Burnham faces criticism over Labour-Green coalition stance after Zionism is racism vote
PM declined to comment on whether Labour could join a coalition with the Green Party in a future hung parliament as he criticised a resolution describing Zionism as racism
Asked by reporters in Berlin about the prospect of a Labour-Green coalition, the Prime Minister said: “I’m not getting into any business about what might or might not happen in the future.
“I’m clearly setting out this Government’s view in relation to the wrongness of that resolution and the importance of the two-state solution.”
Jewish Labour national executive committee member Joshua Gardfield responded on X, posting: “Kemi Badenoch told her party they would never go into coalition with Reform. We should be unequivocal about drawing the same dividing line with the Greens.”
In her speech on Wednesday, Badenoch condemned what she described as “the disgraceful antisemitism we saw at the Green Party conference”, in reference to the party’s decision to back a motion equating Zionism with racism.
“They are seeking to erase Jewish identity. Shame on the Green Party and shame on Zack Polanski,” she said to applause from the crowd of activists and supporters in Birmingham.
In further comments on the Green Party’s motion, Burnham took a diplomatic approach, focusing on the political implications rather than addressing its impact on Jews in the UK.
He said: “I think it was a completely wrong decision, a terrible judgment on the part of the Green Party of England and Wales.
“In effect, ruling out a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine, and for that reason it shouldn’t be supported in any way, shape or form.
“I would call on the leadership of the Green Party to say that it will be reversed and it won’t be Green Party policy.
“In my view, all political parties in the UK should do everything they can to support the two-state solution between Israel and Palestine, and that certainly will remain the Government’s position.”
His assessment contrasted with that of Labour Party chair Bridget Philippson, who described the motion as “shameful” and said the vote condemned “the vast majority of British Jews and Jews around the world as racist for supporting Israel’s right to exist.”
The Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council had said in a statement: “Branding most British Jews and Jewish institutions ‘racist’ stokes anti-Jewish hatred after a year in which British Jews have been murdered attending their synagogue, stabbed in the streets, and seen their community buildings firebombed.”