Responding to the news that Maccabi Tel Aviv fans being banned from attending a football game against Aston Villa next month Green Party Deputy Leader, Mothin Ali, said,

“Everyone should be able to feel safe when they attend a football match, that’s non-negotiable. It’s irresponsible for Keir Starmer to question a safety decision of a local authority, especially when he is responsible for their chronic underfunding.

“Under normal circumstances, supporters from across the fanbase should be allowed to attend and provision taken to ban violent elements such as The Ultras. But these are not normal circumstances: these games are taking place in the context of thousands of civilians being killed in Gaza, the illegal occupation of Palestinian land, and the upholding of a system of apartheid. 

“This raises serious moral questions for the UK, UEFA, and the wider football community. We need a sporting and cultural boycott of all Israeli teams, like we saw for South African teams under apartheid. International sporting bodies can and must take a stand when basic human rights are being violated. 

“Football should be a force for peace and justice, not a tool to sportwash atrocities.”

Responding to the latest poll that puts The Green Party level pegging with Labour on 15%, Green Party Leader Zack Polanski said,

“When I was elected, I said we weren’t here to be disappointed in Labour, we’re here to replace them. And I meant it. Our membership is surging – already over 115,000, up 70% from when I was elected last month. We’re about to overtake the Conservatives in membership size and watch this space, we are about to overtake Labour in the polls. British politics is changing, Greens are giving Britain hope again.”