Richard Firth suspended from Green Party

[PelicanDeuce]

Richard Firth, who made the covert recording of the woman sharing very personal information, posted about 'petrifying some terfs' and chanted 'I'd rather be a pervert than a terf', has been suspended from the Green Party for a year and banned from holding office for a further two years. It's not known if the reason for his suspension is the same or different to the above complaints.

[R0wantrees]

So I don’t think we should dismiss the whole Green Party because of this, as some seem to do on here

The specific & substantial Safeguarding failures within The Green Party were identified by Veritas & then The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.

February 2020
OP WootMoggie wrote:

Westminster Child Abuse: Aimee Challenor and The Green Party
The Aimee Challenor case features prominently in the Westminster Child Abuse Report published today.

They quote from the report into The Green Party by Veritas:

“It is disappointing that many people we spoke to in the party failed to see the safeguarding issues that arise here. Those in the party who were told about David Challenor’s activities saw the issue as primarily a communications one – about protecting the reputation of the party. Awareness of safeguarding issues in the party in general appears to be low.”

The report itself adds:

“From the evidence we heard from Liz Reason, Chair of the Green Party Executive, safeguarding issues remain a matter which the Green Party needs to address.”

This section of the report concludes with:

“For child protection and safeguarding to be effective, political parties must ensure that their members and those in positions of authority – including those who may have joined from other parties – are appropriately trained and aware of safeguarding and child protection policies and procedures.”

The above from paragraph 15 onwards at: www.iicsa.org.uk/publications/investigation/westminster/part-j-safeguarding/j2-safeguarding-and-child-protection-policies-government-departments-political-parties-and-palace


www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3832635-westminster-child-abuse-aimee-challenor-and-the-green-party

[Lysistra65]

Suspension means that they can come back after however long they are suspended for. I think they should have been chucked out of their party as they threatened women.

[ScrimpshawTheSecond]

safeguarding issues remain a matter which the Green Party needs to address.

And I presume they remain so, too.

[Kantastic]

Owain Sutton's thoughts on child safeguarding, as seen on Twitter.

Preoccupying yourself with child abuse is a bit Tommy Robinson, apparently.

It's a pity that The Red Flag is already taken as a political party anthem.

[ScrimpshawTheSecond]

Jawdropping, Kantastic.

[BlackberryGin]

I agree that the Greens need to be supported. The GP seems to have been infiltrated by a few activists who have overwhelmed those previously in control. They need help to fight back and any sticks we wave should be directed at those who are responsible for the current mess and not against the party generally.

The GC voices within the party must be fighting in treacle trying to make headway against the Hydra's heads, as are we all in this mess. They aren't separate from us though and are all part of the same fight.

[Ereshkigalangcleg]

Jawdropping, Kantastic.

It really is. These people have no idea how they come across.

[OhHolyJesus]

The #ExpelMe hashtag should be applied to whether a member understands safeguarding. If you don't get it, like Sutton here, you're out.

[TheProdigalKittensReturn]

God they all look the same don’t they

See, your first instinct is to go "that's a bit mean, surely they don't all...", but then you look at the icons and yep.

Preoccupying yourself with child abuse is a bit Tommy Robinson, apparently.

??! They're not even aiming for subtle or discreet any more, are they? Just right out there in the open.

[littlbrowndog]

Yeah kittens. Child safeguarding. Don’t be silly.

[GCGayDad]

@BlackberryGin

Yes: “ I agree that the Greens need to be supported. The GP seems to have been infiltrated by a few activists who have overwhelmed those previously in control. They need help to fight back and any sticks we wave should be directed at those who are responsible for the current mess and not against the party generally. ”

And there are some great people who are sticking with the Greens - and probably with other parties that have been infiltrated by this mess. Note especially the wonderful Bea Campbell. Here is her wonderful but horrifying article, informed by her inside knowledge a Green activist, about the Challenor debacle and the long-term safeguarding issues: www.byline.com/column/85

[Ereshkigalangcleg]

It's a pity that The Red Flag is already taken as a political party anthem.

Just got this, I was a bit slow on the uptake last night

[TheProdigalKittensReturn]

The new party slogan could be "The Green Party - nothing to do with environmentalism any more!"

I honestly don't remember the last time I saw anything from the Greens that was focused on their traditional concerns. Surely a lot of members must be tired of that.

[FloralBunting]

I know a GP member. Had TWAW style run ins with them previously, but they are totally committed to all the things I would ordinarily support 100%. Proper environmental action - both legislative change and local and personal practical action, plus a real broad community engagement with a specific connection to the refugee community here. I tried to explain that the GP would absolutely get my vote as a party, were it not for a) the shambolic internal workings, particularly with respect to safeguarding and b) the utterly brain dead shackling of the party to trans stupidity.

[TheProdigalKittensReturn]

They'd have been my next choice after Labour if they were still focused on the issues they should be, but they're such a mess.

[nicotina3]

Owain Sutton was a Green Party nationally recognised as a "champion" for his work as local election campaign officer. This is no reflection on the good people of his own local party, but rather of the party's obsession with identity politics and the transgender women's issue in particular. The suspension of those two members may be the beginning of the end of what has been a rather sordid and highly disruptive episode in the well-being and management of the party.

[OvaHere]

Great news whatever the reason for it. Two seriously unpleasant misogynists.

[ScrimpshawTheSecond]

Child safeguarding. Don’t be silly.

Child safeguarding, how right-wing of you.
Child safeguarding, how old-fashioned.
Child safeguarding, how bigoted and nasty.

Over in the rainbows and unicorns camp they just don't get involved with that kind of fascist intrusion into people's personal lives, I presume?

How can someone actually complain that safeguarding is 'a bit Tommy Robinson' and be in any way allowed to speak for a party?

And if that party has recently suffered a horrendous scandal involving a sadistic pedophile, and been specifically pulled up by an investigation for failing to understand safeguarding, this is still genuinely the attitude taken?

Flaming hell.

[FloralBunting]

They think it's a joke. I mean, I know the Simpsons 'Won't someone think of the children?!' was supposed to be a dig at people using children as some kind of moral shield, even in irrelevant situations, but I'm much less kindly disposed to the joke having been around the block a few times, and also, talking about safeguarding policies around children and vulnerable people, when your party has been connected to abuse of said children and vulnerable people is 100% relevant and if you can't see why, WE NEED TO SEARCH YOUR HARD DRIVE

[R0wantrees]

Bea Campbell from article shared upthread:

'IN ENGLAND'S GREEN AND PLEASANT LAND: Child sexual abuse and toxic trans gender politics: a Green Party crisis'
(extract)
"But the Greens need to do more than lament the guile and cruelty of David Challenor and the party’s misfortune in being gulled by the Challenors. The party’s initial official statements about the scandal pathetically paid more attention to Aimee Challenor’s need for support than the vindicated – but traduced – child.

Conducive context

The party should ask itself whether the party’s hard-line pro-trans policies and associated bullying provided what sexual violence scholar Prof Liz Kelly calls a ‘conducive context’ that shielded the Challenors from scrutiny.

It might also ask itself whether it lost its marbles about gender and sexual politics, so much so that this proudly open and democratic party sometimes behaved like the Inquisition, hunting and harassing trans heretics and feminists.

Lesbian activist Olivia Palmer has been expelled for opposing the mantra ‘trans women are women’. The Green Party has forced luminaries Rupert Read and Jenny Jones to publically recant their scepticism. Aimee Challenor tried take legal action to silence Green Party activist Andy Healey, and members are wondering who in the leadership supported Aimee Challenor’s legal action to silence him – he launched Gender Critical Greens, a feminist resource, and insisted on identifying Challenor as a man. The legal action against Healey is still unresolved. Healey was not allowed to address the party conference, whilst David Challenor was given space to propose motions despite his impending trial on the most serious child sexual abuse charges." (continues)

www.byline.com/column/85

[DuLANGDuLANGDuLANG]

Mr Sutton doesn’t want us to demand answers on child abuse or call out casual Misogyny, mmm, I wonder why?🤔🙃

[Deliriumoftheendless]

In the last few years I’ve worked out that those who mock “won’t somebody think of the children!” are basically pretty sexist and utterly uninterested in the rights of children.

[GreenieFingers]

There are many in the GPEW who don't accept the gaslighting being doled out by some of the Trans Allies in power and infinitely more than those who do accept and promote it. We are trying our best as all who do so elsewhere, to overturn this lunacy. We need to drag the Party back on track and concentrate on the environment, which is crucially important. Identity Politics are ruining the Party and the population's prospects for a better and safer future. If we have limited time to save the planet, the GPEW need as much support and relevant input as possible to get back on track and unseat those who are determine to destroy the Party and it's relevance.

[Ereshkigalangcleg]

There are many in the GPEW who don't accept the gaslighting being doled out by some of the Trans Allies in power

That's good to hear. Good luck.

[Freespeecher]

Thing is the Greens are about to have a membership boom from disaffected Corbyn supporters which may reduce any chance of self-examination (which has been sadly lacking anyway).