Polanski accuses Times of ‘scraping the barrel’ over his claim to be charity spokesperson – UK politics live

Green leader said he hosted fundraisers for the Red Cross but accepts he should not have described himself as a spokesperson for it Zack Polanski has rejected suggestions that he is “the new Jeremy Corbyn of British politics” – while also praising the former Labour leader. In his Today interview, asked by Nick Robinson how he would avoid becoming the new Corbyn, Polanski replied: I think me and Jeremy are very different people, and there’s much … you know, the question was almost inviting me to condemn Jeremy Corbyn. I think there was lots that Jeremy Corbyn was putting forward to this country that I think was really positive. We’ve talked about wealth taxes, about public ownership. I’m not ready right now. No. I’ve been leader for eight months, and there’s lots of skills and lots of knowledge to get, and I think that’s fine. I think I’m a human being. I’m not perfect. Well, we’ll see in two years time, won’t we? But I’ll certainly be putting in the work. Well, I’ve declared publicly that if Britain re-applies, Poland will vote in favour.

But Britain will not get the same deal that it had before because you had a de facto à la carte membership. You had an opt out from being a member of the Schengen zone. You had an opt out from joining the euro, you had vetoes. You had two important agencies, pharmaceutical and financial services. and so you integrated where it suited your interests, and of course, you had the famous agricultural rebates, negotiations negotiated by the saintly Margaret Thatcher. You wouldn’t get that kind of deal today, which means that you probably would reject the deal. When I read these stories in the Daily Mail about how even Poland will soon overtake Britain, I become suspicious because I don’t think they are meant out of sympathy. They are meant to humiliate the current British government that even Poland is on track to overtake Britain: not in the standard of living; in GDP per capita. It’s not the same thing. Continue reading...