Playgrounds would become ‘crack dens’ if Greens were in power, policing minister says

The Green Party has previously campaigned to decriminalise drug possession NewsUKUK PoliticsPlaygrounds would become ‘crack dens’ if Greens were in power, policing minister saysThe Green Party has previously campaigned to decriminalise drug possessionWill Meakin-Durrant & Eleanor BarlowFriday 20 February 2026 22:30 GMTBookmarkCommentsGo to commentsBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popoverZack Polanski slams Starmer over Mandelson-Epstein emails: 'Serious questions to answer'Your support helps us to tell the storyRead moreSupport NowFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read morePlaygrounds would become "crack dens" under Green Party’s drug policy, a minister has warned. Sarah Jones, the policing minister, branded the Greens’ position "reckless" during a public spat with Zack Polanski. The two figures traded blows in the run-up to a by-election scheduled for next week in Greater Manchester.Mr Polanski has championed a "public health approach" to drug-taking, arguing that "the war on drugs is failing".He urged Labour figures not to "make this a cheap, stupid game where people continue to die".The Green Party has previously campaigned to decriminalise drug possession, pointing people who face harms towards housing, employment and health support.In 2024, the party proposed setting up a “regulated market” for drugs “that stops criminal supply and profiteering, and that reduces harm including by preventing children accessing drugs”.But “these reckless plans would shatter communities across the country and tear apart the very fabric of Britain”, according to Ms Jones.open image in galleryPolicing Minister Sarah Jones called Greens’ position on drugs “reckless” (PA Media)She added: “Polanski would unleash a drugs epidemic across Britain that would see our parks and playgrounds turned into crack dens.“Let’s be clear about what that would mean – lives shattered, anti-social behaviour through the roof, and public drug use running rife.“It’s deeply irresponsible to even suggest this idea and its families and young people in our communities who’d pay a very heavy price.“Drug seizures are at a record high with Labour, as we tackle drug-related organised crime while investing billions in drug prevention and treatment.“This is a common-sense approach to keep our communities safe and keep drugs off our streets.”Hannah Spencer, the Green Party’s Gorton and Denton by-election candidate, has previously said she thought “decriminalising is a conversation that we need to have”, in an interview with the BBC.She and Reform UK’s Matthew Goodwin are vying to topple the 13,413 majority which Labour won in 2024, with Labour’s Angeliki Stogia defending it in next Thursday’s poll.Speaking outside his campaign’s headquarters in Gorton, Mr Polanski told PA: “For the Labour Government to be playing political games with people’s lives is totally unacceptable and what I think it speaks to, in places like Manchester, are why people are sick of the old establishment politics.“They’re seeing people who aren’t taking issues seriously, who aren’t doing the things that need to be done to protect people, to take a public health approach, to make sure that children absolutely can’t go anywhere near drugs.“Right now, children can often get drugs if they want – that’s a completely unacceptable situation.open image in galleryGreen Party leader Zack Polanski with the party’s Gorton and Denton by-election candidate Hannah Spencer (Danny Lawson/PA)“That’s why I’m saying very clearly, I want to legalise, regulate and control drugs and that’s a public health approach by public health professionals.”Green Party leader Mr Polanski also said Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and the Government seemed “to be shouting lies about the Green Party”.He said: “Take alcohol, for instance – we regulate it because we know it’s dangerous if anyone can get it, any time, and so it should be the same with drugs, taking a public health approach.“It’s not about saying it should be fully accessible to everyone.“It’s recognising that the war on drugs is failing.“That’s not a contentious thing to say.“All around the world when people have tried to have the same policy we’ve had with drugs, it hasn’t worked, a