Councils Face Upheaval After Labour Threat to End Coalitions With Greens

Labour’s threat to end local power-sharing agreements with the Greens in response to its ‘Zionism is racism’ motion could lead to disruption at councils across England and Wales. 

Bridget Phillipson, Labour’s chair, said on Thursday that Greens working in coalition with the party in local councils must “make clear that they reject” the motion. Otherwise, she said, “Labour will bring any such local arrangement to an end”.  

She also echoed a claim by prime minister Andy Burnham that the motion is “antisemitic”. In response, the Greens accused Labour of conflating criticism of Israel with antisemitism.

Between 17 and 19 councils could be affected if Labour ends the agreements, according to various media reports. They include Sheffield City Council, which is at “risk of collapse” if Labour ends their coalition with the Greens, the Yorkshire Post reported. 

Wealden Council, which is led by Green party deputy leader Rachel Millward, may also be affected. The council is dominated by the Greens and Lib Dems, with Labour providing two councillors to give the alliance a slender majority. Before Labour joined, the alliance led the council without a majority. 

Millward has already publicly opposed the motion. Green leader Zack Polanski did not vote and has said he wanted amendments, including one aimed at reassuring people within the party who attend Zionist synagogues. Members, not leaders, passed the motion by 1,022 votes to 813 at their annual conference on 4 October.

The motion says Zionism calls for “an ethnonationalist Jewish state” and has led to the “dehumanisation, displacement, dispossession, disenfranchisement and destruction of Palestinians” while creating “racial hierarchies”. 

A Green party spokesperson said in a statement: “For the Labour government to conflate criticism of Israel with antisemitism is disappointing and wrong. Trying to tell local parties what to do and who they can work with is undemocratic. Whilst Labour continue to try to meddle in our internal democracy, arm a genocide and lock up protesting pensioners, we will not take lectures from them.” 

Speaking during prime minister’s questions on Wednesday, Burnham ruled out a national coalition with the Greens because of the motion. 

Polanski hit back at Burnham’s statement on X. “I’m the only Jewish leader of a political party. I’m a victim of antisemitism every day and I’ve made it clear Jewish people are welcome in my party,” he wrote. “You’re a prime minister who arms a genocide and locks pensioners up for opposing it.

“A Labour government who apologised over their actions over Gaza is demonstrating that it was all performative. Andy Burnham still stands with Israel whilst it kills innocent people,” he said.