To representatives of the Southampton Green Party,
I am writing to ask you and elected office holders in Southampton to publicly distance yourselves from the deeply troubling decision taken at your national conference on 4th October to adopt a policy declaring Zionism to be racism.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council have jointly condemned the motion as “an attack on the Jewish community” and “an antisemitic platform”, warning that it represents a deeply offensive distortion and erasure of Jewish identity.
That this decision was taken just three days before the third anniversary of the horrific Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel on 7th October 2023 makes it all the more distasteful. At a time of remembrance and grief for Jewish communities in Britain and abroad, the Green Party should have demonstrated sensitivity and solidarity. Instead, this decision has caused considerable alarm.
I also note that senior figures within your own party have expressed serious concerns. Former Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay MP has said he is “deeply saddened” by the decision, stating that it “doesn’t reflect Green principles or my own view”.
Meanwhile, Ellie Chowns MP, the Green Party’s parliamentary leader, spoke against the motion at conference and warned that it risked alienating Jewish communities and fuelling division. She has subsequently described the party’s policy-making processes as “clearly not fit for purpose”.
When your own parliamentarians are raising such fundamental concerns about the direction of your party, local representatives have a responsibility to explain where they stand.
Criticism of the Israeli Government, its conduct in Gaza and its treatment of Palestinians is entirely legitimate. But that must never become a justification for questioning the identity, beliefs or equal participation of Jewish people in British public life.
Whatever the intentions behind this motion, its impact on British Jews cannot simply be dismissed. Antisemitism is not something we can afford to be ambiguous about, particularly at a time when Jewish people are already facing heightened hostility and insecurity.
I understand that Southampton Green city councillors attended your national conference. Those councillors should now be transparent about whether they participated in the vote on this motion and, if so, how they voted. Those who did not vote should nevertheless make their position clear.
The Board of Deputies has explicitly challenged those within the Green Party who opposed this policy to explain what they intend to do about it. Southampton’s Green councillors should be no exception.
I am therefore calling on Southampton Green Party, and its elected representatives, to make their position clear: will you distance yourselves from this policy, publicly challenge its adoption and stand unequivocally against antisemitism here in Southampton?
We may disagree on politics, but there should be no disagreement about the responsibility we share to ensure that Jewish residents feel safe, respected and welcome in our city.
In the interests of transparency, I will be publishing this letter openly and sharing it with local media organisations. I hope you will provide a clear and public response.
Yours sincerely,
Darren Paffey
MP for Southampton Itchen