Green leader Zack Polanski has been dealt a blow after a councillor quit the party and said he is “not fit” to be PM. Councillor Martin Allen has defected to the Liberal Democrats and accused Mr Polanski of displaying “poor judgement” on a number of issues.
Mr Polanski’s comments regarding the jailing of four Palestine Action activists — who caused £1.2 million of damage at a UK site of an Israel-based defence company — were referenced by Cllr Allen as he explained his decision to leave the Greens. In June, Mr Polanski said it was “gut-wrenching to see four young people jailed for direct action against an arms supplier to Israel”. The Green Party leader added the sentencing was a “truly dangerous attack on the right to protest”.
Cllr Allen said he believes Mr Polanski is “not fit to be our prime minister”, the BBC reports.
He said: “After 10 years of service, I’ve concluded that I can no longer remain a member of the Green Party.
“Since there has been a change in leader, events, including Zack Polanski voicing sympathy for the thugs who were imprisoned for an act where a police officer was hit with a sledgehammer, have caused me to reflect on whether my values still align with those of the Green Party.
“I’ve reached the conclusion that they do not.”
According to the BBC, Cllr Allen also said Mr Polanski had been wrong to have claimed he was a spokesperson for the British Red Cross — something he later apologised for.
Cllr Allen, who sits on the Worcestershire County Council and Malvern Hills District Council, said the Lib Dems “believe in doing the right thing for every part of our community”.
A Green Party spokesperson said: “We are always sorry to lose councillors.
“After the local elections, we have a record number of Green councillors across the country.
“We have also seen councillors joining us in droves in recent months from other parties, and our membership has quadrupled over the past year.”