Newquay mayor defects to Labour after Green Party's Zionism motion

The leader of the Green Party group on Cornwall Council has defected to Labour following the party's recent motion describing Zionism as racism. Drew Creek, who is Mayor of Newquay and represents the Trenance ward, joined the Labour and Co-operative group on Thursday after the motion was passed at the Green Party's conference earlier this month. Creek said he had huge respect for Greens across Cornwall but that the motion had crossed a line. The motion, backed by members at the conference, said Zionism was an ideology supporting an ethnonationalist Jewish state in historic Palestine to the exclusion or domination of the non-Jewish population. It has been criticised by Jewish groups, some Green MPs and opposition parties. Creek said he had hoped the party would step back from the stance but that Zack Polanski and the leadership had instead doubled down. "I can't stand behind that, and I won't pretend otherwise," he said. He added that people in Newquay did not want politicians driving division, but wanted someone who would fix roads, protect the coast, fight for local services and bring people together. He praised the politics of Andy Burnham and said Labour was where he believed he could best stand up for Newquay, where he is raising his family. Kate Ewert, leader of the Labour and Co-operative group on Cornwall Council, said Creek's decision highlighted serious questions about Zack Polanski's leadership. Noah Law, MP for St Austell and Newquay, said it took great courage to stand up for one's beliefs in a polarised political period, describing Creek as steadfast, easy to work with and a good advocate for the town. The Cornwall Green Party said it was deeply saddened by the move and stressed that it does not try to impose uniformity of belief among its members and elected representatives. A spokesperson said Creek had done excellent work as a Green councillor and acknowledged there were different views within the party on the motion. The spokesperson added that disagreements over the wording of one motion should not distract from the party's unity in condemning what it described as the racist genocide and ethnic cleansing Israel is perpetrating in Gaza and the occupied territories, and its demand for tougher sanctions. They contrasted this with Labour, which they said refuses to recognise the situation as genocide and continues to allow arms exports to and intelligence-sharing with the Israeli government. The motion has drawn wider scrutiny, with the Board of Deputies of British Jews declaring the Greens a racist party and the equality watchdog writing to the party about the motion. Polanski has previously said he would not overturn it.