Shahrar Ali

Mohammad Shahrar Ali, known as Shahrar Ali (/ˈʃɑːrɑːr ɑːˈliː/), is a British politician and university manager who served as deputy leader of the Green Party of England and Wales from 2014 to 2016.

He stood for election to be leader of the Green Party in 2018, 2020 and 2021. His public statements on transgender issues and appointment in 2021 as the party's policing and domestic safety spokesperson were believed to be reasons for the party's co-leader Siân Berry stepping down.

In February 2022, Ali launched legal action against the Green Party alleging discrimination of gender-critical belief under the Equality Act 2010. He was subsequently removed from his position as a party spokesperson for alleged breaches of the Speakers’ Code of Conduct. He took legal action over his removal: the Judge ruled that his dismissal was procedurally unfair and that Ali had been subjected to "unlawful discrimination" as a result, but also upheld the party's right to dismiss spokespeople whose views were found to differ from party policy.

In September 2024, Ali was excluded from the Green Party, with the party telling him that any future readmission would be subject to him publicly retracting tweets that had been complained about and undertaking safeguarding training.

Shahrar Ali has degrees in biochemical engineering (BEng) and philosophy (BA, MPhil, PhD) from the University of London. His 1997 MPhil thesis was on "Practical reason with reference to the Human conception", and his 2004 PhD thesis (UCL) was entitled "Making as if to stand behind one's words: a theory of intentional deception and lying". His research interests are in moral and applied philosophy.

Before entering politics, Ali worked as a European Parliament researcher. He works in the Institute of Health Sciences Education at Queen Mary, University of London.

Shahrar Ali stood as a Green Party list candidate for the European Parliament in 2004, 2009 and 2014. He stood as the Green Party candidate for Brent East in the 2005 general election, winning 2.9% of the vote. He was a London Assembly candidate both in Brent and Harrow and in the London-wide list in 2008 and 2012, and stood for Parliamentary election for Brent Central in 2005 and 2010. Ali unsuccessfully sought his party's nomination to be a candidate for the 2008 and 2012 London mayoral elections.

He ran for election to Brent London Borough Council six times from 2005 to 2014, and once for Camden London Borough Council in 2006. In 2009, he successfully campaigned to stop Asda delivery lorries blocking a pavement. He wrote Why Vote Green in 2010.