4 September 2018

 * Green members vote Jonathan Bartley and Sian Berry new co-leaders

* Amelia Womack re-elected for third term as deputy

* Jonathan Bartley: “We are more determined than ever to become the third political party in Britain”

* Sian Berry: “The Green Party is the opposite of vapid, old school centrist politics”

Green Party members have voted Jonathan Bartley and Sian Berry new co-leaders of the party after an internal election this summer.

Bartley and Berry have launched their leadership by pledging to take the party on the course to become the “third political party in Britain” and get a Green in every council chamber.

The pair said their party will stand as “the opposite of vapid, old school centrist politics” and promised to put forward “bright Green ideas” to answer the big challenges of our time – from Brexit to climate breakdown and the housing crisis, to automation and the broken world of work.

They also promised “fiercer Green resistance” on the frontline of the fight against the destruction of projects from fracking to HS2, and the harm of practices like deportation and indefinite detention.

Bartley has led the opposition on Lambeth council since being elected a Streatham councillor in May this year. Berry was elected Green London Assembly member in 2016, when she also came third in the London mayoral race. She has been a Camden councillor since 2014. They were elected by the Green Party membership after an internal election over the summer.

Amelia Womack was re-elected deputy leader of the party for a third term and will continue work on women’s rights, including the campaign to make misogyny a hate crime, as well as work on sustainable communities and the environment.

New co-leaders Bartley and Berry won with 6,239 of a total 8,379 votes cast. Contenders Shahrar Ali and Leslie Rowe received 1,466 and 495 votes respectively. New deputy leader Womack won with 3,981 of 7,369 total votes cast.

Jonathan Bartley said:

“We’re proud to lead a party with a track record on the right side of history and are ready to mobilise a fiercer Green resistance than ever before.

“In council chambers across the country Greens are leading a political revolt against the status quo. We are more determined than ever to take the party to the next level. We want to take the Green Party on a course to become the third political party in Britain, building on this year’s local election success to get a Green on every council in England and Wales.

“But the Green Party knows politics isn’t confined to council chambers or the halls of Westminster. When faced with the environmental destruction of fracking or the spiralling costs of HS2, or the inhumanity of indefinite detention and forced removals of refugees and migrants, we are not afraid to join protestors putting their bodies on the line for what is right.”

Sian Berry said:

“We’re excited to take on leading a buoyant Green Party at this crucial time for our country and party. With Brexit on the horizon and our planet burning, the last thing people need is the stale centrism of the past, which brought us austerity and privatisation – and totally failed to tackle climate breakdown or give people real security and quality of life.

“The Green Party is the opposite of vapid, old school centrist politics, and we are ready to shout louder than ever before about the bright Green ideas needed to face the huge challenges in the world today.

“We will be championing a People’s Vote on Brexit, tackling climate breakdown, ensuring everyone has the right to a safe warm home, and fulfilling work that translates to more time off with our families, not more unemployment as automation grows. We are the only party who can be trusted to stand up for citizens in our nations of England and Wales, instead of the interests of big business or millionaires.”

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1 September 2018

The Green Party has announced the details of an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding Aimee Challenor’s father being able to act as her election agent while facing charges for serious sexual assault against a minor.

The party has instructed Verita to lead the investigation, and has published the terms of reference [1].

A Green Party spokesperson said:

“The Green Party of England and Wales has today formally instructed Verita to lead the independent investigation into the circumstances which allowed David Challenor to act as an election agent for his daughter while facing serious sexual assault charges against a minor.

“Verita are one of the country’s leading independent consultancies, specialising in carrying out objective investigations of complex and often sensitive issues in a thorough and progressive manner. We are confident they are the right choice to help us ask the difficult questions needed.  

“The investigation – which is entirely independent –  will start immediately and is expected to conclude in November.

“The Green Party takes its safeguarding responsibilities and duties of care extremely seriously. The investigation will identity the facts as well as where failures occurred so that the party can learn any lessons needed and take the appropriate and necessary action.

“The terms of reference for the investigation are publicly available. The Green Party will not be commenting any further on the investigation while it is active.”

Notes:

1.

Independent investigation into the Green Party’s actions following the allegations and charges brought against David Challenor: Terms of reference

The client

This investigation has been commissioned by the Acting Chair of the Green Party Executive (GPEX), the co-chairs of the Green Party Regional Council (GPRC), and the leadership team of GPEW. 

Purpose of the investigation

David Challenor was charged by Police with serious sexual offences in November 2016.  He was convicted in August 2018. In May 2017 and in May 2018 he acted as election agent for his daughter Aimee Challenor.

The purpose of the investigation is to examine the Party’s response to the allegations and charges brought against David Challenor.  The investigation will be completed in two stages. The aims of the inquiry are to:

Stage one

1. Establish a chronology of events from November 2016

2. Establish what actions, if any, were taken by members of the Party or staff to ensure that David Challenor’s appointment as election agent was made in accordance with Party policy and procedures

3. Establish what actions, if any, were taken by members of the Party or staff to make colleagues aware of the substance of the allegations and/or charges against David Challenor

4. Establish which members of the Party or staff, if any, were made aware of these allegations and/or charges

5. Establish what actions, if any, were taken by members of the Party-voluntary officers or staff- after they became aware of this information

6. Establish to what extent action, if any, was taken to ensure appropriate safeguarding was maintained in the light of this information

7. Report on any other issues that arise that are relevant to the terms of reference

Stage two

8. Consider whether any form of disciplinary action should be considered against any member of the Party or staff

9. Consider whether any changes should be made to Party policies and procedures to strengthen them in the light of these events, and make any relevant recommendations

10. Consider whether any new policies or procedures need to be developed and implemented by the Party, and make any relevant recommendations

11. Summary report

Approach

The investigation will not form part of any disciplinary process that the Party may undertake, but the contents of the report may be used by the Party to inform any such process. The investigation team will carry out its work by reviewing relevant documents and, where the team considers it necessary, interviewing relevant Party staff, members, and voluntary officers in private. All the interviews will remain confidential, and the content of the transcripts will not be available to the client. The team will follow established good practice in the conduct of the work, for example by offering interviewees the opportunity to be accompanied and to comment on and amend the transcript of their interview.

Timetable

The inquiry will get underway immediately.  The aim is to deliver the final report by mid-November and the date will be agreed once the scope and timetabling of the work are clear.

The report

The inquiry team will produce, for the client, a written report on its findings and recommendations for further action.

Publication

It is expected that the recommendations of the report will be published in some form. The client will decide (in consultation with Verita) the precise form of publication.

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31 August 2018

Aimee Challenor has today been suspended on a no fault basis from the Green Party of England and Wales, following consideration by the relevant internal bodies of a number of complaints that have been made against her. In line with our procedures, the suspension will remain in place until the next meeting of the Green Party Regional Council, when it will be reviewed. An investigation will be conducted by an external agency into the circumstances and disclosures surrounding Aimee’s father being able to act as her election agent, while facing charges for serious sexual assault against a minor.

The ‘no fault’ basis means that, at the time of suspension, no fault is assumed or should be inferred. Any assertion of fault or otherwise could be prejudicial to due process.

The Green Party takes its safeguarding responsibilities and duties of care extremely seriously and is committed to learning any difficult lessons needed. As soon as the Terms of Reference for the independent investigation are agreed and the investigator appointed we will announce both publicly. Once the investigation is complete we will announce its conclusions and recommendations. Other than this, no further comment on the investigation will be made while it is active.

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26 August 2018

Aimee Challenor has today stepped aside in the Green Party leadership elections, following the conviction of her father, David Challenor, for abhorrent sexual crimes involving a minor which include him committing some of the gravest human rights violations that face women and girls across the world 

No disclosure was made of Mr Challenor’s arrest or any of the charges against him as part of formal nomination or selection processes. The party is urgently reviewing its disclosure and safeguarding policies and procedures and will learn from any lessons that process reveals.

We apologise unreservedly that Mr Challenor was able to act as an election agent for Aimee Challenor in the 2017 General Election and the local elections in May this year despite the nature of the charges brought against him. A full investigation into how this was able to happen is taking place. His membership was terminated with immediate effect as soon as the information was brought to the attention of decision makers. 

Aimee will not be undertaking any official Green Party roles while the party urgently looks into the circumstances which allowed this situation to arise.

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23 August 2018

Reacting to Dominic Raab’s statement that a no-deal Brexit wouldn’t trigger a battle with Brussels [1], Molly Scott Cato MEP, the Green Party’s Spokesperson on Brexit and a member of the European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee said:

“It is deeply worrying that leaving the EU without a deal is being discussed as a plausible outcome. Let’s be absolutely clear, there is no conceivable way that a no-deal Brexit can be acceptable. End of story. It ultimately doesn’t matter if there is a battle with Brussels or not. If we leave with no deal, the damage will have been done. 

“The effect it would have on Britain’s agriculture would be catastrophic. If farmers can’t export to the continent, it will still severely threaten their incomes. Even if short term measures are implemented, they will not address the immediate problem of deciding what to plant next spring.

“If there’s even the slightest threat of no deal, the Government must do the responsible thing and put the final deal to a People’s Vote. Nobody voted to crash out of Europe and we can’t risk people’s livelihoods just to appease the extreme fringes of the Conservative Party.”

1.  https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/aug/22/dominic-raab-uk-wont-trigger-no-deal-battle-with-brussels

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