Labour halts local green deals

British local governments have long relied on cross-party cooperation to maintain stability. On Monday, the governing Labour Party announced it would cease working with the Green Party in 11 councils across England. This move follows the Greens' adoption of a policy stating that Zionism is racism during their annual conference in October.

Bridget Phillipson, the chair of the Labour Party, stated that the Green motion crosses a line. She explained that Labour cannot work with any party supporting the policy at any level of government. Prime Minister Andy Burnham previously described the motion as antisemitic. In response, the Green Party said it would not take lectures from a government that supplies weapons to Israel.

The split occurred after Green party activists voted to recognize Zionism as a form of racism. This vote made the Greens the first major UK party to take this position. The party also voted to support a single democratic Palestinian state with equal rights for all groups, replacing the previous two-state solution model.

Labour has listed the specific councils where cooperation will stop. These include Arun, Derbyshire Dales, Havant, Lewes, Sheffield, Stafford, Warwick, Wealden, West Devon, and West Suffolk. Six other Green council groups in Broadland, Monmouthshire, North Somerset, Rother, West Oxfordshire, and West Sussex have already condemned the national motion.

Phillipson argued that local power-sharing arrangements should not compromise the moral obligation to stand up for community values. She noted that some local Green parties have disavowed the policy, while others have not met Labour's conditions. Labour is calling on the Green leadership to rescind the divisive policy.

The Green Party responded by noting that Green, Labour, independent, and Liberal Democrat councillors have successfully delivered stable local government. The party stated that those issuing ultimatums have often ignored the judgments of local leaders and respected the choices of voters. They argued that these actions are disrupting successful partnerships.

Green leader Zack Polanski, who is Jewish, said the decision to end power sharing would backfire on Labour. He stated that the Greens want to tax billionaires and tackle the climate crisis, while Labour seeks to interrupt local services. Polanski suggested that Prime Minister Burnham is revealing his project through this action.