Mick Hartley

The Greens have done well in the local elections. Nothing new there: a lot of people tend to vote Green when uninspired by the main parties, believing themselves to be voting "for the planet". If only. Julie Bindel in the Spectator:

In recent years, the party has gone bonkers: it has become obsessed with supporting policies likely to appeal to idealistic, upper-middle-class sixth formers before they grow up.

Green party candidates have said they want to decriminalise the entire sex trade. The party also wants guidance issued by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling to be withdrawn. Denyer told the BBC this week that the guidance puts trans people at risk of discrimination. But what about women?

They don't care.

The Green’s record on women’s rights is disgraceful. In 2019, its Regional Council (GPRC) announced the appointment of two co-chairs, describing them as ‘Self identifying Non-Male Co-Chair: (female)’ and ‘Self identifying Non-Female Co-Chair: (male)’.

The party explained that ‘to specify that the chairs must be a “man” and a “woman” would exclude people who have non-binary or other identities, and we want the roles to be open to everyone.’ I asked if they would also advertise for ‘non-male non-heterosexuals’, to ensure that lesbians were not excluded. I’m still waiting to hear back.

The Green party leadership has long capitulated to the trans Taliban. But, in the process of doing so, it has forgotten its original purpose: to protect the environment.

‘The planet is burning,’ a senior Green party member told me, ‘but you would think they would pay more attention to that than bloody pronouns.’ Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case – as the Green’s new supporters are about to learn the hard way.

They've also shown themselves more concerned with promoting a hatred of Jews and of Israel than with saving whales, with the election last year of Green Party councillor Mothin Ali in Leeds, amongst others…

The Green Party faces a showdown with Lord Mann, the government’s independent adviser on antisemitism, over the conduct of councillors newly elected under its banner.

One who shouted Allahu akbar (God is greatest) and described getting a seat on Leeds city council as a “win for the people of Gaza” had previously been involved in the harassment of a Jewish university chaplain driven from his home.

Two who won seats in Bristol had been involved in social media posts which led the city’s Labour Party to fear that the Greens were becoming a haven for antisemitism.

A Peterborough Green councillor has also been shown by the Jewish press to have made insulting anti-Israel comments….

The new face of the Green Party, which has traditionally been involved in campaigning to save hedgerows and improve air quality, came as a surprise to observers of last week’s local elections.

Three of the four councillors whose activities have raised cause for concern were previously Labour supporters or activists, raising the likelihood that Jeremy Corbyn fans have been migrating to the Greens and changing their culture.

Mothin Ali, wearing a keffiyeh, the scarf symbolic of Palestinian resistance, celebrated his victory in Leeds by raising his arm in the air and saying: “We will not be silenced. We will raise the voice of Gaza. We will raise the voice of Palestine. Allahu akbar!”

The Greens have, sadly, become a haven for nutters.