One of the values that attracted me and so many of us to the Liberal Democrats is our fundamental belief in personal freedom: that everyone should be free to live their life how they choose, as long as they don’t hurt anybody else. That principle is why I’m writing this today.

On the very same week as the one-year anniversary of the horrific attack on worshippers at Heaton Park Synagogue, the Green Party conference chose to pass a motion telling people they are wrong for how they choose to live their lives. Worse still, they voted against an amendment that sought to protect Jewish members.

Regardless of people’s views on Zionism, nobody and no political party should be telling anybody else how to live their life, nor should they condemn them for doing so.

We are all sickened to see what is happening in Gaza- there is no doubt about that. These horrendous actions are being carried out by the Israeli government and the Israeli government alone- they are not the actions of our Jewish community, who just want to live their lives free from fear or hate. The Greens must recognise this distinction.

We have seen how this dangerous behaviour ends before. We have seen the Labour Party go down this toxic path not so long ago. We called it out for what it was then, and we must not hesitate to do so now. While naturally we don’t want our political opponents to succeed at the ballot box, we very much want to see them succeed in ridding their ranks of the poison that we saw under Labour in the Corbyn era.

For the values that we hold dear and the society we want to build, it is imperative for all of us that we eradicate this division and fear from our politics, whether left, centre, or right.

This is why I believe the Greens should be investigated by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). This isn’t about wishing to see the demise of political opponents or point-scoring; it is about ensuring that our democracy succeeds as a safe and inclusive space for everybody, no matter their story or background.

The Greens, once a home of principled environmentalism, an organisation of care for people and planet, now feel like a bitter betrayal of the very core founding principles with which it once endeared itself to many. Can the real green party, the one built to safeguard and stand up for people and planet please stand up?

To those Greens who still believe in that vision- the Liberal Democrats welcome you with open arms.
Our Jewish community and their allies have spent a while wondering whether they are safe and free to be who they are while represented by Green representatives. For many, they now have a damning and painful clarity. It is devastating and damages a healthy and inclusive democracy.

Whether confronting it in Labour previously or the Greens now, Liberal Democrats have always stood against division and fear. Now more than ever, we must remain the open-minded and inclusive voice for everyone in our country.

* Kobe Bibbon is a trans Lib Dem activist in Manchester