Val Finnegan (Remainer)

🟢 EXCL: How pro-Palestinian activists ran an organised campaign to take over the Green Party, with @Geri_E_L_Scott Pro-Palestinian activists ran an organised campaign inside the Green Party to recruit members, secure influential party positions and reshape its policies from within, The Times can reveal More than five and a half hours of recordings of weekly Greens for Palestine meetings showed members speaking of “using the party” and attempting to ensure those supportive of their position gained key party roles Members discussed how they would “knock on every door and talk about Palestine”, “take our own leaflets” on Green canvassing trips (which Greens for Palestine have since said did not happen), and join a number of policy working groups to steer policy towards Palestine Animah Kosai, one of the co-chairs, said at a meeting: “I don’t believe in serving the Green Party, and I think some people are going to hate me for this. I actually believe in using the party in order to reach certain goals. And in this case, for Palestine, for anti-imperialism.” Shahrar Ali, the former deputy leader, said the recordings showed “naked entryism that is corrupting the party beyond recognition”. Another longstanding party member said there was “clear evidence” of “a highly organised campaign by a small number of infiltrators to take over the party’s key votes and committees”. Greens for Palestine said they “did not accept the characterisation of this as entryism or infiltration. Encouraging people who care about Palestine to become full members of a party whose leadership they can influence through policy groups, motions and internal elections is open political organising, and it is what the party’s own rules provide for.” And the Greens themselves said “members are entitled to organise and advocate for policies they believe in, provided they do so in accordance with our rules and values”, adding they are “proud of their member-led democracy” Read the full details - and hear the recordings - in @thetimes 👇 thetimes.com/article/0db0686…