Zack Polanski has accused Andy Burnham of “fuelling wars abroad” after the Prime Minister approved British military support for Saudi Arabia’s campaign against Houthi forces in Yemen.
The Green Party leader said expanding Britain’s longstanding military relationship with Saudi Arabia risked escalating the conflict and causing further bloodshed.
Polanski wrote:
“This Government should be seeking to cut the cost of living, not fuelling wars abroad.”
His intervention followed Burnham’s announcement that an RAF Voyager aircraft would be deployed to provide air-to-air refuelling for Saudi jets.
The aircraft is expected to operate from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus for several weeks, although the government says the deployment will be reviewed as the situation develops.
It is Burnham’s first military deployment since becoming Prime Minister.
Burnham says Saudi support will protect Britain
Burnham approved the Saudi request following advice from Defence Secretary Wes Streeting and Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband.
“We have received a request from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for military support,” he told reporters while travelling to the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Burnham described the operation as “defensive air-to-air refuelling”. He said it was intended to help Saudi Arabia defend its territory and protect energy routes threatened by the Houthis’ advance through Yemen.
As The Daily Britain reported, one Voyager aircraft will provide fuel to Saudi jets, allowing them to remain airborne for longer.
The RAF will not select targets or carry out bombing raids. British crews will, however, be directly supporting Saudi military aircraft during an active conflict.
Saudi Arabia has launched hundreds of strikes against Houthi positions in recent days, according to the group. The Houthis have fired missiles and drones at Saudi cities, military sites and oil infrastructure.
Nearly 700 people have been killed during the latest fighting, according to United Nations figures cited by The Daily Britain. Almost 130,000 people have been displaced inside Yemen.
The government has not publicly explained which Saudi missions will qualify for RAF refuelling or whether British support will be confined to Saudi airspace.
Polanski rejects the cost of living argument
Burnham has tied the deployment directly to the economic pressures facing British households.
Houthi forces have seized territory along Yemen’s Red Sea coast and advanced towards the Bab al-Mandab strait, one of the world’s most important shipping routes.
The strait connects the Indian Ocean to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. Disruption there would force some ships to take the much longer route around southern Africa, increasing transport costs and adding further pressure to energy and consumer prices.
Saudi Arabia also uses its Red Sea ports as an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, where shipping has been disrupted by the wider conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States.
Burnham said keeping those routes open was necessary to address “cost of living pressures” and protect British interests.
Polanski rejects the idea that deeper military involvement will produce the stability Burnham wants.
He argued that expanding British support for Saudi Arabia could intensify the war, resulting in more deaths while making life more expensive at home. His answer is that the government should pursue de-escalation rather than help Saudi jets remain in the air.
The disagreement is clear. Burnham says limited military support can protect oil supplies and prevent prices rising further. Polanski says that support risks prolonging the conflict responsible for the instability.
Britain’s record in Yemen returns to the argument
The decision has revived scrutiny of Britain’s previous role in the Yemen war.
Saudi Arabia led a military coalition into Yemen in 2015 after the Houthis seized control of the capital, Sanaa. British-made aircraft, missiles and bombs were used during the subsequent air campaign.
The Saudi-led coalition was repeatedly accused of carrying out unlawful strikes on civilian infrastructure. Saudi Arabia denied deliberately targeting civilians and said its operations were directed at legitimate military targets.
Britain continued licensing arms sales while providing training, maintenance and engineering support for Saudi aircraft.
A report published this month by the Campaign Against Arms Trade and the Transition Security Project argues that Britain should pay reparations to Yemen for its part in sustaining the Saudi-led intervention.
The organisations calculate that a windfall tax on profits made by BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce from weapons and military support supplied to Saudi Arabia could raise as much as £3.9 billion.
They want the British government to match that amount, producing £7.8 billion for humanitarian assistance and Yemen’s reconstruction. The proposal has not been adopted by the government.
The report was published days before Burnham agreed to expand British military assistance to the kingdom.
Houthis accused of threatening civilians and global trade
Polanski’s criticism does not remove the threat posed by the Houthis.
The group has launched missile and drone attacks against Saudi Arabia and has threatened civilian shipping through the Red Sea. It has also received weapons and support from Iran.
G7 foreign ministers have condemned the latest Houthi strikes and called on Iran to stop arming the group. They urged the Houthis to end attacks on civilian vessels and return to negotiations.
The Houthis’ advance has already placed greater pressure on global oil markets. Saudi infrastructure has been attacked and the kingdom has reportedly struggled to maintain some export routes.
Burnham’s case is that Britain cannot watch a major trade route close while energy prices rise at home.
Polanski’s case is that military support for Saudi Arabia is likely to draw Britain further into a conflict with a terrible record of civilian deaths.
A growing contest on Labour’s left
The confrontation also comes as Polanski prepares to contest the Holborn and St Pancras by-election on 8 October.
The Green leader is trying to take the former Labour stronghold vacated by Keir Starmer. Labour has selected Camden council leader Sagal Abdi-Wali.
The contest gives Polanski an opportunity to challenge Burnham from the left on foreign policy, climate and public spending.
He has already attacked the government over possible approval for the Jackdaw gas field and accused Labour of delaying the decision until after the by-election.
Saudi Arabia now gives him another line of attack.
Burnham entered Downing Street promising to concentrate on living standards at home. His first military deployment is being defended on exactly those terms, with the Prime Minister arguing that instability in the Gulf ends up on British energy bills.
Polanski is not disputing that the conflict has economic consequences. He is challenging the chosen response.
Britain is once again providing military assistance to Saudi Arabia during fighting in Yemen. Whether it remains a short defensive deployment or becomes the beginning of a larger commitment may depend on what happens next around the Red Sea.
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