Dr Pallavi Devulapalli, the former health spokesperson for the Green Party, has accused the party of veering towards a 'leftwing authoritarian culture' and attempting to purge anyone with gender-critical views. Devulapalli, a GP and Norfolk councillor, was expelled this month for a rules breach she claims was a pretext to remove her due to her stance on transgender self-identification.
Devulapalli was suspended in September after failing to back the party's manifesto policy on self-identification at a hustings event. She was later expelled for attending what she believed was a social gathering but was deemed an official event from which she was banned. The party has declined to comment on individual cases.
Devulapalli is now among 25 'Greens in Exile' – former members suspended or expelled largely for gender-critical views. Last year, a court found the party had unfairly removed Dr Shahrar Ali as a spokesperson due to his gender-critical belief, prompting former co-leader Siân Berry to quit in 2021.
The internal rift over trans rights threatens to widen during the summer's leadership election. Co-leader Adrian Ramsay has argued against expelling members for stating that trans women are not women, while leadership challenger Zack Polanski campaigns on 'trans rights are human rights'. Devulapalli fears Polanski's victory would intensify authoritarianism.
Despite her expulsion, Devulapalli reports messages of support from fellow GPs and prominent Greens, including former London mayoral candidate Jenny Jones and former health spokesperson Larry Sanders, who called for 'debate not expulsion'. She denies accusations of transphobia, stating that speaking up calmly is important.
