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Kemi Badenoch has warned that Zack Polanski is "dangerous" for Britain in a brutal attack on the Green Party leader. The Tory boss said Mr Polanski is "in over his head" after fury erupted over his response to the Golders Green antisemitic terror attack.

He has also come under fire for wrongly claiming that he had been a spokesman for the British Red Cross. Speaking exclusively to the Express, Mrs Badenoch - who was campaigning in Croydon ahead of Thursday's local elections - said: "He's in over his head. He is an example of those people who think politics is just a game where you talk, and then you get points, and you win an election.

"I don't think he understands how the economy runs. He would be dangerous, certainly for our economy.

"I don't think he understands the nature of the threats that we face. He would be dangerous for national security, thinking that he could just sit down and have a chat with Putin."

The Green leader earned widespread rebuke last week for sharing criticism on social media of two officers repeatedly seen on video kicking a man who appeared to be the suspect in the head after he had been tasered.

Mr Polanski apologised for sharing the post in haste.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Wednesday: "Two things can be true at the same time: officers are incredibly brave when they run towards scenes of crimes that most people, including myself, will want to run away from.

"At the same time, I think it is accurate, and that I was also traumatised by seeing someone handcuffed and repeatedly kicked in the head."

But Mrs Badenoch said: "This attitude of attacking the police for doing their job, which I think was completely wrong.

"There are many people who just do not understand that when people are doing bad things, they need to face consequences.

"We need the police to be tough. We don't need people trying to stop the police from doing their job.

"And Zack Polanski did that, and I think a lot of people saw what he'd be like for the first time."

Public opinion of the Green Party leader has taken a downward turn since last week's row, according to the pollster YouGov.

Some 39% of Britons had an unfavourable view of Mr Polanski immediately before his social media repost, rising to 47% in YouGov's latest poll of 2,377 adults between May 4 and 5.

Also on the BBC, Mr Polanski admitted he was wrong to say he was a spokesperson for the British Red Cross.

The Green Party leader made the false claim as he campaigned to become the party's deputy leader back in 2022, as first reported by The Times.

He said: "I hosted various fundraisers for the British Red Cross, and indeed I would go on stage and speak for them about the amazing work they do tackling humanitarian crises, on the climate crisis, and indeed, for refugees all around the world.

"I used the wrong word, and I accept that, but I would essentially take words on stage with me and speak.

"It's important, though, and I accept this, that they don't support any political party, and I've made sure that's been taken down."