‘I’m a Muslim English Man’ — Green Party Deputy Leader Mothin Ali Sends Strong Message to Suella Braverman Over Her Comments About English Identity

Green Party deputy leader Mothin Ali has hit back at comments made by Reform UK MP Suella Braverman, saying he is “as English as a Yorkshire cup of tea”.

Braverman, who previously served as Home Secretary under the Conservatives before later joining Reform UK, recently spoke about what it means to be English.

During an appearance on BBC Question Time, Braverman said she considers herself British and of Asian ethnicity, rather than English, because of her family background.

Her comments have caused a wider debate about British and English identity. Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak criticised her position, warning that deciding whether someone is English based on their family background could lead the country down a “very slippery slope”.

Mothin Ali, a Leeds councillor whose family is from Bangladesh, strongly disagreed with Braverman.

Speaking to Green Party members at the party’s conference in Brighton on Saturday, Ali said: “A message to Suella, I’m brown, I’m Muslim. But I’m as English as a Yorkshire cup of tea!”

People in the audience booed when Braverman’s name was mentioned.

Ali also called on Prime Minister Andy Burnham to declare a “national emergency” over what he described as increasing racist violence and intimidation.

He said the issue was bigger than policing alone. According to Ali, it is also about whether a diverse country like Britain can protect everyone’s equal right to feel that they belong.

Ali has attracted controversy in the past. After winning his local election in 2024, he described his victory as a “win for the people of Gaza”. He was also previously criticised over comments linked to the October 7 attacks on Israel.

His latest comments came during the Green Party conference in Brighton, just days before party leader Zack Polanski is due to face voters in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election next Thursday.

However, another major issue is causing disagreement inside the Green Party.

Party members are expected to debate a controversial motion on Sunday which says that “Zionism is racism”.

The motion describes Zionism as support for an “ethnonationalist Jewish State” and proposes that the party should treat it in the same way as other forms of racism.

The proposal has already faced criticism from some senior Green figures. Former party leaders Caroline Lucas and Adrian Ramsay have described the motion as divisive and wrong.

Polanski has also been warned that the motion could make some Jewish people feel they are not welcome in the Green Party.

The debate comes at a time when the Greens have experienced a large increase in membership. Many of the people who could take part in Sunday’s debate have joined the party only in recent months.

Addressing the disagreements inside the party, Ali said its rapid growth could become a major strength, but only if members learn how to disagree with each other respectfully.

He said people have joined the Greens from different political backgrounds, communities and life experiences, so disagreements are expected.

Ali told members that disagreeing with someone does not mean they are an enemy or disloyal to the party. He also said winning a political argument or vote does not give anyone the right to humiliate those who hold a different opinion.

He said the Green Party should be able to handle disagreements while still taking a firm stand against racism, misogyny, homophobia and intimidation within its own movement.

Ali added that the party now has an opportunity to become one of the most inclusive political movements in modern Britain.