Stafford Green councillor criticises ‘arrogant’ Labour following spat over ‘Zionism is racism’ policy

A Green councillor says the national Labour Party was ‘very arrogant’ to order the end of a coalition at Stafford Borough Council.

Labour’s National Executive Committee announced on Monday that the party would cease co-operating with the Greens at 11 councils, including Stafford, due to their controversial ‘Zionism is racism’ policy.

Labour, the Greens and the Stafford Borough Independents have been running the borough council in coalition since 2023.

Councillor Tony Pearce, the only Green on the cabinet, criticised the national Labour Party for interfering in local matters, which he believes will cause problems for the council and Stafford residents.

Green Party members voted to declare Zionism to be a form of racism at their annual conference last month.

Labour leaders described the motion as antisemitic and said it would end power-sharing agreements with the Greens at councils if local members did not reject the policy.

Cllr Pearce holds the portfolio for climate action and nature recovery, and at the time of writing he remains a cabinet member – although he expects this will change soon.

He said: “I think it was very arrogant of the Labour Party to totally ignore the needs of local authorities and instruct their councillors like this. They’ve totally ignored the local circumstances in each area. This decision will mean that Labour will no longer have a majority on the borough council, which creates uncertainty and problems for officers.

“We’ve been working quite well with Labour at the borough council. We’ve haven’t agreed with everything the Labour government has done – particularly the decision to take planning decisions away from councillors. But we’ve continued to work with Labour in the interests of the local community.”

Without the five Green councillors, the coalition will hold 19 of the 40 seats on the borough council, two seats short of a majority. The council will hold an all-out election in May.

The ‘Zionism is Racism’ motion, which was passed by a vote of 1,022 to 813 at the Green Party of England and Wales conference, declared Zionism to be ‘fundamentally incompatible with anti-racist principles’. Party members voted to formally establish the Greens as an anti-Zionist party.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham described the motion as antisemitic and said he would not support Labour forming a partnership with the Greens. Labour Party chair Bridget Phillipson said the policy ‘crosses a line’.

But Cllr Pearce said he generally supports the policy, and rejected the allegation that it amounts to antisemitism.

He added: “I didn’t attend the conference. I may have had some issues with the wording of the policy, but the thrust of what was decided is something I fully support. By definition it is not antisemitism. Zionism is not the same as Judaism. It is a political philosophy.”

Borough council leader Aidan Godfrey has been approached for comment.