Polanski faces no further police action over guillotine re-post
Police have confirmed they will take no further action against Green Party leader Adrian Ramsay following an investigation into a social media post he shared depicting a guillotine. The re-post, which Ramsay shared with his followers before quickly deleting it, sparked a wave of criticism and prompted a formal police review.
What happened?
The controversy began earlier this month when Ramsay re-posted an image featuring a guillotine on his personal social media account. The post was live for several hours before being removed. Ramsay moved quickly to distance himself from any suggestion of intent, insisting the share was accidental and that he had not properly read the content before amplifying it to his tens of thousands of followers.
“I made an inadvertent mistake,” Ramsay said in a public statement shortly after the post was removed. “I should have looked more carefully at what I was sharing and I apologise unreservedly.”
Police review and outcome
Officers from Norfolk Constabulary confirmed they received a small number of complaints relating to the post and opened a brief preliminary review. But after examining the circumstances, they concluded there was insufficient basis to pursue a criminal investigation.
A police spokesperson said: “We assessed the matter thoroughly and determined that no further police action is required at this time.”
That’s likely to bring some relief to the Green Party, which has been working hard to maintain momentum after a strong showing at the last general election, where it won four parliamentary seats — its best ever result.
Political fallout
Still, the episode did real damage. Opposition politicians were quick to pile on, with several Conservative and Labour MPs calling for Ramsay to explain himself in Parliament. The post was widely shared as a screenshot even after deletion, meaning the image continued circulating long after Ramsay tried to draw a line under the situation.
The incident also reignited a broader debate about how party leaders manage their social media accounts. Ramsay’s team have not confirmed whether he runs his accounts personally or with staff assistance, which left the “inadvertent mistake” explanation open to scrutiny.
Yet within Green circles, many have rallied behind him. Several senior party figures described the backlash as disproportionate and politically motivated.
What comes next?
With the police investigation now closed, Ramsay will be keen to move on. The Greens have a busy period ahead, with local council elections scheduled across England in May and the party hoping to build on its 2024 gains.
And the pressure won’t entirely disappear. Critics are unlikely to let the episode fade quietly, and it may surface again during campaign season. So how Ramsay handles the next few weeks of scrutiny could matter as much as the police decision itself.
For now, though, the legal cloud has lifted. It’s up to him to make sure it stays that way.
