Polanski accuses Times of ‘scraping the barrel’ over his claim to be charity spokesperson
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2026/may/06/local-elections-labour-starmer-greens-polanski-red-cross-reform-tories-conservatives-lib-dems-latest-news-updates?page=with%3Ablock-69fae5948f08711e04fe1145#block-69fae5948f08711e04fe1145
Posted by Lord-Liberty
20 Comments
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Compare the news media’s wall-to-wall coverage of this “scandal” with their “oh, that happened, let’s report it once and move on” attitude toward Nigel Farage — whom they’ve been all but calling PM-in-waiting since the day after the 2024 general election — getting a £5,000,000 “gift” from a crypto billionaire and trying to cover it up.
Could have been avoided if you don’t over-exaggerate your previous roles…
EDIT: Some people have said variations of this: “*Because no one has ever done this*…”
In response, I say: sure, but it’s a spectrum not a binary.
Say what you will, but the adage of “talk shit, get hit” alongside the “truth has legs and will find you” still manage to stand up and ultimately if you don’t want to be found out and publicly held accountable for lies, fluffing, fabrications, extensions of the truth or whatever terminology you want to use for the same thing…..well don’t do it.
You can’t expect to be able to unload your yap at others decrying things then cry foul when it happens to you – especially if you’re BSing something on the scale he’s done.
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So he did ‘speak’ for them, but wasn’t a spokesperson.
This feels very much like scraping the barrel.
I’m sure, as the leader of the greens, there’s a lot more effective ways to skewer him than semantics.
Meh, he is a politician at the end of the day so he will continue to over and down play things, as all politicians do. There isn’t a single politician that isn’t slimy but that doesn’t minimise the double standards in the media.
Do I want him to be PM? Absolutely not but do I want his party to get enough momentum locally where they can add pressure to Labour? Yes.
I live in a borough where Labour have exploited the voters for *decades* where there has been a lot of self-interest and corruption (like pocketing 2012 Olympic funds, giving council houses to council members etc) but this is the first year where you can tell they are sweating in their seats because of the Green and Independent threat. This is the pressure Labour need from the left rather than succumbing to the right.
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Is everyone else lying in their CV other fake job roles? He is acting like everyone does it
Zack needs to come out swinging. Not a Green supporter but he’s being shit on and I like an underdog, and he is being fucked from all angles right now lmao.
Needs to conjour some of that social media magic. Another video with a sad soundtrack as he puts modern Britain on blast maybe. Worked in that immigration video and it worked for the Restore Britain guy.
Remember folks, there is no political obstacle that cannot be overcome with some sad music and looking into the camera as you say words.
It looks like Zack got the Web Archive Machine to remove some of his old website. This link used to bring up his old blog before he was a Green councillor, which included comments not so critical of that infamous Sun article.
[https://web.archive.org/web/20141025071852/http://www.zackpolanski.com/page/1](https://web.archive.org/web/20141025071852/http://www.zackpolanski.com/page/1) – it now returns an error.
“It’s been a very busy year at the clinic. Whilst this has been great in terms of meeting new people and helping out in whatever ways I can, it’s meant my blog hasn’t been updated as much.
Since The Sun article last year, i’ve worked a lot with people on phobias, building confidence and self esteem and helping reduce anxiety and depression. I’ve also been working more with actors, singers, dancers and musicians on stage confidence and being comfortable in auditions and the rehearsal room – so please do get in touch if you have any questions.”
I don’t think Zack should be trying to delete past comments or pretending he was a spokesperson for a charity. It’s quite serious for a political leader.
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I have to say the vicious way the press is going about the difference between spokesman and speaker is really making me consider voting green out of spite.
Don’t do dumb shit – politicians hate this one trick!
Looking at this scandal, Suella Braverman didn’t get nearly enough shit for claiming to have contributed to a legal textbook, when the actual author said she only did a bit of photocopying.
Edit: and unlike Polanski she was an actual senior Government minister.
This is what happens when you make a TV hypnotist your leader. There’s probably a lot more dumb stuff from the past to come out yet.
The Times has gone really downhill this decade. A particular case of bias was them calling the rapist destroying the US a feminist hero!