Mothin Ali, the co-deputy leader of the Green Party in England and Wales, who publicly advocates for a policy to 'abolish landlords,' is reportedly the owner of two rental properties. Ali, a Leeds city councillor, assumed his role as co-deputy leader last September. Just one month later, the Green Party passed a motion to implement a policy titled 'abolish landlords,' which aimed to effect the abolition of private landlordism through regulation and taxes.
Reports indicate that Ali, 44, purchased his first rental property, a three-bedroom former council house in the Gipton area of Leeds, for £165,000 in June 2022. He reportedly acquired a second property in the same area for £157,000 in March of the following year, several months before taking on his leadership position. The Sunday Times reported that these purchases were made through his private limited company, MA Holdings.
Ali has declined to disclose the rental income from the first property, which is believed to be occupied. Properties in Gipton typically rent for between £1,000 and £1,300 per month. A spokesperson for the Green Party stated that Ali had provided personal information in confidence, indicating his ownership was solely for the benefit of vulnerable family members for whom he has caring responsibilities. The party added that this information would not be made public to protect his family.
Ali confirmed that he declared ownership of his first property to Leeds City Council upon his election in May 2024 and notified the council when he purchased the second property. This is not the first instance of Ali facing controversy. Following his 2024 election victory, he declared it a "win for the people of Gaza" and vowed to raise the voice of Palestine. Previously, comments made on his TikTok account after the October 7 attacks, in which he referred to Israel as "white supremacists" and Gaza as the "biggest concentration camp the world has ever seen," were unearthed.
Beyond his political activities, Ali maintains a YouTube channel dedicated to gardening, which has garnered significant viewership. His composting tutorial video has accumulated over 1.2 million views.
The Green Party's motion to 'abolish landlords' was passed at a conference in Bournemouth. The motion stated that the private rental sector "has failed" and serves as a "vehicle for wealth extraction, funnelling money from renters to the landlord class." The policy advocates for the "effective abolition of private landlordism and our support for building council housing."
This situation follows a similar instance involving Adrian Ramsay, another Green Party figure. It was reported shortly before the 'abolish landlords' motion was passed that Ramsay, a Member of Parliament, was a landlord in Norfolk. His parliamentary register of interests revealed he rented out a co-owned room, generating over £10,000 annually. Ramsay had previously defended his position, stating he co-owned the property with his ex-wife, kept the rent below market rate, and did not profit from it, with no intention of remaining a landlord long-term.
