The Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, launched a scathing attack on the Green Party during Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, accusing them of being “high on drugs, soft on Putin”. He specifically targeted Green Party co-leader Zack Polanski for allegedly wanting to negotiate with Vladimir Putin to give up nuclear weapons.
The heated exchange came after Green MP Ellie Chowns raised concerns that agricultural pollution received “one single page” in the water white paper. Responding to her, Sir Keir stated his Government had “inherited a real mess on water” and was taking steps to deal with it.
He added: “I have to say, as someone who stood to lead her party, I wonder what she makes of how her leader is responding to this global uncertainty.
“Because what he’s saying is: this is the time, this is the moment to withdraw from Nato.
“This is the time to kick the US out of our military bases, this is the time to negotiate with Putin to give up our nuclear deterrent. I’m sure Putin (will) be very quick on the line for that one.
“It’s as reckless and irresponsible as their plan to legalise heroin and crack cocaine. That’s the Green Party now: high on drugs, soft on Putin.”
In a post on social media, Mr Polanski responded to the Prime Minister’s attack, saying: “Labour are low in the polls and hard on the country.
“Fair play to whichever special advisor has written Keir a bit of a snarky line.
“Maybe Keir could take that energy to Trump on the warpath or the billionaire bosses ruining this country?”
In October last year, Mr Polanski told the BBC he wants to legalise all drugs, calling for an approach “led by public health experts” rather than politicians, and in an interview with the Guardian earlier this week advocated leaving Nato.
He told the latter: “Donald Trump has so much domination within Nato that I don’t believe it’s possible to reform Nato from within.”
Mr Polanski added: “We should be reviewing US bases on UK soil, and actually looking at a genuine strategic defence review.”
The Green leader also said the Government should be trying to persuade other nuclear-armed countries to disarm, saying: “If we’re not willing to have conversations about peace and diplomacy – that part of those conversations look at everyone denuclearising – then what are we doing here?”
The Green Party has been contacted for comment.
Source: UK Politics - www.independent.co.uk
