Labour ends power sharing with Greens in 11 councils amid Zionism dispute
Labour withdraws from agreements
Labour said it was ending its power-sharing arrangements with Greens in 11 councils after the Green Party adopted a policy defining Zionism as racism. The Greens had been in direct coalition with Labour in several councils, including Sheffield.
Labour chair Bridget Phillipson said the policy crossed a boundary for her party. She said Labour could not work with any party that backed it, at any level of government.
The policy and responses
In October, Green Party members approved a motion called “Zionism is racism.” It described Zionism as supporting an “ethnonationalist Jewish State in historic Palestine” and endorsed a single democratic Palestinian state, including in modern-day Israel. Green Party leader Zack Polanski called the motion “imperfect” while defending its main argument. He said Israel’s actions toward Palestinians were “clearly underpinned by racist ideology.” Labour groups also asked Greens to urge their national leadership to reconsider the policy.
Council arrangements vary
Labour said its conditions had been met in Broadland, Monmouthshire, North Somerset, Rother, West Oxfordshire and West Sussex. It said Runnymede Borough Council’s local co-operation had already ended.
Sheffield faces a minority administration
Sheffield Greens leader Angela Argenzio did not address the motion in a letter responding to Labour’s ultimatum. She said local Green councillors were not antisemitic.
Key points
- Labour is ending power-sharing with Greens in 11 local councils over the party’s Zionism policy.
- The Greens adopted the motion in October and Zack Polanski has defended its central premise.
- Labour says Coventry has no formal Green agreement and Runnymede’s co-operation had already ceased.
- Sheffield Labour plans to propose governing as a minority administration.