Burnham rules out partnership with Greens over 'Zionism is racism' policy
At Prime Minister's Questions on 14 October, Andy Burnham said Labour would not support a partnership with the Green Party while it keeps a policy describing Zionism as racism, which he called antisemitic. The Greens passed the policy at their Brighton conference earlier this month.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2Prime Minister Andy Burnham said at Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday 14 October that he condemned the Green Party's 'Zionism is racism' policy 'unequivocally' and that Labour could not support a partnership with a party holding that position. Evening StandardN “Mr Burnham said he condemned it “unequivocally” and would not support a “partnership” with the Greens while it remained in place.” Read at Evening Standard ↗ Daily MailR “'We cannot support a partnership with a party that holds [that] position.'” Read at Daily Mail ↗ Centre · 1Burnham said: 'It is wrong, it is antisemitic, and this side of the House will have nothing to do with it.' Evening StandardN ““It is wrong, it is antisemitic, and this side of the House will have nothing to do with it.” Read at Evening Standard ↗ Right · 1According to the Daily Mail, he was asked by a senior Conservative MP whether he would categorically rule out Labour coalitions with the Greens. Daily MailR “Asked by a senior Conservative MP this lunchtime whether he would now categorically rule out any Labour coalitions with the Greens” Read at Daily Mail ↗
Centre · 1The Evening Standard describes this as a hardening of his position: on a visit to Berlin on 8 October he urged the Green leadership to reverse the policy but stopped short of ruling out a coalition. Evening StandardN “Mr Burnham’s statement represents a hardening of his position on a possible coalition deal with the Green Party.”“But he stopped short of ruling out a coalition, saying he would not get into “any business about what might or might not happen in the future”.” Read at Evening Standard ↗ Mixed · 2The Greens passed the motion at their conference in Brighton in early October. The Daily Mail says it called for Israel to be treated like apartheid South Africa. Evening StandardN “after the party passed the controversial policy at its conference in early October” Read at Evening Standard ↗ Daily MailR “called for Israel to be treated like apartheid South Africa” Read at Daily Mail ↗ Right · 1The Daily Mail reports that former Green leaders Caroline Lucas, Adrian Ramsay and Carla Denyer opposed the motion as divisive, and that leader Zack Polanski missed the vote while campaigning in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election. Daily MailR “Three former leaders of the party - Caroline Lucas, Adrian Ramsay and Carla Denyer - all came out to oppose the motion, branding it divisive and warning it will alienate Jewish members.”“Mr Polanski himself missed the vote in Brighton, as he was campaigning in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election in North London.” Read at Daily Mail ↗
Right · 1Reform leader Nigel Farage wrote in the Jewish Chronicle that Labour should not tolerate 'sectarian politics', and the Daily Mail cites an unnamed former Labour minister who agreed with him. Daily MailR “'I will not tolerate sectarian politics or the importation of fundamentalism into our once vibrant democracy. Neither should Labour.'”“A former Labour minister told the paper: 'I'm no fan of Nigel Farage, but he's absolutely correct here.'” Read at Daily Mail ↗ Right · 1The Daily Mail says the policy may not be changeable for up to two years under party rules, citing the Telegraph, although Polanski has suggested dropping it at the earliest opportunity. Party sources said there were too many 'variables' to be definite, and a Green spokesman said any member can submit a motion to change policy. Daily MailR “That would mean no change is possible until Autumn conference in 2028.”“Party sources told the Daily Mail there were too many 'variables' to say 'definitely' when the policy could be altered.” Read at Daily Mail ↗ Right · 1The Campaign Against Antisemitism and some Labour MPs have reported the Greens to the Equality and Human Rights Commission, and CAA chief executive Gideon Falter called the policy 'racist and unlawful'. The Daily Mail also says it has asked whether Burnham's stance covers the 14 Labour-Green pacts on local councils. Daily MailR “have reported the Green Party to the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)_ demanding an investigation into possible discrimination of Jewish members.”“The Daily Mail has asked whether Mr Burnham's emphatic opposition to deals with the Green Party applies to local councils, where there are 14 pacts between Labour and the Greens.” Read at Daily Mail ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre1 outlet
- Framing
- Short, procedural report centred on Burnham's PMQs answer and how it hardens his earlier position.
- Emphasis
- The conditional nature of the stance and the contrast with his 8 October Berlin remarks.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Omits the Green infighting, the Farage intervention, the EHRC complaint and local Labour-Green pacts.
- Charged language
- “controversial policy”
- For example
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“Mr Burnham’s statement represents a hardening of his position on a possible coalition deal with the Green Party.” — Evening Standard
Right1 outlet
- Framing
- Frames Burnham's remarks as a forceful rebuke and the Greens as in turmoil, with Polanski under pressure.
- Emphasis
- Green divisions, Polanski's absence from the vote, Farage's call, the CAA's EHRC complaint, and local Labour-Green pacts.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not mention Burnham's 8 October Berlin comments, when he stopped short of ruling out a coalition.
- Charged language
- “furious condemnation”“withering”“hard-left party”“civil war”
- For example
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“Andy Burnham issued a furious condemnation of the Green Party at Prime Minister's Questions this afternoon” — Daily Mail
“The motion has sparked civil war within the Green Party, and threatened to destabilise Mr Polanski's own leadership.” — Daily Mail
What every side reports
- Burnham condemned the Greens' 'Zionism is racism' policy at PMQs on 14 October and called it antisemitic.
- He said Labour could not support a partnership with a party holding that position.
- The Greens passed the policy at their conference in early October.
Where accounts differ
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Whether Burnham's words amount to a categorical ruling-out of coalition
- Centre
- The Evening Standard reports he ruled out a coalition 'while it keeps' the policy, a conditional stance and a hardening from 8 October.
- Right
- The Daily Mail headlines it as ruling out coalition and calls his condemnation 'furious' and 'withering', while asking whether it covers local pacts.
Andy Burnham person
Condemns the motion as wrong and antisemitic and says Labour will not partner with a party holding that position.
““We cannot support a partnership with a party that holds the position that has recently been adopted.”” — Evening Standard
Green Party party
A spokesman said the Greens are a democratic party where any member can submit a motion to change policy, and the Standing Orders Committee rules on what goes to conference. Leader Zack Polanski has suggested dropping the policy at the earliest opportunity.
“'We're a democratic party. Any member can submit a motion to change existing party policy, to be voted on by the membership.'” — Daily Mail
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre1 article
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Burnham rules out coalition with Greens after ‘Zionism is racism’ motion
Neutral Straight report of Burnham's PMQs answer, noting it hardens his earlier stance.
Right1 article
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Critical Presents Burnham's rebuke alongside Green turmoil, Farage's call and the antisemitism complaint, with pressure on Polanski.
- 14 Oct 13:03 First Evening StandardN Burnham rules out coalition with Greens after ‘Zionism is racism’ motion
- 14 Oct 13:14 +11m Daily MailR Andy Burnham rules out coalition with the Green Party over 'antisemitic' Israel motion passed at their Brighton conference
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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