Green Party co-leader apologises for praising Biden following pressure by activists

The co-leader of the Green Party has apologised for praising US President Joe Biden after he announced he would not be seeking re-election.

Carla Denyer faced furious backlash from activists after she thanked him “for his many years of public service” in a social media post on X/Twitter.

Guardian columnist Owen Jones, who left Labour and endorsed the Green Party at the general election, said he hoped she “reconsiders this tone deaf statement”.

Adam Pugh, a Green candidate for Deptford and Lewisham North at the election, said “I sincerely hope you rethink this because it’s embarrassing and shameful.”

In a subsequent post, she accused the US President of complicity “in the slaughter of innocent people in Gaza”.

She continued, “Last night I was positive about President Biden's decision to stand aside as a candidate. Some people read into this that I was offering my unmitigated support for his presidency, including the policy of selling arms to Israel. Given my long-running work campaigning for peace, this is the last thing I wanted and certainly not my position.”

She said she was “sorry for not making it clearer, and that my comments left some in doubt and concerned”.

Denyer was one of four green MPs elected at the general election.

Last week, the new MP for Bristol Central used her maiden speech in Parliament to call on the government to halt arms sales to Israel.

During the election campaign, former Jewish Labour MP Louise Ellman accused Denyer – who went on to defeat Labour’s Thangam Debbonire – of “stirring division” after the JC revealed that she had used a Palestinian flag and images of destruction in Gaza on campaign material in Bristol Central.