Burnham rules out coalition with Greens over Zionism motion
Andy Burnham rules out a partnership with the Green Party after members backed a motion defining Zionism as a form of racism.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Andy Burnham rejects any future coalition with the Green Party
- The backlash follows a party motion defining Zionism as racism
- Green Party members endorsed the motion by 1,022 to 813 votes
- Local council partnerships between the parties face growing pressure
Andy Burnham has stated that he will not support his party forming a partnership with the Green Party for as long as the party maintains its policy defining Zionism as a form of racism. The contentious motion described Zionism as an ideology supporting an ethnonationalist Jewish state in historic Palestine to the exclusion or domination of the non-Jewish population.
Green Party leader Zack Polanski acknowledged that the motion was imperfect and that he had hoped to see it amended. However, because members backed the policy, it has officially become party policy, though it remains unclear whether it will feature in the party's manifesto for the upcoming general election.
"Can I condemn the motion that was passed unequivocally. It is wrong, it is antisemitic, and this side of the House will have nothing to do with it."
Andy Burnham
Burnham explicitly condemned the passed motion, calling it wrong and antisemitic, while emphasizing that his side of the House will have nothing to do with it and will always take the right stance regarding political partnerships.
The adoption of this motion has exposed notable tensions within the Green Party of England and Wales. Out of approximately 230,000 total party members, the policy motion was endorsed by 1,022 votes to 813, representing only a tiny fraction of the party's membership base while triggering significant political fallout.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Currently, the Labour Party governs in coalition with the Green Party on local councils in areas such as Sheffield, Lewes, and Warwick, alongside more than 10 other regions where they run local authorities through broader coalitions.
A Downing Street spokesperson declined to confirm whether the prime minister's position would extend to local authorities or remain restricted to the national government level. Meanwhile, the controversial vote has prompted several Green Party figures to demand internal rule changes.
Source: BBC Politics
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