Green Party Deputy Leader Receives Damages Over False Disorder Claims
Mothin Ali was wrongly accused of rioting during the Harehills unrest, leading to a defamation suit against a TV presenter and a social media commentator.
Mothin Ali, deputy leader of the Green Party of England and Wales and a Leeds City Councillor, has accepted apologies and substantial damages from GB News presenter Alex Armstrong and social media commentator Bernadette Spofforth. The defamation suit stemmed from posts made on X (formerly Twitter) that falsely suggested Ali participated in disorder during the Harehills unrest.
The unrest occurred on the evening of July 18, 2024, after police intervened to place four children into emergency foster care. Hundreds of individuals took to the streets, resulting in a police car being overturned and a double-decker bus being set ablaze. Ali stated that he attended the scene to assist the police and appeal for calm.
"I tried my absolute best to calm tensions, to protect police officers," Ali said outside the High Court. "I stayed on the scene to calm rioters and to reassure residents while buses burned. I stayed there to limit the damage, to limit the harm to my community."
Ali, who has served as deputy leader of the Green Party since 2025, expressed that the false accusations not only implicated him in rioting but also questioned his honesty. "For my service to my community, I was not only accused of rioting, but something I take even more seriously - my honesty was brought into question," he stated.
Despite the legal resolution, Ali commented on the lingering impact of the false claims, saying, "The harm is already done. The smears leave their stench, even when proven to be false."
