The Greens, expelling activists for uniting to oust Jeremy Hunt? So much for progressive politics | Neal Lawson

Local members collaborated to support a Lib Dem candidate in the election. Green HQ’s response is a sad turn away from hope

• Neal Lawson is director of the cross-party campaign organisation Compass

If the Green party can’t practise a kinder, more thoughtful politics, who can? Last week, Green party activists in Surrey were summarily expelled from the party for doing everything necessary to beat the incumbent Tory, one Jeremy Hunt. Without question, debate or ability to respond, three local members who had worked hard for the party and built cross-party alliances were given a straight five-year expulsion.

Here’s the backstory. Deep in the heart of true-blue Surrey, a small but determined outpost of Compass members brought like-minded people together from Labour, the Liberal Democrats and Greens to knock down tribal walls and help a progressive candidate win. I’m the director of Compass, which pushes alliances in pursuit of a good society, and in Surrey, in the 2017 electio it was almost successful in doing so. They backed a National Health Action party candidate against Hunt, then health secretary, who came much closer to winning than Hunt found comfortable.

Neal Lawson is director of the cross-party campaign organisation Compass