Zack Polanski on Rejoining the EU
TL;DR
Zack Polanski confirms the Green Party's aim is to take the UK back into the European Union when politically feasible.
Key Points
The Green Party platform promises to work towards rejoining the EU when the domestic political situation and member state willingness align.
He has called the end of free movement between the UK and the EU a “disaster” that should be reversed promptly.
He confirmed the party would look to rejoin the customs union as a shorter-term step towards closer ties with the EU.
Summary
Zack Polanski has unequivocally stated that rejoining the European Union is an aim for the Green Party of England and Wales, replying “Yes it is” when asked directly in an interview. While he confirms this party objective, he notes it is not a policy he is currently “shouting about” because the public has already made a decision through the referendum. He suggests that the more immediate concerns demanding discussion are inequality and the cost of living crisis.
Despite acknowledging the public decision, he believes there is a strong argument for another referendum given polling suggests many who voted out now regret the choice. Furthermore, Polanski indicated that a subsequent referendum may not even be necessary if the Green Party were to win a huge majority with a manifesto pledge to rejoin. The party’s official platform promises to work towards rejoining the EU when the domestic political situation is favourable and EU member states are willing, while currently focusing on strengthening ties, such as rejoining the customs union.
Key Quotes
“We had a referendum. Now when you poll those people, people largely say it was a mistake and it was awful so I think there's a really strong argument to have another referendum and another conversation about rejoining.”
work towards (re)joining the EU as soon as the domestic political situation is favourable and EU member states are willing
Frequently Asked Questions
Zack Polanski confirms that rejoining the European Union is an aim for the Green Party of England and Wales. He believes there is a strong argument for another referendum on the matter given current public sentiment.
His current position aligns with the stated Green Party policy, which commits to working towards rejoining the EU when politically feasible. There is no indication that his core stance has evolved away from supporting EU membership.
He suggested a second referendum on EU membership could be warranted as many people now view the original decision as a mistake. He noted it might not even be needed if the Greens won a very large electoral majority with that as a key pledge.