Reform UK Brighton & Hove Branch Under Fire for Antisemitic AI Image of Green Party Leader

A local branch of Reform UK has sparked controversy after posting what critics describe as an “utterly antisemitic” AI-generated image targeting Green Party leader Zack Polanski. The image depicted Mr. Polanski, who is Jewish, holding a hypnosis tool alongside the message “Vote Green. Happy Halloween.”

The Brighton & Hove Green Party condemned the image for “using tropes and imagery that deliberately and intentionally draw upon Nazi propaganda.” This incident comes at a particularly sensitive time, as antisemitism in the UK has reached record levels following the October 7 attacks and subsequent Israel-Hamas conflict.

Reform UK has distanced itself from the controversy, denying that the post came from an official Facebook page. The image has since been removed from the social media platform, but not before drawing widespread condemnation from anti-racism organizations.

The Campaign Against Antisemitism was quick to criticize the post, with a spokesperson telling LBC: “The ‘demonic Jew’ was a staple of Nazi propaganda. It is shocking to see it being deployed today by a party that aspires to government.” The spokesperson added that “there are plenty of ways to have productive political discourse without resorting to caricatures of Jews reminiscent of antisemitic imagery.”

Mr. Polanski holds historical significance as only the fifth Jewish leader of a UK political party and has previously spoken about facing antisemitism. The Green Party co-leader has been an outspoken advocate for addressing discrimination in British politics.

In a strongly worded statement, the Green Party condemned not just this specific incident but Reform UK’s broader approach to politics: “The image itself is beneath contempt. Yet it is even more terrifying to reflect that for Reform UK, this is nothing new. This act of antisemitism represents only the latest demonstration of Reform’s openly racist and fascist platform.”

The Green Party statement further alleged that Reform UK has been “at the forefront of fuelling a rising tide of hatred and discrimination” nationally. They also pointed out that the antisemitic attack on Polanski was reportedly followed by “a further racist graphic declaring New York Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani to be a terrorist” on the same Facebook page.

Stand Up To Racism joined in the criticism, describing the post as “blatantly antisemitic.”

This controversy emerges against a backdrop of internal instability within Reform UK’s local operations. Recently, a Reform councillor switched allegiance to the Conservative Party after reportedly becoming “uncomfortable” with Reform’s positions and rhetoric.

The incident highlights ongoing concerns about the role of AI-generated content in political discourse. As artificial intelligence tools become increasingly accessible, there are growing fears that such technology could be misused to create and spread discriminatory content or disinformation during election periods.

It also underscores the challenges facing social media platforms in moderating political content, particularly from local branches of national parties whose posts may not always align with official party positions.

Reform UK, founded by Nigel Farage and currently led by Richard Tice, has positioned itself as a right-wing alternative to the Conservative Party. The party has faced previous accusations of stoking division on issues like immigration, though its leadership has consistently denied promoting discriminatory views.

As the UK approaches a general election expected within the next year, incidents like this raise questions about the tone of political discourse and the responsibility of parties to monitor content posted by their local affiliates.