Aspiring MP who unsuccessfully stood as a male Tory candidate campaigns again as 'a proud lesbian' Green party hopeful - as Conservative politician is forced to apologise for calling rival 'just a man who wears a wig'

An aspiring MP who stood for the Conservatives as a man but is now fighting for a Westminster seat as a Green woman has accused the Tory deputy leader of 'gaslighting' and 'transphobia' after she tweeted her local rival is 'a man who wears a wig and calls himself a "proud lesbian".'

Melissa Poulton ran as a Tory candidate for Wyre Forest District Council under the name Matthew Viner at the 2019 local elections.

Melissa is now the Green Party parliamentary candidate for Bromsgrove and has accused Redditch MP Rachel Maclean of being transphobic after she shared a tweet that described the former Tory as 'a man who wears a wig and calls himself a "proud lesbian".'

Tory Party Deputy Chair for Women Ms Maclean shared the post with the comment: 'While the Greens don't know what a woman is, my Worcestershire neighbours the people of Bromsgrove certainly do'. She has now deleted it and apologised.

Human right campaigner Peter Tatchell has sprung to Melissa's defence today - and said the Green candidate, a member of the party since around 2020, is 'trying to support women's rights and get more women MPs'. 

Others have taken to Twitter to support Rachel Maclean, despite her apology. Comedian Henning Wehn tweeted Melissa speaking on the BBC and said: 'I don’t want to be called transphobic and I also don’t want to be accused of targeting minorities but…I mean…come on..please'.

But Mr Tatchell told GB News: 'Melissa was actually trying to support women's rights and get more women MPs, which is a very honourable thing to do. I'm really disappointed that Rachel Maclean sought to attack Melissa. That's not a good thing at all. It's misgendering, it's not fair and it's not right'.

Bromsgrove's Green parliamentary candidate Miss Poulton, also a member of the party's Equality and Diversity Committee and former Co-Secretary of the LGBTIQA+Greens, has called Ms Maclean's comments 'gaslighting'.

Melissa was born a biological man before beginning to transition last year. It is not clear whether the aspiring MP has had any surgery or a gender recognition certificate.

Melissa was pictured on Tory campaign material in 2019, standing as Matthew Viner. In April 2022, campaign material featured the aspiring politician as Mattie Viner and without long hair, standing as a Green in a town council election, finishing third on 155 votes.

Melissa has also hit back after Ms Maclean's comments, describing the remarks as gaslighting and adding: 'It's a shame, without a shadow of a doubt it is a transphobic comment, it's dog-whistling at the finest.'

The Green candidate was born a biological man before beginning to transition last year. It is not clear whether the aspiring politician has a gender recognition certificate or has had any surgery.

She described Ms Maclean's comments as 'childish games from a government party who's going to be out office'.

Adding: 'I'm here for representation as a queer woman, as a woman with transgender experience.

'I'm sure the people of Redditch will see that they're attacking someone for who they are.

'We'll see what happens at the ballot box.'

Ms Maclean has since deleted the original comment on X and said: “I am sorry for any offence caused and I have now deleted the tweet.

'I believe everyone should be free to live their lives and fulfil their potential regardless of their sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity and to have the confidence and the freedom to be themselves.'

However, responding to a GB News clip online, she later clarified: 'In fact, I did NOT apologise for my comments relating to the Green Party’s extreme policies on gender and self-ID ideology and am happy to come on to your program to explain my position in more detail.

'As Deputy Chair for Women, I am clear that the law allows me to say.

'What a woman is and the difference between a woman and a trans woman.

'Both deserve respect and freedom to live their lives but it is not transphobic to say they are not the same thing.

'Nor does it assist policymakers across healthcare, education, the CJS to pretend they are.'

Ms Poulton has been involved in politics for 10 years and has been in the Green Party since 2020.

Melissa previously stood as a candidate in the Worcestershire County and Wyre Forest District council elections.

'I know the people who have hate won’t vote for me but I don’t want their votes anyway', the Green candidate said.

'A lot of people have said they will be voting for me.'

Leader of The Redditch Labour Group Joe Baker said Ms Maclean's comments were 'absolutely vile and hateful'.

She added: 'The original author of the post’s intentions are promoting a hate crime and should be reported not liked and reposted.

'People who hold positions of authority should be looking after those they are in a position to serve.

'I understand that the situation is sensitive and I believe everyone has a right to their opinions but when that opinion promotes hate and harm then this needs to be challenged.

'Rachel now needs to question her position.'

Green Party co-leader Carla Denye said: 'This is a deeply offensive intervention from an elected MP, who should be representing everybody in the community, not making these nasty, snide and divisive comments.'

Ms Maclean was elected as MP for Redditch in 2017 and served as minister for safeguarding in the Home Office between 2021 and 2022.

She became a deputy chair of the Conservative Party in November with responsibility for safeguarding and women.

West Mercia Police said the original post on X had been reported but it was not being treated as a crime.