The Liberal Democrat deputy leader sparked backlash today when refusing to pull out of power-sharing deals with the Green Party amid a furious antisemitism row.
Daisy Cooper, the party’s economic spokesman, condemned the Green Party’s new ‘Zionism is Racism’ motion, but refused to follow Labour’s example of threatening to collapse council coalitions.
Ms Cooper was also blasted for appearing to suggest that Liberal Democrat councillors are victims of the row, as she bemoaned that many now find themselves having to work with potential supporters of the Greens’ new Israel stance.
Last week the Labour Party issued a decisive ultimatum to local Green Party branches: either publicly disavow the party’s anti-Israel position or see power-sharing deals end.
The move was praised as principled and could spark turmoil in councils up and down the country when the deadline passes this Thursday.
Asked about the Liberal Democrats‘ 22 local government deals with the Green Party at a speech yesterday, Ms Cooper said she ‘completely and utterly’ condemns their Zionism is Racism motion.
‘Not only does it conflate the actions of British Jews with far-right politicians in a foreign government, it also breaks the cross-party consensus in Britain that there should be a two-state solution,’ she explained.
But she added: ‘It is for Green MPs, Green councillors, and the Green Party members to fix this mess that they have caused. It’s on them to sort it out.’
Lib Dem deputy leader Daisy Cooper condemned the Green Party’s Zionism is Racism motion, but refused to follow Labour’s lead and threaten to pull out of power-sharing deals across local councils in Britain
On Sunday Green Party leader Zack Polanski said he wouldn’t overturn the motion, but would aim to amend it by 2028
The row has sparked huge divisions within the Green Party, and been condemned by politicians from across the political spectrum
‘My heart really goes out to our Liberal Democrat councillors because, you know, I feel for them because they’ve been put in an invidious position where they’ve stepped up to assume positions of power in their local community to run public services well, to make communities safe, and then they suddenly find that in some cases they’re having to work with people who may or may not support this motion.’
She was criticised by top Tory Matt Vickers, who hit back: ‘Faced with a vile antisemitic motion, the Liberal Democrats have chosen to save their sympathy for their own councillors rather than Britain’s Jewish community. Liberal Democrat councillors are not the victims in this.
‘The Liberal Democrats will condemn the Green Party in a speech and yet carry on sharing power with them. If they truly find this motion horrific, they should find the backbone to end those deals.
‘The Conservatives will always stand with Britain’s Jewish community and call out anti-Semitism wherever we find it.’
Alex Hearn, spokesman for Labour Against Antisemitism, also told the Mail that Ms Cooper was right to condemn the motion, ‘but condemnation means little while Liberal Democrat councillors keep Green administrations in power’.
‘Her sympathy for councillors in ‘invidious positions’ is misplaced: no one is forcing them to stay, they are choosing to.’
And Lord Walney, a former Labour MP and adviser on political violence, added: ‘Andy Burnham has shown genuine leadership by insisting Labour councillors follow through on his pledge not to work with the Greens after their embrace of antisemitism.
‘Now Sir Ed Davey must follow suit and insist Lib Dem councillors end all power-sharing agreements with the Green Party. Every time mainstream politicians offer empathy on anti-Jewish racism but fail to act against it, the sky gets a little darker for British Jews.’
There are 22 councils where the Liberal Democrats are in partnership with the Green Party, either alone or alongside the Labour Party.
Namely: Babergh, Birmingham, Cherwell, Devon, East Hertfordshire, East Suffolk, Folkestone and Hythe, Gloucestershire, Lancaster, Maidstone, Newcastle upon Tyne, Southwark, Wealden, Worcestershire, Arun, Broadland, Derbyshire Dales, Havant, North Somerset, West Devon, West Oxfordshire and West Sussex.
Last week a Liberal Democrat spokesman told the Mail: ‘Decisions about local council arrangements are made entirely by local councillors on the ground, who know their communities best.’
On Sunday, Green Party leader Zack Polanski said he won’t overturn his party’s motion, insisting that ‘the vast majority of Green voters from 2024 support this policy.
However, he suggested it could be amended ‘at the first possible opportunity’, though this can’t be until 2028 due to Green Party rules.
