Banbury Conservative leader calls on Lib Dems to end partnership with Greens over Zionism row
The leader of Cherwell District Council’s Conservative group has called on the local Liberal Democrats to end their partnership with the Green Party following a row over Zionism.
Conservative group leader Cllr Eddie Reeves and Cllr Sam Holland, who sits on Bicester Town Council, wrote to Cherwell District Council leader Cllr Lesley McLean and deputy leader Cllr Chris Brant on Thursday, October 22.
The letter followed Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey MP's public decision to rule out any coalition with the Green Party at national level because of the party's policy that “Zionism is racism”.
The controversy centres on a motion passed by the Green Party at its annual conference, which formally established the party as anti-Zionist and declared Zionism a form of racism.
In the letter, Cllr Reeves and Cllr Holland said: “The Liberal Democrats continue to maintain formal power-sharing arrangements with the Greens at local level, including at Cherwell District Council and Bicester Town Council.
“Regrettably, local Greens are the public face of what is now a far-left organisation that has adopted an explicitly racist and antisemitic policy.
“As local Conservatives, we know what collective responsibility looks like. We spent years fronting up for the poor conduct of the Johnson years among a minority of MPs. We did not pretend that local association with a national brand carried no consequences.”
The Conservative councillors said the Lib Dems’ continued power-sharing arrangements with the Greens were untenable and called on them to end the partnerships at Cherwell District Council, Bicester Town Council and other local authorities in North Oxfordshire.
They added that they would work with the Liberal Democrats to ensure local services continued to be delivered.
Cllrs Reeves and Holland added: “While Liberal Democrats remain in formal local coalitions with the Green Party, the position locally is untenable.
“We therefore call on you to end the power-sharing arrangements with the Greens at Cherwell District Council, Bicester Town Council and any other local authorities in North Oxfordshire without delay. Only then will local Liberal Democrats match the standard their own national leader has now set.
“We will, of course, work with you to ensure that local services continue to be delivered.”
Cherwell District Council leader Cllr McLean and deputy leader Cllr Brant have both been approached for comment.