Green fury after transgender woman appointed to party's governing body as 'female representative'

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A former deputy leader of the Green Party has called the result 'unlawful discrimination'

The Green Party has come under scrutiny after a transgender woman was appointed to a “female representative” role within the party’s governing council.

Eleanora Sophie Folan was elected to the role in the party’s governing council for the East of England.

In her acceptance post, Ms Folan said: “I am very happy to say Green members in East Anglia have elected me to be their female rep on the party’s governing council (GPC).

“I’m so grateful to them, and to Greens for Palestine for their support.

“I intend to stand by my manifesto: defend freedom of speech regarding Israel, support members when they’re attacked and smeared by the feral Zionist press, and ensure all our members follow the same rules.

“I know there will be Zionists reading this who are utterly furious that I won. I welcome their hatred.

“Our party has changed, and my election as a proud anti-Zionist trans woman symbolises that change.

“I look forward to working with comrades on GPC to build a radical anti-imperialist Green Party - one that always stands shoulder-to-shoulder with queers, Palestinians, disabled people, migrants, refugees and activists enduring state repression.

Ms Folan won by just six votes, with 784 votes for her and 778 votes for her female opponent.

The election result has drawn criticism due to a trans individual taking a female role on the committee.

The Lesbian Greens have spoken out against the result on social media, saying: “With only 8.27 per cent turnout and the support of Greens for Palestine a proud anti-zionist trans woman symbolises the change in the green party and takes the revolution to Green Party Council and unlawfully takes the female representative seat to boot.”

In a separate post, they added: “A trans woman has just been elected to a female seat in the Green Party Council : are political parties exempt from the law?”

Meanwhile, Shahrar Ali, the former Green Party deputy leader, has called the result “unlawful discrimination".

Mr Ali won a gender discrimination case against the Green Party after he was dismissed for “gender-critical” views.

Mr Ali was dismissed as a spokesman for policing and domestic safety by the party in February 2022, with officials saying his "controversial" views on trans issues did not align with the party role.

The Green Party said he was in breach of the party's Spokespeople Code of Conduct.

The Mayor's and City County Court awarded £9,100 in damages to Mr Ali after finding that the Green Party had improperly dismissed him.

The court found that the party had failed to identify any misconduct.

Fiona McAnena, director of campaigns at sex-based rights charity Sex Matters, told GB News: "The Supreme Court could not have been clearer that sex is biological, not based on how someone identifies. Sex matters in politics, particularly when it comes to the representation of women.

"It’s completely inappropriate for a man who says he is a woman to take a female place in the Green Party’s leadership team in the east of England.

"This move is both tone-deaf and entitled. It ignores the decades-long struggle for women to be represented in political leadership. The Green Party is giving a clear message that it values men who claim to be women above actual women."