Phil Davies, who served as the deputy leader of the Green Party in Wales after being elected in 2024, announced his resignation on Tuesday, saying the weekend’s motion declaring “Zionism is racism” was the final straw. He had been a party member for seven years and described the decision to leave as having been “accelerated” by the vote.
Resignation Triggered by Controversial Motion
In an Instagram post and later on BBC Radio Wales Breakfast, Davies labelled the motion “imperialistic” and “idiotic”, insisting it “doesn’t materially achieve anything in the real world”. He told the broadcaster he “doesn’t know why it was discussed as it doesn’t do anything to materially improve people’s lives in Palestine”. The motion, passed on Sunday, became official party policy and calls for a “single democratic Palestinian state in all of historic Palestine”, a formulation that includes the territory of modern‑day Israel.
Davies also said he felt unsupported by the wider organisation, writing that he had “often felt like the token Welshman moaning at various points, but have not seen enough action taken by GPEW”. He added that the role of Wales deputy leader was “ignored rather than supported by the Green Party of England and Wales”.
Reactions Across the Political Spectrum
The vote prompted swift reactions beyond the party. Israel responded by banning Green Party leader Zack Polanski from entering the country, while Jewish groups characterised the motion as an “attack” on their community. Several Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs reported the party to Britain’s equality watchdog, alleging that the stance crossed into antisemitism.
Welsh First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth weighed in on Tuesday, describing the policy as “ill‑judged”. He reiterated his longstanding support for a two‑state solution and said he stood “shoulder to shoulder with the Jewish communities in Wales”. Ap Iorwerth’s remarks came after Reform Wales leader Helen Jenner accused left‑wing parties of harbouring a “sickening antisemitism problem”.
Notably, the original proposal was linked to a Green Party member who, according to court proceedings, is a close friend of a jailed al‑Qaeda supporter – a detail that emerged in separate coverage published nine hours before Davies’ interview.
Calls for a Welsh-Only Green Path
Despite his departure, Davies said Welsh Green leader Anthony Slaughter had been supportive of his decision and shared his view that the party’s Welsh members should consider splitting from the England‑and‑Wales structure. He urged colleagues to “stand on our own two feet as a Welsh party” and expressed hope that they would vote to leave at the forthcoming conference next month.
Davies also noted that Slaughter had sent him a “very nice message” the day before their conversation and described the two as close friends, a relationship he said would continue.
Why it Matters
The resignation highlights a growing fault line within the Green Party over how to address the Israeli‑Palestinian conflict, exposing tensions between symbolic policy motions and practical political consequences. As Wales debates its own distinct voice within the UK‑wide organisation, the episode could prompt a broader reconsideration of regional autonomy within party structures, with potential repercussions for future electoral cooperation and policy direction across the UK.
