Lewes Green and Labour Alliance Ends Over Zionism Motion
The Green and Labour groups on Lewes District Council have ended their co-operative alliance following pressure over the Green Party's controversial motion.
Alliance ends after national party pressure
The co-operative alliance between Green and Labour councillors on Lewes District Council has come to an end. Green Group leader Zoe Nicholson said the decision was made "mutually" and blamed "unnecessary pressures from outside of the council".
The breakdown follows pressure from the national Labour Party on local Green councillors in coalitions to distance themselves from the Green Party's "Zionism is racism" motion, which was voted on at the party's conference in Brighton.
Lewes Greens had rejected the motion
Earlier this month, Lewes Green councillors rejected the controversial motion after receiving an ultimatum from the national Labour Party. That party had threatened to end coalitions with the Greens if they did not distance themselves from it.
However, the Lewes Greens expressed frustration with the pressure being applied to them. Ezra Cohen, deputy leader of the Green group and believed to be the only Jewish councillor on Lewes District Council, said at the time: "I find it galling, and frankly offensive, for the national Labour Party to demand that I prove, yet again, that I am not antisemitic, in order to allow their councillors to continue working with me."
Changes to cabinet roles to be announced
In her statement, Ms Nicholson said: "It is with great sadness that I have to share that the co-operative alliance between the Green Group and Labour Group on Lewes District Council has mutually come to an end." She added that despite the end of the alliance, councillors from both groups would continue working together on the council "for the best interests of local people, albeit in different roles".
Ms Nicholson complimented Labour councillors in the former alliance, saying Christine Robinson had been "a wonderful, inspiring and committed deputy leader and cabinet member", and Laurence O'Connor had "held one of the most complex portfolios with diligence and commitment".
Changes to cabinet roles will be announced in due course. The Lewes Labour Group declined to comment on the alliance's end.
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