Guardian column says Greens' Zionism motion could expel synagogue-goers; Morning Star leads on a rent brake and Palestine Action

Two leads, one conference. The Green Party of England and Wales meets in Brighton this weekend. The Guardian and the Morning Star agree that members will vote on a "zionism is racism" motion. They disagree on what the conference is about.

The motion. Freedland says the motion would treat Zionism "as any other form of racism". He argues that because the Greens bar members of racist organisations, members of synagogues could be expelled. He says the warning comes from Green activists who oppose the motion. Cannon told the Morning Star that his group "totally supports it".

The speech. The Morning Star says Polanski proposed no rent rises above CPI, wage growth or 2 per cent, whichever is lower. He also called for the ban on Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation to be lifted.

What is not settled. Whether the motion passes. Whether the party would read it as Freedland warns if it did. No report we hold puts that question to the party. Only the Morning Star reports the speech, and no second report confirms it.

This story is about what the Green Party stands for, as it tries to win voters who would otherwise vote Labour in England and Wales.

How it got here. The Green Party of England and Wales is a separate party from the Scottish Greens and the Green Party in Northern Ireland. For most of its history it held one seat in the House of Commons: Brighton Pavilion. That is why a conference in Brighton matters to it. Zack Polanski became leader in 2025 and has moved the party to the left, aiming it at people who have voted Labour.

Two arguments meet at this conference. The first is about Israel and Gaza. Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October 2023 and Israel went to war in Gaza. Since then British parties have argued over how to talk about Israel and about antisemitism. The phrase "Zionism is racism" goes back to a 1975 United Nations General Assembly resolution, which the UN revoked in 1991. Most Jewish institutions in Britain describe themselves as Zionist. Many Jewish activists on the left reject the label.

The second argument is about Palestine Action. The UK government banned this direct-action group as a terrorist organisation in 2025. People have since been arrested for showing support for it in public. Those are the arrests Polanski refers to.

The actors. Polanski is the party leader. Party members vote on motions, and a motion that passes becomes policy. Jewish members and Jewish groups are on both sides of the motion. Labour matters because the Greens want its voters, and Polanski says Green wins push Labour to the left.

What is at stake. The Guardian column says the motion would become party policy at once if it passes. Opponents say that could put Jewish members' membership at risk. Supporters say it separates Judaism from a political ideology.

Where it stands. The vote is due on Saturday. The Morning Star says Polanski left the conference after his speech to campaign in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election.