Former Green co-leader warns Zack Polanski's party risks a 'hard-left takeover' after its 'Zionism is racism' vote

Adrian Ramsay, the MP for Waveney Valley and former Green Party co-leader, told BBC's Newscast that some new members who drifted over from George Galloway's and Jeremy Corbyn's Your Party after it "floundered" are steering the Greens in a hard-left direction. He stopped short of calling for Polanski to quit, insisting: "This is not a leadership bid." The row broke out weeks after conference members passed a motion characterising Zionism as a form of racism — a vote Polanski did not take part in.

Ramsay voted against the Zionism motion and has gone on record affirming Israel's right to exist, putting him at odds with Polanski.

Labour has warned it will pull out of power-sharing arrangements with the Greens on local councils if their councillors decline to disavow the policy.

Israel's foreign ministry denied Polanski — who is himself Jewish — entry to the country following the motion.