Green Party deputy whose policy is to ‘abolish landlords’ is a landlord
Mothin Ali, co-deputy leader of the Green Party in England and Wales and a Leeds city councillor, has reportedly been letting out two rental properties despite his party adopting a policy to "abolish landlords". The revelation, first reported by The Sunday Times, is awkward for the Greens given the policy's stated aim of ending "the landlord class" through regulation and taxation, and comes shortly after a similar disclosure involving Green MP Adrian Ramsay, who was also found to own a rental property in Norfolk.
Ali bought a three-bed former council house in Gipton, Leeds, for £165,000 in June 2022, followed by a second property in the same area for £157,000 in March last year, both reportedly purchased through his private company, MA Holdings. He has declined to say how much rent he charges, though similar properties in the area typically let for between £1,000 and £1,300. The Green Party said Ali had acted solely to support vulnerable family members for whom he has caring responsibilities, declining to release further details at his request, while Ali maintains he declared both purchases to Leeds City Council. The party's "abolish landlords" motion was passed at its October conference in Bournemouth, with leader Zack Polanski arguing deregulation had turned tenants into "cash cows".
In short
- Green deputy leader Mothin Ali owns two rental properties in Leeds.
- His party's policy calls for abolishing private landlords entirely.
- Green MP Adrian Ramsay was similarly exposed as a landlord previously.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Critics may argue that a senior Green politician who owns rental properties while advocating the abolition of landlords risks undermining public trust, particularly when the party has criticised the power landlords can exercise over tenants. Declaring the purchases to the council addresses a disclosure question, but does not by itself resolve concerns about consistency or whether the policy should apply to elected representatives as well as others.
The case against
Supporters may argue that owning property does not prevent Ali from supporting reforms intended to protect tenants or change how the rental market works, and that a policy direction need not amount to an immediate ban on every existing landlord. The party says the properties support vulnerable family members for whom he has caring responsibilities; without further details, critics should be cautious about assuming his circumstances or motives are incompatible with his position.
Explained simply
Mothin Ali is the Green Party’s co-deputy leader in England and Wales and a councillor in Leeds. The party represents tenants as well as homeowners, and has adopted a policy aimed at ending what it calls “the landlord class” through regulation and taxation.
Landlords own homes that they rent to tenants. The policy has prompted debate because some Green representatives, including Ali and MP Adrian Ramsay, have been reported to own rental properties themselves. The issue matters to the party’s credibility and to wider discussions about housing costs, tenants’ rights and private renting.
Art Culture Government Politics UK World