Labour ends Green power-sharing in 11 councils over Zionism policy

Labour says it will end power-sharing deals with Green councillors on 18 local authorities unless they reject their party’s policy describing Zionism as a form of racism, setting local groups a seven-day deadline to respond. [1]

The Green Party of England and Wales adopted the policy at its recent conference. The motion describes Zionism as an ideology supporting an “ethnonationalist Jewish state” and backs a single democratic Palestinian state across historic Palestine, including present-day Israel. It has drawn criticism from Jewish groups and senior Green figures.

Labour chair Bridget Phillipson said arrangements would end where Green groups could not provide “clear and unambiguous” assurances that they rejected the policy. Local Labour groups are also being asked to urge their Green counterparts to call on the party’s national leadership to reconsider it.

The Greens accused Labour of interfering in local decisions. A party spokesperson said it was “undemocratic” to tell local parties whom they could work with, and said conflating criticism of Israel with antisemitism was “disappointing and wrong”.

Green leader Zack Polanski has called the motion “imperfect” and said he wants it amended, while arguing that its central point about racist ideology underpinning the displacement and genocide of Palestinians is valid. Israel denies committing genocide in Gaza. The party’s two deputy leaders have also disagreed over the motion: Mothin Ali supported it, while Rachel Millward voted against it.

Labour is in coalition with the Greens in Sheffield, Lewes and Warwick; in other areas, the parties govern alongside additional partners. The Board of Deputies of British Jews welcomed Labour’s announcement. Its vice-president, Karen Newman, called the Green policy an “antisemitic platform”.

The parties have different rules on local coalitions. Labour councillors need approval from the party’s National Executive Committee to enter local arrangements, and local groups must leave power-sharing deals when instructed by their regional office. Green local groups, by contrast, make the final decision on whether to share power.

Update

Labour has ended power-sharing agreements with the Green Party in 11 local councils, saying local Green groups failed to meet its demands over a party policy describing Zionism as racism. The break-up could slow decisions on budgets and services affecting residents, the BBC reports. [2]

The councils include Sheffield, Warwick and Lewes. Labour said agreements had been in place in 18 authorities, but 11 did not meet its criteria. It had asked local Green groups to disown the policy and call on the party’s national leadership to reconsider it.