Key facts
- Labour has demanded Green partners condemn the "Zionism is racism" policy.
- Green party adopted the policy equating Zionism with racism on October 4.
- Labour will end local government agreements with Greens if they do not reject the policy.
- Andy Burnham described the Green policy as "antisemitic."
- The Green party spokesperson criticized Labour's intervention as "undemocratic."
Labour has instructed local councils to terminate agreements with Green party partners if they do not condemn the party's new "Zionism is racism" policy. Labour chair Bridget Phillipson stated that Green groups must reject the controversial motion, which Andy Burnham described as "antisemitic," or face the end of local arrangements.
The Green party adopted the policy at its conference on October 4, equating Zionism with racism and rejecting a two-state solution. A spokesperson for the Green party criticized Labour's stance as "disappointing and wrong" and "undemocratic."
Several Green MPs and former leader Caroline Lucas have opposed the motion, and dissent is tolerated within the party's decentralized structure. The motion passed with 1,022 votes to 813, representing 0.4% of the party's membership. An amendment to protect members affiliated with Jewish institutions was voted down.