Full Breakdown
Green Party Deputy Leader Mothin Ali Linked to Private Rental Properties Amid Party’s “Abolish Landlords” Policy
9/6/2026, 10:44:37 PM
Core Event: Deputy Leader’s Rental Holdings Contradict Party Stance
Mothin Ali, co-deputy leader of the Green Party of England and Wales and Leeds city councillor, is the sole director of MA Holdings, a private limited company that owns two buy-to-let properties in Leeds’s Gipton area. The properties were purchased in June 2022 and in March (the exact year varies between reports). The Green Party has adopted a policy to phase out private landlordism and increase regulation of the private rental sector, creating a direct contrast between the party’s official position and Ali’s personal investments.
Background & Context: Green Party’s “Abolish Landlords” Motion
At the party’s October 2023 conference, delegates passed a motion titled “Abolish landlords,” describing the private rental sector as a “vehicle for wealth extraction.” The motion underpins a broader policy package that proposes rent controls, the end of buy-to-let mortgages, higher taxes on private rentals and expanded council-built housing.
Data & Statistics: Property Purchases and Company Structure
- Company: MA Holdings, incorporated December 2021; Ali is listed as the sole director and holds more than 75 % of the shares, giving him “significant control.”
- First property: Former council house bought for £165,000 in June 2022 (reported by The Sunday Times).
- Second property: Reported purchase price £157,000; the purchase date is given as March 2025 in one source and as “March last year” in another, creating a discrepancy.
- Financing: Both acquisitions were made with buy-to-let mortgages.
Official Statements & Responses
- “We have provided deeply personal information to the BBC in confidence which shows that Councillor Ali has acted solely in the interests of vulnerable close family members for whom he has caring responsibilities.” — Green Party spokesperson
- Party leader Zack Polanski has argued that a lack of regulation in the private rental sector turns tenants into “cash cows,” reinforcing the party’s push for stricter controls.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the timing of the second property’s purchase: the BBC article lists the acquisition as occurring in March 2025, whereas the Daily Mail cites “March last year” (implying March 2024). The purchase price is consistently reported as £157,000, but the exact date remains unclear. No public rent-level information has been disclosed, and the Green Party has declined to release the personal family details that it says justify the ownership.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We have provided deeply personal information to the BBC in confidence which shows that Councillor Ali has acted solely in the interests of vulnerable close family members for whom he has caring responsibilities.” — Green Party spokesperson
On-the-Ground Reports
A former owner of the second property confirmed that MA Holdings purchased the house with the intention to let it out, and a resident of the first property indicated that it is currently occupied by tenants.
Additional Context: Controversial Social Media Activity
The juxtaposition of Ali’s private landlord activities with the Green Party’s newly adopted anti-landlord agenda has sparked media scrutiny and raised questions about consistency between personal conduct and party policy.
