Burnham urges Polanski to reverse Green Party Zionism motion

The political landscape in the United Kingdom has been gripped by an intense controversy following a decision made at the Green Party conference in Brighton. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has officially called on Green Party leader Zack Polanski to reverse a controversial motion passed by party members that defines Zionism as a form of racism. Speaking from Berlin during an official visit, the prime minister stated that the motion was completely wrong and demonstrated terrible judgment by those who supported it. The decision has sent shockwaves through British politics, creating deep divisions within the Green Party itself and drawing strong reactions from across the political spectrum.

The motion in question was approved on Sunday by members at the party conference. It explicitly defined Zionism as an ideology supporting an ethnonationalist Jewish state while simultaneously backing a single democratic Palestinian state across all of historic Palestine, which encompasses modern-day Israel. Critics, including the prime minister, argue that this position effectively rules out a viable two-state solution between Israel and Palestine and should therefore be rejected in any shape or form. The internal democracy model of the Green Party means that official party policy is decided directly by its members, though these positions do not necessarily translate into general election manifestos.

The fallout has placed immense pressure on Green leader Zack Polanski, who was absent during the crucial debate and vote. Polanski had left the conference early to return to London to focus on the final stretch of his campaign in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, a seat vacated by former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Although Polanski had backed an amendment to protect Jewish members from being disciplined for attending Zionist synagogues—an amendment that was ultimately voted down by the membership—his absence and subsequent silence have drawn severe criticism. Former Green leader Caroline Lucas openly criticized Polanski on Newsnight, stating that he should have been present to vote and act as a strong critic of the flawed motion.

The controversy has deeply fractured the party's leadership and parliamentary representation. Four of the party's five MPs have openly opposed the motion, while its co-deputy leaders remain split on the issue. Furthermore, the Green deputy leader in Wales chose to resign in protest, and European Green counterparts have also voiced strong condemnation. Polanski has stated that he would not accept anyone being excluded from the Green Party based on their religious or communal affiliations, but he has largely declined media interviews to address the specifics of the motion. As voters cast their ballots in Thursday's by-election, the timing of the controversy has severely complicated the Green Party's efforts to overturn a substantial Labour majority in the high-profile contest, leaving political analysts questioning how the leadership will mend the internal rifts in the coming weeks.