Green Leader Zack Polanski Backs Legalisation Of All Drugs

The leader of nan Green Party says he wants to legalise each drugs, calling for an attack "led by nationalist wellness experts, not politicians".

Speaking to BBC South East up of his statement conference, Zack Polanski said he agreed pinch a Kent Green councillor, who earlier this twelvemonth called for nan legalisation of each drugs, including people A narcotics for illustration heroin and ace cocaine.

Polanski said "the warfare connected narcotics has perfectly failed, and yet we request to beryllium having a nationalist wellness approach".

When asked astir implications of this for nan taxpayer, he replied, "Well, I deliberation voters are having to salary correct now for a crime that happens, for nan truth that group are successful nan forbidden supplier markets, for gangs that we spot crossed region lines.

"All of this is simply a nonaccomplishment of nan truth that, again, for acold excessively long, Prime Ministers person stuck their heads successful their soil and said, if we conscionable make narcotics illegal, everything's going to beryllium okay."

The Green Party of England and Wales is gathering successful Bournemouth for their first autumn convention nether a caller activity squad which besides consists of lawman co-leaders Mothin Ali and Rachel Millward, nan existent lawman leader of Wealden District Council.

The statement has seen increasing occurrence successful section assembly elections successful parts of Kent Sussex and Surrey successful caller years, including successful antecedently Conservative-voting areas for illustration Wealden, Reigate and Maidstone.

Modelling himself arsenic an "eco-populist" during nan caller activity election, Polanski was seen to person a much radical, left-wing approach.

It was based on by his opponents that this mightiness alienate nan much moderate, erstwhile Conservative statement voters who had turned to nan statement complete issues for illustration protecting greenish spaces from housebuilding.

The leader rejected this thought erstwhile speaking to BBC South East.

He said: "I deliberation nan extremist point for group successful nan South East is nan truth that their wages person not gone up, but their bills person gone up, nan truth that they can't get an NHS dentist appointment.

"The truth that it feels for illustration there's nary existent early aliases opportunities for young people.

"So I don't really deliberation what I'm offering is radical. What I'm offering, I deliberation tin entreaty to almost everybody."

Polanski remains clear that his statement wants to "tax multi-millionaires and billionaires" successful bid to create a fairer society.

"This is astir redistributing nan excess wealthiness that is happening correct crossed nan South East and England and Wales, and saying, let's put that money backmost into our communities," he said.

The leader discussed a myriad of different issues, including defence and nan party's wide predetermination prospects.

When asked whether nan erstwhile Conservative voters now pinch nan Green Party would support his ambition for nan UK to time off NATO, Mr Polanski stressed that nan UK needs "a different attack to defence".

He said: "What I'm talking astir location is recognising we can't beryllium successful hock to Donald Trump.

"What I want to do is person a speech astir what an replacement confederation looks for illustration pinch our European neighbours."

This would not "necessarily" mean spending much connected defence, Mr Polanski added.

Turning attraction to nan adjacent wide election, nan Green leader has antecedently said he thinks his statement tin triumph 30-40 seats.

When it travel to nan South East he says different seats successful Brighton will beryllium "first connected nan list", pinch nan statement hopeful of adding to nan Brighton Pavilion it has held since 2010.

Polanski said: "I deliberation nan truth that Sian Berry has specified an unthinkable success, successful Brighton Pavilion shows that a batch of nan seats astir location abruptly get into play.

"That doesn't norm retired different seats too."