Leeds councillor who tried to break up riots enters Green deputy leader race

Mothin Ali could become the only Muslim serving as leader or deputy leader of a major party in England and Wales

Mothin Ali, the Leeds councillor who made national headlines for his efforts to de-escalate tensions during unrest last summer, has announced his candidacy for deputy leader of the Green party of England and Wales.

Ali told Hyphen he wanted to change the party’s perception as “southern-focused” and “middle class”. 

“The party needs someone who can have that conversation with people on their doorstep, someone with the same experiences who speaks the same way as their community,” he said. 

Voting for the Greens’ new leader and deputy leader is open to party members throughout August, with results expected in September. If successful, Ali would be the only Muslim serving as leader or deputy leader of a major political party in England and Wales. His campaign is focused on opposing austerity, challenging the divisive rhetoric of Reform UK, and bringing a northern, working-class voice to the climate crisis.

Ali, who works as an accountant, was first elected councillor for Gipton and Harehills in 2024, having previously stood unsuccessfully in 2022. Some 40% of the ward’s population is Muslim, according to the 2021 census.

“Our area is very deprived,” he said. “It’s one that had been neglected for many years — a Labour shoo-in, so many politicians had neglected our community.” 

His policy priorities for the Greens include renationalising key services such as water and rail, investing in green industries in northern towns, and reforming the tax system to shift the burden from working-class communities to the super-rich.

“Northern cities have been devastated by not just 15 years of austerity, but a lot of mining towns are still feeling the effects of pit closures,” he said. “We need to create an industry based around the green economy, build jobs around clean energy systems and give people who’ve experienced generations of worklessness real opportunities.”

Ali’s campaign emerges amid growing political restlessness among Muslim voters. Many have shifted their support away from the Labour party over issues including Gaza, with some turning to smaller parties like the Greens. Ali believes the Green party could become a natural home for politically disaffected Muslims. 

“The Labour party has let working-class communities down and has taken us for granted,” he said. “The Greens are full of people who genuinely care, who are empathetic. We can give people who feel politically homeless a real alternative.” 

But increased visibility has also brought personal challenges. Since his election, Ali has received a torrent of far-right abuse, including threats to his family. He has even had his car tyres slashed outside his home.

“I think my leadership bid will trigger the far right, and there will be a lot of people who will take an opportunistic approach and see it as a way of getting clicks and attention to their media stories. But it’s a non-story — I’m just a lad from Leeds.”

He believes the Green party still has work to do in protecting and supporting councillors from racialised backgrounds. 

“There are lessons to be learned,” he said. “That’s part of why I’m standing — to be someone people can turn to who truly understands what they’re going through.”

The Green party leadership elections will bring about significant changes to the party. Co-leader Carla Denyer announced in May that she would not seek re-election, choosing to focus on her parliamentary duties as MP for Bristol Central. Her co-leader, Adrian Ramsay, MP for Waveney Valley, is running for re-election alongside Ellie Chowns, MP for North Herefordshire. Deputy leader Zack Polanski has also declared his candidacy for party leader, standing on a radical “eco-populist” platform.

Ali is among several candidates vying for the deputy leadership. Other declared candidates include Antoinette Fernandez, who stood for Hackney North and Stoke Newington in the 2024 general election, and Thomas Daw, a councillor for Wrington in North Somerset.

While he says it’s too early to be thinking about a future leadership bid, Ali is clear about his immediate goals.

“Right now, I want to do this job well and give people hope,” he said. “Hope that someone from a poor neighbourhood, with no connections and no privileges, can rise up and make a difference.”