'He always falls apart when challenged'
Nigel Farage has turned down the Green Party leader Zack Polanski’s challenge to a head-to-head debate ahead of the Gorton and Denton by-election.
After weeks of Polanski inviting him to a debate, Farage told a journalist yesterday that he would not take him up on the offer.
The Reform leader said: “I generally find that if you pick a fight with a chimney sweep you get covered in soot, so I might just leave that alone for the moment.”
Farage claimed this was “the nearest to an insult I’ll ever come”, but called Polanski “a lunatic” in a speech last month.
Referring to Polanski’s position on legalising drugs, Farage then said: “You know, he’s got a fan club. All the heroin smokers think he’s absolutely marvellous.”
Reform UK had suggested that Polanski should go head-to-head with their head of policy, Zia Yusuf. Polanski declined but said he would happily debate “leader to leader” with Farage.
Speaking to the HuffPost, Polanski accused Farage of “running scared” of a debate.
Polanski said: “Farage is running scared – he doesn’t want to talk about Reform’s super-rich backers, their Russia links, their plans to strip rights away from working people and to introduce charges to use the NHS.”
He added: “It’s no surprise Farage is hiding behind cheap jokes – he’s got nothing to gain and everything to lose from going up against someone willing to say it how it is.”
On X, critics called Farage “a coward” for refusing to debate Polanski.
One user wrote: “Nigel Farage has chickened out of a debate with Zack Polanski. The man with the biggest mouth in politics is a COWARD. His outright fear at being held accountable is really quite something.”
Another commented: “He always falls apart when challenged. Just imagine this empty shell at PMQs.”
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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