Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has suggested military alliances like Nato could build up “greater danger” in the world and should ultimately be disbanded.
Mr Corbyn acknowledged the transatlantic alliance was not going to be scrapped immediately but added that people should “look at the process that could happen at the end of the Ukraine war”.
He said he did not blame NATO for Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine but questioned: “Do military alliances bring peace?”
The Islington North MP said he wanted to see “some kind of much deeper security discussion, as indeed Nato was having a security discussion with Russia until last year”.
Jeremy Corbyn
Kirsty O'Connor
Mr Corbyn, a long-standing critic of NATO, told Times Radio: “I would want to see a world where we start to ultimately disband all military alliances.
“The issue has to be what’s the best way of bringing about peace in the future? Is it by more alliances? Is it by more military build-up?
“Or is it by stopping the war in Ukraine and the other wars… that are going on at the present time, which are also killing a very large number of people?
“And ask yourself the question, do military alliances bring peace? Or do they actually encourage each other and build up to a greater danger?
“I don’t blame NATO for the fact that Russia has invaded Ukraine, what I say is look at the thing historically, and look at the process that could happen at the end of the Ukraine war.”
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn speaking at a Bloody Sunday memorial lecture at the Guildhall in Londonderry ahead of the Bloody Sunday 50th anniversary
Brian Lawless
The ex-opposition leader lost the Labour whip over his response to the equalities watchdog’s report into antisemitism in the party.
Although he was reinstated as a Labour member after a suspension, Sir Keir Starmer has refused to readmit him to the parliamentary party.
“I think it’s a wrong, totally unjustified decision,” Mr Corbyn said.
He declined to rule out starting a breakaway party, possibly based on his peace and justice project.
“I don’t know what the future is going to bring. I am focused on representing my constituency, being a Member of Parliament and on saying to the Labour Party: to win the next election, you have to appeal to people.
“And you have to appeal to people on the basis of economic justice and changes in the power structures within our society.
“Abandoning policies that would achieve that, particularly public ownership, is not going to excite people.”