Full Breakdown
Green Party Conference Spotlights Zionism-as-Racism Motion Amid Polanski’s By-Election Bid
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Motion on Zionism Sparks Heated Debate
—as a form of racism and calls for the party to adopt an anti-Zionist stance supporting a single democratic Palestinian state in historic Palestine. The proposal will be debated in a closed plenary session on Sunday, while Polanski prepares for the by-election in the traditionally safe Labour seat of Holborn and St Pancras, scheduled for October 8.
Background & Context: Leadership, Membership Surge, and Electoral Pressure
Polanski, a London Assembly member, has reshaped the Greens into an “eco-populist” force, tripling membership to over 200,000 and winning numerous local council seats. The party’s focus has shifted from pure climate policy to broader economic intervention and strong advocacy for Palestine. Recent polling shows Green support peaked at more than 20 percent after Hannah Spencer’s February by-election victory in Gorton and Denton, then fell to around 11 percent.
Official Statements & Responses
- Adrian Ramsay, Green MP for Waveney Valley, rejected the motion, emphasizing the party’s long-standing principle of self-determination and calling the proposal “unhelpful” and “unnecessary.”
- Deputy leader Rachel Millward described the issue as “very complicated,” noting that “ethnic cleansing” in the occupied West Bank is “by definition racist,” while acknowledging divergent meanings of Zionism.
- Green Mayor Zoë Garbett of Hackney argued that Zionism, when enforced on Palestinians, constitutes racism rooted in colonialism.
Implications & Next Steps
The conference’s outcome may influence the Greens’ future relationship with Labour. Party officials indicated openness to a “balance of power” arrangement in a hung parliament, while a YouGov poll projects Labour as the largest party in such a scenario, with the Greens holding nine seats. The internal vote on the Zionism motion and Polanski’s by-election result will together shape the party’s direction ahead of the next general election.