Labour and Green partnership collapses on council

Labour has withdrawn from a coalition deal with the Green Party on Sheffield City Council, just days after saying the parties would continue to work together.

It follows a bitter row after the national Green Party adopted a policy defining Zionism as a form of racism, which saw national Labour chiefs telling 11 councils, including Sheffield, to break their power deals with the Greens.

Labour Council leader Fran Belbin had ignored pressure from the national party and vowed a week ago to continue working with the Greens, but has now said the joint administration "must come to an end".

The Greens accused Belbin of "reneging on her previous commitment to ensure a stable council for Sheffield".

No one party has overall control in Sheffield, with 26 Labour councillors, 19 Greens, 22 Liberal Democrats, 11 Reform UK, two Independents, two New Chartist Reform group and two Sheffield Community Councillors group.

Following May's local elections, Labour and the Greens agreed to a coalition with Belbin as council leader, while the Liberal Democrats said they would remain in opposition.

Sheffield is different to the majority of councils as it has a committee system and most are split between Labour and the Greens.

Belbin said she had "tried to find a way through to put the best interests of local residents first", but the partnership was now off.

She cited a Jewish Chronicle report on historic social media posts by Green councillor Mustafa Ahmed.

She said: "Trust has been eroded by the recent reporting of Coun Ahmed's Facebook posts following the October 7th attacks in 2023.

"He claimed that Muslims who condemned the attacks would have to 'bear the shame of supporting the Jews'.

"Further damaging posts by Coun Ahmed are reported to have been made in 2025. Throughout that period he was a Green Party candidate but his behaviour appears to have gone unchecked.

"The Green Party and Coun Ahmed's responses are deeply disappointing. They do not acknowledge the impact of these words or even include an apology. Any other party would have condemned his words and suspended him immediately."

Ahmed said he "strongly rejected" the Jewish Chronicle's article, calling it a "deeply unfair portrayal".

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "I stand firmly against antisemitism, Islamophobia and all forms of racism.

"Justice for Palestinians and the safety and dignity of Jewish people are not competing causes. I will always stand for both."

The Green Party said it had processes in place to look into views expressed by members that did not align with party values.

It accused Labour of "moving the goalposts" on the joint administration following talks conducted "in good faith".

"It is now clear the national Labour Party vetoed the power-sharing arrangement," the party said in a statement.

"Sheffield Greens refuse to submit to national Labour and will continue to speak out against violations of human rights and international law and the complicity of the Labour government.

"Sheffield Greens remain committed to cooperation and local democracy.

"Unfortunately, it seems that decisions for Sheffield Labour are made in London, and political games are prioritised over local needs.

"Sheffield deserves leadership with a backbone, not a permission slip from London."

Sheffield Lib Dems described it as "another extraordinary U-turn from Labour".

In a statement they said: "Both parties seem more concerned with saving their own skin rather than doing what's right for our city. Sheffield deserves better than this endless political drama."

Reform said Labour needed to "ditch the Greens on Sheffield Council and actually mean it."

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