The surge of the Green party has emphasised an iron rule of British politics: those on the left cannot be treated as legitimate political actors. A case in point came at the weekend, when the Green party leader, Zack Polanski, was interviewed by Sky News’ Trevor Phillips, who barely concealed his contempt.

Two weeks ago, in an interview with Haaretz newspaper, Polanski was asked what the Green party’s response was to the recent wave of attacks against Jewish sites in the UK. His response: “I’m concerned about rising antisemitic attacks. We saw arson attacks on ambulances, for instance, and we know that, increasingly, Jewish communities are feeling unsafe. Now, there’s a conversation to be had about whether it’s a perception of unsafety [sic] or whether it’s actual unsafety [sic], but neither are acceptable.”

Phillips misrepresented Polanski’s comments, twisting his remarks into a claim that the threats to his community were imaginary. What Polanski actually said was that he feels that – at times – pro-Palestine marches have been perceived as unsafe by some Jewish people and safe by others, including himself.

Polanski then asked a question presumably already on the minds of many viewers: “Why is my Jewish identity being erased from this conversation?” Phillips’ reply was extraordinary: “Don’t try that one on........

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