Green Party leader Zack Polanski has risked a fresh row by claiming Britain's 'special relationship' with America is 'more of a danger' than the actions of Vladimir Putin.
In an astonishing outburst against Keir Starmer's efforts to maintain US-UK ties, Mr Polanski suggested it was a greater threat to the UK than Russia's assault on Ukraine.
The Prime Minister has been fiercely criticised by Donald Trump in recent weeks as the US President fumes at Sir Keir's failure to provide greater support for his Iran war.
In response, Sir Keir has distanced himself from America's military action in the Middle East but continued to stress the importance of the transatlantic relationship.
Yet Mr Polanski demanded the PM offer greater condemnation of Mr Trump's attacks on Iran and claimed it was 'despicable' that Sir Keir had failed to do so.
'Keir Starmer's commitment to the so-called special relationship with Donald Trump is more of a danger to British people than what Vladimir Putin is doing in Ukraine,' the Green leader said.
Mr Polanski's comments will bring further scrutiny of his demands for a radical shift in UK foreign policy, with him having also advocated for Britain quitting NATO and expelling American troops from UK military bases.
In a dig at the Green leader's backing for the legalisation of all drugs, Sir Keir has previously jibed that Mr Polanski is 'high on drugs, soft on Putin'.
Green Party leader Zack Polanski has risked a fresh row by claiming Britain's 'special relationship' with America is 'more of a danger' than the actions of Vladimir Putin
The Greens are predicted to enjoy a strong performance in May's local elections, with Mr Polanski's party tipped for success in urban areas that were previously Labour strongholds
Mr Polanski, a self-described 'eco-populist', has overseen a surge in support for the Greens since becoming the party's leader in September last year.
The Greens are predicted to enjoy a strong performance in next months' local elections, with Mr Polanski's party tipped for success in urban areas that have previously been Labour strongholds.
At a press conference for foreign journalists in London on Tuesday, Mr Polanski was asked whether he still stands by his past comparison of Mr Putin and Mr Trump.
In comments reported by Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the Green leader made reference to the US President's recent threat to Iran that 'a whole civilisation will die'.
Mr Polanski said: 'As horrendous as Vladimir Putin is and as despicable as his crimes are, I've never seen him threaten genocide.
'And I've never seen him threaten to wipe up an entire civilization and I've never seen Keir Starmer saying we have a special relationship with Vladimir Putin – as we shouldn't – or that he's our ally, but we have with Donald Trump.
'There was no condemnation from Keir Starmer that I saw about what he's threatening to do in Iran nor what is happening in Lebanon or Gaza.
'I think that's despicable. At this point, it's not that Donald Trump is more of a danger than Vladimir Putin.
'But I think Keir Starmer's commitment to the so-called special relationship with Donald Trump is more of a danger to British people than what Vladimir Putin is doing in Ukraine, which is also vile and needs to stop.'
Polanski: I should have supported Corbyn's Labour
Zack Polanski has admitted he 'would have supported Jeremy Corbyn' in the past if he hadn't been 'lost in propaganda'.
The Green Party leader, who has picked up the support of many of those who backed Mr Corbyn during his leadership of Labour, revealed he had issued a private apology to the veteran MP.
In an interview with the New Statesman, Mr Polanski spoke about why he hadn't supported Mr Corbyn's hard-Left leadership when he was in charge of Labour between 2015 and 2020.
'I think if I knew what I knew now – you can only do the best with the information you have at the time – then, yes, I would have supported Jeremy Corbyn at that time,' he told the magazine.
'I was lost in the propaganda.'
Mr Polanski also addressed his post on social media in 2018, when Mr Corbyn was Labour leader, when he said as a 'pro-European Jew' he had 'two reasons I couldn't vote for Labour under Jeremy Corbyn'.
'I've apologised to Jeremy privately about that,' the Green leader said.
He also suggested that complaints of anti-Semitism within Labour during Mr Corbyn's leadership were weaponised by opponents.
Mr Polanski added: 'When I see a man who's been an anti-racist campaigner most of his life, and I just don't think it passes the smell test to believe that he's an anti-Semite.'
Responding to the Green leader's comments, Labour Party chair Anna Turley said: 'Zack Polanski's rewriting of history is beyond the pale.
'Not only is it downright offensive, but it is completely wrong.
'Labour has a proud tradition as an anti-racist party. But under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership, we endured the most shameful period in our history and the equalities watchdog found that we had acted unlawfully in our discrimination and harassment of the Jewish community.
'For Polanski to dismiss that as 'propaganda' shows his own determination to court the worst of the worst into his own ranks.
'Keir Starmer booted the anti-Semites out of the Labour Party when he became leader.
'The Greens have now opened their arms to them. The contrast could not be clearer.'