Liz Spencer,the mother of Green MP Hannah Spencer, has publicly criticized the Green Party for abandoning its environmental foundations to admit "less than nice people." This internal conflict in Bolton has escalated into mutual accusations of racism and threats of resignation from four local councillors.
Liz Spencer's 'Hemp Shoes' and the Shift from the Ecology Party
The internal friction within the Green Party's Bolton branch is highlighted by the grievances of Liz Spencer, a party member who first joined when the organization was known as the Ecology Party. According to the report, Ms. spencer believes the party has drifted from its original identity—characterized by "nice people who wore hemp shoes"—to a version that has welcomed individuals who do not share those core values.
Ms. Spencer, who previously contested the Bolton North East general elections in 2017 and 2019, claims that the current atmosphere is defined by paranoia and a lack of trust. She asserts that the divide between traditional environmentalists and newly elected officials has turned the Green Party into a "laughing stock" within the sphere of local politics.
Hanif Alli's Allegations of Orchestrated Racism in Bolton
The conflict has taken a severe turn with allegations of racial prejudice. Hanif Alli, the leader of the Greens on Bolton Council, has accused a "core white group" within the party of engaging in orchestrated abuse and strategic press leaks.. Mr. Alli claims that this group is attempting to tarnish or remove people of colour from the party's ranks to maintain a specific type of political power.
This tension has cretaed a volatile environment where four Green councillors—Hanif Alli, Baggy Khan, Zan Arif, and Ismail Ibrahim—have threatened to resign from their positions. Conversely, Helena Carman, who ran for the Greens in the May local elections , has explicitly challenged the legitimacy of the new leadership, stating publicly that Mr. Alli "is not Green."
Darren Johnson and the Transition to Hard-Left Populism
The situation in Bolton reflects a broader ideological struggle within the Green Party as it attempts to scale its influence. Darren Johnson, a former Green Party councillor and London Assembly member who recently defected to the Labour Party,suggests that the party's attempt to diversify beyond "hemp-wearing hippies" has gone wrong. As reported, Mr. Johnson argues that by rebranding as a "hard-left populist party," the Greens have allowed individuals with no genuine interest in the environmental agenda to enter the fold.
This transition from a niche protest movement to a party with actual governing responsibilities often exposes deep fault lines.. The friction in Bolton suggests a clash between the party's traditionalist eco-base and a new wave of activists focused on social justice and populist politics, a divide that Conservative sources claim is a result of Zack Polanski's leadership.
The Green Party's Refusal to Comment on Bolton's Internal Rows
Despite the public nature of these accusations, the national Green Party has maintained a strict policy of silence. A spokesperson for the Green Party stated that the organization does not comment on internal matters, though they continue to support their members and councillors in Bolton.
This silence leaves several critical questions unanswered.. It remains unclear whether the national leadership under Zack Polanski intends to mediate the dispute or if the four Bolton councillors will follow through on their threats to resign. furthermore, the party has not clarified if similar ideological clashes between "traditional" Greens and new populist members are occurring in other regions of Greater Manchester or across the UK.
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