The Green Party of England and Wales has voted against postponing its upcoming annual conference despite calls to delay the event in order to focus on the Holborn and St Pancras byelection campaign. The executive committee, which includes party leader Zack Polanski, rejected the request on Thursday. The conference, expected to be the party’s largest to date with around 3,000 attendees, is scheduled to run from October 2 in Brighton, while the byelection will take place on October 8.

The formal proposal to postpone the conference reportedly originated from party staff concerned about spreading resources too thin between organizing the event and campaigning for the byelection. However, sources indicate that Polanski himself was supportive of the postponement. Ultimately, the executive committee voted against the plan, citing financial losses tied to cancelling a venue reservation at short notice, as well as the inconvenience to members who had already made travel and accommodation arrangements.

The timing of the conference and byelection presents logistical challenges for the Greens, as the conclusion of a byelection typically requires intensive voter canvassing. With thousands of the party’s most active members committed elsewhere during the conference period, campaigning efforts in Holborn and St Pancras could be hindered.

The decision to hold the conference before the byelection has spurred speculation within the party. Some Greens suggest Polanski may have preferred to complete the byelection before facing a highly contentious vote on a motion concerning Zionism at the conference. This motion, which was the most supported among members ahead of the event, seeks to define Zionism as a form of racism linked to the establishment of a Jewish ethnonationalist state in Palestine. If adopted, the policy would call for a single Palestinian state and could lead to disciplinary action against members expressing pro-Zionist views.

The motion has sparked debate within the party, as critics warn it risks alienating Jewish supporters. Polanski, who is Jewish, has not publicly stated his position on the motion but is reported to back amendments intended to moderate its language.

The Green Party issued a statement noting the exploration of various ways to effectively allocate resources during the Holborn and St Pancras byelection campaign and confirmed that postponing the conference was one option under consideration. However, the decision to proceed as planned underscores the party’s commitment to maintaining its annual policy-making forum despite the potential tactical drawbacks ahead of the byelection.