised “in the same breath that islamophobia is on the rise, LGBT hate crime is on the rise” and defended Mothin Ali, saying “the key words there are that he’s apologised.” The Green leader also defended Ali’s role in amplifying a campaign against a Leeds-based Rabbi who was forced to move home. Polanski said “this Rabbi went off to fight for the IDF.” He was actually called up as a reservist, being an Israeli citizen…
The testy back and forth went on, at the conclusion of which Polanski was skewered by Webb for arguing that Met Commissioner Mark Rowley should resign over some remarks made by his officers, but not his deputy leader. Polanski added that “the Green Party this conference is focussing on the Middle East.“ Good to know…
Starmer said to Robert Peston this afternoon:
“I’m fed up with the fact that families across the country see their bills go up and down on energy businesses bills go up and down on energy because of the actions of Putin or Trump across the world.”