No further action against Zack Polanski over guillotine image

The Metropolitan Police have concluded that no further action will be taken against Green Party leader Zack Polanski concerning a social media post that included an image of a guillotine. The image, accompanied by the text 'We're only making plans for Nigel,' had prompted a complaint from Reform UK, whose leader Nigel Farage had called for Mr. Polanski's arrest.

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We must not treat individuals differently solely because of their public profile, and therefore any investigation would need to have considered not just the actions of the individual named in the reports, but of all 130-plus people and organisations.

In their decision, the police cited the need to treat all individuals equally, regardless of their public profile. They explained that a thorough investigation would have required examining the actions of over 130 individuals and organizations. Given the unlikelihood of these actions constituting an offense, such an extensive inquiry was deemed disproportionate and an unreasonable use of police resources. Therefore, no further action will be pursued regarding the online sharing of the image.

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Given it is unlikely their actions would have ultimately constituted an offence, such an extensive investigation was deemed to be disproportionate and not a reasonable use of police resources.

However, the police did determine that a crime should be recorded in relation to the wearing of a T-shirt displaying the same image. This incident occurred in Bristol, and the case has been transferred to Avon and Somerset Police. This regional force has since stated that the threshold for a criminal offense was not met, and no further action will be taken in that regard either.

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Once again we see that we are living in two-tier Britain.

Reform UK expressed disappointment with the Metropolitan Police's decision, with a spokesman stating, "Once again we see that we are living in two-tier Britain." A Met Police spokesperson acknowledged the public reaction to the image, particularly given the increasing threats against politicians. They affirmed their commitment to the safety and security of public figures, stating that appropriate action is taken when threats are identified and offenses are evidenced. While acknowledging that some may argue for criminal action against those who shared the image, the review concluded that the threshold was not met on this occasion. The police have communicated their decision and commitment to security to those impacted.

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We absolutely understand the reaction to this image being shared online, particularly in the context of increasing threats towards politicians.