A Leeds councillor has been elected joint deputy leader of the Green Party.
Mothin Ali, representing the Gipton and Harehills ward on Leeds City Council, was confirmed in the post alongside Rachel Millward, co-leader of Wealden District Council in Sussex, on Tuesday.
Ali, who became a councillor in May 2024, garnered attention for his victory speech, where he described his election as a “win for the people of Gaza” before stating “Allahu Akbar,” which translates to “God is the greatest” in Arabic. He subsequently apologised for “any upset” caused.
Following Tuesday’s announcement, Ali expressed his desire for a “fairer Britain,” stating: “This country is just not working. We have got to make serious change.”
Describing his ward as “one of the most deprived areas in the country,” Ali said: “I get phone calls regularly from people who can’t feed their children, who can’t heat their homes, who can’t pay their bills.”
He also urged “minority groups” to “come together and make sure we are ready together to challenge Reform and the rise of the far right”.
Ali previously told the BBC his aim was to bring a “working class, northern voice” to the Green Party, which he suggested had historically held “a very middle class view.”
He stated that there were “a lot of lessons” from his ward, where he has lived since 2000, “that we can translate nationally.”
Community divisions within Harehills were brought to the fore following disorder last summer, with Ali receiving praise for his role in promoting peace.
Ali, a self-employed accountant, had pledged not “to leave my community behind” if elected.
“The community is so important to me that I practically destroyed my own business to work for the community.
“But I have got that heart to spread some of the knowledge that I have from my areas to other areas.”
Zack Polanski was also elected as the new leader of the Green Party on Tuesday.
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