Expelled Green’s human rights bid (From The Argus)
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Councillor consults lawyers after expulsion from Brighton Green group
12:40pm Tuesday 20th November 2012 in News
Brighton and Hove city councillor Christina Summers
A Christian councillor is consulting lawyers about a human rights claim after losing an appeal against expulsion her from her group.
Christina Summers was banned from sitting with her Green Party colleagues on Brighton and Hove City Council in September after voting against a proposal to lift the ban on same-sex marriage.
The decision, which was approved by 13 of the city’s 23 Green councillors, was upheld by a panel of senior members of the Green Party of England and Wales.
Coun Summers, who now represents Hollingdean and Stanmer as an independent, received notification of the letter yesterday.
She told The Argus: “Disappointed? In every way. Surprised? No. I am now consulting with lawyers over a fundamental breach of a human right and will be issuing a full statement soon.”
The original decision to expel her was taken in September after an internal inquiry by Brighton and Hove Green party.
At the centre of its inquiry was a vote in July where the local authority’s councillors were asked if they supported a motion to lobby the Government on changing the law.
Coun Summers was the only member to vote against the proposal.
A Green Party spokesman confirmed yesterday’s ruling did not affect Coun Summers’ membership of the party.
Rob Shepherd, chairman of Brighton and Hove Green Party, said: “We welcome the conclusion of Christina Summers’ appeal, which has upheld the findings of the original inquiry panel.”
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Comments(19)
Martha Gunn
says...
12:55pm Tue 20 Nov 12
k gobbledegook of Comrade Shepherd. For the rest of us all we can do is stand aside and marvel at the delicious discomfort of this ridiculous Green Party.
mnairb
says...
1:13pm Tue 20 Nov 12
As for Green councillors voting, I have read in the Argus comments that Councillor Anja Kitcat left the chamber early and therefore did not vote for the motion and was held to have abstained. Can anyone confirm or deny this? It appears to be the best kept secret in town
mimseycal
says...
1:22pm Tue 20 Nov 12
Sarah Booker Lewis
says...
2:08pm Tue 20 Nov 12
mnairb wrote:Details are in this article: http://www.theargus.
As the issue of gay marriages is a national rather than local one, whether she votes for or against does not matter one way or the other. What is of more concern is why council time and council taxpayers money is being wasted on an issue that will be decided in Parliament not by Brighton and Hove (City) Council.
As for Green councillors voting, I have read in the Argus comments that Councillor Anja Kitcat left the chamber early and therefore did not vote for the motion and was held to have abstained. Can anyone confirm or deny this? It appears to be the best kept secret in town
co.uk/news/9947570.R
evealed__the_Green_c
ouncillors_who_voted
_to_expel_Christina_
Summers/
Point
says...
2:14pm Tue 20 Nov 12
DEMOCRASY GONE....Last week the COSERVATIVES IN PARLIAMENT HAD A SPLIT VOTE OVER PAYING MORE TO EUROPE, NOT UNDER THE GREENS REMINDS ME MORE LIKE THE CHINA VOTE.
Morpheus
says...
2:20pm Tue 20 Nov 12
Jimmy Stewart's Imaginary Rabbit
says...
2:52pm Tue 20 Nov 12
Morpheus wrote:Indeed. Although I don't agree with the way Ms Summers was 'booted out' (my words) of the local Greens I don't think it's a Human Rights issue. She must have known the Greens were a load of narrow-minded, intolerant, control-freak numpties when she joined them.
Is it a human right to belong to a political party that doesn't agree with your views?
mnairb
says...
3:11pm Tue 20 Nov 12
Sarah Booker Lewis wrote:Sarah, you misunderstood me, I am interested in finding out which councillors (of all parties) voted for the original motion on gay marriage.
mnairb wrote: As the issue of gay marriages is a national rather than local one, whether she votes for or against does not matter one way or the other. What is of more concern is why council time and council taxpayers money is being wasted on an issue that will be decided in Parliament not by Brighton and Hove (City) Council. As for Green councillors voting, I have read in the Argus comments that Councillor Anja Kitcat left the chamber early and therefore did not vote for the motion and was held to have abstained. Can anyone confirm or deny this? It appears to be the best kept secret in townDetails are in this article: http://www.theargus. co.uk/news/9947570.R evealed__the_Green_c ouncillors_who_voted _to_expel_Christina_ Summers/
Sarah Booker Lewis
says...
3:27pm Tue 20 Nov 12
mnairb wrote:Our reports at the time say it was unanimous. I will check with Tim Ridgway on his return.
Sarah Booker Lewis wrote:Sarah, you misunderstood me, I am interested in finding out which councillors (of all parties) voted for the original motion on gay marriage.
mnairb wrote: As the issue of gay marriages is a national rather than local one, whether she votes for or against does not matter one way or the other. What is of more concern is why council time and council taxpayers money is being wasted on an issue that will be decided in Parliament not by Brighton and Hove (City) Council. As for Green councillors voting, I have read in the Argus comments that Councillor Anja Kitcat left the chamber early and therefore did not vote for the motion and was held to have abstained. Can anyone confirm or deny this? It appears to be the best kept secret in townDetails are in this article: http://www.theargus. co.uk/news/9947570.R evealed__the_Green_c ouncillors_who_voted _to_expel_Christina_ Summers/
Cyril Bolleaux
says...
3:41pm Tue 20 Nov 12
Maxwell's Ghost
says...
5:44pm Tue 20 Nov 12
However, once elected, a number of them started focusing on their own personal agendas leaving the electorate feeling completely cheated as well as baffled.
I am not sure whether they are right wing or left wing, all I know is that the party is in utter dissaray with a couple of loose cannons such as ben Duncan behaving in the most discgraceful way.
Now we have this lady focusing on herself instead of the electorate's challenges.
Christina, the Greens are finished locally, so I suggest you make the most of being an outcast, go Independent and work hard as a ward councillor, it's your only chance of being re-elected because everyone you come across in the city, are terrified of what your green colleagues will do next to destroy the city. I didn't vote for them, but I certainly didn't think they could be any worse than labour or the Tories, but they are.
ruberducker
says...
5:51pm Tue 20 Nov 12
I DONT AGREE WITH ALL OF THEM.
1.travellers
2.cycle lanes.
to many to list,she talks to an imaginary friend for guidence and then gets the hump for it.
JHunty
says...
7:57pm Tue 20 Nov 12
Perhaps the real issue is that Christina supported the anti abortion demos and despite what Ben Duncan would have us believe about Brighton being a centre for protest, what Ben Duncan really thinks is that you only have the right to protest about what he wants you to protest about, and of course you only have the right to free speech if Ben Duncan agrees with what you have to say.
I abhor the anti abortion demos, but unlike the Greens I truly believe in a persons right to demonstrate and protest, whereas the Greens only support the right to protest when they agree with what you are protesting about.
Idontbelieveit1948
says...
8:20pm Tue 20 Nov 12
However, doing this just underlines she is as barmy as he rest of them - presumably she still has a death wish as far as the next election is concerned !
Algeria Touchshriek
says...
9:03pm Tue 20 Nov 12
The principles of the faith are OK and if people want to pray and all that malarky, then fine. But you wouldn't want to have jiggy jiggy with a Christian bird would you?
leobrighton
says...
9:59pm Tue 20 Nov 12
qm
says...
12:23am Wed 21 Nov 12
Algeria Touchshriek wrote:You are so far out of order that any comment would not do justice but I am sure your God/Creator does not smile upon you for that! Absolute disgrace!
The problem with Christians is they are so blooming ugly.
The principles of the faith are OK and if people want to pray and all that malarky, then fine. But you wouldn't want to have jiggy jiggy with a Christian bird would you?
thucydides
says...
10:53am Wed 21 Nov 12
mimseycal says...
12:50pm Tue 20 Nov 12
Now this caring socially responsible individual, wasting resources that, according to her own party we cannot afford, to make a personal point about a personal point.
Bad enough we have political ideologies to content with, when it comes to religious views ... it just makes it even more of a shambles.
Like it or not, a city needs a practical approach to ensure it functions and not a double helping of whatever the flavour of the month happens to be.
Shame on you!