Polanski failed to show leadership over Zionism motion, ex-Green leader says
Green Party dispute grows after Zionism motion vote
Constantvpn.com – Polanski failed to show leadership, former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas has said, after members backed a conference motion describing Zionism as a form of racism. Lucas argued that party leader Zack Polanski should have taken a clearer position during the debate.
The vote at the Green Party’s annual conference in Brighton exposed a significant divide between members and prominent elected representatives. Polanski did not attend the debate or vote, having left the conference early to campaign in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election.
Lucas voted against the motion and described it as “dangerous” and “divisive”. She said Polanski failed to show leadership when the party needed a strong public response to language she considered fundamentally flawed.
“I would have hoped [Polanski] would have been a very strong critic of this motion.”
What the motion means for Green Party policy
The motion defines Zionism as an ideology supporting an “ethnonationalist Jewish state” and backs a single democratic Palestinian state across historic Palestine, including present-day Israel. Conference motions approved by members become party policy, although they do not automatically have to be included in a future general-election manifesto.
Four of the Green Party’s five MPs opposed the proposal. The party’s co-deputy leaders were divided, while the deputy leader of the Welsh Greens resigned after the vote. The European Green Party also criticised the decision.
Lucas did not call for Polanski to resign, but said his next steps would matter. She accepted that the by-election campaign had demanded his attention, yet maintained that Polanski failed to show leadership by not addressing the controversy directly.
“I want him to speak now about what’s happened, I want him to show the leadership that was frankly missing on Sunday.”
By-election campaign adds pressure
The dispute unfolded as Polanski stood in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, triggered after former prime minister Sir Keir Starmer vacated the seat. Labour retained the constituency, although its majority fell from 11,572 to 3,364. Polanski came second and said he would remain party leader.
A Green Party source said disagreements can become particularly intense during an election campaign. The source contrasted the party’s handling of internal disputes with Labour’s, accusing Labour of anonymous briefings and factionalism.
Polanski’s response to Jewish members
In a statement after the vote, Polanski did not say whether he personally supported the motion. He said Jewish members and others would not be excluded because of their identity, faith or place of worship.
“No-one will be made unwelcome because of their background, their faith, or where they worship.”
Polanski, who is Jewish, said antisemitism and criticism of the Israeli state must remain distinct. Before the vote, he backed an amendment intended to protect Jewish members attending Zionist-identifying synagogues from disciplinary action, but members rejected it.
He also opposed the motion’s proposed single-state outcome, arguing that neither the Green Party of England and Wales nor the UK government should determine the future political settlement. The episode has intensified questions over party unity, representation and whether Polanski failed to show leadership at a pivotal moment.
FAQ
Did the Green Party motion automatically become an election pledge?
No. The motion became party policy after members approved it, but it does not automatically have to appear in the next general-election manifesto.
Why was Zack Polanski criticised?
Critics, including Caroline Lucas, said he should have participated in or publicly responded more clearly to the conference debate and vote.
What was the Holborn and St Pancras by-election result?
Labour held the seat with a majority of 3,364. Zack Polanski finished second for the Green Party.