Munich, Germany – – Britain’s Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has publicly accused the Reform UK and Green parties of undermining the United Kingdom’s commitment to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), escalating a political debate over national security ahead of potential elections.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Cooper leveled the criticism as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak used a weekend address at the same conference to claim that Labour’s political rivals were “soft on Russia and weak on NATO.” Cooper elaborated on these concerns in an interview with Sky News, stating that Britain’s national security relies on strong international partnerships, and that both Reform UK and the Green party had actively weakened that commitment.
“Our national security depends on us having partnerships abroad that make us strong and we have seen both Reform and the Greens undermine that commitment to the Nato alliance,” Cooper said. She specifically pointed to Reform UK’s perceived lack of seriousness regarding the threat posed by Russia.
Cooper drew attention to the recent conviction of Nathan Gill, a former Member of the European Parliament and colleague of Nigel Farage, Reform UK’s leader, on charges related to accepting bribes to promote pro-Russian narratives. “They have refused to have an investigation into Russian interference in their own party despite the fact that their own Welsh leader was convicted of links to Russia,” she stated. Gill was found guilty of accepting funds from an individual suspected of having ties to the Kremlin in exchange for disseminating pro-Russian statements.
The Foreign Secretary also referenced Russia’s past use of lethal toxins, citing the 2018 poisoning in Salisbury, England, which resulted in the death of a British woman, and the more recent allegations surrounding the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. According to a statement released by Britain and other nations, laboratory testing indicated that Navalny was likely killed by exposure to epibatidine, a potent toxin derived from the skin of Ecuador dart frogs.
These accusations from Labour come after Farage reiterated his controversial claim that Western expansion of the European Union and NATO eastward provoked Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. In a recent interview on the BBC Radio 4’s “Political Thinking” podcast, Farage defended his position, stating he had been “right” and expressed surprise at the criticism he received. He characterized the 2014 protests in Ukraine, which led to the ousting of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych, as a “street coup.”
Despite his past statements, Farage has publicly supported Ukraine’s potential membership in NATO and advocates for increased UK defense spending to strengthen the alliance.
The criticism extended to the Green party as well, focusing on the position of its leader, Zack Polanski. While Polanski affirmed his commitment to Article 5 of the NATO treaty – the principle of collective defense – he also left open the possibility of the UK withdrawing from the alliance altogether. “If we’re in Nato as we are, then it’s clear that we need to sign up to the articles. And Article 5 says an attack on one is an attack on all,” Polanski told Sky News.
Polanski has previously advocated for a reduction in military spending and a reassessment of the UK’s defense relationship with the United States, though these views are not currently official Green party policy. He has suggested dismantling the existing defense alliance and reducing reliance on American weaponry.
The Labour party’s attacks on both Reform UK and the Green party underscore the growing political sensitivity surrounding national security issues in the UK, particularly in the context of ongoing geopolitical tensions with Russia and the evolving security landscape in Europe. The debate highlights differing views on the UK’s role in NATO and its broader foreign policy priorities.
The timing of these statements, coinciding with the Munich Security Conference, signals a deliberate effort by the Labour party to position itself as a staunch defender of NATO and a credible alternative on national security issues as the UK approaches a potential general election.
