Liberal Democrat Cabinet Office spokeswoman Lisa Smart has branded the Green Party “deeply daft” for its stance on withdrawing Britain from Nato.
Speaking to Camilla Tominey on GB News, the MP dismissed calls for leaving the alliance as fundamentally unserious given current global tensions.
She said: “You mentioned the Green Party and you also mentioned unserious politicians.
“I think at a time where there is such tension in the world, where there is such instability and real fear in our communities, talking about leaving Nato is surely wholly unserious and deeply, deeply daft.”
Ms Smart also took aim at President Trump’s rhetoric regarding Iran, describing some of his language as “abhorrent” and contrary to British values.
While making clear her opposition to the Iranian government, she said: “Nobody will mourn the loss of the Ayatollah.
“And that regime is an absolutely horrendous authoritarian regime.
“The Iranian people deserve peace and they deserve to be able to live their lives without that dreadful regime.”
Lib Dems Cabinet Office Spokesman Lisa Smart has hit out at Zack Polanski’s ‘deeply daft’ calls to leave Nato
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PA / GB NEWS
However, she defended Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey’s criticism of the American President, arguing Mr Trump had displayed “a callous disregard for human life” by suggesting he might bomb parts of Iran “just for fun”.
She told GB News: “I think it’s entirely right for Ed to call out Donald Trump’s behaviour and some of the language that he’s been using, just showing a callous disregard for human life, and to say that he might continue to bomb part of Iran just for fun.
“That is just abhorrent and goes totally against our UK values.”
The Liberal Democrats are also advocating for Britain’s Trident replacement missiles to be manufactured domestically rather than purchased from abroad.
Zack Polanski advocates for the UK leaving Nato and says Britain should ‘wean itself off its reliance on the US’
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PAMs Smart argued this approach would deliver both economic and strategic benefits, saying: “That’s surely good for jobs and growth to be based here in the UK.
“Rather than paying another nation and being dependent on another nation for our safety and security.”
She emphasised her party’s commitment to maintaining the nuclear deterrent, noting that proper military investment was essential for national protection.
The MP indicated that Ed Davey would be setting out the case for operational independence alongside the ability to sustain Britain’s nuclear programme.
Ms Smart told GB News that Donald Trump’s remarks are ‘abhorrent and goes totally against our UK values’
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GB NEWS
Ms Smart maintained that Nato membership remained essential despite her criticisms of Washington, arguing that allies must be held accountable when they err.
She characterised the United States under Trump as unpredictable, stating: “It cannot be that one of our closest allies, as you rightly say, the US, is this unreliable, is this unstable, and it’s flip-flopping from week to week.”
The MP insisted Britain could remain committed to the transatlantic alliance whilst simultaneously challenging American conduct she deemed inappropriate.
“You can’t possibly be saying that we should support what Donald Trump has been saying, and the way Donald Trump has been acting in this illegal way, without calling out our friends when they muck stuff up,” she added.