Reform UK reported Green Party leader Zack Polanski to police on July 27, 2026, after he shared an Instagram post featuring a man in a guillotine T-shirt. Farage called for Polanski’s arrest, while the Green Party said Polanski unshared the image immediately once it was brought to his attention.
The Instagram Collaboration and the Guillotine Image
The controversy began after Zack Polanski attended a Green Party event in Bristol on Sunday, July 26, 2026, featuring Mr Polanski as a guest speaker. Following the gathering, Polanski accepted a request to collaborate on an Instagram post with another account, which pushed a series of event pictures out to his 713,000 followers. The post was uploaded and had invited Mr Polanski as a “collaborator”, meaning it would be reshared to his 713,000 followers, which he accepted.
One of the shared images depicted a man wearing a rainbow cap and black T-shirt, emblazoned with a large guillotine graphic and the words We're only making plans for Nigel
. The text is a line from a 1979 song by band XTC. The party’s home affairs spokesperson Zia Yusuf claimed the image showed a photo of man calling for the beheading of Nigel Farage
, which he claimed could be an incitement to murder. The post drew immediate condemnation from Reform UK leadership as tensions surrounding the security of political figures remain heightened across the UK.
Reform UK Demands Police Action as Farage Compares Incidents
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage took to X to share a screenshot of the reposted image, arguing that the content crossed legal lines and demanded immediate law enforcement intervention. The Instagram post was liked over 600 times on the picture-sharing platform before it was subsequently removed from Mr Polanski’s Instagram account. Farage asserted that any similar post from his own accounts would lead directly to his detention.
“If I was to post anything as inciteful then I would expect to be arrested, and so should Polanski.”
Nigel Farage, Reform UK leader
Zia Yusuf, Reform UK’s home affairs spokesperson, escalated the party’s response by confirming Reform UK had reported the post to police and will also report Polanski to the monitoring officer at the Greater London Assembly, where the Green leader is an elected member. Yusuf stated, To do this just two weeks after our friend Ann was murdered is staggering.
“This is incitement to murder. It should be treated as such by the police.”
Zia Yusuf, Reform UK home affairs spokesperson
Green Party Response and the Metropolitan Police Investigation
A Green Party spokesperson defended Polanski by explaining the mechanics of the social media collaboration, emphasizing that the account holder pulled the content down as soon as the imagery was realized. But it was swiftly removed after the exact details of what was included in the post came to his attention.
“After attending a public event, Zack accepted a request to collaborate on a post with several images. Once this image was brought to his attention he immediately unshared the post. He unequivocally does not support this type of dangerous message.”
Green Party spokesperson
It is understood Reform UK are reporting Green Party leader Zack Polanski to the police over the post. Mr Farage tweeted a screenshot of the post on Monday (July 27) after it had appeared on the official account of the Greens’ leader.
Security Anxieties Across the Political Landscape
The police report arrives amid a delicate climate surrounding the personal safety of British politicians. Prominent Reform member Widdecombe, 78, was found dead in her home in Haytor, Devon, on 9 July. A man, 28, has been charged with her murder. Joshua Kerry, 28, from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, appeared in court on Tuesday, July 21, charged with her murder. Mr Kerry spoke only to confirm his identity and did not enter a plea, and was ordered to remain in custody and is due to appear at the Old Bailey on October 9. Her death reignited a row about the security of political figures in public life, with this year marking the 10th anniversary of the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox and the fifth anniversary of the murder of Conservative MP David Amess. Farage has spoken multiple times about the issue of MP safety following the alleged murder of Ann Widdecombe, which is being investigated by counter terrorism police.
Meanwhile, in a separate case, a man in his 20s was arrested by the Met Police earlier this month for allegedly sending threatening communications after Mr Farage had been warned ahead of the local election results on social media: I am going to shoot you in the head if you win
. Reform UK’s leader has long sounded the alarm over threats to the outfit’s politicians, while ministers and parliamentary officials have said a “rigorous” security system is in place.
