A brave, principled and decent man
Last week Tatchell announced that he was standing down as Green Party candidate for the constituency of Oxford East, where some thought he might be in with a shout. His withdrawal is a consequence of brain injuries he received back in 2001, when he was the only person in western Europe to stand up to Robert Mugabe’s vile regime in Zimbabwe. He tried to arrest Mugabe on a visit to Brussels and got his head kicked in (literally) by Mugabe’s goons. Two years ago he was beaten up again by neo-Nazis while campaigning in Moscow. He had hoped the injuries might abate with time and allow him to campaign in Oxford, but there was a slight relapse in the summer and he simply isn’t up to it. This is an enormous shame.
I know you may not share many of Tatchell’s politics but believe me, there is not a more brave, principled or decent man in the country.