I left the Northern Independence Party after a couple of weeks for a few reasons.

1. Philip used ableist language on Twitter. He upset a disabled person. He & others were mocking this man on Discord (where party members chat). I pulled them up. Was dismissed & told he won’t be

censored. I’m disabled & this was the final straw for me. Ableism being dismissed by a party that claims to be inclusive.

2. Irvine Welsh tweeted support for NIP. In Discord there was a convo about him being a TERF. Key party members are trans. Was agreed that Welsh’s support

wouldn’t be retweeted or acknowledged because they’re a pro-trans party. Days later, Philip re-tweeted Irvine Welsh numerous times, as did the party.

3. Racism was directed at a member on Discord. There was a pile on against the victim who dared to stand up for themselves.

I supported them. Took screenshots in case they were needed. The convo was shut down by a board member who didn’t address the issue. Unsure if victim’s complaint was dealt w/ as I left the next day.

4. Animal rights are consistently dismissed in favour of farmers.

I was told that fox hunting wouldn’t be addressed bc it’s a “culture war”.

5. Theres a culture w/in the party to mock anyone who disagrees w/ them including members. Pile-ons are common. The atmosphere is one of misogyny. Not overt but certainly in the way men shut down dissent.

6. Numerous times, ppl would complain about the lack of content challenging the Tories, the shitposting & constant sniping at Labour. Numerous ppl requested more professional content including policy-driven stuff. Again, pile-on, dismiss.

I never planned on writing this.

I’ve only confirmed w/ two ppl that I have left. Neither were told why. I avoid confrontation due to past trauma. However, I cannot continue to be silent while a party gains traction for being inclusive while simultaneously harming oppressed groups. It is bullying.

@criptheirvote You’re not alone.

@holski_beat @HildeLila @purrcarriepurrr @IgHawthorne