Nigel Farage has called for the arrest of Green Party leader Zack Polanski, alleging incitement to violence after Polanski shared a photograph on Instagram featuring a man wearing a T-shirt with a guillotine and the slogan "We're only making plans for Nigel."
Farage, 62, retweeted the image on X, stating, "If I was to post anything as inciteful then I would expect to be arrested, and so should Polanski." Reform UK confirmed it is in the process of reporting Polanski to the police, and Alex Wilson, Reform UK leader on the London Assembly, plans to lodge a complaint with the Greater London Assembly.
Polanski, 43, posted the image to his 713,000 Instagram followers earlier on July 27, 2026. The T-shirt depicted an unknown man wearing sunglasses and a rainbow-striped hat, making a peace sign, with the guillotine graphic and slogan. The slogan is believed to reference a 1979 song by the band XTC, but the addition of the guillotine suggests a more sinister message.
Hours after the post appeared, Polanski removed it. A spokesperson for the Green Party stated that Polanski "unequivocally does not support this type of dangerous message" and that the image was part of a social media "collaboration" after he attended a public event. The spokesman added that once the image was brought to Polanski's attention, he "immediately unshared the post."
Despite its removal, the original post was being widely shared on social media. Reform UK's shadow home secretary, Zia Yusuf, described the post as "staggering," particularly given the recent murder of Reform UK spokesperson Ann Widdecombe on July 9, 2026. Widdecombe, 78, was found dead in her home and prosecutors stated she was hit with a hammer 21 times. Joshua Kerry, 28, has been charged with her murder and is currently remanded in custody.
"To do this just two weeks after our friend Ann was murdered is staggering. This is incitement to murder," Yusuf told the Daily Mail. "It should be treated as such by the police."
Lord Walney, the former government adviser on political violence, called the post "sickening" and stated that there must be "serious consequences" for Polanski. He added that the situation is especially serious given the recent killing of a senior Reform UK member and suggested that the Green Party should be barred from participating with mainstream parties if it fails to act against its leader.
