Polanski says he was wrong to claim he was a Red Cross spokesman

Polanski says he was wrong to claim he was a Red Cross spokesman12 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleKate WhannelPolitical reporterBBCZack Polanski is the leader of the Green Party of England and WalesGreen Party leader Zack Polanski has acknowledged he was wrong to say he had been a spokesman for the British Red Cross.On Tuesday, The Times reported that Polanski had falsely made the claim in 2022 while campaigning to be the deputy leader of his party.Speaking to the BBC's Today programme, Polanski said he had hosted fundraisers for the charity in the past but accepted he had used "the wrong word" when describing himself as a spokesman."It's important though, and I accept this, that they [the Red Cross] don't support any political party and I've made sure that that's been taken down," he said.In its report, The Times said Polanski had described himself as a Red Cross spokesman on his personal website in 2020 and again two years later on a crowdfunding page. Polanski, who was elected leader of the Green Party of England and Wales last year, said it was "fine" for the media to ask him questions about his past but said "some of these stories about me feel like scraping the barrel".He later said that "owners of the right-wing media, multi-millionaires and billionaires" were "worried" about the rise of the Green Party and "the prospect of having to pay a little bit more tax". A British Red Cross spokesperson said: "We are a neutral and impartial humanitarian organisation and to protect our vital work, we do not take part in party-political activity or campaigns."A Labour Party spokesperson said: "It's not the first time the Green Party leader hasn't been straight with the public. He refuses to say if his council candidates have been suspended for vile antisemitism after claiming to have acted. Now there are serious questions about the work a...