Zack Polanski, the leader of the Green Party, has called for the UK to leave Nato and consider expelling US forces from British military bases, arguing that Britain should reduce its reliance on American defence cooperation. In an interview with the Guardian's Politics Weekly podcast, Polanski said the UK's dependence on US interests was 'worrying' and that a strategic defence review should examine US bases on UK soil.
Polanski criticised Prime Minister Keir Starmer for attempting to appease US President Donald Trump, who has threatened to impose tariffs on European countries and invade Greenland. 'Donald Trump has so much domination within Nato that I don't believe it's possible to reform Nato from within,' Polanski said, adding that he supported UK withdrawal from the alliance, though this is not official Green Party policy.
The Green leader also advocated for the UK to give up its nuclear weapons, saying he would try to persuade other nuclear-armed states, including Russia, to do the same. 'If we're not willing to have conversations about peace and diplomacy... then what are we doing here?' he asked.
Polanski's comments come amid escalating transatlantic tensions, with European leaders considering retaliatory tariffs on US goods if Trump follows through on his threats. Polanski accused Starmer of 'putting his eggs in the basket of being on the good side of Donald Trump' and said the UK should wean itself off US arms imports, even if it risks the wider £331bn trading relationship.
Separately, Polanski defended his proposal for a wealth tax of 1% on assets over £10m and 2% on those over £1bn, which he claims could raise between £15bn and £25bn a year. He dismissed concerns about tax avoidance as 'absurd', stating the primary goal is tackling inequality.
