On Friday 17 November 2017 the Women's Equality Party published a statement regarding complaints it had received. That statement did not name the subject of those complaints or include details of the complaints, and we did not publish the statement until all parties had been notified. We said in that statement that we did not intend to comment on the substance of the process. This was intended to protect all parties and the integrity of the process and it remains the case. 

The subject of those complaints has since published an inaccurate statement about the process, and we wish to make the following clarifications:

Any member of the Women's Equality Party has the right to raise a complaint in line with the provisions of our Constitution. This ensures accountability and is a key requirement of any democratic organisation. The Executive Committee is responsible for resolving relevant complaints in a fair, transparent and effective manner. The reason the Committee will look at social media activity in this case is because the complaints related to social media activity.

The only action that has so far been taken is to pass the complaint to the Executive Committee and notify those concerned. We do not presuppose the outcome of the complaints process and consequently the subject of these complaints has not been suspended or sanctioned in any way.

We have at no time informed the subject of these complaints that they will be expelled from the Party. In accordance with Article 7.10 of the Constitution, the Women's Equality Party Executive Committee will review the complaints and decide what, if any, action should be taken. This is what we have communicated to all parties, as well as confirming that the Executive Committee will be in contact in due course.

We hold ourselves to the highest standards in dealing with complaints, especially where they pertain to alleged discrimination. As a feminist political party we also recognise the ways in which justice too often fails to understand structural inequality and the extent to which it can reproduce power structures that discriminate against marginalised groups. We always strive to do better.