Green Party Deputy Leader Zack Polanski Says UK Must Leave NATO Because of Trump
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The frontrunner to become the next leader of the Green Party of England and Wales has called on his party to abandon its commitment to the UK remaining in its military alliance with America and other European nations, telling Byline Times that Donald Trump's presidency means that "the age of NATO is now over".
Current Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer announced her intention on Thursday not to stand in the upcoming contest, after her current deputy Zack Polanski announced his own intention to stand earlier this week.
Speaking to this paper, Polanski said that the party's next leader needs to be "bolder" in its approach to policy, beginning with a plan for the UK to withdraw from its longstanding military alliance inside NATO.
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"I think our NATO policy is out of date," Polanski said, citing his party's commitment at the last general election to remain within the alliance.
"Clearly NATO has got a lot more complex since Donald Trump has become President, and I don't think anyone should consider him a reliable ally…
"I think the age of NATO is now fully over."
Polanski said that Trump's aggressive stance towards other NATO members, including its attempts to annexe Greenland, means that the UK's continued membership of the alliance is now untenable.
"We voted at the last conference to maintain a relationship with NATO and reform it from within but I think we have reached a point where Donald Trump has made being in an alliance with America very, very difficult while he's talking about annexing Greenland…" he told Byline Times.
"We clearly need to be making sure that our policy is meeting the moment, and I think the world is changing quickly, and the idea that we can reform NATO by working with Donald Trump at the moment in a so-called special relationship is an idea that's on its last legs."
Polanski urged his party to instead focus on forming new international alliances based on "peace".
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"We need to be working alongside people who are working for peace and for democracy and diplomacy in the world, and indeed talking to people we disagree with, and doing different difficult diplomatic relationships," he said.
The Green Party has previously backed leaving NATO but switched positions following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with party members backing a conference vote in 2023 calling for reform of the existing alliance.
At last year's general election the party stood on a manifesto stating that "The Green Party recognises that NATO has an important role in ensuring the ability of its member states to respond to threats to their security," while also calling for reform of the alliance in order to produce a "greater focus on outreach and dialogue".
Polanski has urged his party to adopt what he describes as "eco-populist" positions, in a bid to counter the rise of Reform and the far right and gather a broader base of public support than the around one-in-ten voters who currently back the party....
To support its work, subscribe to the monthly Byline Times print edition, packed with exclusive investigations, news, and analysis.
Help us build the better media Britain deserves
The frontrunner to become the next leader of the Green Party of England and Wales has called on his party to abandon its commitment to the UK remaining in its military alliance with America and other European nations, telling Byline Times that Donald Trump's presidency means that "the age of NATO is now over".
Current Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer announced her intention on Thursday not to stand in the upcoming contest, after her current deputy Zack Polanski announced his own intention to stand earlier this week.
Speaking to this paper, Polanski said that the party's next leader needs to be "bolder" in its approach to policy, beginning with a plan for the UK to withdraw from its longstanding military alliance inside NATO.
Local Elections: 'Keir Starmer's Rightward Shift Is Laying the Ground for Nigel Farage'
Labour's embrace of economic and political orthodoxy is forcing voters to look elsewhere for change, argues Keir Starmer's former adviser Simon Fletcher
Simon Fletcher
"I think our NATO policy is out of date," Polanski said, citing his party's commitment at the last general election to remain within the alliance.
"Clearly NATO has got a lot more complex since Donald Trump has become President, and I don't think anyone should consider him a reliable ally…
"I think the age of NATO is now fully over."
Polanski said that Trump's aggressive stance towards other NATO members, including its attempts to annexe Greenland, means that the UK's continued membership of the alliance is now untenable.
"We voted at the last conference to maintain a relationship with NATO and reform it from within but I think we have reached a point where Donald Trump has made being in an alliance with America very, very difficult while he's talking about annexing Greenland…" he told Byline Times.
"We clearly need to be making sure that our policy is meeting the moment, and I think the world is changing quickly, and the idea that we can reform NATO by working with Donald Trump at the moment in a so-called special relationship is an idea that's on its last legs."
Polanski urged his party to instead focus on forming new international alliances based on "peace".
ENJOYING THIS ARTICLE? HELP US TO PRODUCE MORE
Receive the monthly Byline Times newspaper and help to support fearless, independent journalism that breaks stories, shapes the agenda and holds power to account.
PAY ANNUALLY - £39.50 A YEAR
PAY MONTHLY - £3.75 A MONTH
MORE OPTIONS
We're not funded by a billionaire oligarch or an offshore hedge-fund. We rely on our readers to fund our journalism. If you like what we do, please subscribe.
"We need to be working alongside people who are working for peace and for democracy and diplomacy in the world, and indeed talking to people we disagree with, and doing different difficult diplomatic relationships," he said.
The Green Party has previously backed leaving NATO but switched positions following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with party members backing a conference vote in 2023 calling for reform of the existing alliance.
At last year's general election the party stood on a manifesto stating that "The Green Party recognises that NATO has an important role in ensuring the ability of its member states to respond to threats to their security," while also calling for reform of the alliance in order to produce a "greater focus on outreach and dialogue".
Polanski has urged his party to adopt what he describes as "eco-populist" positions, in a bid to counter the rise of Reform and the far right and gather a broader base of public support than the around one-in-ten voters who currently back the party....
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