Conservative councillors have called on the Liberal Democrats to end power-sharing arrangements with the Green Party in Cherwell following the Greens' controversial national policy on Zionism.
The call comes after Sir Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, ruled out a “national partnership” with the Green Party over its policy that “Zionism is racism” in an open letter to the Jewish Leadership Council and the Board of Deputies of British Jews.
Councillor Eddie Reeves, leader of the opposition at Cherwell District Council, and councillor Sam Holland of the Conservative Group at Bicester Town Council, urged the Lib Dems to follow their national leaders' stance.
In a letter addressed to Cherwell's leader and deputy, Lesley McLean and Chris Aramini-Brant, the North Oxfordshire Tories welcomed Sir Davey's position, described as "dangerous and antisemitic".
Mr Reeves and Mr Holland said: "North Oxfordshire Conservatives welcome that clear stance.
"Yet the Liberal Democrats continue to maintain formal power-sharing arrangements with the Greens at local level, including at Cherwell District Council and Bicester Town Council.
"Regrettably, local Greens are the public face of what is now a far-left organisation that has adopted an explicitly racist and antisemitic policy.
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"As local Conservatives, we know what collective responsibility looks like. We spent years fronting up for the poor conduct of the [Boris] Johnson years among a minority of MPs.
"We did not pretend that local association with a national brand carried no consequences.
"While Liberal Democrats remain in formal local coalitions with the Green Party, the position locally is untenable.
"We therefore call on you to end the power-sharing arrangements with the Greens at Cherwell District Council, Bicester Town Council and any other local authorities in North Oxfordshire without delay.
"Only then will local Liberal Democrats match the standard their own national leader has now set. We will, of course, work with you to ensure that local services continue to be delivered."
The intervention follows criticism of a motion passed at the Green Party conference which described Zionism as racism and backed the creation of a single democratic Palestinian state across historic Palestine.
As previously reported by the Oxford Mail, Cherwell's Green councillors publicly rejected the national party policy.
Councillors Ian Middleton, Tom Beckett, Linda Ward and Fiona Mawson said they did not support the motion and described it as “counterproductive” to efforts to combat antisemitism.
The councillors said: “Opposition to racism, discrimination and bigotry, including antisemitism, are core Green values that we all hold dear.
“We feel this motion is counterproductive to those aims.”
They stressed that Green councillors were not required to support every national party policy and said their position on the motion represented their personal views.
Cherwell District Council's Liberal Democrat leader, Lesley McLean, and Green deputy leader, Chris Aramini-Brant, have been contacted for comment.
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