Andy Burnham rules out deal with Greens over ‘Zionism is racism’ motion

"We can’t support a partnership with a party that holds a position that has recently been adopted.”

During prime minister’s questions on Wednesday, Burnham was asked by Dame Harriet Baldwin if he would “rule out cooperating” with the Green Party following what she called their “descent into the most abhorrent antisemitism.”

In response, Burnham said he condemns the Greens’ motion “unequivocally”, labelling it “wrong and antisemitic.”

He went on to say that Labour will “have nothing to do with it” before adding: “We can’t support a partnership with a party that holds a position that has recently been adopted.”

The Greens and their leader Zack Polanski have come under pressure in recent weeks over the adoption of the ‘Zionism is racism’ motion at their party conference.

The motion stated that Zionism is a “political ideology which called for the creation – and, now it exists, the continuity – of an ethno-nationalist Jewish State in historic Palestine to the exclusion and/or domination of the non-Jewish population.”

It goes on to say: “The real, material manifestation of Zionism has been the historic and ongoing dehumanisation, displacement, dispossession, disenfranchisement and destruction of Palestinians. This is based upon European settler-colonial systems of domination and oppression, which has also created racial hierarchies between Jews of different ethnicities in Palestine.”

The motion also backs a ‘one-state solution’ in the Middle East with a “single democratic Palestinian state in all of historic Palestine”.

Despite the fact Green Party MPs and several senior figures in the party opposed the motion, it was passed by party members by 1,022 votes to 813.

The latest opinion polls suggest Labour would be the largest party at a general election but could fall short of a majority.

In this scenario, it is likely Burnham would need to look for a deal, in the form of a coalition or otherwise, with parties such as the Greens or Lib Dems.