UK's Labour ends 11 Green council pacts over Zionism row

• Labour–Green coalitions fractured across authorities including Sheffield, Warwick, and Lewes, forcing minority rule or new pacts
• Labour ordered local Greens to reject their national party's policy or end cooperation
• Green leaders condemned the move as top-down political intimidation disrupting local governance

The UK Labour Party has pulled out of power-sharing pacts with the Green Party across 11 local government authorities after the national Green Party formally adopted a policy defining Zionism as a form of racism.

The decision ends coalitions between the two parties in major municipal bodies, including Sheffield City Council, Warwick District Council, and Lewes District Council, altering the balance of power across several town and district halls.

Labour Party chair Bridget Phillipson affirmed the party's position, stating: "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."

The dispute originates from an October resolution passed by Green Party members titled "Zionism is racism," which characterized Zionism as an ideology upholding an "ethnonationalist Jewish State in historic Palestine" and endorsed a "single democratic Palestinian State," encompassing modern-day 'Israel'.

'Israel' has repeatedly denied genocide in Gaza.

While the vote codified the stance into official Green Party platform, it triggered condemnation from Jewish community organizations and opposition political parties, leaving senior figures divided.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham warned lawmakers in Parliament that Labour would refuse to partner with the Greens over what he described as an "antisemitic" policy.

Following Burnham's statements, Labour headquarters issued an ultimatum to local council groups, stipulating that power-sharing arrangements could only proceed if local Green councillors explicitly disowned the conference motion and urged national leadership to reconsider the stance.

Of the 18 local authorities operating joint administrative arrangements, Labour stated that 11 failed to satisfy the party's criteria.

The councils affected include:

• Arun District Council
• Derbyshire Dales District Council
• Havant Borough Council
• Lewes District Council (where local Greens had separately announced a mutual end to the pact)
• Runnymede Borough Council (where local cooperation had already halted)
• Sheffield City Council
• Stafford Borough Council
• Warwick District Council
• Wealden District Council
• West Devon Borough Council
• West Suffolk Council

Labour confirmed that conditions had been met in six authorities: Broadland, Monmouthshire, North Somerset, Rother, West Oxfordshire, and West Sussex.

Additionally, the party clarified that Coventry City Council maintains no formal coalition, and confirmed it will continue joint governance within the West of England mayoralty, where a Green member serves as deputy mayor.

Green Party leader Zack Polanski defended the substance of the conference vote, arguing that while the motion was "imperfect," 'Israel’s' policies toward Palestinians remain "clearly underpinned by racist ideology."

Polanski asserted that Labour's withdrawal would backfire, accusing the party of seeking to "interrupt your local services and impose genocide support from its local councils."

The termination of alliances is expected to create administrative hurdles for hundreds of thousands of residents, as budget approvals and planning decisions face potential gridlock.

Impacted Labour and Green delegations must now choose between forming alternative coalitions or governing through minority administrations.

In a joint response, the Green Party and the Local Government Association Green Group expressed deep disappointment, accusing Labour of forcing leaders into "jeopardising successful progressive partnerships that are delivering benefits for residents."

In Sheffield, where 25 Labour councillors governed alongside 20 Greens following the May 2026 local elections, council Labour leader Fran Belbin announced the group will push to proceed as a minority administration.

"We now feel we are at the end of the road with the joint administration," Belbin said, asserting that trust had fractured over a "refusal to stand up for Jewish citizens."

Angela Argenzio, leader of the Sheffield Greens, alleged that local councillors "are not antisemitic" and claimed Labour members were being "directed by your national party leader" rather than addressing local matters.

Other local leaders echoed concern over the municipal fallout.

Green group leader in Havant Netty Shepherd labeled the move "performative politics" and warned the collapse of the partnership would prove a "complete disaster for residents."

"I am a local government councillor, I worry about people's bins, I worry about generating town centres – foreign policy is nothing to do with my remit," Shepherd said.

Green Party co-deputy leader and Wealden Council leader Rachel Millward similarly criticized the prime minister's intervention, stating: "It is utterly irresponsible to conflate criticism of the actions of the state of Israel with antisemitism. Many Jewish people strongly reject the illegal actions of the current Israeli government."

The Liberal Democrats, who also maintain local governing arrangements with Greens, have indicated similar pressure.

Leader Sir Ed Davey recently ruled out national-level alliances with the Greens over the motion, confirming he had instructed local Liberal Democrat leaders in shared administrations to press Green councillors to reject the policy.