🟢 EXCL: The deputy leader of the Greens has encouraged legal action against his own party over dismissal of local election candidates accused of antisemitism Mothin Ali said at a private meeting of the Greens for Palestine group that they needed to seek “serious legal advice” and put the “party on notice straight away” over the handling of candidate suspensions A number of members have been officially suspended from the Green Party over alleged historic antisemitic comments that have resurfaced in the run up to the local elections - ranging from one candidate suggesting the victims of the October 7th attacks were “not innocent” and another who said it took “real effort” not to be antisemitic Ali told other Greens for Palestine members that he was “very worried” about the suspensions and how they were being handled by the party He also accused the national party of circumventing the traditional disciplinary process and using a “fast track to expulsion” intended only for “extreme cases” to suspend candidates accused of antisemitism in media reports & advised members of the group on how to continue campaigning despite being suspended, and told them to leave the Greens for Palestine groupchats – or “the public ones anyway” “Please be careful,” he said, adding: “In terms of campaigning, you are not allowed to use any Green Party logo, attend any campaigning events. So if you are going to campaign, then you campaign with maybe just a blank Green headed leaflet, a leaflet that has a Green banner with just your name.” A Green Party spokesman said: “The comments were an appeal for people to stay in the party and continue to participate in its internal democracy, seeking legal advice about their individual circumstances, if they wished to.” Full read in @thetimes 📰 thetimes.com/article/e0fc675…