Zack Polanski Slams 'Pretty Vile' Keir Starmer Over Drugs And Putin Jibes
Zack Polanksi has launched an outspoken attack on Keir Starmer after the prime minister mocked the Green Party’s policies on legalising drugs and giving up the UK’s nuclear weapons.
Starmer accused the Greens of being “high on heroin, soft on Putin” at prime minister’s questions two weeks ago.
It was part of a Labour strategy – revealed by HuffPost UK – to directly target their left-wing rivals as their support continues to grow.
Appearing on Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg on BBC1, Polanski said Starmer’s comments were “beneath the office of the prime minister”
He said: “Let’s start with the drugs comment. First of all there are thousands and thousands of unnecessary deaths from drug harm and from dangerous drugs and what we need is a public health approach.
“So when I talk about legalising drugs, the key bit is about legalising and regulating. If someone has a problematic relationship to drugs, then surely the answer is to make sure they’re seen by a medical health professional who can help them.
“To have Keir Starmer making cheap jokes, delivered badly by the way, from the Despatch Box was pretty disgraceful.
“And on Putin, this is the prime minister who is subservient to Donald Trump, a man who says he admires President Putin while shaming Zelenskyy in the White House.
“Defence is a really serious issue, there is no bigger number one priority for a government or for the leader of a political party, than to defend the people of this country and to make jokes about Putin and Russia, I think, is pretty vile.”
“What we need is a public health approach [to drugs]”
— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) February 1, 2026
Green Party leader Zack Polanski defends his party’s drug legalisation policy and also tells #BBCLauraK why he personally has never taken drugs or drank alcohol#BBCLauraKhttps://t.co/SSXISApUWcpic.twitter.com/rgOGDP82aQ
Polanski’s comments came as Labour and the Greens fight it out with Reform UK to win the Gorton and Denton by-election on February 26.
The Greens announced on Friday that plumber and local councillor Hannah Spencer will be the party’s candidate.
A Labour spokesperson said: “If Zack Polanski thought the Greens had a chance in Gorton and Denton he wouldn’t have chickened out standing himself.
“A vote for the Greens or any party other than Labour just risks letting Reform’s toxic politics divide communities in Manchester.”