The Green Party faces internal division and reputational damage after a controversial motion equating Zionism with racism passed at its conference, with MP Siân Berry revealing members were dissuaded from public opposition due to an upcoming byelection.
Berry, who argued against the motion, stated in a public declaration that many party members, herself included, were “persuaded” not to actively campaign against the policy while the Holborn and St Pancras byelection was approaching simultaneously. She acknowledged the motion has inflicted “genuine damage” on the party’s standing.
The byelection result on Thursday saw Labour’s Sagal Abdi-Wali elected with 12,292 votes (45%) ahead of Green leader Zack Polanski’s 8,928 votes (33%). Turnout was 38.7%, the lowest for any English byelection in the current parliament.
Polanski, speaking to the BBC, affirmed he would continue as party leader despite the loss, emphasizing the party’s 220,000 membership base and stating their “movement is so much bigger than one election or one motion.”
Former Green co-leader Jonathan Bartley criticised Polanski’s handling of the motion, suggesting the party has acquired “a certain toxicity” under his leadership. Bartley indicated the party’s polling levels have fallen to around 9% and warned of losing older voters as the demographic skews younger.
The leader of Jewish Greens, Vivien Lichtenstein, publicly called for Polanski’s resignation amid growing pressure within the party over the new policy. Caroline Lucas, former Green leader and first Green MP, argued the party urgently needs to reform its internal procedures to prevent similar incidents, describing the motion as crossing “a very significant red line.”
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