Zack Polanski hit out at the ‘racial’ ban on hard drugs today as he suggested people should be able to ‘have a good time’.
The Green leader was grilled during a BBC interview on his position that all drugs should be legalised – including heroin and crack cocaine.
Challenged on the message that would be sent, Mr Polanski said drugs policy was ‘very racialised’. ‘Very often it is young black people who are stopped and searched in the street… despite the fact there is no evidence they are more likely to be holding or taking drugs,’ he said.
Mr Polanski said it was ‘hypocritical’ for senior politicians to admit they had taken drugs while ‘incarcerating’ people for doing the same – adding that was ‘very often yet again young black and brown people’.
However, the London Assembly member revealed that he personally had never touched any drugs, or even alcohol.
He told Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg: ‘I’ve actually never taken a drug in my life, or even drunk alcohol, but I still don’t sit here as the fun police.
‘I very clearly believe people should be able to do what they want to do.
‘It just wasn’t for me.’
Zack Polanski was grilled during a BBC interview on his position that all drugs should be legalised – including heroin and crack cocaine
Mr Polanski (pictured with the Greens’ candidate for the Gorton & Denton by-election said it was ‘hypocritical’ for senior politicians to admit they had taken drugs while ‘incarcerating’ people for doing the same – adding that was ‘very often yet again young black and brown people’
Pressed on whether shunning alcohol and drugs had been a point of principle, Mr Polanski said: ‘I just grew up in school where a lot of my friends were drinking and in fact taking drugs, and often it felt like somebody needed to be sober…
‘I’ve always liked dancing without taking a drink or drugs, as I say, though, if anyone wants to do it and they’re doing it safely, I’m really glad people are having a good time.
‘But we know lots of people aren’t taking it safely, so let’s make sure they get the support they need.’
The Greens are trying to inflict a devastating blow on Keir Starmer in the Gorton & Denton by-election on February 26.
The contest looks like a three-way struggle with Reform seen as the favourites by many experts.
Mr Polanski was appearing on the programme after Keir Starmer accused his party of being ‘high on drugs, soft on Putin’ during PMQs last week.
Mr Polanski said the joke was ‘pretty disgraceful’.
‘First of all, there are thousands and thousands of unnecessary deaths from drug harm and from dangerous drugs, and actually, what we need is a public health approach,’ the Green Party leader told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg.
‘That’s not me saying that. That’s experts who work in the National Health Service who say this just isn’t working.
‘So when I talk about legalising drugs, the key bit is it’s 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.
‘But to have Keir Starmer making cheap jokes delivered badly, by the way, from the dispatch box was, pretty disgraceful.’
Mr Polanski initially responded to the question about legalising drugs by suggesting alcohol was more harmful.
‘Well first of all, we could talk about alcohol, which can sometimes be one of the most dangerous drugs,’ he said.
The Greens are trying to inflict a devastating blow on Keir Starmer in the Gorton & Denton by-election on February 26
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Mr Polanski also indicated he would look to hold more meetings with foreign leaders by Zoom or Microsoft Teams if he became PM.
Asked about his current refusal to take any flights, the Green leader said that ‘obviously’ he would have to get on a plane sometimes as the leader of the country.
‘If I was Prime Minister of a country or a Secretary of State and needed to do it for diplomatic reasons, I’d make sure that we looked at Zoom or Teams or whatever first of all, a remote call, but certainly there’s times where you need to be sat down with someone diplomatically,’ he said.
‘That’s very different now to being leader of a party where I think flying would just be about ego.’
