Understand
Green Party councillor Daniel Potter defects to Conservatives over Zionism vote
Overview
Daniel Potter, a Green Party councillor on Babergh District Council in Suffolk, has defected to the Conservative Party following a controversial vote at the Green Party conference in Brighton that defined Zionism as an ethnonationalist ideology and a form of racism. Potter stated that the vote disturbed him greatly and left many feeling politically homeless, adding that he chose to join the Conservatives because he has been impressed by leader Kemi Badenoch. The motion passed by 1,022 votes to 813, drawing criticism from Jewish groups and condemnation from four of the five Green MPs, while local and national party representatives emphasised commitments to opposing antisemitism and supporting security and rights for both Israelis and Palestinians.
Key points
- Green Party councillor Daniel Potter has defected to the Conservatives in protest against his former party's vote regarding Zionism.
- The Green Party conference voted to define Zionism as an ideology supporting an ethnonationalist Jewish state and backed a single Palestinian state.
- Potter stated the vote disturbed him greatly and that he joined the Conservatives due to being impressed with Kemi Badenoch.
- The motion passed with 1,022 votes to 813 and was criticised by some Jewish groups as an attack on the Jewish community.
- Four of the five Green MPs condemned the vote, stating it conflicted with long-standing party principles supporting a two-state solution.
- Babergh District Council Green leader Deborah Shaw expressed sadness at Potter's departure and reiterated the local party's opposition to antisemitism and Islamophobia.