Burnham rules out post-election deal with Green Party

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 14 Oct, 13:03 · Archive

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has ruled out any post-election deal with the Green Party following a conference motion declaring 'Zionism is racism' passed at the party's Brighton conference. Asked at Prime Minister's Questions whether he would categorically rule out a future coalition with the Greens, Burnham said the motion was 'wrong' and 'antisemitic'. He told Parliament: 'We cannot support a partnership with a party that holds a position that has recently been adopted.'

The controversial motion, passed 10 days ago, has become official Green Party policy under the Greens' party rules. It has sparked internal division and drawn condemnation from Jewish groups, who branded the party racist. The motion called for Israel to be treated like apartheid South Africa, according to the Daily Mail.

Three former Green Party leaders have publicly opposed the motion. Caroline Lucas, Adrian Ramsay and Carla Denyer warned it is divisive and will alienate Jewish members of the party. The motion has also put pressure on current Green leader Zack Polanski, who was absent from the Brighton conference as he was campaigning in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election.

Burnham's statement comes as polls suggest that if an election were held now, the most likely outcome would be a hung parliament, with no party holding an overall Commons majority. Under such circumstances, Labour would normally need to negotiate deals with other left-of-centre parties. However, Burnham has made clear that the Greens are not potential partners unless they abandon the motion.

Burnham also said he intends to press for electoral reform towards a more proportional system, which would make future coalition governments more likely.

How it is being reported

• Andy Burnham rules out deal with Zack Polanski’s Green PartyThe prime minister branded the recent motion passed by the Green Party conference that ‘zionism is racism’ as antisemiticThe Independent · 14 Oct, 12:58
• Andy Burnham rules out coalition with the Green Party over 'antisemitic' Israel motion passed at their Brighton conferenceAndy Burnham branded the Greens' motion as 'antisemitic'.Daily Mail · 14 Oct, 12:57
• Andy Burnham Rules Out Post-Election Deal With Greens Over Of 'Zionism Is Racism' RowBritain's Prime Minister Andy Burnham departs 10 Downing Street to go to the House of Commons for his weekly Prime Minister's Questions in London, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) Andy Burnham has ruled out doing a post-election deal with the Greens after the party passed an “anti-semitic” conference motion declaring “Zionism is racism”. The prime minister said Labour “cannot support a partnership with a party that holds the position that it recently adopted”. The motion, which was passed at the Greens’ annual conference in Brighton 10 days ago, sparked a furious row and…HuffPost UK · 14 Oct, 12:52

In this story: Andy Burnham · Green Party · Labour · Zack Polanski · Caroline Lucas · Brighton

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