Andy Burnham rules out deal with Zack Polanski’s Green Party
Andy Burnham has ruled out a future deal with the Green Party – branding them “antisemitic” over a motion passed at their conference last week.
During prime minister’s questions (PMQs) Mr Burnham was challenged by Tory MP Dame Harriet Baldwin over whether he would rule out any future power sharing deal after the next election.
Dame Harriet pointed out that Tory leader Kemi Badenoch had ruled out any deal with Reform UK after she had branded their comments on Englishness racist, a stance which was praised earlier in PMQs by Mr Burnham.
She claimed that the Green motion describing “zionism as racism” was antisemitic and called on Mr Burnham to follow suit by ruling out a deal with them.
Mr Burnham said: “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.
“And we will always take the right response when it comes to any partnerships we have with other parties. We cannot support a partnership with a party that holds a position that has recently been adopted.”
The issue has been made more urgent because of claims that there could be an early election with the polls suggesting a centre left coalition is the most likely outcome.
Mr Burnham also used his conference speech to say he will press for electoral reform to a more proportional system which would mean future governments would more likely be coalitions.
The prime minister’s comments were welcomed after pressure had mounted in Labour for him to make a clear statement on the Greens.
David Lammy’s former adviser in the Foreign Office Ben Judah told The Independent: “It is hugely welcome that Andy Burnham appears to have ruled out a partnership with the Green Party as long as they subscribe to this policy that has caused such shock and distress in the Jewish community.”
Adam Langleben, the executive director of Progress, said: “Andy Burnham is totally right. The motion is the most antisemitic motion passed by any major political party in Europe, ever. Zack Polanski is too afraid of the monster he helped create to provide the leadership needed to tackle this.”
Last week The Independent revealed that they and other senior figures were calling on Mr Burnham to rule out a coalition with the Greens over the issue.
The motion passed by the Greens at their conference in Manchester has been condemned by former party leader Caroline Lucas as well as the party’s own MPs.
Mr Polanski was criticised for not showing leadership on the issue after he failed to vote because he was fighting the by-election in Holborn and St Pancras where he was defeated last week by Labour’s Sagal Abdi-Wali.
While Mr Polanski wanted the controversial motion to be amended he has pushed back against claims that it is antisemitic.
Earlier this week he posted on social media: “As a British Jew, I'm deeply concerned about the cynical blurring of Zionism & Judaism. Whatever our political differences, Jewish people must never face prejudice or discrimination. So after the Labour Government apologised over Gaza: why are they still arming Israel?”