North Yorkshire Green councillor quits party

A North Yorkshire councillor has quit the Green Party, claiming it is "not the party it was".

Councillor Kevin Foster, who represents Hipswell and Colburn and stood as the party's candidate at the 2024 York and North Yorkshire mayoral election, has announced he will now sit as an independent councillor.

His departure follows controversy at the Green Party's annual conference in Brighton, where members voted to classify Zionism as a form of racism.

Foster said: "The reason I've left is that the party has gone in a different direction to what I was hoping it would go."

The recent vote has divided the party, prompted accusations of antisemitism from Jewish organisations and drawn criticism from four of its five MPs.

Although Foster did not specifically mention the conference in his public statement, it is understood to have played a part in his decision.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, he said: "I don't feel like I've left the party, I feel like the party has left me.

"Today, I've got to announce that I've left the Green Party. I am now an independent councillor for Hipswell and Colburn."

Foster said the Green Party is"not the party it was", and no longer held the "priorities it did when I joined nine years ago".

He added: "I'm still going to be here for Hipswell and Colburn. I'm still going to be your voice. Nothing has changed.

Despite leaving the party, the politician will remain leader of the Green and Independent Group on North Yorkshire Council.

Councillor Arnold Warneken, chair of the North Yorkshire Green Party, said he was disappointed by the resignation but respected his colleague's decision.

He said: "While I'm disappointed that Cllr Foster has chosen to leave the Green Party, he still has my respect, and I would like to thank him for his tireless work for the party, both on the council and within his local branch, where I know he will be missed.

The long-serving Green Party member acknowledged that the controversy surrounding the party conference had become a "major distraction that we don't need".

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