Zack Polanski, co-leader of the Green Party, has called on the UK government to withdraw its trade agreement with Israel, accusing the country of acting in a 'completely uncontrolled way' following its strikes on Lebanon. Speaking at the launch of the Green Party's local election campaign in London, Polanski urged Prime Minister Keir Starmer to impose tougher sanctions and ban the US from using UK airspace for operations related to the conflict.
Polanski described Israel's actions as 'outrageous' and said the country should not continue to enjoy diplomatic and trade privileges. He called for an end to what he termed 'genocide' and demanded the UK disentangle its military from that of the US. 'What we need to do is disentangle the UK military and the US military, ban the US from using our airspaces,' he said.
When questioned about the economic impact of ending the trade deal, which is worth approximately £6 billion annually, Polanski argued that the UK should not put 'a cost on people's lives'. He also criticised US President Donald Trump, calling him an 'increasingly unpredictable and dangerous man'.
Polanski also used the campaign launch to attack Labour's housing record, pledging that Green-run councils would focus on building new council houses and oppose developers who resist affordable homes. He said the housing crisis was also an affordability crisis, and criticised Labour councils for building 'luxury, unaffordable buildings'.
Labour responded by accusing Green councillors of blocking 42,000 homes since 2018 and failing to deliver social rented housing. Housing Secretary Steve Reed said: 'There is nothing progressive about keeping London families in temporary accommodation.' Polanski dismissed the figure as 'absolute nonsense', but said he was proud of any Green council that blocks unaffordable luxury developments.
The Green Party's Hackney mayoral candidate, Zoë Garbett, pledged to push for rent controls in London. When Polanski was asked how this could be achieved given local authorities lack the power, he said it was not 'radical' and criticised the government for spending £70bn on welfare that ends up in the pockets of private landlords rather than building social homes.
