Green Party takes manifesto offline after HIV image ‘mistake’ sparks backlash

The Green Party has been forced to take its manifesto offline after a backlash over its depiction of people with HIV.

The easy-to-read version of the Left-wing environmentalists’ election pledges placed a photograph of a visibly unwell man coughing next to a pledge to end HIV transmission by 2030.

The image sparked an uproar online for being misleading and was later replaced by a man’s hand holding a white pill.

Luke Robert Black, the chairman of LGBT+ Conservatives, said: “A shame here to see the Green Party possibly implying here that HIV is airborne, that HIV+ people are contagious or ill.

“So long as you are on effective treatment, you cannot pass HIV on. Your viral load is reduced to undetectable levels and HIV+ people live healthy lives.”

The Greens’ manifesto vows to “work towards no more HIV transmissions by 2030” in line with a pledge made by the Government in 2019 to end transmission by that point.

The manifesto says the party would do so using “a joined-up approach using proven actions, including access to the HIV prevention pill online, in pharmacies and from GP services”.

“We will renew successful opt-out HIV testing programmes in A&Es in all areas with a high prevalence of HIV,” it adds.

HIV, or Human Immunodeficiency Virus, is transmitted through bodily fluids. People on effective treatments can live healthy lives and not pass the virus on to others.

The Conservative Party recommitted itself to the 2030 target in its manifesto and said that they may also “expand HIV opt-out testing in emergency departments in England”.

The Labour Party has said it will draw up a new HIV action plan in England “in pursuit of ending HIV cases by 2030”.

The Liberal Democrats have not included a pledge on HIV in its manifesto, despite previously saying the party also backs ending transmission in England by 2030.

A Green Party spokesman said: “Soon after publication we were alerted to how an image we used in our easy read manifesto could be misinterpreted.

“For clarity we temporarily took the manifesto down to replace this image with a more suitable image that better communicates our policy to work towards no more HIV transmissions by 2030.”

Zack Polanski, the deputy leader of the Green Party, told The Telegraph: “I was alerted to it. I asked for it to be changed and it was changed almost immediately.

“So I appreciated the feedback and it was a mistake.”