Green Party Leader Zack Polanski Under Fire for 'Nigel' Guillotine Post
Reform UK reports Polanski to police following Instagram image controversy, drawing comparisons to recent political violence.
Image: Eddie Pollard / AI
Sarah Connor
Green Party leader Zack Polanski is facing intense scrutiny after sharing an Instagram post featuring a man in a T-shirt depicting a guillotine alongside the name 'Nigel'.
Polanski immediately unshared the controversial image once it came to his attention. A Green spokesman confirmed he 'unequivocally does not support this type of dangerous message' and accepted a request to collaborate on the post after attending a public event.
The post, uploaded on the afternoon of July 27, 2026, has drawn sharp criticism. Reform UK now reports Polanski to the police.
Zia Yusuf claimed Polanski posted the photo to his 713,000 Instagram followers. Yusuf interpreted the image as a direct call for the beheading of Nigel Farage.
If I was to post anything as inciteful then I would expect to be arrested, and so should Polanski.
Alex Wilson, Reform UK leader on the London Assembly, will also raise a complaint with the Greater London Assembly regarding the incident. Nigel Farage stated, 'If I was to post anything as inciteful then I would expect to be arrested, and so should Polanski.'
The timing of the post has drawn particular scrutiny. Zia Yusuf claimed sharing such content just two weeks after their friend Ann Widdecombe's murder was 'staggering'.
Ann Widdecombe, a former Tory MP and Reform UK figure, was found dead in her home on July 9, 2026. Joshua Kerry, 28, from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, appeared in court on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, charged with Widdecombe's murder.
The T-shirt's design in Polanski's post references a 1979 song title by the band XTC. Critics have focused intensely on the imagery itself.
GB News claimed Polanski has incited violence by posting an image calling for Nigel Farage's decapitation. Zia Yusuf further claimed Polanski is 'inciting murder' and insisted it 'must be treated as such by the police'.
This incident unfolds amidst a charged political landscape. A man in his 20s was arrested by the Met Police earlier in July 2026 for allegedly sending threatening communications.
Nigel Farage himself received a prior warning on social media: 'I am going to shoot you in the head if you win.' The Green Party leader later deleted the post, though the party maintains its immediate unsharing upon discovery.
Reform UK claims they are reporting Polanski to the police. This action reflects their view of the Instagram content as a serious breach.