Natalie Bennett said the so-called ‘ citizens income ’ – which critics say would cost £280billion – would take longer than five years to bring in , and could take even longer . Every adult in Britain would be paid £72 a week under a commitment in the Green manifesto – but the party leader admitted her pledges could take decades to implement . Natalie Bennett said the so-called ‘ citizens income ’ – which critics say would cost £280billion – would take longer than five years to bring in , and could take even longer . She said another Green pledge – to dismantle the Armed Forces and use weapons factories to build wind turbines – was also a ‘ long-term aspiration ’ . And the party ’ s policy of leaving Nato and abandoning nuclear weapons was ‘ many decades into the future ’ . The revelations came in another disappointing performance by Miss Bennett , when she was interviewed on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme . In February she suffered what she called a ‘ brain fade ’ on LBC Radio when she forgot the details of her party ’ s key housing policies . On Today , she was challenged about policies listed in the Green policy book , which is set by party members at the annual conference . One of these is the citizens ’ incomes , which would be given to everyone in Britain as a ‘ right of citizenship ’ , regardless of wealth or whether they are seeking work . Miss Bennett , the Green Party leader in England and Wales , said the policy would take time to implement . She said : ‘ Let me say this very slowly – the commitment is in the manifesto . We don ’ t think we can introduce it in the term of the next parliament ; it ’ s a big change . ‘ The Green Party has a long-term vision about what Britain should look like . I don ’ t apologise for that . ‘ We are saying we need a Britain that ’ s built on principles of politics ; we need a different kind of politics and having that long-term vision , looking into the future and saying what should Britain look like in five , 10 , 20 years ’ time is something that is very much central to Green Party politics. ’ Claiming the citizens ’ income was backed by an ‘ increasing number of economists ’ , she said that as ‘ the sixth richest economy , we have to provide for everyone 's basic needs and we have to do that within the limits of our one planet ’ . ‘ The Citizens ' Income , the commitment to that , is in this manifesto – but we 've seen the difficulties that Iain Duncan Smith has got into in introducing Universal Credit , so we 're saying it would take more than the term of one parliament to actually introduce this , ’ she said . Claiming the citizens ’ income was backed by an ‘ increasing number of economists ’ , Ms Bennett said that as ‘ the sixth richest economy , we have to provide for everyone 's basic needs and we have to do that within the limits of our one planet ’ After two-and-a-half years as Green party leader , Natalie Bennett would have liked to think she has made a name for herself . But after another faltering media performance she suffered the indignity of being confused with her predecessor . Radio 4 Today presenter John Humphreys ended the grilling saying : Caroline Lucas , thank you very much . ' He quickly apologised for his gaffe . Ms Lucas was Green leader from 2008-12 , but stood down to concentrate on being the party 's first MP . Miss Bennett was also challenged over a pledge , contained in the same policy book , to dismantle the Armed Forces – saying it was a ‘ long-term ’ aspiration . She also said that abandoning nuclear weapons and leaving Nato was a ‘ long-term plan many decades into the future ’ . The book also contains pledges to legalise the sex industry and drug use , decriminalise Al Qaeda membership and impose new taxes on pop music performances and large gifts . Miss Bennett said the Greens were now the third-largest party in England and Wales . ‘ We 're larger than UKIP , we 're larger than the Lib Dems , ’ she said . ‘ We have more than 58,000 members . ‘ We 've had one Green MP , Caroline Lucas , who 's had a huge impact as one MP in the Parliament . ‘ And we 're now working very hard to send a strong group of Green MPs to Parliament who - given the electoral arithmetic - have a very good chance of being in a strong position to really influence the whole direction of the next government. ’ She said her party offered a ‘ genuine alternative ’ to the Conservatives ' ‘ austerity heavy ’ and the Labour 's ‘ austerity-lite ’ . The Green ’ manifesto will be launched next week .
Green party leader flounders again in interview about her own policies . Set out plans for 'citizens income ' paid to every adult in the country . Forced to admit it would take 'decades ' to implement expensive plan . Comment: