Greens hit with £90,000 legal bill after discrimination case

The Green Party of England and Wales have been ordered to pay £90,000 to cover the costs of their former deputy leader, who won a discrimination case against them.

Shahrar Ali had already been awarded £9,100 in damages in February, after the court ruled the Greens had unlawfully discriminated against him during a row over his gender-critical beliefs.

Today’s ruling raises questions about the Greens’ financial stability after auditors warned the case left “uncertainty” about the party’s ability to operate normally.

A spokesperson for the party, who had their best-ever election this year with four MPs, said ruling “will have no detrimental impact on our work in the future”.

The Green Party declined to reveal the full cost of legal proceedings.

The party’s latest full accounts show £280,000 was set aside for potential legal bills.

The party removed Ali as its spokesman for policing and domestic safety in February 2022 for breaching the party’s Spokespeople Code of Conduct.

The court ruled Ali’s removal as “procedurally unfair” because the Green Party identified no code breaches at his dismissal.

Judge Stephen Hellman said he could not rule out the possibility that this unfairness had been due Ali’s gender critical beliefs.

But the judgement found political parties can remove spokespeople for holding “beliefs that were inconsistent with party policy”, if done through fair procedures.

Judge Hellman ruled that the Greens must cover 60% of Ali’s costs – with £72,000 due to his legal team within 28 days and the remainder to follow a cost review.

Speaking outside the court, Ali said Green Party leaders are “in total denial about the significance of this landmark case and its implications for party governance”.

“But you cannot be in denial about the expense of breaking the law or risk of bankruptcy in continuing to fall afoul of it,” Ali said.

“To the 60,000-strong membership: I urge you to take charge of the destiny of this party – now.”

The BBC understands several other Green Party activists who hold similar views are planning legal action against the party off the back of Ali’s case.

The party’s accounts suggest multiple cases could put strain on its finances.

Facing an £80,000 cash shortfall entering an election year, the party increased membership fees from £3.33 to £5 a month last September.

Since then, the party’s finances have improved to the point it had a £95,000 cash surplus in April.

A Green Party spokesperson said the party was “pleased the case is at an end”.

A statement said: “We have accounted for the full costs of the cases. Its outcome will have no detrimental impact on our work in the future.

“We continue to build on the brilliant local and national election results over the last year securing real change for the country.”