Nato

Young Labour tweets call for UK to withdraw from NATO

Labour's official youth wing has launched a scathing attack on NATO for what it called "acts of aggression both historical and present", as tensions between Russia and the West continue to intensify.

In a series of tweets posted on Monday, Young Labour also criticised Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer for pushing further engagement with NATO while at the same time "attacking Stop The War and other pro-peace activists".

Another tweet said delegates and affiliates from the party's youth wing "voted that we should withdraw from NATO and pursue an international policy based on peace".

The statements, posted on the group's official Twitter page, came as Armed Forces Minister James Heappey described the amassing of Russian troops along the Ukrainian border as a "credible force set to do something imminently".

Young Labour's statements were met with anger by one former defence minister.

NATOs acts of aggression both historical and present are a threat to all of our safety. Young Labours delegates from across our membership and affiliates voted that we should withdraw from NATO and pursue an international policy based on peace, adopting this as official policy.
— Young Labour (@YoungLabourUK) February 14, 2022

Talking exclusively to Forces News, Ivor Caplin, Labour defence minister from 2003 to 2005, said: "This is not an acceptable position.

"It has never been the position of the Labour Party that has been quoted in that tweet."

Labour has too often been on the wrong side of international issues. Young Labour calls on the leadership to stop backing NATO aggression, call wholeheartedly for peace, commit to constructive engagement with activists and deliver international policy around peace and cooperation
— Young Labour (@YoungLabourUK) February 14, 2022

Young Labour's tweets called for the party to instead "commit to constructive engagement with activists and deliver international policy around peace and co-operation."

Mr Caplin, a member of the executive board of the Labour Party for the South East, stressed it was "particularly important" members of the Armed Forces knew that the Labour Party supported them.

He said: "Labour has supported the military consistently over the years."

Sir Keir Starmer has been a vocal supporter of NATO.

In an opinion piece published by The Guardian, the Labour leader said the party's "commitment to NATO is unshakable" and that to "condemn NATO is to condemn the guarantee of democracy and security it brings".

Forces News asked Labour for its reaction to the tweets, but the party said it would not be making any comment at this time.