Andrew Gilligan Sunday Times Challenor Green Party

The question should be asked, I mean, about the Scouts.

Such a sad case - that he was involved in the scouts etc needs to be further investigated in case.

Indeed, most scrutiny is currently quite rightly focusing on the Green Party but the question of how a known animal abuser whose own children were temporarily taken into care made it through their screening process. I'm assuming they have one, though at this point maybe that's a bit optimistic.

I knew I could rely on Andrew Gilligan to write properly about this.

How is it that the Green Party hasn’t suspended this candidate at the very least? They surely can’t tolerate stories like this about prospective senior leaders of their party. It brings into question the judgement of both the individual and the organisation. Their political credibility will be severely damaged. Who is going to vote for them after this?

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”.

Isn't this a breech of electoral law which Aimee IS responsible for. The purpose of naming the agent is so there is transparency and the agent can be traced. If you put a nickname on, how can this be done.

There ARE questions here.

I'm very much with Pywife here.

Also acceptance and reducing prejudice is about bringing people along with you. Unfortunately this whole situation really rather undermines that process by highlighting the very concerns that have been swept under the carpet.

Politics is suffering from a massive lack of trust atm. Thats down to lack of transparency and the inability of political parties to keep their house in order. Its attracting far too many people who aren't honest about their past or their vested interests. Again transparency.

Yet another political party, sweeping yet another political scandal under the carpet is the last thing politics needs. They need to be seen to take concerns seriously and to listen to what bothers the public about certain issues, and stop just taking the line of 'protecting their own'. Its about much bigger issues than individuals. Protecting individuals at the expense of political trust and transparency is potentially harmful to the most vulnerable.

The whole story is desparately sad. From every angle. But especially from the angle of the little girl - and issues surrounding here should be absolutely the most central.

It is a blatant lie that Aimee did not know of the charges. The police would have searched the house top to bottom to have uncovered all the evidence they did. They will have removed every single electronic device. The exercise ( even in a two bedroom house) would have taken at least a day. And Aimee is very close to DC and mum.

Not to mention the social media trail. Aimee knew

Well done, Andrew Gilligan.

The photograph at the top of the article is an interesting choice - look at the pamphlet held by the person on the left.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Thank you, Andrew Gilligan, for covering this!

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?

Here is Aimee in June, bigging up Dad:

twitter.com/GreenPartyAimee/status/1007929605330792448

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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)

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

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

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.

Thanks Waddle

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

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