Labour Party leadership has issued a directive to local councillors currently in power-sharing arrangements with the Green Party. According to Bridget Phillipson, the Labour chair, these local groups are required to review their existing agreements and dissolve them if their Green partners do not formally condemn a motion recently passed at the Green Party’s conference in Brighton.

The motion, which has sparked significant political tension, characterizes Zionism as racism and rejects the two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Senior Labour figures, including Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, have publicly denounced the policy, labeling it as antisemitic. The directive places local Labour councillors in a difficult position, as many rely on these coalitions to maintain control of local government bodies.

While the Labour leadership frames this as a necessary moral stance against discriminatory rhetoric, the directive effectively forces a choice between local governance stability and national party alignment. The Green Party has not yet issued a formal response to the ultimatum, nor has there been a comprehensive accounting of how many local councils are currently affected by these power-sharing agreements. The situation highlights the growing friction between the two parties as the Green Party adopts more radical stances on international issues, creating potential obstacles for future electoral cooperation or local administrative alliances.