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Labour ends its council alliances with the Greens across the South over a 'Zionism is racism' motion, and a Leicester Green councillor defects to Labour

Labour has ended council alliances with the Greens in 11 councils over a 'Zionism is racism' motion, and a Leicester Green councillor has defected to Labour.

L 41% (far left 6%) · C 18% · R 41% · 17 outlets

FL Far leftL LeftC CentreR RightFR Far right Bias scale, not party colours

Our outlet list is not evenly split: about 50% left-rated, 15% centre and 35% right-rated, so raw splits lean left by construction. Blindspots are tested against each side's own share. About our sample.

Left 2 · Centre-left 5 · Centre 3 · Centre-right 3 · Right 4

ContextSources by leanVideoDeep diveFollow the moneyMore coverage

How each side framed it

Right-leaning outlets

'Labour splits from Greens in councils across the South over anti-Zionist motion' (ITV News); '‘Zionism is racism’ motion damaged Greens electoral ambitions, admits former party leader' (The Jewish Chronicle).

Centre outlets

Centre-rated outlets headline it: “Leicester Green councillor defects to Labour after Zionism motion” (BBC News); “Labour ends power-sharing deals with Greens over ‘Zionism is racism’ policy” (Financial Times).

Left-leaning outlets

'Labour, Greens end U.K. local councils alliances over 'Zionism is racism' motion' (Haaretz); 'Labour pulls out of council power-sharing deals with Green Party over Zionism row' (Daily Mirror).

Context

The wider geopolitical and historical background, in our words, each point linked to the source it comes from. Background, not a verdict on today's story. How we write it.

Background for this story.

Checked 2026-11-05. Links were opened and returned a page that day.

Search for more (live results, not checked by us): Wikipedia search · Explainers (Google News search) · Background and history (Google News search)

Sources by lean

Balanced: the same number of articles from the left, the centre and the right (up to 3 each). The bar above still counts every rated outlet we found. Bias and factual ratings come from Media Bias/Fact Check. How we balance · All ratings.

R Right 3

C Centre 3

L Left 3

Showing 3 from each side of 17 rated outlets (L 7 / C 3 / R 7). More coverage

Video

News reports from outlets with a bias rating, balanced like the articles: the same number from the left, the centre and the right. A side with no matching video is named, never padded. Every video was checked to exist on YouTube on the day; titles are the publishers' own. Links open YouTube; nothing from YouTube loads on this page. How we pick.

Right 0

No right-rated outlet video found for this story. We don't fill the gap with an unrelated video.

Centre 2

Left 2

Showing 2 from each side that has one; none found from the right.

YouTube searches (live results, not checked or balanced by us): News videos · Explainers · Podcasts

Deep dive

The two opposites side by side, seeking to understand rather than judge. These are possible readings of the coverage, built from the articles linked on this page; they are not claims about anyone's motives. How we write it.

Seen from the right

“Labour to ditch coalition with Greens in 11 councils over 'Zionism is racism' stance” Daily Express

Seen from the left

“Labour pulls out of council power-sharing deals with Green Party over Zionism row” Daily Mirror

What they agree on

Haaretz reports Labour has severed ties with the Green Party on 11 UK local councils after the Greens refused to reconsider a resolution equating Zionism with racism and backing a single Palestinian state; ITV says it affects councils across the South. A Green councillor in Leicester, Liz Sahu, has defected to Labour, leaving the Greens with three councillors on the council (BBC News). The Jewish Chronicle, citing the Times, reports former co-leader Carla Denyer told an internal meeting the motion 'probably does put a hard cap on our electoral ambitions'.

Where they truly differ

Sahu said she no longer recognised her former party. The Greens' response is not in the excerpts we read. Treat it as a reported split, not a verdict. The council split was first reported on 1-2 November (Telegraph, Novara, Guardian); GB News ties it to Green leader Zack Polanski's policy and the Telegraph says it covers almost half of Green-involved council coalitions; Haaretz notes it could destabilise local power-sharing arrangements.

The paradox

A values dispute inside the Greens and a Labour-Green rivalry are both visible in the same reports.

Open questions

  • Which councils are affected, and how does each side describe who ended the arrangements and why?

Follow the money

Not yet researched. We haven't yet looked at who gains or loses financially from this story, or who funds the main voices on each side. When we do, we check company filings, the Electoral Commission donations register, lobbying registers, annual reports, InfluenceMap and OpenSecrets, and we apply the same checks to every side. How we follow the money.

Who owns or funds the outlets covering this story (17 outlets)
OutletLeanOwnership & funding (MBFC)
HaaretzLeftAccording to the Financial Times, Haaretz does not report its earnings. They were also the first Israeli paper to introduce the paywall. For subscription fees, please see here. source
Novara MediaLeftThousand Hands Ltd, a not-for-profit company, owns and publishes Novara Media. Donations, sales of merchandise, and tickets for events generate revenue. Novara Media disclaims that they have received funding from the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, a transnational alternative policy lobby group and educational institution centered in Germany and affiliated with the democratic socialist Left Party. source
Daily MirrorCentre-leftBritish Publishing Company Reach plc (formerly Trinity Mirror) owns The Daily Mirror. Revenue is generated through digital advertising, print ads, and subscription fees. source
Left Foot ForwardCentre-leftThey are transparent, stating Left Foot Forward is “funded by grassroots reader support, partnerships, and advertising. Before 2018, LFF was funded largely through our membership of media cooperative Political Pixel, which was funded largely by trade unions. We are committed to transparency and publish details of any donors who contribute more than £5,000 in any calendar year. source
Middle East EyeCentre-leftThe Middle East Eye lacks transparency as it does not easily provide ownership information. The website requires that you find ownership information on their Terms and Conditions page, which indicates M.E.E Ltd is the owner. The website also does not indicate that Jamal Bessasso is the owner of M.E.E Ltd. source
The GuardianCentre-leftThe Guardian and its companion publication, the Sunday newspaper The Observer, are owned by Guardian Media Group plc (GMG). Scott Trust Limited was created in 1936 to ensure the editorial independence of the publications and owns Guardian Media Group plc (GMG). source
The National (Scotland)Centre-leftThe National is operated by Newsquest Media Group Ltd., a UK-based local media publisher. Newsquest is a wholly owned subsidiary of USA TODAY Co., Inc., the media company formerly known as Gannett Company, which also controls AZthe USA TODAY Network of national and local news outlets in the United States and regional titles in the United Kingdom. Revenue is generated from advertising and subscription sales source
BBC NewsCentreThe BBC operates under a Royal Charter. Oversight is managed by the BBC Board, and regulatory authority rests with Ofcom. source
Financial TimesCentreThe Financial Times is owned by The Nikkei, a Japanese news and financial information company that publishes the leading financial paper, The Nikkei. The FT generates revenue through subscriptions, a hard paywall, and advertising..push({}); source
PoliticsHomeCentrePoliticsHome.com is owned by Political Holdings Ltd, a media company controlled by Michael Ashcroft, a former Conservative House of Lords peer, and longtime party donor. The website previously belonged to Dods Group plc, a publishing company specializing in UK public policy and politics. source
ITV NewsCentre-rightNo ownership data found
The Jewish ChronicleCentre-rightIn 2020, The Jewish Chronicle was purchased by a consortium of philanthropists led by Sir Robbie Gibb and others, rescuing the paper from financial collapse. However, the full details of its ownership and funding remain unclear, as the financial backers of the consortium have not been fully disclosed. Speculation about involvement from figures such as billionaire Paul E. source
The TimesCentre-rightThe Times and Sunday Times is owned by News UK (News Corp UK & Ireland Limited), which American News Corp owns. The owner and Executive Chairman of News Corp are Rupert Murdoch. Revenue is derived from advertising and subscription fees. source
Daily ExpressRightThe Daily Express is owned by Reach plc (formerly known as Trinity Mirror), a British newspaper, magazine, and digital publisher. Subscriptions, newsstand sales, and advertising generate revenue. source
GB NewsRightGB News lacks transparency as they do not disclose ownership. A search reveals that London-based ALL Perspectives Ltd owns GB News. According to Reuters, the television channel “secured millions of dollars from investors such as Discovery Inc, Legatum and hedge fund manager Paul Marshall. source
The SunRightThe Sun is published by the News Group Newspapers division of News UK, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. The paper generates revenue through advertising, newsstand sales, and subscriptions. source
The TelegraphRightTelegraph Media Group (TMG) owns The Telegraph, which is owned by Press Acquisitions Ltd., which in turn is owned by Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay. In 2004, Twin Brothers Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay acquired the Daily Telegraph and the Sunday Telegraph from the Canadian media company Hollinger Inc. for £665 million. For a complete list of Board members, see here. source