Coalition deal collapses after Zionism row fallout

Stafford Borough Council will be run as a minority administration after the local Labour group ended its coalition agreement with the Green Party over a policy defining Zionism as a form of racism.

It follows a decision made by Labour HQ to end power-sharing agreements with the Greens on local councils unless councillors disowned the party's newly adopted national policy.

The leader of the Green group in Stafford, councillor Doug Rouxel, said they "resolutely refused" to meet those conditions.

The Labour leader Aidan Godfrey said in a statement it was "disappointing" and meant the group could not continue to work with the Greens.

Last month, Green Party members backed a motion entitled "Zionism is racism", which said it was an ideology that supported an "ethnonationalist Jewish State in historic Palestine". Israel has denied committing genocide in Gaza.

The motion became Green Party policy, but left senior figures divided, and has been condemned by Jewish groups and opposition parties.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham told MPs Labour would not partner with the Greens over the "antisemitic" policy and the party's head office then issued an ultimatum to Labour-Green councils demanding local Greens disowned it.

Stafford Borough Council has been run by a coalition between Labour, the Stafford Borough Independents and the Greens since 2023.

Stafford Labour wrote to the Greens on 3 November to notify them the power-sharing arrangement would cease.

But according to Rouxel, his group only found out about the decision when it was published nationally.

Rouxel said the move begged the question "who's in charge at Stafford borough, is it the borough councillors, or is it Labour HQ?".

"It makes a mockery of Andy Burnham's devolution agenda, if decisions about local agreements are being made from London," he added.

Without the five Green councillors propping them up, the remaining coalition holds just 19 seats, two short of a majority, which could means policy making and passing council budgets become tricky.

The coalition collapse affects the cabinet, and will, it is understood, lead to Green cabinet member for climate change and nature recovery councillor Tony Pearce being removed from his position.

Pearce said he had not been informed, but believed he would lose his post.

He called the collapse of the coalition a "sad day for residents of Stafford", who were entering a "period of uncertainty because of government interference".

"It makes things difficult. I feel for the officers who now don't know whether policy recommendations will be carried out or not," he said.

Pearce added that, as opposition members going forward, they would look to holding the ruling group to account on all aspects of policy, especially climate change.

In a statement, Stafford Labour group leader Aidan Godfrey said it would "continue working hard every day to stand up for local residents and will always act in the best interests of our communities".