Full Breakdown
Burnham Rules Out Labour-Greens Partnership After Green Party Adopts “Zionism Is Racism” Motion
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
At Prime Minister’s Questions, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Labour would not partner with the Green Party while it maintains a policy defining Zionism as a form of racism. The Green Party’s annual conference vote on October 4 approved the motion by 1,022 votes to 813. The motion characterises Zionism as an “ethnonationalist political project” and calls for a single democratic Palestinian state across historic Palestine.
Background & Context
The Greens adopt policy through member votes at their annual conference. The October 4 vote made them the first mainstream European party to adopt an anti-Zionist stance. Party rules turn member-approved motions into official policy, though the motion is not automatically placed in the election manifesto. Labour currently works with Greens on local councils in Sheffield, Lewes and Warwick and in broader coalitions in more than ten other areas.
Data & Statistics
- Vote result: 1,022 for vs 813 against.
- Party membership: about 230,000 members; the vote represented roughly 0.4 % of the total membership.
- Local coalitions: Labour-Green partnerships exist in three council administrations and in over ten additional joint-governance arrangements.
Official Statements & Responses
- A Downing Street spokesperson declined to confirm whether Burnham’s position applies to existing local council coalitions or is limited to national-level arrangements.
- Lubna Speitan, a backer of the motion, said it aims to oppose “racist systems of oppression” and affirmed the party’s commitment to stand against all forms of racism.
Criticism & Opposition
- Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, wrote an op-ed urging Labour to “draw a red line,” arguing any partnership would legitimize an ideology that denies the Jewish people’s right to a homeland.
- Ian Austin, former Labour minister, described the motion as evidence of “extreme Islamists” and “radical left-wingers” using the Greens to push an “extreme anti-Zionist agenda.”
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Scope of Burnham’s ruling: Downing Street did not clarify whether the prohibition extends to existing local council arrangements, leaving uncertainty about current coalitions.
- Policy implementation: Sources differ on whether the motion will be incorporated into the Greens’ next election manifesto; some say it “will not necessarily be included,” while others suggest it could shape future platform drafts.
- Membership representation: Green MP Ellie Chowns noted the motion was passed by a tiny fraction of the party’s membership (0.4 %), raising questions about the legitimacy of the process.
Verbatim Quotes
- “It is wrong, it is antisemitic, and this side of the House will have nothing to do with it,” — Andy Burnham, British prime minister
- “We cannot support a partnership with a party that holds the position that has recently been adopted,” — Andy Burnham, British prime minister
What’s Next
- Rule reform proposals: Green leader Zack Polanski has called for changes to party governance that would give leaders greater authority over strategic direction and policy development.
- Calls for reversal: Burnham urged the Green leadership to reverse the motion during a visit to Berlin on October 8, but the Greens have not set a timeline for amendment.
- Potential legal scrutiny: The Campaign Against Antisemitism has referred the motion to the Equality and Human Rights Commission, suggesting possible investigations into whether the policy breaches anti-discrimination law.
The dispute over the “Zionism is racism” motion now shapes the political calculus for any future Labour-Greens cooperation at both national and local levels.