Polanski accuses Met police chief of interfering in elections as he reignites row over Golders Green arrest

Days after the Green Party leader issued an apology for sharing a post criticising police officers responding to the terror attack, he said he was still concerned – and that police should not be above scrutiny
Green Party leader Zack Polanski has reignited his explosive row with the head of the Metropolitan Police , accusing him of interference during an election campaign.

Days after he apologised for sharing an “inaccurate” post criticising the officers who responded to the Golders Green terror attack, a defiant Mr Polanski said he was still concerned – and that the police should not be above scrutiny.

He also hit out at Sir Mark Rowley and said the Met chief’s decision to publish an open letter critical of Mr Polanski last Thursday was inappropriate in the run up to Thursday’s local elections.

Mr Polanski apologised on Friday after sharing a post on X that accused officers detaining the Golders Green attack suspect of “repeatedly and violently kicking a mentally ill man in the head” when he was already incapacitated from being Tasered .

Sir Keir Starmer was among those who lined up to condemn Mr Polanski, calling his actions “disgraceful” and saying he was “not fit to lead any political party”.

On Sunday, Mr Polanski suggested he had reposted the message because he was “traumatised” but also said he remained “concerned” about the officers’ actions, adding that everyone who works in public service “should not be above scrutiny”, and that actions must be “proportionate, no matter how brave”.

“And I also found the video that was circulating online traumatic, too,” he added.

“I accept, though, that conversation about that video needs to be had with the [police] commissioner rather than on X.”
Sky News presenter Trevor Phillips then asked: “You made a mistake presumably because you were traumatised, then?” Mr Polanski replied: “Well, you generally apologise when you make mistakes...

it should be something I take directly to the commissioner and I accept that.”
But he also accused Sir Mark of airing his concerns in the wrong way.

“Open letters aren’t an appropriate way to do politics either in a local election...

and I’ll be having that conversation with the commissioner,” Mr Polanski said.

Later, during an interview on the BBC, Mr Polanski suggested he remains concerned about the officers’ actions.

He told Laura Kuenssberg: “I was very concerned by what I saw, and I remain concerned.”
On the same programme, transport secretary Heidi Alexander called his actions “abhorrent”.

Labour minister Steve Reed added: “Polanski’s apology clearly means nothing given he continues to denigrate the actions of our brave police officers.”
In a rare intervention last week, Sir Mark hit out at Mr Polanski for sharing the “inaccurate” post and later accused him of “undermining” the force.

Mr Polanski also faced a significant backlash within his own party.

The Green Party’s Welsh leader, Anthony Slaughter, told LBC that while he had not seen the tweet: “It does seem, from what I’ve read, [it] was inappropriate to retweet.”
The party’s deputy leader, Rachel Millward, who was also challenged about the post, told the BBC’s Question Time programme on Thursday that she was “extremely grateful” for the emergency service response.

“I’m sure it was beyond terrifying, and these people are brave, well-trained in what they do; I’m sure they did a brilliant job,” she said.

He said officers were “nothing short of extraordinary”, adding: “Without their efforts to stop him, I dread to think what the outcome could have been.”
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