Zack Polanski drew the loudest cheers of his Green Party conference speech with a call to lift the ban on Palestine Action, but did not address a contentious motion declaring “Zionism is Racism,” which us due to be debated on Sunday.
Members in Brighton chanted “free Palestine” as their leader declared: “Greens, we stand with one voice now as we say drop the charges, end the genocide, de-proscribe Palestine Action.”
The group was banned as a terrorist organisation after MPs voted to proscribe it following a number of high-profile incidents, including a break-in at the Elbit Systems factory near Bristol in August 2024, which is still the subject of several ongoing court cases.
Since then, hundreds have been arrested under anti-terror laws on suspicion of displaying their support for the group at protests calling for the ban to be overturned.
Polanski also claimed in his speech that Green pressure had forced the government to toughen its stance on Israel.
He praised Ed Miliband’s Labour conference speech, in which the foreign secretary told pro-Palestine campaigners “you were right,” saying it had left the Greens feeling “vindicated”.
“Those who have been raising their voices against the atrocities in Gaza were right,” he said, prompting Green members to rise to their feet inside the Brighton conference centre.
He accused Labour of using the proscription of Palestine Action as terrorist to crush dissent.
On the arrest of more than 150 people in Liverpool who protested in support of the direct action group outside Labour’s conference this week, Polanski said: “Principled people were being hauled away by the police… The sight of pensioners being put in handcuffs and bundled into police vans for holding up cardboard signs has been a stain on this country’s reputation for far too long.
“Those scenes are the awful symptom of a rot that runs much deeper. To a government so determined to crush dissent that it labels those with views it doesn’t want to hear as terrorists. Terrorists.
“And hundreds of Labour MPs who were willing to troop through the voting lobbies to approve it.
“You know something? Our MPs didn’t troop through the yes lobby. Our MPs were not cowed by fear or malicious attacks in the press. They stood up for the principles we hold so dear.”
Polanski presented his party as having the ability to push government policy to the left between elections.
“At general elections, the government changes. But between general elections, we change the government.”
He pointed to Green MP Ellie Chowns, whose work he said led to the government’s ban on trade with settlements in the West Bank.
“Our MP Ellie Chowns has demanded our government end its complicity in the genocide in Gaza and the illegal occupation of Palestine.
"A few weeks ago, Ed Miliband took the first long overdue step in the right direction by banning trade with illegal settlements. Necessary, by the way, but not nearly sufficient. The pattern is clear. Vote Green and watch Labour move.
“We have held the worst instincts of the Labour government in check”.
Absent from his speech, though, was any reference to the “Zionism is Racism” motion, which is set to be the most contentious debate of the weekend, with senior Green leaders already speaking out against it.
The Board of Deputies, Jewish Leadership Council and Community Security Trust wrote to the party leadership regarding the motion, warning that it “fuels hatred of Jews” on the one-year anniversary of the Heaton Park terrorist attack.
The Jewish communal bodies said: “This motion would make the Green Party the first electorally significant UK political party in living memory to adopt what appears to be an overtly antisemitic political platform.”
While he made no reference to the motion in his speech, Polanski did claim there had been attempts at “smear campaigns” in the press against the party.
Because of broadcasting laws, Polanski avoided directly discussing the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, where he is due to return to London to campaign after his speech to campaign for the Camden seat.
Hannah Spencer, the Greens’ newest MP who represents Gorton and Denton, told delegates that victory in the by-election “is so close” as she introduced the party leader.
Elsewhere in his speech, Polanski called for a triple lock on rent controls, similar to that applied to the state pension.
To get more Politics news, click here to sign up for our free politics newsletter.