Green Party Candidates Face Antisemitism Allegations Ahead of UK Local Elections

Green Party candidates Sabine Mairey and Saiqa Ali were detained by the Metropolitan Police after posting antisemitic material online. In Newcastle, candidate Tina Ion posted on Threads urging the killing of “every single Zionist.” Mairey was photographed canvassing, breaching party rules that bar campaigning by suspended candidates.

The Guardian

Under leader Zack Polanski, Green Party membership topped 220,000 and the party fields roughly 4,500 candidates. Its highly decentralised structure slows local suspensions, and the controversy follows heightened scrutiny of antisemitism after the Gaza war and a recent Golders Green stabbing.

The Guardian

Key figures are leader Zack Polanski, Lambeth candidates Sabine Mairey and Saiqa Ali, and Newcastle candidate Tina Ion. Police arrested Mairey and Ali in early May; Mairey’s canvassing was reported on May 3; Ion’s posts surfaced on May 4; Polanski apologised on May 5; elections are on May 7.

The Guardian

Polanski told BBC One that the antisemitic comments disgust him as a Jewish person and that the disciplinary process must run its course. He said the party must work to lower tensions and argued that a handful of cases among 4,500 candidates does not constitute a scandal. The Newcastle Green Party condemned any commentary that holds the Jewish community responsible for Israeli actions and affirmed that antisemitism is unacceptable within the party.

Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA)

Labour MP Steve Reed criticised the Greens, accusing them of “rotting from the head down.” Liberal Democrat spokespeople urged the Newcastle branch to clarify its stance on the candidates. Deputy leader Mothin Ali warned that candidates facing antisemitism accusations should seek serious legal advice and suggested a class-action over suspension handling.

The Guardian

Party rules require suspended candidates to stop campaigning, yet Mairey’s canvassing reveals a communication gap between national leadership and local branches. Because the nomination deadline has passed, suspended candidates remain on the ballot, leaving voters without a mechanism to remove them. The exact number of candidates under formal investigation is not disclosed.

The Guardian

• “As a Jewish person, those comments disgust me. It’s important that we let the disciplinary process take its place, and that’s exactly what we have,” — Zack Polanski, Green Party leader

The Guardian

• “isolated fragments” — Tina Ion, Green Party candidate

BBC News

• “absolutely reject any accusation of antisemitism.” — Tina Ion, Green Party candidate

Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA)

• “A spokesman for Newcastle Green Party said: “Newcastle Green Party condemns any commentary that holds the Jewish community responsible for the actions of the Israeli state as well as hateful generalisations about Jewish people.” — Newcastle Green Party spokesperson

ChronicleLive | Newcastle Chronicle

• “Steve Reed, the housing and communities secretary, who was leader of Lambeth council before entering parliament, said: “The Green party is rotting from the head down.” — Steve Reed, Labour MP

The Guardian

The May 7 local elections will test the Greens’ prospects. The party pledged a vetting review as police investigations continue. Disciplinary outcomes will determine ballot status and guide governance reforms.

The Guardian