Green Party Leader Faces Calls to Resign After By-Election Defeat and Controversial Motion

Green Party leader Zack Polanski is facing calls to resign after a humiliating by-election defeat in Holborn and St Pancras, a seat formerly held by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer. The loss concluded a turbulent week for the party, which also saw a controversial motion passed at its conference that equated Zionism with racism.

The chairman of the Jewish Greens urged Polanski to step down, citing a "dereliction of duty." Robin Harper, former leader of the Scottish Greens, described Polanski as a "chancer" who should resign.

The controversial motion was passed by a small number of activists after Polanski had asked members to leave the conference in Brighton to support his by-election campaign in north London. Polanski defended his absence, telling the BBC he was engaged in "one of the most important elections in our recent history" and that voters wanted him on the ground.

However, Brighton Green MP Sian Berry indicated that many party members were persuaded to suppress concerns about the motion while Polanski was campaigning. Berry stated she voted against the motion, believing it required significant amendment or should be rejected, but acknowledged that the by-election campaign meant "many of us were persuaded not to campaign publicly for these ends."

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The Green Party has reportedly been referred to the police and the Equalities and Human Rights Commission due to concerns about anti-Semitism following the motion's passage.

Polanski had expressed confidence in defeating Labour in the by-election, but ultimately trailed Labour's Sagal Abdi-Wali by over 3,000 votes.

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Despite the calls for his resignation, Polanski stated he intends to remain as leader. However, senior Green Party figures have voiced doubts about his future.

Caroline Lucas, a former Green MP and leader, told the BBC's Newsnight that Polanski "should have been there and he should have voted" at the conference and that the motion was "flawed from top to bottom" and "dangerous" and "divisive."

When asked if Polanski should continue as leader, Lucas responded, "Let's see what happens in the coming days and weeks."

Polanski, who is of Jewish descent, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that he would not have supported the "Zionism is racism" motion, citing aspects he found unacceptable. He declined to directly answer whether Israel had a right to exist, stating he wanted to see equal rights for Israelis and Palestinians.

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Defence Secretary Wes Streeting commented that the Green Party's position suggests "racism against Jewish people is OK because they oppose Israel." Housing Secretary Steve Reed stated that Polanski "has facilitated the anti-Semites coming in and taking over his party."

Recent YouGov polling indicates that one-third of Britons believe Polanski should step down, with only one-fifth supporting his continued leadership.

A spokesperson for the Green Party stated that the party does not enforce a whip system and is not top-down, allowing members to express themselves freely. The spokesperson added that there were diverse views within the party on how to handle the motion and its communication.