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Greens accused of ‘effectively banning’ Antisemitism Policy Trust from staging conference fringe event
Chief Executive Danny Stone says Trust wanted to run educational event at Greens conference
The chief executive of one of the UK’s leading organisations working to combat antisemitism has accused the Green Party of “effectively banning” the charity from running an educational fringe event at its conference.
The Antisemitism Policy Trust approached the Greens to host a fringe event discussing the growing problem of antisemitism within Zack Polanski’s party and offering solutions for tackling the issue.
The Trust regularly holds fringe events at Labour, Conservative, and Liberal Democrat conferences, and previously played a significant role in discussions about the rise of anti-Jewish racism under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership.
The Times reported that the proposed event at the Greens’ conference was intended to examine the party’s rise in the polls and increased membership, as well as how the party could address antisemitism.
Suggested panellists included Sian Berry, the Green MP for Brighton Pavilion, Ellie Chowns, the Green MP for North Herefordshire, Lichtenstein, representatives from the More in Common polling firm, and the Antisemitism Policy Trust.
However, according to the newspaper, there was resistance from Green Party organisers, who were concerned that the event could become a “hit piece” or exposé of the party. As a result, the Greens refused to accept the event as part of the conference fringe programme.
Danny Stone, chief executive of the Antisemitism Policy Trust, stated: “Zack Polanski’s Green Party professes to be a democratic, anti-racist and inclusive organisation, yet it has effectively banned our charity from running an educational fringe event at its conference. The contradiction speaks for itself.”
It is further claimed that an alternative suggestion—to hold the event in a nearby external venue, with the organisers paying to advertise or list it in the fringe guide—was also rejected.
In a statement, the Green Party said: “We are regularly approached by outside organisations about activities at our party conferences and, as in this case, always discuss ideas with proposers and interested groups within the party.
“On this occasion, after consulting with our Jewish Greens group, we were unable to reach agreement with the proposers about how their idea could be fleshed out and made more inclusive.
“It is not, as Danny Stone suggests, a ban of any kind.
“We simply didn’t reach a mutually acceptable agreement. Nor is it, as Danny suggests in his quote, ‘Zack Polanski’s party’; the party belongs equally to all its members.”
More in Common added: “We are looking forward to running our biggest ever programme of fringe events this year across all seven major party conferences, including the Green Party, where we will explore public opinion on some of the most important issues facing the country.”
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