A Green mayor has quit the party citing its inflammatory “Zionism is racism” policy, which, he says “crossed a line”.
Drew Creek, the Mayor of Newquay and leader of the Cornwall Greens has joined the Labour and Co-operative Party following last month’s annual Green Party autumn conference, where the controversial motion was passed.
Announcing his decision online Creek said: “I can't stand behind that, and I won't pretend otherwise.”
Addressing residents in the post on Facebook, he said: “I want you to hear this from me directly. I have decided to leave the Green Party and join the Labour group on Cornwall Council.
It wasn’t a decision I made lightly. I have spent several weeks thinking it through.”
The mayor continued: “The motion passed at the Green Party’s national conference this month, and the direction the party has taken since, is something I cannot support or stand behind. I have kept trying to make my peace with it, and I can’t. I would rather be honest with you about that than carry on representing a party whose position I don’t share.”
Creek stressed that he still had “great respect” for his former Green Party colleagues across Cornwall and would “keep working alongside them wherever we agree”.
He added that his commitment to the area, and local issues including fighting for investment and access to housing and improvements to infrastructure was “exactly the same as it was the day you elected me”.
Signing off, Creek promised that as mayor he would continue to serve Newquay “without party politics” .
Kate Ewert, Labour and Co-operative group leader on Cornwall Council, said Creek's decision to defect “highlights the serious questions about [Green leader] Zack Polanski's leadership”.
Polanski did not attend or vote when his party passed the motion on October 4.
Noah Law, the Labour MP for St Austell and Newquay, praised Creek, saying: “In this period of polarised politics, it takes great courage to stand up for what you believe in.”
He added: “Having worked with Drew since my election, I have always found him to be steadfast in his beliefs, easy to work with, and a good advocate for Newquay.”
Cornwall Green Party said in a statement it was “deeply saddened by Cllr Drew Creek’s decision to join the Labour Party” and praised the “excellent work” Creek had done as a Green councillor.
The statement said: “We understand that there are different views within the Green Party on the ‘Zionism is racism’ motion. As a party, we have always accommodated a range of differing views, and we do not try to impose uniformity of belief among our members or our elected representatives.”
It added that “disagreements over the wording of this one motion” should not distract from the Green Party’s “condemnation” of what it characterised as the “racist genocide and ethnic cleansing” it claimed that Israel was perpetrating. Israel has repeatedly rejected accusations of genocide, stating its military operations in Gaza are a legitimate exercise of self-defence against Hamas.
Cornwall Green Party continued in its statement: “It’s hard to see how anyone who is serious about action on climate, action to end extreme inequality, and action to prevent an ongoing genocide could switch their support to a party that is not serious about any of these.
“Everyone who shares our vision of creating fairer, greener communities is welcome in the Green Party. We are saddened that Drew has decided to throw in his lot with a party that does not share that vision."
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