A new poll has revealed that the Green Party is not perceived as the political party with the most significant antisemitism problem, despite ongoing controversy surrounding its co-leader Zack Polanski. According to a YouGov survey conducted in the wake of the Golders Green stabbing attack, Labour and Reform UK were the most frequently cited parties when respondents were asked which of the main five parties has an antisemitism issue, each receiving 33% of mentions.
Poll Findings on Antisemitism
The survey, which polled 2,377 British adults on May 4 and 5, found that a quarter of respondents identified the Green Party as having an antisemitism problem. In comparison, the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats were cited by 16% and 13% of respondents, respectively. Nearly two-thirds (63%) of Britons consider prejudice against Jews to be a major or significant concern, with Green voters' views broadly aligning with those of supporters of other parties and the general public.
Zack Polanski Controversy
The polling comes as Zack Polanski, the only current Jewish leader of a major UK political party, faced backlash for sharing a social media post criticizing police conduct. The post referred to footage showing two officers repeatedly kicking a man, who appeared to be the suspect in the Golders Green stabbing, in the head after he had been tasered. Polanski later apologized for sharing the post hastily but maintained that police should remain subject to scrutiny.
Labour's Allegations Against Green Candidates
Separately, the Green Party is facing accusations of antisemitism after Labour announced it would release a document alleging that 25 Green Party local election candidates hold “disturbing views.” Labour claims these candidates have expressed “a raft of harrowing antisemitism, dangerous conspiracy theories and appalling comments supporting Hamas and Russia.” Two individuals identified in the document have been arrested on suspicion of stirring up racial hatred towards Jews, according to Labour.
Public Perception of Antisemitism Across Parties
The YouGov poll also indicated that Green Party supporters are as likely as Labour, Conservative, and Liberal Democrat voters to view antisemitism as a substantial problem, with approximately 70% of voters from these parties holding that view. Reform UK voters were the least likely to share this perspective, at 63%, though this figure aligns with the broader public opinion.
Broader Context of Antisemitism in the UK
Sir Keir Starmer has called for a “whole of society” response to rising antisemitism following the Golders Green stabbings, warning that attempts by Iran to destabilize British society “will not be tolerated.” The Director of Public Prosecutions, Stephen Parkinson, has also instructed prosecutors to fast-track hate crime prosecutions in response to “a deeply troubling rise in antisemitic incidents across the country.”
The attack, which occurred on April 29, involved two Jewish men—Shloime Rand, 34, and Norman Shine, 76—being stabbed. Their alleged attacker, Essa Suleiman, 45, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on May 1 and was remanded in custody. The incident has been declared a terror attack by police.
Age and Demographic Differences
The poll revealed that voters aged 18-24 are least likely to view antisemitism as a severe problem (58%), followed by those aged 25-49 (58%). Overall, 59% of men across all ages hold the same view. Young adults were the only age group more likely to identify discrimination against other groups, with seven in ten of those aged 18-24 citing prejudice against Muslims as a major or significant problem, and about 60% saying the same of black people, women, and transgender individuals.
Islamophobia Perceptions
In total, 57% of the public said there is a problem with Islamophobia in the UK. When asked which party has an Islamophobia problem, nearly half of respondents (47%) pointed to Reform UK, followed by the Conservatives at 27%. Only 14% said the same of Labour, 8% of the Liberal Democrats, and 6% of the Greens.
