Chris Kennedy — briefly the Green Party’s by‑election candidate in Makerfield — dropped out just 9–12 hours after being announced, following disclosures that he had shared social‑media posts describing the Golders Green arson attack on Jewish ambulances as a “false flag.”
He reposted an Instagram video claiming the arrests of two men over the arson attack on four Hatzola Jewish ambulances were “total bullst to keep the false flag flying.” He also shared a post from a self‑described “proud ethno‑nationalist” questioning the police response and suggesting the incident “made no sense.”
A “false flag” refers to staging an attack and accusing another group for political effect.
The party said the posts “don’t reflect the views of the Green Party.” Kennedy then deleted the posts and apologised for the offence caused.
The Greens claimed that his departure was officially for “personal and family reasons,” though the timing coincided directly with media inquiries about the posts.
Kennedy was announced on Thursday morning, and within hours, The Times contacted him about the posts. By that afternoon, he had withdrawn from the by‑election, making his candidacy one of the shortest in current UK political history.
The Green Party has been under increased criticism for antisemitism, and other candidates have been suspended for posting similar conspiracy theories.
The Greens were doing fairly well up until this point, and data backs that up. Up to mid-May 2026, the Greens were experiencing the strongest electoral surge in their history, with record-breaking local election results, new mayoralties, and breakthroughs in places they’d never once been competitive.
However, I’m afraid to say this attack by Kennedy does very much reflect the party’s views, and this is becoming a common occurrence in the political arena. Although there is evidence from the last 48 hours that the Green Party leadership has been scrambling to estrange itself from Chris Kennedy’s remarks, it has not supported them.
However, this is not an isolated incident. There have been numerous current cases of Green candidates or activists being scrutinised for antisemetic or conspiratorial content.
The party has been under pressure over antisemitism allegations, including arrests of other local election candidates, and the speed of Kennedy’s selection and withdrawal suggests a weak vetting process, which does reflect something structural, even if not ideological. In other words, no, the leadership doesn’t support Kennedy’s comments, but yes, the pattern of repeated incidents indicates a systemic situation inside the party.
And it’s not only the Greens we are seeing this, but it’s across all parties because candidates are being selected too quickly, especially for by-elections, leading to scandals within hours.
If we’re being precise, and I know that you people value that. It isn’t because the Green Party officially holds these views; it’s that their internal controls are weak, their candidate pipeline is inconsistent, their rapid growth has outpaced their ability to manage quality and discipline, and they have an unresolved divide between eco-liberal and eco-socialist factions, which makes room for fringe actors to slip through, and that’s why incidents like this keep happening.
THE MONTHLY MOSQUITO 