Labour ends Green coalitions in 11 councils over Zionism motion
Labour has withdrawn from power-sharing arrangements with the Greens in 11 councils, including Sheffield, Warwick and Lewes, after the Green Party adopted a policy defining Zionism as racism. Party chair Bridget Phillipson said the policy “crosses a line and we cannot work with any party that supports it”. Zack Polanski said the move would “backfire”.
Labour issued an ultimatum last month covering 18 councils in England and one in Wales, demanding written reassurance that Green partners condemned the motion within seven days. The motion, passed by members in October, backs a “single democratic Palestinian state” and has bitterly divided senior Greens, with Jewish groups condemning it as antisemitic. The rupture removes a working relationship in councils where neither party commands a majority, and sharpens the contest for progressive voters.