Andrew Gilligan Sunday Times Challenor Green Party

[WaddIelikeapenguin]

"A young politician and transgender activist who is running for deputy leadership of the Green Party was fighting for her political life last night after it emerged that she had used her father as her election agent even though he faced charges of raping and torturing a 10-year-old girl."

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/rising-greens-star-aimee-challenor-will-not-quit-over-rapist-father-kngjwc8l5

[WaddIelikeapenguin]

I forgot to make it clicky!
www.thetimes.co.uk/article/rising-greens-star-aimee-challenor-will-not-quit-over-rapist-father-kngjwc8l5

[LassWiADelicateAir]

It is a start. Still nothing from the BBC or The Guardian.

[LassWiADelicateAir]

I said on the other thread some MNetters should try to have a more open mind towards the Mail, Sun et al. This is not the first time I have seen reports about crimes against women and children in the red tops which don't feature in the "quality " papers.

[WaddIelikeapenguin]

I think it's a shame the animal cruelty charges arent mentioned.

LassWiADelicateAir
It is a start. Still nothing from the BBC or The Guardian.
If there is I suspect it will be rage inducing...

[OlennasWimple]

Good for Gilligan

He's pretty fearless, and also very good at crafting sentences which tell you a lot more than it appears on first read

[Coyoacan]

A very clear and well-written article.

[borntobequiet]

Nice previous puff piece from Granuiad, June this year:
www.theguardian.com/society/2018/jun/06/aimee-challenor-theresa-may-lgbt-inequality-transgender-green-party
It will be interesting to see the volte face if it comes.

[tiredandweary]

Here's a share token for the article:
www.thetimes.co.uk/article/rising-greens-star-aimee-challenor-will-not-quit-over-rapist-father-kngjwc8l5?shareToken=3295f6617343d41dfad37955c3296990

[LadybirdsAreBirds]

Thanks Waddle

David Challenor wore a dress and adult nappy whilst raping his 10 year old female victim

[boatyardblues]

The second of these 2 paragraphs made my blood run cold (from the article):

Candidates’ election campaign leaflets are legally required to include the name of their agent or promoter. Challenor’s leaflets for both campaigns, seen by The Sunday Times, did not show her father’s correct name, instead giving it as “Baloo Challenor”.

Baloo, a character from Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book, was a nickname used by Challenor’s father in his work as an assistant Scout leader and volunteer with children’s gymnastics. He used his proper first name on the election nomination forms as Challenor’s agent.

Deeply worrying stuff.

[Spinderelle]

If Aimee had any decency they would step down now from their candidacy.

[hackmum]

Surely surely the Scouts also have questions to answer about this? And the gymnastics people? Why aren’t the press all over it?

[LadybirdsAreBirds]

hackmum


Yes.
And the police, and their links to TRAs:


In June, Aimee Challoner addressed the West Midlands Police Force Leadership Conference, invited by West Midlands Police LGBT Network, and was thanked by the Chief Constable. This is extraordinary given that Aimee's father and election agent, who lived in the same house, was at that time charged with heinous crimes (from comments below Times article)

[CaitlynsCat]

The question of why Aimee thought it appropriate to pose and associate with rapist Dad at May 2018 elections remains unanswered.

[borntobequiet]

Broadcasting House R4 9 am does a newspaper review with guest reviewers selecting stories. I would be very suspicious if this were not chosen for comment. Not on Twitter for the sake of my sanity, but if I were, I would tweet them.

[picklemepopcorn]

This young politician clearly is unable to discern what is appropriate, probably due to a dysfunctional upbringing. The Green Party has no such excuse.

[Starkstaring]

I am appalled at the massive psychological damage that Aimee is identifying out of by transitioning. And all the trauma which isn't being dealt with because not taking being "born in the wrong body" at face value is conversion therapy.

I know other people here think at 20 she is an adult, but 20? With a hideous upbringing like that? Aimee is also a victim in all this.

[Cockapoomummy]

Reading the article She clearly has been brought up in a dysfunctional family where there were safeguarding concerns. Why is anyone surprised she acted in a dysfunctional way?

The issue is her father and the policies and procedures of the Green Party.

[CaitlynsCat]

Here is Aimee in June, bigging up Dad:

twitter.com/GreenPartyAimee/status/1007929605330792448

[hackmum]

Someone called Richard Vine has made some very good comments on the article. Any idea who it is? An actual real life man who gets it, or one of us writing under a pseudonym?

[FermatsTheorem]

Thank you, Andrew Gilligan, for covering this!

[MnerXX]

Such a sad case - that he was involved in the scouts etc needs to be further investigated in case. The Green Party needs to step up. Their response to date is ridiculous.

[Sunkisses]

The article says that Aimee claims not to have known:
"This weekend Aimee Challenor offered no comment but a party spokeswoman said the candidate had been unaware of the crimes and would not step aside. “We are offering her our support at this challenging time,” she said.

The Green Party statement says the Green Party did not know (until the conviction this week), but does not say whether Aimee knew (yet carried on appointing rapist dad as election agent, socialising, campaigning to get rid of women's sex-based rights, protections and boundaries...): kualo.greenparty.org.uk/statements/

The Green Party need to urgently find out whether Aimee knew their dad was charged with these horrendous crimes or not, and act accordingly. We must not allow them to brush this under the carpet.

[Pywife2]

Normally I would be saying it's not fair to blame a child for the sins of the father, and I agree with a previous poster that someone brought up in this family deserves compassion.

We don't know anything about Aimee's childhood and I wouldn't speculate about whether someone had been abused or not.
People from abusive backgrounds should not be barred from public life, they have nothing to be ashamed of. Look at the two young men whose father murdered their mother and sisters: they have shown immense courage in speaking out about such violence by other men.

However, this case is different. Aimee was accused of bullying women before any of this was known, women have spoken out against his views and ideology as dangerous and he has done everything possible to shut them down and silence them.

The women speaking against him were warning about letting males into women only spaces because they fear for the safety of women and girls. Aimee has used the trans agenda to silence those voices of concern, and he has been advising government about the Gender Recognition Act. Women fear that changes to the act will allow predatory men into women's and girls' spaces, but their fears have been brushed aside by government, who have listened to people like Aimee and Jess Bradley. The consultation period ends in October so we're on a short timeframe here.

In the light of these facts, I think the information about his father's crimes has a relevance that it wouldn't have to another politician, who was campaigning on other issues. Again, I don't blame the child for the actions of the parent, but equally I don't think Aimee is a suitable person to advise about government policy where safeguarding issues are concerned.

The fact that his father was named as his agent is also relevant. It's difficult to believe that Aimee didn't know about the charges but he considered his father a suitable agent. Aimee has not stood down now, even after this has come to light, so presumably doesn't see an issue with his continued involvement in a discussion that includes safeguarding.

The lack of understanding that the Greens and Labour have shown in thrusting some young members into the spotlight, and victimising adult women in their parties who have sounded a note of caution, shows up the sexism that still exists in politics today, 100 years after we got the vote.

I don't wish any harm to Aimee, but I don't think they should be a candidate for any party at this stage in their life, and I don't think they should be advising government on issues that touch on women and girls' safety. It reflects badly on our politicians that they were able to do so and that women and transwomen putting an opposing view have been ignored, victimised and silenced.

[stillathing]

I can't believe they've not resigned. I can't believe the green party haven't kicked them out. Aimee used their considerable platform to weaken safeguarding, and silence women with real concerns, all the while living and working with a man who dressed as a woman to rape a 10 year old girl.