Former Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay has warned that the party is at a crossroads, raising concerns about the influence of what he describes as a small group of hard-left activists and calling for reforms to give the wider membership greater control over policy decisions. The Waveney Valley MP made the comments in a BBC Newscast interview following controversy over a conference motion declaring Zionism a form of racism.
Ramsay warns of divisive politics
Ramsay distinguished the many new Green members from a small minority whom he believes are seeking to redirect the party through factional tactics. He argued that the Greens should prioritise consensus-building, environmental protection and the cost of living. His description of hard-left influence is his assessment, not an established finding that the party has been taken over.
Conference vote prompts disagreement
At the Green Party conference in October, members approved a motion describing Zionism as racism by 1,022 votes to 813. The motion also advocated a single democratic state across historic Palestine. Ramsay opposed it, saying it was inconsistent with the party’s previous support for equal rights and self-determination for Israelis and Palestinians. The motion drew criticism from Jewish organisations and senior Green figures.
Calls for wider membership vote
Ramsay noted that those who voted in favour amounted to about 0.4% of the party’s wider membership. He wants a ballot or survey of members and changes to rules which, according to leader Zack Polanski, generally prevent substantial reconsideration of an adopted policy for two years. Ramsay wants the dispute addressed sooner.
Polanski and allies respond
Polanski has argued that environmental justice is inseparable from social, racial and economic justice. He has expressed a wish to amend the motion but resisted overturning it outside the party’s rules. Ramsay criticised Polanski’s absence from the conference debate. Greens Organise, which backed Polanski in the leadership contest, defended his mandate and pointed to membership growth.
No call for resignation
Ramsay explicitly said he was not seeking Polanski’s resignation and did not intend to leave the Green Party. His proposals concern policy-making procedures and the party’s political priorities rather than a leadership challenge.
Labour council agreements affected
On 2 November, Labour announced that it would end or rule out cooperation with Green groups in 11 council areas over their response to the conference motion. Cooperation continues in other areas. The decision does not mean that every affected council administration has collapsed; local arrangements vary.
What happens next
Ramsay has suggested action before the Greens’ spring 2027 conference. Any policy revision would need to follow the party’s constitutional processes. The disagreement centres on whether conference decisions should be subject to broader membership scrutiny and how the Greens balance environmental and social-justice priorities.