By SCM International Desk I Thursday, Oct 15, 2026
GREEN Party chief Zack Polanski has launched a furious broadside against Prime Minister Andy Burnham, accusing him of “arming a genocide” and “locking up pensioners.”
The explosive war of words erupted after the Prime Minister firmly slammed the door on any future electoral pacts or coalition deals with the Green Party.
Speaking at a fiery Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons, Mr Burnham unequivocally condemned a controversial resolution passed at the Greens’ annual conference which branded “Zionism as racism.”
The PM branded the motion “wrong” and “antisemitic,” declaring to a packed chamber: “This side of the House will have nothing to do with it. We cannot support a partnership with a party that holds a position that has recently been adopted.”
‘You Lock Up Pensioners’
A furious Mr Polanski—who is currently the only Jewish leader of a major UK political party—wasted no time firing back on social media.
”I’m the only Jewish leader of a political party. I’m a victim of antisemitism every day, and I’ve made it clear Jewish people are welcome in my party,” Polanski hit back.
Delivering a blistering personal attack on the Prime Minister, he added: “You’re a Prime Minister who arms a genocide and locks pensioners up for opposing it.”
Polanski slammed the Prime Minister’s comments as a “dangerous and irresponsible blurring” of valid criticism of the Israeli government with genuine anti-Jewish hatred.
The extraordinary fallout comes amid months of intense political friction over the UK’s foreign policy in the Middle East and the handling of eco-protests at home.
The Zionism Motion: At their national conference, Green Party delegates voted through a high-profile policy motion categorizing Zionism as a form of racism. The vote triggered fierce backlash across the political spectrum, with senior figures accusing the Greens of straying into antisemitism. Internal party figures, including former leader Caroline Lucas, also voiced deep concern over the motion’s impact.
The Electoral Math: With opinion polls pointing towards a tight Parliament in upcoming votes, speculation had been mounting over whether Labour under Burnham would be forced to seek an informal deal with left-leaning parties, including the Greens, to secure power.
The Pensioner Crackdown: Polanski’s reference to “locking up pensioners” points to recent police crackdowns and prison sentences handed down to elderly peace and environmental activists under toughened public order laws.
Mr Burnham’s sharp refusal to work with the Greens draws a firm red line in British politics, leaving the two left-of-centre parties locked in an all-out political war.