The Greens’ ‘Zionism is racism’ motion blows any chance of a coalition with Labour

Andy Burnham could be forgiven for hoping that the ‘Burnham bounce’ Labour has seen in the polls since he became prime minister would have been enough to show Labour is heading for victory at the next general election.

However, while it has certainly given Labour a boost and allowed the party to overtake Reform in some opinion polls for the first time in more than a year, early indications suggest that it has not been enough.

A major poll released last week suggests Britain is on course for a hung parliament - meaning Labour could potentially have to look to parties like the Greens and the Lib Dems for coalition partners to form the next government.

But the scenes at the Greens’ annual conference this weekend, where members adopted a motion declaring Zionism a form of racism, now make a deal between the party and Labour look impossible.

The backlash has been swift. Rabbi Charley Baginsky, co-lead of the Movement for Progressive Judaism, told Times Radio the motion was “a racist policy”.

Meanwhile the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council 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."

Having seen Sir Keir Starmer pull Labour back from the brink after a finding from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) of a party culture “which, at best, did not do enough to prevent antisemitism and, at worst, could be seen to accept it", Mr Burnham will have no appetite to reignite that controversy.

One Labour MP told The Independent after the Green vote: “No one should be contemplating it (a coalition) unless the Greens urgently revise their position.”

Be in no doubt the scars over the battle around the issue of antisemitism within Labour run deep. Asked recently what Sir Keir’s legacy would be, defence secretary Wes Streeting chose the fight to make the party electable again, rather than anything he had achieved as PM.

The issue of potential coalitions may seem far off. After all, Mr Burnham has ruled out an early election.

But nervous Labour MPs will be watching the result of Thursday’s parliamentary by-election in Keir Starmer’s old seat of Holborn and St Pancras, in which Green leader Zack Polanski is standing, closely.

Some Labour MPs fear that a resounding victory could convince Downing Street to call an election sooner rather than later. At the forefront of their minds is the YouGov MRP poll, which predicted Labour would be the biggest party with 241, well short of the 326 seats technically needed for a majority.

Labour would need coalition allies, with the Lib Dems projected at 71 seats and Greens on 9 seats just enough to get them over the line, given Sinn Fein MPs do not take their seats and the Speaker and Deputy Speakers traditionally do not vote, so are not counted.

In June, Mr Polanski said he could form a coalition with Labour – although it would depend on “what version of Andy Burnham turns up”.

But, of course, that would rely on Mr Burnham feeling he can afford to ally himself with the Greens.