The Green Party candidate who withdrew from the Makerfield by-election has apologised after reportedly sharing a claim that an arson attack on Jewish ambulances in north London was a ‘false flag’.
Candidate Drops Out Hours After Announcement
Chris Kennedy was announced as the Green Party’s candidate for the Makerfield by-election on Thursday morning. However, just nine hours later, the party confirmed he had stepped down, citing ‘personal and family reasons’.
According to The Times, an Instagram video shared by Mr Kennedy described the arrests of two men over the incident in March as ‘total bulls*** to keep the false flag flying’.
The newspaper also reported that he shared a post by a user named Hugh Anthony, a self-described ‘proud ethno-nationalist’, which claimed the response to the Golders Green arson attack made ‘no sense’.
Arson Attack on Jewish Ambulance Service
The arson attack occurred on March 23 in Golders Green, targeting the Hatzola volunteer ambulance corps. Counter-terror police launched an investigation into the incident.
A Green Party spokesperson said: ‘These posts don’t reflect the views of The Green Party. We have spoken to Chris about these posts, and he has now deleted them. He apologises for the offence caused.’
The party reiterated its earlier statement about Mr Kennedy’s withdrawal, saying: ‘We wish Chris the best and understand that family has to come first. As a party, we are re-opening nominations now because we believe people in Makerfield deserve a real choice at this by-election, and the Green Party will be standing to offer exactly that.’
By-Election Context
The Green Party said it would campaign to expose the risk of Reform, which it branded a ‘party who seek to divide our communities’. Nominations for a replacement candidate have opened, with a selection meeting planned for Monday evening.
The by-election was triggered when Labour former minister Josh Simons announced he was stepping down. Andy Burnham is contesting the seat for Labour, while Robert Kenyon is standing for Reform.
