LONDON — The Labour Party has ended power-sharing agreements with the Green Party in 11 local councils across England, the latest fallout from a row over the party's adoption of a policy defining Zionism as a form of racism.
The breakdown affects councils including Sheffield, Warwick, Lewes, and others where Labour councillors will no longer serve in coalition with Greens. Labour Party chair Bridget Phillipson said the "Zionism is Racism" policy crosses a line and Labour cannot work with any party that supports it at any level of government.
The dispute stems from Green Party members backing a motion at their national conference in October defining Zionism as racism and supporting a single democratic Palestinian state including in modern-day Israel. Having been backed by party members, the motion became Green Party policy, but it has left senior figures bitterly divided. Jewish groups and opposition political parties have condemned it.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham told MPs in October that Labour would not partner with the Greens over the "antisemitic" policy. Labour then issued an ultimatum from head office to Labour-Green councils, demanding that local Greens disown the motion passed by members at their national party conference. Green groups were also asked to call on their party's national leadership to reconsider the policy.
Labour said there were local agreements in place in 18 authorities. Of those, Labour said 11 had not met the criteria it demanded. The areas where agreements were ended are: Arun District Council, Derbyshire Dales District Council, Havant Borough Council, Lewes District Council, Runnymede Borough Council, Sheffield City Council, Stafford Borough Council, Warwick District Council, Wealden District Council, West Devon Borough Council and West Suffolk Council. Labour said its conditions had been met in Broadland, Monmouthshire, North Somerset, Rother, West Oxfordshire and West Sussex. The party said that Coventry City Council does not have a formal arrangement in place and that no such deal will be made in the future.
Labour said it will continue cooperating with the Greens in the West of England mayoralty, where the deputy mayor is a Green member. Green Party leader Zack Polanski has said the motion was "imperfect" but has defended its central premise, arguing that Israel's actions towards the Palestinian people are clearly underpinned by racist ideology.
The collapse of cooperation at the local level could impact hundreds of thousands of residents through budgets and policy decisions taking longer to get voted through. Green and Labour councillors in the impacted areas will now have to seek alternative coalition partners or try to govern as a minority administration.
