Category: News Story

STORY

Kieran Dams has resigned from the Green Party and announced that he will sit as an independent councillor following the adoption of the party’s controversial motion declaring Zionism to be a form of racism. The 23-year-old Waterloo councillor said he had returned from the party conference unable to defend a decision that he believed could have serious consequences for Jewish members.

Dams said he had supported an unsuccessful amendment intended to protect members from pressure or disciplinary action because of their attendance at, or association with, Jewish institutions such as synagogues and community centres. He subsequently voted against the final motion and said he had witnessed Jewish members in tears after it was approved.

The councillor said that supporting Palestinian freedom and criticising the actions of the Israeli Government were compatible with defending Jewish communities from antisemitism. He warned that he feared the Green Party was heading towards what he described as a “very dark place”, but said he would continue handling casework and representing Waterloo as an independent councillor.

The statement made by Kieran Dams on 5 October 2026.

I have officially resigned from the Green Party and will currently sit as an independent Cllr

A statement to the people of Waterloo

Today I have made the incredibly difficult decision to resign from the Green Party. As things stand, I will now sit as an Independent councillor for Waterloo.

I’m 23. I grew up here, walked these streets as a little boy and couldn’t be prouder to now represent the community I call home. I didn’t get into politics for a career or a party badge. I got into it to help people and make my community better.

At Green Party Conference, a motion was passed declaring Zionism a form of racism and committing the party to oppose it.

I had serious concerns about what this could mean for Jewish members. Being Jewish does not make someone a Zionist. Jewish people hold many different views on Israel and Zionism.
An amendment was put forward saying members should not be pressured or disciplined simply because they attend or are connected to Jewish institutions such as synagogues or community centres. It also sought to ensure Jewish members weren’t punished for views that wouldn’t see non-Jewish members punished.

I voted for it. It was rejected. I then voted against the final motion.
I saw Jewish members in tears afterwards. I won’t forget that.

I came back to Waterloo knowing I couldn’t look residents in the face and defend something I believe is wrong.
I will always stand up for Palestinian freedom and speak out against the actions of the Israeli Government. But I can do that while standing with our Jewish community against antisemitism. We must be able to do both.

I fear the Green Party is heading to a very dark place. I cannot follow it there.

If that means my political career ends at 23, so be it.

I’m not leaving Waterloo. I’ll still be here, taking up your casework, fighting your corner and doing everything I can for the community I love.

STORY

Labour MP Mike Tapp and 17 parliamentary colleagues have written to Sussex Police asking the force to examine whether conduct at the Green Party conference in Brighton may have amounted to criminally actionable racial or religious hatred against Jewish people.

The MPs cited delegates chanting “say it loud, say it clear, Zionists are not welcome here” and asked police to consider whether the term “Zionist” was being used as a proxy for Jewish people, as well as whether any offence may have been committed under the Public Order Act.

The group has asked Sussex Police to preserve evidence and determine whether a criminal investigation is warranted, while also referring the Green Party’s newly adopted “Zionism is racism” policy to the Equality and Human Rights Commission over concerns that it could result in unlawful discrimination against Jewish members.

STORY

The Conservatives have set out an economic programme based on reducing public spending, cutting taxes and removing regulations, with Shadow Chancellor Andrew Griffith saying that the party would use at least half of any savings to reduce the deficit while directing the remainder towards tax reductions and measures intended to support growth.

The party has identified £47 billion of proposed annual savings and has pledged measures including abolishing stamp duty on primary residences, removing business rates for thousands of high street businesses, introducing a £5,000 First Job Bonus for young workers and scrapping at least one tax at every Budget.

Its wider programme includes simplifying the tax system, changing planning rules, supporting a third runway at Heathrow and abolishing Natural England and the Environment Agency, although environmental organisations and political opponents have warned that the proposals could weaken protections and increase household energy costs.

STORY

The UK has urged members of the UN Human Rights Council to support a resolution renewing the mandate of the Fact Finding Mission investigating alleged human rights violations in Sudan, presenting the proposal on behalf of a core group also comprising Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and Norway.

UK Permanent Representative Kumar Iyer said drone warfare by both the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces had widened the conflict, with attacks affecting hospitals, markets and a kindergarten, while calling on foreign states and other external actors to stop providing weapons, money or other support to the warring parties.

The UK said accountability must extend across the full chain of responsibility, welcomed the work of the International Criminal Court and called for Sudanese cooperation with it, arguing that renewing the UN mission was essential to preserve evidence, support victims and establish the foundations for future prosecutions.

STORY

Green Party leader Zack Polanski is facing growing pressure over his handling of the party’s decision to adopt a policy declaring that “Zionism is racism”, after Sandy Ruthven, chair of the Amnesty International UK board of trustees, resigned his Green Party membership.

Ruthven, a longstanding Green member and the party’s candidate for Mayor of Bristol in 2021, accused the party of failing to confront prejudice within its own ranks and said that its attempt to court the hard left had led it into a “political cul-de-sac”, although his resignation was a personal decision rather than a statement issued on behalf of Amnesty International UK.

The policy was approved at the Green Party conference after Polanski left the event to campaign in the Holborn and St Pancras parliamentary by-election, while four of the party’s five MPs opposed the motion and senior figures have warned that it could leave Jewish members feeling unwelcome, adding to questions about Polanski’s leadership and whether he can restore confidence among those considering leaving the party.

STORY

New Ministry of Justice contracts covering spoken language interpreting, British Sign Language and specialist visual and tactile communication services have come into force across courts and tribunals, with the Government saying that the arrangements will provide more consistent and reliable support for people who need help understanding or participating in proceedings.

Existing supplier thebigword will remain the primary provider of spoken language services, while Translate UK has been appointed as an additional secondary supplier, Clarion UK will continue providing visual and tactile communication services and The Language Shop will undertake independent quality assurance.

The contracts introduce mandatory induction into the justice system for interpreters, stronger quality assessments and improvements to face to face and video interpreting, while interpreters will also be able to decline particular categories of case when the material involved is especially sensitive or distressing.

STORY

The Government has intervened in BT Group’s proposed acquisition of TalkTalk amid concerns that a collapse of the telecommunications company could disrupt essential telephone and broadband services. Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Secretary Lisa Nandy has issued a Public Interest Intervention Notice under the Enterprise Act 2002, allowing the wider consequences of the deal to be considered alongside competition concerns.

TalkTalk has been seeking a buyer for its consumer and wholesale operations following a period of financial difficulty. The Government said its networks support emergency calls, hospital and ambulance communications, medical alarms and other critical services, including those used by vulnerable customers. Customers have been told that they do not need to take any action and that services should continue as normal while the acquisition process proceeds.

The Competition and Markets Authority has been instructed to report to Nandy by 19 October 2026. She will then be able to consider the public interest implications of the transaction, including public health, critical national infrastructure and the continuity of telecommunications services, as well as the CMA’s assessment of any competition issues. The Government also intends to place an order before Parliament adding continuity of telecommunications supply as a specific ground for intervention under the Enterprise Act.

STORY

Lee Edwards and Craig Forshaw have each been sentenced to 18 months in prison after burgling a fish and chip shop and the home above it in Hindley while the family attended a funeral. The two men were sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court after targeting the property on 26 June 2026, the day of owner Brian Warburton’s funeral.

The premises were ransacked and £5,000, morphine and ten older mobile phones were stolen. The phones contained photographs, videos and recordings of Mr Warburton and the family, including memories of his partner Denise’s only son, a serving soldier who had been killed. In a victim impact statement, Denise said the offenders had taken memories, security and peace from the family at an exceptionally vulnerable time.

Greater Manchester Police said CCTV footage and witness statements identifying Edwards and Forshaw formed part of the evidence gathered during the investigation. Constable Richard Kelsall described the burglary as a despicable act and said he hoped the sentences would help the family rebuild their lives. The force reported that burglaries across the Wigan district had fallen by 35 per cent during the previous year.

STORY

The head of Jewish Greens has said she may leave the Green Party following its decision to adopt a policy equating Zionism with racism. Vivien Lichtenstein said the motion was unhelpful and that she would speak to colleagues before deciding whether to remain in the party. The policy was approved at the party’s annual conference by 1,022 votes to 813.

The dispute has also led to criticism of Green Party leader Zack Polanski, who missed the vote and encouraged supporters to campaign in the Holborn and St Pancras parliamentary by election instead. Polanski had unsuccessfully requested that the conference be postponed so the party could concentrate on the campaign, while some members believe greater involvement from the leader could have prevented the motion from passing.

Four of the Green Party’s five MPs opposed the motion, which states that Zionism should be treated as a form of racism and supports the establishment of a single Palestinian state with equal rights for all. Some Jewish members have expressed concern that the policy could affect their involvement with organisations supporting Israel’s continued existence, although supporters of the motion have said this would not happen. Party members are also reportedly considering a legal challenge under equality legislation.