LABOUR and Tories are heading into polling day attacking Green Party leader Zack Polanski over everything from antisemitism to his relationship with the Red Cross.

The traditional governing parties have been responding to polling showing the Greens likely to make an historic breakthrough in the elections for the Scottish Parliament, the Welsh Senedd and local authorities across England.

Labour claimed that 25 Green candidates had “disturbing views,” including antisemitism.

The candidates were accused of “a raft of harrowing antisemitism, dangerous conspiracy theories and appalling comments supporting Hamas and Russia,” as well as racist posts about deputy premier David Lammy.

Two of the party’s candidates in the south London borough of Lambeth have been arrested on suspicion of stirring up racial hatred towards Jews.

A Green Party spokesperson said: “We are standing over 4,500 candidates in these local elections, the vast majority of whom we are proud to have represent us.

“Where there are examples brought to our attention that do not align with the values of the Green Party, we are looking into them, and in some cases, candidates have already been suspended.”

Communities Secretary Steve Reed, who has himself had to apologise for antisemitism, claimed extravagantly: “This is serial hatred from candidates handpicked by Zack Polanski and the Green Party to represent them at the ballot box.

“Polanski can’t stay silent on these abhorrent candidates. He needs to take action against them, withdraw his support and boot them out of the party.”

There has been some polling evidence of a drop in public approval for Mr Polanski since he shared a social media post critical of the police officers who arrested the suspect, since charged, in the stabbings in Golders Green last week.

He has since apologised for sharing the post but has insisted that police action should not be above scrutiny.

Mr Polanski has also acknowledged he was wrong to have said in 2022 that he was a spokesperson for the British Red Cross, but stressed his close public association with the charity.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said Mr Polanski was “in over his head.”

She said: “Lots of people in the Green Party are away with the fairies, they are not serious at all. 

“Zack Polanski was criticising the police who were apprehending a man who had just tried to kill two people. That’s not what a serious party leader does.”