Mothin Ali, the Green Party’s co-deputy leader in England and Wales, is facing questions over his ownership of two rental properties despite his party’s commitment to effectively abolish private landlordism.
Ali, a Leeds city councillor, reportedly owns two buy-to-let homes in the Gipton area of the city, both of which are believed to be occupied by tenants.
The properties were reportedly purchased through his private limited company, MA Holdings.
Two Properties Bought Before Senior Green Party Role
According to a report by The Sunday Times, Ali bought his first property, a three-bedroom former council house, for £165,000 in June 2022.
He subsequently purchased a second property for £157,000 in March 2025, several months before taking up his position as co-deputy leader of the Green Party.
Ali has held the senior party role alongside the leadership of Zack Polanski since September 2025.
The politician has reportedly declined to disclose how much rent he receives from the first property.
Rental properties in the Gipton area are generally advertised for between £1,000 and £1,300 a month.
Green Party Policy Targets Private Landlords
The revelations have drawn attention because they come against the backdrop of one of the Green Party’s most controversial housing policies.
At its party conference in Bournemouth last October, members backed a motion titled “Abolish landlords”, committing the party to pursuing the effective abolition of private landlordism.
The motion argued that the private rental sector had failed tenants and described it as a means of transferring wealth from renters to landlords.
It also reaffirmed the party’s support for expanding council housing.
Polanski has previously criticised what he sees as inadequate regulation of the private rental sector, arguing that tenants are being treated as “cash cows”.
Party Defends Ali’s Property Ownership
A Green Party spokesman defended Ali after the report emerged, saying the politician’s circumstances were linked to responsibilities involving vulnerable close family members.
“We have provided deeply personal information to your newspaper in confidence which shows that Councillor Ali has acted solely in the interests of vulnerable close family members for whom he has caring responsibilities,” the spokesman said.
The party added that, at Ali’s request, it would not release further details because of concerns about protecting his family.
Ali has also said that he declared his ownership of the first property to Leeds City Council when he was elected in May 2024.
He claimed he subsequently notified the council after purchasing the second property.
Ali Has Previously Been Involved in Political Controversies
The landlordism issue is not the first controversy involving the Leeds councillor.
Following his election victory in 2024, Ali described the result as a “win for the people of Gaza” during a highly charged speech.
He also declared that he would continue raising the voice of Gaza and Palestine.
Comments he had previously made on TikTok following the October 7 attacks subsequently attracted criticism after they resurfaced.
Among them were descriptions of Israel as “white supremacists” and a claim that Gaza was the world’s “biggest concentration camp”.
Gardening Provides Different Side to Green Politician
Away from his political career, Ali has developed a following through his interest in gardening.
The councillor operates a YouTube channel focused on the hobby, with some of his videos attracting substantial audiences.
His most successful video, a tutorial explaining how to produce fast compost at home, has reportedly accumulated more than 1.2 million views.
Another Green Politician Previously Disclosed Rental Income
Ali is not the first prominent Green politician to face scrutiny over property ownership.
Before the party adopted its landlord abolition policy, it emerged that Adrian Ramsay, one of its MPs, was receiving rental income from a property in Norfolk that he co-owned with his former wife.
Ramsay’s parliamentary register of interests showed that the arrangement generated more than £10,000 in annual rental income.
The Waveney Valley MP previously defended the arrangement, explaining that the property had once been his home and that he had kept the rent below the market rate.
He also said he did not intend to remain a landlord permanently.
Polanski Targets Starmer’s Former Constituency
The controversy comes as Green Party leader Zack Polanski prepares to contest the by-election in Holborn and St Pancras, the constituency previously represented by Sir Keir Starmer.
Polanski confirmed this week that he wants to become the Green candidate for the seat, saying he was excited by the prospect of representing a community he knows and loves.
He argued that the constituency had enormous potential but had been held back by governments that had failed to improve people’s lives.
The Green leader also claimed his party could win the traditionally Labour-held seat and presented himself as a candidate willing to challenge corporate interests and support people struggling with household bills.
Labour has represented Holborn and St Pancras continuously since 1983, but Polanski’s candidacy adds another political challenge for the party as it prepares for the contest.
