Tensions exposed among Greens by 'Zionism is racism' conference vote

It is not exactly typical for a British party conference, let alone that of one of the smaller parties, to elicit international condemnation.

The cause was the motion proposed by party members and adopted by the conference on Sunday, declaring Zionism, which is the belief in the right to a Jewish homeland, to be racism.

It's hardly likely that Polanski or indeed many Greens are going to be much troubled by Israel's condemnation of the motion. One major factor in the Greens' electoral gains over the past year or so, a hugely successful period for the party, has been their clear and vocal condemnation of Israel's war in Gaza and actions in the region more generally.

Many Greens are proud of the party's internal democracy: this motion was proposed by and voted on by party members. Yet that has resulted in the scenario of leading Green elected politicians facing scrutiny over party policy which the vast majority of them opposed.

The most vocal of them was Adrian Ramsay, the MP for Waveney Valley, who was a Green co-leader for four years until September last year when he and his running mate were defeated by Polanski by a vast margin.

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So an element of this is the changing nature of the Greens' activist base under Polanski's leadership, moving away from an environmental focus to a more general left-populist politics, incorporating a large element of 'anti-imperialist' foreign policy.

And it is striking that, though Polanski's election as leader was a clear symbol of that shift in the Greens' approach, he did not back this motion. So this could presage tensions too between Polanski and the party membership, some of whom will have been inspired to join the Greens by his leadership.

The Greens do not have a whipping system, meaning that MPs are free to vote as they wish. This is also true of their councillors, including in the almost 40 councils where the Greens are in power after the May local elections.

Separately, this motion may present a political headache down the line for Andy Burnham.

While Burnham did not specify what system he wanted, he said that Labour would at the next general election commit to a new system where "everyone's vote counts and everyone's voice is heard".