Labour Minister Escalates Attacks on Green Party Over Antisemitism Claims
Housing Secretary Steve Reed has launched a significant escalation of Labour's attacks on the Green party, accusing them of welcoming activists who were expelled from Labour for holding antisemitic views. Reed made these comments while traveling to Clacton-on-Sea, the constituency of Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, to inspect projects funded by the government's Pride in Place programme.
Warning to Voters Ahead of May Elections
Reed specifically warned voters to be very careful about who they support in the upcoming elections on 7 May, suggesting that some Green candidates are not what they appear to be. "Look at what they put up, because some of them are not what you think – they're not the fluffy people that care about the environment," Reed told the Guardian during his journey to Essex.
The housing secretary, who previously served as leader of Lambeth council in south London where Greens are expected to make gains, pointed to recent media reports alleging that some Green candidates in the borough had shared antisemitic content online. "I would just say to voters: be very careful to look at what you might be voting for," Reed emphasized.
Claims About Green Party Membership Vetting
Reed asserted that the Green party had failed to conduct proper checks on new members and candidates. "The people that the Labour party kicked out for being antisemites were welcomed into the Green party with no checks whatsoever, and a lot of them are now standing for election," he claimed. "You might get something you didn't expect if you vote for them."
The minister specifically referenced Green party leader Zack Polanski, stating that Polanski had been "very honest about the fact they carried out no checks on these people before they let them into the party or put them up as candidates."
Simultaneous Criticism of Nigel Farage
In a dual-pronged attack, Reed also targeted Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, accusing him of being more interested in American politics than representing his Clacton constituency. Reed claimed that Farage had not attended any of the more than ten meetings of a local board established to decide how to spend a £20 million Pride in Place grant.
"Each area has a neighbourhood board that is made up of local business people and community activists, and the MP is supposed to be along there to support that," Reed explained. "But if the MP never shows up, then the neighbourhood board struggles to function. Tragically, Nigel Farage has never turned up."
Reed contrasted this with Farage's regular visits to the United States, where he has testified before congressional committees and maintained close ties with former President Donald Trump. "We have seen him in Washington once, in Congress, begging like a dog for the US government to put sanctions on British workers, but he doesn't show up in Clacton to support his own constituents," Reed stated bluntly.
Green Party Response and Context
A Green party spokesperson dismissed Reed's comments as "smears" and defended their record on antisemitism. "Evidence from YouGov polling shows that Green voters are among the least likely to hold antisemitic attitudes," the spokesperson said. "We are a proudly anti-racist party, and we take antisemitism incredibly seriously."
The spokesperson suggested that Labour's attacks stemmed from political desperation, stating: "Keir Starmer is desperately clinging on, and he knows he has nothing positive to offer voters. Bad-faith attacks are all Labour has left."
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Nigel Farage defended his record as an active MP, noting his regular donations to local charities, weekly newspaper column, and business surgeries in the constituency. The spokesperson also pointed to polling suggesting Reform UK's majority in Clacton would increase in the next election.
Political Landscape and Election Prospects
Labour faces significant challenges in the upcoming elections, with forecasts suggesting the party could lose considerable ground to both the Greens and Reform UK in contests for English councils and the Scottish and Welsh parliaments. The Greens have experienced a near-quadrupling of membership since Polanski became leader seven months ago, with some of these new members reportedly being leftwing activists who were previously in Labour under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership.
Despite the attacks on rival parties, Reed insisted that Labour's poor performance in the May elections was not inevitable. "It's a fool's errand trying to work out what the public are going to do," he said, acknowledging that predicting the next general election was even more challenging.
The housing secretary conceded that not everything had gone smoothly for Starmer's government, stating: "There have been mistakes, and therefore things have had to be corrected." He added that he recognized voters "want change to happen faster."
As the election approaches, these exchanges highlight the increasingly competitive political landscape, with Labour seeking to defend its position against growing challenges from both the left and right of the political spectrum.
