To think the Green Party and esp its Deputy Leader is a real worry for women

[CraftyTaupeBee]

Over the last few months I have watched with incredulity the rise of the Green Party in the polls and wondered if I am alone in this. Mothin Ali their Deputy publicly celebrated Oct 7th (which he then apologised for) and has been seen this week at an event mourning the death of the Ayatollah. I am not anti any religion but his wife is fully covered in a niqab and I feel despite what others say to have a woman's face fully covered is a tool of oppression and not something I would want in a leader as a value set. I realise others may not feel this way and it is not meant to be offensive but the facts are there.And recently a female spin doctor for the Greens alleged that rape had not taken place on Oct 7th. To me the Green Party is reminiscent of what happened in 1979 and something that ultimately affected women's rights drastically (as well as any other rights of the gay community and others). The soft left (much like the Greens) allowed the strict islamic vote to take hold and look where they ended up. This really worries me for the country. Am I the only one? And why does the Green Party seem to be so anti west and anti white. I realise Zack Polanksi is gay and jewish and they are strange bedfellows but it feels like a trojan horse mindset and not something I want for my western liberal feminist girls. In fact it feels anti feminist?

No i think that the critical race theory bs you are spouting is a form of imported american anti white racism.
Any theory that has all whites are racist as a central tenant is a dangerous racist bs that belongs in the bin along with white supremacy

Yes, this.

Why can't they and why don't they? It would be so easy.

My lived experience as a Black woman is that spaces which prioritise LGBTQ rights are also likely to be better at promoting racial equality than either those who are LGB and definitely those who are anti LGBTQ.

This differs slightly when it is a Black space but even then, I find the overall values of the people more align with mine when a Black space is tolerant of gender identities and non-het sexualities.

Oh please, you really are showing your true colours here. So much claptrap. So many right on phrases.. I'm off to walk along the beach, I've had enough of soundbites.

What "Black space"?

Or is it "racial equality"

Or LGBTQ?

Which one was too woke for you?

Do you understand that when people hold their noses and vote for a party they don't like, to keep another party out that they like even less, that the party they voted for then crows that they have a mandate? They take those votes as evidence of support of their policies and then carry them out if they're in power, while saying it's the will of the people and voters agree.

I'm not contributing to that.

I do get why people do it, but I'm not going to be part of it.

There is zero point in arguing with a true believer.

Either you believe that women no matter their age, race, religious belief, sexuality, hair colour, social status exist as a sex class independent of all men or you don't.

Happyclapper doesn't believe that we do.

Before I go for my walk.
Lived experience. Well yes it's just experience.
Non het. Oh please!.
The whole alphabet people thing. What else can we put with it. LHBTQplus for example.
Many gay people hate being lumped with trans BTW. Off I go!

Well you choose what matters more. That is what I have said all along.

Non-het is just another way of shortening lesbian, gay, bisexual, asexual and all the other -sexuals that are around now.

Why can’t Reform
and the Tories do a lot of things?

Woah, this is so bizarre! I cannot believe we have all stumbled on each other.

Well yes that’s what I was getting at. I don’t really see that as Jewish in terms of identity declaration.

DP isn’t hard left. He’s ticking white British. It’s interesting because one of his sisters is hard left. She certainly doesn’t declare herself as Jewish either. But she did go down the ‘gay nun’ route for a while 😂 studied Christianity at uni. Interesting because I suppose that’s also a potential theme here.

I do that, I always feel duty bound to vote because of the sacrifices that women made to get the vote in the first place. It’s becoming ever harder to do so, though.

I would never vote Reform or Tory, and now I can’t vote Green either, not only because of their obsession with transgender issues but their support for Islamists. Also because of their lack of any sensible economic policy.

So I’m left with only Labour or Lib Dems. Yes I know that their views on transgender issues are problematic too, but it isn’t the only issue I vote on, and we can still campaign for the Supreme Court ruling to be upheld.

Really?! Wow, by Jewish denying you mean what?

This is so fascinating I am glad I asked this morning!

I'm also concerned about Labours new Islamophobia definition. It doesn't matter if it is not enshrined in law if it leads to a quasi blasphemy law, or leads police, social workers, teachers etc to be afraid to report concerns for fear of being accused of Islamophobia. Then it doesn't matter if things like honour based violence, forced marriage, sexual exploitation and vote rigging is illegal. If people turn a blind eye because of this definition then that is hugely damaging to women and girls in those communities, all for the sake of approval from male religious elders. So for me that only leaves the Lib Dems, who are being completely useless ATM.

I'm not far from Bristol, where the Green Party are - just - running the Council. (They're the largest party, but have just under half the overall seats). They've recently banned two women from the Council building because they asked questions about women's rights in the public question section of a Council meeting. This also led to most Green councillors leaving the council chambers because those questions were so upsetting. I'd always assumed that politicians were supposed to listen to all their constituents - not just those whose views they agreed with - and I really can't see myself voting for them at even a local level because of this sort of behaviour.

Yes it will be the same for me if that’s the case, sadly. Very depressing.

He is either an idiot or a charlatan.

From the BBC:
Since entering politics and becoming leader of the Green Party of England and Wales in September 2025, he has distanced himself from the claim.
He has repeatedly said he was misrepresented and claimed that he appeared on the BBC to apologise the day after the Sun article was published, on 12 June 2013.
The BBC asked the Green Party to point us to the BBC interview in question and also searched programme running orders but could find no record of it.
However, six days later on 18 June, Polanski did speak to BBC Radio Humberside.
In that interview he did not apologise but defended the claims.
"Actually increasingly more and more as I work with people, there's starting to become anecdotal evidence, at least, of a growth in breast size," he told presenter Peter Levy.

This is only my opinion! Many people who are Jewish by heritage (from the maternal side) do not talk about being Jewish, particularly if they have not been brought up in a Jewish home and observed festivals etc and are atheist. Some who were like that pre 7/10 (in denial of their Jewish heritage) changed as a result of the hatred towards Jews that came immediately afterwards.

No not since October 7. He first got involved in the Corbyn project and started identifying as Jewish during that whole anti-Semitism argument. I think he went down a lot of Internet rabbit holes which is a whole other thread. I'm a bit nervous of going down the Jewish/not Jewish thing because I'm not Jewish and don't feel I can say who is or isn't Jewish iyswm. I'm Catholic and come from a background where Catholicism is absolutely ingrained in our culture. It's not just belief in God. So even though I would say I was agnostic I have tried really, really hard to keep my children within Catholicism because even if they don't believe in God it is part of their cultural heritage. They could go into any Catholic church in the world, wherever they are and have familiar rituals around them, and know the rhythms of the faith. I know if they decide not to teach their own children, then that will be it. For all intents and purposes that Catholic heritage will be gone forever. But if I compare that to Judaism, my MIL was brought up observant Jewish, she did all the rituals but chose to not do any of that with her children and didn't even teach them anything about Judaism. But they are still Jewish, if only racially. But without a Jewish identity, I'm not sure if that really matters. But as I've said, I don't know and am open to having my arse handed to me!

The thing the greens now, under Polanski sells, and as wiser posters than me have said on the other green thread with long term watchers and current and former GP members, is hope.

And feels.

So it doesn't matter that they are riddled with inconsistencies (much like reform, 2bh). Legalising heroin but banning vapes. Banning wood burning stoves but allowing street prostitution sex work in residential neighbourhoods. So yes you can have Mothin and his nudge wink lip service to the blue haired stuff whilst he dreams of intifada, and you can have ZP at the same time urging talks with Putin and cutting off ties with Israel whilst appearing at the Trans answer to Live Aid (right now!) that's backed by an Israeli investment company who own Mighty Hoopla

They contain multitudes!

Didn't he change his name to Polanski a long time ago, though?

Eta this from wikipedia. He was identifying as Jewish in 2016.

Polanski put his name forward in the Richmond Park by-election held in December 2016 but the selection list was restricted to local residents. On Lib Dem Voice, it was announced on October 2016 that Sarah Olney was to be the candidate for Richmond Park to which Polanski commented about being blocked stating that there were eight candidates but only one was shortlisted. [24]

According to Private Eye, Polanski had shown political interest in both wings of the Lib Dems, from the left to the more social liberal who supported Nick Clegg. He was dismayed at the decision and requested the decision be reviewed, feeling that the party was not interested in what he could contribute as a gay Jewish renter

David Paulden

Sadly I suspect your lived experience is representative of wider society, but I couldn't possibly vote for a party that would make it legal for males to compete in female only sport.

Ahh thankyou for clarifying! I was thinking you were maybe saying they were Holocaust deniers but thought that’s very extreme and an odd way to say it so wanted to check.

Interesting term. I don’t think DP would consider himself a jew denier (not taking offence at the term btw - there’s only so many ways to talk about this when the words (Jewish/ Jewish) are all muddled like this!). He’s acutely aware that he is in fact Jewish. But he’s also acutely aware that he isn’t.

We just got back from Austria and were talking in the bar with some people and we were chatting kids and showed them a picture. On seeing our son they instantly said ‘are you Jewish’. DP gave his story but it’s then that we realised we were informed we are literally near hitlers childhood home and apparently it is still a thing there. So that was quite shocking.

So we are both aware we have ethnically part Ashkenazi children but they also aren’t Jewish at all. In my eyes that’s not denying it. It’s that actually Jewish people are persecuted and at risk in ways DP and our kids will never be. We don’t practice, we don’t wear Jewish attire, if anything we are more Christian. There’s nothing Jewish about them apart from their dna (and matrimonial linkage for DP) and it was a bit of a reminder last week that might be what the antisemites classify Jews as. So he’s certainly aware. But still wouldn’t say he’s Jewish. If that makes any sense?!