Polanski distances himself from media outlet censured for racism and homophobia

Zack Polanski said he does not “always know who I’m talking to” following criticism over an interview he gave to a media outlet twice censured for discrimination.

The Green Party leader has faced criticism after appearing in a video interview with outlet 5Pillars alongside his deputy Mothin Ali and Gorton and Denton by-election candidate Hannah Spencer.

5Pillars has repeatedly platformed some of the UK’s most notorious neo-Nazis and white supremacists for rants about Jews and LGBT people. 5Pillars was was twice reprimanded by press regulator Impress in 2024 over interviews in which far-right figures made antisemitic and homophobic comments. At the time, Impress said the comments had been met with “insufficient challenge”.

That video interview was subsequently shared on the Green Party’s Twitter account, but was removed on Thursday morning, some 12 hours after Jewish News approached the party for comment.

Asked about the interview on Friday, Mr Polanski told the Press Association: “It won’t escape your attention that I’m a Jewish gay man. In fact, I’m one of five Jewish people who have ever been in leadership positions in British political history, so I take antisemitism really seriously.

“I obviously take homophobia seriously as I take Islamophobia or any form of hate crime or racism seriously and it’s really important that’s the first place we start.

“At the same time, I talk to lots of people and lots of media institutions all the time, and so I just think it’s important that I’m clear about what my values are and make sure that whoever I’m talking about knows that those are my values.”

Asked whether he regretted giving the interview, he did not say that he did, but reiterated that he took antisemitism and homophobia “really seriously”.

He added: “Where people don’t reflect those values, those are people that I won’t consider speaking to again.

“At the same time, I have microphones put in my face all the time. I don’t always know who I’m talking to.”

5Pillars editor Roshan Salih declined to comment in detail on the interview, but said there was “a campaign now to destroy the Green vote in Gorton and Denton because it’s clear that they stand a good chance of winning”.

He added: “Forces intent on damaging the Greens want to undermine their support base by amplifying these types of stories.”

As well as being censured twice in 2024, 5Pillars was reprimanded by Impress in 2021 after its deputy editor said same-sex relations were a “crime against god”.

The outlet left Impress in November 2024, saying the regulator was “run by liberals whose values are not compatible with Islamic norms” and had received repeated complaints “especially from our detractors in the pro-Israel and pro-LGBT lobby”.