Green Party Women Co-Chair accuses members of ‘bullying’ and ‘gaslighting’ in report
A Green Party member wearing a scarf and a Green Party badge. (Getty)
A co-chair of Green Party Women (GPW) has announced her departure citing accusations of “vile and inappropriate behaviour.”
Greens member and GPW co-chair, Chesca Walton, announced in an Annual General Meeting report that she would not be standing for future committee positions in 2024 due to the group’s allegedly toxic environment.
“I have never in my life witnessed such vile and inappropriate behaviour as I have witnessed from within Green Party Women,” she wrote.
“Such behaviour includes dehumanisation, harassment, intimidation and gaslighting. It is important to stress that this is a tiny minority of members, but it does have a disproportionate impact on the party as a whole.”
Walton alleged that she had experienced bullying from GPW members as early as the first month in her role, claiming she was prevented from accessing the group’s social media pages because her “views on gender are aligned to those of Green Party Policy.”
Clause RR531 of the Green Party’s Policy on gender states that it believes trans and non-binary people should be “legally recognised” and should be allowed to change their birth certificates without medical interventions, better known as Self-ID.
“Having witnessed this group from the inside, I am clear that it is not a safe and welcoming space for all Green Party members, especially those who are trans or non-binary,” Walton claimed.
“Therefore, I recommend that Green Party Women be disaffiliated from the Green Party.”
Green Party Women says co-chair’s report is ‘not a valid’ one
In a Green Party Women email shared to social media by a disgruntled Green Party member, the group wrote that it was aware of what it described as a “vexatious report” and denounced the accusations made by Walton.
“The committee repudiates any allegations made in the report,” the email continued. “It is not a valid report and has not been approved by the committee.”
According to the email GPW officials have allegedly been in contact with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) about what it described as “ongoing discrimination” against so-called ‘Gender-Critical‘ members of the group.
The EHRC has come under scrutiny over the last few years for its views on trans and non-binary people.
“We have the sympathy and support of Marcial Boo, the CEO of EHRC,” it continued. “He is clear that the way we have been treated is wrong.”
PinkNews has contacted the EHRC to confirm whether it was indeed contacted by GPW.
In her report, co-chair Walton wrote that she had held conversations with members “who describe themselves as having Gender Critical thoughts and beliefs.”
“I have held these 1-to-1 conversations in an open and constructive manner with the aim of building a shared understanding of the different sides of this conversation and exploring common ground on other Green Values.
“These conversations have had mixed success, but I will endeavour to continue to take this approach moving forward with anyone who wishes to build bridges within the Green Party.”
Walton also recommended the Feminist Greens group as an alternative to GPW in a post on X, formerly Twitter, writing that the group does “a great job of representing me, even if my own committee doesn’t.”
In her conclusion, Walton wrote: “No volunteer role is worth crying yourself to sleep over.
“We have so many intelligent, passionate and hardworking candidates and I look forward to working with the Feminist Greens to see more of them achieve their political aspirations in the future.”
PinkNews has contacted Green Party Women for comment.
