STORY
Former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas has accused Zack Polanski of failing to show leadership during the party’s controversial debate on Zionism. Lucas told BBC Newsnight that Polanski, who left the Green Party conference early to campaign in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, “should have been there and he should have voted.” She described the motion as dangerous, divisive and fundamentally flawed.
The motion declared Zionism to be a form of racism and supported the creation of a single democratic Palestinian state across historic Palestine, including present-day Israel. Lucas voted against it, as did four of the Green Party’s five MPs, but it was approved by party members and became official policy. The decision has caused substantial internal division, led to resignations and attracted criticism from the European Green Party and Jewish organisations.
Asked whether Polanski should resign as leader, Lucas declined to support him directly and said his position should be judged over the coming days and weeks. Polanski subsequently rejected the criticism, defended the Green Party as a democratic grassroots organisation and said he intended to remain leader despite losing the Holborn and St Pancras by-election. He said the party’s membership had risen to around 220,000 and argued that members were entitled to hold different opinions.