Labour ends co-operation with Greens in 11 local councils

Labour has ended co-operation agreements with the Green Party in almost a dozen councils across England over the party’s ‘Zionism is Racism’ policy.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Labour would not work with any party at any level of government that backed the Green policy, adopted at their conference last month.

Local Labour groups with existing co-operation agreements were asked to write to their local Green leadership, seeking a clear and unambiguous public statement rejecting the policy and calling on the party’s national leadership to reject it.

Following a review of responses at a local level and by Labour’s National Executive Committee, Labour is ending co-operation with the Greens in 11 councils.

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Chair of the Labour Party Bridget Phillipson said: “The Labour Party exists to deliver for communities across the country at all levels of government. Any local power sharing arrangement cannot come at the expense of upholding the moral obligation we have to stand up for everyone in our communities and the values we share.

“Labour has been clear from the start that the ‘Zionism is Racism’ policy crosses a line and we cannot work with any party that supports it – at any level of government.

“Labour councillors will keep working hard every day for their local residents and will always act in the best interests of their area. We are pleased that some local Green Parties have rightly opted to disavow this policy and have called on their party’s leadership to do the same. It is disappointing that some local Green Parties have not met the conditions Labour has set out. Labour continues to oppose this divisive policy and calls on the Green Party to do the right thing and rescind it.

“This isn’t an issue of party politics; it’s about doing what is right and upholding the values anyone holding public office should share.

“The Labour Party fought hard to root out antisemitism within our own party and ensure it had no place in our politics. Our action is a demonstration of how today’s Labour Party will not shirk from the responsibility we have to uphold those same standards in our relationships with other parties.”

Full list of councils where agreements terminated

• Arun District Council
• Coventry City Council
• Derbyshire Dales District Council
• Havant Borough Council
• Lewes District Council
• Runnymede Borough Council
• Sheffield City Council
• Stafford Borough Council
• Warwick District Council
• Wealden District Council
• West Devon Borough Council
• West Suffolk Council

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