Banned leader ‘punished’ for gender views

THE leader of Herefordshire’s Green group of councillors has been banned from the party for “at least six months” over her outspoken views on gender.

- GAVIN MCEWAN Local Democracy Reporter

Councillor Diana Toynbee has led the nine-strong group since her predecessor Ellie Chowns was elected as MP for North Herefordshire in July last year.

Cllr Toynbee stood unsuccessfully for the Greens in the neighbouring Hereford & South Herefordshire seat at the same time.

But she has now been banned from serving as a Green councillor “for at least six months’, she said yesterday in a statement.

“The central party establishment has ruled that I must be punished for my views on gender and safeguarding, and this is the painful culmination of years of intimidation,’ she said.