The new leader of the Green Party has expressed “compassion” for Angela Rayner after she was forced to quit over her stamp duty scandal and suggested Nigel Farage should also resign over his tax affairs.
Zack Polanski said public sympathy for politicians who make mistakes has been “eroded” in recent years after a number of political scandals.
The London Assembly member described the Labour Government as “out of control and spiralling”, even prior to Ms Rayner’s resignation, and said he would not “dream of working with them”.
He told the Standard: “I think this will probably just accelerate the rate that people feel like this government serving them does not have equality as a number one priority.”
On Ms Rayners tax scandal, he added: “I think my first thought is actually compassion for when anyone makes a mistake and I think because of people who have done deliberately misleading things, it has eroded compassion in politics.”
The former Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary resigned after admitting she had not paid enough stamp duty when she purchased her new £800,000 seaside flat.
Ms Rayner claimed that dodging around £40,000 in tax on the Hove property was a mistake and she was given incorrect legal advice.
In a letter to the Prime Minister she said: “I deeply regret my decision to not seek additional specialist tax advice given both my position as Housing Secretary and my complex family arrangements. I take full responsibility for this error.”
Mr Polanski questioned whether Nigel Farage should also resign after allegations that the Reform UK leader has been using a private company to reduce his tax bill.
At his party’s conference in Birmingham Mr Farage admitted he uses a firm to handle payments for TV appearances but defended the move, saying he “uses it legitimately because he has overheads” and he “employs people”.
“If [Ms Rayner’s situation] is a resigning issue, is Farage going to do the right thing?”, asked Mr Polanski.
At the time of his leadership announcement last week, where he won 85% of the vote from Green Party members, Mr Polanski had not ruled out a potential collaboration with Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana’s new left wing party.
He confirmed to The Standard that he “still admires their politics and them as individuals, but in terms of what the party will stand for, it is too early to say.”
However, Mr Polanski ruled out working with Sir Keir Starmer’s current government.
“While they’re still arming a genocide, cutting disability payments, and the two-child benefit cap, I wouldn’t dream of working with them,” he said.
