Andy Burnham has ruled out a future deal with the Green Party over its conference motion declaring Zionism a form of racism.
Burnham was asked at prime minister’s questions by Conservative MP Harriett Baldwin whether he would be “clear” about his position on dealing with the Greens.
Baldwin said the leader of the opposition, Kemi Badenoch, had made her position on doing deals with other parties “crystal clear”, and called on Burnham to rule out doing a deal with the Greens.
Prime minister’s questions
Burnham said he condemned the motion “unequivocally”.
He stated: “It is wrong. It is antisemitic, and this side of the House will have nothing to do with it.”
He added: “We will always take the right response when it comes to any partnerships we have with other parties. We cannot support a partnership with a party that holds a position that has recently been adopted.”
Green members voted by 1,022 to 813 at the party’s conference in Brighton on 4 October to declare Zionism a form of racism and to back a “single democratic Palestinian state in all of historic Palestine”. Four of the party’s five MPs expressed opposition to the motion, as did former Green leader Caroline Lucas.
Zack Polanski, the Green Party leader, did not vote. He left the conference early to campaign in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, in which he was a candidate.
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