Leaving NATO could help curb illegal migration, says Monty Panesar

Monty Panesar addresses fellow party candidates in Parliament Square on Tuesday as George Galloway, leader of the Workers' Party of Great Britain, looks on credit: Leon Neil/Getty

Leaving NATO could help curb illegal migration, Monty Panesar said, as he appears confused about the role of the security alliance.

The former England cricketer announced on Tuesday that at the next general election he will stand as the Labor Party candidate for George Galloway in Ealing Southall, west London, which is currently a safe Labor seat.

Mr Galloway's party has already vowed to leave NATO, the defensive military pact between 32 Western countries in which Britain plays a leading role and whose leader has regularly objected to its support for Ukraine following Russia's illegal invasion in 2022.

But in an interview with Times Radio, Mr Panesar wrongly suggested that Nato's work was instead linked to immigration policy and that UK membership made border control more difficult.

«I think the reason they say that, the reason our party says that is because we don't really have controls on our borders,» he said.

“We have illegal migration, and then what happens is that some of these illegal migrants go to poorer and more deprived areas, and then the resources in [those] areas are depleted.

“And it affects, you know, ordinary people, our working people in this country. So it affects the poorest. And I think that's one of the reasons why our party wants to, you know, have a debate about whether it's really necessary to be in NATO or not.»

Candidate for Ealing Southall

Mr. Panesar is seeking to oust Labor in Ealing Southall, which it has controlled since the constituency was created in 1983, as Mr Galloway's party seeks to destroy Sir Keir Starmer's chances of winning dozens of seats in protest over his stance on Gaza.

“But when it comes to some other policies, this is only the second day of my political career. I'm not an expert in other things. But I believe in a free Palestine and there needs to be a ceasefire.»

Revealing that he had never voted in an election, Mr Panesar said he had joined the Workers' Party to «give people a choice before they just choose either the Tories or the Labor Party.»

Mr Panesar, widely regarded as one of the best cricketers in England's history, represented his country between 2006 and 2013 and played a central role in the success of the 2009 Ashes campaign.

After retirement he became a freelance journalist, author and broadcaster, developing an interest in current affairs while studying for a sports journalism degree at St Mary's University in London.