Ex-Greens co-leader urges council groups to reject Zionism policy

Exclusive: Adrian Ramsay calls conference motion a distraction and says councillors should maintain coalitions where possible

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Adrian Ramsay, the former co-leader of the Greens, has urged his party’s councillors to reject the newly adopted “Zionism is racism” motion if it will help them stay in power in local government, in a fresh sign of internal dissent over the policy.

Ramsay, one of the Greens’ five MPs, said he was pleased that a number of Green council groups had already condemned the policy, which was adopted at the party’s conference and also calls for a single Palestinian state in place of Israel.