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Greens leader Polanski hits back at ‘vile’ Labour

Zack Polanski defended his party’s drugs policy as campaigning in the Gorton and Denton by-election enters its final 48 hours.

By contributor Pat Hurst, Press Association
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Supporting image for story: Greens leader Polanski hits back at ‘vile’ Labour
Green Party leader Zack Polanski takes part in his first phone-in on LBC, from the Millbank Studios in Westminster, central London (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Greens leader Zack Polanski has hit back at Labour over his party’s drugs policy as campaigning in the Gorton and Denton by-election enters its final 48 hours.

Mr Polanski, on another visit to the constituency, defended his party’s policy after Sir Keir Starmer said as a father of a teenager, the Greens’ plan to legalise drugs was “disgusting”.

Labour also claimed the policy would turn parks and playgrounds into “crack dens”.

But Mr Polanski told the Press Association: “Let me speak with absolute clarity.

“What Keir Starmer and this Labour Government have said on drugs policy is vile. It debases politics.

“And actually, I think people are sick of it, because I think people recognise it’s an attack on a party that’s trying to have a sensible grown up conversation about a really serious issue.

“We have the worst amount of drug deaths in the whole of Europe, and I think that fact’s often missing from this conversation.”

Mr Polanski said the “war on drugs” had failed and his party was talking about taking a “public health” approach to a serious issue, accusing Labour of “cheap political attacks for short term gains”.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer delivers remarks at the top of the weekly Cabinet meeting to mark the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, at 10 Downing Street, London
Sir Keir Starmer previously said the Greens’ plan to legalise drugs was ‘disgusting’ (Kin Cheung/PA)

He said: “Sadly, in a playground, people have access to drugs. So, what we’re talking about is regulating drugs.

“We are talking about regulating drugs and controlling drugs, because the war on drugs has failed. We need a different approach.”

Labour faces a battle to save the previously rock-solid Greater Manchester constituency in the face of a double electoral threat from both Matt Goodwin, the Reform UK candidate and Hannah Spencer, standing for the Greens.

In 2024 Labour won the seat with a majority of 13,413 and more than half the vote, but the party’s plummeting popularity since Sir Keir entered No 10 means it could be vulnerable.

Gorton and Denton by-election
A general view of the Green Party office in Gorton, Greater Manchester, ahead of the Gorton and Denton by-election (Peter Byrne/PA)

The Prime Minister made his first visit to the constituency on Tuesday, ahead of voters going to the polls on Thursday, telling Labour Party activists the election was a “battle of values” and voting Green would lead to “toxic” Reform taking the seat.

Mr Polanski claimed his party’s campaign was going “amazingly well” but a Reform win would be “deeply damaging”.

He defended his description of the conflict in Gaza as a “genocide” which he claimed the Labour Government was “enabling”.

Mr Polanski added: “What happened on October 7 was absolutely outrageous and a horrific attack.

Gorton and Denton by-election
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and Reform UK’s Gorton and Denton by-election candidate Matt Goodwin open their campaign headquarters in Denton (Danny Lawson/PA)

“And nothing justifies what Israel had done for the last couple of years.

“That again, our Government is not just complicit in, but actively enabling.

“We could certainly stop our role in this by stopping selling arms to Israel by stopping sharing intelligence, and making sure that we’re speaking with one voice and it’s time to end the genocide.”